Having thought about it some more, I think one of the reasons I liked this episode more than others is because it was a legitimate, believable (to me) reason why someone would want a doll for something other than sex. All the other roles just seemed like a stretch to me (I'm totally blanking on the non-sex ones - hostage negotiator and midwife are the only ones I'm remembering). As in, why wouldn't you hire a real midwife and a real hostage negotiator?

As many have said, it's hard to care about Echo/Caroline/whatever. At this point, I'm way more interested in Dr. Saunders or Ballard's story.

I do sort of wonder - I would imagine that Joss would have seen this potential problem (how does the audience care about someone who changes every week) and I'm wondering how he thought he'd get around it. Because yeah, several episodes in and I still don't care about the main character.

Safecracker, which is still my favorite. I don't know...Dolls would be convenient because they wouldn't break non-disclosure agreements or get sucked into grandstanding to protect their careers, or run for mayor and stuff like that.

There's some attempt to address it in season two I think, Stephanie - in that Echo is her own personality. She's no longer a child, and all that. It actually becomes a question for me - Paul is so intent on saving Caroline, I wonder if Echo actually WANTS Caroline back now, since she's becoming a person, and if Paul would just imprint her back as Caroline anyway.

My hard core response is that it doesn't matter what Echo wants. Caroline signed her up and Caroline should get to return.

I wonder if Echo actually WANTS Caroline back now, since she's becoming a person

Sort of. She's not selling that plight as well as Whiskey. But she's not as much a person as Whiskey yet.

Paul would just imprint her back as Caroline anyway.

Oh, he totally would.

By the way, there's going to be a riot in the Delurking thread if you don't explain about the prime minister.

At what point does Echo get a say, then? When she's more aware? Or never? Shouldn't Claire not get a say and be wiped, then?

ETA: Thanks P-C.

I'm not sure why Echo should get a say. Caroline is the legal person. Caroline did not agree to permanently go away.

Either did whoever Whiskey was. But I don't think I'd kill Claire as a person - I like her.

But I don't think I'd kill Claire as a person - I like her.

That's hardly the criterion at hand.

True, but that doesn't have any bearing on the fact that she's just squatting.