Here’s my honest take on Dollhouse episode 1.02 “Target”, looking at the good and bad aspects from the episode.

The Good

• Topher Brink. I don’t think that he’s been all that great, at times he’s rather cliched and obvious, but those concerned do just enough to elevate him above most of the other characters on show. I liked seeing his ‘trauma’ during the Alpha flashback – he seemed more devastated at the imperfection of his own “Art”, than the lives that were being lost. This perhaps gives us further insight into his own self esteem – he seems to judge himself by the laws of his own science. Human cost doesn’t come into it, collateral damage is  not an issue..unless his own life is at stake, of course. I do think they perhaps showed us this side of Topher a bit early, but then they may only have 13 episodes.

• Langton Boyd. Again, the stand-out character.We saw a bit of his origins story, certainly in terms of his ‘Dollhouse’ career. The Alpha situation was a nice place to introduce this back-story and I liked seeing his relationship with Echo grow over the course of the episode. He started out cynical, almost indifferent towards Echo. He’s a man who sees the Dollhouse as a means to an end – a way to save people more effectively than working for the law. However, he sees something in Echo that connects with him – whether it’s because she depends upon him, or because he’s convinced that there’s still some humanity inside her, I don’t know. But it’s interesting to see the trust that they have in each other. Although, how real this is from Echo’s point of view is another story. Also, shout-out for Harry Lennix – by far the best performer on the show so far. He’s head and shoulders above everyone else.
• I kinda liked the end scene between Echo and Boyd. Boyd taking Topher’s place in telling Echo “for a little while”. He said it with such sincerity and warmth – contrast this to the gleeful, almost conceited way in which Topher delivers that line, and it’s clear to see the difference between these two men. Both Topher and Boyd are perhaps, at this stage, the only reason to keep watching.
• Although the Alpha story-line seems a little messy at this early stage, I am kinda interested in where they might take it. I like mythology, so having the myth of Alpha preside over the episode wasn’t too bad. We’re now being led to believe that Alpha has some sort of connection to Echo, and that he spared her ‘life’ for a reason. What could that reason be, I wonder? Does he want to help her to find her true identity? If so, why her, why not the other Actives that he murdered? I guess one possibility is that he was given composite of Caroline’s personality (among others that allow him to cut like a world-class surgeon..or “Jack the Ripper”), an imprint seeking revenge for what they did to her, perhaps? I’m not sure if the Dollhouse download personalities from the ‘volunteers’ themselves (how do they acquire these imprints, I wonder?), but if they do, then it’s possible that they took Caroline’s before wiping her. I mean, one would think that after the 5 year period, the volunteers would get their original personalities back, so the DH must be holding them on one of their servers somewhere? Anyway, I’m not exactly crazy about the Alpha thing in this episode, but it at least gave us something extra than seeing people run about in the “freakin’” woods.
• I liked that we had some carry over from “Ghost”, with Ballard investigating the cabin shoot-out scene. A series like this – with mind-wiped dolls that no-one (at this stage) cares about – needs at the very least to have some serialization. Although how Ballard acquired his magic detective skills I don’t know.
• I’m being kind here. Echo’s “shoulder to the wheel” ‘muscle memory’ towards the end was a decent touch, I guess. It could have been more subtle (how many times did maniac guy have to say it?), but at least they’re showing us glimpses of HOW Echo might begin to form her own ‘composite’ ‘identity’. Muscle memory is a viable option.

The Bad

• Let’s get right to it shall we? The writing and dialogue for Echo, in particular, is all over the place. So she’s given an imprint which makes her an ‘expert woodswoman’, and yet we constantly see her falling over like an amateur? One minute she’s being a “freakin’” bad ass, and the next minute she’s Bambi on ice. Sorry, I just don’t buy it. The whole ‘the hunter turning into the hunted’ didn’t fly with me either. Too cliched, too low concept for what I thought was a high concept and ‘unique’ show. So far, Dollhouse is anything but unique. They don’t even attempt to explain the science behind the mind-wipes! I’m running out of ‘leaps of faith’ here.
• I don’t see how the Dollhouse could even be in business, considering the amount of ‘red alert’ situations that happen. It seems that there’s ALWAYS something going wrong down at ‘Dolls R Us’. I know that we’d have no show if there wasn’t some upheaval, but at the moment it seems like too much of a leap to believe that people would spend millions for faulty Actives. The word MUST surely get round, because they must have a pretty small pool of clientele and a bad rep in an industry like that..well, it would be devastating. In “Ghost” we see Echo ‘break down’ due to a bad imprint, now we see flashbacks of Alpha’s wave of destruction, and Echo also has flashbacks of her own..I hope these dolls come with a guarantee? Also, I know that  we had some mention of an “attic” in this episode, which may or may not go on to explain what happens to faulty dolls, but why hasn’t Echo been ‘terminated’, de-wiped or sent to this mysterious “attic” yet? Trouble follows her around – would a ‘secret’ organization like the Dollhouse really take the risk of keeping her activated? I very much doubt it. The only way to make that plausible is if Adelle is on some kind of personal crusade to ‘save’ Caroline or Echo or whoever. Also: Background check, people!
• Was this Echo, Miss Penn, or hunting chick? I can’t tell there difference. It’s too early, in my opinion, to suggest that the similarity between ALL of the personalities signify Echo’s true identity. I’m not saying this to be mean, I want to believe that I’m seeing different personality imprints from week to week, but Dushku’s portrayal of hunting chick seemed like a hybrid of  her Miss Penn and Biker Chick portrayals from last week. The Hunting/Penn ‘imprints’ both dipped in and out of being feisty and helpless. I just don’t buy it – I see Dushku, and not the different strokes of different folks. I also don’t buy her ‘blank slate’ portrayal – she seems to be too aware of herself,  in my opinion. I’d really like to see Sierra in a mind-wiped state, just to be able to compare and contrast the way in which Lachman pulls it off. Of course, she might be equally unconvincing, but it will be an interesting to see. Will she get the opportunity? Also, as an aside, I think Dushku would perhaps be better in a Ballard-type role – a detective or FBI agent, where she didn’t have to become 2 or 3 different characters each week. Just sayin’.
• Stupidity of a Doll. Firstly, who runs into an isolated old cabin when they’re being chased by a bow and arrow wielding manic? Who then proceeds to drink a substance from a canteen in that cabin? She didn’t even smell or check to see ‘what’ it was – she just just downed it as if she had taken it out of her own fridge! Sorry, but that was stupid beyond belief – it was so obvious that maniac man had spiked it with something. But wait! The ridiculousness doesn’t stop there! The ‘poison’ sets in and causes Echo see to see a reflection of her past self, she then contrives to fall backwards into a magic river which appears out of nowhere, and is dragged under by the waves. THEN, she somehow wakes up on the banks of the river (maybe saved by the fishes or something?),  and miraculously, the poison that caused her delirium has vanished and the ‘game’ continues. Nothing like a good swim to take the edge of things! Sorry, but that was seriously bad. Also, why did Echo tell manic man that she had a gun? Why Echo, why?
  
• Bad Movie. For much of this episode I couldn’t tell whether I was watching a really bad version of the movie “Wrong Turn“, or “Dollhouse”. In fact I’m pretty sure that all of the ‘hunting’ scenes were based on the Wrong Turn script.
• I thought that the shoot-out was a lot silly. I know that they tried hard to make it look “cool” and “hip”, but it just took me right out of the show and into a Matrix (not THE Matrix). The slow-mo bullet thing just didn’t work, it looked completely wrong. They introduced a classic sci-fi element into a show that simply doesn’t have the visuals or vibe for that sort of thing. Also, the shoot-out itself was terrible. I know that bullets are faster than arrows, but the maniac dude fired his arrow a good second before Echo fired her gun – how did the dude get hit with the bullet, yet Echo escape getting hit by the arrow? I know, I know..she’s an Active, she’s got a sooper-dooper imprint with ninja skills. But if that’s the case, why did she spend half the episode falling over and doing stupid things? It doesn’t make sense!
• I thought that it was a bit convenient that with all that technology, it took Topher so long to get Boyd back online with Echo. Also, fake-cop guy is beat up, has a crushed windpipe, has two bullets in either leg and he’s still able to talk, let alone play games? Okaay..
• So, is Victor an Active or what? I don’t get it, how does Ballard have his phone number? Why is he using the same phone? Maybe I’m only seeing part of it? Perhaps this is what Adelle refers to when she says that Ballard is being ‘taken care of’ – is Victor part of that ‘run around’? If this is the case then fair enough, but according to Adelle, Ballard isn’t even a threat, so why go to all that effort?
• The episode, like “Ghost”, is devoid of humour. The show deals with some serious issues (identity, human trafficking, abuse..), but both “Lost” and “Fringe” find a way to inject humour into proceedings to give a little balance. The funniest moment from “Target” (perhaps the only funny moment), came when Ballard’s colleague made the “Hansel and Gretal/Red Riding Hood” (or whatever) joke. It wasn’t all that funny, but it’s the only time I have smiled whilst watching the first two episodes. So yeah, props to colleague-guy.
• Production values. The Dollhouse looks quite good, but the aesthetics away from the facility look bland and unmemorable.

Overall I’m not sure that this was much of an improvement on last week’s “Ghost”. In some respects it was – we got to find out a bit more about Topher’s mindset, some back-story to the DH, and we saw the origins of the Boyd/Echo relationship. Although I’m having trouble connecting with that because it’s only real from Boyd’s perspective – Echo is just doing what she’s been programmed to do. If and when they try to show Echo having a semblance of her own identity, it’s either really messy or really forced.

I think that this episode gets half a mark more than last week’s on the basis that we saw ‘some’ progression (although without Topher and Langton I don’t know what positives would come from this episode). We had Mark Sheppard, Amy Acker and Olivia Williams in the episode and none of them left that much of an impression on me. I found Adelle quite jarring, and Claire was just..there..saying stuff. Sheppard’s character was OK, I guess, but he didn’t have enough time to shine (actually all of them need more screen-time). As for Ballard, well, he’s been rather uninteresting thus far. The most interesting thing about him is that he lives opposite an Active..at least, I think she’s an Active..the worlds best lasagna making Active, apparently. At least we didn’t get any dumbed down kick-boxing splices to tell us very slowly that he’s not a man who never backs down (thanks, writers!). He’s also a lone wolf and not very likable at this stage – I’m beginning to wonder if there are ANY likable characters in this show – other than Langton and Topher (of all people)? If they’re going to pursue the lone-wolf angle with Ballard, then they could do worse than to watch season 1 of “Lost” with the character of John Locke. Especially since they tried to steal so many of their story-telling devices – tabula rasa’s, flashbacks,visions,woods…I jest, of course.

Anyway, I’ll give this one a very generous 7 out of 10. Bearing in mind that this is a relative score based on ‘some’ improvement, and my appreciation for the fact that the show needs time to impress. Although I’m not sure how may shows get given such benefit of the doubt before giving an audience at least something to look forward to. I’ll tune in next week unless I forget.

“Did I fall asleep?”

…but it had some heart.

That’s my conclusion from watching the Pilot episode. Looking back on that first episode it’s clear to me that it lacks soul..identity.

Things are not what they seem..you’re only seeing part of it

I hope that’s the case, because “Ghost” didn’t seem to know who it wanted to be, or what it wanted to do. Like an actual ghost, it seemed to be trapped somewhere, between states. Was this the result of being passed through too many hands, causing each creators ‘vision’ to be imprinted on to it’s own blank slate?

You ever try and clean an actual slate? You always see what was on it before

As much as I disliked that line, it would perhaps be best if Dollhouse wiped away the imprints that have caused it to lose some of it’s early identity.

In my opinion, episode 1.01 ‘excelled’ when it got down to the basics – when the characters interacted, when moral met amoral, when Active spoke to Active. This is why I think a lot of people have responded so positively to Sierra - she was like a breath of fresh air, she gave the whole “Active” concept balance, whilst giving us a glimpse into the dynamics of how the Dollhouse operates when things get hairy.

It’s going to difficult for me to become invested in Echo without the help of the other characters. Sometimes the way we see others shapes us more than the way in which we see ourselves – it’s what gives us compassion, humanity, or otherwise. So think that it’s vital that we see the continued interaction between Echo, the Actives and the management – how will Echo shape Boyd, for example? It’s easy to assume that this is all about Echo – in my opinion, it was far more interesting seeing Boyd’s reaction to Echo’s (Miss Penn) condition. He disagrees with the ethics of the dollhouse, but he was the one fighting for Echo to be sent back in. He saw it as being for the greater good – through the damaged Echo, the life of a little girl could be saved. Echo may be lost, but at least Davina was salvaged. I think that Boyd’s perspective throughout this episode was the thing that gives me hope for the series. Now we need to let the others come out to play – Adelle, Claire, Sierra, Victor, Topher, Paul and yes, even Echo (I jest. Of course Echo).

The show will be far more interesting if the focus is spread around a little more. Being an Active isn’t quite like being a ‘super hero’ (super heroes have egos which we can measure them by), and it’s not half as interesting as being human. So, give us the human/Active interaction, let us see the light and shade, allow Echo to grow, but also give Sierra and Victor the chance to grow with her (or against her). Basically, the show should look to draw us in on the relationships – like the one we see between the unwitting Echo and her ‘protector’ out on the field. Boyd had faith (heh) that Echo could get the job done, that she could extract Davina safely – he believes in Echo more than Adelle seems to. He let her do her thing whilst others were looking to hold her back.

And this is what I mean by “Ghost” having some ‘heart’. This didn’t make it a classic episode, or even a ‘good’ hour of television (I would have turned off during the bike scene had I not known about the premise, seriously!), but I was at least pleased to see some interesting themes bubbling under the surface.

Trouble is, the themes that they forced down our throats – “You can’t kill a ghost” (or whatever), were too cliched and surely not becoming of the premise behind the show.

That said, if Dollhouse can show improvement throughout the 13 episodes, then I’d take that as being a positive.

Scifi Wire have excerpts from an interview taken with Eliza Dushku last week. Please note, this interview contains some spoiler talk:

Tell me about some of the crazier stuff you’ve gotten to do.

Dushku: You mean dunking me in the National Sequoia Park river, like rolling me on the street in a motorcycle crash. They have me in a six-page … fight scene with Tahmoh [Penikett], who, yeah, we’re about the same size, so it was an even match, but we had a big fight scene …

You kicked his ass, right?

Dushku: Yeah, totally. And then … Joss puts me in these up-dos that really throw me for a loop. … He’s like, “I can throw you off a building, I can run you over with a car, and like, you know, while you’re getting your ass kicked by like eight guys, and me putting you in an up-do is the one thing that takes you out of your comfort zone. There’s something wrong with that.” It’s true! I’m just such, I don’t know, I just grew up such a tomboy that having my hair, like, up and prim and proper just feels so foreign. Those are the weirdest days for me. Go figure.

You play different characters.

Dushku: Multiple. Every week, yes.

How’s that?

Dushku: Good times. It’s really good times. You never get bored. Yeah, boredom is not an option. … I walk into my trailer, and there’s 15 … skirts and pants and tops for me to try on for the next episode, and I walk in, and there’s like … horse-riding gear or … sky-diving gear. … Every time I walk into my trailer and see the new wardrobe, I … get an idea what the next episode is going to involve, and it’s always exciting.

It’s kind of a challenge, because you’re playing different characters, but you’ve got to be Echo in there somewhere, right?

Dushku: Echo is … the name … that they’ve given me [in the] Dollhouse. So Caroline … may be who I really am, but I’m also Echo. But I’m also each person I’m imprinted to be.

Are any of those people Eliza?

Dushku: I think all of them have a little bit of Eliza in them. It’s about gauging and playing chemist. Yeah. Because I myself have multiple personalities. That’s part of the reason Joss sat down and thought, “I know the perfect show to write for you. … I’ve known you for 10 years, and I have no idea who [or] what you are, so … let’s just video it.”

But no, it’s awesome, it’s the coolest, most humbling, and you know, truly great opportunity, experience. Because some parts are more like me, and I can kind of roll out of bed and roll into the outfit and churn them out. And other times, I mean, I’ve had some serious, … challenging roles. Like the blind woman. … They implant cameras into my eyeballs and send me into a cult as a blind woman, like [a] religious cult follower. But I believe that I’m that woman. And so there have been a number of different parts I’ve played that I’ve had to do some serious last-minute research on, and it’s so fun, you know? … It makes it all that much more interesting to go in every day and be wild.

What’s the funnest thing you’ve had to do?

Dushku: I loved the fierce assassin that I was when I kicked Tahmoh’s ass. She … was a good egg. She was just … highly intelligent, … kind of quiet, but steely. Just, just kind of fierce, yeah.

You’ve probably read some of the reviews and heard the buzz, positive and negative, about the show. Does any of that come through, or do you try to screen it out?

Dushku: I’m proud of what we’re doing, and we … are doing what we wanted to do and telling the stories we wanted to tell. … There’s been pressure since the day we announced it, and there’s been naysayers since the day we announced it, and, at this point, … I just can’t wait for the show to get on the air and for people to see it. … Regardless of … the hype and what people are saying, why don’t people see it, and then they can decide what they feel? But I feel confident, … because it’s on the page, recorded on the stage, … and it’s working. And we’re having a great time. … Each episode is more and more intricate, and the story’s unfolding. …

I brought the first episodes home to my family to watch over the holidays, and you know what? They were freaking out. … They were more proud and more psyched about this than most anything that [I've done]. …

Putting aside my wish to hear from the rest of the ensemble for a moment, it’s refreshing to hear a member of the cast actually touch on the shows intricate make-up. This, in particular, got me thinking:

Dushku: Echo is … the name … that they’ve given me [in the] Dollhouse. So Caroline … may be who I really am, but I’m also Echo. But I’m also each person I’m imprinted to be.

That’s the thing, who is Echo? Even though she’s being imprinted with all these different persona’s, there’s still got to be a ‘constant’ once she’s been reset, right? I’m interested in seeing her quirks and the recurring traits that give us an understanding of who Echo, the blank doll, is. If we’re to assume that she is given many different identities when she is imprinted, then it’s plausible that in her ‘blank state’, there will also be a ‘personality’, of sorts, for the viewers to latch on to. I guess what I’m wondering is, how do you depict a lack of identity? What things will characterize “Echo” the blank doll?

It should be interesting to see how Dushku (as well as Lachman and Gjokaj) and the writers go about doing this, especially once Echo (in her blank state) becomes familiar to us.