Special Review: Dollhouse: Season 1, Episode 13: Epitaph One
Epitaph One
Original Airdate: Unaired (Released on DVD: July 28, 2009)
Teleplay: Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen
Story: Joss Whedon
Director: David Solomon
The controversy that surrounds this episode took precedence over the episode itself. It was originally scheduled as the finale, but because the original pilot was reshot, this was considered episode fourteen, one more than they originally ordered and therefore, didn’t air. Instead they threw it on the DVD as an extra to boost sales, a plan that failed miserably. It’s a shame (and one of the big mistakes the network has made), because this episode is easily the best of the first season and important to the series’ story.
It can be understandable why this one was shelved. “Omega” is the climax of the season, whereas this one doesn’t tie into the season’s story (this episode is Dollhouse’s “Restless”) and doesn’t affect its viewing. The main action focuses on characters we’ve never met who are 10 years in the future and those in 2009 don’t have a lot of screen time. However, going back to “Restless”, it sets up some major pieces for the future, which considering Dollhouse’s time on the bubble, may explain why it was shelved: to avoid nerds getting angry over unanswered questions.
The big question going into the next season is how will viewers who didn’t buy or rent the DVD, which let’s be honest is most of them, view season two and potentially beyond. The writers have to write to an audience who missed out on what is sure to be a crucial piece of the story, but still satisfy the ones who did. It may mean less Zone, Mag and “Caroline” than they hoped, but how much is enough for both groups of viewers? That balance if achieved will be interesting to see.
Flash forwards are an interesting way to rejuvenate a storyline. Lost did it to great effect, and Desperate Housewives tried something similar as well (not counting FlashForward, which uses it as the impetus for the story). Dollhouse is a different beast as this was done at the end of the first season, whereas Lost and Housewives were established series. It also was plagued with bad luck, from low ratings to a troublesome first five episodes that reeked of studio meddling. This episode was written in mind that it may be the last and with nothing to lose, Whedon and company lay down some serious cards.
The story takes place 10 years in the future, where the technologies of the Dollhouse (called “tech”) caused the end of civilization. Mass imprinting turned most into “butchers”, dolls intent on destruction who now mostly fight each other and those not imprinted. Those survivors (called “actuals”) desperately try to avoid being imprinted to the point where seeing a radio is enough to provoke a serious reaction and suspicion of being imprinted is grounds for execution.
The episode focuses on one group, lead by Zone, Griff and Mag (Whedon favorite Felicia Day), bringing along flashlight fodder Lyn, “Iris” and her “father”, a guy whose personality has been wiped clean, but hasn’t been imprinted into being a killer. While seeking sanctuary they discover the seemingly abandoned Dollhouse. After they find the imprinting chair, they begin to put together the story of the rise and fall of the Dollhouse as well as society in general.
Through the “flashbacks”, several pieces of information are revealed about the decade between in the lives of the regulars, but a lot is up for speculation. Paul became Echo’s handler as expected, but at some point she became capable of handling two personalities at once, working as a double agent with Paul. However, there appears to be drawbacks in the form of major headaches. It all leads to her immunity to imprinting, which may lead to more appearances by Alpha.
The turning point seems to be when Ambrose, the head of the company that made the Dollhouse, imprinted himself into a healed Victor (and as he claims, 10 other dolls in 10 other houses) with a scary proposition: selling the actives for hundreds of millions so the personalities of old, rich people can live forever. This is something the show has discussed before and as the episode is all about tracking the slippery slope to the apocalypse, his proposal is the logical conclusion. However, both Topher and Adelle see this as crossing the line: the dolls do five years, and their personalities aren’t for sale. The next piece is Ambrose’s warning that he will know if they mind wipe Victor, which we see happened. Removing Ambrose has to be the “crossing the Rubicon” moment where they make their stand that Ambrose’s plan is wrong.
As this next phase of the series begins, it makes sense to give the leads some degree of morality (this episode addresses the prostitution element, something the suits didn’t want mentioned despite it being obvious to viewers). Adelle’s use of the word “soul” when referring to them is particularly telling, even if it is motivated by her feelings for the imprint who loved her. Topher gets the full brunt of guilt (more on that later), and Adelle seems remorseful for her actions, comforts Topher in his guilt and doesn’t resist when Caroline comes knocking down the barrier looking for revenge. Lack of empathy was a big problem of the first season, and it seems like it’ll be taken care of.
Of course the big question of this apocalypse is who, whether it is Ambrose, fired the shot and why? It doesn’t seem like a lot of people would benefit from the complete destruction of society, but it could be a powerful organization that seeks to take over once the dust clears (like the conspiracy behind the September attacks in Jericho) or a rival nation, some of whom apparently do their own mass imprinting on the US.
As everything falls apart, the Dollhouse seals itself off and the actives are restored with their original personalities. This may be the ultimate gesture on Adelle’s part of sympathizing with the dolls: letting them be able to be themselves for as long as that’ll be possible. Some of the actives leave, such as Sierra (real name Priya Tsetsang) and Caroline with Paul. Sierra isn’t seen when Caroline and Paul return, which likely means she is still above ground. The episode implies from her back ID tattoo that Sierra created the actuals’ movement, which carries a lot of irony. This is one piece I’m really looking forward to seeing and hope they get to it if the 13 episode second season is all they get. They probably will, as tighter budgets everywhere are causing shows, especially ones that aren’t hits, to cut costs and filming on one set is a good way to do it.
Throughout the episode several characters mention “Safe Haven”, a place where imprinting is impossible and where Caroline and Paul were leading the remaining actives (when or if they got there isn’t said). Interestingly, Caroline credits Alpha with making “Safe Haven” safe, promising us more of Alpha in the future. Alpha may have created technology and abandoned it, been killed by Caroline or someone else, or Alpha switched sides, making him the Spike figure for the show.
One of the big arcs of the flashbacks is Topher’s breakdown. Throughout the first season, he hasn’t had much concern over the moral problems imprinting people presents. However, in the jumps he gets the full impact of his actions and it drives him insane from guilt. He made the technology far too easy and when it becomes cheap and quick, it gets mass marketed. It’s not new to have a scientist lose control of his creation, but it adds an interesting layer to his arc this coming season, perhaps setting up redemption like Buffy’s Andrew.
There are still a lot of questions that beg answers. Why is Whiskey still there and not imprinted as Dr. Saunders? Is there a deeper conflict between actuals and butchers or are butchers just one note killers? What happened to November, and is it the same November we’ve seen? Why release Dominic? What was the relationship between Dr. Saunders and Boyd? How was Caroline able to hold two personalities at the same time and not go insane like Alpha? What’s the deal with the shrine Topher surrounded himself in? I doubt they’ll answer all of it by the end of season two (or series depending on the ratings), but hopefully there will be some resolution if two seasons are all we get.
The important thing to remember about these flashbacks, and Whedon has brought it up, is that these are memories. What happened in them is skewed by point of view, preparing us for some Rashomon moments next season. For example, Dominic could be far crazier in his confrontation with Adelle after the fall, but he may remember it as him being angry and a skilled shot. The perception element is one I really enjoy seeing, especially with writers as talented as the one Whedon employs.
Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen commented on many of the horror staples that appear in the 2019 storyline. The actuals finding sanctuary in the Dollhouse reminded me of the survivors in Dawn of the Dead shacking up at the Monroeville Mall. Whiskey is the wandering ghost (only thing missing is her covered in blood). Lyn is murdered while showering. Iris, the little girl, is evil (I think she may have been Alpha). The horror motifs fit the dark direction the show is going and fears they had of the show getting renewed, but it ends with a glimmer of hope, both for humanity and the show.
Using the personality back ups, Caroline’s personality from an unknown time is imprinted on “Iris” and those not dead make their way to Adelle’s office, revealing the bombed out skyline and a wall of photos. The memorial is another subject of debate: it could’ve been a farewell to the series, a memorial to those lost or a reminder of who they were. I prefer the latter because there is some hope that someone else has survived and can help restore order and as the three survivors head to the roof (why?).
Going into the second season, I was still apprehensive about the show. It had improved from its awkward early episodes, but not to the highs Whedon’s work has hit. After seeing this, I’m genuinely anticipating the next season. Although it was written as the idea that cancelation was an increasingly likely outcome, getting a reprieve means they’ll have to deliver. Hopefully they can, and that enough people support it enough for it to continue.
Overall Score: 9/10
It can be understandable why this one was shelved. “Omega” is the climax of the season, whereas this one doesn’t tie into the season’s story (this episode is Dollhouse’s “Restless”) and doesn’t affect its viewing. The main action focuses on characters we’ve never met who are 10 years in the future and those in 2009 don’t have a lot of screen time. However, going back to “Restless”, it sets up some major pieces for the future, which considering Dollhouse’s time on the bubble, may explain why it was shelved: to avoid nerds getting angry over unanswered questions.
The big question going into the next season is how will viewers who didn’t buy or rent the DVD, which let’s be honest is most of them, view season two and potentially beyond. The writers have to write to an audience who missed out on what is sure to be a crucial piece of the story, but still satisfy the ones who did. It may mean less Zone, Mag and “Caroline” than they hoped, but how much is enough for both groups of viewers? That balance if achieved will be interesting to see.
Flash forwards are an interesting way to rejuvenate a storyline. Lost did it to great effect, and Desperate Housewives tried something similar as well (not counting FlashForward, which uses it as the impetus for the story). Dollhouse is a different beast as this was done at the end of the first season, whereas Lost and Housewives were established series. It also was plagued with bad luck, from low ratings to a troublesome first five episodes that reeked of studio meddling. This episode was written in mind that it may be the last and with nothing to lose, Whedon and company lay down some serious cards.
The story takes place 10 years in the future, where the technologies of the Dollhouse (called “tech”) caused the end of civilization. Mass imprinting turned most into “butchers”, dolls intent on destruction who now mostly fight each other and those not imprinted. Those survivors (called “actuals”) desperately try to avoid being imprinted to the point where seeing a radio is enough to provoke a serious reaction and suspicion of being imprinted is grounds for execution.
The episode focuses on one group, lead by Zone, Griff and Mag (Whedon favorite Felicia Day), bringing along flashlight fodder Lyn, “Iris” and her “father”, a guy whose personality has been wiped clean, but hasn’t been imprinted into being a killer. While seeking sanctuary they discover the seemingly abandoned Dollhouse. After they find the imprinting chair, they begin to put together the story of the rise and fall of the Dollhouse as well as society in general.
Through the “flashbacks”, several pieces of information are revealed about the decade between in the lives of the regulars, but a lot is up for speculation. Paul became Echo’s handler as expected, but at some point she became capable of handling two personalities at once, working as a double agent with Paul. However, there appears to be drawbacks in the form of major headaches. It all leads to her immunity to imprinting, which may lead to more appearances by Alpha.
The turning point seems to be when Ambrose, the head of the company that made the Dollhouse, imprinted himself into a healed Victor (and as he claims, 10 other dolls in 10 other houses) with a scary proposition: selling the actives for hundreds of millions so the personalities of old, rich people can live forever. This is something the show has discussed before and as the episode is all about tracking the slippery slope to the apocalypse, his proposal is the logical conclusion. However, both Topher and Adelle see this as crossing the line: the dolls do five years, and their personalities aren’t for sale. The next piece is Ambrose’s warning that he will know if they mind wipe Victor, which we see happened. Removing Ambrose has to be the “crossing the Rubicon” moment where they make their stand that Ambrose’s plan is wrong.
As this next phase of the series begins, it makes sense to give the leads some degree of morality (this episode addresses the prostitution element, something the suits didn’t want mentioned despite it being obvious to viewers). Adelle’s use of the word “soul” when referring to them is particularly telling, even if it is motivated by her feelings for the imprint who loved her. Topher gets the full brunt of guilt (more on that later), and Adelle seems remorseful for her actions, comforts Topher in his guilt and doesn’t resist when Caroline comes knocking down the barrier looking for revenge. Lack of empathy was a big problem of the first season, and it seems like it’ll be taken care of.
Of course the big question of this apocalypse is who, whether it is Ambrose, fired the shot and why? It doesn’t seem like a lot of people would benefit from the complete destruction of society, but it could be a powerful organization that seeks to take over once the dust clears (like the conspiracy behind the September attacks in Jericho) or a rival nation, some of whom apparently do their own mass imprinting on the US.
As everything falls apart, the Dollhouse seals itself off and the actives are restored with their original personalities. This may be the ultimate gesture on Adelle’s part of sympathizing with the dolls: letting them be able to be themselves for as long as that’ll be possible. Some of the actives leave, such as Sierra (real name Priya Tsetsang) and Caroline with Paul. Sierra isn’t seen when Caroline and Paul return, which likely means she is still above ground. The episode implies from her back ID tattoo that Sierra created the actuals’ movement, which carries a lot of irony. This is one piece I’m really looking forward to seeing and hope they get to it if the 13 episode second season is all they get. They probably will, as tighter budgets everywhere are causing shows, especially ones that aren’t hits, to cut costs and filming on one set is a good way to do it.
Throughout the episode several characters mention “Safe Haven”, a place where imprinting is impossible and where Caroline and Paul were leading the remaining actives (when or if they got there isn’t said). Interestingly, Caroline credits Alpha with making “Safe Haven” safe, promising us more of Alpha in the future. Alpha may have created technology and abandoned it, been killed by Caroline or someone else, or Alpha switched sides, making him the Spike figure for the show.
One of the big arcs of the flashbacks is Topher’s breakdown. Throughout the first season, he hasn’t had much concern over the moral problems imprinting people presents. However, in the jumps he gets the full impact of his actions and it drives him insane from guilt. He made the technology far too easy and when it becomes cheap and quick, it gets mass marketed. It’s not new to have a scientist lose control of his creation, but it adds an interesting layer to his arc this coming season, perhaps setting up redemption like Buffy’s Andrew.
There are still a lot of questions that beg answers. Why is Whiskey still there and not imprinted as Dr. Saunders? Is there a deeper conflict between actuals and butchers or are butchers just one note killers? What happened to November, and is it the same November we’ve seen? Why release Dominic? What was the relationship between Dr. Saunders and Boyd? How was Caroline able to hold two personalities at the same time and not go insane like Alpha? What’s the deal with the shrine Topher surrounded himself in? I doubt they’ll answer all of it by the end of season two (or series depending on the ratings), but hopefully there will be some resolution if two seasons are all we get.
The important thing to remember about these flashbacks, and Whedon has brought it up, is that these are memories. What happened in them is skewed by point of view, preparing us for some Rashomon moments next season. For example, Dominic could be far crazier in his confrontation with Adelle after the fall, but he may remember it as him being angry and a skilled shot. The perception element is one I really enjoy seeing, especially with writers as talented as the one Whedon employs.
Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen commented on many of the horror staples that appear in the 2019 storyline. The actuals finding sanctuary in the Dollhouse reminded me of the survivors in Dawn of the Dead shacking up at the Monroeville Mall. Whiskey is the wandering ghost (only thing missing is her covered in blood). Lyn is murdered while showering. Iris, the little girl, is evil (I think she may have been Alpha). The horror motifs fit the dark direction the show is going and fears they had of the show getting renewed, but it ends with a glimmer of hope, both for humanity and the show.
Using the personality back ups, Caroline’s personality from an unknown time is imprinted on “Iris” and those not dead make their way to Adelle’s office, revealing the bombed out skyline and a wall of photos. The memorial is another subject of debate: it could’ve been a farewell to the series, a memorial to those lost or a reminder of who they were. I prefer the latter because there is some hope that someone else has survived and can help restore order and as the three survivors head to the roof (why?).
Going into the second season, I was still apprehensive about the show. It had improved from its awkward early episodes, but not to the highs Whedon’s work has hit. After seeing this, I’m genuinely anticipating the next season. Although it was written as the idea that cancelation was an increasingly likely outcome, getting a reprieve means they’ll have to deliver. Hopefully they can, and that enough people support it enough for it to continue.
Overall Score: 9/10
posted by Matt @ 11:52 AM
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