DOLLHOUSE: “Getting Closer”

Photo Credit: Spoiler TV/ Fox.

Read on for my recap & review of Dollhouse 2×11, “Getting Closer,” aired January 8th, 2010:

This episode ate my brain and made my heart race.  It was a fascinating and stressful experience.  It was so full of jaw-dropping and gasp-worthy moments that I had to call my sisters the next day to discuss.  The only one who had seen the episode, Gianna, had this to say: “I feel like I just found out my best friend is Hitler.”  I am not exaggerating—actual quote.  For me, everything goes back to Star Wars, so I found it more akin to finding out that the father I loved and admired was Darth Vader.  Wait, scratch that—it would be more like finding out that Luke Skywalker was the brains behind Emperor Palpatine’s plans.  That’s how unexpected the reveal of Boyd as the man upstairs was.  It is three four five days later, and I have not yet recovered.  I’ve been pondering how crazy it will be, once the series is over, to go back and watch Dollhouse from the beginning.  This changes EVERYTHING.  Everything.  And oh yeah, my newest favorite character, Bennett, was … oh, what’s the word?  Oh yes, she was SHOT IN THE BRAIN by my very favorite character, Whiskey.  That was … unexpected.  Killing Summer Glau’s character right in front of us and in cold blood?  Does Joss like torturing the fans?  Though, to be honest, I was worried about death as soon as Topher and Bennett sucked face—that kind of googly-eyed puppy love can only result in death in the Whedonverse.  I should have known.  Sigh.  Boyd and Whiskey’s little love affair should have been a sign as well—with the two so happy together, one of them was sure to die or become evil.  We knew Whiskey couldn’t die yet, courtesy of “Epitaph One,” so I was suspecting that Boyd might be killed trying to save Echo’s life.  But no, death would be too kind to Boyd fans.  He had to be evil.  Well, I could babble about this all day, but instead, let’s get on to the recap:

A title card reads “3 years ago.”  Oh, goody!  I love a flashback.  We open on Adelle’s office in the L.A. Dollhouse.  Caroline is with a guy in a suit and is acting all flirty.  I am immediately suspicious, but the guy is clearly an optimist with rocks for brains.  He’s worried that she’s gonna get him fired, but not worried enough, so I’m guessing that he has never actually met Adelle.  I would not mess around in Cruella DeWitt’s office after hours if I were him.  In a predictable plot twist Caroline handcuffs her hapless companion and gets to work rifling though Adelle’s desk.  Dumb security guy (for lack of a better name): “What are you doing?”  Caroline: “What I came here to do.”  Hmmm.  Dumb security guy: “God, you’re a thief?  I let a thief into the building?!”  Caroline: “Relax, I’m not a thief.  I’m a terrorist.”  Hee.  Dumb security guy denies any knowledge of anything, and I have to say that I believe him.  Caroline finds a file on herself, and another on up-and-comer Bennett Halverson (introduced to us in “The Public Eye,” and played by the lovely Summer Glau) marked “high priority.”  My my my—this is the beginning of answers for those questions we’ve been asking.  Thank you, Tim Minear (who wrote and directed this episode) and company.  In glimpsing the photo of Bennett, Caroline quips, “Hello, Carrie at the prom.  Off-the-chart smarts.  I bet you could kill you with your brain.”  Ha!  A Firefly reference!  Again, thank you Tim Minear.  She wonders: “What makes you a priority?  Full scholarship … What’s in Tucson?”  *Me, waving my hand*  Ooh, I know, I know!  As Caroline continues to snoop, she comes across the hidden monitors featuring video coverage of the underground Dollhouse.  Dumb security guard is either as shocked as her, or a really good actor: “I have no idea.  That can’t be in this building.”  Caroline’s response?  “Then let’s bring down the building.”  Yeah, she really wasn’t lying about that whole terrorist thing.  Dumb security guy asks, “Who are you?”  Well, that is the question.

Back in the present, we cut to Adelle: “Caroline?”  Well, that is one answer Adelle, but I think it’s a bit more complicated.  Yes, we are picking up right where we left off last week, at the end of “The Attic.”  The whole gang is in Adelle’s office and plotting their next move.  Echo: “Yes, we need to know what she knows.  Clyde says that there was one person who had seen his partner face to face, and that was Caroline.”  Boyd: “She can ID the man in charge.”  Oh, yes she can.  Now, I cannot watch that scene the same way, knowing what I know now.  Brain hurts, but must continue.  Echo: “Or the woman.”  Topher: “Or hermaphrodite.  Say, can we get back to the part where the chair-less imprint tech that I designed, and that you [pointing to Adelle] handed over to Harding in order to get this  swank office back, how that leads to the apocalypse?  Because I thought that was kind of an interesting detail.”  You know it’s bad when Topher is the voice of morality and reason.  Echo: “It doesn’t matter where the tech comes from.  We have to do more than disrupt production.  As long as Clyde’s partner [aka BOYD!!!] is still out there, Rossum will go on.  We have to cut the head off the snake.”  Boyd: “But Caroline is the only one who has ever met that snake.”  Oh, you snake!  Echo: “She’s been behind the curtain.  Now we need her to take us there.”  Ivy pipes up at this point: “What if she won’t?  I mean you’re impressive, you are.  You’re carrying multiple constructs, and something in you has allowed you to fuse them into a kind of super-ego.  But Caroline isn’t just one more personality build you’d be adding to the mix.  She’s real.”  The other actives (oh yes, they are still on the show) take offense to this insinuation.  Sierra: “Echo is real.”  Victor: “You’re damn right she is.”  Adorable.  Topher, however, agrees with Ivy: “Ivy’s right.  We actually don’t know what dumping Caroline into Echo’s brain will do.  [He faces Echo.]  Your original self returns home to find the house party that’s going on inside your head.  She might fight back.”  Echo:  “She’d lose.”  Adelle is tired of all this debate, and makes her decision: “Alright.  Pull Caroline from the vault.  Put Echo in the chair.”  Um, didn’t Alpha steal Caroline’s imprint, and smash the other one?  Oh yes, I remember now—Paul saved “the girl” at the end of “Omega,” as in saved Caroline’s imprint.  So there is one copy of Caroline’s imprint left, and after all that drama last season Adelle just left it in some vault.  I’m betting that thing is long gone.  Loooong gone. [And I’m right.]

So Ivy goes to find the loooong gone imprint, while Echo is strapped into the chair.  Sierra wonders if the restraints are really necessary.  Echo: “Just a precaution.”  Adelle: “And not an unwise one.  Unlike the rest of you, I’ve actually met Caroline.”  Ha!  Favorite line of the episode!  That tone … Olivia Williams kills it every time.  Echo asks Paul if he’s ok, and he says that he is.  Echo: “We haven’t really talked since you … died.”  Paul: “I guess we’ve both died since then.”  Echo: “Yeah, weird week.  So, are you finally ready to meet the girl who started all the trouble in your life?”  Paul plays it cool: “What?  Jennie Straws from my fourth grade math class is here?”  Hee.  Oh, Tahmoh, you are adorable.  Echo smiles, but she is sad inside.  Ivy enters, upset.  She says that Caroline is gone.  Her imprint is missing.  No, really?  I’m shocked.  Cue credits.  [It is a bad sign for the length of this recap that I’m already at the bottom of the second page on my Word Document before the credits have even rolled.  I’m feeling wordy today, so bear with me.]  La la la la …

Back to three years ago: Bennett is standing in an outdoor eating area at school, holding a food tray, wearing very geeky glasses.  She sees a group of girls who have finished eating, and asks them if they are finished, clearly wanting a seat.  Mean girl: “Yeah, you can take these.”  Pause.  Bennett: “I am not a waitress.”  The mean girls don’t care what she is, and laugh it off.  Caroline approaches, but luckily she doesn’t blow anything up in this scene.  Instead, she pretends to be about to throw up.  It is very convincing, and the mean girls scatter to save their shoes.  Caroline smiles: “Care to join me?”  Bennett realizes she’s not really ill and sits.  Caroline Farrell and introduces herself to Bennett Halverson.  It’s a meet-cute, y’all.  Caroline: “So, I’m just gonna guess: Neuroscience major?”  Bennett: “How’d you know?”  Instead of telling her about reading a stolen file, she replies: “Fish: brain food.  Also, brain books.”  Bennett laughs: “Of course, I’m an idiot.”  Caroline: “And a genius, probably.”  Bennett: “Technically.  And you?”  Caroline: “Not a huge genius.”  Bennett: “I meant what are you studying?”  Caroline: “Still trying to pin it down.  I see all the things they have to offer, and I figure once I settle on one thing, I’ve excluded everything else.  And there are a lot of things I’d like to be.”  Bennett clearly admires her new friend’s easy-breezy ways, and has the beginnings of a major girl-crush.  I’m sad, since I know how this story ends.

Back in the present, Echo watches the home video of Caroline, from season one—the one in which she wears the green polo shirt.  Adelle: “She seems so innocent in a way, doesn’t she?  Unspoiled.”  Echo: “Yeah.”  Adelle: “She wasn’t, you know.  Caroline Farrell left quite a trail of unhappiness in her wake, and not a few bodies.”  Echo: “Are you saying she’s evil?”  That would make things easier in determining who to root for in the battle for Caroline’s body.  Adelle replies: “Worse: an idealist.  I shouldn’t be at all surprised if it turned out her wedge had got up and walked out of here on its own.”  Ha!  Who thought Adelle didn’t have a sense of humor?  Echo: “I was glad, when I heard it was missing.”  Adelle is unfazed by this reveal: “It’s only natural.”  Echo assures her, “But I didn’t take it.”  Adelle: “I only considered it briefly.”  World, Adelle DeWitt is smarter than you.

Cut to Ivy and Topher in the imprint room.  Ivy makes an argument for why Echo would steal the imprint: “Because she’s become a real girl.  If Caroline were to come back, she’d cease to exist, or wind up nuts, or very confused.”  I see her point, but sadly she is not as sharp as Adelle.  Topher doesn’t buy it, arguing that “the Attic is worse than getting a roomie.”  I think he is missing the point.  Echo wouldn’t steal the imprint because she is a good person, and cares about saving her friends’ lives above her own—that’s why she’s working to find Caroline even though it will destroy her.  As Adelle said, Caroline is an idealist—I think Echo is a bit of one herself.  Topher argues: “No, this is just Rossum being five steps ahead of us again.  Harding was running this place for months.  His people were everywhere.  Rossum could have had ‘em grab the wedge at anytime.”  Definitely possible.  However, after seeing the end of this episode, it seems more likely that Boyd (or whatever his real name is) snagged it.  Ivy finally seems to have accomplished whatever goal her tinkering was moving towards, and tells Topher, “We have ignition.  Ghost chair’s just been engaged.”  Topher: “Let’s do this.”  The empty imprint chair lights up.

We then cut to Bennett in Washington D.C.  She is working on an active, and notes to her assistant: “After Apollo’s been accomplished, bring Cassandra down for a full diagnostic…”  Hmmm, there was already an Aphrodite, so I guess in the D.C. Dollhouse there are two dolls for every letter of the alphabet—one male and one female?  Bennett realizes the imprint has been corrupted from the outside.  She notes:”School pranks.  This reeks of Topher Brink.”  Suddenly Apollo puts a choke hold on her and opens the security doors.  Then Paul and Victor enter.  What?!  Who knew our guys were so efficient and clever.  It seems that they were able to use the ghost chair to remotely corrupt Apollo’s imprint and make him a sleeper.  Crazy stuff.  Victor tells Apollo, “Ginger snap,” and he relaxes his hold.  Paul calls Topher and lets him know that they’re in and they have Bennett.  Topher is adorably worried about his crush (though I’m still a little bitter than he hit her): “Is she OK?  Is she still cute?  Don’t you hurt her.”  Paul ignores Topher as usual, but this time he has a good reason.  His distraction?  He sees Madeline/ Mellie/ November on the monitor.  Paul: “We’re not leaving yet.”  Oh, good.  It’s about time someone worried about poor November.

Some time later, cut to Bennett being escorted into the L.A. Dollhouse.  Adelle: “And the flight?  Not too exhausting, I trust?”  Bennett: “You used the company jet to abduct the programmer of a rival house.”  Adelle: “I’m sure I’ll be kicking myself come holiday bonus time.”  Hehe.  Bennett:  “I’m sure you’ll be done by then.  It’s a very open space.  Quite a lot of beige.  You let them roam.  They roam like free range chickens.  We keep ours more like veal.”  That interchange was so fabulous that it makes me sad that it is the last between Summer and Olivia.  Maybe someday they will be cast in another project together.

They enter the imprint room, and Topher awkwardly greets Bennett.  She realizes what he did to get control of her chair: “Impressive.”  If I understood it, I would be impressed too.  Instead, I’m just confused.  She says she doesn’t care what they need, they won’t get her services.  She also points out that Topher assaulted her, and she wants to make a formal complaint.  Adelle: “Ms. Halverson, as you have correctly noted, you have been abducted.”  Hee.  At this point, Topher starts making absurdly comical motions to get Adelle to change tactics, but as he makes no sense, she continues: “Now you can be treated as a prisoner, or a guest, it …”  Finally, she is compelled by Topher’s wild gestures to try a different approach.  With clenched teeth, Adelle asks, “Can I get you anything?”  When Bennett indicates that she’d like a diet soda, Topher hilariously blurts “I have some!”  Topher is beyond awkward in this scene, as he offers to show her his office: “You showed me yours, let me show you mine.”  Bennett’s expression in response to this offer is beyond priceless.  Hee.  Topher then makes an equally hilarious face to Adelle.  This show is all about the expressions, guys.  Seriously.

Elsewhere, November is back at the L.A. Dollhouse too, and Boyd and Adelle see her walking with Paul.  Boyd: “How long you think before they track her back here?”  Adelle: “Sooner than I’d hoped, I’m afraid.  Damn romantic fools.  I’m surrounded by them.”  Boyd: “He couldn’t just leave her there.”  Adelle: “No, I suppose not.  But I had hoped for an outward appearance of normalcy while we marshaled our forces.  However, any battle plan must be fluid.  We’ll be going into full lock-down mode.”  Ah, it’s so hard to be Adelle, and have to clean up everyone else’s messes.  Also, she is totally the general of this operation.  I love it.

When Paul is alone, Echo approaches him: “You did a good thing.”  Paul: “Did I?  She walked away from me, and I let her.  I never looked to see if she was ok.  She was a person, and now she’s …”  Instead of telling Paul “That’s because you’ve been too busy being obsessed with ME!” she says that they’ll fix it and make it right.  He’s not so sure that she can ever be right.  To really twist the knife, he says, “Once they’ve done this to you, can you ever be right?”  Poor Echo.

Cut back to Bennett and Topher.  He tries to convince her to help them, using flattery.  While a good plan in theory, Bennett is a little too smart for that.  He mentions how she fixed “the Hamilton Wedge,” which was missing half its data.  Blah blah blah compression ratio.  Blah blah blah exponential increase.  Blah blah blah corruption.  Bennett: “Why do you need this one restored?”  Ooh, this is where things get dicey.  Topher: “Would it sound OTT if I said this could help prevent the end of civilization as we know it?”  Hee.  Bennett: “I would need to understand the context.”  Some competition for the best line of the episode here, but I think Adelle still reigns supreme.  Topher: “How much data loss would we suffer?”  She says none.  This causes Topher to get all googly-eyed and begin mooning over her in full force.  He apologizes for hitting her, and says that he didn’t want to.  Bennett is somewhat receptive to his reasoning, pointing out, “I was trying to kill your active at the time.”  Hee.  Topher: “[Shrugging dismissal] You had your reasons.”  Topher and Bennett together are just too adorable.  They almost kiss, but before contact Bennet pipes up: “Who’s on that wedge?”   Topher plays dumb: “Huh?”  Bennett: “Who are you trying to resurrect?”  Topher: “Uh, this person.  It’s stupid.  It doesn’t matter.”  Bennett, in a somewhat threatening tone: “It might.”  Topher gets defensive: “It’s not like it’s Stalin, or somebody.”  Bennett: “I didn’t suppose that it would be a historical figure.  Who is it?”  Goodness, how I love her.  I should have know at this moment that she would die.  Sigh.  Just then, she sees Echo come in below, and what she subconsciously probably already knew becomes clear: they want her to resurrect her arch-nemesis, Caroline.

Flashback to three years earlier.  Caroline and Bennett are in their dorm room—that’s right, they’re roomies.  Caroline: “Ready for your treatment?”  No, they’re not playing with Dollhouse technology, but rather Caroline is giving Bennett a makeover.  Bennett’s not so sure about the proposed changes.  Caroline points out that Bennett will be starting her new job soon (at Rossum, of course).  Bennett points out that she’ll mostly be looking at rats’ brains.  Caroline: “Well, you want to look nice for your vermin.”  With hair dye in hand, she assures Bennett: “This is your color.  What your color should be.  You’ll still be you, just more you.”  Bennett: “I often thought I’d like to be less like me.  And more like … well you, actually.”  Ah, we knew that, dear.  Caroline: “Me?  I’m still undeclared.”  Bennett: “You know who you are.  You’re so fearless.  I’d love to get a look at your amygdala.”  Caroline: “You’d have to buy me dinner first.”  Bennett: “No one’s ever done this for me before.”  Caroline: “Washed your hair?”  Bennett: “Taken an interest.”  Oh, poor girl.  I am pissed at Caroline right now, knowing that she will break Bennett’s heart.

Back in the present, we cut to Boyd at home.  He has a home away from the Dollhouse?!  Who knew?!  But that’s not all.  Who should be waiting there for him, dressed to the nines, and with a dinner on the table?  Claire/ Whiskey!!!  He says that it’s time they brought her in, and it seems clear that she’s been staying there for awhile.  But that’s not all.  They kiss!  Yep, that teary goodbye in “Epitaph One” had romantic subtext after all.  Victory for Boyd/ Claire shippers, but that is not a good thing in the Whedonverse.  You won’t enjoy it for long.

Back to Topher, a few minutes after we last left him.  He is in pain, with a split lip.  I guess Bennett didn’t take the Caroline news so well.  Echo comes in and asks what he did.  Topher: “Her left arm may be dead, but she’s got a terrific right cross, if anyone asks.  Actually, if anyone asks, don’t say that I got beat up by a one armed girl.”  Whatever, Topher.  Echo asks “What did you do to him?”  Topher: “Him?  Him who?”  Echo: “Paul.”  Topher pretends to have no idea about her concern: “I gave him his life back.”  Echo: “You made him a doll.”  Topher tries to explain: “I had to reconstruct his neuro-landscape based on the brain scans Alpha made when he damaged it.  But he’s still Paul.  Same taciturn, self-regarding guy.”  Echo says that he’s different.  Topher is defensive and explains that “either he could live his life trapped in a paralyzed body, or I could take away something else.”  She, very sadly, says “Me, wasn’t it?”  Topher has a rare moment of empathy, and sadly explains: “Not his memories of you.  He’s still got those.”  Echo: “Our connection.”  Topher: “I think so.  The freshest brightest paths—those were the ones I needed.  I think that was you.  Yeah.”  It’s all very sad, but makes no sense.  Oh well, I always ignore the science parts of science fiction anyway.  Echo changes the subject from her bleak love life: “You’re still bleeding.”  Before she can access any doctor imprints, Dr. Saunders herself returns, and offers to help: “Why don’t you let me do that”  They’re all shocked.  Dr. Saunders: “Hop up.  Tilt your head back.”  When Boyd comes in behind her, Topher realizes the truth: “You mean, you two?”  Echo teases: “So you’re the reason Boyd’s been all tardy and sleepy the last two months.  Glad you’re back.  You might not be.”  Then Adelle pops her head in: “Topher, that troublesome one-armed creature, where is she?”  Hee.  He explains that he had to lock her up.  Adelle:”And your charm offensive?”  Hee.  Topher: “Mostly just offensive.”  Well, at least he’s self-aware.  Adelle is dismissive: “When Dr. Saunders is finished with you, come and see me please.”  She walks off, but then pokes her head back in: “Dr. Saunders?”  Oh, Adelle.  Hee hee.

Flashback to three years ago.  Adelle is in the imprint room with a pre-scarred Whiskey, and the original Dr. Saunders.  She has long hair, though it is clearly extensions attached under a layer of her current hair do.  Whatevs—she looks fabulous as always.  She discusses the recent security breach with Dominic, who explains that a security guy let a young woman into her office.  He tells her that Caroline Farrell’s file is missing, and she was identified as intruder.  And Bennett’s file was also missing.  Adelle: “Halverson is one of Rossum’s rising stars.  Rumor has it that the man at the top selected her himself.”  Dominic tells her that Caroline is rooming with Bennett at Tucson Tech, but no one else knows.  Adelle: “Keep it that way.  We need to go to Tucson.”

Cut to Tucson, still in the flashback timeline.  Caroline enters the dorm room and greets her room-mate as Bennster, and then later Benny.  Geez, she’s annoying.  Caroline admires Bennett’s outfit: “You broke out the Tasty Couture.  Good choice.”  Love the Tasty Couture reference—a callback to Crystal in “Omega.”  Caroline notices that something is wrong.  Bennett reveals that she found her file in Caroline’s closet, by accident.  Bennett asks, “Who are you?”  She asks where the file came from.  Caroline tells her that she found it in L.A.  Bennett: “Why do you have it?”  Caroline: “Because I took it.”  Oh, Caroline.  She explains that she had wanted to get close to them, as in Rossum, to hurt them.  She says that Rossum is out of control, and if Bennett had seen what she had seen …  Bennett: “I thought you were my friend.”  Oh, poor Bennett.  Caroline: “I am.”  Bennett: “Then why won’t you let me help you?”  Well, that’s a twist.  Caroline: “You aren’t pissed that I used you?”  Bennett: “I’m hurt that you won’t.”  Caroline decides to take advantage of this: “Do you want to blow up a building?”  While I resent her getting Bennett involved in this, the way in which she asks her is beyond hilarious.  I love this show.

Cut to Echo in the present.  She greets Boyd: “Hey stud.”  Boyd: “Mother always wanted me to date a doctor.”  Ha!  Except less funny now that I know how the episode ended.  Echo: “I wonder what mine wanted.  I guess we’ll find out.”  Boyd: “Scary, isn’t it?”  Echo: “We need Caroline.”  Boyd: “We need you.”  Echo: “I keep thinking there is a me, that I’m real.  But every time I talk to someone, they act like I’m doing tricks.  Paul never believed Echo was a person, even when he cared.  Now he’s just waiting for Caroline to kick me out.”  I’m not going to lie.  I find that speech to be completely heartbreaking.  It makes me feel just wretched for Echo.  Boyd tries to comfort her: “That’s never gonna happen.”  He tells her that he never knew Caroline, but he does know her: “But I know you.  I’ve watched you grow.  I’ve watched you build yourself from scratch.  Against all odds.  Against us.  You’re stronger than everyone here, Echo.  Even Caroline.  If she gets in there, I think she’ll be proud to know you.”  Aww, that was such a sweet moment … that is if we could EVER erase the betrayal of the last few minutes of the episode.  Yep, still not over it.  Boyd is such a Sith Lord, it is not even funny.  They hug.  Boyd says that he has to put the house on lockdown, but she tells him to give her three minutes and runs off.

Where is Echo going?  To find her neglected friends, Victor and Sierra.  They comment on their lack of things to do, and it is pretty funny, like they are speaking directly to the camera.  Victor: “We’re starting to feel like a couple of fifth wheels.”  They are heartbreakingly aware of their own lack of screen time.  Hee.  Sierrra: “What do you need us to do?”  Echo turns to Victor: “Look at her.  Understand?  We’re about to go to war.  You never know what you’re going to lose in a war.  You never know what you’re going to lose anyway.  Go.  Be with each other, even if it’s only for the night.  [They start to leave, but then turn when she pipes up again.]  Guys, if you somehow forget the way back here, that’s OK too.”  When they’re gone, she sees Dominic in his Attic bodysuit stumbling forward.  It may be insensitive to say so, but that white body suit definitely ranks near the top of the list for why you don’t want to go to the Attic.  He tells her: “Clyde is dead.  Rossum is onto you.  They’re coming.”  Well isn’t he a cheery one.  He collapses in the stairwell.

Cut to the whole gang, minus Victor and Sierra, in Dr. Saunder’s office/ treatment room.  Topher is not sure if they should believe Dominic.  Adelle assumes that the info is good and orders that all the actives be restored to their original selves and released.  She doesn’t want to leave behind a house of helpless dolls.  Aw, Adelle, you’re just a big softie.  A marshmallow.  Topher: “Behind?  Where are we going?”  Adelle: “Tucson, obviously.”  Yes, obviously, Topher.  Keep up.

Cut to Rossum headquarters, in Tucson, but three years ago.  Bennett and Caroline have snuck in to blow up the building.  This is not going to end well.  Sigh.  Bennett: “These are the labs with restricted access.”  Caroline: “These are the targets.”  Oh yeah, the ones covering up human beings.  This is not good.  The two split up, and Echo goes into a utility shaft to set up charges, while Bennett does stuff on the computer.  Caroline gets distracted by a lab which is not on the schematic.  Bennett tells her to ignore it, and that she doesn’t have time: “If you get curious, you get dead.”  But Caroline ignores her—thankfully for the people in the Attic … or maybe not.  Caroline eventually finds a hidden room with people in glass cases.  One starts singing opera.  Another is in a very shallow tub of goo, and wakes up suddenly and scarily, asking for help.  Caroline tells Bennett that they have to abort because there are people in there.  Bennett says no, but Caroline insists and tells her to run to pull the detonator caps.  The scene ends on Echo, running out of the creepy room, as the timer counts down to zero.  They’re all gonna die!!! OK, not really.

Back to our gang in the present, Dominic is in shock, and is still lying on the examining.  Dr. Saunders wants to get him to a hospital, but Adelle says that’s not possible.  Adelle says that the whole staff has to work on the evacuation.  Paul is not happy: “Evacuate him.  He risked everything to get his message to us.”  Adelle is not swayed, and says to put Dominic back in the Attic, as that is his best hope.  Dominic: “No, you bitch.  I’d rather die.”  Adelle: “And I’d rather you did not.  See that it’s done.”  Wow.  I totally understand where Adelle is coming from, but putting Dominic in the Attic again is just cold.  Paul runs out after Adelle: “Let me take him.”  Adelle: “It’s done, Mr. Ballard.”  Echo agrees with Adelle for once: “She’s right.  His best chance is back in the Attic.  And we could use someone on the inside when we hit the mainframe.”  Paul bitingly tells her: “I don’t know you anymore.”  Echo, sadly: “I know.”  Aaww.  At that moment, we see November coming down the stairs, but we quickly learn from Adelle that she is imprinted as Mellie again.  Oh, Mellie, how I missed you!  Adelle to Paul: “You insisted she come along.  I insist that she is someone who trusts you entirely.  We shan’t have time for any senate subcommittees.”  Hee.  Mellie realizes where they are, and asks Paul, “Are you taking it down?”  Paul gestures to Echo beside him: “We’re taking it down.”  Oh, now he’s all buddy-buddy with Echo?  Didn’t he just disavow any knowledge of her a second ago?  Whatever.  Mellie, of course, recognizes Echo as Caroline, and tells her that Paul never gave up, and never stopped looking.  Echo, sadly: “I know.”  Pour a little more salt on Echo’s bleeding heart, why don’t you, show.  Sigh.

Cut to Adelle and Boyd arriving in her office, where Mr. Ambrose is waiting.  This can’t be good.  Adelle, of course, is as cool as a cucumber.  Seriously, her superpower is to remain calm in the face of impending doom.  She says that she’s surprised and delighted to see Ambrose.  Ambrose, referring to Boyd, says, “He doesn’t look surprised.”  Adelle: “He’s paid not to look surprised.”  No wonder Adelle and Boyd get along so well—they are both so good at acting unmoved.  It’s uncanny.  Adelle: “What can I do for you?”  He says she can go with them, as he is taking over this house, and liquidating the inventory.  Adelle: “I beg your pardon.”  Ambrose: “Let’s not play games.  Nobody comes out of the Attic, Adelle.  There have been multiple breaches.  You’re done.  [He turns to his men.]  Take her.”  Boyd: “I don’t think so.”  He shoots all three.  Yeah, I may have cheered, and thought Boyd was a hero at that moment.  Now, I feel empty inside.  Adelle still doesn’t drop the cool act: “Well, I guess we can agree this carpet’s done for.”  She does finally lose her cool, however, when she sees that Boyd has been shot too.  Sounding frightened for the first time, she calls Boyd’s name.  Me?  Confused and empty inside.

Cut back to Tucson, three years ago.  We open on a scene very familiar from Bennett’s memory in “The Left Hand.”  She is pinned under a column, and can’t move.  Caroline sees Adelle and Dominic and company enter the building, via the monitors.  In response to Bennett’s pleas for help, Caroline puts a Rossum ID card around Bennett’s neck, and tells her that she was just working late.  She says that she’s leaving: “Sorry sister.  I stay, we both get nabbed.  [She turns away.]  And I’m gonna make sure it’s just me.”  Bennett calls for her not to leave her.  Too bad she didn’t hear Caroline’s last words.  All this time she has felt betrayed by Caroline, but really Caroline was trying to keep her safe.  You’d think a genius like Bennett could have figured that out in three years, but I guess her low self-esteem helped her draw a false conclusion.

Then we cut to Echo and Bennett in the present day.  Echo: “You’re gonna bring her back.”  Bennett: “I don’t think so.”  Echo: “No, you’re going to.”  Bennett: “Or what?  You’ll hit me?”  Echo:  “I considered that.  I also considered letting you go.  I don’t want her back anymore than you do.  But the fact is, I need her.  I need what’s in her head, and I need you to get it.  I’ll make you an offer.  You resurrect Caroline Farrell long enough to save my friends, and I’ll let you do anything you want to her.  I will hold the bitch down.  Deal?”  Bennett gives a creepy and happy smile.  I guess they have a deal.

Meanwhile, Adelle and Boyd are still in Adelle’s office, dealing with the carnage.  We’ve missed a few minutes of their interchange.  Boyd: “Are you out of your mind?”  Adelle: “No, but Ambrose is.  You think a ranking Rossum board member would confine his consciousness to a single body?  When he finds out that you killed him, you’ll be a target.”  Boyd: “How’s he going to find out?”  Adelle: “I’m going to tell him, which is why you’re going to run.”  Boyd begins to understand: “To draw their fire.  It is a war.”  Not that we can trust anything that Boyd says anymore.  Adelle: “It is.”  Boyd: “Claire?”  Adelle: “She should stay with the group.  She’ll be marginally safer.”  Boyd: “Thank you.”  Adelle: “Thank me later.”

In the imprint room, Rick Fox wakes up in the chair.  If you’re wondering why in the world the NBA player and sometime actor would have a role on Dollhouse, he’s Eliza Dushku’s real-life boyfriend.  Fox’s character is named Gary Walden.  Gary: “Has it been five years?”  Topher: “Sure, sure.”  Gary: “It seems like I just got here yesterday.”  As Gary disappears into the elevator, Topher quips: “Last Tuesday, actually.”  Hee.  Topher asks if that is all of them, and Ivy, looking towards Echo, answers: “One more.”  Echo and Bennett are talking together, and Topher approaches.  He asks Bennett: “You changed your mind?”  Bennett: “It turns out Echo and I share some common interests.  Give me a hand.”  Topher: “I’ll give you both.  [Awkward pause.]  That wasn’t a reference.”  Echo, sensing the romantic tension between the two, heads out to go for a walk.  Hee.  Topher and Bennett sitting in a tree …

Cut to the Boyd and Claire scene from “Epitaph One.”  Boyd is getting ready to run, and has been injured by the shooting.  He doesn’t know where he’s going, and Claire is terrified for him.  Boyd: “Echo’s already in danger.  I don’t want you to be.  It’s an understatement to say that they have ways to make you talk.  Maybe I’ll just keep moving.  I’ll be ok.”  She gives him medicine to fight off infection, and tries to be strong.  He says that his gunshot wound is a “through and through” so he’ll be fine.  Claire, crying: “I wish we had more time.”  They embrace.  Boyd: “I know.  I’ll come back for you.  You understand?  I’ll come back for you.”  When I first saw the scene, I thought that it was super sweet.  Now, I’m thinking that Boyd’s last line was a code for her, like “three flowers in a vase.”  What do you guys think?

Cut back to Bennett and Topher.  Topher is so googly-eyed over Bennett that he looks drunk.  She looks quite pleased.  She tells him: “If you had a dewey pen [whatever that is, and however you spell it], this might go a little faster.”  He gets up, but then comes back and kisses her.  Since he has the split lip, he says “Ow!”  More hilarious kissing ensues, in which he repeatedly says “Ow!” and she says “Sorry!”   Hehe.  Topher: “More of that if we prevent the end of the world?”  Bennett: “Yes.”  Topher: “You know, I always had a  crush on you, even when I thought you were a dude.  [Pause.]  This is better.”  Ha!  OK, that might have to be the best line of the episode.  He gets up to get the pen.  Claire/Whiskey was watching this interchange, and comes forward to tell Bennett: “He’s in love with you.”  She introduces herself and says that she used to be number one.  Bennett says that it’s nice to meet her.  Claire/Whiskey: “Is that Caroline?”  Bennett: “Yes.”  Claire/Whiskey: “Do you really think you can bring her back?”  Bennett: “I’m confident of it.  Do you really think he likes me?”  Claire/Whiskey: “I didn’t say likes.”  Bennett: “He’s remarkable.”  Claire/Whiskey: “I honestly didn’t think that he was capable of admitting the existence of another human being, let alone loving one.  I think you’re the remarkable one.”  Topher reenters: “I couldn’t find a dewey pen, but ….”  He is interrupted midsentence as Claire/Whiskey SHOOTS BENNETT IN THE HEAD, and then just walks off.  My draw dropped so far at that scene, that my face broke.  Agh!!!

Rest in peace, Bennett Halverson. You were a fabulous character, and we will miss you. P.S. Why did Summer Glau have to be shot in the head? Because we love her, Topher loves her, and this is what happens when such factors collide on a Whedon show. I'm sad now. Photo Credit: Spoiler TV/ Fox.

So, after the shock of that murder, you wouldn’t think that the episode could get an crazier.  You would be wrong.  Cut back to three years ago, in Tucson.  Caroline runs into Dominic and Adelle, and is apprehended.  Adelle: “You have much to answer for, young woman.”  Caroline:  “I do?”  Adelle: “You’ve forced me to come to Arizona.  I loathe Arizona.”  Oh, another nomination for best line of the episode.  How can a girl decide?  Adelle discusses with Dominic that they’ll have to bring her back to the L.A. Dollhouse with them.  Then Adelle gets a phone call: “Yes.  Of course, sir.  I wouldn’t dream of keeping her from you.”  Upon hanging up, Adelle tells Caroline: “Someone upstairs wants to meet you.”  Caroline: “Who?”  Adelle: “The head of the company you just tried to blow up.”  Caroline: “You weren’t invited?”  As she puts Caroline in the elevator, Adelle assures her: “No hard feelings, darling.  Trips to see our director are generally one way.  Enjoy the ride.”  I would like to state for the record that it never occurred to me that “the man upstairs” would be somebody we knew, let alone trusted.

Back in the present, Adelle tries to get Topher to snap out of his shocked state.  Paul says that Rossum must have gotten to Whiskey, after she left the Dollhouse.  When I first watched the ep, I thought maybe Whiskey just went a little crazy, and perhaps rightly blamed Topher for her identity crisis.  I thought that killing Bennett might have been her personal revenge.  Now, I’m pretty sure Boyd was behind this.  Echo: “A sleeper?”  Paul: “Yeah.”  Echo: “Boyd loves her.”  Paul scathingly replies: “He’ll have to adjust.”  Hee.  Also, sad.  Topher babbles a bit, and Adelle tells him that there’s nothing left of Bennett’s brain to map.  She tells Topher that the person he needs to bring back is Caroline, and asks if he can do it.  He says yes.  Ivy, however, is not doing so well.  She is in front of the computer, talking to herself: “I can do this.  I can do this.”  Topher approaches, and she tells him, “I really do want to help you.”  Topher tells Ivy to leave: “Then live.  You have a remarkable brain.  I think it should stay in your head.  Ivy, don’t become me.  Go.  GO!”  She is a smart girl, so she leaves, crying.  It’s really quite a touching scene.  My, how Topher has grown as a character.  Thinking of others before himself?  Who’d have thunk?

Suddenly, it becomes clear that they have intruders.  Paul: “We’re breached.”  Echo: “That’s one word for it.”  Guys with guns descend into the house, on ropes.  Paul: “This won’t do it.  I was loading the weapons cache up in the handlers’ quarters.”  Echo tells Paul to go, and he heads out.  She asks Topher how long it will take for him to finish fixing Caroline’s imprint.  Topher: “This is going to take as long as it … done.”  Wow.  Adelle wonders where security is.  Echo: “Assume they’re dead.  Let’s do this.”  At that moment, the big window breaks.  Adelle: “Damn, I just had that replaced.” Ha!  Have I mentioned lately how much I adore Adelle?  Because I really really really do.  They enter the imprint room, and Echo gets in the chair.  Topher tells Adelle to head out, using the tunnels under the servers’ room: “You’re our general, we can’t lose you.”  Again, I am so impressed with Topher’s selfless attitude.  At first Adelle protests, but then she sees the wisdom in Topher’s reasoning.  She grabs Echo’s gun, and heads out with Mellie.  Topher stays with Echo, and while she is being imprinted, an armed guy in black enters.  Topher tries to scare him by saying that he’s imprinted with many useful skills.  He knocks Topher out, but then Boyd comes up from behind and breaks the guy’s neck.  He tells Echo, “Hang in there.”  Yeah, I may have cheered at that moment the first time I watched.  I thought Boyd had come back to save the day.  Rookie mistake.

Flashback to our story in Tucson, three years ago.  We pick up where we left off.  Caroline gets to the top floor, and some unfamiliar dorky guy in a suit greets her.  He offers her tea.  Caroline: “I hate tea.”  It’s like the writers don’t want me to like Caroline.  Unfamiliar dorky guy: “Wow, I mean, look at you.  Caroline Farrell.”  Caroline: “So, you’re Rossum?”  Unfamiliar dorky guy: “Rossum is just a name actually, from a play.  Though, technically you’re not robots, it seemed to fit.  Sorry, Clyde.  [He puts out his hand, but Echo doesn't shake it.]  Clyde Randolph, the second.  Well, like the fifth, actually.  I use a lot of bodies.  I’ll explain that later.  My partner and I have been quite eager to meet you.”  So, this is the guy whose original self we met in “The Attic.”  Clyde 1.0  told Echo, Victor, Sierra, and Dominic that his partner had betrayed him, and cloned him, before sticking him in the attic.  Caroline: “Why me?”  That’s what I’m wondering.  Suddenly, a man steps out of the shadows.  It’s frakin’ Boyd!!!  Boyd, very calmly replies: “Because you’re very special.  You’re going to help us in ways you can’t understand.”  Caroline:  “Not likely.”  Clyde the fifth:  “You don’t have a lot of options.”  Caroline: “So I’m going to be one of your zombies?  Open up my brain like the rest of them?”  Boyd: “You’ll never be like the rest of them.  You won’t be harmed in any way.  You’re far too valuable.”  Again, why???  Caroline: “And I’m just gonna trust you?”  Boyd: “With your life.”  Grrr argghh.

Phew, that was stressful.  It was definitely the most adrenaline-filled episode of Dollhouse yet.  I’m still not recovered from that final reveal.  I can’t wait to find out more tomorrow, when the penultimate episode airs.  What did you think?  Any theories or predictions?  Or is your brain too tired from the roller coaster of this episode?  Comment below.

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