Episode Discussion 1.12 "Omega" - Aired 5/8/09 - (FOX-USA)

[Harley]

I thought this episode was actually kinda cheesy.

Why didn't Alpha just kill Echo/Omega after she went after him with the pipe?

Why did Echo/Omega care so much about the original Caroline imprint?

What exactly was Alpha going to do with the original Caroline imprint?

What was the reasoning behing Echo/Omega not allying with Alpha? Because its wrong?

Wasn't the line about "now we have a black president (*angel chorus and glittering lights*)" the stupidist thing ever? I was like, uh, are you serious?

And I wasn't at all surprised about Saunders being a doll.

Ballard, for once, was the only interesting part of the entire episode.

 

[charmingslayer]

I thought this episode was actually kinda cheesy.

Why didn't Alpha just kill Echo/Omega after she went after him with the pipe?

Why did Echo/Omega care so much about the original Caroline imprint?

What exactly was Alpha going to do with the original Caroline imprint?

What was the reasoning behing Echo/Omega not allying with Alpha? Because its wrong?

Wasn't the line about "now we have a black president (*angel chorus and glittering lights*)" the stupidist thing ever? I was like, uh, are you serious?

And I wasn't at all surprised about Saunders being a doll.

Ballard, for once, was the only interesting part of the entire episode.

He didn't kill her cause he "loved" her.

She cared so much cause it's who she really is.

I think he was gonna torture and kill her with Echo.

To me it wasn't stupid.

I loved every single thing but was so sad that we didn't see the bounty hunting and that Victor only got 1 to 2 scenes.

 

[Sweetescape]

I watched this last night and really...I wasn't that thrilled. It was a good episode but I dunno something was lacking for me. However I did enjoy Dr Saunders finding out she was Whisky! very interesting and seeing her all bad and evil with Alpha was a shock.
I wonder if there's a next season whether she'll play a bigger role and maybe having something to do with Victor, I got that impression when she gave him the lollipop.
Echo, Caroline I still can't really get attached to her, I never really liked Buffy..maybe its the same. lol
The flash backs were pretty cool, the whole eye bleeding thing was ace! He's a interesting guy Alpha!
I think I'll like it more once I can re-watch it and see the extra episode.
Still hoping for a second season though.

 

[Tasha]

i was confused and shocked at the same time,

 

[LittleMissLikesToFight]

I'm finding the character im MOST interesting in after all this is Topher. There's so much more going on there, and I really want to figure out what it is that makes him tick.

 

[AndrewCrossett]

Here's how I wish they'd ended this episode (and how I thought they were going to end it, right up until the final scene):

Echo has all 38 of her previous imprints in her head at the same time. Unlike Alpha, who went immediately insane when this happened to him, Echo seems to be keeping it together, keeping them all under control, pulling them out when she needs to use their particular skills (e.g., kicking Alpha's ass). But she also wants to be Caroline, too.

So after Ballard rescued Caroline's "wedge," they should have used it to put Caroline's personality back in on top of all the others. She would therefore have her own personality controlling things and keeping her balanced... and would also have instant access to those other 38 people and all the skills and knowledge they represent.

Then next season, they could have moved away from that damned "did I fall asleep" reset button and have Caroline out in the field putting her skills to use. Maybe she'd work for the Rossum Corporation, carrying out jobs for them while at the same time subtly working to keep them in line and undercutting the more morally questionable things they do.

Ballard could have acted as her "handler" although his role would now be more like a Slayer's Watcher... give advice, provide an outside viewpoint, and be ready to help if Caroline gets herself in danger she can't handle alone... or if she becomes a danger.

In addition to having adventures and stopping bad guys, Caroline would struggle constantly to keep her personalities under control and keep herself from slipping toward Alpha territory, and to deal with the needs of all the other personalities inside her.

The Dollhouse itself could remain as a refuge and support system for Caroline and Ballard... Topher taking care of tech issues, Saunders/Whiskey acting as her physician and dealing with her unique physical needs, Victor and Sierra (still Dolls) acting as special agents who work alongside C and B. Perhaps Caroline would require that those two be defaulted with their real personalities when not on a job, instead of going back into the childlike fugue state. That way we could get to know Victor and Sierra's real selves as well as letting them cut loose with their alter egos. (Enver and Dichen were both excellent at that).

Now to me, that would make for one hell of a show. The way the first season was constructed was perfectly OK for a starting point, but it's time to move past that phase, I think.

(I'd also like to add that Eliza's Designated Sexy Outfit in this episode... denim shorts, fishnets and boots... was just about her hottest ever, rivalling the miniskirt and white thigh-highs from "Echoes.")

 

[Buffyverse Fan]

^ I don't know how well Eliza could pull off such a dynamic character. I've liked her performance, but let's be fair here, all of her imprints aren't acted out too uniquely. She always has that "street"-confidence demeanor, even when it's inappropriate for the character (like the dead aristocrat). I think the guy who plays Viktor could sooner pull off a fragmented character like that since I've found him to be extremely believable in all of his imprints (FBI, Horse Rancher, Russian Mob, Playboy)...

 

[Primal Slayer]

While that is a great idea, I think it would be to soon for this show that we want to get atleast 5 seasons worth of storylines out of. I think that would be good to do for say the 3rd or 4th season but not hapen by the end of the 1st season.

And here is a pretty good review of the finale
Blog@Newsarama Dollhouse finale

And this quote I think perfectly sums up what the show is about

This is not a show about monsters, but a show about what it means to be human.

 

[AndrewCrossett]

This is not a show about monsters, but a show about what it means to be human.

That's true, but let's face it... that line right there is enough to put 95% of the viewing public to sleep.

Network TV is for shows that stimulate and entertain. That line makes it sound like a Eugene O'Neill play. And there's a reason you don't see Eugene O'Neill plays on primetime network TV.

Network TV isn't a viable venue for Dollhouse, and never was. If it continues on Fox, it will have to become less about "what it means to be human" and more about action/adventure. Joss might not be willing to make that change and if so, I applaud him for sticking to his vision.

But another season of weekly reboots isn't going to fly.

 

[Buffyverse Fan]

^ kinda funny how Buffy & Angel had better action/adventure AND was better at tackling the human condition

 

[marukisu2]

The episode was good but i felt alack ofclosure, and maybe this is because they are hoping for a 22 episode renewal, but i wanted Alpha dead, in fear that he might turn into this shows Sylar.

 

[fly on the wall]

sTaRsTrUcK agrees: I don't think Claire actually hated Topher until she found out she was a doll.

But she says it's interesting that he made him hate her.
There's always been tension between them. I think that Claire has always hated Topher, and that has to be because Topher imprinted hatred of himself into her.

Why didn't Alpha just kill Echo/Omega after she went after him with the pipe?

Because he desperately wanted her on his side. He wanted an ally, someone exactly like him, someone who was going through what he was going through, a "higher being." Plus, he probably wanted to do her, too.

Why did Echo/Omega care so much about the original Caroline imprint?

Because she could feel an empty space inside of her. She had all of these imprints, but no "self." She could tell whoever "she" was, was not included in the imprints. Alpha hadn't cared about his original self, maybe he'd even hated it, so he destroyed it...but Echo cared. She could sense that something was missing the whole season, and she wanted that something back.

What exactly was Alpha going to do with the original Caroline imprint?

He clearly stated in the episode that he wanted Omega to kill Caroline, just as Alpha had killed his original personality. As I said, he wanted her to follow in his footsteps. After it was clear that Omega was not like him, he wanted her to kill Caroline out of revenge.

What was the reasoning behing Echo/Omega not allying with Alpha? Because its wrong?

Because she has a sense of self that Alpha doesn't. Alpha is insane. Echo/Omega is not.

Wasn't the line about "now we have a black president (*angel chorus and glittering lights*)" the stupidist thing ever? I was like, uh, are you serious?

*shrug* I didn't mind it.

 

[BffyAngelBoi]

Echo wasn't reset. Didn't you hear her say "Caroline" before she went to sleep?

 

[charmingslayer]

But she says it's interesting that he made him hate her.
There's always been tension between them. I think that Claire has always hated Topher, and that has to be because Topher imprinted hatred of himself into her.

I think it's because he feels he deserves it or maybe Whiskey was his girlfriend in her original state and he couldn't stand her loving him so he made her despise him. (long shot I know)

 

[Flannen]

Echo wasn't reset. Didn't you hear her say "Caroline" before she went to sleep?

My interpretation of this is that it was just another example to demonstrate that Echo is 'self-aware' and despite going what she went through and being wiped completely again that it doesn't matter. She's still aware that the name/word 'Caroline' means something to her.

I think Topher imprinted hatred towards him because he wants someone to hate him for what he does, which is not something he gets from the staff, apart from maybe Boyd. I don't think his job sits well with him but the pull of being able to use his intelligence and participate in ground-breaking technological advances etc it too great.

 

[charmingslayer]

Can someone told me what Whiskey mean't when she said "I know who I am"? cause I don't know if she means she remembers her life or she mean's she's just Claire?

 

[sTaRsTrUcK]

It basically means she's sort of in denile about being a doll.When she said "I know who I am." she ment Claire.

 

[definition of insane]

I don't see her as being in denial of being a doll. Basically she knows she's a broken doll, but I feel like Claire, as well as being imprinted with a dislike of Topher, was probably also imprinted with a sense of looking out for the Dollhouse's best interests. She's made a point over the series, of not exactly liking their methods, and yet she's still there, doing her job.

I got the feeling her finding out she's the old Whiskey, didn't change her opinion that she's best suited for being in that situation now.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

I don't see her as being in denial of being a doll.

Right.. like when Quaid found out he was actually Hauser in Total Recall or when Adam found out he was really the Adam clone in The 6th Day. The same thing really. She just found out in another life she was a crotchety old man is all- didnt change who she is now.

 

[definition of insane]

They accepted who they were and went about changing the status quo....do you see Whiskey doing that? I don't think so. She's accepted that's who she is now and who she will continue to be, I don't see Whiskey as someone who's going to be trying to change the Dollhouse, so not denial.