"If I think I can figure things out, is that curiosity or arrogance?" - Topher Brink, "Epitaph One"
I’ll be the first to admit it. When I first started watching Dollhouse, I did not care much for Topher. Though he often played the role of comic relief, there was something kind of sinister and Warren Mears-esque about him. He did not seem to view the dolls as human—rather, they were his playthings. At worst, his science experiments. There was little to suggest that his character had any moral depth at all.
However, it soon became clear that he was not morally bankrupt—merely morally infantile. Furthermore, as the series progressed we saw him grow substantially, and he became one of the most interesting characters (not to mention my personal favorite). But the lesson in humility that Topher learns ultimately comes too late, and as a consequence, he retreats into the guilt-ridden psychosis that we see in “Epitaph One” and “Epitaph Two: The Return.” Ultimately, the only way that his character can find peace and redemption is through death. Topher’s character is, essentially, a classic example of the tragic hero—the classical archetype whose actions inevitably lead to their downfall. Examples of the tragic hero in literature include Hamlet, Macbeth, Oedipus—even Dr. Victor Frankenstein from Mary Shelly’s 19th century science fiction novel.
The similarities between Frankenstein and Topher are particularly uncanny. Both set out to become almost like gods, and both of their creations eventually become too much for them to control. Like many tragic heroes they both fall victim to their own hubris. Topher is, undoubtedly, a genius, and there are many instances in the series where he reminds people of this fact. He takes pride in his intellect, and as a result he seems to gloss over the moral implications of his work. In “Ghost,” he recites his own version of the famous line from Hamlet to Boyd: “There is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so, man-friend.” Topher rationalizes his actions in a number of ways. He even believes that his actions are altruistic. However, like Frankenstein, he is later repulsed at the cavalier attitude he started with, especially when confronted by the despair of his most elaborate creation, Dr. Claire Saunders.
The connection between Topher and Dr. Frankenstein is visually made quite clear in “Ghost,” when we see Sierra hooked up to cable wires and writhing on a chair. The flashing lights add an element of horror, as does Echo’s bewildered expression upon discovering Sierra in pain. During this scene, Topher reacts toward Echo as though she is an inferior, even subhuman, by dismissing her concern. In the following interaction between Boyd and Topher, concerning the fact that Victor, Sierra and Echo have begun “grouping,” we can see clearly see that Topher does not view them as people. He states, simply, “They're a little bit bison.” Similarly, in “A Spy in the House of Love,” Topher does not take Echo seriously when she tells him she can help him, and then says something along the lines of “Did I really just lose an argument to a doll?” Of course, later she surprises him by revealing that she is aware that he changes people—that he makes people different after they sit in his chair.
There are many moments in the later season one episodes that show that Topher is evolving. First, there is the altruistic engagement involving an abused little girl. Echo is assigned to help coach a young girl who has been the victim of sexual abuse, but instead of simply arming her with the skills of a professional psychologist, Topher takes it a step further. He actually imprints Echo with the identical personality of the child—except that Echo’s personality takes into account the healing factors of time, and a willingness to work through the trauma. In a sense, she is the child’s future, a role-model that she can look to in order to understand that she is not alone, and that she can accomplish things in life, despite everything that she’s been through. Another example of Topher’s growing conscience is his disturbed behavior during the scene where Victor is downloaded with the personality of Dominic—who had been sent to the Attic. Besides an affinity for Boyd, Topher had rarely shown an interest in his fellow Dollhouse workers. Interestingly, Dominic and Topher hadn’t even gotten along well. Still, there is a sense of guilt in his reactions toward seeing the man suffer.
Finally, there is his aura of sadness in the last episode of season one, “Omega,” after being confronted by Claire, who has figured out that she is merely an imprint. There seems to be a connection between these two, though the exact nature of that connection is never made completely clear. He is her creator, to be sure—but one almost suspects that he knew her before she became a doll. When she asks him why he programmed her to hate him he seems perplexed, and almost hurt. This sadness carries on into the last scene, when Echo is returned to the Dollhouse and she raises her hand to lay it against Topher’s chest—visually signifying a kind of heartache, and more importantly, the presence of a “heart,” or emotional center in Topher’s character. These moments in season one clearly show that Topher is developing a conscience. He is not a bad man. He is just so caught up in the science of the Dollhouse that he doesn't think about its negative impact on people's lives. In the unaired 13th episode, however, we see him crushed under the weight of guilt. He has literally been driven insane by the consequences of the science he helped create.
In "Epitaph One" we are confronted with a very different version of Topher Brink. Like the classic tragic hero figure, he has come to the realization that his actions have led him (not to mention the rest of the world) on a path to destruction. Overcome by guilt, he has withdrawn into himself, and only seems to successfully communicate with Adelle, his nurturing mother figure. He sleeps in one of the doll pods in the ground, surrounded by books and a statue of Buddha. This is particularly interesting when you consider the fact that he mocks religion in the first season. It is a stark contrast from the joking, egotistical Topher that we are used to, and a little shocking. While we did see him developing a conscience in season one, it is a large leap in character development to have him suddenly be mentally ill. Luckily the show was renewed for a second season—otherwise we would have largely missed out on this development.
Indeed, in the very first episode of the second season, “Vows,” we witness this new side of Topher beginning to emerge. Visually, we see his sleeping chambers for the first time. It’s interesting that his bed, which is merely a mattress, is surrounded by machines and wires.
Because of this choice of setting, we get a sense of just how steeped in the technology he is—and yet seeing where he sleeps gives him more humanity than he had in the first season, when he rarely left the imprinting room. What really makes “Vows” an important episode for Topher, however, are the scenes between him and Claire. In “Vows,” we see a progression toward the madness and self-reproach that was played out in Epitaph One. Now that Claire knows she is "a fake," she has resolved to make life difficult for Topher—mostly by messing with his imprint machines (by uploading an image of the Bride of Frankenstein, no less!) and putting rats in his cupboards. Though these seem like harmless pranks, we can see him starting to crack.
The most memorable scene is when Claire tries to seduce him while he is sleeping. When he pushes her away, and asks her what is going on with her, she states, "This is the end game. You create someone to
hate you, so you can convince them to
love you." After refusing her advances, Topher reveals that he didn't program her to hate him—she chose to do that herself. She then breaks down, and he asks her why she doesn't want to know who she used to be. Her answer is heartbreaking: "Because I don't want to die."
This is clearly a mind-boggling moment for Topher, as confronted with the idea that his imprints are actual people, and the fact that he is playing God when it comes to their lives. After all, if they are real people, then he is essentially killing them every time he puts them in the chair. Just like Dr. Frankenstein, and many other classic tragic heroes, he has been blinded by his own hubris, and by his inability to question the moral implications of the power he possesses.
Topher faces an extreme moral dilemma in the episode “Belonging.” In the episode, Nolan Kennard arranges for Sierra to be released to him, permanently. After researching a bit, Topher realizes that Sierra was not a willing victim of the Dollhouse—that she was drugged and driven insane by the very man who claimed to be her doctor, and consequently sent to the Dollhouse so that he could “buy” time with her.
It is strangely fitting, and disturbing, that Claire is the one that sends Topher over the edge again at the end of season two, by killing the girl that he has started to form a romantic attachment with. Bennett becomes a victim not only to the technology that Topher created, but by the very person that sees Topher as her creator. Topher’s "Frankenstein monster" has come back to seek revenge (her motives, however, are somewhat unclear.)
Like all tragic heroes, Topher eventually dies. He has to. There is no way for him to make up for what he's done without some kind of extreme sacrifice.
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