The earlier episodes were all higher rated than the 'Fox let control of the series go to Joss' episodes.

I've kept a very close eye on the reaction on non-fandom sites. We've got past the point of people thinking Echo was a robot (which went on for several weeks) to people starting to like the show. Reaction is still totally mixed, though.

I started out defending the show here against the This-is-evil vibe. The more I watch of it, however, the more I think it's a bit of a fuck up in terms of messages. The show casually dresses up Echo as a slut, has her saved by a man (last week), has her prisoned by a woman (this week), has the kiddy actives getting rapped... mostly without discussing what's going on. It's beginning to really offend me. I thought they were going to go somewhere with it, but I suspect... not.

Frankly I found it totally skeevy that the "resolution" for Sierra's utterly traumatic rape issues is... to have another man be romantically interested in her. It gives me nasty flashbacks to fanfic where the rape survivor is healed by the magic penis of the fannish BSO.

I'm not sure I liked that episode much, actually. I mean, the writing was pretty good, but I don't know that we got much further with the arc, and I have decided that Caroline is really damned naive. She's got no sense of strategy. I want her to out-think her opponents, and instead she just kind of rushes into things. She's not Buffy.

Consuela, a man also punched rape boy, remember.

Caroline is a moron, which - yes - doesn't help. In terms of arc, we're back at the beginning. Victor didn't even stand and wait for Sierra at the end.

The glitching actives have all been reset, taking a huge step back, so here's my hope: Paul becomes relevant. Paul starts making giant leaps of progress and he becomes pertinent to the story and helps actually drive it. Rather than briefly showing up in a tacked-on scene after what I thought was the end of the show. (I'm not even going to mention that watch-from-the-hall opening bookend). Crap, just did.

Why did they have to put November is such a dull outfit compared to the other escaping actives?

She was a hottie in her pajamas, though. Rrrowr.

I can't actually think of a good use for Paul. He's no threat to the Dollhouse, let's face it. And he couldn't be the Dollhouse's new cook.

I found it totally skeevy that the "resolution" for Sierra's utterly traumatic rape issues is... to have another man be romantically interested in her

Her resolution was stated by Adele as being the confrontation. But then they had to keep her conscious for plot reasons until the kiss, and so they could all go out like a string of lights.

I have decided that Caroline is really damned naive

This was the closest to impressed with her that I've been. But she still nets out pretty low--lower than Paul. They're meant for each other. Her idea to walk the actives out into real life was completely moronic, but taking out the power and calling Paul both surprised me. I thought they were out of her demonstrated lead. I guess she did get the Rossum building blueprints, but that was all handwavey magic.

has her prisoned by a woman (this week)

This week? How about the whole series? What do you mean by this week? What am I forgetting?

ita, Claire. Claire gave them the idea of how to fix all the self awareness issues over the last few months.

I feel like this was a good and interesting episode that makes it clear to me that it's a show I am not going to enjoy.

Agree that Sierra's backstory makes me nauseated. There is no longer anything grey about the Dollhouse; it is utterly reprehensible. (I think the previous comment by Adele about "I believe in the good work we fund." is supposed to deflect this, that I can think the Dollhouse is awful but somehow support it for whatever the yet to be named "good work" is. But awful things fund good things all the time in the real world and that doesn't redeem them.)

I'm offended by the idea of these women needing something that oblivion and abuse can provide. It does not provide a service to a grieving mother or someone suffering a loss of physical freedom to deprive them of their identity and free will, regardless of the sense that forgetfulness would do so.

Lastly, there are abundant remaining gender issues even in episodes that are supposed to quell my discomfort. It turns out that there are female handlers, and yet again, the woman ends up beaten and bloodied on the floor. Sierra's story turns out to be all about the effect of the male gaze on her, and there is as yet little about her other than her status of a victim and a romantic interest that we're allowed to pursue. November's story is about thwarted motherhood, again, little of her own identity available. Echo has a savior complex (okay, that's probably not a gender issue) and is the sexual subject of Ballard's (ridiculous, gross, and unnecessary) dream.

Oh, and Victor has no story, apparently, he just exists to fill a role in Sierra's. All his "closure" was about an in-Dollhouse half experience.

Although I must say I agree with the above about that particular actor's ability. He rises head and shoulders above his coworkers at the moment.

So why does Adele bother to negotiate with some potential actives if she'll accept subjects handed over to her like meat?