Dollhouse ReWatch: "Belonging" (2.4)

[VisionGirl]

Flashbacks show Sierra's original identity as Priya Tsetsang, a gifted artist who is being pressured romantically by a man named Nolan; her admission into the Dollhouse was predicated on Topher developing a cure for her persistent and overwhelming schizophrenia. In the present day, Dr. Nolan Kinnard (Vincent Ventresca), Rossum Corporation's premier neuroleptics specialist, demands Sierra be imprinted with a love-slave personality and loaned to him permanently, while Topher realizes that Priya never had schizophrenia but was instead medicated into that state by Kinnard. Adelle, though torn at the thought of sending Priya to "a raping scumbag one tick shy of a murderer," finally decides to comply with the order. Topher finds a solution by sending Kinnard Priya "“ undrugged, non-schizophrenic, and furious. Kinnard attacks her and is slain; Boyd helps dispose of the body and manufacture evidence that Kinnard has fled the country. Priya, though scarred by the day's events, agrees to resume her contract with the Dollhouse after seeing Victor and realizing that their love for each other transcends even wiping; the episode's final shot depicts them asleep in the same pod, arm-in-arm. Echo displays the ability to read, which Boyd warns her to hide; she warns Langton of a coming storm that could wipe them all out, stating her intention to help everyone survive, and when Boyd returns her book she discovers an all-access keycard hidden inside, "for the storm."

Source

"Belonging" is also the title of a season 2 Angel episode.

■When a screener copy of "Belonging" and "The Public Eye" was sent out to TV critics in October 2009, the following letter from Joss Whedon was attached to it:


We're back! With two brand new, never-before-sent-to-reviewers episodes of DOLLHOUSE, the show that's sweeping an unbelievably tiny portion of the nation. This is the year we all just get to have fun: twist the premise, go farther, darker, sillier ... make the whole world our Dollhouse. It's a party, and you're the first to arrive, which means the food's not ready and we're not dressed and who shows up to a party on time anyway? Losers. I mean, best friends ever. ... We really hope you enjoy these. ... Thanks and see you on TiVo! --joss

http://blastr.com/2009/10/joss-whedon-charms-us-wit.php

This is an amazing Sierra-centric episode. Topher & Adelle's performances are incredible as well.
Something I don't get is why as a wiped Doll, Priya has an American accent. Underneath the surface of every person lies an American or something lol?
Topher talking to himself sounds like Alpha, and he recognizes that.
"I'm going to make you wear a bell"- like Buffy said to Angel.
I'm assuming that Victor was sent to the party to encourage Priya to be with Nolan. So, did he assert free will and make his own choice to connect with her? Or did someone in the Dollhouse mistrust Nolan from the start & program Victor to do that?

What does Adelle say in this exchange:

Boyd: "What's the order?"
Adelle: "The order is to keep the Dolls _______."

It's interesting how Boyd has changed from the judgemental outsider who is the moral center in season 1 to who we see in this episode. I wonder if that had been Echo, would he have done the same? Would Paul had done the same for Echo? They all have a strange protective attachment to one another.

I think I got most of what was written on Echo's glass, but help me fill in the blanks if you can & correct me on the things I got wrong:

The attic is bad
I was trained to kill
My son killed me
I'm a believer
I have a right to survive
My husband bought us a house
Blue Skies
I love my baby
The baby isn't mine
I like pain
Women are whores
I tried to make shape (?)
Where is Caroline
I am ______
Friends help each other
I was blind
Shoulder to the wheel
Ghosts ________
Mountains are ____
Toper makes _____
Dominic was bad
November ____
Victor loves Sierra

Hell as Los Angeles- Angel-ish reference.
Very cunning of Topher to imprint Sierra with her original personality, and great acting on Priya's part!
OMG they're cutting up the body!!
Topher & Priya, wow that whole conversation.
"For the storm". Did Boyd give her the access card or did someone overhear their conversation?

And why don't we have a Sierra or Topher icon?! <pouting> 😉

 

[Living Dead Boy]

I know I haven't been participating in the Dollhouse Summer Rewatch (this summer has been pretty hard on me), but I just had to stop in and say that this is probably my favorite episode of Dollhouse (well, it switches places with The Attic from time to time. 😉). It's so brilliant, and it really showed us what this show could be capable of. At the same time, it's so damn tragic. Poor Sierra. 🙁

 

[Washburne]

A disturbing episode but I love it.

The first Topher scene. :: red ::

Nolan's an idiot. To put it lightly. We already knew that. Is everybody at the party ”in” on the act or is there any outsiders at all?

The drawer with the pictures. *shivers*

Victor removing the black colours. Awww.

”You lost me at brain.”

Way to go Adelle. Morals. Not so much from Harding. Of course the people at the top don't have many moral issues. Otherwise they wouldn't be doing this. Do as you're told or you get killed or sent to the attic. Management by fear.

Topher caring and being bothered. He sure has changed a lot since the beginning of the show. I love it. ”You, Topher, were chosen because you have no morals.”

”What about a verbal report. Hearn's an idiot.” Don't we know it.

Sierra and Victor is my favourite romantic couple on the show. Easy. Love their scenes.

Listening to the commentary they mention something that hasn't struck me before. Maybe because it's so obvious you don't think about it. While the opening credits are playing the say something like that Dollhouse is about a girl that changes outfit a lot. That's how you play with your dolls. Isn't it? 😉

What does Adelle say in this exchange:

The order is to keep the dolls in their place.

 

[Washburne]

More from the commentary.

Fran Kranz live in Venice beach and when they shot those scenes he came down and rode his bike in the background trying to be in the scenes. They don't think he was in any of the shots used but if you think you see him please tell.

He did the same thing in Belle Chose. Not riding his bike, being in the background. You might see him in the disco when Victor has turned to Kiki.

No Paul. No Saunders. Many of the actors aren't in all episodes in the second season simply because they couldn't afford it. Budget cuts.

The idea for this episode as well as the concept of the attic (the place broken dolls go to) was pitched by Jed and Maurissa before they even got hired to work on the show at all.

Enver got jealous of everyone having to run around with guns except him.

When the first cut of the episode were made it still went 15 minutes too long. The editing process can't be easy.

Spoiler

We're getting a glimpse of Boyds past. Dark but at this moment they didn't know where it would lead.

 

[Vamp Jenny]

I'm not a very big fan of Priya. I like Sierra when she's imprinted as a badass, but otherwise I just tolerate her. So that is definitely not my favorite episode.

What is Echo wearing?? Was this dress sewed on her?

Should I understand that every doll was followed at one point by other dolls? Like Priya met Victor and Echo way before she became an active...

What kind of loser would force a girl to become a doll only to have her once in a while........................

It's cute how Echo and Victor team up to help Sierra, even when it's just to hide a color she doesn't like.

Topher gotta start giving the actives the figurative notion... "We gotta take matters into our own hands." "They're in my shirt".....

If they run a background on every client, shouldn't they already know that he went after Priya before she was a doll??

Adelev always seems more scary than the others when she confronting someone. Must be the British accent.

Can they re-make the show so that Adele is Topher's mom? They have an amazing mother/son relationship!

Sierra/Victor have the most explored relationship, yet I feel it has been forced on us... Is it just me?

The attic is bad
I was trained to kill
My son killed me
I'm a believer
I have a right to survive
My husband bought us a house
Blue Skies
I love my baby
The baby isn't mine
I like pain
Women are whores
I tried to make shape (?)
Where is Caroline
I am nobody
Friends help each other
I was blind
Shoulder to the wheel
Ghosts aren't _______
Mountains are safe
Topher makes me ______
Dominic was bad
November ____
Victor loves Sierra

I couldn't make out the rest

I didn't know they prepared you to the possibility of moving a corpse without leaving traces in the police... Or was it a special course Boyd took? 😉

OMG they're cutting up the body!!

Makes it easier to dispose of and harder to identify if found.

If I didn't feel like it was forced, I would surely love the Sirrea/Victor couple, because their love goes so deep even Priya remembers it.

I feel so bad for Topher, that he has to live with this secret 🙁

 

[Jules]

I dont know if this is done on purpose to show how much the Dollhouse is changing from season 1, but you've got Sierra and Victor lying in the same bed and holding hands, yet in season 1 Victor showing attraction was a very bad thing and they needed to get it out of Victor's secret. Also you've got Echo remembering more and more things and everyone is pretty much noticing it but not doind anything about it.

I love this as a Topher episode. Its so heartbreaking knowing how Topher ends up and knowing its happened because he cares about the actives now.

Were seeing a lot darker side to Boyd. The fact that he not only know how to dispose of a body but the fact that he got Topher to cut it up. I think that act was more to teach Topher a lesson, sort of like this is were your actions led you now you have to clean up the mess.

It was a very good episode.