Spoilers. The third episode is a very mixed bag, but there were a few choice moments to keep your interest, and it certainly wasn't painful enough to make me give up on this series -- even if Eliza Dushku's claim it gets better around episode 6 sounds like Tim Kring assuring fans the next volume of Heroes will be a return to form.Here, Echo (Eliza Dushku) is imprinted with the dual personalities of a backing singer and bodyguard, assigned to protect Britney/Rihanna-alike popstar Rayna Russell (Jaime Lee Kirchner), whose life is being threatened by an overzealous red-haired fan (Graham Norris). A series of stage "accidents" have plagued Rayna's national tour recently, so her manager Biz (Jim Piddock) arranges with Dollhouse manager DeWitt (Olivia Williams) to install Echo as Rayna's new bodyguard/backing singer.
Elsewhere, Agent Ballard (Tahmoh Penikett) is still trying to find proof the Dollhouse with the help of a new contact called Lubov (Enver Gjokaj), who is actually one of the "actives" Ballard's chasing after, codenamed Victor. Quite a nice twist reveal, actually, although Ballard's storyline is rather tedious... and merely demonstrates Penikett's martial arts proficiency in one scene where he beats up a room of bad guys, even after suffering a gunshot to the abdomen.
This episode ultimately devolves into a rather silly and forgettable affair, tipping over the edge in the last fifteen minutes, while providing ammunition for critics of the Dollhouse concept in general. Mainly, the fact it's difficult to become invested in Echo's missions, because even she's not aware she's on a mission, and when will Dollhouse run out of plausible "personalities" for Dushku to slip into? We've had party girl, outdoor adventurer and sexy singer already, and I'm not convinced she has the range to go much beyond that safe-zone. Then again, the apparent clientele of Dollhouse are multi-millionaires who probably don't desire much beyond attractive and strong people to help them, protect them, romance them, or escort them.I quite liked the parallel between Rayna and Echo's characters (both having to put on a façade for their day job, although Rayna at least has a choice in the matter), and it was interesting to see another doll, Sierra (Dichen Lachman), involved in the mission as Echo's backup -- playing a ditzy Australian superfan. This meant their handlers, Boyd (Harry J. Lennix) and Hearn (Kevin Kilner), effectively became partners in the surveillance van outside. I also really like Boyd's parental feelings towards Echo, with him worrying about Echo's stage debut before her mission started like an anxious father. I get the impression Boyd is destined to become too attached to Echo and fight against her exploitation one day -- possibly helping Ballard on the quiet.
Really though, this was an episode of nice touches and not much else. Great to see a TV show set in the world of pop music actually come up with plausible songs and dance choreography, which helped stop the whole thing becoming an embarrassment from the start, though. But the twist -- that Rayna knows the "number one fan" threatening her, and actually wants to be killed on-stage to end her showbiz torment and guarantee posthumous super-fame -- was an unexpectedly ghoulish turn of events, but quickly became just silly.Overall, certainly a bit of a mess in many areas, but I enjoyed a good 50% of what was offered up, and things only really began to bother me in the dumb final act. It's the little nuggets of information that are keeping me engaged right now -- this episode demonstrating that Echo is unique in that she can think beyond her parameters to accomplish her mission by bending her imprints, and the final scene with a mind-wiped Echo passing Sierra in the Dollhouse and apparently communicating to each other with a curt expression. Is it possible both are remembering their missions and just faking their neutral states?
27 February 2009
Fox, 9/8c
Writers: Maurissa Tancharoen & Jed Whedon
Director: David Solomon
Cast: Eliza Dushku (Echo), Tahmoh Penikett (Paul Ballard), Olivia Williams (Adelle DeWitt), Fran Kranz (Topher Brink), Harry J. Lennix (Boyd Langton), Enver Gjokaj (Lubov), Dichen Lachman (Sierra), Amy Acker (Dr. Claire Saunders), Rayna Russell (Jaime Lee Kirchner), Graham Norris (The Fan), Cloie Wyatt Taylor (Chantal), Kevin Kilner (Hearn), Miracle Laurie (Mellie), Reed Diamond (Laurence Dominic) & Jim Piddock (Biz)
