Dollhouse ReWatch: "Instinct" (2.2)

VisionGirl

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Echo is imprinted as Emily Jordan, mother to a newborn baby, Jack, and Topher has outdone himself by imprinting her so deeply that she has even begun to lactate. But Emily is pushing herself hard, and when she finds pictures in her husband Nathan (Kristoffer Polaha)'s desk of him with another woman, she begins to suspect him of having an affair. The truth is that the woman, Karen, is Jack's biological mother, who died birthing her, and whom Echo is meant to think she is, and Nate decides to call off the engagement. Unfortunately, Emily interprets the situation as an attempt to kill her... and, even when wiped, Echo remains attached to Jack, giving him up only when Nathan explains the entire situation. Meanwhile, Ballard has to confront his own confused feelings when DeWitt brings Madeline Costley "“ the former November (Miracle Laurie) "“ back to the Dollhouse for a diagnostic, and Perrin deepens his investigation into the Dollhouse with the help of his wife Cindy (Stacey Scowley).
Source

Kristoffer Polaha who played Nate Jordan, always played Henry Butler in SMG's latest show Ringer.

Stacey Scowley (Perrin's wife) played the bride in the unaired pilot. She also is the unnamed "Young Woman" that Spike kills in Conversations With Dead People & buries in Sleeper.


My thoughts:
-"It's not a toy, Ballard". I love Topher reprimanding Paul.
-"I made changes on a glandular level". He's talking about lactation. For some reason I didn't catch that the 1st time- I thought that Topher made her as a mother & I wondered how they induced lactation (which can be done, although it's difficult).
-Van Halen reference!
-OMG that baby is adorable!
-Ooh, I get so mad at the dad. Although his explanation later about not bonding with the baby is understandable if his wife died in childbirth.
-"He's been replaced by a stranger" says the imprinted "wife".
-"Don't take my baby!!". As a mother, it is soooo hard for me to watch this. I can just imagine her panic. 🙁
-Perrin says the word "prostitution". I thought that the network wouldn't allow them to say that?
-Hah- Echo doesn't know how to drive a car.
-Topher Brink: "The maternal instinct is the purest. It's too strong for a normal wipe. I outplayed myself like in chess." Yes, Clueless, this is why you don't f^ck with a mother!
-Wow, November and Echo's lines, completely in contrast to each other (& November is the one who DID actually lose a child!).
Echo: Feeling nothing would be worse. That would be like before... asleep. And I'm awake now. I don't want to go back to sleep.


Madeline: She'll be OK. The girl. You seemed worried about her. She'll forget about the baby, she'll forget everything. No more pain, no more grief. They did it for me. Your friend, she'll be fine. She won't remember anything. I had a daughter. She died. She had a cold and then it wasn't a cold. It was cancer. Terminal. And my world fell apart. Within 6 months she was gone and I was left all alone, completely alone. Unable to function. But what I'm telling you is that it all worked out. I met Adelle. She told me i didn't have to suffer anymore. i could go to sleep for 5 years, and wake up without pain

Paul: So what, you're happy now?

Madeline: I'm not sad.

So it begs the question, is it better to be happy and yet suffer, or to forget and not feel pain?
 
"I don't want to use the word genius, but I'd be okey if you wanted to." That's not a jinx is it. 😉 The reference to this conversation at the end of the episode make me smile.

"It's so cute that you're trying." I love Topher but he can be so condesending at times. Which in fiction can be entertaining but nothing I'd approve of in real life.

Can you imagine being in Emilys shoes? No wonder she's paranoid.

How's the imprint working this time? Did they have a scan of the wife or did they just give Echo the honeymoon memories? While talking about memories, they can imprint memories (obviously) but take away the ones about how they're supposed to look. Impressive to pick and chose like that. A person do have a lot of memories. The car scene when Echo try to escape show that the dolls really don't know/remember everything.

Interesting to see how an active is after they're released. Nice to see Madeleine too. Good for her not trusting Adelle.

"Did I fall asleep?
For a little while."
Bam! Did not see that coming.

The moral questions and the science is interesting but yet again I don't see an episode that would attract the average viewer. I love the show but with the starts of both seasons I get why it didn't get that many viewers. I can easily admit that I most likely hadn't watched it all or even given the pilot a chance if it weren't for both Joss and Eliza being involved. Not sure if that makes me a good or bad fan. It ended well. For me since I stuck with it and got to experience the greatness that is Dollhouse.
 
Taake
Taake
Topher stuff <3
Ok, so the first time I watched this show I wasn't a fan. I guess I just didn't like the plotline or ED's acting for that matter... this time around I have to admit that I've changed my mind.

(I think this engagement is far sicker than the one in 'Vows' however which was mentioned to be 'sick' and I cannot imagine how much money it must have cost to not only tie up Echo but also Sierra for this one engagement)

Anyway, on to the episode, this time around I found it rather haunting and appealing. Like Washburne said - imagine being in Emily's shoes... the paranoia.

Mostly what I thought about was that there are certain things you don't mess with. And no matter how many imprints or wipes they can throw at you - going that extra mile and putting 'motherhood' in it is just one cocktail too many. You don't mess with the mother instinct. That panic Eliza acts out when she believes her baby is taken away is amazing, heart breaking and so genuine, it's horrible to watch and definitely stirs something inside.

That would override a wipe I believe, even if it hadn't been Echo. Live and learn as Topher says... to me that meant certain limits exist even to their technology.

Heartbreaker line: "Then can I be his mommy?" Awww.... poor Echo.

Random thoughts:
-Topher love, lots and lots of Topher love.
-There's a lot of tall men on this show, can't help but get a little bit excited by this
-Though I have a new fondness for the plot it is a giant waste to have like an entire episode based soley on Echo's engagement. Where's Viktor and Sierra? Why are they in the background? They are cool, we know it, let them do stuff!!!

And I think that's all I can think of right now. Oh yeah no, not a giant fan of Paul's and Echo's talk... it's just a little stiff to me. I guess I would have wished for it to go differently or have had another setting... perhaps the park bench? Not sure but something about it just lacks for me.
 
Onto this new epi 🙂

-Topher saying to Ballard "leave the tech to the grown ups" XD He's treating him like he's a toddler.
-The first time I watched, I didn't think much of Echo feeding the baby, but now I get it. It's awesome, but also very scary of what it could lead to.
-You get into the closed and locked office of your husband and don't even think about closing the door on your way out? Come on!
-Madeline looks totally different now that she's out of the Dollhouse. Is it just me, or did she look like she's a b*tch?
-Damn. I stopped shipping Paul/Mellie a while ago, but their moment was cute.
-Echo punching Topher, what a twist!
-That baby is just adorable!!!
-Why does everytime someone is followed/watched in a TV show, there's a sudden thunderstorm?
-Echo saying "Mommy's home" was creepy!!!!!!
-The ending in the park was perfect.

I don't love this episode. I don't hate either, I just find it okay. It has its peaks and downs. And I don't particularly like Kristoffer Polaha. Didn<t like him much in Ringer either.
 
This ep was quite difficult to watch at times. Very heartbreaking to see Echo reacting in such an innocent and protective way.

And the scene where she's shouting for them not to take her baby is pretty powerful. Eliza has became a much better actress over the years.
 
One thing that bugged me in this episode. Madeline says that she lost her baby and because of the grief she felt she joined Dollhouse. She went to sleep and sometime later she woke up and the pain was gone, she's no longer unhappy. Adelle's pitch is that the 5 years wont seem like anything because that person's personality is no longer in the body. If that is the case then why has Madeline suddenly come to terms with her crippling grief. I'm no expert on grief but doesnt the body have to deal with it, you can just turn it off, its unhealthy. So does that mean that even when the Actives are Dolls their subconscious is still there working through their emotions (I realise I'm making this more complicated than it needs to be 🙂).

I love Topher in this episode. He's so funny. I really cant get used to Alexis american accent!

I think as far as episodes go, it was different. It took the show to a new level and Eliza's acting was amazing.
 
I always thought that they could "fix" problems since they can programme the brain to do/think more or less anything. We see it more in coming episodes.
Victor/Anthony for example.
 
VisionGirl
VisionGirl
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I agree with Washburn, not only do they "allow" a "volunteer" to work off some kind of debt, but they can tinker with their brain to "improve" it. In exchange of course they give up 5 years of their life, and their will.
 
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