Dollhouse - Episode 1x09: Spy in the House of Love

[deathisyourgift]

OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!


MISS LONELY HEARTS IS................................

SPOILER: Click to show

DeWitt!!! OMG!!

wowie this ep rocks so far



edit: Holy shite this episode is ridiculous....ly amazing...had to clarify.

This episode had better get some serious ratings because it's bomb. In fact this episode is turning my appreciation for this show into UNYIELDING ADORATION!!

favorite quote thusfar: "I'll need some clothes..I can't catch a spy in my jammies.."

[Mathieu]

Is it just me or Phil is going to absolutely LOVE this episode ;-)? Lots and lots of naked you know who.

[AndrewCrossett]

Wow, that was eventful!

I'm so glad they didn't just rewind to square one like it seemed they were after last week.

This was close to the best episode yet, IMO. All of the characters sparkled here.

The image of Eliza in that dominatrix outfit isn't leaving me anytime soon...

Please ratings, be good.

[underbuffysspell]

I really enjoyed how this episode was directed: how the ending was explained before the 'here's what happened to get to this point' part. Also, what does everyone think about Echo?? I was shocked by her going to Topher, by herself, to be imprinted. Also, did anyone else notice her eyebrow arch a tiny smidgen(sp?) when she was being programmed to 'trust' her new handler?? I liked the eye contact she kept with Boyd whilst telling her new handler that she 'trusted him'.

This episode, by far, provoked many 'jaw-droppers'! I think my friend, whom I watch the show with every Friday, counted 10. This was the BEST episode yet, and if, come next month, FOX decides to cancel I will wage a holy war!! Anyone up to help? XD

Now, my only problem will be the two week wait.

[rufio]

I liked this episode a lot more than last weeks. Sierras mission was awesome. Eliza in the dominatrix outfit was outrageous! I'm very surprised by Adelle's dalliance with Victor-or "roger" was it? I don't want echo to have a new handler :/ I'm glad Dominic was the spy. I didn't like him anyway. I keep getting more and more interested. I feel like the idea of imprinting dolls with dead peoples personalities is leading into the darker purposes of the dollhouse.

[rufio]

Oh and does anyone else notice how thin eliza dushku has gotten?!?! she's far from her voluptuous 'faith' days.

[deathisyourgift]

Apr 10, 2009 22:06:44 GMT -5 underbuffysspell said:

This was the BEST episode yet, and if, come next month, FOX decides to cancel I will wage a holy war!! Anyone up to help? XD

IF the time comes, I'll be on the "holy war--GO" bandwagon

[deathisyourgift]

Apr 10, 2009 22:55:04 GMT -5 rufio said:

Oh and does anyone else notice how thin eliza dushku has gotten?!?! she's far from her voluptuous 'faith' days.

Yes, it's not as bothersome as SMG's thinness can be, because Eliza's still super strong(-looking). Not that SMG wasn't strong, she's just uber thin, and Eliza, now super thin--uber is one level up from super obviously--still looks like she could believably kick ass. She is a pretty small person anyways and has always been, I think that the main difference is that Echo doesn't normally wear push-up bra's, whereas Faith was never without one.

[Emmie]

That was intensely good. I loved how we got to better understand the inner mythos of the Dollhouse as well as seeing more of Adelle, Saunders and Dominic. I'm honestly not completely sure what Adelle was crying about - I think in part she was crying about having to end things with Victor, but I also thought she was crying because she'd just gotten the news that Dominic had betrayed her. I think it hit harder than she wanted anyone to see, but she allowed herself to breakdown in front of Victor because he's the only one she'd show her vulnerable side to. But then I've been reading the Adelle/Dominic vibes for a while now. How Dominic said "if anything happens to her" in this episode demonstrating his concern and how she asked for the agents to make sure Dominic was okay Echoes. They had some kind of unspoken regard for each other and I think Dominic's betrayal shook her. I even wonder if what Adelle had with Victor was a transference of what she might have wanted with Dominic, but found the latter impossible because of her job so she created "Miss Lonely Hearts" to facilitate this need.

I know so many fans seem to love hating on Topher, but come on wasn't it sweet that he went to warn his manfriend before reporting the chip he'd discovered? Aw, Topher totally has a bromance for Boyd.

[deathisyourgift]

Apr 10, 2009 22:58:37 GMT -5 Emmie said:

That was intensely good. I loved how we got to better understand the inner mythos of the Dollhouse as well as seeing more of Adelle, Saunders and Dominic. I'm honestly not completely sure what Adelle was crying about - I think in part she was crying about having to end things with Victor, but I also thought she was crying because she'd just gotten the news that Dominic had betrayed her. I think it hit harder than she wanted anyone to see, but she allowed herself to breakdown in front of Victor because he's the only one she'd show her vulnerable side to. But then I've been reading the Adelle/Dominic vibes for a while now. How Dominic said "if anything happens to her" in this episode demonstrating his concern and how she asked for the agents to make sure Dominic was okay Echoes. They had some kind of unspoken regard for each other and I think Dominic's betrayal shook her. I even wonder if what Adelle had with Victor was a transference of what she might have wanted with Dominic, but found the latter impossible because of her job so she created "Miss Lonely Hearts" to facilitate this need.

I know so many fans seem to love hating on Topher, but come on wasn't it sweet that he went to warn his manfriend before reporting the chip he'd discovered? Aw, Topher totally has a bromance for Boyd.

I think she was crying because she realized she had to end her engagements with Victor/Roger, because she realized what could happen while she was indulging in her own fantasies.

I hadn't even really thought of a Dominic/DeWitt relationship going anywhere other than work-related, interesting idea though. Maybe Roger is Adelle's dream version of Dominic..

[antoniofjm]

WOW!!! If this episode didn't get views attention I don't know what will!

This episode was amazing(9th time i've said that I know )

The scene between Topher and Echo for me was jaw dropping and so was when Mellie revealed herself to Ballard.

I love Echo/November now as much as I do Sierra/Echo.

Victor/Adelle was very and this might sound creepy but actually cute and like real love.

Dominiques reveal was awesome but his "deactivation"(is that what you call it?) was really creepy! but does that mean he's dead? cause Topher has his lie in the cartdrige so maybe he can live again for all I know.

Sierra was great as usual.

When I saw "Ms.Lonley Hearts" I felt real bad for Victor.

I loved the scene with Adelle and Claire.

Can someone please explain the conversation between Echo and Dom in the van to me cause I didn't really get it did he mean that all the workers use to be actives cause that's what I thought when he said I think "Soon enough your gonna be doing the wiping" or something like that.

Now for the ending I got sad cause no more Echo/Boyd Overall awesome ep 5/5

And I've changed my mind about what I said that next episode looks boring cause after seeing the promo I was wowed espicially when Echo said lines like "I should've stayed dead" which kinda made it awesome cause it's not actually the woman who died saying this but a program basically.

BTW Dollhouse S1 is #43 on best selling list for amazon without even having a release date yet!

[Tyler Austin "tiewashere"]

My favorite episode yet. I love Adelle!!

[hitnrun017]

I enjoyed this episode immensely, could be my favorite yet. I always enjoy episodes of shows that are set up like this, goes back and forth with different character viewpoints and the character development was epic on top of that.

How freaking adorable is Echo? I just had to go "aww" when she waved to November. But for a character who has so little personality, I care about her a lot. It was great seeing her catch on to what was going on and wanting to help people not be "upset" anymore. I enjoy seeing Echo a hell of a lot more than Caroline or any of the other personalities.

Adelle really turned into a fascinating character tonight. Any character who can go from being so lonely and breaking down in the arms of fake relationship, to putting on a fake facade at her job, getting shot and saying "it's just graze", is one that I admire greatly. If the show continues for awhile, I really want to see this explored.

Sierra and Echo's personalities were very fun and exciting: Smart, sexy and badass. I already have a burning hate for Echo's new Handler. I really wanted her to say "no" when he asked if she trusts him, but I liked how it seemed Echo wasn't into him at all. Boyd's face was heartbreaking, along with Paul finding out about Mellie. All the Laurence stuff was great too, really didn't expect the spy to be him. The part where he gets wiped was so intense. I actually felt sort of bad for him. Everyone just standing there watching or strapping him down was shocking, especially Boyd.

Another great episode!

[Wyndam]

Apr 10, 2009 22:58:37 GMT -5 Emmie said:

That was intensely good. I loved how we got to better understand the inner mythos of the Dollhouse as well as seeing more of Adelle, Saunders and Dominic. I'm honestly not completely sure what Adelle was crying about - I think in part she was crying about having to end things with Victor, but I also thought she was crying because she'd just gotten the news that Dominic had betrayed her. I think it hit harder than she wanted anyone to see, but she allowed herself to breakdown in front of Victor because he's the only one she'd show her vulnerable side to. But then I've been reading the Adelle/Dominic vibes for a while now. How Dominic said "if anything happens to her" in this episode demonstrating his concern and how she asked for the agents to make sure Dominic was okay Echoes. They had some kind of unspoken regard for each other and I think Dominic's betrayal shook her. I even wonder if what Adelle had with Victor was a transference of what she might have wanted with Dominic, but found the latter impossible because of her job so she created "Miss Lonely Hearts" to facilitate this need.

I definitely agree. The Adelle/Laurence vibes have been pretty blatant in the last few episodes (Adelle's "take care of him" when Laurence goes crazy in Episode 7). Using Victor to facilitate her desire for Laurence is a great way to look at the whole situation though, I quite like that.

Overall, this was the best episode yet, imo. Every single character got a chance to shine, which is pretty darn hard with a cast this large. It contained so many wow moments, and the writings was insanely solid throughout.

Boyd's "We're pimps and killers, but in a philanthropic sort of way," may be the best line in the series yet. Loved it.

Another favorite scene was with Adelle and "Roger" where he asks her to run away with him. Watching Adelle sit there and actually think about it and fantasize with him, knowing that it was all fruitless was really powerful.

I thought the beginning of the episode was brilliant as well. Following Echo around as everything started to go wrong, and watching her little reactions was too awesome for words. Then she goes to Topher and asks to be imprinted. I love this show.

[hitnrun017]

Apr 10, 2009 23:49:21 GMT -5 Wyndam said:

Apr 10, 2009 22:58:37 GMT -5 Emmie said:

That was intensely good. I loved how we got to better understand the inner mythos of the Dollhouse as well as seeing more of Adelle, Saunders and Dominic. I'm honestly not completely sure what Adelle was crying about - I think in part she was crying about having to end things with Victor, but I also thought she was crying because she'd just gotten the news that Dominic had betrayed her. I think it hit harder than she wanted anyone to see, but she allowed herself to breakdown in front of Victor because he's the only one she'd show her vulnerable side to. But then I've been reading the Adelle/Dominic vibes for a while now. How Dominic said "if anything happens to her" in this episode demonstrating his concern and how she asked for the agents to make sure Dominic was okay Echoes. They had some kind of unspoken regard for each other and I think Dominic's betrayal shook her. I even wonder if what Adelle had with Victor was a transference of what she might have wanted with Dominic, but found the latter impossible because of her job so she created "Miss Lonely Hearts" to facilitate this need.

I definitely agree. The Adelle/Laurence vibes have been pretty blatant in the last few episodes (Adelle's "take care of him" when Laurence goes crazy in Episode 7). Using Victor to facilitate her desire for Laurence is a great way to look at the whole situation though, I quite like that.

I don't think Adelle was thinking about Laurence at all when she was with Victor. That makes all of her scenes with him pretty much pointless. Yeah, she was probably crying because of Laurence, but I thought it was more because a trusted semi-friend and colleague betrayed her, probably the only person she trusted. Or Laurence's betrayal made her realize she can't escape her job and that her fantasy can never come true. Just based on Adelle's sadness while watching Victor from inside of Claire's office is enough for me to think that she had absolutely no desire for Laurence at the time. We saw a completely different side to her where she could just be herself without judgment. From the moment Victor arrived till the moment she found out about Laurence, it was all about Victor.

And also, she is the one who basically killed him with no remorse whatsoever. Payback for ruining her perfect evening.

[tms]

So I just watched this episode: best one yet, imo. I wasn't expecting the head of security to be the spy, but thinking about certain things, it makes sense. I also didn't expect Adelle to be Mrs. Lonely Hearts. I imagine this'll make interesting drama between Adelle and Sierra.

All in all, Fox would have to be a bunch of idiots to cancel this show.

[Iceeh★]

OMG -spazzes-
This episode was insanely amazing. I'm still reeling from the awesomeness of it! Topher/Ivy is my new favorite could-be-couple now, hee.

[Emmie]

Apr 11, 2009 0:00:48 GMT -5 hitnrun017 said:

I don't think Adelle was thinking about Laurence at all when she was with Victor. That makes all of her scenes with him pretty much pointless. Yeah, she was probably crying because of Laurence, but I thought it was more because a trusted semi-friend and colleague betrayed her, probably the only person she trusted. Or Laurence's betrayal made her realize she can't escape her job and that her fantasy can never come true. Just based on Adelle's sadness while watching Victor from inside of Claire's office is enough for me to think that she had absolutely no desire for Laurence at the time. We saw a completely different side to her where she could just be herself without judgment. From the moment Victor arrived till the moment she found out about Laurence, it was all about Victor.

I mean that the situation with Laurence, the building relationship that could never go anywhere for over 3 years, being forever stymied when they did have that chemistry - it led to Adelle creating "Roger" who was the perfect embodiment of what she wanted. Someone who mocked the Dollhouse and it's rules like Adelle wanted to, who wasn't chained to it (in theory) the way Dominic and Adelle were. "Roger" is a creation of Adelle's need and that need was frustrated by her workplace situation surrounded by Dominic. It doesn't mean that Adelle was thinking about Dominic when she was with "Roger", she was fully wrapped up in her fantasy. But that's how transference works. Her stunted relationship with Laurence led to a need to indulge in this fantasy life with "Roger".

And it should be very telling that as she discovers Laurence has betrayed her, she cuts herself off from "Roger" forever, finding the indiscretion too costly now. It cannot be ignored that her excising Laurence from her life and sending him to the attic occurs at the exact same time that she cuts "Roger" from her life. "Roger" was the fantasy version of whatever real connection Adelle had with Laurence. And when Laurence betrayed her trust, she cracked down hard on every soft emotion inside of her. This is why we see her refusing the anesthetic from Dr. Saunders, why she just brushes off the bullet wound. She's like a wounded animal in a trap who would gnaw off her own arm in order to survive, no matter the pain. She must remake herself into stone, hardened inside and out. Just as she's hardened her heart, so has her skin hardened. She is impervious to bullets now, impervious to pain. She won't let herself be hurt.




Ethan, I just noticed you keep calling the personality imprint of Roger "Victor" in your posts. I think it's important to remember that "Roger" is a creation of Adelle's desire, that's not Victor. It's an imprint, not a real person. Adelle is indulging in a fantasy, but to suggest that she's unaware of it not being real, that she actually misses Victor when in reality she's only missing her fantasy. It's ultimately a selfish desire, an indulgence, a lie that she denies herself. Adelle isn't in love with Victor, she's in love with her fulfilled fantasy life of dreams. She's going to miss the fantasy man she created and imprinted into Victor. She's going to miss her creation "Roger", not Victor.

[redhead]

I thought this was a really great episode. Probably second favorite so far.

I thought the scene with Laurence being sent to the attic was really haunting. Do we think that is the last we will be seeing of him? I hope not as I actually quite liked him...

I was a bit confused about what Laurence's reasons for "spying" though? Can someone help me out? He said he was keeping Ballard away from the dollhouse, so was his messages through Echo and November to Ballard irrelevant? I can't remember exactly what they said, but it was about the purpose of the Dollhouse, right? Was it just about keeping the Dollhouse underground, and not going mainstream? I'm very confused...

I think its really interesting how its really hard to know who to "support" in the series. Because the Dollhouse is an evil organisation and yet you start to feel sympathy for the characters working there. This episode kinda showed how the people who work in the Dollhouse have given up their lives as well. Saunders never leaves and the only way Adelle can have a relationship is to use a Doll.

I really enjoyed Adelle in this episode as well. I thought her character development was great. I do think there was something between her and Laurence, there was just to much hinting in previous episodes for there not to be.

Also, can't wait to see how Ballard treats Mellie now that he knows she is a doll!

p.s Hi!

[dragonweaver]

Just because Laurence is a spy for the NSA doesn't mean he is the same spy who is sending messages to Ballard through the dolls. When confronted by Adelle, Laurence said he was there to keep the Dollhouse hidden while keeping an eye on it's activities for his agency. He claimed to have no desire to shut it down, just the opposite. Now he could be lying to conseal his true motives, but I prefer to think that someone else is really behind Echo & November's messages. No offense but Laurence doesn't stike me as the kind of guy who knows how to mess with imprints. Plus why attempt to kill Echo multiple times if his real mission was to stop the Dollhouse and free the actives?