Dollhouse Episode Review
In which Topher and Bennett are happy for about fifteen seconds.
What Happened
Echo announces that Caroline met with Rossum's co-founder and is the only one who can identify him. Caroline's backup wedge is missing, however, so Adelle has DC programmer Bennett brought to LA to fix the busted version in Topher's lab.
She refuses, remembering how Caroline pretended to be her friend in order to gain access to Rossum. Bennett didn't mind that as much as when Caroline messed up the part where they set off the bombs and left Bennett lying in the rubble.
Just as Bennett changes her mind, and she and Topher share a kiss, Claire (Whiskey) returns to the Dollhouse with Boyd. Observing that Topher really seems to love Bennett, Claire shoots Bennett in the head!
Adelle, having had to do some shooting of her own to keep from getting fired, orders all the Dolls released and everyone else evacuated. As the others leave, Topher finishes repairing the wedge and plugs Echo into the chair.
Caroline had left Bennett behind intending to give herself up and take the fall for the explosion. Thinking that this was the end of the road for Caroline, Adelle and Dominic sent her off to a meeting with the heads of Rossum - Clyde... and Boyd!
The Good
I usually try to stay away from exclamation points, because OMG! I am not thirteen! but this episode earns two of them.
I was waiting for the reveal that Bennett was evil or programmed to be evil and was going turn on Topher, when uh-oh... in wanders a very oddly-behaving Claire. Not that she's been spectacularly normal lately, but she's been off snuggling with Boyd. She has to be a good guy, right?
Because Boyd's a good guy, right? Then, I spend about ten minutes feeling sorry for man and wanting to give him a hug and it turns out he is most definitely not a good guy. He is - in fact - a very bad guy.
Well. Hell.
The Bad
I really feel November and Ballard got the short end of the stick here. And will continue to feel that on into the next episode. The outlines of a truly intense emotionally messy connection are there, but there is simply not enough time to fill it all in.
And what good is it to release all the Dolls and lie to them that their contracts are up? The guy who came in last Thursday is going to see the date and do the math. And if he was in some sort of legal or emotional pickle, it's still gonna be there - five days later.
The Cliche
The Shock Death that Whedon pulls out an awful lot will eventually lose its impact. We've seen this grand tragic end on a regular basis. It hurts here because Bennett and Topher are so perfect for each other, but the awareness of the manipulation is kind of an issue.
What Did I Think?
Never fall for someone in the opening credits. Even if you are Summer Glau.
