DOLLHOUSE: “Meet Jane Doe”

Photo credit: Fox/ Spoiler TV.

Read on for my recap & review of Dollhouse 2×07, “Meet Jane Doe,” aired on December 11th, 2009:

The double doses of Dollhouse continue to utterly captivate me.  I am very behind on recapping these episodes, but not for any lack of desire.  Papers, grading, and then vacation, have slowed me down.  Plus, two episodes on one night is not a blogger’s friend, though the double episodes do delight me as a devoted fan.  When I last left off, Echo and Paul were both M.I.A., and in this episode we learned what they have been up to: saving a random woman, and falling in love (oh, that’s sure to end well).  Meanwhile, Adelle lost control of her house, and then regained it.  This episode was also perhaps the most significant in the overall plot about the Dollhouse technology.  In “Epitaph One,” we saw where the technology leads—to an apocalyptic future—and this episode featured the crucial step in getting there.  Topher creates the technology to destroy the world; no wonder he is a crazy mess in 2019.  Even more shocking, it is Adelle who provides this technology to the evil corporation that would use it to destroy humanity.  But back to the present, and to the recap at hand:

We open on Topher and Ivy, in the imprint room.  Topher is still obsessed with Bennett, and I can’t blame him: “Bennett has twice the resources I have.  She thinks she runs that house.  She might, for all I know.  But there is one thing of which I am certain.  I have a cooler office.”  Hee.  Ivy asks what happened in D.C., but Topher does not oblige.  She explains to him that he will have to trust her, if he wants her to learn.  Topher: “I will never trust another woman as long as I live.  [Pause.]  She totally went all cylon on me, and sent a sleeperized assassin after Echo, right behind my back.  Disarmed me with her arm and glasses and face, mostly.  But underneath it all, she is ice cold.  Truly wicked, with a shriveled up raisin of a heart.  I wonder what she’s doing right now.”  Hehe.  Oh, Topher.  Cylon reference FTW!  Ivy asks what happened, AGAIN.  Good luck getting a straight answer out of that guy.  Topher finally attempts to explain: “I punched her in the kisser—not what I was planning to do there by the way—and knocked her out cold, which she might have been impressed by if she hadn’t been out cold.”  Um, I think not.  Women are not usually impressed by men knocking them out.  Ick.  Ivy tries to steer him back to the issue at hand: “I mean to Echo.  What happened to Echo?”  Topher: “Oh.”  Sigh.  Poor Ivy.

Meanwhile, Boyd and Adelle discuss the absent Echo.  They are worried about her and despite their searching they have yet to find a trace of her (though, we’ll later know that Boyd is aware that Echo is fine, and he is playing a part).  Paul is also still A.W.O.L., though he is not as valuable an asset.  Adelle: “Find Echo, even if it is in a ditch somewhere.”  At that, we cut to a worse-for-wear Echo, digging through the garbage for food.  La la la la las …

After the credits, we see a caption for Medina, Texas.  That is where Echo is, and she is not looking great—she has clearly not showered in many days.  She goes into a grocery store and is attracted by the fruit.  A man who works there looks at her suspiciously, and when she picks up an orange, he tells her that she has to pay for it.  Echo: “Yes.  With money.”  She wants to know where to get it, and the employee says that he hears that it grows on trees.  That’s just cold.  Echo: “Where is this tree?”  He points her to a cash machine.  While Echo, I kid you not, starts to talk to the ATM, a woman tries to buy food with food stamps.  The store won’t take them, and the clerk is pretty harsh with the poor woman who hasn’t eaten in two days.  The woman’s name is Galena, she is strikingly beautiful, and she only speaks Spanish.  Watching Galena’s interchange with the clerk, Echo is inspired to steal some food, and then run outside.  She gives some of the stolen food to Galena, who is happy at first, but then they are chased by the local Sheriff (played by hey-it’s-that guy Glenn Morshower) and one of his deputies.  These two law enforcement officers prove themselves to be pretty brutal, and while the Sheriff manhandles Galena, and puts her under arrest, the deputy tries to tackle Echo and actually pulls a gun on her.  During this confrontation, Echo flashes (no, not that kind of flashing) and gains some ninja skills so as to disarm her pursuer.  She is able to escape, but Galena is not so lucky.

Cut to the Dollhouse, 3 months later.  Ooh, time jump!  Adelle pours tea for Harding (in case you don’t remember him, he is played by Keith Carradine) and a client named Mr. Caviezel.  Her entire manner is muted and cowed, and it is clear that she has lost control of her house.  Boo!  The client is a slimy creep, and Adelle’s distaste for him is very apparent.  Mr. Caviezel  notes: “And I’m grateful that I can afford it, that I possess the means to satisfy my vagaries, to quote the Marquis de Sade.”  Adelle is cringing at this, because she realizes that someone who quotes the Marquis de Sade should probably be avoided.  As she exits, Mr. Caviezel comments to Harding: “She’s the woman who sets up these sensational outings for me?!  She’s gifted … and quite a beauty herself.”  Harding: “In her day.”  Shut up, Harding.  It is SO still her day.

Cut to Echo, who has definitely showered many times by now, along with fixing her hair and applying lip gloss.  She is working as a nurse at a hospital, still in the same town it seems, and she has clearly been there awhile, as she seems very comfortable in her job.  She purposely, but seemingly accidently, offers to cover for another nurse, who is sick (at Echo’s hand, as we will learn later).

Back at the Dollhouse, Adelle and Boyd discuss this latest sleaze-ball client.  Adelle: “This client seems to quite enjoy the pain, or, I should say derives pleasure from inflicting it.”  Boyd: “You don’t approve?”  Adelle: “I don’t have to.  It’s already in the pipeline.  It feels like ages ago that we actually weighed a request against an active’s chance of survival, let alone well being.”  Boyd: “We’ve always put them at risk.  We just don’t lie about it anymore.”  Interesting.  Adelle: “You sound like Harding.”  I think Boyd’s motivation is very different, but Adelle doesn’t know about that yet.  Boyd: “I can no longer tell if you’re so bent out of shape because you’re no longer in control of the actives, or because you’re no longer in control.”  Hmmm.  We’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we?

Cut back to Echo, who goes to visit Galena, our poor arrested woman from three months earlier.  The Sheriff is there, and he is not nearly as likable in this role as he was as Landry’s father in Friday Night Lights, or the secret service guy in 24.  I hate seeing hey-it’s-that-guy play mean.  Galena doesn’t speak English, and the Sheriff and deputies are total power-tripping jerks to her, making no effort to understand her.  Echo uses one of her many imprints to speak in Spanish to the abused prisoner, and also determines that the woman’s rib is broken.  It looks very painful.  Echo gives her a shot, and then gives her “something for the pain.”  I bet that it’s for something else besides the pain [and I’m right, as we’ll later learn].  She then makes plans to return the next day to bring more medicine, and gives Galena explicit instructions for taking the pills, in Spanish.

Meanwhile, Ivy is mad that Topher is looming, and there is some entertaining banter back and forth.  Topher: “You’ve said looming so many times now, that it sounds like a nonsense word.”  Ha!  He just wanted to brainstorm, which makes her happy, but then he says, “But not with you.”  Poor Ivy.  Instead, he wants to brainstorm with Sierra and Victor, who have been imprinted as doctors/ scientists.  Victor wonders if they have the money for something or other, and Topher replies: “As Mr. Harding says, anything in the name of progress.”  Hmmm.  And what kind of progress are they trying to make?  The kind that destroys the world, I’m afraid.

Cut to Echo, who arrives home at her apartment.  Paul is waiting for her and attacks, however, it is revealed to be practice, and that they are sharing the place.  There is some definite sexual tension.  Like a lot.  Also, Paul is looking rather sexy.  What?  It’s just the truth.  Echo brought home groceries, and as she unloads them, her behavior towards Paul is very easy and familiar.  Paul asks if Galena is alright.  Echo is not sure who is hurting Galena, but knows that someone is.  Yeah, I doubt that she broke her own ribs.  It turns out that the groceries that Echo brought home included a whole lot of boxed macaroni and cheese.  Paul quips: “36 personalities and not one of them can cook?”  Paul makes it clear that he would want his fantasy to cook.  There’s some flirting.  Echo also explains that she got the layout of the jail: “I’ll fire up the recall later, when I get a second wind.”  Hmmm.  Paul: “Headaches?”  He wonders what imprints she accessed; Echo explains that Joel Miner’s wife was a nurse (the client from “Man on the Street”), then there was a different one to speak Spanish, and another one that is “border line Rain Man” to case the prison.  Paul is concerned: “We can take it easy tonight.”  Echo: “No, I want to get physical.  Accessing muscle memory relieves the pressure.  Tomorrow’s a big day.”  She wants to light candles, and Paul asks why.  Echo: “This is our last night.  Once we break Galena out, we’re done.”  Paul protests, as he’s not eager to bring Echo back to the Dollhouse.  Echo: “I can’t train forever.  If we can get Galena out, that means I’m ready.  We have to go back inside the Dollhouse.  You know this.  Paul, you know this.”  Paul: “So what are the candles for?”  Echo: “Candlelight.”  Ha!  Ambiance for some loving, perhaps?  Nope—no moments of perfect happiness for them (at least not that night).

Echo and Paul talk instead.  She explains that it was “more than a glitch” when she took out the deputy (3 months ago).  It was “like a wave, everything washing over me, and then the wave pulls back, and you see what it washed up, picking up the shells and smooth stones from the shore, collecting myself.”  Paul wonders why, and Echo says Bennett: “She showed me something Alpha didn’t: Caroline.”  Ooh, fascinating!  I’m glad that Bennett’s memory awakened something in Echo, thus having a bigger impact on the larger plot movement.  Paul warns her that maybe it’s not the most trustworthy memory: “That’s Bennett’s perception.  And she doesn’t sound remarkably stable.”  Fair point.  Echo doesn’t like the idea that Caroline might not be not so great, and is worried that she is saving this body for Caroline, but she’s not her.  Paul: “You don’t know that.  You’ve been resisting the wipes from the start.”  He goes on, but Echo interrupts and says that she is NOT her: “My name is Echo.”  This will be a recurring theme, I’m sure.  I think that it is very cool that Echo herself has become her own person, separate from Caroline.  Plus, Caroline kind of sucks, but Echo is awesome.  Paul: “I didn’t mean to upset you.”  Echo: “No, you do help me.  You’re my best friend.”  Aaww, I’m getting misty-eyed here.  After she says that however, her body language says that she wants more than friends.  Paul puts the kibosh on that, noting “Let’s keep it that way,” in a very pointed manner.  Echo is hurt: “You think I’m a freak, or a child.”  Paul: “I think that I don’t have a right.”  Oh, NOW he’s noble, when it’s not poor Mellie.  Hmmm.  Echo: “It’s not my other personas that make me feel what I feel.”  Paul: “The Dollhouse made you fall in love over and over.  You told me that.”  Echo [putting her hand on Paul’s leg]: “They also made me aggressively sexual, and phenomenally creative in bed.”  Oh, Echo.  Paul: “Now that’s just cruel.”  Echo: “Also sociopathic, inexperienced, blind, and at least seven times, gay.  There’s a lot of noise from the chorus girls, but they’re not me.  There is a me.  This is me.”  This speech is hilarious and sad and touching all at the same time.  There is no other show like this on television.

But I am soon distracted by shirtless Tahmoh!  Pause the recap.  OK, I’ve recovered now.  Echo also disrobes, but it is all a tease, as they are just sparring.  Still it is very tension filled—as in sexual tension.  Then we see a number of scenes cut together, featuring Echo making a fake I.D. and drawing the plans of the jail.  Paul watches this (while still shirtless, for some very good reason, I’m sure).  Scenes of the two going to bed in separate beds are also interspersed along with more sparring.  They are so in love.  Which one will die or turn evil first?

Back at the Dollhouse, Adelle knocks on Topher’s office door and asks him to sign off on an engagement.  What?  Poor Adelle is reduced to asking permission from Topher?!  Topher talks about one of his improvements, and Adelle asks: “What else does Harding have you improving?”  Topher: “That’s on a need to know basis.”  Adelle: “Well I need to know.”  Harding interrupts, foiling her plan to get more information.  Adelle reminds him that she had quite a scientific mind before being transferred there.  Topher and Harding are part of a mutual admiration society which excludes Adelle.  Harding tells Adelle that finding Topher was one of her best accomplishments.  Burn.  As Harding exits, he gets in one last quip: “Don’t you have a ghost to chase?”

Adelle leaves, and goes into the room where Boyd is on the phone.  She snits that “Topher is finally showing his true colors.”  It is revealed to be Paul on the phone with Boyd, but Boyd doesn’t let on to Adelle.  Paul says that he’ll bring Echo in soon, and Boyd is noticeably anxious.  Paul assures him that if they stick to the PLAN [woo hoo! Boyd is in on it!], then everything will be fine.  Boyd doesn’t think is the best time to come in, but Paul explains: “I don’t think we have a choice.  She’s not saying anything, but her headaches are getting worse.  She’s deteriorating.”  Boyd: “I thought you said she was getting smarter?”  Paul: “She is, and it’s taking its toll.”  For a minute there I was worried that Echo didn’t know about Boyd and Paul’s plan to bring her back in, but then when she gets out of the shower it is clear that she totally knows about Boyd’s involvement too.

Cut to Galena, in jail, taking the pills Echo gave her.  She has a seizure, and Nurse Echo arrives.  Echo tells the Sheriff and deputy that it’s head trauma.  She speaks to Galena in Spanish, so as to be secretive.  She injects her with a syringe which will slow her heartbeat to seemingly dead, and says that Galena’s in cardiac arrest.  She tells the Sheriff and deputy to call a doctor, but before the call goes through she calls time of death.  The jerks freak, and demand Galena’s file.  She agrees to cover up for them if they promise that they won’t do it again.  Seriously?  And they buy this?  She explains that a lot of unknown people die at the hospital, and she will make her one of those Jane Does, only the Spanish sounding version.  She argues, “It’s better than dumping her body in a ditch.”  The Sheriff relents, and lets Echo leave with the body, accompanied by a deputy.  Echo is in a big hurry, as the drug she gave Galena will wear off soon.  Too late!  Galena jerks upwards.  She’s alive!  The deputy is terrified, and then gets angry.

Back at the Dollhouse, Adelle’s office has been hijacked by a group of smoking men, including that awful Clive Ambrose, laughing and being obnoxious.  Adelle is introduced to a man who will be managing the new Dollhouse in Dubai.  Harding explains that they plan on transferring a few actives from her house to his care for the grand opening.  Harding wants her to compile a list of actives.  Adelle is less than thrilled, and when she exits into the elevator, she and Boyd discuss this new development.  Boyd: “You need to take this house back.”  Adelle: “And how am I supposed to do that?”  Boyd: “The Adelle that I knew would never ask me that question.”  Interesting.  I did not doubt for one minute that Adelle would get the house back, but I was slightly surprised at how she eventually did it.  I think it will all make sense in the long run though, and be revealed that she’s acting on behalf of “the greater good.”

Then we return to Galena and Echo at the jail.  The Sheriff is pissed, and locks them both away in a cell.  Echo tells Galena that she can get them out of there, but then she gets a really bad headache.  Uh oh.  Not good.

Meanwhile, Topher gives a presentation about how to do remote wipes, without the chair.  The benefits include being able to better handle an active with an obnoxious personality.  Kilo (played by the adorable and very talented Maurissa Tancharoen) is brought in as an example.  She is full of attitude, but Topher uses his device and puts her into “a perfect doll state.”  The room full of actives/ doctors clap.  Sierra and Victor kiss in their imprinted doctor states but Topher zaps them too.  Of course that doesn’t stop our adorable couple, as they leave holding hands.  Harding notes this, and asks: “Are they grouping?”  Topher tries to feign ignorance, and is hilarious and awkward.  Harding: “They’re grouping aren’t they?”  Topher again pretends confusion, but Harding adds: “It happens all the time.  It’s very common, and easily dealt with.”  In response to Topher’s query, Harding explains: “Split them up and put them in different houses.  The girl would be perfect for Dubai.”  Nooooo!  Topher is not thrilled either.

Cut back to Echo and Galena in the jail cell.  Galena is very sweet and comforts her.  Somehow, this strikes a chord with Echo, and she flashes through a number of personalities.  Finally, she says “Blue skies,” and it is clear that she has taken on Taffy from “Gray Hour.”  Echo/ Taffy gets up and uses the metal from her underwire to unlock the door.  Crafty.  Galena notes, “You’re not a nurse, are you?”  Echo/ Taffy: “Right now?  No.”  Unfortunately, the guards intersect them, but Echo goes ninja and takes them out.  Then she and Galena run, and Echo uses her MacGyver-like safe-cracking skills to jimmy open the doors.  At the last door, a deputy catches up to them, but Echo beats him up.  The Sheriff sees this and makes the smart move of running in the opposite direction.  Echo gets another bad headache, however, and says, “I don’t think I can keep this up.”  Galena proves to be NOT an idiot, and gets the keys from the fallen guard, so as to get them through the final door.  They go outside and get on a motorcycle, thus allowing Echo to use the very first imprint we ever saw.  Good job, whoever is in charge of continuity!

As the ladies speed off, Paul arrives and cuts off the Sheriff’s car.  He does some smooth talking, introducing himself as FBI, and plays the recording of the earlier conversation about abuse.  Basically, he blackmails the Sheriff into letting the ladies go.  Sheriff concedes, but asks: “Why are you wasting your time on some border-hopping nobody?”  Paul: “I’m not.  I’m wasting it on you.  Now, don’t make me waste anymore.”  Good job, Paul.  I’m really starting to like you again.  That is usually a sign that my heart will soon be broken, judging by past Whedon shows, so brace yourselves.

Meanwhile, Topher hurries Adelle to his scary little bedroom.  She is annoyed because she thinks that Topher wants to show her his new device, which she has been hearing about all day.  She notes surprise that it took him so long to develop.  Topher drops a bomb: “It didn’t.  I finished it two months ago.  I spent the rest of the time trying to come up with another way to do it—a stupider way, a parlor trick—that wouldn’t lead to anything else, anything bad.”  Um, wow.  Adelle: “What else Topher?  What bad?”  Topher:  “Harding’s got me working on a portable remote wipe, right?  I saw Bennett working on a blah blah sensory system override.  There are what?  22 houses?”  Adelle: “23 now.”  Ah yes, Dubai.  Topher: “Each working on their own small specific relatively harmless technology.  So I got to thinking-”  Adelle finishes his thought: “It’s a component.  A part of a larger whole.”  Topher: “I think they’re trying to build a portable device that could imprint anyone, without any active architecture implants, any innocent on the street, with a new personality.”  This is definitely the beginnings of the tech from “Epitaph One.”  Are you scared yet?  Adelle: “That’s unnerving.”  Topher: “No, what’s unnerving is that I figured out how to do it.”  And this is where it gets even scarier.  Not only is Rossum working on this, it has already been figured out.  He shows her his work.  Adelle: “This is something that Harding must never know.”  Dun dun dun.

Cut to Echo and Galena, back at Echo and Paul’s apartment.  Echo and Paul gave Galena her a new I.D. and money, and Galena asks: “Why did you do this?”  Echo: “Because you deserve to be free.”  Holding up her new I.D., Galena quips: “No, it’s Lisa now.” As they say their goodbyes, Galena/ Lisa comments to Echo: “You are the strangest woman I have ever met.”  She leaves and Paul closes the door behind her.  Echo: “One down.”  And 23 Dollhouse to go.  Paul: “This was just a test run.  Things are going to be a lot harder when we get back to the Dollhouse.”  Echo: “I can handle it.”  Paul: “We should get ready to move out then.  I just wanted to make sure that our operation is cleaned up now that we’re finished.  Echo: “Are we?”  She kisses him and he kisses back for quite a bit, but then pulls away.  She entreats him: “Just once, just here, while there’s still just the two of us.”  Paul:  “Is there?  Just the two of us?”  Echo sadly and angrily: “I guess not.”  Just then, Boyd enters, completely unaware of the awkwardness he intruded on: “Echo, are you ready to come home?”  Echo sarcastically replies, “I try to be my best.”  It’s hard out there for a girl with 36 brains.

Back at the Dollhouse, Topher walks through the hallway back to his little dungeon and discovers that his plans are gone.  Uh oh, times one thousand.

Cut to Adelle and Harding.  Harding: “I have to say that I’m surprised.  Topher Brink is a genius, but I didn’t realize he was actually smart.  This, this has the potential to change everything.”  Adelle: “I suspected as much.”  Harding: “You did the right thing Adelle.  I imagine you only did it in the hopes of that I would give you your house back, but I don’t much mind.”  Adelle: “I did it because I understand how it works now—how much Rossum has at stake.”  Harding: “And you’re on board?”  Adelle: “I accept the situation.  I did believe that the power we have could be used to help people, but …”  Harding: “And it can.”  Adelle: “But in the end, power is always used to get more power.  And if Rossum has this much, I have little interest in being on the other team.”  This speech should be very familiar to fans of Angel, but I won’t spoil those of you who have yet to watch with further details.  Harding wonders: “I have to ask, did you ever think about just renting a doll to kill me?”  Adelle: “I’d like to think that I’d have had the courage to do it myself.”  She so would.  Harding: “Ever the idealist.”  I think it is darkly humorous that in the Dollhouse world, Adelle is looked at as the idealist.  What a tangled web.  Harding wants to celebrate with cigars, but Adelle has regained the advantage, and tells him that there is no smoking in her office.  I know that I should be furious with Adelle, but instead I was sort of celebrating her little moment of triumph.  Is that wrong?  I guess it all depends on what happens next.

Cut to the imprint room.  Topher yells at Adelle: “Are you out of your British mind?”  We have never seen Topher this angry.  It is disturbing.  Adelle says that she acted in the best interest of the house.  Topher is not mollified: “You gave Rossum the deadliest tech I’ve ever heard of!”  Adelle points out the obvious: “Which you designed.”  Topher: “I was trying to find out what they were up to!”  Adelle: “You were fascinated.  You were playing.”  Topher: “Don’t put this on me.  I trusted you.”  Adelle: “Well, who thought that was a clever scheme?”  Topher: “You are the coldest bitch on this planet.”  She slaps him, really really hard.  Adelle: “That is the last time you will ever speak to me like that, or at all unless spoken to.  You are off R & D and back on programming.  You will imprint these dolls with dedication and precision.  And you will follow every single one of my commands as if they were your heart’s most deep desire.”  Topher:“What happens if I don’t?”  Adelle: “I would hope, as someone who does care for you, that you will never find that out.  I rule the house.  I won’t let someone challenge that, not ever again.”  On that note, cue the entrance of Echo and Boyd and Paul, in slow motion.  These three, of course, are exactly the three most likely to challenge her rule of the house.  This should make for an interesting story.  Their entrance also reminds me of the Angel opening credits, especially given the Wolfram & Hart-esque setting of the Dollhouse.

The final scene features Adelle, Boyd, Paul, Topher, and Echo, all together in the imprint room.  Boyd says that Paul has been looking for Echo the entire time.  Paul says that he found her a week ago, and nursed her back to health; she was living like an animal.  Adelle is way skeptical of this B.S. story, and I really don’t blame her.  In response to the request for a treatment, Adelle states: “Or we’ll see just how much more she can bear.  No treatments just yet.”  She wants to put her in isolation and observe her.  Paul is outraged and says that Echo’s in pain.  Adelle is not swayed: “She looks fine to me.”  Adelle: “Come on.  We all know Echo’s special.  Let’s see what she’s capable of.”  She leans over Echo and says “It’s good to have you back, love.”  The end.

I am thrilled that Olivia Williams continues to be given such good material to work with lately.  Adelle is really the highlight of the show for me lately, though I was captivated by every moment.  What did you think?  Post your reactions below.

Related posts:

• DOLLHOUSE: “Epitaph 2: The Return”
• DOLLHOUSE: “Getting Closer”
• DOLLHOUSE: “A Love Supreme”
• DOLLHOUSE: “The Left Hand”
• DOLLHOUSE: “The Public Eye”