DOLLHOUSE: ep2x5-Public Eye & ep2x6-The Left Hand Review-Grade-SPOILER

[The Borgified Corpse]

Re: DOLLHOUSE: ep2x5-Public Eye & ep2x6-The Left Hand Review-Grade-SPO

I thought in her first scene that she was a doll of Adelle's personality, and I do think she's added something to herself.

Yeah. That almost kinda confused me. In her first scene, I wondered if perhaps she was some sort of deliberate copy of Adelle. Then, for the rest of the episode, she was more like Topher. Perhaps she has added something to herself and it gives her the ability to read people very quickly and adopt the proper attitude. Perhaps she's not really very nerdy at all but simply did that to try to distract Topher. She was certainly a convincing performer when she faked Echo & Perrin's escape.

Well, we might see more range if she'd stop being cast as crazy people and robots.

It's very forward thinking of her. You see, due to chemicals that are being put in the water, in 5 years, all the normal people will be gone and all that will be left are crazy people & robots. Mark my words, when that happens, Summer Glau will look like friggin' Jimmy Stewart!

Has Summer Glau ever portrayed a character who wasn't weird in the head? (The Cameronator is weird in the head by human standards.)

Actually, I thought she was pretty normal on Angel. In "Waiting in the Wings," she played a Russian ballerina cursed to perform the same ballet every night for eternity. Although the character's circumstances were distinctly abnormal, the character seemed pretty normal, all things considered. Certainly she was far less quirky than River, Cameron, or Bennett.

It made sense that each house would use a different system to avoid confusion.

Yeah, I was trying to figure out a fic at one point and debated on trying to find a different naming system. Now, I know I'd have to, but the question is, what I'd use (and what could have the same meaning).

Maybe one house names them all after characters from Joss Whedon shows.

 

[Jimmy Bob]

Re: DOLLHOUSE: ep2x5-Public Eye & ep2x6-The Left Hand Review-Grade-SPO

Okay here are my random impressions, all very randomy. Enver Gjokaj is my new God! Seriously awesome. He's like the new Nathan Fillion, only he's Enver. There's just no way to describe it.

This episode reminded me of a Buffy quote "It's about power." I loved it how they are all working together... somewhat – Echo, Ballard, Boyd, Adelle and Topher. There was this sort of team vibe in these episodes.

Gotta love how Adelle had that guy by the balls.

I loved how misleading the episode 5 was. I was really thinking that Perrin's wife was a doll.... but, awesome.

And Topher's and Bennett's awkward attraction for each other... golden. Speaking of Bennett, perfection from the first moment. I guess there's more to Caroline than we've seen. I guess that must have happened between the time Caroline escaped from the hospital (Echoes flashback) and before she became a Doll.

This two-parter was just so rich in story and characters. Balancing brilliantly between regular and guest characters – Perrin and his discovery, his wife the handler, Bennett, Topher, Echo, Ballard and November. Dollhouse is blowing it's wad and I love it.

I just hope they manage to put a bit of Boyd's background somewhere there too in these last 6 episodes. And hot sex between Ballard and Adelle. I'm a Badelle, or should it be Paudelle? Since, you know. Speaking of Ballard, can't wait to see what he is going to do.

Echo's Journey: Echo has really changed. I love how Echo has produced a really deep philosophical thinking to the catchphrases of Dollhouse. As in, she's thinking in those words, because that's the vocabulary she possesses, but she really has made the meaning of those words her own. "You try to be you're best." - with a really understanding look. "I understand. I don't want to fall asleep. Not even for a little while." - with a look like she really means it.

"She's broken. Let's go." Okay the last one wasn't very philosophical, but "brokeness" is a big part of Echo's philosophical system. Okay, I just resisted posting a 70-page essay on "Echo's philosophical awakening from mental slavery and class warfare in Dollhouse", but basically in Gray Hour, Echo makes her first important choice by choosing not to be broken. And from that moment ever since, broken vs not broken is big part of her philosophical system. Echo is a warrior-philosopher. Or hero of the working class. Or just crazy. Depends on your take on the show.

Gotta love Echo-speak. "You just awoke a lot of people and they all think that you're a bitch!" We can see how guarding Echo is of her friends. November is sad. Echo sees that.

And it's funny that by now the whole Dollhouse crew is like discussing these things with her. Their body language... and Topher's "Echo's a friend" to Bennett. Makes you think about Bennett's words that Caroline has hold over people. Kinda seems true, doesn't it. Because Adelle would have had a reason to Attic Echo a long time go, but in the first episodes it is sort of hinted that Adelle admires Echo (or Caroline in her). It's quite interesting. You can even see a rather meaningful thoughtful glance from Topher when Adelle is speaking about using every resource to find poor defenseless Echo.

Oh and "They're in your head but you don't have to listen, you don't have to be what they tell you to be, you can belong to you!" - best definition of individualist anarchism ever.

 

[DarthPipes]

Re: DOLLHOUSE: ep2x5-Public Eye & ep2x6-The Left Hand Review-Grade-SPO

Excellent.

The first half of Public Eye was a little incoherent but once it was revealed that Perrin was a doll, things picked up in a big way. Tremendous and engaging developments in the story. It makes me really sad this show is going to come to an end.

Summer Glau was terrific and her character had good chemistry with Topher. Viktor as Topher was hands down the highlight of the night and the actor who plays Viktor (can't remember his name) was so spot on it was creepy.

 

[StarshipDefiant]

Re: DOLLHOUSE: ep2x5-Public Eye & ep2x6-The Left Hand Review-Grade-SPO

The actor that plays Victor, is named Enver Gjokaj (Don't feel bad, I had to look it up on the wiki to spell it right), and absolutely did a wonderful job as Topher. I don't mean in just the speech and mannerisms, but in body language and facial expressions. I completely believed that this was a different man, physically, but mentally was a copy of Topher, definitely a good job on his part. Much similar to "Belle Chose" when he (Victor) thought that he was Kiki and was dancing in the club and trying to seduce the onlookers (at least to get them to buy 'her' a drink). This actor, in my opinion definitely has a future in acting ahead of him, and I only wish we had seen more scenes with Victor and his engagements/imprints.

Summer Glau, IMO, was fantastic and that's not out of bias that I like her (or maybe it is...) to begin with, but the slips between personalities to me (from business/professional class like, to paranoid, to geeky) was similar to how Enver Gjokaj is on his different personalities. There's obviously a few different theories going around about her character due to how she acted (and that Joss Whedon was adamant she not be an active), I have a few myself, some can mesh together some cannot, but that's how it is, I guess. I'm certainly looking forward to her third appearance this season (there is at least one more), and wonder how it will be, and am sadden this show will not be getting a third season.