Dollhouse ReWatch: "Briar Rose" (1.11)

[VisionGirl]

Echo helps a young girl deal with her traumatic past, using the fairy tale of Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty) as a vehicle; a corpse apparently slain by Alpha turns up in Tucson, Arizona, with Sierra imprinted as an FBI forensics expert to investigate; and a thumb drive arrives for Dominic, who is imprinted onto Victor's body for questioning. Ballard's investigation leads him to the Dollhouse's agoraphobic, pothead architect, Stephen Kepler (guest star Alan Tudyk), and with his forced assistance manages to sneak into the Dollhouse. Though Ballard finds Caroline, Boyd manages to detain him; he takes Ballard to DeWitt for questioning, where they learn from Sierra that the Tucson corpse is that of the real Stephen Kepler. Ballard's helper is actually Alpha, who reveals himself by attacking Victor and Dr. Saunders. Alpha imprints Echo as someone who recognizes him; with Sleeping Beauty now awakened, the lovers escape the Dollhouse together.

Source

This episode was written by Jane Espenson.
Dollhouse Wikia says, "Briar Rose was ranked #4 on TIME Magazine's Top TV Episodes of 2009."

Some Buffy references:
-the opening scene could have totally been out of a Buffy or Angel episode, don't you think?!
-When Paul & Alpha are coming down the air shaft, Alpha says "Falling now!" which is what Willow says in Buffy season 4, "Primeval". They're both breaking into a secret organization lol!
-I cannot find confirmation of this, but I swear that the coroner to whom Sierra is speaking is Andy Umberger (D'Hoffryn on Buffy, Capt Dortmunder on Firefly, & Meltzer in Angel's I Fall to Pieces). He is not credited in this episode, but stop your DVD on his face and tell me it's not him!

Random thoughts:
-I love how Mellie stands up to Paul: "Look at me!"
-Frakked up- oh Topher, you're such a geek. 🙂
-Oh god Mellie at the bridge- haven't we all felt like that after a break-up?
-Victor as Dominic- of course they would do that! Wow does Enver do a fantastic job of being Dominic!
-Victor/Dominic says "Whiskey"-

Spoiler

He knows that Saunders is really Whiskey, but has never let that slip before

-Imagine yourself as the prince- this is a common therapeutic technique. I really like the way Echo talks to the little girl. It makes me want to know what happens to her in the end. I love the way Briar Rose/Sleeping Beauty tale is intertwined into this episode.
-"Carrots! Medicinal carrots!" LOL, I love this whole scene. Why can't I find a clip on YouTube or the like?
-Paul & Alpha/Stephen were so great together.
-Paul: "My whole life isn't real"
-Alpha: "Everybody farts" 😀

So, did you suspect Alan/Stephen was Alpha? The first time I watched it, it totally took me by surprise. But I didn't watch when it first aired, so I hadn't yet read the hype about Alan playing Alpha.

---------- Post added at 12:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:40 AM ----------

Oh, I was wondering if someone (@Taake or [MENTION=8013]Washburne[/MENTION] maybe?) could make us a button about our rewatch for our signatures that actually links back to this subforum when clicked on. What do you think, would that work? 🙂

 

[Washburne]

Paul acting like a jerk to Mellie. There's a reason of course but the first time around I was confused.
Topher doing something just to be "nice". Wasn't he the one disliking the pro bono assignements at the beginning of the season? No matter, a very good cause. "This feeling, not unlike pride."

Victor as Dominic. Enver is such a great actor.

Spoiler

Which we of course see even more of in season 2

Whiskey!
He wants a drink instead.
I'm not surprised.

Yeah I didn't get what that meant the first time. :blush:


Alan Tudyk. 😀 Great portrayed. One thing. Kepler designed/built the dollhouse but why would he know what it's called or better yet why do he remember at all? Shouldn't they have erased that from his memory? For such a secret place they sure do trust a lot of people to keep quiet. Soon enough we learn why he remember/know but before that it didn't make sense to me and Paul buy it all.

Once again with Caroline. So fixated. There's more of them you know. Mellie for example. He trust Caroline but not Mellie. Hmm. Ok that Mellie said that she can't be trusted but what make Paul so sure he can trust Caroline in doll state, the phone call?

I'm not good with people.
They're not people.
I'm not good with that sentence either.

Paul trying to convince Caroline who she is just by telling her. Good luck with that.

Surprise! Alpha's here. Poor Victor. 🙁

Have you always wanted to be a doctor? So many clues.

Alpha taking Echo. The end. Of the episode. Imagine having to wait a week for the next episode.

Oh, I was wondering if someone (@Taake or [MENTION=8013]Washburne[/MENTION] maybe?) could make us a button about our rewatch for our signatures that actually links back to this subforum when clicked on. What do you think, would that work? 🙂

Neat idea for sure. I'm not an art maker but I'll keep it in mind.

 

[Valjavertjinn]

Okay, I lied. THIS is my favorite episode. It's clever and funny and starkly intense at the same time. The first time I watched this show, I held my breath for the entire scene between Saunders and Alpha.
And the next ep is almost better.

 

[Vamp Jenny]

Nice beginning.

I'm kinda sad for Mellie, but I'm glad they're over. I like Paul/Mellie in the beginning, but as soon as he found out she's a doll, I stopped shiping them together. I like him with Echo a lot more.

A beautiful imprint for Echo. Imagine what it would do if we could actually show messed up kids what they would look like if they grew away from their memories. It would certainly help them a lot.

Nice idea, Paul. Break up and follow her to her treatment afterward. Hurtfull, but nice.

I like how they relate some scenes to the pictures in the book.

It's fun to see Paul's colleague kinda laugh at him even though she believes him.

Echo and Susan are adorable together. 🙂

Environmental expert grows weed, what a surprise! XD

"Earth gets one day! And every other 364, we crank the AC in our Hummer..."
so true... so so so true...

One thing. Kepler designed/built the dollhouse but why would he know what it's called or better yet why do he remember at all? Shouldn't they have erased that from his memory? For such a secret place they sure do trust a lot of people to keep quiet. Soon enough we learn why he remember/know but before that it didn't make sense to me and Paul buy it all.

Maybe because if the system ever went down, they needed him to remember how it was built to repair it. I guess that's how Paul tmade snese of it.

Tucson... Dollhouse HQ... We're getting closer to the center of it!

Best than all the previous comparisons between the fairytale and what was actually happening, when Susan reads the part about the prince and we see Paul and Stephen getting in the Dollhouse: Awesome! Very powerful 🙂

Stephen's reaction when Paul "tells" him he has to play a doll XD

Boyd vs Ballard. I've been waiting for this for a long time! 😀

How Alpha cut Victor, it almost seemed like he didn't touch him... Magic! (lol)

What an ending!!! Great episode, loved it!!!

 

[Washburne]

Oh, I was wondering if someone [MENTION=9799]Taake[/MENTION] or [MENTION=8013]Washburne[/MENTION] maybe?) could make us a button about our rewatch for our signatures that actually links back to this subforum when clicked on. What do you think, would that work? 🙂

Oh I'd love to do that! Not sure I can swing the clickable thing but I'll gladly make a bunch of buttons 🙂

I love this. I know how to do that. 😀 Add to that that I helped [MENTION=9799]Taake[/MENTION] rotate her fb pic and I'm kind of proud. In reality I'm just glad I can help since I'm not an artmaker.

Anyway. When adding the button to your sig this is how it should look like.

[ /URL] without the space before /URL.

Of course you don't have to write it all. Adding the forum url as a link and have the image as what displays work well. I'm just not good at describing it if you don't know how to do it. It's the same principle as to when you change to text like I've done in my sig.

edit: You can click my Amy button to see that it works with images as well.

---------- Post added at 03:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:06 PM ----------

Maybe because if the system ever went down, they needed him to remember how it was built to repair it. I guess that's how Paul tmade snese of it.

True but to me it had made more sense to keep an imprint of him instead. Then they wouldn't need him at all anymore and could just use any doll if it ever came to that. Once again I want my logic to work. 😉

 

[xfivebyfive]

I loved this episode one of my favorites from this season. I loved the scenes with Echo and the little girl (who I later found out is the younger sister of Alex from nikita) and I loved Alpha in this episode I was so shocked the first time when we found out it was him. I was not expecting that. Paul/Mellie!!! *crying* I love them!

Oh and I think Enver is the most talented actor on the show.

 

[Taake]

Oh and I think Enver is the most talented actor on the show.

I really really agree. When we see him as Mr Dominic

Spoiler

and Topher later on

we have something to compare to and I mean he really becomes the other character, in the way that the other actor would have portrayed him. Every time I see him get a chance to shine like that I fall in love with him just a little bit. 🙂

Anyway, brilliant episode, great beginning (they should have considered something of the like for the pilot IMO, dark and captivating) and I enjoy Echo/Susan's interactions with young Susan.

Things I thought about;
- Clever, clever Paul. Lol at Loomis' "it's a good thing I'm relatively sure you're not crazy"

- Topher is crumbling. We see it not only in his pride over the Susan case but the way he reacts to seeing Mr. Dominic in Viktor's body. It's a whole different kind of real and I think it's an excellent way to show that Topher is growing up and becoming more aware of what the Dollhouse really means. Not just the cool science parts of it.

- Me seeing Viktor cut by Alpha - "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooo...." 🙁😱

- I know this might just be me but I feel that when Alpha questions Dr. Saunder's he's trying to get to her, trying to get her to realize something or remember something much like he and Echo does naturally

Spoiler

only I think, as I've said earlier, that she's already far more aware that she let's on. E.g in this episode when Viktor/Dominic says "Whiskey" she says, "He wants a drink instead" awful fast... to me feels like deflecting attention from what he said and how she might react...

- Ok. I confess. I want a spin-off show with Paul Ballard and Stephen Kepler (impossible I know but I can dream), I mean that's a buddy-cop movie I would watch! 😀 I love the two of them together, just pure genius. Alan Tudyk was the perfect choice for that role, he plays it to perfection.

Favorite line of the episode: "Are you kidding? The apples were monitored!" (re: the garden of eden.) Lol.

The ending is superb... I want more now!!! Echo and Alpha, who's Echo now? An wow, those this spell potential disaster.... this is Dollhouse at it's best once more
🙂

 

[Jules]

I think this episode shows two sides to the Dollhouse. The first is the good it can do, like with Echo really getting through to ''her younger self'' and helping the girl. Then you've got November and Dominic on the other side. November going to jump off that bridge. Do you think it was just because of the break up or because she had failed in her mission (by that I mean it was an unconscious flaw in the program - fail in your mission and be terminated completely). Also Dominic's reaction to finding out he was in Victor's body. That reaction could be damaging. The introduction of Alpha was great. i love him. There's a lot of interesting bits that I caught on my rewatch. The fact that Alpha keeps hiding his face at first I thought was just paranoia but its so no one will recognise him.

Spoiler

Then there's Dominic calling Dr Saunder's Whisky

.

There's also the ''two princes''. You've got Paul who wants to save Caroline and Alpha who wants to save Echo. Its just a shame that Paul is so easily manipulated. You'd think that for someone who knows that the Dollhouse exists he'd be less trusting, but he's been tricked by Victor, November and Alpha.

 

[VisionGirl]

There's a lot of interesting bits that I caught on my rewatch. The fact that Alpha keeps hiding his face at first I thought was just paranoia but its so no one will recognise him.

I thought that in many of the earlier episodes that it was an extra, not Alan. When did they even make the decision to cast him as Alpha?

There's also the ''two princes''. You've got Paul who wants to save Caroline and Alpha who wants to save Echo. Its just a shame that Paul is so easily manipulated. You'd think that for someone who knows that the Dollhouse exists he'd be less trusting, but he's been tricked by Victor, November and Alpha.

"Two princes"- love that. And I think that even Paul (like we the audience) didn't anticipate how incredibly duplicitous, schemeing, and deep the Dollhouse was.

 

[Jules]

I thought that in many of the earlier episodes that it was an extra, not Alan. When did they even make the decision to cast him as Alpha?

I meant just in this episode 🙂 Like when Paul asks an Active to come with him and they take his clothes, Alpha turns his back, or when they see Topher he does the same thing. At first I thought it was because he was paronoid but thinking about it, a lot of people at the Dollhouse would still remember him.

 

[Washburne]

thinking about it, a lot of people at the Dollhouse would still remember him.

You don't say. 😀



















That might sound offensive which wasn't my intention. I hope you don't take it that way. If you do I apologize.

 

[Taake]

I meant just in this episode 🙂 Like when Paul asks an Active to come with him and they take his clothes, Alpha turns his back, or when they see Topher he does the same thing. At first I thought it was because he was paronoid but thinking about it, a lot of people at the Dollhouse would still remember him.

Wow I guess I never thought about it... I think I just pegged it to be y'know Stephen Kepler's "paranoia" but I think you're right, lol, when you say it it feels as though it's obvious. 🙂