DOLLHOUSE 2x13-EPITAPH TWO--SERIES FINALE--Grade,Discuss,Spoilers

[Captain Craig]

Picking up from the events depicted in "Epitaph 1," the "lost" episode of DOLLHOUSE, and set in the year 2020, Echo and her surviving Dollhouse crew attempt to restore order to a devastating future world before mankind is eliminated in "Epitaph 2: The Return," the series finale episode of DOLLHOUSE, airing Friday, Jan. 22 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.​

Cast:
Eliza Dushku as Echo
Tahmoh Penikett as Paul Ballard
Olivia Williams as Adelle DeWitt
Harry Lennix as Boyd Langton
Fran Kranz as Topher Brink
Enver Gjokaj as Victor
Dichen Lachman as Sierra​

Guest Cast:
Amy Acker as Dr. Claire Saunders
Summer Glau as Bennett Halverson
Miracle Laurie as Madeline Costley/November
Reed Diamond as Laurence Dominic
Alan Tudyk as Alpha
Adair Tishler as Caroline
Maurissa Tancharoen as Kilo
Felcia Day as Mag
Zack Ward as Zone
Nate Dushku as Clive
Noah Harpster as Matthew
Christian Monzon as Romeo​

Brandon Dieter as T

Tonight is bitter sweet for those of us who've seen the show grow and evolve into yet another Whedon masterpiece. Twice as long as Firefly but not nearly long enough. Whedon has said he doesn't intend to continue the saga in any way after this episode. Who knows for sure what may come down the road.​

I've had fun with the show and putting these threads together for discussion. Hope everyone else has enjoyed them as much as I have.​

Now what do we think? How did it end for you?​

 

[StarshipDefiant]

I can see why he doesn't intend to, aside from the fact several other continuations are on going, this premise is set up so that after one or two seasons (in this case) it could be considered "finished", especially depending on how this episode ends. I'll be sad when it is over, knowing I'll want more with this wonderful cast.

 

[propita]

Wait a minute--wasn't this pre-empted?

If it was, when will it be on? If it wasn't...damn! Where can I catch it?

 

[StarshipDefiant]

It will be on tonight, as far as I know an hour earlier then normal, at least for east coast viewers (in the US).

 

[StarshipDefiant]

Saw Summer Glau's name in the cast list...yes!

 

[DarthPipes]

Son of a bitch, I thougt this episode was on at nine. God damn Fox!

 

[StarshipDefiant]

I meant to post a warning, sorry

 

[DarthPipes]

Not your fault.

It's FOX's FAULT!

 

[StarshipDefiant]

Not your fault.

It's FOX's FAULT!

I blame the reality show they have on at nine.

on the plus side, it means not missing Caprica.

 

[Joe Washington]

Well, Dollhouse, I have to say your flame burned bright during the hurdles of television and for some reason now seems the right time for it to put out to a smoky slumber.

This was a good episode. Not one of the best series finales I've seen but better than most.

I was so happy to see the characters from Epitaph One return and their interactions with the Dollhouse crew.

Alpha's good guy turn was something I found interesting and if the show had continued, I wonder how that would have happened and how the Dollhouse characters would have dealt with it.

Bye bye, Paul and Topher. You two may not have been perfect but at least you were heroes in the end.

At least there was some happiness left for Sierra and Victor and in the heartwarming gift left by Alpha for Echo.

When Echo was walking around in the Dollhouse in the last moments of the episode, it hit me right then that this was the end. And it was a sad feeling. Yeah, the show wasn't perfect. It had a rocky start followed by a rollercaster of not-so-good episodes side-by-side with great episodes that gave glimpses of the show's potential. We wish some things were different and better than they were. But that's all mute now. Now we must pay our respects to a show that fought its hardest to tell a good story and how many shows can we name on top of our heads that were able to achieve such a feat with some dignity?

 

[Forbin]

Not your fault.

It's FOX's FAULT!

Attaboy, take no responsibility for not checking the schedule.

 

[Kaijima]

The hell with any haters: after the inconsistent and horribly edited Hollow Men, Epitaph II is one of the best series finales I've ever seen.

It's because here, at the end, we have the pitch perfect - IMHO - take on every character's finale fate and their state of mind at the end. It actually felt like everything happening meant something. Nobody was just going through motions. It gives an incredible sense of closure to the entire series and does recontextualize the series into a far more epic framework - especially because somebody spent more than two pennies on a few key money shots in E2, and the right scenes looked awesome. Especially Topher's finale fate. It was exactly everything we didn't see in Hollow Men but should have.

Clearly, wrapping up this show and so many character threads in one episode is a tall order, but Whedon and crew can feel that they did a good thing here.

I feel sad and happy in the same way I did at Sleeping in Light, the finale of Babylon 5. That is a very rare feeling I get from a television finale.

 

[DarthPipes]

Not your fault.

It's FOX's FAULT!

Attaboy, take no responsibility for not checking the schedule.

I never do.

I actually watched Clone Wars at 9 (absolutely fantastic night of genre television with Smallville, DH finale, Clone Wars Mandolorian episode, and Caprica) but I plan to catch the Caprica replay at eleven. I actually didn't watch the first three BSG episode but taped them (anyone remember video tape?) and watched them straight through. After that, I never missed another BSG.

Thankfully Fox has their shows online the next day so I'll watch it tomorrow and post a review.

 

[StarshipDefiant]

Great episode overall, I like that some people had a reasonably happy ending. It's still sad though, especially the moment of Topher watching the vid of Bennett.

 

[Captain Shaw]

I am going to miss these characters which after the first few eps of series one is something i thought i would never say.
I just wish we would have find out what happened to Ivy.

 

[David cgc]

I'd really like to see some of the nine seasons or so that I skipped to get to this episode.

Actually, this sort of reminds me of something that happened a few months ago. I was showing a friend BSG, and we made it about three-quarters of the way through the first season. I was going to leave town, so it was going to be a while before we could continue, so she just pulled up an episode on Hulu to get her fix.

The only one that was up for Daybreak.

Part II.

I genuinely don't understand how any of it could've made sense. Half the major characters in it hadn't even been introduced yet.

 

[StarshipDefiant]

Yeah, I can see how it would be confusing, the sad factor is, this was probably the plan for seasons three, four and five, explaination and exposition to what we see for the Epitaphs.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

absolutely fantastic night of genre television with Smallville, DH finale, Clone Wars Mandolorian episode, and Caprica

Wasn't it?

I acquired the much ballyhooed Epitaph One and finally got to see what all the fuss was about. It was a nice contrast, E1 being very much a bottle show, this one was much more open. I actually watched Epitaph One after the finale and I didn't feel too lost. I wasn't sure why Mag and Zone were a bit antagonistic without seeing E1 first but it all seemed to make sense.

Little Molly from Heroes does a pretty good job in these episodes. And the more I watch Dollhouse the more attractive Adele seems. Alas, Dollhouse is done but I think it went out on a good note and I'm glad they were able to wrap everything up. GRRRR ARRRGH.

 

[Captain Craig]

I went with ABOVE AVERAGE.
It may well have been excellent but I think its cause as a Whedon fan I got what I thought was coming with little twist. I knew either Victor or Paul would die. Didn't bet on it being Topher. The slight twist was leaving a core intact family of Pryia, Tony and Tony jr(T). It is rare Whedon gives a happy look or possible outlook to family life.

I would love to have seen the evolution of Alpha into the sane character we saw. My friends and I discussed how the intervening 10yrs must have allowed him to become in control like Echo. "Mad" Alpha was due to those personalities/traits overwhelming after all.

Where was Millie/November? She was in the credits. Summer and Amy Acker got their flashbacks in so I kept waiting for November, did I miss it somehow?

Touching on Ivy would've been nice also but they only had so long. Also does the pulse act like an EMP and wipe any other "Harding" copies that aren't protected underground? Did any of the other Houses get destroyed? I still see ways to continue this forward from the point of E:2 and do 'middle ground' tales between 2010-2020.

Paul, he may be dead as he was but he is/was on a wedge. We didn't see Echo destroy it so a new character could become Paul if this story was ever picked up again.

Loved Meg, Zone and mini-Caroline. What happens with them in this rebuilding world would be interesting.

Thanks for another overall great, if sadly short lived, series Joss. I look forward to future threads of "Why was DH cancelled?" or "I just discovered DH, any plans to continue it?" down the road as the series finds its place in the 'cult' bin of TV.

Dollhouse you were you're best!

 

[StarshipDefiant]

I didn't pay full attention to the credits, so I didn't see Miracle Laurie or Amy Acker listed. Miracle Laurie confirmed a few weeks ago that her final episode was "The Hollow Men" and Amy Acker was only able to film in three episodes this season, which were "Vows" (2x01) "Getting Closer" (2x11) and "The Hollow Men" (2x12).