Dollhouse - Episode 1x11: Briar Rose

[henzINNIT]

Yeah I noticed that too. I thought right off the bat that Joss must have been looking through his villainry greatist hits lol.

I loved the delivery of Ballard's "my whole life was a lie" line. I thought he was hysterical all the way through this episode in fact. There's a great mix of overwhelming joy and utter horror in his character when he got in that place, as he's pretty much a crazy guy validated.

[redhead]

Also, itIt appears Laurence Dominic was a better head of security than Boyd.

[Rebecca]

True. But he was also more than just a head of security with a handler/police work background. He's a FIKKIN AGENT

I love that he was validated on both parts though, that Echo was a liability and Ballard would get into the Dollhouse without him. That was pretty cool.

[deathisyourgift]

Ok, so I just watched the ep on hulu (had work Friday night).

AH-MAZE-INGGGGGGGGGGG

A few very shocking moments:
Alan Tudyk! yaysies he is one of my favorite actors in the Joss-verse and he did an awesome job in this episode flipping the switch from 'phobia-ridden pot-den guy' to 'hack-n-slashy head-tilting Alpha'. He has proven many times that he can be utterly hilarious, surprisingly sentimental ("Leaf"speech on Firefly *tear*), and now has shown his creepy evil side. Loved him from beginning to end.
Victor's new look. Wow, if there was anyone too pretty to be face-slashed, it's Victor. He's so beautiful and now he's gonna be all scarified like Claire! The moment when Alpha turned the corner and surprised Victor and Claire, I thought 'Oh no now silly dude is going to ruin Ballard's secret mission by talking to these two!' Instead he IS ALPHA and cut Victor's face up, to which my immediate response was "WHAAAAAT OH MY GOD!!" and my two cats jumped five feet in the air.
Echo/Alpha kiss...whaaa?!? Now we know why Echo was spared in the first place. Alpha has created his own imprint for Echo in which she is his masochistic lover. Swell! Can't wait to see how much havoc they wreak when they reach the top of that elevator.

All in all, I really enjoyed this episode, and it had me on the edge of my seat--literally--for the duration of the episode. Great acting by Tahmoh, Olivia, Miracle, and Enver(as Dominic), with really great writing by the lovely Jane Espenson, who NAILED every character just right. The scene between Mellie and Ballard was awesome, the scene between Big Susan/Echo and Little Susan was touching, the scene in which Echo watches Boyd and Ballard fighting, and has flashes of her encounters with each of them, and decides to trust Boyd is SO reminiscent of the Slayer/Watcher relationship, that I almost don't feel bad that Ballard is getting his ass kicked.

One question: So now there's only one episode left instead of the original 13 episodes, right? How will this affect the plot for this final episode?

Can't wait til next week.

[Midnight Butterfly]

I loved this episode.
I was actually surprised that Alan Tudyk was Alpha. I heard all over the internet that it was going to be him but when I seen the first half of the episode I was convinced that what I heard on the net was just a rumour and that he wasnt Alpha. And then WHAM! I was shock lol.
I hated the fact that Ballard left November in her pod. I can understand why but it goes to show that she means nothing to him and for come reason Echo does.
Anyway just poped by to say that it was a great episode. In my opinion the best as of yet. And only one (two) episodes to go . Shame about the low viewers it got also

[deathisyourgift]

May 3, 2009 16:46:26 GMT -5 Midnight Butterfly said:

I hated the fact that Ballard left November in her pod. I can understand why but it goes to show that she means nothing to him and for come reason Echo does.

November might mean nothing to him, but Mellie does. If Mellie were a real person, Paul would definitely save her. He can't take November because she's a sleeper cell, and if he did he would be risking his life since the Dollhouse could at any moment trigger/activate her to kill him. That's why he apologizes to her in her pod when he sees her. He has feelings for Mellie, but Mellie technically doesn't exist; how can he save someone who doesn't exist?

[wenxina]

How does Paul know that Mellie is a Sleeper Active? He missed the part where she went WWE on Sierra's handler. The risk he's taking by "rescuing" Echo is not any greater than if he were to take November along too; as far as he knows, both their imprints have been corrupted before to allow a message to be nested in the actual imprint. And of the two Actives, the only one who has actually handed his ass to him on a dinner plate was Echo as the assassin.

And Paul's mission, the way he makes it sound, is that he's out to save the Dolls... because it's human trafficking, etc etc etc. That's his soap box speech. Mellie may not be real, but the person who was there before she became November is every bit as real as Caroline. Part of the draw may indeed be because Paul has actually kinda met Caroline before (as Emmie pointed out, she did call him, in "Needs"). But I don't buy that that is the only reason.

[Nicholas]

I absolutely LOVED this episode. it was great on an epic scale, and up there with the best episodes of all things Joss Whedon!

I try not to spoil myself too much so I actually had no idea that Alan Tudyk was Alpha! That scene where it flips and shows who he was actually made me jump out of my skin and freak the hell out, rewinding it to make sure I just didnt hallucinate. That was VERY clever writing AND directing with how they did that reveal. One of the best villain reveals in all things Joss. They are really on the ball with this series and I am going to be deeply depressed if it doesnt get picked up for a second season, unless it already did, Im not too sure.

Poor Victor! They only did that to him because they know that he makes most of the audience sweat when watching, so therefore they have to cut up the pretty one! !&#(@(*@!!!! Its cool, I am over it considering he is still going to be a fine peice of ass when he heals. Im good.

I thought that the scene in which Echo once again tells Boyd that she trusts him was actually very well played out and shows the reprecussions of what can happen to a Dolls mindset when exposed to something that is not the norm, such as violence. Im assuming that Victor will be suffering as well considering he woke up with them fighting on top of him and then getting cut up by Alpha. Strong effects are in the works...

Ballard having THAT long of a fight with Boyd seemed kind of off to me considering he has been shown to THROW DOWN in a fight and has a wide variety of skills when it comes to hand to hand combat, and Boyd is just not on his level, so I find it odd that the fight managed to last that long.

Is it just me or does anyone else believe Ballard is going to become a Doll?

The Kepler thing was a tad of a plot hole, considering Keplers body hadnt been dead that long, so in order to get his picture to show up on FBI databases as Kepler would have taken some work. But then again, Alpha has been shown to be a technilogical genious so he probably has the skills and technology to do something that fast.

I hadnt actually picked up on how Claire may actually be a Doll but it still is VERY interesting to see if that plays out and now I officially believe that she is. But that could go for the whole Dollhouse staff as a WHOLE.

And I loved the "Frak" reference.

[Rebecca]

May 3, 2009 21:53:50 GMT -5 wenxina said:

How does Paul know that Mellie is a Sleeper Active? He missed the part where she went WWE on Sierra's handler.

In "Spy in the House of Love" the message tells Ballard that November is a different kind of doll, that she's a sleeper doll. That if he told her that he knows the dollhouse is watching him through her then they would have her kill him.

[wenxina]

May 4, 2009 3:13:18 GMT -5 Rebecca said:

May 3, 2009 21:53:50 GMT -5 wenxina said:

How does Paul know that Mellie is a Sleeper Active? He missed the part where she went WWE on Sierra's handler.

In "Spy in the House of Love" the message tells Ballard that November is a different kind of doll, that she's a sleeper doll. That if he told her that he knows the dollhouse is watching him through her then they would have her kill him.

I know, but the point is, how does he know that Echo doesn't have the same kind of imprinting? It should at least be a reasonable worry, and yet, he doesn't seem to care at all. His mission is simply to get Caroline out of the Dollhouse, despite the fact that Echo is not Caroline.

EDIT: Just rewatched that little section, and you're both right that Mellie reveals that she's a Sleeper there. But as I said before, how does he know for sure that Echo doesn't have a sleeper imprint too?

[Wyndam]

Perhaps since Paul knows that Echo goes on actual engagements, whereas November is always Mellie, he assumes that she isn't a sleeper active? If Echo was a sleeper active as well, then I would think it would be unlikely that she would go on all of these different engagements. Paul probably also figures that sleeper actives are only the Doll's that are on surveillance engagements, like November.

[wenxina]

Yes, but these assumptions are just that. Assumptions. I think he's kinda blinded by this whole crusade business, and isn't thinking straight. His logic about being able to go back for November if he gets Echo/Caroline out is ludicrous. As if the Dollhouse would not try to prevent another breakout.

I was actually just amazed by how lax security seemed in this episode, considering the Alpha incident is pretty recent. Yeah, they thought he was in Tucson, but that is no reason to just slack off and let a rogue suspended Fed and his bumbling/noisy sidekick into the facility, without detecting them! The air ducts would have motion sensors! Alpha got out... if I owned/ran the Dollhouse, I'd make damn sure that nothing gets in, or out without notice. I always thought that security was intentionally slack for the Dolls to escape in "Needs", but in retrospect, considering that none of the staff, aside from a few individuals, knew that the plan had been moved up, it probably really is quite lax. Where's the forest of thorns when you need one?

EDIT: It doesn't elude me that this is the second time that Alpha has escaped the facility. I think it can be said with some smugness now: Shame on the Dollhouse.

[theend]

I loved this episode so much. I really loved Victor when he said 'people were fighting on me'. That was so cute. And of course Alpha was awesome and the ending was ohmigod.

[deathisyourgift]

I think at this point Paul is also a little bit nutty from the conspiracy and being fired and contacted by Dollhouse so easily. When he is inside the Dollhouse and has that moment of affirmation, something in his mind switches and he is on one track: save Caroline. She has contacted him as herself during "Needs," as well as a few times on those informant engagements.

We've also seen a clue in Paul's dream, when he is making out with Caroline and Mellie is watching. Maybe he has the hots for Caroline and this obsession with saving her has turned into a f-ed up love for her?

[Rebecca]

Wenxina, I completely agree that he's making an assumption that November is more dangerous than Echo, that Echo is not a sleeper active when he knows November is. What my question is, is whether this assumption stems from his overarching obsession with Caroline, or if it originates from an educated guess (the message said November was unique, therefore not every doll is a sleeper) and only reinforces his obsession with Caroline by effectively breaking whatever hold Mellie had on him prior to that revelation.

If the assumption is simply an educated guess, heeding the warning from the message not to trust November, then I can see no fault in him for staying away from her.

If the assumption directly stems from his obsession with Caroline, a subconscious effort to quell cognitive dissonance as he was clearly conflicted between the two from that dream sequence, then I think yes, he is in the wrong. He is rejecting November because he was conflicted. I think this is more likely, though, as they did set it up with the dream sequence, and he was "choosing" Caroline over Mellie by refusing to stop investigating even though it endangered both their lives.

[wenxina]

*karmas Rebecca for making the distinction*

[Emmie]

May 4, 2009 10:19:31 GMT -5 theend said:

I loved this episode so much. I really loved Victor when he said 'people were fighting on me'. That was so cute. And of course Alpha was awesome and the ending was ohmigod.

That is really a great line for what Boyd and Ballard were doing. The carelessness of the way the fight went about - as likely to hurt the people Ballard wants to free. People were "fighting on Echo", too.

[sarahi]

This episode was brilliant, Jane Espenson did it again. Alan Tudyk was great as Alpha, I wasn't sure whether to believe he was dangerous until he cut Victor. I think there's something there in the Whiskey theory, where someone said that Claire might be a doll. She has humanity and a loyalty to the Dollhouse that Boyd can't understand. I don't think she's dead, though. I can't see a loose end like that not being tied up somehow, even in an enormous cliffhanger. I had no trouble believing that Alpha had something planned for Echo. He's clearly been obsessed with her, and he make his obsession Ballard's, but I think Ballard's rescue-the-princess routine is getting tired. He stopped being a white hat when he knowingly had rough sex with a doll. He's just crazy now, and maybe he thinks that rescuing "Caroline" will make him feel better. I did like the Ballard/Alpha team-up, though. It was both unexpected and hilarious.

[Greer]

I just finally watched this episose on Hulu, and I loved it!

Seeing as how Jane Espenson wrote it, I wasn't surprised at all that it was awesome. I wasn't really a fan of the rough sex scene with Ballard and Mellie. The way that he was throwing her around forced me to make a reminsicent connection with the Spike rape scene, so I wasn't too keen on it.

I really liked how Tudyk was Alpha. I didn't know it was him until he went into the office and stayed there for a long time after Ballard left. I only made that connection because I watched the preview last week with Amy Acker saying "Alpha?" as she went into her office. Then it all connected. I was shocked that he sliced Victor up though, very interesting. Also interesting how Boyd never noticed that Ballard had another person in there with him.

Just thought of this---when Topher saw Ballard, he really saw Alpha first, didn't he? So he was making a fuss not over Ballard, but most likely an "Oh Sh*t!" over seeing Alpha.

Will Ballard join forces with the Dollhouse? Will he be employed there? Will he save Echo/Caroline? What the heck is up with programming her onto another girl? God, that's creepy. I want to see what type of Sid and Nancy game that we've got going on with Alpha and Echo. Will they get caught? What will happen? I'm very interested in seeing it.

[vampmogs]

This episode really was fantastic. I've completely fallen in love with 'Dollhouse' and will be so disappointed if it doesn't get picked up. This episode really was an eye-opener for me and I'm just going to post a little rant about Ballard that I posted on another forum;

Ya know I just watched the episode again and I’m really starting to find Paul kind of unappealing. It’s kind of been a gradual thing for the last few episodes but seeing him in this episode really kind of brings that sentiment to a head. I think I kind of know where I stand now; I’m glad Boyd won that fight.

Paul just seems too fixated on this fantasy of rescuing Caroline and it’s becoming just a tad too twisted for me. This episode kind of proved that to me when Echo was telling him to get away from her and he wouldn’t. Who’s he to decide she needs to be saved if she doesn’t want to be? Like when she’s running up the stairs away from him and he chases after her, grabbing onto her arm, as if he’s running with her instead of after her. I was just like, dude c’mon don’t delude yourself here. I mean she knocks him over the banister for crying out loud and he still didn’t take the hint.

Boyd is different, maybe it’s because he’s older than Ballard but he thinks things through. At first I found Paul’s reckless behaviour kind of charming because I believed in what he was doing. Whereas, now I find it unhealthy and quite damaging. He doesn’t care about the other Dolls, in principle he believes it is wrong but he’s only interested in saving Caroline. I was astounded that he finds November and doesn’t try and save her. His reasoning made absolutely no sense to me, she could kill him with a flick of a switch? Well so could Echo…? For all he knows all the Actives are imprinted in that way. It also kind of proved that he went into that establishment to rescue Caroline and her only, he had no intention to free the other dolls.

Boyd is less reckless, his reasoning for not letting Echo escape made complete sense. The Dollhouse would kill her if she got away. Ultimately he cares more about her safety than Ballard does, who’s self-interest in this continues to become more apparent. Boyd’s no complete white-hat, he came to work for the Dollhouse before growing attached to Echo so there’s no excuse for him there. However, I believe he’s on a better path than what Paul is. It was pretty big of him to face Paul man-to-man and offer him an escape, when as he said he could have brought the entire house down on the guy. He's a mix of Ballard’s ideals but also his own sensibilities.

I don’t know, perhaps I’m more biased because we see now that Echo’s trust in Boyd is no longer artificial but truly genuine. But Boyd seems to be more genuine about looking after her than Paul does. I found when he said, “you heard the lady!” a really striking line because it kind of sums up my feelings about this episode. Paul wasn’t respecting Echo’s wishes and was trying to tell her what to do just like the Dollhouse does. Echo trusted Boyd not Paul and that counts for something.

I really enjoy this dichotomy between the two men, Paul wants to save Caroline and Boyd wants to protect Echo. Echo is as real as Caroline is now. She isn’t an imprint, she’s a real genuine human being. She's no longer a blank slate but someone with her own memories (she remembers Alpha, Sierra, Saunders, Victor, Topher) and she's aware of what's going on around her. She's learnt how to protect herself by revealing Dominic and she even knows she's imprinted to be different people. It's a lot more tricky now to say it's as simple as getting Caroline back because that means you murder Echo. The one thing for sure though is that she’s going to get hurt between this tuggle war, she was literally when she’s knocked down the stairs when both men are mid-tussle. That’s where I disagree with both Boyd and Ballard, they’re both fighting over her and making decisions about what’s best for her. Echo could get very hurt in the process.

Just to be clear- whilst I’m not Paul’s biggest fan I’m very happy his character is on the show. He brings an interesting flavour to the series and we need someone like him to mix things up. What he was saying about slavery is all very true, he’s just not as pure as he makes out to be. I just think I find Boyd's fatherly feelings more appealing than Ballards, which have a bunch of sexual undertones. It makes me uncomfortable that Paul's into Caroline like that. I also appreciate that Boyd has no delusions about who he is and his faults. I'm very glad we have his character though even if I don't necessarily like him.