Messages to Ballard (Spoilers)

[snizapman6294]

In episode 6, When Echo and Ballard were fighting, Echo reveals that during the imprinting process, someone had slipped in a message to Ballard. I'm blanking on what it was but i vaguely remember that Echo said it wasn't Alpha.

I personally think that it's either Ivy (in my sceanario) she's working for Alpha or it's Claire and she's trying to bring down the Dollhouse. but i'm gonna go with Claire Saunders.

EDIT: This thread may be used to discuss the possible source(s) of the messages to Ballard, regardless of the Active that delivers the message.

[sarahi]

There's only one problem that I have with the scenario as it played out in the episode. It was too obvious. I quickly came to the conclusion that whoever corrupted the tape had help from Boyd, who picked just the right time to draw Topher out of the room. The most likely person, the person with the access and the qualifications to change an imprint, is the girl who works with Topher, but I don't recall Joss ever making anything that easy to figure out. If I think outside the box, I recall the conversation during which Adelle announced a bonus for Boyd, and what might have been some nonverbal communication between them. I didn't think anything of this last night because obviously Adelle would be grateful that a sex offender was found out, but the second time I watched the episode the way the words and looks were exchanged seemed a little odd. Then when Topher was putting the final touches on Echo's last imprint, the director took great care to focus on what his hands were doing, and I think the bracelet he was wearing was supposed to draw our attention to what he was doing with one of his hands. I wonder if the girl working with Topher was actually the "programmer" Echo was talking about, since they're both probably programmers. The Dollhouse organization is global, so what if the "person" inside is actually a person running an entire building? What if it's Adelle and she has help in the building, but everyone is being careful because of how closely monitored everything is in that organization? Adelle has been hesitant for a long time to assassinate Paul Ballard, but would a person responsible for such evil, and backed by powerful allies, go out of their way to keep alive an FBI agent who isn't even taken seriously?

I know it sounds like a great big conspiracy theory, but I learned from a Q&A once about the Buffy comics that things are sometimes done on purpose to make fans draw a certain conclusion, so I'm more inclined to expect a less obvious person to be the mole in the Dollhouse, if there really is only one.

[buffysmglover]

I said "Other." We can't be entirely sure that the message isn't some trick by the company to make him think there's someone on his side. But I do appreciate all of sarahi's observations and think they probably do account for something. =)

[hitnrun017]

As of right now, I chose Adelle. She seemed to genuinely care about the Actives, and it was her idea to send Echo after Paul again. I think the way she acts is just a facade.

But really, I think it could've been anyone. Seems like they'd all have a motive to approach Paul.

[buffysmglover]

Mar 22, 2009 12:51:37 GMT -5 hitnrun017 said:

As of right now, I chose Adelle. She seemed to genuinely care about the Actives, and it was her idea to send Echo after Paul again. I think the way she acts is just a facade.

But really, I think it could've been anyone. Seems like they'd all have a motive to approach Paul.

I love Adelle.

Speaking of which, the outfit she wears in the promo pictures for the show appeared in this episode. =)

[Rebecca]

I think Adelle sent the message, via Boyd and Ivy.

[Wyndam]

I too believe it is Adelle that is the "inside man." It would be a great twist if she was the one secretly trying to bring down the Dollhouse. I don't think it would be Boyd or Topher, simply because they were out of the room and chatting when the "inside man" supposedly tampered with Echo's imprint. Boyd could still be working for the "inside man" though, and was simply getting Topher out of the room. I have a feeling we are just dealing with one person though and they just used the distraction Boyd caused to slip in and do their thing (unless the imprint corruption could be done from another terminal entirely).

[Joe]

I think it's Claire simply because she's the most humane.

[Greer]

I'm going with Adelle, I took the message from Echo as a way of tricking Ballard into thinking someone was on his side, and for a way to get him off the Dollhouse's back a little bit. It was interesting how she included some truthful info(I think), but maybe that was just to add to real-ness of the message?

[snizapman6294]

i think it was clearly not a trick. knowing the Dollhouse exists would only drive Ballard to find it and free Caroline.

[wenxina]

Mar 22, 2009 17:00:09 GMT -5 snizapman6294 said:

i think it was clearly not a trick. knowing the Dollhouse exists would only drive Ballard to find it and free Caroline.

On top of that, telling him that there are over 20 all over the world, with some unknown agenda... that's just spurring the guy on and causing trouble.

[Rebecca]

Agreed. The message was enough of a twist on the plot, I don't think the message itself is double handed.

[snizapman6294]

And Adelle even said herself that after being fired, Ballard would fight even harder.

[Greer]

Well, shoot.

I guess I missed that one

[Spiked]

At first I thought it was Ivy, but now that I think about it, that seems way too obvious. I'm gonna go with Adelle, too. She has to have at least some understanding of how the programming mumbo jumbo works in order to get so high in the ranks, and she seems to genuinely care about the well-being of the Dolls. I sort of get the impression that she's trying to take it down from the inside, kind of like Angel in Wolfram and Hart.

[Greer]

Now I've decided to go with the theory of Adele taking down the Dollhouse from the inside. I've already equated the upper Dollhouse rankings with the Senior Partners of W & H, so it could be possible. It'd be a nice little nod to Angel, I think. Or, I just compare everything to BtVs/AtS because I'm so desperate to have something Whedony on air again. But I like the Adele theory.

I do not think we know much at all about Ivy yet, and that she has something up her sleeve. She's smart but keeps getting pushed around by Topher. We've yet to see what she's exactly up to yet.

[snizapman6294]

Mar 22, 2009 19:49:17 GMT -5 Greer said:

Well, shoot.

I guess I missed that one

it's all good!

[VampSlayer]

I have three(kinda four) ideas.

1) I think Claire sent it. Im almost sure!(Boyd could be involved with her plan, I think. They talk quite a lot.)

2) Ivy may have done it.

3) Or DeWitt. I can see her doing this, but I just don't at the same time.

I voted for Claire.

[●B E N]

I voted for Ivy.

Cuz... shes poison Ivy! lol Joss likes meanings in charrie names.. so maybe he named her that for a reason?

[sarahi]

While the message couldn't have been a tactic to keep Agent Ballard off the case, it was clear that one of its purposes was to get Agent Ballard to run back home to Mellie. Whoever sent the message had high enough security clearance to know that someone was being sent after Mellie, and Adelle even sent Laurence out of the room to give that assignment. I wonder if Agent Ballard was sent running back in case something went wrong with triggering Mellie, because then someone else would have to take out the sex offender before he hurt another Active.