Warning: Major Spoilers for Briar Rose, as well as previous episodes.Last night's episode was -- hands down -- my favorite episode of the series thus far. In case anyone was in doubt that this is, indeed, a feminist show -- Briar Rose should set them at their ease.
The episode begins with Echo as a schoolteacher (or substitute, rather) who is reading the fairy tale "Briar Rose" to a group of young children. As she tells them of how the prince comes to save the sleeping princess, a student (Susan) becomes angry, claiming that the story is completely false. Despite my agreement with Susan regarding the bogus nature of this fairy tale, her reaction is rather...violent. We then learn that this child has been sexually abused. It's no wonder that this story would strike a nerve (man comes in the night to save the princess? Yeah right. Not in her experience.)
In an act of somewhat surprising benevolence, we find out that Topher has imprinted Echo with the little girl's own memories, so that she may see herself as an adult -- more particularly, as a fully-functioning adult who has dealt with her demons. Echo/Susan reveals to another teacher that she read the story on purpose, knowing the reaction it would cause. She confronts young Susan, and speaks of her own "experience" with abuse. From there she takes the opportunity of offering a different look at the sleeping beauty fairy tale -- she tells Susan to imagine the prince as an aspect of herself.
We cut from the picture of the prince kneeling down to kiss the sleeping beauty to Paul Ballard, who is packing up his belongings while a deeply upset Mellie looks on. He tells her that he is leaving, and that they are not good for each other. She cries, and its all a little pathetic really. But we have to remember that Mellie was programmed to love this man. Outside of him there is nothing else. Without her "prince," there is nothing left for her to live for. This is where we see just how damaging these sort of fairy tale beliefs can be for women. Mellie is a metaphor for the woman who places all her hope and dreams into this fairy tale, and who is crushed when she finds that it is a lie.
Paul is, after all, definitely not Prince Charming. In fact, he's quite the opposite. He uses Mellie's affections to further his own agenda of breaking into the Dollhouse. His obsession with saving Caroline is creepy, especially considering his complete disregard for Mellie as a victim as well. Why is Caroline worth saving, and not Mellie? Could it be because Mellie is, again, too attainable?
Caroline, on the other hand, is an abstraction. A blank slate onto which he projects his own desires. In this sense he is no better than a Dollhouse client. He no longer sees her as a person, but as a classic damsel in distress -- the sleeping beauty that can only be saved by him. In the game-changing episode, Man on the Street, Ballard is confronted by software billionaire Joel Myner (after Myner's "engagement" with Caroline is interrupted by Ballard) about his own desires. When Ballard mocks Myner's fantasy of "playing house" with Caroline, Myner retorts that Paul is no better -- that he has created a fantasy of his own:
And then the brave FBI man whisks her away from the cash-wielding losers...and she falls in love with him.
Myner had Ballard's number, alright.
The looks of awe that washes over Paul's face when he finally discovers Caroline in her sleeping pod is a stark contrast to the look of disgust that he bestows on a sleeping November (Mellie.) I hate to be harsh, but this scene catapulted the character of Paul Ballard into A-Hole territory as far as I'm concerned. How is Caroline more of an innocent victim than November? Why does she rouse his awe while November simply triggers his disdain?If I wanted to completely accuse him of chauvinism (which is tempting, and possibly true) I could argue that it's because he's already slept with November. He's "degraded" her. She is a fallen woman, while Caroline is the pure, "chaste" woman that he has not yet devalued. Perhaps he believes that saving her will restore the chunk of his soul that got lost when he screwed Mellie, knowing full well that she was a doll, and that it was (for all intents and purposes) rape.
The fact that this uglyness in Paul is dealt with (with such wonderful irony too) in this episode is what makes it a relief for me. From the beginning of the series his character has rubbed me the wrong way. There is something too angry, too beligerent...to obsessive about his pursuit of the Dollhouse. Now it doesn't really come as a surprise to me that his only real mission was to save Caroline -- who, by the way, isn't really Caroline to him, just a construct of his own fantasies and desires.
Thank you Jane Espenson. How I've missed thee!
Aside from Paul, a lot of things happened in this episode. We get to see Dominic in the body of Victor, for one. Enver's performance gave me chills. I could almost hear Reed's voice.
Major Spoilage Ahead:
The biggest reveal of the episode was, of course, Alpha. Alan Tudyk was delightful. I loved him as the fake-out pot grower/environmentalist:
Carrots! Medicinal carrots! Personal use...they were here when I got here!
When he turned evil on Dr. Saunders (who may or may not be an ex-doll named Whiskey) I was genuinely terrified. Then he got slice-happy with Victor's face and "terrified" got upgraded to "completely freaked out."
I find it extraordinarily amusing that while Boyd and Ballard are fighting it out, Alpha is able to get to Echo and whisk her away. This seems to be a recurrent theme with Whedon. One thinks back to Dr. Horrible and his nemesis Captain Hammer -- how Penny became merely a victim of their rivalry.
The whole Alpha/Echo thing opens up a huge can of worms that, unfortunately, may never get put on the fishing line, seeing as there is only one episode left of the season (hopefully we will get a second!) However, for what it's worth, their "reunion" was incredibly charged -- like, sexually. How hot was that kiss? Of course, nothing good can come of it (seeing how Alpha is a psychopath and all.)
As a Whedon fan, I wouldn't want it any other way.
4 comments:
Great review!
I agree with you in the main, the show was definitely A grade and Alan's performance as the neurotis developer was a riot! Though I think you are being a bit harsh on Paul... yes I stated in my review that Paul was dismissive of Mellie, but I don't necessarily think that makes him a scumbag, not when you look at his character arc and how the dollhouse has played him.
Mellie, is the face of all of the Dollhouse's games and manipulations to him. Whilst she is a doll, it must be very difficult for the character to be able to put that logic into place.
Can't wait for the next episode - Alpha and Echo!! wooooot!
Mellie, is the face of all of the Dollhouse's games and manipulations to him.
But see, this is just another way of saying what I said: that she is not a human being to him. Furthermore, I don't think Caroline is either.
I like my men to be morally conflicted, believe me. But Paul has crossed the line for me into downright creepy and disturbing.
That's just me, though.
Really good review.
I do have to agree with girly_scribbles about Ballard -- I find your framing of Mellie as 'attainable' to be odd considering that she's a construct (and that Paul knows that). She's not attainable, because she isn't real. November may be real and the original woman that we met in "Needs" was real, but Mellie is a construct deliberately made to love Paul and nothing else (to go to another Jossverse show -- she's April from "I Was Made to Love You").
I mean, I don't think that Ballard's obsessiveness over Caroline shows him in a good light, but he was actually trying to move on to a real, attainable girl in Mellie... only to find out that she's not only an active, but that the Dollhouse will make her kill him if they find out he knows the truth. She's not only a construct, she's also his potential executioner. I'm not sure that I could look with love and awe onto my potential executioner.
Whereas he knows that Caroline is in Echo because of the phone call from "Needs". He doesn't have that assurance with November. All he has is her telling him that she could easily be ordered to kill him. He tried to find out who Mellie/November really had been in "Haunted" and got nowhere. He literally can't see a person when he looks at her because all along, he's been thinking of Actives as the murdered, brainwashed bodies of real people (much like Buffy couldn't see Spike as good without a soul, because it would shake her view of her relationship and love for Angel).
Something that struck me as impressive, plot-wise, is that Ballard's entire obsession with Caroline was set up by Alpha in the first place (by sending him the picture and the video and making her 'real' to him), probably in hopes of just this outcome -- using Ballard's break-in to 'save' Caroline as a distraction from Alpha's break-in to imprint and escape with Echo.
@butterfly
Thanks for commenting!
I find your framing of Mellie as 'attainable' to be odd considering that she's a construct (and that Paul knows that). She's not attainable, because she isn't real.
I realize she isn't attainable in that sense. I guess I should have been more clear about that. I meant that as a victim who needed his help, she was more attainable. Does that make sense? She was right there. He could have helped her, but he decided to play along, knowing that this way he could be led to the Dollhouse, where he could save Echo. It is pretty clear that he doesn't care about saving anyone else when he is there.
but he was actually trying to move on to a real, attainable girl in Mellie... only to find out that she's not only an active, but that the Dollhouse will make her kill him if they find out he knows the truth.
I guess I think that's a risk he should take.
I'm not sure that I could look with love and awe onto my potential executioner.
But Echo could have as easily been his potential executioner, and indeed kicked the crap out him that one time. This is a woman that he slept with. It just seems wrong that he should be so cavalier about her fate. She is just as much a victim as Echo.
I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree there ;)
Something that struck me as impressive, plot-wise, is that Ballard's entire obsession with Caroline was set up by Alpha in the first place (by sending him the picture and the video and making her 'real' to him), probably in hopes of just this outcome -- using Ballard's break-in to 'save' Caroline as a distraction from Alpha's break-in to imprint and escape with Echo.
That is very true! I hadn't thought about that. But Alpha is a genius. I can't wait for more of him!
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