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Post by Shan on Mar 9, 2009 9:50:23 GMT -5
Finally caught up. A few thoughts (please forgive the incoherence, it's way too early in the morning): Thing 1: Somebody comes to me, says "I want the world's best midwife so I can give birth in a mountain chalet in the middle of nowhere in the middle of a snowstorm"? I'm going to tell them they're out of their freakin' minds. What if something went wrong? Thing 2: I know the show's setup, I don't need to be hit over the head with it at the beginning of Every Single Episode. Thing 3: Is it, perhaps, in Eliza's contract that she must appear in her bra at least once an episode? Thing 4: I also don't need to be hit over the head with the message of the show of the week. Echo=newborn baby. I get it. Thing 5: Somebody tell Fox and Hulu that those ads with Eliza as a brain-sucking alien, while cutesy, shouldn't be run during Eliza's show, as they tend to break the thread of our suspension of disbelief... Aside from that, there were aspects of this episode I thought were pretty good - in particular, Echo being "broken", and proving to herself that she isn't that broken after all. I get the feeling she's starting to retain bits of her installed personalities, and she's maybe finding something of her real self. I'll hang in there a bit longer. Although it's hard to make/find time to watch something this dark and depressing; it still feels like work. Was I the only one reminded of Leverage? I think Echo was channeling Parker, with a good dollop of Faith thrown in for good measure. I wonder if anybody's written the crossover fanfic yet - Faith is captured by the C.O.W. and turned over to the Dollhouse as punishment for her crimes, mindwiped and renamed Echo... I'm not sure what the rules are about trailers aired at the end of the episode - are they considered spoilers? So, just to be on the safe side: Next week, Waco? That's going to be very dark and depressing. Do you think Alpha, who apparently was given a whole boatload of special abilities, is one of the founders of the Dollhouse? It occurred to me that perhaps he knows how to do all these things because he helped develop them. Perhaps he grew a conscience and had to be "gotten rid of". Or perhaps he's the secret government Initiative super-soldier experiment gone horribly awry. I'm probably wrong, pay me no mind. My take was that he was the first "doll" they made. The three actives named so far are Alpha, Echo and Sierra, being military-speak for the letters of the alphabet. We know Sierra is new-ish, so I figured Alpha was the first, Echo a bit after, and Sierra further still down the line of recruits. I thought that Alpha had been given too MANY special abilities all at once, or was allowed to retain too many, and went whackaloon. We'll see...which is kind of the point of watching as far as I'm concerned.
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Post by Rachael on Mar 9, 2009 11:09:38 GMT -5
Finally caught up. A few thoughts (please forgive the incoherence, it's way too early in the morning): Thing 1: Somebody comes to me, says "I want the world's best midwife so I can give birth in a mountain chalet in the middle of nowhere in the middle of a snowstorm"? I'm going to tell them they're out of their freakin' minds. What if something went wrong? Makes it interesting to wonder why anyone'd want to keep a baby's birth that secret. But if he wants it to keep airing on Fox, he has to make it "accessible to new viewers" every week for at least half a season. Huh. I don't have that problem...the commercials and the show don't exist in the same mind-space, for me. I do wonder why Alpha is what he is...and why they couldn't wipe him and start again. Maybe the technology has been improved, but Alpha going un-rewritable on them might explain the extreme phobia about even the appearance of memories that carry over from one day to the next.
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Post by Michelle on Mar 9, 2009 11:11:25 GMT -5
Herd instinct. Huh. 'Manfriend'..hehe 'Blue skies.' Oh, a sting. Very nice. 'Taffy standard time.' Oops. Reboot. Anybody else think of "5 by 5" when Taffy said "Blue skies"?
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Post by Michelle on Mar 9, 2009 11:14:40 GMT -5
Okay, the woman who takes the assignments for the actives really needs to vet the clients better. I mean, seriously. Straight up tells the guy that they won't know what the assignment is, but the "computers" have flagged it as a heightened risk for the active and all she does is ask for more money? Does anybody care to join me in a resounding "duh" here? Especially after they suspect Alpha set up "Target"? They allow Alpha to breach them yet again and go after Echo? Which, BTW, I think he's doing in order to break her back to some version of reality. I don't necessarily agree with his objective, but the methods are sucking rather badly. Of course, that's understandable if he is, in fact, psychotic. Oh, and won't it just be very Jossian if the murdering psychopath turns into a good guy? This is one very serious flaw of the show. Oooh, I like the way you think, Shan!
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Mar 9, 2009 21:02:07 GMT -5
Teaser
Today Echo is a midwife. OK, then.
Is it just me, but did this girl start off sounding like she was having an orgasm?
Back at the Dollhouse.
Echo's faking being wiped? Well, definitely a bit different than the blank slate personality.
Dolls are grouping and Tech Guy and Handler notice.
Hey, It's That Guy.
Computers calculate the risks. I'm guessing there's going to be a don't put too much trust in technology lesson coming up shortly.
DeWitt. Must be The Man.
Experts in giving people what they need (and not what they want).
Now Echo's a call girl.
Shades of Pretty Woman.
Huh? What happened? And why isn't Handler on top of this? Unless this is all an elaborate role playing thing.
So it was a role playing thing. And... she's working for some con artists?
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Mar 9, 2009 21:13:01 GMT -5
Part I
Bonnie and Clyde didn't want to be the best, they wanted to be famous.
Back with Ballard.
Victor again.
Russia-Georgia, not Sweet Home Georgia. Heh.
Heist goes bust. Not surprising.
Interference of some sort. Which seemed to mess up the imprint. Courtesy of Alpha?
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Mar 9, 2009 21:22:54 GMT -5
Part II Tech Guy and... girlfriend? Assistant? Groupie? "Hysterical Woman Syndrome." Ugh. Handler to the rescue. Took him long enough. Tech Guy babbles ineffectually while getting chewed out by Adelle. The reputation of the company matters most of all, of course. Inside the Dollhouse, there's no conflict. Outside- sensory overload. Now they've imprinted Sierra with the personality. This really is Dark City!
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Mar 9, 2009 21:29:35 GMT -5
Part III
Pondering Picasso.
Are these art thieves or art critics?
Why does being girl thief require one wear incredibly uncomfortable shoes?
Tech Guy is still pondering his own shortsightedness.
Tech Guy tells Handler about the problem. Handler chews out Adelle.
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Mar 9, 2009 21:44:02 GMT -5
Part IV
Tech Guy continues to weave his conspiracy theories
These thieves are soooo confused. Heh.
I'm liking seeing Sierra get more screen time.
Echo gets wiped. Wiped of everything, I guess.
Tech Guy covers his ass. Adelle grants him a reprieve.
We're not all powerful. Ya, think!?
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Mar 9, 2009 21:51:37 GMT -5
Okay, the woman who takes the assignments for the actives really needs to vet the clients better. I mean, seriously. Straight up tells the guy that they won't know what the assignment is, but the "computers" have flagged it as a heightened risk for the active and all she does is ask for more money? Does anybody care to join me in a resounding "duh" here? Especially after they suspect Alpha set up "Target"? They allow Alpha to breach them yet again and go after Echo? Which, BTW, I think he's doing in order to break her back to some version of reality. I don't necessarily agree with his objective, but the methods are sucking rather badly. Of course, that's understandable if he is, in fact, psychotic. Oh, and won't it just be very Jossian if the murdering psychopath turns into a good guy? At this point, I'm wanting the Dollhouse to get caught more for being incompetent than I am wanting them to get caught for doing sick things to other people. I'm having a hard time believing this organization could have lasted for 3 months, much less 14+ months. In the bigger picture, I wouldn't assume anything about who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. We don't have nearly enough information, and the information we do have is probably skewed in some way.
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Post by Shan on Mar 10, 2009 10:57:52 GMT -5
Okay, the woman who takes the assignments for the actives really needs to vet the clients better. I mean, seriously. Straight up tells the guy that they won't know what the assignment is, but the "computers" have flagged it as a heightened risk for the active and all she does is ask for more money? Does anybody care to join me in a resounding "duh" here? Especially after they suspect Alpha set up "Target"? They allow Alpha to breach them yet again and go after Echo? Which, BTW, I think he's doing in order to break her back to some version of reality. I don't necessarily agree with his objective, but the methods are sucking rather badly. Of course, that's understandable if he is, in fact, psychotic. Oh, and won't it just be very Jossian if the murdering psychopath turns into a good guy? At this point, I'm wanting the Dollhouse to get caught more for being incompetent than I am wanting them to get caught for doing sick things to other people. In the bigger picture, I wouldn't assume anything about who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. We don't have nearly enough information, and the information we do have is probably skewed in some way. Oh, yeah. We all know how Joss likes to skew with us!
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Post by Karen on Mar 10, 2009 16:02:51 GMT -5
At this point, I'm wanting the Dollhouse to get caught more for being incompetent than I am wanting them to get caught for doing sick things to other people. In the bigger picture, I wouldn't assume anything about who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. We don't have nearly enough information, and the information we do have is probably skewed in some way. Oh, yeah. We all know how Joss likes to skew with us! *snort* Vlad, is that you?
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Post by Sue on Mar 11, 2009 9:47:21 GMT -5
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Post by Anne, Old S'cubie Cat on Mar 11, 2009 12:09:28 GMT -5
Oh, Goddess, you're right. I saw that story and didn't even make the connection. That's Joss, ahead of the curve as usual.
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Post by Lola m on Mar 12, 2009 12:08:15 GMT -5
Finally caught up. A few thoughts (please forgive the incoherence, it's way too early in the morning): Thing 1: Somebody comes to me, says "I want the world's best midwife so I can give birth in a mountain chalet in the middle of nowhere in the middle of a snowstorm"? I'm going to tell them they're out of their freakin' minds. What if something went wrong? Thing 2: I know the show's setup, I don't need to be hit over the head with it at the beginning of Every Single Episode. Thing 3: Is it, perhaps, in Eliza's contract that she must appear in her bra at least once an episode? Thing 4: I also don't need to be hit over the head with the message of the show of the week. Echo=newborn baby. I get it. Thing 5: Somebody tell Fox and Hulu that those ads with Eliza as a brain-sucking alien, while cutesy, shouldn't be run during Eliza's show, as they tend to break the thread of our suspension of disbelief... Aside from that, there were aspects of this episode I thought were pretty good - in particular, Echo being "broken", and proving to herself that she isn't that broken after all. I get the feeling she's starting to retain bits of her installed personalities, and she's maybe finding something of her real self. I'll hang in there a bit longer. Although it's hard to make/find time to watch something this dark and depressing; it still feels like work. Was I the only one reminded of Leverage? I think Echo was channeling Parker, with a good dollop of Faith thrown in for good measure. I wonder if anybody's written the crossover fanfic yet - Faith is captured by the C.O.W. and turned over to the Dollhouse as punishment for her crimes, mindwiped and renamed Echo... I'm not sure what the rules are about trailers aired at the end of the episode - are they considered spoilers? So, just to be on the safe side: Next week, Waco? That's going to be very dark and depressing. Do you think Alpha, who apparently was given a whole boatload of special abilities, is one of the founders of the Dollhouse? It occurred to me that perhaps he knows how to do all these things because he helped develop them. Perhaps he grew a conscience and had to be "gotten rid of". Or perhaps he's the secret government Initiative super-soldier experiment gone horribly awry. I'm probably wrong, pay me no mind. My take was that he was the first "doll" they made. The three actives named so far are Alpha, Echo and Sierra, being military-speak for the letters of the alphabet. We know Sierra is new-ish, so I figured Alpha was the first, Echo a bit after, and Sierra further still down the line of recruits. I thought that Alpha had been given too MANY special abilities all at once, or was allowed to retain too many, and went whackaloon. We'll see...which is kind of the point of watching as far as I'm concerned. This is my working theory as well. **nods**
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