Dollhouse this season has shaped up to a battle of the wits between Echo and Adelle (see how I avoiding using a pun there; I did that just for you). Echo seems to have been gaining more and more power, while DeWitt has seen it slowly slip away. Last night she just about slipped off of the deep end before she sobered, kicked ass, and through the “name-taking” book out the window.
If you thought Victor would really leave the Dollhouse, either via his contract expiring or Echo’s rescue mission, then you need to look up what a Stop/Loss is. His temporary departure’s affect on Adelle was startling. Sure, we’ve seen her through the whole “Ms. Lonely Hearts” storyline, but it always seemed to be that she was in love with a with an image, a profile … not actually Victor (or Tony). It’s a relationship I’ve never really believed, and to watch her almost lose everything over it just didn’t ring true.
It was enough, however, to knock her back on track. Which track that was, however, we didn’t see until the very last minute. Any doubt which side Adelle is on is (hopefully, save some additional last minute, unnecessary turn). As we saw the team finally come together, one is left with the impression that the battle lines have been drawn. Except Echo wants Caroline in the game. If it were up to me, however, I’d rather have Mr. Dominic backing me up.
That’s going to be a big question going into the last three (hours of?) episodes, airing in January. Who is Caroline? If Bennett Halverson’s memories are to be believed, she’s more than just the rebellious college girl we were lead to believe. At the very least, she was a very busy girl between college and the Dollhouse.
Other imprint-ions:
Clacked by Ivey West 
on Dec 19, 2009 @ 12:00 EST5EDT
I thought Adelle was not so much bummed over Victor, but that even the fella “programmed” to love her could not be made to love her. To me, the total loss of control was the tipping point. I must say she is a splendid drunk.
I think Echo wanted Caroline in the mix for her Rossum memories. Although, as I recall Caroline was annoying, so we’ll see how that turns out.
My guess about what is missing from Ballard: Libido. What else?
I do want to watch these episodes a second time to gleen more details!
I think they left Madeline/Mellie out of Ballard’s head.
i guess now we know how to make a not so great show really, really good. Cancel it! thats to bad. These are great episodes.
I thought Adele was all bent out of shape because even she didn’t realize how little control she actually had over the dollhouse. It would have to be hard to think you were this godlike creature, playing with peoples lives, only to find you understood so little that even the toy you created for yourself rejected you.
Best episodes ever of the show, and I was planning on tuning out to try to keep myself from regretting the ending. That didn’t work so well!!
*POST AUTHOR*
Dunno, Mod… If you look at what she’d gone through the previous three months (being Harding’s gopher) to then being able retain control (though we know not complete) of the Dollhouse, and then to get one last tryst with Roger, it would seem that she’d rebounded from that.
Like I said, I felt it had all to do with the rejection of Roger, which, I still don’t buy. Maybe it’d be different if I watched again.
Yes. You might be missing the nuances. Having “your man” do that to you is the last straw for most women, even iron ones. But, like I wrote earlier it’s still all about loss of control.
yea yea i agree with you on everything but how could you not mention the funniest line on dollhouse ever? “vadar never kills a storm trooper” hillarious!