the idea of someone on the inside is -- potentially -- a game-changer, and a really great idea

I definitely agree, it just didn't occur to me at the time. I'll blame it being sleepy and not entirely engaged.

I haz a bed. It's comfy. Feels nice. Warm.

I can haz a kitteh footwarmer?

It seems like that could have been the pilot, pretty much -- wasn't someone here wondering why the series started when it did? There was no specific starting point, but now things are changing, and it feels like the show can/will move forward.

They clearly have a whole lot of story to tell -- I really really really hope they get to tell it, damn it.

Boy, they pack a lot of story into an episode! I actually thought this one was over about halfway through -- how'd they DO that?

Also, have we gotten any explanation as to why Ballard is SUCH a badass? Don't get me wrong, I'm loving that he shook off a tasering and semi-casually took out five or six guys with complete assurance that none of them was permanently harmed, but it does strain the credulity a bit.

No, wait. It totally doesn't. He's just a total badass. I love it.

Does anyone here have discussions around water coolers?

I kinda sit near the water cooler, so ... frequently!

Mellie is a doll -- well, people here were predicting it, so I wasn't totally surprised, though I really didn't expect the reveal to work the way it did.

I liked the way that played out. Also glad she got have sex and live. Earlier in the episode, Lea and I were saying "Oh, she's doomed." It's a formula I was a little bored of, so ... kudos! (Also, she is still damn hot.)

No, wait. It totally doesn't. He's just a total badass. I love it.

We had slashbacks -- note: the last word was a typo, but I've decided to keep it -- to him boxing in the first episode. Also, he got tough fighting Cylons.

Did anyone else watch 'Dollhouse" and "BSG" back to back, and have serious system shock from seeing Tahmoh Penikett and Mark Sheppard in both?

I liked the way that played out. Also glad she got have sex and live. Earlier int he episode, Lea and I were saying "Oh, she's doomed." It's a formula I was a little bored of, so ... kudos! (Also, she is still damn hot.)

Me too! I was thinking "maybe she isn't an active, because they're about to kill her" She wasn't hot to me until this episode, I think because she showed some intelligence and personality. I loved the post-coital scene where she was teasing him about if she said it was a mistake.

And I confess I yelled out I KNEW IT when the three red flowers thing happened. Joss fucking Whedon, bitches!

I think I'm developing a little crush on our Agent Ballard. He was such a badass in this ep, and a little bit of a woobie, too.

I think that the message was real, they made too much of Topher stepping away and leaving the imprint untended in the machine. I think that Echo's mission was to get Paul off the case, which she did by having him shooting the cop. Of course, I don't understand how they just overlooked the fact that there was another person there, who has presumably disappeared, but whatev. I mean, he didn't get the shit kicked out of him by no one.

I kinda loved this ep. And not just because of shirtless, "gun show" Paul.

Totally putting money on disgruntled lab assistant girl as the insider. Her, or Amy Acker's character.

Ooh! victor gets it in one, I bet. I'd lay money with him.

I hope so, because if so, then I dislike the characters I'm supposed to dislike and that's good. Also, I would really like to have a geek I can identify with, and if she's in it to turn it over, then there's someone in the house with a motive I don't have to abhor.

I am so relieved that Mellie is a sleeper active and didn't die. That scene where she was getting dragged around was really painful to watch. I needed her to get up and kick some ass. (Hmm. Let me deal with the psychological ramifications of this later on.)

I liked that there was finally a voice to some of the things coming out of our mouths. I would like to believe that the creators are seeing things from our point of view at least peripherally. And it makes it so much more interesting that people in general have a concept of the Dollhouse existing.

Also, ha! You're totally right about the lolcat talk.

Is there any reason for the dollhouse not killing Ballard, beyond the meta of his being a continuing character? Seems like the same amount of effort used to beat him up, and discredit him could have been used to discredit and kill him. The discrediting part would have kept heat from coming down.

Of course evil!bosslady obviously thinks of herself as serving a greater good: so she is willing to be ruthless, but also willing to go to some trouble and take some risks to avoid killing. Which, as we see, doesn't mean she will hesitate if she does not think it avoidable.

Oh, thank heaven. That episode finally had some snap, and some honest recognition of the totally skeevy nature of the dollhouse as well as giving the dolls (or someone) some agency.

And oh, I was seriously worried about Mellie becoming a woman in a refrigerator.

beyond the meta of his being a continuing character?

Kill him and you've killed a federal agent, and someone begins to wonder if maybe there was something to his suspicions. Discredit him, and no one's going to listen to him at all.