chani | A week of finales

What am I going to watch now that Dollhouse and Lost are over? There's still Ashes to ashes but brit series are very short and we're nearing towards the end...

I watched Dollhouse's finale on Saturday evening, before going to see Wolverine, and I haven't rewatched it yet so my review might be rather fuzzy. First off, I must say that I prefered episode 11. "Omega" didn't seem as well written, and there was something in the pace that didn't work, especially towards the end. Of course compared to Wolverine, the scenario was a masterpiece!

Things I liked:

- Paul and Adelle arguing.
- Paul and Boyd teaming up.
. The Whiskey sub-plot and how it gave an unexpected depth to Topher eventually.
- Victor, as usual. Enver is always stellar!
- Paul's "sacrifice" and how November turned out to be the princess he woke up. He saved the girl but didn't get her. Their last scene together was touching. I think it was a great way to end Paul's journey no matter if we get a second season or not..
-Alpha threatening Caroline's wedge with his gun instead of aiming at Echo.

Things that I didn't like:

- the Omega stuff even though the idea of the Frankestein's monster wanting a fiancée like him was a good revival of the story. Unfortunately it was rushed and the scenes in Alpha's lair, with poor Wendy, didn't work for me. Alpha's exit was quite convenient too.

- the Caroline in Wendy/Omega scene and the line about Obama. I'm sorry but that was cheap and not Whedon quality.

- Alpha's criminal background and what it means in terms of nature vs nurture debate.

-Paul using the S word...or was it a wink at Buffy fans?

- Paul saving Caroline's wedge. It was phoned and Echo shouldn't have needed him. The wedge thing was a good device to allow the princess to save herself as the little girl hoped so in the previous episode. I wish that Paul had saved Echo but that she had saved Caroline.

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I agree with most of what you're saying. With Omega's lair the idea was good, but the execution could have been better. It could have done with a little less camp, but on the other hand it goes with the mad-scientist-scenario. The pseudo-philosophical stuff Omega was spouting was a bit silly, but again, it's exactly what this sort of character would do - in that respect he's like an advanced Warren of nerd-trio fame. I quite liked Echo in these scenes - laughed heartily at her dig at Germans in response to Omega name-checking Nietzsche and yeah, the Obama line? It's something that Caroline-in-Wendy would respond to.

I'm with you on the nature-nurture thing. It's a little dangerous...

I've got a slightly different reading of Paul saving Mellie: Yes, he wakes up one of the princesses, and not the one we expect. First, I was really proud of him, but then I realized that this means that he gets to stay close to Caroline/Echo. Is it really a sacrifice?

You know, I'm afraid that Caroline/Echo/Omega are the least interesting characters on the show, and I couldn't care less about them.

I agree that Paul's choice is ambiguous, that it conveniently put him close to Echo yet he still sacrificed his principles to save November. He kinda sold his soul. Not really a happy ending then.

I suppose it was also a good way to set a possible Paul/Echo pairing for a second season.

Or is he doing something similar to Angel in Ats, choosing to live in the belly of the beast to make a difference?

But his soul was already tarnished when he continued sleeping with Mellie/November. I'd like to see Boyd and Ballard talk about living in the belly of the beast...

I don't think that continuing his affair with Mellie for a little while was the same as actually working for the Dollhouse's security. He was weak and cornered, it was difficult for him to break up while Mellie was so in love with him and oblious of the situation, but now he's become a willing "supporter" of what he called himself a slavery, he's part of the firm.

I saw the deal as an exchange of souls, his against November's (I forgot the girl's real name).

When are we supposed to know whether the show is renewed or not?
I'd like to know Boyd's background to understand his motives.

When are we supposed to know whether the show is renewed or not?

I believe the official announcement is supposed to be Monday. (That's when FOX announce their autumn schedule.)

Looks like Fox has renewed Dollhouse! But you must have read it too...

I hope we'll get more Victor in the second series.

Yay, more episodes!

Well, Paul's gone down a nice slippery slope - becoming a client of the Dollhouse himself out of necessity and he didn't like himself one bit for it. Consulting for the Dollhouse, with the added bonus of being able to free one of the dolls (and the way it was portrayed, for her, Madeleine, it didn't make a difference that her contract wasn't up), seems like a good bargain: His cop responsibility calls on him to catch that dangerous serial killer maniac Alpha let loose by the clearly incompetent Dollhouse folks and he can see from the inside how the Dollhouse works preparing for his big moment when he can bring it down. I suppose Adelle is well aware that Paul might be thinking like that ('I know what he wants') but she's hoping to bring him over to her side by letting him in on things. Letting him go wasn't on the cards anyway, so making use of his cop skills is the only sensible and least messy option.

Ah yes Madeleine...

I agree about Adelle being aware of Paul's agenda. I loved their interactions and I hope that they will have many scenes together next season. More Tahmoh will be a plus.

And more Victor too. Of course. :- )

PS: I have found the time to write a few thoughts down about Lost.

I wonder about Victor's fate... Will Dr Saunders rid him of his scars while she keeps hers? Amy Acker's had her pilot picked up, but I hope she can stay a recurring character - there's still a bit to explore.

Yes, finally having Adelle and Paul face to face was much-needed. I do like the Boyd/Ballard dynamic as well.

PS: I've commented on your Lost post.

Victor is a broken doll now too, but I suppose he can still get engagements despite the scars. He signed a contract allowing the Dollhouse to use him as an active for 5 years but is there a clause about possible damages?

I agree that Amy Acker must stay. Dr Saunders declined Topher's offer on knowing who she used to be before she became Whiskey and her line "I know who I am", the whole sub-plot actually, opened a boulevard for Joss to explore the concept of identity. Also wasn't it dangerous to imprint a doll so long?

Alpha's criminal background and what it means in terms of nature vs nurture debate
Is it really nature vs nurture, or simply that their technology doesn't erase the previous personality as well as they would want ? (Which we already kinda knew from previous episodes.)

But that's the point, precisely. They wiped all his memories out thanks to their technology, leaving him in a child state (not quite blank since dolls still know how to walk and talk), but they couldn't erase his personality, in other words, thye couldn't destroy what is the core of his identity, his very true nature or what Ballard would call his soul. Same with Caroline who keeps bleeding out in Echo.

I'll admit that I get queasy when the term "soul" is mentioned in relation to a Joss Whedon soul. He's fond of throwing the term out with ever really saying what he means by that.

They wiped all his memories out thanks to their technology
I don't think they did. Everything we saw on the show points to the memories still being there, but behind a subconscious barrier (explaining the previous personalities surfacing in the episode when they were all high).
What

You've got a point here, I had completely forgotten the episode in which they were high!

A week of finales

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