It's official, Victor and Sierra are my faves.

Really enjoyed the immediate display of distinct personalities when the five wake up. Victor being all military and Echo/Caroline being all anti-animal-testing.

I remember watching/listening to the Equilibrium commentary, and how it was noted that the characters weren't totally blank, even though the incomplete lack of emotion was contrary to the world-building, because the director knew that emotionless characters would be boring to watch for two hours. So, there's that inherent problem with Dollhouse, and yet, with Victor, I totally dig it. Perhaps because the actor doesn't play it as blank, but child-like, and his connection to Sierra doesn't hurt.

And omg, OTP!!! Enver Gjokaj is so an actor to watch out for. I want to smish him in all his states of identity.

Seriously, why did it take 6 (5?) episodes of crap to get to this? I understand that some world-building/background had to be set up in the early episodes, but they should have gotten to this point WAY earlier in the season.

I know, the network is responsible for things being re-written and slowed down, etc. I get that. It just irks.

I like the show *much* better now. But I'm still not letting Joss off the hook for his skeevy gender issues.

Also? LOVE Victor.

Victor is definitely my favorite now. I still want to know more about who he was before.

Not being a mother, and not being a mother who's child has died, I didn't quite get Mellie/November's finding of her daughters gravesite to qualify as closure. More like old wounds ripped open anew. Same kinda goes for Sierra. She found Vincent Ventresca and confronted him, but didn't take him down, which doesn't seem like closure.

Then again, knowing how to pinpoint "closure" seems laughable, especially when I don't believe in it.

Victor is Love.

And I totally don't like Sierra. I can't articulate what exactly it is about her, but I cannot stand her.

Also? I wish they'd stop ending the show with a slow-walk sequence set to Meaningful Music. Ack. Ptui.

Not being a mother, and not being a mother who's child has died, I didn't quite get Mellie/November's finding of her daughters gravesite to qualify as closure. More like old wounds ripped open anew. Same kinda goes for Sierra. She found Vincent Ventresca and confronted him, but didn't take him down, which doesn't seem like closure.

I was thinking that maybe she went into the dollhouse before she had allowed herself time to mourn properly? I didn't really like November's true personality as much as the others. I loved Sierra.

From TWoP, this articulated what really bugged about Sierra's story:

it's the handling of Sierra's situation that's made me absolutely vomitous. A man wanted her, couldn't have her, sold her, and now not only rapes her but brainwashes her into smiling about it. And the Dollhouse abets. That has added an entirely new and, in my view, unearned layer to the Dollhouse's operations. Sending actives out on sexual assignments with clients was one thing -- passive, in some way, about the motives involved. But it is impossible that, having bought Sierra from this dude, they don't know that this particular relationship is actively AGAINST Sierra's conscious wish.

Alan Sepinwall is on this too:

[link]

I'm in agreement. I'm actually nauseated with the Sierra situation. I'm not sure how to deal with it.

I'm curious to see what becomes of Tophers character after his confrontation with Caroline('s Echo). He had to do a lot of lying and hedging and obfuscating to answer her questions. Could possibly cause for some reflection. Or not.

Juliebird, I agree with you that it was absolutely appalling, and I think it was supposed to be. No matter how many times those that run the dollhouse try to justify themselves and what they do, there are these things that are absolutely unjustifiable, and it is why they ultimately have to be brought down.