Dollhouse ReWatch: "Echoes" (1.7)

[VisionGirl]

A psychotropic drug is accidentally released in a college research lab owned by the Rossum Corporation, causing the afflicted to behave drunkenly and in one case, suicidally. Rossum, which owns the Dollhouse, mobilizes all of DeWitt's Actives, who should be immune to the drug because they have no inhibitions. Unfortunately, the drug devolves into a form that makes people relive past traumas: Sierra relives her rape experiences, Victor recalls his life as a member of the United States Army, and November weeps about Ballard's obsession with Caroline. Echo, on an unrelated assignment, sees news of the outbreak on TV and goes off-mission to "help him", despite having no idea who "he" is (or indeed who she is). She falls in with Sam Jennings (Mechad Brooks), a student who wants to sneak into the lab and discover evidence of Rossum's foul play, while flashing back to her own past as Caroline Farrell, in which, with her boyfriend Leo, she attempted the exact same thing. These events led directly to Leo's death and DeWitt's offer of sanctuary at the Dollhouse. She repeats the offer to Sam, the corporate spy who released the drug, as the episode closes.

Source

Little bit of trivia for you, although I have no idea if this was intentional by Joss:

■The Rossum Corporation, and the Rossum Building on campus, takes its name from Karel àˆapek's 1931 science-fiction stage play R.U.R., later translated to English under the full title of Rossum's Universal Robots. The play introduced (and popularized) the term robot in reference to automatons. In the play, the robots are not purely mechanical systems, but rather organic creatures assembled in a factory, more resembling the current definition of "clone" than that of "robot".
http://dollhouse.wikia.com/wiki/Echoes

The university scenes were filmed at San Jose State University.

All in all, another great episode. I wasn't terribly excited about the scenes with Caroline & her friends, although their findings in the laboratory: ewww.

Other random thoughts:
-1st mention of Rossum.
-"nothing is what it appears to be"
-Topher: "I might throw up. That's a compliment"
-Mellie leaving Paul is so sad. So is November crying about Paul's obsession with Echo/Caroline.
-Echo said no to a treatment! Is this the first time we've seen her doing so?
-Topher: "There's no way that Dominic would consciously try and have fun" LOL! I also love how his imprint on Victor makes him higher-ranking than Dominic. In these last 2 episodes I'm starting to like Dominic more.
-"You haven't seen my drawer of inappropriate starches?" This whole scene, just so totally Whedonesque. Absolutely hilarious. I think I need a GIF of Adelle climbing over the railing, that made me giggle. Anybody want to make me one? 😉
-"It's Rossum- they don't care about souls, animal or human". She has no idea how true that is.

I shouldn't be surprised but still find it interesting how Echo's memories as Caroline are bleeding through, yet she was not exposed to the drug. It makes me realize how strong Echo/Caroline's personality is, to remain there on some level.

 

[Vamp Jenny]

The beginning in the building was quite disturbing. Once again, something to show us how dangerous science can be.

Topher's startstruck! Adorable 😀

Oh. Oh. Trouble in Paul/Mellie paradise...

Dominic as "communication" XD

Boyd is so out of it. It's weird. Funny, but weird.

It's nice to see Caroline's life before. gives a new perspective of the girl that we previously knew nothing about except for her name and a 30-seconds video.

Topher and Adele made me LMFAO! I just loved that entire scene where they're affected by the drug.

She's not tripping. She's glitching. She's remembering.

and Mellie remembers her killing imprint right after... troubles to come???

We're beginning to see Echo really remembering her life. It shows some big progress in the show's story.

The faces Adele and Dominic make when they get back to her office XD It's like they both think "I hope he/she doesn't guess what happened..."

At the end of that same scene, you can see how this is starting to affect Adele... It's kinda sad.

The last Paul/Mellie scene broke my heart. 🙁

The very last scene... I could almost hear the scary music in the background while Adele talks to Sam.

 

[Washburne]

I'm torn about this episode. Backstory on Caroline. Grear. Hilarious scenes. I usually prefer funny episodes. Still there's something not right for me. Have a hard time telling what it is.

Starts off interesting. What have Caroline done and what does she know. ”You and I have been doing this dance for almost two years. I thought you'd learned by now.”

”Nothing is what it appears to be.”

I'm about to throw up. That's a compliment.”

Victor outranking Dominic. 😀

”Ok. It's actually not that funny. Alice?”

I think we can safely say that Matt (”old” client from ”Ghost”) are a fan of short skirts.

”Would you like to have a treatment?
No.
Hey. Wow. Did not maintain control of that situation.”

Dominc influenced by the drugs. Look at that. I like him now. 😉 Topher and DeWitt. :: red ::

I know cities are huge in America but it still feels a bit odd for me that they keep the dolls in the same city they're living in to begin with.

 

[Vamp Jenny]

I think we can safely say that Matt ("old" client from "Ghost") are a fan of short skirts.

Well if I was a guy I think I would enjoy seeing a girl like Eliza wearing short skirts like that 😉 She does pull it off imo

 

[Washburne]

Well if I was a guy I think I would enjoy seeing a girl like Eliza wearing short skirts like that 😉 She does pull it off imo

Luckily she does. I don't mind short skirts as such and it is his fantasies after all. Not a complaint, just an observation.

 

[VisionGirl]

I know cities are huge in America but it still feels a bit odd for me that they keep the dolls in the same city they're living in to begin with.

Yes, you would think that somebody would recognize them! And of course, it happened. I'm kind of surprised that they didn't pull Echo from her engagement when they found out that it was the Rossum lab at her alma mater that was affected. We also still don't have the question answered about the actives friends & families- won't someone wonder where they have gone for 5 years?!

---------- Post added at 11:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:37 PM ----------

Something that struck me was how different Echo's engagements were with Matt and with Joel Mynor. I'm not justifying the idea of using people in this way, but Joel really was grieving for his loss, while Matt just wanted something superficial.

 

[Taake]

We also still don't have the question answered about the actives friends & families- won't someone wonder where they have gone for 5 years?!

Maybe they take care to chose people with limited/next to no contact with their family? Rossum seems very 'big brother' so I'm sure they're keeping track on people of 'interest'.

I will return with more episode insights as soon as I'm home again (been away for the weekend 🙂)

 

[Taake]

I like the end, seeing how Rossum preys on the weak...

Okay, so the episode, I think it's a good one. Lots of nice character moments. Mr. Dominic is great in it, and funny of course (it's so heavy), and Topher and Adele together is golden! Golden golden! I love their relationship, it's very interesting and as of yet hard to define. The Actives affected by the drug is eerie as well as disturbing, well played.

I don't like Matt. The whole good girl gone bad thing he has going with "Alice" is just kind of creepy since it seems to be a constant do-over thing. + the outfit just... seriously??

Nice with some flashbacks to Caroline's past, it's nice to get to find out more of who she is/was and how she got into this mess. I'm not sure I like Caroline as a person though... which is a problem because one should be like Paul wanting to 'save Caroline'

Mellie's break down, scary but good and lol at Topher and Adele
"I'm your superior!"
"In every way, now go check..."

🙂

Nice song at the end btw, first time I noticed, anyone know what it's called?

 

[Jules]

In a previous episode when Victor is having his reactions to Sierra Dr Saunders says that she has warned them about giving Actives too many lonely heart missions. Yet Echo has done about 4 already. She's done Alice twice, Rebecca once and then the episode where she gets hunted. I know and can understand why Alice's doll is used here, they couldnt have her running off half way through delivering a baby but still.

Like some of you have mentioned I dont like Caroline. I can understand being against testing on animals, its cruel but Caroline comes across as being aggressive and fanatical. I did like the glimpses into her past though. I also liked the humor as well. I think this episode showed how different Echo is from the other dolls. When they experience their traumatic event they freeze and go into shock almost, Echo didnt. Her's helped her to get the bad guy.

This episode was a lot better than the first few.