Echo is imprinted to act as a master criminal, leading three thieves into a vault of stolen art. They are there to recover a piece of the Greek Parthenon. But when one of the thieves double-crosses them, Echo is trapped in the vault with the other two crooks and a clock that's rapidly counting down to a security system reset that will reveal their presence.
None of this is actually a problem for Echo's imprint, who is confident that she can get them all out. She calls Langton to get him to deal with the double-crosser and to retrieve the Parthenon piece, with her next order of business escape. Then the unthinkable happens. At the end of her phone call, a mysterious signal breaks in... leaving Echo wiped, in a helpless, childlike state.
CHARACTERS
"Echo": Topher may well have put his finger on the moments in which Echo has been responding to something that isn't quite memory, but which is based on things that have happened to her in her various imprints. She is, in Topher's words, "flocking" with Sierra and Victor. Also, even in her childlike "wiped" state, she is naturally intelligent and observant. She knows she doesn't want to shoot the policemen and puts together the handful of pieces she's been given inside the vault to figure out how to stop the most ruthless of the criminals from killing either her or them.
Doll of the Week: Taffy is a master criminal. She's experienced, with several layers of "unflappable" built into her to keep her calm during any crisis. The twist on the "Doll of the Week" this time is that Taffy is imprinted on Sierra as well. This allows Dichen Lachman to stretch her acting muscles by playing the same role in the last part of the episode that Dushku plays in the first part. Lachman's is actually the more entertaining take. Between her strong showing as the Australian fan in the previous episode and her work here, I'm looking forward to seeing more from her in future episodes.
The Ice Queen: Though Adelle assures her client that she knows nothing about the specific engagement, that risks are simply calculated by computer, the way the mask drops off her face once the client is out of the room indicates otherwise. Adelle definitely is not at the very top of this particular organization, and she is trying to "handle" her employer with regard to Paul Ballard's investigation. She is favoring granting Ballard closure, so that he'll stop pursuing the Dollhouse. Based on Adelle's side of the telephone conversation in the teaser, I'm guessing her employer is favoring more drastic measures - probably on the advice of Dominic.
The Genius: Is flabbergasted at the discovery that someone has been able to successfully "remote wipe" an operative. His first fear is for his job, as he tells anyone who will listen that he could not have foreseen this and that it was not his fault. He barely spares a thought for Echo until the very end when, to his credit, he does appear saddened by the apparent failure of her rescue. He isn't a genius for nothing, and it doesn't take long for him to figure out that only one person could have done this... and that this means that not all the information he's been given is accurate.
THOUGHTS
This one is a surprise, the first genuinely surprising episode of the series. It starts out looking very much like another standalone story, running through a stock plot. It's a heist plot, and I enjoy a good heist story, so I was already set to enjoy it. Then the plot takes an unexpected turn with the remote wipe, and it becomes something completely different and much more interesting.
I enjoyed seeing Echo thrust into her childlike state in an uncontrolled environment. Particularly good are the scenes in which Walton (Toby Leonard Moore) discusses with Echo exactly why a Cubist painting is "broken," and Echo's final determination at the end that she isn't broken.
OVERALL
Gray Hour offers up a couple of surprising plot turns, which elevate it above the well-worn standalones that came before. Now that the concept and characters are pretty well established, it feels as if this show is getting ready to kick into gear. In any case, this was certainly the best episode yet.
Rating: 8/10.
Previous Episode: Stage Fright
Next Episode: True Believer
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