In case anybody didn't know (and let's face it, there are probably many people out there who didn't), season two of Dollhouse has started! And what a way to start! Vows may just be my favorite episode yet. And no, it's not just because Alexis Denisof was in it -- though that certainly does not hurt! Heh. The second episode of season two, Instinct -- while not as strong an episode as Vows -- is still a lot more engaging than most of the episodes in season one, despite a few hard to swallow plot points.
What really made Vows special, for me, were the scenes between Topher and Claire/Whiskey. Topher is a character that I initially didn't like, but during the last few episodes of season one he started to evolve -- at least in my opinion. First, there was the altruistic engagement that he programed Echo to go on involving an abused little girl. Then there was his disturbed behavior during the scene where Victor was downloaded with Mr. Dominic's personality. Finally, there was his aura of sadness in the last episode after being confronted by Claire. There is a sense that he is starting to question the morality of what he is doing. I never thought that he was a bad person, in the way that say, Warren on BtVS was. He is so caught up in the science of the Dollhouse that he doesn't think about its negative impact on people's lives. He is morally infantile. 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 Vows, we see a progression toward that madness. Now that Claire knows she is "a fake," she has started making life a living hell for Topher -- messing with his imprint machines and putting rats in his cupboards. We can see him starting to crack. The most memorable scene is when Claire tries to seduce him, stating "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. She says "Because I don't want to die." This is clearly a mind-boggling moment for Topher, as he has probably never viewed his imprints as actual people. After all, if they are real people, then he is essentially murdering them every time he wipes them.These are the kind of philosophical themes that make me love Joss Whedon's shows. In Dollhouse, specifically, there seems to be a recurring theme of nature vs. nurture -- of whether or not we are a product of our memories/experiences or if we have an innate personality, or soul. In Instinct, Adelle brings up the fact that babies need to feel loved, stating that otherwise they may grow up to be "sociopaths." The engagement of this episode is a bit far-fetched. Echo becomes a mother who has been changed on a glandular level (she is able to breastfeed) in order to take care of a widower's baby. Eliza gives an amazing performance, but I can't help wondering why the guy didn't just hire a nanny. Aside from that, though, it was an enjoyable episode. We get to see Madelene again, and she has an interesting conversation with Paul Ballard about losing her daughter.
So far, I'd say the second season is strong, and I love where it seems to be heading. There are so many stories that I want to see unravel. I want to know what's going to happen with Senator Perrin. Will he be able to penetrate the Dollhouse? What is going to happen to Whiskey? How did Sierra get into the Dollhouse in the first place? These things, I've heard, will be addressed in the rest of the season, if it survives. I sincerely hope it does!
Don't forget to tune in tonight at 9/8 central on FOX for the third episode. You can see some preview clips here. If you can't watch the episode live, then check it out on hulu, Fox.com, itunes, or amazon.
And make sure to check out this awesome fansite, whyiwatch.com
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