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| Saturday, February 21, 2009 10:13 AM |
| (Last updated on Sunday, March 1, 2009 11:45 AM) | | On the Viewer - Dollhouse (Episode 2 - "The Target") |
 by Fëanor |
I thought this show was already pretty disturbing, but this episode took things to a whole new level of horror and creepiness. Echo's latest assignment finds her posing as the companion and equal to an ultimate outdoorsman and extreme sports enthusiast named Richard. They go rock climbing, white water rafting, and hunting, and then have wild sex. But then all of the sudden it turns into "The Most Dangerous Game," as Richard gives Echo a bit of a head start and then sets out to hunt her. He is a seriously twisted individual, and seems to have learned his dark view of life from his father, whom he's constantly referencing and quoting. But Richard might not be the one finally behind this stunt; it looks like Alpha is involved. Speaking of Alpha, Boyd has some very informative flashbacks in this episode that give us a much better idea what the deal is with Alpha. He was indeed an active at the Dollhouse, but he was an early model that went haywire. He's obsessed with Echo and killed everyone around her (including Boyd's predecessor), for some reason leaving her alive. He's also the one responsible for cutting up Dr. Saunders' face. Saunders and the others were told that Alpha was hunted down and killed, but it seems pretty clear that's not the case. The flashbacks also give us a better idea how a handler is bonded to an active, and the strangely warm, but still forced and creepy, relationship between Boyd and Echo is further developed. In the course of her conflict with Richard, Echo's real memories - of her life before the Dollhouse, and of her run-in with Alpha - begin to surface, in some cases in the form of hallucinated other versions of herself. Agent Ballard gets a lead on Echo when someone sends him a file about her, and a picture of her with what is apparently her real name - Caroline - written on the back. The Dollhouse has a mole! Is it Boyd? Saunders? Hmm...
This episode is really powerful, tense, and deeply, deeply disturbing. It's becoming more and more apparent as the series goes on how twisted the Dollhouse really is - its employees, its clients, and its entire raison d'être. Laurence Dominic is a particularly nasty piece of work. Until now he just seemed like a bit of a hard-ass, but in this episode he has a scene with Echo where he makes it clear just how much of an asshole and a scumbag he really is.
After the first episode of this show, I felt like it had a lot of potential, but I wasn't sure about it yet. Now I'm feeling more confident that it's smart and engaging and that I'm probably going to stick with it for the long haul.
UPDATE: I forgot to mention how incredibly disturbing and sad I found Agent Ballard's neighbor. As soon he gets home, she pops right out of her door like she was waiting there for him, possibly for hours, offering him a big casserole full of food she clearly cooked specifically for this purpose. She's all awkward and desperate. Great, another completely twisted relationship! |
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