Dollhouse 2x7, 2x8 Meet Jane Doe & A Love Supreme: Review,Spoilers etc

Dollhouse returns again this Friday night 8/7c on Fox with another two hour block of new shows. Tonight Alpha is back!!

I can't wait for tonights double header. I'm expecting and hoping the continued level of intrigue, quality and depth that we've been getting the last several episodes. Even if Eliza is back as the focus this week.

REVIEW--DISCUSS--COMMENTARY

 

Re: Dollhouse 2x7, 2x8 Meet Jane Doe & A Love Supreme: Review,Spoilers

I'm gonna call it...Ivy. I don't know why, but I see Ivy being the permanently wiped, as it's a Dollhouse staff member, and the others still have roles in the things to come. I'm...probably wrong, though.

 

Re: Dollhouse 2x7, 2x8 Meet Jane Doe & A Love Supreme: Review,Spoilers

Not a bad guess with Ivy. Can't think of too many other side characters that would matter that we've seen. No way its a more featured member for reasons you stated.
You know it says a 'member of the house' and we could be intentionally mislead thinking they mean our LA branch house. What if its one of the guest cast members from the DC house?

 

Re: Dollhouse 2x7, 2x8 Meet Jane Doe & A Love Supreme: Review,Spoilers

Thought the first hour was average at best. I could have cared less about "bust out the illegal alien" storyline although it's always good to see Glenn Morshower. There was some interesting developments but they were all rushed. I did like Topher's confrontation with Adelle after she betrayed him and became a bitch again.

The second hour was much better as we got the return of the always entertaining Alpha. Although why they didn't shoot him on the roof when they had the chance is beyond me. Loved seeing the Dollhouse rebellion and Topher wondering if they ate his brain. Cool seeing Patton Oswalt return. Poor Alpha.

Looking forward to next week.

 

Re: Dollhouse 2x7, 2x8 Meet Jane Doe & A Love Supreme: Review,Spoilers

OK I forgot the show was on until 8:30. What happened in the first half of the first episode? What was the deal with the girl in the jail?

 

Re: Dollhouse 2x7, 2x8 Meet Jane Doe & A Love Supreme: Review,Spoilers

DarthPipes: I think they were worried about setting the explosive off if they shot Alpha who had the detonator in his hand.

And these two last two episodes were absolutely fantastic! I love Echo's advanced development and her training under Ballard and I have a feeling Echo and Ballard's love story is going in the tragic direction of Angel and Buffy with Echo having growing feelings for him which were going to come to the surface sooner or later and Ballard in a brain-dead coma.

At first, I thought DeWitt saw the terrifying reality of the technology Topher had the blueprints for her and saw it was better to keep it locked up or destroyed to keep it just a dream like Topher. But when she took a dark turn by putting the blueprints in the hands of that Rossum bigwig, it was like I saw a glimmer of Lilah in her and more so when she slaps Topher for calling her a bitch. Boyd was right about her hungry need for control.

I'm loving the Dollhouse rebellion too and it makes sense for Topher join it after what he's been through with Dr. Saunders, Sierra, and DeWitt's betrayal. Boyd having more scenes, Alpha's return, and the war between DeWitt and Echo over the Dollhouse which has been contained so far have been icing on the cake for me.

It looks like Joss is taking more leaps into the dreaded fulfillment of the Epitah One future this season than I realized. And I can't wait to see Echo in the Attic next week.

 

Re: Dollhouse 2x7, 2x8 Meet Jane Doe & A Love Supreme: Review,Spoilers

The detonator was rigged to go off if Alpha let go of it. It would have gone off if they shot him.

Great episode though, the show keeps getting better as the season goes on. I actually got angry at Adelle for turning over the plans, very few shows do that to me. Then there was Paul, I wonder what is going to happen to him. We saw him in the flashbacks in Epitaph One, most of which have to take place after this. Maybe he becomes a doll, they do have his mind on a wedge since Alpha was able to imprint him. I doubt he'll like it though.

 

Re: Dollhouse 2x7, 2x8 Meet Jane Doe & A Love Supreme: Review,Spoilers

These were some great episodes. Well worth watching, and a pity the show has been canceled.

 

Re: Dollhouse 2x7, 2x8 Meet Jane Doe & A Love Supreme: Review,Spoilers

I really didn't like Tudyk in the previous season finale, but he was brilliant in this. Maybe I'm a little biased because I just finished watching "Firefly" and "Serenity" for the first time recently, but I think even if I didn't know about those, I would still be savoring his performance and dialogue in this one. "Everybody loves a good pun!" was such a perfect badass villain line. I laughed out loud. It's rewarding to be a Whedon fan and see him bring back some of his favourite people he previously worked with on other shows. Part of me was watching Alpha and thinking, "Wash, how could you?".
From sweet, cowardly pilot to vicious sociopath. That man has range!

 

Re: Dollhouse 2x7, 2x8 Meet Jane Doe & A Love Supreme: Review,Spoilers

Check him out in Death at a Funeral. Absolutely hilarious.

 

Re: Dollhouse 2x7, 2x8 Meet Jane Doe & A Love Supreme: Review,Spoilers

I think the pending cancellation must have finally pushed Joss to amp up the plotlines. These last few episodes have been great. Would we have gotten standard slow-going paint-by-numbers episodes had cancellation not been in-the-works? I wonder...

I agree that Adelle really screwed-the-pooch by giving away Topher's tech. In her defense, she probably figured that they would get the tech anyway (via their previous plans to shop out components to various R&D dollhouse groups), and she wanted a foot in the door. Somehow, though, I doubt she'll have the access that she desires.

 

Re: Dollhouse 2x7, 2x8 Meet Jane Doe & A Love Supreme: Review,Spoilers

Dollhouse continues to be pretty strong in this second season, but I think the events of Epitaph one kind of showed us how things will play out.

On one hand we found out how Topher's tech was released, it wasn't actually his fault. It was Adelle's fault. Maybe that's why she was taking care of him because she felt guilty for how he ended up dealing with his part in what happened to the world because she gave his invention up.

I'm pretty sure now we'll see Echo have to hunt down Alpha and have Topher remove Ballard's persona from him to implant it back into wiped-Ballard.

 

Re: Dollhouse 2x7, 2x8 Meet Jane Doe & A Love Supreme: Review,Spoilers

I think it was network interference that slowed the pace of the show... I just saw the unaired pilot for the first time and it's basically the events of the first SIX aired episodes in one! And the final scene... is the final scene of the season finale!

 

Re: Dollhouse 2x7, 2x8 Meet Jane Doe & A Love Supreme: Review,Spoilers

I don't argue with the 'AVERAGE' grade for Meet Jane Doe but 'busting the illegal out' was only the setting for a more important growth our characters.

That episode was a transition episode. Adelle gets her mojo back due to the demotion. Echo grows and learns to better control her imprints. Topher under new management is given free reign and resources to make the imprint tech better, faster and more dangerous to us all.

Was that Kilo(Whedon sister-in-law) we saw again tonight in Doe? She wasn't called by name when Topher demonstrated the "imprint wipe gun".

The cancellation news didn't come down till after they were at work filming the episodes for next week. At best they had 3 episodes unfilmed that they could have altered storywise. Everything we've been given to this point was how he wanted to do it.

Joss shows always pick up in pace, depth and intensity when they get to a season two. The first 13 eps of Buffy were good not great. That S1 ending lead into some great S2 stuff. He explored Willow, Xander and Cordellia more. Here we have gotten more on Sierra and next week Victor. That is the parallel I see. Then even with Angel he was feeling his way through the show. First 6eps killed off the demon buddy Quinn, the reintroduced Wesly. A longer S1, yes, but the show didn't really find itself until S2. Same thing here with Dollhouse.

So would we have had 'paint by numbers' episodes, no. We've seen what it is Joss wanted for this season. The only things he might alter are the last 3 eps to some degree. Even then I don't expect full closure.

Meet Jane Doe-Average
A Love Supreme-Excellent
I'll split it and rate the two hours Above Average

Alan ruled Supreme as Alpha. Everyone loved that pun right? Ballard getting wiped and into an 'inactive' or even 'attic' like state was the shock. Didn't really see it coming that such a main character would be hit that way.

Can't wait for Stop-Loss & The Attic next week. Victor backstory and a look inside the attic should be fun.

 

Re: Dollhouse 2x7, 2x8 Meet Jane Doe & A Love Supreme: Review,Spoilers

The official cancellation might not have come down until next week's episodes went into production, but remember that everyone was shocked that the series even got a second season. I doubt Joss was holding out hope for a third.

Anyways, I loved what we got last night. "Meet Jane Doe" wasn't amazing, but it served as a great set up, and Adelle turning in Topher's work made for a great twist. Also Topher's line - "I feel obsolete. I guess that's how old people feel...and Blockbuster" - was great.

"A Love Supreme," on the other hand, was fantastic. The pacing was spot on and it's always great to have Alan Tudyk on my screen. Was kind of shocked that Ballard was the mind wipe victim...will definitely be interesting to see how that develops.

 

Re: Dollhouse 2x7, 2x8 Meet Jane Doe & A Love Supreme: Review,Spoilers

I understood that they were trying to save the guy but I think Alpha is so dangerous they should have tried to kill him when they got the chance. I thought Tudyk was a blast tonight and along with his work on V, he's been doing a great job as the villain.

I wasn't expecting Adelle to do what she did but I was actually surprised and that's tough to do on television nowadays. They also surprised with the Perrin revelation last week so DH has been doing a great job in that department.

Forgot to mention but we got another funny Viktor imprint this week. Someone has got to pick up Enver Gjojki (can't spell that name) after this show, the man is just too damn talented.

I wonder if that Dollhouse in Dubai ever took off. I think that city just declared they need $60 billion or something...

 

Re: Dollhouse 2x7, 2x8 Meet Jane Doe & A Love Supreme: Review,Spoilers

I loved the little Doctor Horrible reference

"Hi Bait, meet Switch"

 

Re: Dollhouse 2x7, 2x8 Meet Jane Doe & A Love Supreme: Review,Spoilers

These were a fantastic set of episodes, I am surprised it was Paul that was wiped, but I imagine he'll get an imprint of some sort of himself, even with the Epitaph One flashbacks being flaky at best, there's to many references to Paul to count him out. Echo/Caroline's anger in Epitaph One now makes more sense, if this is a part of it all. I'm looking forward to more episodes, and now...I just wish I could figure out a timeline easier, bleh. Good episodes, though.

 

Re: Dollhouse 2x7, 2x8 Meet Jane Doe & A Love Supreme: Review,Spoilers

Is it just me, or did it seem as if Whedon brought back the Internet millionaire guy (Joel) to bookend the show's ongoing exploration of how the Dollhouse is morally ambiguous and while it ends up performing questionable and sleezy services, it actually does do the right thing at other times? Everybody (the viewers) responded well to Joel in season 1 and folks considered that a turning point episode. Also notice that Alpha succeeds in murdering all of Echo's "dons" who were just using her, as Alpha says, for a little piece of her. Alpha could have killed Joel just for pure spite after he got Ballard, but lets him walk out: the one person who truly needed Echo to help himself heal. One would assume that in his stalking of Joel, Alpha would have seen that Joel wasn't like the other clients. (Compare this with the first guy seen, who went the other direction and destroyed his life over his desire for Echo.)

Amid the Whedonesque hard edged nastiness, that's actually a very sentimental resolution to the storyline.

... on the other hand "Who doesn't love a pun?" is one of the best lines ever in context. Boom.

 

Re: Dollhouse 2x7, 2x8 Meet Jane Doe & A Love Supreme: Review,Spoilers

I think in his case, Alpha didn't really care, or really care about any of them. The others were to draw out Paul and Caroline, but mostly Paul because he had been spying on them for the three months they were on the run. It might also help, that given the nature of what Joel did, renting Echo to see the expression he never got to see, and that it was to see Rebecca and not Echo, Alpha saw it as a different type of engagement. Joel also seemed to truly care for Echo, not because of what she can provide, but because she is a person, and that she allowed him to ultimatly find a new happiness and move on.