Dollhouse Re-watch (s2): "Belle chose" & "Belonging"

[Taake]

Re watch discussion
Episodes "Belle Chose" (3) & "Belonging" (4)
​

Belle Chose: ok first of all I have to say that Viktor as Kiki dancing in the club is one of my favorite scenes ever on TV. I remember seeing that first time with my sister and we just nearly died of laughter. It is sheer awesomeness. Also Paul and Viktor/Kiki forever 😉
With Enver being both Terry and Kiki in this episode - and rocking it - it just continues to amaze me that he's not a bigger star because he deserves to be!

Speaking of which I'm a bit bummed that the credits are still all images of Echo, yes she's the star but at this point it's just looking like ED is a diva (not that it's her fault) and all emphasis is put on her.

Terry is one creepy dude. Human display is.... Ugh! They had something similar on Criminal Minds once and it's just creepiness galore for me. Great actor for real Terry though, he did a good job at seeming so creepy (ED in the end scenes as him did not)

I like that we got to see the dressing of the dolls! I've never actually thought about that before so hat was a nice touch, another glimpse into the workings of the Dollhouse (Paul watching Echo get dressed though was also tremendously creepy, I liked him way better working with Adelle to get Terry)

Is it just me or in the shower scene where Paul is looking for Echo but did she seem kind of aware? I mean she didn't seem innocent Doll like when she was saying that she was wet etc... She seemed provocative to me.

The professor fantasy is a bit sad but one of the less seedier engagements I think.

Best line ever from Boyd;

"Topher has ethical problems! Topher!"
​

So end of the episode... Goodness gracious... This is basically them telling us that Terry is now one of the imprints forever stuck in Echo's head? Cause that's just.... Disturbing :s


Belonging to come...

🙂

 

[Blaze]

😳 Hides in a corner while I go catch up on Dollhouse

 

[sk]

One of the best things with Belle Chose is how they manage to get some hilarious scenes in there even though the episode is a dark one with a really creepy serial killer.
Kiki/Victor dancing is epic!

I didn't get a creepy feeling about Paul when Echo got dress though.
Thought he was just waiting, not actually watching. Think Echo went to another room to get ready.
Rather found the scene with the two, very manly, handlers sitting there waiting, reading magazines, was a great touch. 🙂

Paul picking up Echo in the shower is strange though.
Could he not just wait a bit? lol

Also think that both Envar and the original actor did a great job as the creepy killer. Eliza not so much.
She does a great not so bright but very enthusiastic student though. But then so did Envar... 😉

The Goodness gracious... at the end felt unnecessary. It feels a bit cliche and kinda made me roll my eyes.

Belonging is a favourite.
Always great when we see some of the backstories. They never fails.
One of few scenes I really remember from my first watching is Priya's silhouette in front of her painting. Great image.

Boyd showing a disturbing side as a cleaner. Not sure what to make of that...
A real wake up call for Topher. Not sure, and can't remember, how much this affects him.

Actually, I got mixed feelings about seeing Topher all worried and with morals.
I like him as the careless funny guy.

This episode is a great one though.

/SK

 

[Blaze]

Well, Paul is back to being creepy. That slow motion shot gave me the creeps. He wasn’t so bad for the rest of the episode though. I like him better this season compared to last. Echo's "I am wet" though, call me immature it gave me the giggles.

Anyhow, it was really good to have a Viktor focused episode, I can never get enough of Enver, he did such an awesome job.

Boyd’s “Ah” had me laughing, I love his exchanges with Topher, they have such good chemistry, even on the phone apparently.

The plot twist where the dolls switches, so awesome! Viktor as Kiki might just be my new favourite thing.

The ending was slightly creepy with Echo saying “Goodness gracious”.

I’m looking forward to those more plot driven episodes, so far they have been more active of the week type thing. Also, Dr. Saunders needs to come back ASAP! 
Agreed with every one else that Eliza wasn't very good as Terri, both the original actor and Enver were far superior.

@Taake, I also don't like the credits. I think they were going for a look at all the imprints that are now stuck in Echo. But it just doesn't really work. I preferred the s1 credits.

 

[Fuffy Baith]

"Belle Chose"
Yoga disco? I want to know what this is.
So Paul checking out Echo getting dress was creepy like he was checking her out. I don't blame him, but then he sounded so eager to get out of there. So it was confusing.
OMG! Kiki is so dumb! Mid-evil lit. Middle english, 'like hobbits'. That was funny.
I really like seeing Paul act like an FBI agent, like he did in 'Omega'. Perhaps if we saw more of that in season one I would care about him more.
Don't really care for the pathetic college professor engagement.
I wonder if other actives swapped imprints?
I like seeing Boyd be the handler again.
Faith is back! I mean Terry. lol. Eliza did not do a good job as Terry, came off like a crazier Faith.
Lol. That girl does not hesitate to hit Echo. If someone said you have to kill me, I'd be like 'what?' not *whack*. So where did these guys come from? They got there awfully quick.

'Belonging'
No Sierra last episode, now we get tons of Sierra! I love seeing Priya's backstory. It's been less than a year since Sierra joined the Dollhouse. It doesn't feel like that.
Wow, that dress Eliza is wearing at the gallery showing is like skintight. She's got great legs though.
It was nice showing that Priya is attracted to Victor no matter what. I like Victor taking the black paint away for Sierra and Echo encouraging him. Victor and Sierra holding hands. Aw 🙂 Priya knowing that she loves Victor but doesn't remember him is so cute. And Topher telling her that the love is real.
Echo is just comfortable going up to Topher like that. And he doesn't say anything to Adele.
Nolan is such an ass. Wow Mr. Harding is completely immoral. Poor Adele and poor Topher. What a terrible decision they were forced to make. It's great to see a different side of Topher and his moral conflictions. I'm glad that he tried to do the right thing.
I really like the B plot of Boyd and Echo. My only question is why is everyone one encouraging Echo's behavior or not trying to stop it. Mr. Dominic was right.

With Enver being both Terry and Kiki in this episode - and rocking it - it just continues to amaze me that he's not a bigger star because he deserves to be!

I agree, why isn't he in everything. Enver is absolutely amazing. It's great when we see him play characters that other actors have portrayed because he gets their mannerisms and speech patterns perfectly. Him playing Kiki was awesome! Paul 'You got a problem?' That whole scene was great!

I like that we got to see the dressing of the dolls! I've never actually thought about that before so hat was a nice touch, another glimpse into the workings of the Dollhouse

Rather found the scene with the two, very manly, handlers sitting there waiting, reading magazines, was a great touch. 🙂

It is nice to see how much work they put into the way the actives look. Lol at Paul sighing and saying "I was trained at Quantico".

Is it just me or in the shower scene where Paul is looking for Echo but did she seem kind of aware? I mean she didn't seem innocent Doll like when she was saying that she was wet etc... She seemed provocative to me.

Yea why is Paul approaching Echo at the shower? He couldn't wait until she got dressed? I thought the wet line was a bit much.

She does a great not so bright but very enthusiastic student though. But then so did Envar...😉

I love when Eliza plays ditzy and does comedy. It's so funny and cute.

So end of the episode... Goodness gracious... This is basically them telling us that Terry is now one of the imprints forever stuck in Echo's head? Cause that's just.... Disturbing :s

Yea that's what we're supposed to think, it is disturbing.

Boyd showing a disturbing side as a cleaner. Not sure what to make of that...

So what was Boyd's past, and is that the reason the Dollhouse chose him? I know the real reason but at this point in the show we don't.

Yea I already mentioned how much I don't like the new credits. I think it was the studio's decision to only use shots of Echo. It seems like the only marketing Fox used for this show was Eliza's sexuality. Good if you want to attract viewers, not good if you want to keep viewers though.

 

[sk]

Speaking of which I'm a bit bummed that the credits are still all images of Echo, yes she's the star but at this point it's just looking like ED is a diva (not that it's her fault) and all emphasis is put on her.

I also don't like the credits. I think they were going for a look at all the imprints that are now stuck in Echo. But it just doesn't really work. I preferred the s1 credits

Yea I already mentioned how much I don't like the new credits. I think it was the studio's decision to only use shots of Echo. It seems like the only marketing Fox used for this show was Eliza's sexuality. Good if you want to attract viewers, not good if you want to keep viewers though.

I can only add to this.
Think it gives out wrong signals what the show is about. Thankfully it's much more than just Eliza doing different characters each week.

/SK

 

[Blaze]

Belonging:

Again, nice to see an episode focusing on a character other than Echo.

It was cool how they portrayed Echo as being so perceptive. Really it makes sense because the dolls are in such a child like stage that even though they might not understand things, they are able to view emotions much clearer than a person with all of its adult mind. The fact that Echo made the link between Sierra being sad and her engagements, really shows how she's evolving.

I love how they tied in a story from s1 here. Heck, that's why I'm glad we got a second season, it's tying up some loose ends very nicely.

It was also good to get more Adele, gosh I love that woman. And I LOVE Adele and Topher together, they have this odd friendship that I really enjoy. This episode gave me a similar feeling as Epitath 1 did.

I'm really, really curious about permanent imprints. How do they work, can they be wiped again, do they ever need another treatment (it appears not).

You really do have to feel bad for Prya/Sierra here. I mean, that person was violated in so many ways, and raped by two different man. This whole episode was just really really sad. I also have a HUGE issue with autonomy and informed consent here. The dollhouse worked on a voluntary basis, we now know that this goes out of the window. Prya could obviously not consent to becoming a doll here, I get that it happened because of some billionaire important guy that works for Rossum, but it did show that the Dollhouse can't even play by their own code of morality. Seems like Adele might be a bit special as in she actually cares. So far, all of her superior we've seen have been huge doochebags with no sense of morality whatsoever. This is why I love Dollhouse so much, good people sometimes work doing bad things, but only because it would be even worst if bad people did it.

Also interesting that we now have an estimate of the time line of the show, since we know Sierra's been there for a year.

About Topher, I think it was an important step to have his character finally realize the consequences of his work. Also, koodos to Fran Kranz. I've only ever seen him in funny roles, he always seems to be playing the kinda funny sarcastic jerk. But he actually does drama really well. His range of emotions he shows at the end of the episode and how subtle they were was impressive.

Interesting plot with Boyd also.

So far this is my favorite of the season, I always love a good tear jerker.

 

[Taake]

I'm not sure what it says about me (or us) when my favorite episode is what might arguably be the darkest as well? Best not to dwell on it 😉
Honestly, I kind of find "Belonging" flawless in all it's horrory goodness. (the chopping up the body moment is appropriately stomach churning)

I love the guy who plays Nolan because goodness gracious - he is just so good at being that creepy. I'm so unsettled by him in the episode, he is just the übervampire of creeps!

Also love Adelle so much. Her reaction - "she knows now" - and her conversation with Nolan... her smackdown from up above and her boozing it up because clearly, she is too moral to run the Dollhouse and she can't deal with this kind of horror. (She's not all that moral though considering her conversation with Boyd hints that she knows Nolan did not just 'run away' and the way she dealt with Hearn. She's selectively moral I guess)

Sierra's background story is heartbreaking but also frightening, thinking what someone could do to people if they had enough power... We already knew that the Dollhouse was shadier but the more you scratch that surface the shadier it gets...

Personal happy moment for me is having Harding in the episode because Keith Carradine's one of my absolute favorite actors. It's his voice. I'm pretty sure it could persuade me to do anything. 😉

Boyd showing a disturbing side as a cleaner. Not sure what to make of that...
A real wake up call for Topher. Not sure, and can't remember, how much this affects him.

Actually, I got mixed feelings about seeing Topher all worried and with morals.
I like him as the careless funny guy.

I love Boyd's disturbing side here. It's really a blatant way of stating that he is so much more than just an ex-cop... we've been kept in the dark! 😉

As for Topher I do like seeming him evolve and grow morals in large part because he is still, certainly not, moral per say. He has a moral dilemma mostly because he has a connection to Sierra so his morality stems from it affecting him, not just because he thinks it's wrong.

 

[thetopher]

Belle Chose

This is a decent Plot of the week episode that subtly advances the level of Doll/wiping tech- switching/implanting minds in different people is a chilling thought but this plot weaves it into a specific circumstance rather cleverly.

The opening was pretty creepy- sort of like the opening of a Criminal Minds episode.

Getting to finally see how the dolls are dressed for assignments whilst still maintaining their 'role' was interesting. Incidentally the 'clothing attendant' reminds me of every self-agrandising jerk I ever met in a clothes store.
Agreed that Paul was very creepy in this bit, with the slow motion, but then he was relieved to be sent elsewhere- maybe he was actaully aware of how creepy it was?

Anyway, he was much better in the opening shower scene- kind of out of place and awkward. It worked better. 🙂
Plus Ballard in the interogation room was a great scene- showed that he is effective at his job...or his former job anyway.

'Topher is have ethivcal issues. Topher.' Love his delivery.

Kiki is funny-dumb, sort of cute in a way. Plus I though the Middle English= Hobbits line was pretty funny. 🙂

Most of the rest of the ep was good, the Professor client was just sad, although his 'scenario' was at least sort of nuanced- getting seduced by the student rather than vice-versa. Still kinda glad he got stabbed though.

Victor was a great Terry- very stiff and uptight, like the actual character was.
Eliza was much less convincing- she wasn't that clipped or precise in her speech mostt of the time. But then again she was being 'angry Terry' and its probably hard to play angry/psychotic and uptight successfully.

Victor as Kiki was hilarious. He and Ballard made a very cute couple. 😛

And the ending...Erg. Terry's still in her somewhere, although the fact that Echo was able to override him (is that the fisrt time she's done that?) was at least a little comforting.

Belonging

This is, no question, a horror episode. Very dark. What happens to Pria is horrific, and I didn't particularly enjoy most of the unfolding epsiode 🙁

I mean, it was good- excellent in fact. With lots of powerful imagery and important character development for pretty much everyone. Adele's moral certainty takes a knock, Topher's conscience gets tweaked for the first time- first by Echo and then by Adele.
And Sierra Victor becoem a lot closer, openly holding hands and sleeping in the same pod by the end of the episode.

But all in all I just don't warm to the episode that much. There are lots of really good moments though.

Boyd's and Echo's conversation is great and again, in hindsight makes me wonder about Boyd's overall plan- seeing Echo grow, seeing Sierra/Victor grow closer, seeing Topher struggle- he must've been very pleased.

Words cannot describe how much of a monster Nolan is, what he does to Pria- stripping her of her sanity, then her identity and free-will...😡 I love Adele's rampant insults to him in that dry, formal way of hers. Beautiful.

Probably my favourite bit was the end scene between Pria and Topher. She gets to forget, but he doesn't. Is that freedom of a sort? Or just an empty escape.