Holding Out for a Helo

So, because the stupid Fox network believed that people would rather watch a press conference about a dead guy that no one liked than Dollhouse, I only just saw episode 1.2 "The Target" on Hulu tonight. The fact that the episode was kinda, sorta awesome made the fact that they pre-empted it on Friday all the more annoying... You're on my list, Fox network. Although you should be used to it given that you've had a permanent position on the list since the Firefly debacle... (Have you seen my list? It's a piece of paper that says "Fox network" on it?)

I digress. The important thing about the second episode of Dollhouse is that it was vastly better than the pilot and has made me totally invest in the show. The pilot alone gave me some doubts about how well everything would play out, but this episode helped allay some fears, clear up some confusion, and kinda kick ass.

I thought the pacing of "The Target" was one of the elements that was most improved. The storylines all interlaced effortlessly and the A-plot, B-plot, and C-plot were all engaging. I was initially concerned that the A-plot (Echo's mission week-to-week) wouldn't be enough to suck me in, but with this episode, the A-plot was not only exciting and interesting, but it also played a pivotal role in the overarching story arc, which is almost invariably the case for well-written, successful plotlines. It wasn't just that Echo was being hunted by some psycho for this week's assignment and then next week none of it matters. The guy who hunted her turns out to be a total mystery that will affect future episodes in considerable ways and the trial Echo endures running for her life helps trigger her memories. Between the emotional trauma of being hunted and the chemical/poison/drug she ingested, the writers used the A-plot to orchestrate key elements of the B and C plots by giving Echo her memory back. We still don't know to what extent she remembers her past (if she only remembers the most recent assignment, past assignments, etc.), and that makes it all the more intriguing. She appears to remember her latest mission entirely (with the final second of the episode informing the viewer that that is the case with a well-crafted image of Echo referencing what just happened to her) and she also appears to remember the incidents that happened 3 months ago while she was in a doll state. The hallucinations she has while running for her life and her interactions with her handler suggest that she is starting to remember parts of her past life and forget parts of her current one. I wasn't sure I would be able to care about a character who was a totally different person week-to-week, but now, at the end of only the second episode, Echo has some consistent personality traits and I'm totally invested. Well done, show.

Oh, and speaking of 3 months ago, introducing the character Alpha (well, introducing the concept of Alpha, at this point) was an excellent move. Joss does a great job creating an entire world with a full history when he dreams up a new show. The overarching storylines won't be restricted to Helo's search for the Dollhouse and Echo's memories. The Dollhouse has a history that affects all the characters of the present and Joss is taking full advantage of the expansive universe he's created. So, until Helo gets closer to the truth, the audience has Alpha to deal with, and, if what I've heard is true, his character is going to be insanely awesome if for no other reason than (hopefully, oh, and SPOILER ALERT--don't follow the link it you don't want to know) brilliant Whedonverse casting. Even if that casting doesn't pan out, I'm still psyched to learn about his interactions with Echo, why he left Echo alive, and if he's the naked man rifling through pictures of Echo's old life and sending them to Helo. Also, Alpha serves as a cautionary, expositive tale as to why they wipe the dolls memories after each engagement. Alpha is a composite of his past memories and assignments and apparently that means a whole lot of people get killed and maimed (which, speaking of, did Fred have scars in the pilot? I didn't remember her having scars, but the Couch Baron seems to remember them). Once again, one plotline influences all the others. Alpha's story helps the audience understand what might be happening to Echo, how Helo might find out the truth about Dollhouse, and the science behind it all. When each plotline informs on other plotlines, the viewer can't help but be invested in all of them. That's when a show is most successful for me and when I'm never bored during an episode. You don't have the option to be bored during the C-plot because the smallest thing that happens might affect the A and B plots later on. It keeps the viewer on the edge of his/her seat and makes it worth it to absorb every detail, no matter how seemingly insignificant. The episode was unpredictable and surprising, which, for someone who watches as much TV as I do, is a rare commodity. It was extremely satisfying to not know how the entire episode was going to play out after the first 15 minutes (I'm looking in your direction, The Mentalist). This episode answered some questions, but more importantly, had me asking a lot of questions (in a good way). Top drawer.

The science behind the whole operation was much better illuminated for me. I'm still not too clear on how Echo's negotiator personality in the pilot recognized one of the assailants, but I better understand why they upload and entire persona and not just the skill set needed. It kind of reminded me of Blade Runner when Rachael and Decker are talking about her memories and how she remembers a spider spinning a web as a young girl. It seems like an extraneous detail, but all those memories are what create a cohesive, complete persona. Without those little memories, there would be blanks. So when Echo says that she knows how to handle a gun because she has "four brothers, none of them Democrats," it makes sense that she would need a complete set of memories to inform her character. Like I said, I'm still not sure where the Dollhouse is getting these memories or how, but I'm on board with building a complete personality out them (like with her hostage negotiator imprint having asthma and remembering her own abduction).

I think the character of Echo's handler Boyd is going to be much more useful and engaging than I initially expected. I think he'll be acting as sort of the moral center of the Dollhouse. He cares about Echo and appears to be ethically ambivalent about what happens to her each time her memory is erased. He appears to be the only one in the house who questions the validity of what they are doing, and while he does his job well, it's clear that he isn't totally on board with the whole operation. It's helps inform the audience as to why he wouldn't tell the programmers that Echo behaved so strangely on the mountain and didn't react to the call and response programming as she should. He's invested in her as a person and wouldn't betray her. Although, he's seen what happened when Alpha regained his memories, so Boyd is going to have one hell of a moral dilemma on his hands when his suspicions are further piqued. Also, he's fairly new to the team, so he acts as a window for the audience to events of the past. He needs to be filled in at the same time the audience does, so while it's clearly plot exposition, it doesn't necessarily feel like plot exposition. He's also much more of a badass than I initially thought, so it makes much more sense that he'd be a handler. The second episode did a much better job fleshing out his role on the show and how Echo's assignments are carried out. Further, that the Dollhouse would go to such lengths to keep their dolls alive and working suggests that they might be coercing people into becoming dolls in the first place. There's a hell of a lot of money to be made and the means by which they talk people into doing this are probably not as innocuous as they would have people believe. I'm definitely excited to learn more.

I think my only quibble would be that there was significantly less half-naked Helo in this episode. His storyline is going to take a bit longer to build up, so I guess we'll just have to wait. Even though his role in the show is still very preliminary, I was never bored with it and it just served to make me more excited for future episodes. The show kept me on my toes and when little things like Helo's neighbor offering him lasagna happened, I started to wonder if maybe she was working for some organization or was even a doll trying to keep Helo from discovering the truth. There appears to be some group of people trying to out the dolls and I can't wait to find out who and why. The show is surprising and I loved wondering who was who, what organization they might be working for, and what their motives were. Which, speaking of, I can't wait to see how Helo's interactions with Victor work out. I'm more than a little intrigued by what his doll assignment is... Is he really working for the mob? Or has he been planted there to throw Helo off the trail? Either way, I'm in.

In summation, the second episode was far superior to the pilot and has gotten me pretty psyched for the rest of the season. (I say "season" because there's always a good chance Fox will cancel the show before next year... Grrr.... (Argh...)) Anyway, if you haven't watched Dollhouse yet or weren't sucked in by the pilot, give the second episode a shot. I think you'll be impressed. :)

Oh, and I realize the title doesn't really make much sense, but I thought it was funny.