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.

Finally, I realized something tonight: when they're in the dollhouse, the actives talk like lolcats. "I have a book!"

Ha! Okay, now that's my favorite part of the episode: the lolcats comment.

Sigh. Sorry. Did not like this ep much. Was this the Joss episode? Thought it was heavy handed and manipulative, and don't really think that turning Mellie into the Manchurian Candidate redeems the fact that her whole character is based on a bunch of overplayed, sexist cliches.

I think what's bugging me is that these characters aren't people to me. Hell, most of them aren't even people in the context of the show. They are just points being made in somebody's argument.

So far, I think my favorite episode was the sect one. Who wrote that? Tim?

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 also it seems in the past few episodes that someone finally got the distinction between writing about an exploitive situation and being exploitive themselves.

Kill him and you've killed a federal agent, and someone begins to wonder if maybe there was something to his suspicions.

I dunno. Can't they do it in ways that tie in with his being apparently crazy? For that matter Mellie could have drugged him while he was unsuspecting, they could have grabbed him and programmed him to commit suicide, or better yet do something stupid that would get him killed.

Totally putting money on disgruntled lab assistant girl as the insider.

Topher shouldn't have ordered her to fetch his lunch. It was bound to piss her off.

Finally, I realized something tonight: when they're in the dollhouse, the actives talk like lolcats.

This is brilliant.