Me and Kirsty spent 50 minutes taking Stage Fright apart and putting it together again on a podcast: [link]

I totally forgot to mention on the podcast, but could they please please stopping dressing Topher like a reject Harry Potter?

The Victor thing confused me several times over. I avoided spoilers, but I did look at the promo pics and press releases which described and depicted Enver Gjokaj as playing Victor. After watching the first episode, I figured the character he played was an imprint. However, because he still played Lubov in episode 2, I figured that Lubov was probably a new role created for the actor after the original pilot (and presumably the role Enver Gjokaj played) was scrapped, but they still had the actor for a 13-episode contract, although the role did seem meager for a series regular. So the Victor twist in the latest episode did manage to surprise me.

Kevin, you mentioned in the podcast that the scene with Paul in the hospital fell apart, and beyond wanting to squish Tahmoh, the Paul-thread did seem to fall apart and I couldn't pinpoint why I felt dissatisfied with it. Thinking about it, it may be that for me, having read the original pilot, where Paul's story was intertwined personally with Echo, and even after he was shot, the two characters were still connected (as were several other characters, including Adele and Dominic (Reed)). So, for me, I knew that there should have been more.

Does anyone who didn't read the original pilot feel the same way, that there was something missing?

eggs benedict: about 42 minutes in when Dominic is confronting Topher about Echo going off-mission, the way he grabs his shirt leaves it poofed out into two booby-like lumps. For a moment I thought Topher was a cross-dresser and was actually wearing a padded bra.

Juliebird, I maybe felt a little of that. Like the scenes with him (post-beating) were oddly portentious but didn't actually contain much.

I kind of liked this episode. Yes, the Rayna speech was anvilly and the A-plot wasn't the best ever, but I thought the subplots are getting going in a really interesting way. It's starting to feel a bit like Quantum Leap with Buffy B-plots, if you see what I mean.

Also, I've been feeling a bit critical of ED's acting (though, honestly, it's not like I'd be good at it, and I do LIKE the one character she seems to play), but now I'm starting to think that may be intentional. For her to be in high demand implies some consistency -- OR attractiveness, but it's not like the other actives weren't attractive. So maybe core personality characteristics comes through (and are meant to come through) even with the imprinting. Maybe?

Also, with the subconscious imperative to protect Rayna, I think the show settled the argument about free will -- they don't have it. Or -- to be more precise -- the Dollhouse doesn't INTEND for them to have it.

I really really hope all these side stories don't end up like Inara's hypodermic. But I very much fear they will, no matter how much they sex up the show.

Does anyone who didn't read the original pilot feel the same way, that there was something missing?

This is the problem with me - I've having trouble to some extent separating the original pitch of the series to the result. "Echo" made it clearer how the characters connected together, whereas now the show is a slower roll out.

For me the issue is always connection and emotion with what is going on. It usually is with TV series. I don't feel any emotion for Paul, 'cos he's not connected to anything going on.

I don't feel any emotion for Paul, 'cos he's not connected to anything going on.

This (except for my squishing woobie thing, which has little to do with Show and lots to do with Tahmoh). I'm somewhat sad that they tacked these scenes on when there was no way Echo would be involved. Hopefully the intertwining and connection will start happening... preferably next week.

For her to be in high demand implies some consistency

I was thinking more along the lines of flexibility, which she hasn't really shown yet.

Paul reminds me of Will from Alias. He didn't have the audience in his corner until he stopped knowing so much much less than the audience, and I see that happening again here.

io9 has a short but sweet interview with Steve Deknight about last weeks episode he wrote and directed: [link]