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Post by Lola m on Mar 15, 2009 22:05:40 GMT -5
Looks like the local town people don't like these folks, eh. Ooooooh. A hidden "save me" note. Talking about people who've had their wills taken away. And at least he admits that it is "ironic" to use an active to get into this group. And this is not quite the government itself hiring them, but it does show that some folks in the government know about the Dollhouse. This Senator knows about them. If she were anymore relaxed, she'd be ooze. Oh, that's right! This is the "real world scarily close to SciFi" eye camera thing!! Also, since they don't know if this could kill her? Definitely puts a different slant on the idea that the actives are volunteers. Oooooh! Another mention of human trafficing! Boyd is "embedded at the highest level". So, who amongst the various ATF people know about the actives? Any of them? Or just the Senator? Just a girl - Buffy shout out! ;D "What, did she escape from a cult?" "No. She didn't escape from anything." Well. That's honest. 'Cuz she is still in the Dollhouse, isn't she?
"I'm a girl? Wow! I've been blind longer than I thought!" Heeee! Is anyone else particularly struck by the image of all the people walking away in the credits? For some reason that is just really haunting to me. I thought the choice of the words "Save Me" was interesting because it could be so easily misinterpreted--because this being a religious cult, a common theme is being saved. Saved from sin, saved from the fires of hell, etc. So why did the ATF guy choose that phrase instead of the more obvious (to me) "Help Me" or the more specific "Get me out of this freaking cult!" Excellent point! Maybe even ambiguous on purpose, so the ATF guy had even more wiggle room later, if anyone questioned the whole idea of who was 'on the 'inside', trying to match up the people they found with the person that helped them get their warrent. ;D Well, it's probably both, yes?
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Post by Lola m on Mar 15, 2009 22:06:54 GMT -5
Heh! I love how FBI guy is all "what did he look like" and she figures out it was the mail guy. ;D Heeeeeee! Watching the shower photos. ;D "Of course! If it'd been a snake . . . Pretend I didn't say that." ATF guy is not happy with Boyd. "No. You know him." And of course security guy at the house first blames Echo and then says he doesn't want Echo gotten out safely. Ah. The unique vision of Esther that can see things others can't. Nice pun / parallel! Her "vision" of him, the fact that her eyes are "seeing" what the ATF couldn't see without her. And of course they set off a trip wire! **grabs his hand** "It's a miracle. I can see." "We're blind." Yes! This is what I love Joss for! The edit jump cut with dialog, the arm grab. That was great, wasn't it?? I tittered like a school girl. When Brian Bloom (cult leader guy) hit Esther the second time, I half-expected her to go blind again, or have a seizure, or something. Luckily that didn't happen. I thought Brian Bloom did a great job playing charismatic scary guy. It was very squeeful!! And yeah, he was hella scary/icky!
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Post by Lola m on Mar 15, 2009 22:07:45 GMT -5
Oh crap. Are they gonna torch the place? Yes. Yes of course they are. Waiting for a miracle. "Lose your faith and you will perish." Oh, yeah, the whole "only the unrighteous are in trouble" crap. Oh I like the parallel of the icky cult criminal guy and the "ends justify the means" ATF guy. Each doing what they want, no matter who they hurt. And each with a second in command that is starting to question what the hell is up with their leader. "You can't force a miracle." "That message is move your ass!" ;D Now a very intriguing question - how much of that was the imprinted character and how much might have been Echo? Because unlike last week, she wasn't thrown out of her imprint.
And damn. Security man saves with one nicely timed hail of bullets and then ruins it all by a vicious smack to knock her out. He really hates the dolls, doesn't he? Or really hates Echo. Or both. I am wondering if the swearing here and the FBI lady's comment that Caroline on the video has a potty mouth was a clue that the original personality, and not Echo, is seeping through. Or is that what you meant? Yes, that is what I was thinking!
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Post by Lola m on Mar 15, 2009 22:10:58 GMT -5
Again with the parallels. Head woman doesn't want anything disturbing the "innocence" of the wiped. Temptation will spread like cancer. Hmmmmm. Sound like icky cult guy just a bit, hmmmmm? Victor must be "scrubbed". Ew!!! How is scrubbed different from being wiped? Wiping is the erasure of the imprint, scrubbing eliminates the "downtime doll" personality? That's what I'm thinking. Because they've already wiped him, over and over. Which makes "scrubbing" rather frightening to think about. I mean, they're already so . . . thinned out . . . as their "doll" personality, but this does imply that there is something more left to be stripped away. Seriously! You think they'd know better!
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Post by Lola m on Mar 15, 2009 22:14:45 GMT -5
I am wondering if the swearing here and the FBI lady's comment that Caroline on the video has a potty mouth was a clue that the original personality, and not Echo, is seeping through. Or is that what you meant? I didn't take it as accidental Faith-breakout, I took it as evidence that Carolyn is leaking through and it's she who is providing that "adaptability" security guy dislikes. It connected with me as part of the all-people-are-doll-like theme too, as lefty lady said. It made me think how, at school, my students probably see me in a fairly one-dimensional way. The teachers in my school are by no means "straitlaced or reserved" with our kids but we still joke that they think we're hung on a hook after school and brought out in the morning. I never never have slipped and said an even mild profanity such as hell or damn at school, yet I can swear fairly fluently. **nods** I've had a very similar experience at work of folks making assumptions about what I am like. So, there's an element here of how everyone puts on roles and masks at times, depending on their situation. **muses again on United States of Tara** **nods a lot** And it is a nice follow up to the ep before this, where we saw the child-like Echo personality trying to deal with a real-life situation, trying to learn what to do.
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Post by Sue on Mar 15, 2009 22:44:03 GMT -5
Oh, and, 48 hours later.
Still giggling over "man-reaction" like a 12 (8?) year old.
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Post by Michelle on Mar 16, 2009 8:29:31 GMT -5
Oh, and, 48 hours later. Still giggling over "man-reaction" like a 12 (8?) year old. A 10 year old, I think. Heeee!
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Mar 28, 2009 19:16:25 GMT -5
Teaser
Pleasant, AZ Nice CA foothills there.
Religious revival? And the requisite religious haters.
Nice transition.
The FBI is asking the Dollhouse for help? So they know about it and it's to their advantage for it t stay running despite the illegality. Or maybe it's not technically illegal.
Happiness or bliss?
And I think the religious aspect is found more with Adele and the people who run the Dollhouse, not the dolls themselves. Though the dolls are much like cult followers.
I need a true believer.
Ballard. He'd better get a real lead soon, because his storyline is kind of dragging.
Predictable, not adaptable. Lest we remind you that you've got people, not machines on your hands? If you want predictable, get a toaster.
Turning Echo into a camera, but as far as she knows, she'll be blind.
I'm sensing a pattern here. Nothing could go wrong! Oh wait, something did.
I seriously want to bitch slap Topher for his cavalier attitude here. Does he not remember the last couple of episodes?
ATF.
Reference to Zion ranch.
Esther Carpenter.
You want to become a new person? More than anything.
Wait, how can she tell he's Jonas Sparrow if she's never, um, felt his face before?
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Mar 28, 2009 19:30:36 GMT -5
Part I Ballard. No trace of Echo through all the database thingy. The Dollhouse really covered their tracks. Back in the compound. Oh, a "dream." That's how she "knows" his face. Clever. Very Joan of Arc, this story. Back in the Dollhouse. Victor and Sierra. And Victor gets aroused by Sierra. Interesting. What is the logo on Topher's sweater? Good god, Topher. Maybe the juice box thing wasn't too blatant. You really are like a 5 year old in an adult's body. I prefer man-reaction. Why? The default is impotence. Amy Acker warned about this. I have a feeling she's going to be saying that *a lot*. Frequent imprinting of the same personality results in residual elements being left over. Kind of like a computer screen that way. Nobody reads the reports. Why am I not surprised? Back in the compound. Ilia (sp?). There was some kind of incident. Compound is preparing for war.
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Mar 28, 2009 19:41:05 GMT -5
Part II
Ballard. Neighbor comes by with the medication. And more food. Is she trying to poison him or something?
The video from the pilot!
Video watching in the Dollhouse.
Sierra triggers Victors his arousal, not the imprints. Is Sierra a plant of some sort?
Preparing to storm the compound. Cause that's worked so well in the past.
Guy's got a personal vendetta against Sparrow.
Story of Esther.
Commando steps on a trip wire. Dude, that was really sloppy.
Huh. Echo gets hit in the head and the camera thing gets knocked offline? That's some pretty sloppy neurosurgery work right there.
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Mar 28, 2009 19:46:14 GMT -5
Part III
Back in the compound. Followers are starting to doubt.
Oh, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms. Why are they the ones on this case and not the regular FBI?
Is Sparrow a true believer? Or is he just putting on an act? Cause he's pretty convincing.
Press shows up. Great.
Ballard. He's going to see Echo.
Boyd questioning the convenience store owner.
No one ever asked to be saved.
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Mar 28, 2009 19:53:17 GMT -5
Part IV
Back at the compound.
Is this survival instinct part of the imprint? Standard Operating Procedure?
And it's security guy. He was there the whole time? Huh?
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Mar 28, 2009 19:58:01 GMT -5
Coda
Ballard meets head ATF guy.
Oh, so the FBI slacked off on this case so the ATF picked it up.
ATF covers for the Dollhouse?
Damage control at the Dollhouse.
Adelle and security guy. Where do his real interests lie?
Echo recognizes security guy? Or she's got some kind of compulsion to go after him? Hmm.
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Mar 28, 2009 20:01:00 GMT -5
The writing is still a little too broad for my tastes, but there was a lot packed into the episode. Nice stuff about seeing and blindness and video technology.
And of course the plot was very topical. I wonder how Mormon folk felt about this.
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Post by Vlad on Jun 6, 2009 16:58:03 GMT -5
Welcome back, Agent S'cubie. The notorious Erin is at it again. In between stroking her white cat, drinking dirty martinis and dipping random things in gold, she managed to disseminate assorted top secret information. How does she do it and still manage to dress to the nines and have that incredible knack for torrid affairs? Who knows? Your mission, Agent S'cubie is to hack yet another missive from this diabolical master. Go to the S'cubie website and check under the Dollhouse link. There you should find her latest plot. Read and remember the details. A full debriefing will occur here. As always, should you be captured, the S3 will disavow any knowledge or connection with you. Good luck, Agent S'cubie. This post will self-destruct in 5 seconds. Vlad
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