Dollhouse ReWatch: "Haunted" (1.10)

[VisionGirl]

I know I'm behind, let's try to get caught up today. 🙂

A wealthy woman named Margaret has been uploading her personality to the Dollhouse every month in the event that she is murdered. When she actually is murdered, DeWitt, who has since befriended her, imprints her onto Echo as part of her will; Margaret, posing as a pen-pal named Julia, decides to solve the case during her second chance. Margaret's prized horses turn out to be the key; with a little help from Boyd, who imprints Victor as a racehorse-owner, she solves the case and helps her family achieve some closure. Meanwhile, Topher signs Sierra out for an intensive "benchmark" imprint, which turns out to be that of a fellow gamer, nerd and friend, with whom he celebrates his birthday. Finally, Ballard brings November's prints into the FBI; when he asks fellow agent Loomis (Aisha Hinds) to run a scan, her computer spews out a multitude of names and then goes blank.

Source

Dollhouse Wikia says:

Joss Whedon said about the episode: "The next episode, 'Haunted,' is a standalone. It's a quirky little piece with a lot of guest stars [he also called it a 'drawing-room mystery']. I'm a little nervous about it. I think Eliza's great in it. But I'm wondering, are people going to go, 'Now wait a minute, [where's the mythology]?' But it was my decision in the middle of all this [i.e., the development of ongoing stories] to say, 'Wait a minute, we can't just be about our own mythology. Let's try this other thing.'"

And I kind of wish they hadn't. It just wasn't as compelling as the last three episdoes. Don't get me wrong, the whole idea of living on after death in a different body is interesting. And I thought Eliza's performance as Margaret was good. We got some new insights in Adelle (I didn't think she had any friends!). Kind of sad to think that Topher was lonely. But the fact that he had to "make" a friend was disturbing. The Paul/Mellie sex was disturbing too.

Ian Anthony Dale who played Jack Dunston was also in an episode of Angel. Wikipedia says he played a "drugged vamp", so I wonder if it was in season 4.

I don't get what Paul says in the end that he has found a client.

 

[Washburne]

Easy my least favourite episode from the awesome sencond part of the first season. Not to say that the episode suck. The questions it asks are interesting and Topher and Sierra are wonderful and sad at the same time. In moments they remind me of Castle (Nathan Fillion on the show Castle) and his daughter. Maybe just because of the laser tag game. 😉

Being imprinted so you can come back when you've died. Interesting and creepy. I mean depending on how you die who wouldn't want to come back for a little while? Keeping oneself "alive" forever though, not my thing. Wouldn't want to see loved ones sad/devestated out your death either. On second thought, why would you want to come back? Now I'm torn. 😛

Murder mystery. I like those in general.

Finding out that people didn't see you as you wanted them too must be very hard to take. Not that many seen to sad at the funeral either.

Paul and Mellie. Their whole story make me so sad. I know some of you really enjoy parts of their relationship and maybe I did the first time around. I don't remember but now it just get me sad. Paul doing a bad job at trying to act as before he found out that she's a doll but who can blame him.

Who deleted the pics of Mellie/November? Or "just" a virus implanted which do not sound right to me. Better to erase it all from the beginning instead as with Echo/Caroline. Something's up.

Sleepies. I just love it. Or maybe just the way Sierra say it. I do have a soft spot for her. Who is she imprinted as anyway. A mix of personalities to be just as Topher wants? First time I watched this I suspected it was himself.

I don't get what Paul says in the end that he has found a client.

This is how I see it. Client = Someone that uses the dolls/actives for their own purpose knowing exactly what they are. = himself now. Or do we have yet another misunderstanding? 😉

 

[VisionGirl]

Sleepies. I just love it. Or maybe just the way Sierra say it. I do have a soft spot for her. Who is she imprinted as anyway. A mix of personalities to be just as Topher wants? First time I watched this I suspected it was himself.

Ahh, interesting! I hadn't thought of that.

And oh, your avatar, and your gif. Didn't I just ask someone to make me a gif of that scene with Topher & Adelle going over the railing? 😉

 

[Taake]

oss Whedon said about the episode: "The next episode, 'Haunted,' is a standalone. It's a quirky little piece with a lot of guest stars [he also called it a 'drawing-room mystery']. I'm a little nervous about it. I think Eliza's great in it. But I'm wondering, are people going to go, 'Now wait a minute, [where's the mythology]?' But it was my decision in the middle of all this [i.e., the development of ongoing stories] to say, 'Wait a minute, we can't just be about our own mythology. Let's try this other thing.'"

*me reads this and suddenly gets the urge to travel back in time and slap Joss Whedon across the face for this cockamamie idea*

Seriously, the mythology of this show is what is interesting about it and what sets it apart from a thousand other crime-of-the-week/ mystery-of-the-week whatever shows that we've been overfed with for years.

The whole "Dollhouse" goes "Murder she wrote" was a failure and made for a boring episode even if there was an interesting core idea at the bottom of it (life after death) and I feel that by now I have come to expect a lot better from both Joss and his staff...

The only part I like about this episode is Topher. I mean he's really such a tragic little boy and though I've liked him as the "evil genius" so to speak before I think this is where you actually start to see a chink in the armour so to speak, his lonliness and his desire, just like anyone, to reach out and have a friend. It makes me wonder if he ever had a real friend in his life and it makes me sad to say that I doubt it.

 

[Washburne]

And oh, your avatar, and your gif. Didn't I just ask someone to make me a gif of that scene with Topher & Adelle going over the railing? 😉

You did. Sadly I can't make gifs. I just cropped and resized the one I'm using to fit the restrictions. It would be a great gif though.

 

[Vamp Jenny]

What a great start. "Margaret, you're dead."

I don't remember liking this episode, but I hope I'll like it a bit more this time around.

So even Topher likes the idea of "special friends girl-on-girl"... I guess it goes with the testosterone....

It's nice to see Adele with a friend 🙂

Wealthy woman is killed for her money... The basic idea is definitely not original. But I trust Joss can make it better than the basic idea is.

Washburne's gif!!!! 😉

Poor Paul... 🙁

Ah, family hating on the dead... typical...

"Illusions aren't worthless. They're at the heart of most relationships"
Do I sense some longing for Victor here??

Wise choice from Boyd to send a doll as a breeder. Could help a lot finding the murderer.

Paul's charm is his best asset XD At least now he has an ally in the Bureau.

I love Topher and Sierra's scenes 😀 Nerdy nerd conversation rocks!!!

I find it a bit disturbing to see Paul having sex with mellie now that he knows she's a doll.

It's cute how Boyd still care so much about Echo.

Happy birthday Topher!! 😀

Not one of my fave episodes. It was okay, but apart from Topher's and Paul's scenes, I didn't like it much. Looking forward to next episodes, though.

 

[Jules]

Life after death, that's a very powerful tool. I dont think I'd want to come back and see what people thought of me. Boyd brings up a good point - morality doesnt exist without the fear of death. If you could do that then what type of monsters are you creating [spoilers] Not the nice kind if the season finale is anything to go off[/spoilers].

The will was a good example of how things can be misinterpreted. Leaving the horses to her husband was meant to show him how much she loved him but he thought it meant the opposite. The scene were Nicky kisses Julia was hillarious.

I'm getting a little uninterested in the Paul/Mellie scenes. I think its because Mellie has so little respect for herself. I know its how she's programmed but to stay in a relationship were the guy is treating her like that is cruel. She deserves better.

I felt so sorry for Topher. The fact that he had to imrpint a doll just so he had a friend was so very sad.

In moments they remind me of Castle (Nathan Fillion on the show Castle) and his daughter. Maybe just because of the laser tag game. 😉

I thought the same thing when I saw the laser tag game 🙂