Episode Discussion 1.08 "Needs" - Aired 4/3/09 (FOX-USA)

Echo would eat Victor alive. Vierra is totally the way to go.

And I can't BELIEVE we're having 'ship debates ALREADY! This is insane! (And kind of awesome. 😀)
 
T
Tsquared
Vecho! I coined it, we coined it! Slash terms. ;)
I enjoyed this episode - a lot of 'what if's' happening. Especially liked the scenes with Echo and Topher. I thought the montage at the end was beautifully done too. Oh and Victor is so lovable. 😀
 
Best episode yet. The bit about November was....heartbreaking to say the least, but I am glad we are finally starting to see her story. Sierra is a top notch actress.....she plays her roles best out of everyone I feel.

Echo...I know she plays a different persona every week and that reviews said it was hard if not impossible to become attached to her character, but I have to disagree. Caroline is underneath everything, whether or not it is apparent.

Victor is starting to grow on me. I really like the idea that he is in love with Sierra. Especially because he still feels that way in his blank state, which is too adorable for words.

Miscellaneous note---in one of the first scenes, Echo says, "definitely feeling kinda lab ratty here"....total Buffy speak =P

I thought the dialogue in this episode was brilliant. Classic Joss=happy me!!
 
Joan the Vampire Slayer
Joan the Vampire Slayer
Lab-ratty! I totally caught that Buffyism too :)
I think this episode was an interesting one. I liked how different from the others it was, how it was all set in the Dollhouse and stuff. Knowing more about Mellie and Sierra, I feel really sorry for them, it's so sad, both of them. I would have liked to get to see more of Victors past, but him with Sierra is just too cute for words.
I must say that I was glad that Dr. Saunders didn't turn out to be all goody-good-good this episode. I mean, how in the beginning it looked like she was helping them escape, while in fact she was helping them to get 'closure', which, in a way, is of course as big a help for them since I doubt they would manage to survive outside the Dollhouse (You know, they don't exist any more, right?) I hate to say it, but I really can't stand her. However, in this episode, I liked her more than usual.
Freaked out Topher was fun, I liked the fight with Echo and the handler lady.
Finally, when are we going to see some more of Alpha? It seems like he's hiding or something. In the beginning there was a lot of suggestion but now he's sort of, not there anymore. Which is a shame, I'd say. I want to know more about him and his relation to Echo.
Also, I don't think that we're now back to square one. True, it was really heart breaking that Victor didn't even notice Sierra in the end (I was, in fact, looking out for that to happen, but it didn't and it was sad), but Echo's process of getting more self aware has been going on for a long time, or at least it's suggested, I am not too sure all of that can be wiped in one go. We'll have to wait and see. Either way, next episode promises to be a good one.
 
This episode seemed incredibly slow-paced and overly-long to me. I thought this show was really coming around in episode six, but the last two didn't really grab me at all. This should have worked, since it was finally giving us information about the dolls' former lives, but I just don't really care about these characters the way I should. Echo, in particular, just doesn't interest me much and she's the lead! Things get better whenever Dr. Saunders or Topher are in a scene, but they can't be in them all.
 
Oh, I think I forgot to mention how much I'm liking Topher. It was, like, refreshing to see a slightly different side to him than the goofy one.

And on the subject of ships, Victor & Sierra all the way. Ballard and Mellie: it was good that there wasn't much Ballard in this episode. He's starting to bug me again. But the dream in the beginning was good. I'm really interested in seeing what it means. On a side note, I'm okay with there being more Ballard in the next couple of episodes, under the one condition that he doesn't wear any shirts, at all (sw). Topher and erm, Adelle? (It would be funny right?) Saunders and Boyd (they're both cute, and Dr. Saunders is not as annoying in her scenes with Boyd). That leaves Echo. I'm not really feeling her. I don't know who she should be with. Don't care that much, really.
 
Joan the Vampire Slayer
Joan the Vampire Slayer
Props to Ballard without his shirt - he's super hot in real life too :)
Another average show. As usual with some great moments. Echo and Ballard are still dull. Dr Saunders is ace. Boyd is being under-used. Dominic is great. Topher's constant hand movements are become more and more irritating.
And if Joss wants to start from scratch and rename it The Victor and Sierra show, I won't complain. Those two will keep me watching. They are managing to do, what I feel Eliza is failing to do. They are likable characters, who you can invest in, yet when they are on a mission, they don't resemble the characters we know. Echo s becoming more and more boring with each episode, I don't care about her in the slightest. Strange to say that about the leading lady, but i still feel that Echo and Eliza, just isn't working. 🙁 And I am sad saying that, because I like Eliza, just not in this.
 
Finally an episode i enjoyed, nice to get a glimpse into the backstory of the dolls its quite sad, really enjoying the victor sierra romance thing and i hated her in angel as both her characters but amy acker kicks ass in dollhouse, loving her.
 
R
Revolver
How can you hate Amy????
Friendly Lurker
Friendly Lurker
^ Amy is LOVABLE!
This was a good episode. 🙂

I LOVE Victor, more and more each week. :love10:

I also love Echo, but (as many have said) I'm beginning to really dislike Caroline. Like, what the hell? Get your stupid ranting liberal butt in the car already! What was she thinking, setting all the Dolls free? What part of her thought that would work? She'd lived with them for awhile, she had to act like them for awhile, and still it makes sense that unleashing them into the world would be a good thing to do? Blergh.

Sierra...oh, everything that's happened to her makes my heart hurt. Same with November (who I still want to call Mellie..). Also, right about now, I'm dying to know why Victor signed up for the Dollhouse.

Anyway, I'm not sure I'm convinced that everyone is back to square one right now. We don't know that for sure. Pretty much everything the Dollhouse employees have speculated has been wrong, and Echo has been able to be the "rogue Doll" since Day One. I think it's definitely too soon to tell what this last episode will mean for our gang.

I'm a little disappointed in November's story, though. I was really hoping that being a "sleeper Active" meant she was actually a regular person, but could be activated to Doll status sometimes. It's sad that she's just been a Doll all along. *sigh*

Speculations: It suddenly seems like "Tango" will be a new important character. Maybe "Mike" too? And where is Sam? ???

Oh, and random edit: Is Bria (I think that's Sierra's real name?) supposed to be American or Australian? I know the actress is Australian (at least...I think...) but her accent coming and going as her regular self is really distracting.
 
X
xaphania
I think her name was Priya. The accent thing bugged me too.
fly on the wall said:
Oh, and random edit: Is Bria (I think that's Sierra's real name?) supposed to be American or Australian? I know the actress is Australian (at least...I think...) but her accent coming and going as her regular self is really distracting.
Click to expand...

YES, thank you. This bugged the crap out of me. She couldn't pick an accent and go with it!
 
Sweetescape
Sweetescape
[No message]
C
charmingslayer
She's Austrailian.
I'm glad that they finally took some action and did something about their glitching dolls.
That has bugged me a little bit actually.

Can't imagine that everything is back to square one now though.
Don't think they fixed it so easy. They can't really. We don't have much of a show if they did. 🙂

It was a good episode. A bit different with more action within the dollhouse.
The show still manage to make me interested enough to look forward to the next episode.
But it does miss something to be a real favourite imho.

/SK
 
Watched this episode last night and thought it was good but... right from the start I could tell what the dolls being bought out of their doll state was a set up. I found that a bit pants really I was hoping maybe there would be more to that like Alpha messing with them or someone on the inside trying to help them escape. Either way still good, I thought it was creepy seeing the dolls all trapped in their chambers, I'd hate to wake up in one of those not knowing where I was.

The best part about this episode had to be Victor, Sierra and Mellie/November's storyline. I thought Victor and Sierra's chemistry at having an underlying affection for one another was really sweet. Victor is such a badass but at the same time he wants to help everyone. Go Victor! Poor Sierra finally realising she had been raped and that man who had put her in the dollhouse he deserved those punches. Poor Mellie/November though, watching her crying as she found her daughter was so heartbreaking, it gave a reason as to why she must have chosen to do this.

Echo/Caroline was ok, Im finding her a bit too forward and forceful almost a bit like Faith in a way especially when she had the gun. I think the best part was watching her trying to get out of her chamber then after that I started to get slightly annoyed with her. Definitely much better as Echo becoming self aware on missions. I found it funny seeing another random doll with them showing he was meant to be there from the beginning I love it when shows do that, its so hilarious to watch.

Apart from that it was good in places loved the ending with all the dolls only making it as far as what seems the parking lot until Echo suddenly falls asleep. I hope though things keep picking up like they have and we head in to a cracking season finale.

EDIT: Loved the very ending with Paul finding that tape, that was the bit that made me want more!
 
This episode was so great! So many great aspects and twists and turns. Dichen Lachman and Enver Gjokaj were AMAZING, as were Fran Kranz and Amy Acker.

Paul's dream sequence involving Echo/Caroline and Mellie was creepy. It was obvious right away when Caroline and Paul started to have sex that it wasn't real, because it just didn't seem like it and was completely out of character for Caroline. And when Mellie/November appeared, it was obvious that it was indeed a dream sequence. I freak out whenever I see dead bodies, so when Caroline's face started to turn all dead-ish, I was slightly uncomfortable.

When the Actives were all walking to sleep in the pods, I felt really bad for Sierra. But when you saw Victor watching her to make sure that she was safe... aww. They were really cute in this episode. When they all woke up and had their own personalities back, their chemistry was really good. I like when Mike dismissed Sierra's theory and Victor immediately reprimanded him. They were definitely the couple of the episode. The way that he was really protective of her, but not in an anti-feminine way, was really adorable. The hand-holding and the almost-kissing and punching out the guy who forced her into the Dollhouse - they all just made me like Victor's character more and more. When Sierra and Victor talked when they were so sure that they were going to die and how they said that they would find each other like they always did - one of their best moments, in my opinion. And the kiss! Amazingness, definitely what we've been waiting for.

I liked Adelle in this episode, she was very calm and collected and knew what she was doing. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it was a bit hard to take her seriously in the first office scene because her hair was in piggytails. (I always think of little kids whenever I see piggytails.) I do think that Adelle looks prettiest then, though, but maybe that's just me. But she was a great and commanding presence, and I like how she took charge of everything and handled the situation with Echo/Caroline very well.

As a shipper of Claire/Topher, I really enjoyed the cute scene of bickering that they had in the beginning of this episode, and I thought that it showed us more complications that they had with each other of the moral questioning of what he does and how she feels about it. I'm looking forward to next week's episode and what interaction the two of them may have in it.

I thought that Fran Kranz did a good job with Topher this episode. The scene between Caroline and Topher was very well played out, and I really liked how Topher was afraid of the dark and told Adelle so over the phone. He was so cute! And the glow-stick he was holding just added the cuteness to the scene. 🙂

I liked seeing Ramirez in this episode, the only one thing that I wish we had seen more of was Boyd. I enjoy seeing the conversations between Claire and Boyd at the end of the episodes, and I think it showed more of his questioning of her.

I'm sure now that Claire isn't the one who is helping Echo because of her actions in this episode. If I'm wrong about that, it would be interesting to see, though.

I felt so bad for Mellie when she walked to Katie's grave and started crying. It was so sad!

All in all, a great episode! A lot of good points, humor, and creative writing galore.
 
C
charmingslayer
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Joan the Vampire Slayer
Joan the Vampire Slayer
great post, agreed. although, i'm totally shipping Pecho now :)
I'm thinking Dr. Saunders is up to something, definitely a lot more than meets the eye, and I think she might be planning something, despite her actions in this episode. What I like so far about Dollhouse is that it's a lot more twisty than any of Joss's other shows and you can't really assume ANYTHING because chances are you'll be proven wrong.

I'm trying to just enjoy the show and not speculate TOO much but it's so much fun...
 
I think Joss is gonna make Amy a baddie because everyone likes her and thinks she's gonna be all sweet. 😛
 
I think I need to watch it again. It was ok, not brilliant, but not every ep can be. I knew once they got out of the pods that they were being set up for something but I didnt know what. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen and why they were messing with them. When November said she had a daughter I guess straight off that the kid was dead. I loved Victor more and more, the pancakes line had me laughing so hard.

I like Echo but Caroline kinda pisses me off. I do think Eliza is doing a good job, Its the character I dont like, not the way she has acted it. Topher looked really scared when she was going to imprint him, I was actually worried for him! I felt a bit duped by the ending too tho, they all just fall asleep was kinda lame. Again like when the drugs just wore off. But again I cant think of how else they could have ended it.

Sierra's accent was annoying me too! I love hearing the Aussie accent with all the Americans but she was kinda doing a cross between the both of them. She is definitely a MUCH better actor in this than Neighbours! I am really suprised and thankful! Unfortunately I dont think it will get picked up for a second season. I hope Joss wraps it up nicely so I can buy the boxset.
 
I just caught up on the past 2 episodes. So i just walked away from watching it. First of all, finally with the victor/sierra hookup, although its sad they won't remember... or at least won't for now. The whole thing with November/Mellie was sad.

I dunno, i think Dr. saunders is could be the spy, or atleast thinking that what the dollhouse does isn't right and would be the one to try and sabotage, even if in thinking its the right thing to do.

Can't wait for Alpha stuff though, i want to get back onto that story line!

Also, the scene with Echo/Caroline releasing them all was kind of beautiful.
 
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