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lightcastleThe following is not a review of Episodes 2x03 and 2x04. When melebeth and I used to watch Doctor Who or BSG together au distance we would sync the clock and watch episodes while exclaiming back and forth on IM about the ep. The following is me doing the same exercise sans feedback as I watched the episodes last night. I might offer coherent thoughts next post.
2.03 - Belle Chose:
I like how Boyd feels perfectly willing to point out some of DeWitt's hypocrisy - he seems really comfortable in his position of power, while Ballard seems ever-more-awkward around Echo. (Also, "Claire"? Epitaph One implied Boyd and Saunders get closer. Can't wait until she gets back.)
"Topher has ethical problems. Topher." <-- I love Boyd.
MORE BSG STUNT CASTING!! (Way to telegraph you liked that show, dude. ^_^) Am I the only one who thought Hogan looked like he was squinting in one eye?
Ayre Gross as the creepy professor is great, and this better actually pan off into something. (My guess is serial killer Rossum boy escapes and ends up picking Echo to complete the collection.)
I give full props to the English geeks for using the Dame Alison Chaucer reference in the title.
Enver Gjokaj is wonderful.
I like how we're seeing the gradual construction under our very eyes of bits of the tech that will eventually lead to everything going out of control.
Interesting how Boyd has gotten more comfortable with Echo's romantic assignments. That seems a bit off from Season One, and I was afraid (but not surprised) that they shifted to Ballard as bonding with Echo.
I suppose they can blame any erratic behaviour on the accidental glitch. (When they debrief the women, it will be clear Echo acted oddly.) Ballard may have to skate a fair amount to avoid making it obvious she's less and less of a tabula rasa.
Nice to have an extra serial killer in her head. You know, if they ever do an "all the people she has been fight in her brain" episode, we've got a fun cast of characters. :)
***************************************
2x04 Belonging
Holy Crap the Priya backstory is full of creepiness.
But then, we already knew that. It's just worse. (Love the "instant attraction to Victor" touch.)
Did we see Harding (Keith Carridine) before? Is it just because he's Keith Carridine that I feel we already know he's one of the high Dollhouse muckity-mucks?
(Directed by Johnathan Frakes!?)
I like Topher developing ethics. (And shocking - Saunders links the badness to Topher, because that's what she does. ^_^ I miss Dr Saunders.)
Did they not track the Actives in "Needs"? Wouldn't they already know about Nolan? (I can't remember now if they did track their activities or not.)
"What are you up to, girl?" Boyd's gone from "more comfortable" to "a bit creepy". Power corrupts? Or setting him up to once again turn on the Dollhouse? (I am glad he is also noticing Echo's more active blank state. Someone besides Ballard had to.)
Is Echo reading supposed to be a clue? Or is it *what* she is reading?
Ahh... they were "mistaken" about who she went to see. Or did someone cover it up? They suspect DeWitt, but Topher just said Boyd is the one who told them she went to the mental health clinic to see the other doctor.
OMG I just think I fell a little more in love with Adelle. "Do you take sugar?"
OK, I was thinking Joss's "switcheroo on the bad guys" might be that Rossum isn't really the villain, but Nolan just pretty much cemented that it is. I suppose we still might find out Rossum originally had far nobler intent and then the crazy people took over, but I think - even if they end up being pawns of someone else - Rossum the company itself will stay the bad guys.
Related, it is becoming increasingly clearer that Rossum and The Dollhouse(s) are not synonymous, even if they are closely intertwined. (So you could still do the "Founders of the Dollhouse are evil, but Rossum was originally working on something noble before they got into this lucrative business.)
Harding for the "Miss Lonleyhearts" Win! (I was wondering when that would come back. I figured it for a more direct "sierra/victor love" episode, but I'll take it here.)
"He's the least of your indiscretions, I think we both know that." <--- Oh my. That is intriguing.
So Sierra and Victor are also progressing in their blank state. If they've been at this Dollhouse for years (at least since the 90s according to the urban legends in season one), this can't be a complete surprise. Maybe it is the reason for the 5-year contracts? Maybe the advances Topher made to allow for quicker wipes and loads have resulted in more assignments and that excess is degrading the process? Maybe the process is just less solid with his upgrades and they didn't know – it is only revealing itself long term and in a few cases? Or maybe Echo being there poking people while interacting in blank state - when they are supposed to be kept free from stimulus - is provoking it?
And the "We are all corrupt" factor bumps ever higher. Topher starting to understand he has no morals just in time for their so-delayed spawning to drive him into insanity is sweet in its tragic way. (Does this mean dear Ivy is also corrupt?)
What is the book? (Or is it the bookmark that he is remarking on?)
HOLY CRAP SHE'S CARVING UP HER OWN CELL! (I love that in the middle of all that is "Victor loves Sierra" and "Sierra loves Victor") Taking advantage of freeze frame, the messages to remember are even creepier.
We're starting to see Adelle's descent into the alcoholism of Epitaph One, I see.
Oh dear. Topher fought back the only way he knows how, didn't he? He put the real Priya back in as well. This could get... horrifying.
Oh hey! It's not psychotic Priya! So he even got to "help" her. I was expecting something much more nihilistic. (I was preparing for a dead/insane Priya at the end of this.)
So it was the bookmark. And the reading. And Boyd is warning her. (Aww... he still cares.)
No ninja skills for Priya?
Well, the stabbing works.
OK, I was wondering how Topher thought this wasn't going to get noticed.
Hey, Boyd knows a lot about disposing of bodies. Why did he end up at the Dollhouse? That's never been addressed. The Goose? What is his "compromised morals" given how much he was the moral backbone of season one? (Something less in evidence so far this season.)
"You had a moral dilemma. Your first. It didn't go well."
Boyd leaves her an all access pass? Curious. Has he just stopped pushing actively to diminish DeWitt and company's suspicions? Is he still working to help the actives?
2.03 - Belle Chose:
I like how Boyd feels perfectly willing to point out some of DeWitt's hypocrisy - he seems really comfortable in his position of power, while Ballard seems ever-more-awkward around Echo. (Also, "Claire"? Epitaph One implied Boyd and Saunders get closer. Can't wait until she gets back.)
"Topher has ethical problems. Topher." <-- I love Boyd.
MORE BSG STUNT CASTING!! (Way to telegraph you liked that show, dude. ^_^) Am I the only one who thought Hogan looked like he was squinting in one eye?
Ayre Gross as the creepy professor is great, and this better actually pan off into something. (My guess is serial killer Rossum boy escapes and ends up picking Echo to complete the collection.)
I give full props to the English geeks for using the Dame Alison Chaucer reference in the title.
Enver Gjokaj is wonderful.
I like how we're seeing the gradual construction under our very eyes of bits of the tech that will eventually lead to everything going out of control.
Interesting how Boyd has gotten more comfortable with Echo's romantic assignments. That seems a bit off from Season One, and I was afraid (but not surprised) that they shifted to Ballard as bonding with Echo.
I suppose they can blame any erratic behaviour on the accidental glitch. (When they debrief the women, it will be clear Echo acted oddly.) Ballard may have to skate a fair amount to avoid making it obvious she's less and less of a tabula rasa.
Nice to have an extra serial killer in her head. You know, if they ever do an "all the people she has been fight in her brain" episode, we've got a fun cast of characters. :)
***************************************
2x04 Belonging
Holy Crap the Priya backstory is full of creepiness.
But then, we already knew that. It's just worse. (Love the "instant attraction to Victor" touch.)
Did we see Harding (Keith Carridine) before? Is it just because he's Keith Carridine that I feel we already know he's one of the high Dollhouse muckity-mucks?
(Directed by Johnathan Frakes!?)
I like Topher developing ethics. (And shocking - Saunders links the badness to Topher, because that's what she does. ^_^ I miss Dr Saunders.)
Did they not track the Actives in "Needs"? Wouldn't they already know about Nolan? (I can't remember now if they did track their activities or not.)
"What are you up to, girl?" Boyd's gone from "more comfortable" to "a bit creepy". Power corrupts? Or setting him up to once again turn on the Dollhouse? (I am glad he is also noticing Echo's more active blank state. Someone besides Ballard had to.)
Is Echo reading supposed to be a clue? Or is it *what* she is reading?
Ahh... they were "mistaken" about who she went to see. Or did someone cover it up? They suspect DeWitt, but Topher just said Boyd is the one who told them she went to the mental health clinic to see the other doctor.
OMG I just think I fell a little more in love with Adelle. "Do you take sugar?"
OK, I was thinking Joss's "switcheroo on the bad guys" might be that Rossum isn't really the villain, but Nolan just pretty much cemented that it is. I suppose we still might find out Rossum originally had far nobler intent and then the crazy people took over, but I think - even if they end up being pawns of someone else - Rossum the company itself will stay the bad guys.
Related, it is becoming increasingly clearer that Rossum and The Dollhouse(s) are not synonymous, even if they are closely intertwined. (So you could still do the "Founders of the Dollhouse are evil, but Rossum was originally working on something noble before they got into this lucrative business.)
Harding for the "Miss Lonleyhearts" Win! (I was wondering when that would come back. I figured it for a more direct "sierra/victor love" episode, but I'll take it here.)
"He's the least of your indiscretions, I think we both know that." <--- Oh my. That is intriguing.
So Sierra and Victor are also progressing in their blank state. If they've been at this Dollhouse for years (at least since the 90s according to the urban legends in season one), this can't be a complete surprise. Maybe it is the reason for the 5-year contracts? Maybe the advances Topher made to allow for quicker wipes and loads have resulted in more assignments and that excess is degrading the process? Maybe the process is just less solid with his upgrades and they didn't know – it is only revealing itself long term and in a few cases? Or maybe Echo being there poking people while interacting in blank state - when they are supposed to be kept free from stimulus - is provoking it?
And the "We are all corrupt" factor bumps ever higher. Topher starting to understand he has no morals just in time for their so-delayed spawning to drive him into insanity is sweet in its tragic way. (Does this mean dear Ivy is also corrupt?)
What is the book? (Or is it the bookmark that he is remarking on?)
HOLY CRAP SHE'S CARVING UP HER OWN CELL! (I love that in the middle of all that is "Victor loves Sierra" and "Sierra loves Victor") Taking advantage of freeze frame, the messages to remember are even creepier.
We're starting to see Adelle's descent into the alcoholism of Epitaph One, I see.
Oh dear. Topher fought back the only way he knows how, didn't he? He put the real Priya back in as well. This could get... horrifying.
Oh hey! It's not psychotic Priya! So he even got to "help" her. I was expecting something much more nihilistic. (I was preparing for a dead/insane Priya at the end of this.)
So it was the bookmark. And the reading. And Boyd is warning her. (Aww... he still cares.)
No ninja skills for Priya?
Well, the stabbing works.
OK, I was wondering how Topher thought this wasn't going to get noticed.
Hey, Boyd knows a lot about disposing of bodies. Why did he end up at the Dollhouse? That's never been addressed. The Goose? What is his "compromised morals" given how much he was the moral backbone of season one? (Something less in evidence so far this season.)
"You had a moral dilemma. Your first. It didn't go well."
Boyd leaves her an all access pass? Curious. Has he just stopped pushing actively to diminish DeWitt and company's suspicions? Is he still working to help the actives?
