2-11. Getting Closer.

THE PLOT

With the L. A. Dollhouse's conspiracy against Rossum now fully assembled, they decide it is time to reintegrate Caroline with Echo, to find out exactly what secret it was that she learned. There's only one hitch: When Ivy goes into the vault to recover Caroline's wedge, she discovers that it's gone!

There is one, fragile hope to recover Caroline. The wedge that Alpha smashed during his infiltration of Rossum still exists, and Topher believes that Bennett (Summer Glau) is skilled enough to reassemble it. Ballard and Victor make a quick raid on the Washington, D. C. Dollhouse and abduct Bennett. But the real challenge is getting her to agree to effectively resurrect Caroline, the friend who so badly betrayed her!


CHARACTERS

Echo: In flashback, the show fills in the backstory between Caroline and Bennett. We discover that, in between her first escape from Rossum and her imprinting, Caroline successfully infiltrated Rossum's L. A. office. She discovered a file on Bennett, whose brilliance attracted Rossum's attention even as she pursued her neuroscience degree. She befriended the girl, then used her to get inside Rossum's labs to blow them up - the action that led to Bennett's maiming and to Caroline's final capture. In the present, Echo dreads the idea of Caroline's return, fearing that she will cease to exist when the original personality is returned. She confesses to Adelle and to Bennett that she considered taking the wedge and considered letting Bennett go - but she knows after what she witnessed in The Attic that the stakes are just too high.

The Ice Queen: Remains very icy, even though she's now revealed to be on the "right" side. Her responses to Bennett's outrage at being abducted are highly amusing, as Bennett attempts to lodge a complaint against Topher for punching her in the face and Adelle responds by gently reminding her that she has been abducted. She is particularly cool after Langton dispatches the Rossum assassins in her office, taking in the scene calmly and then pronouncing that this finishes off her carpet.

The Security Chief: We discover the nature of the "personal business" that had caused Langton to miss work. He's been housing and protecting Claire (Amy Acker), who has returned to L. A. Langton and Claire are now firmly a couple, as Epitaph One indicated they would be. And by developing Langton's "personal" absences in other episodes, it doesn't even feel too forced. We saw the beginnings of Langton's interest in her, and now we bring her back with the relationship having developed over time, just offscreen. It's not ideal, but given Acker's limited availability for Season Two, it does work.

We also get a reminder of Langton's somewhat disturbing skills. When three Rossum officials come to the Dollhouse to "debrief" Adelle (Rossum-speak for "take a ride"), Langton deals with them ruthlessly and efficiently, and his facial expression barely registers a twitch. Harry Lennix is outstanding throughout, in an episode that finally brings his often nebulously-defined character into sharp focus.

The Genius: Receives a shock that precipitates a brief break from reality - reflecting the behavior of the crazed Topher of Epitaph One. He recovers, probably thanks to having a task to focus on, but the joviality is kicked right out of him. Gets a semi-heroic moment, as he urges Ivy not to linger to help him, but instead to escape. "Don't become me," he hisses to her.

The (Ex-) FBI Agent: We learn what was taken from Paul: His deep connection with Echo. Topher acknowledges this to Echo, telling her that he needed to use the most active parts of Ballard's brain for his rewiring, and that those parts were Echo. She seems to forgive him - and honestly, unless she's massively selfish, surely a Ballard who no longer loves her is at least better than a Ballard who is brain dead - but she is clearly hurt at the change.


THOUGHTS

Tim Minear, a veteran of several Joss Whedon shows and particularly noteworthy as the writer of the best episodes of Firefly and Angel, pens this action-heavy installment. Getting Closer crams probably about three episodes' worth of material into 45 minutes: The return of Claire, the "outing" of the L. A. dollhouse's conspiracy, the kidnapping of Bennett, the unmasking of the Rossum head. There's a lot going on. Fortunately, Minear is a good enough writer to take all these threads and deliver an episode that's fast, lean, and intense without making it feel rushed. He juggles all the balls he's been given, and he doesn't drop any of them.

But with so many balls in the air, he can be forgiven one or two slight wobbles. Laurence Dominic (Reed Diamond) is featured again, and this time we get to see both the "new" Dominic and, in flashback, the slickly hateable Dominic of Season One. I particularly enjoyed seeing that version of the character again. However, there's no time to deal with the "new" Dominic, so Minear cuts that plot thread off as cleanly as he can... which unfortunately leaves the arc of one of the series' best recurring characters cut short. Still, it's fun to see the sneering Laurence of the series' beginning again, a reminder that however commendable his actions in The Attic may have been, Laurence Dominic is Not a Nice Man.

Minear does better with the return of Claire. Anyone reading these reviews knows that Claire won me over quickly, and that I found her character arc the most interesting of those on display at the end of Season One/beginning of Season Two. Acker's departure from the bulk of this season meant that Claire's dilemma was never able to receive the attention it was due. But Acker remains splendid, and the way in which she is brought back is effective in keeping the plot consistent with Epitaph One.

The mixing of the present day story with the flashbacks pays off handsomely. We discover the rest of the story of Caroline's harsh abandonment of Bennett, and it casts that scene in a very different light. We also close the episode on a particularly chilling twist - one which makes me re-evaluate some bits from earlier episodes, and also one which makes me wonder exactly what sort of long and twisted game the Rossum heads are playing.

Rating: 9/10.

Previous Episode: The Attic
Next Episode: The Hollow Men


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1-5. True Believer.

THE PLOT

When the members of a religious cult run by ex-con Jonas Sparrow (Brian Bloom) make their montly trip to nearby Parker, Arizona to buy supplies, the shopkeeper finds a note scribbled on the back of the shopping list. Just two words: "Save Me."

Those two words are enough to buy ATF agents a narrow window in which to peek inside the compound. But they need some idea of what they are looking for, and where they might find it. An influential senator makes a call on Adelle... and soon the compound finds a new member joining them, a girl who is blind - but whose eyes have been surgically fixed to transmit images to the ATF.


CHARACTERS

"Echo": In addition to instinctively recognizing and "flocking" with her friends, she also seems to instinctively recognize her enemies. Notice her reaction to Sierra's handler in Stage Fright, or the final look she gives Dominic at the end of this episode. Dominic explicitly states that she is exhibiting some of the same behavior that preceded Alpha's breakdown. Since I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that we don't have a 2-season show centered around a character who goes crazy and kills lots of people, I suspect something different and probably more interesting will end up happening with Echo.

Doll of the Week: Esther Carpenter was struck blind when she was 9 years old. She is fervently religious, having determined her blindness to be "God's will." Parts of Echo's other personas survive here, particularly when faced with a situation where self-preservation becomes a priority.

The Handler: Langton remains a very good investigator. When frozen out of the ATF raid, he looks into the original tip and quickly determines the source. His protectiveness of Echo continues to be an overriding drive for him.

The Genius: Topher and Dr. Saunders have some amusing scenes off in "B" plot land. These two will either become a couple, or Dr. Saunders will get so fed up with Topher's extremely immature behavior that she will resort to violence. Right now, my vote is for violence. Fran Kranz is doing a good job of playing the role as written, but I'm finding Topher more annoying than amusing at this point. Meanwhile, I'm really liking Dr. Saunders. Could the consistently terrific Amy Acker be the regular, and Kranz the recurring guest star? Not that the billing seems to mean much, when Acker and fellow recurring guest star Reed Diamond appear to have far more central roles than at least three of the billed regulars.

The FBI Agent: Ballard's investigation is finally bringing him closer to the actual Dollhouse. Very little of this is due to any great investigative work on his part. But a combination of clues literally dropped into his lap (by Alpha, I assume) and the blind luck of staring at a television at the right time gives him his first genuine lead. He's now just one step behind Echo. Now past the 1/3 mark of the season, I suspect it won't be long before he catches up.


THOUGHTS

And it's back to canned storylines again, with the obligatory "religious cult" episode. The script, by Angel and Firefly veteran Tim Minear, is well-crafted, and the episode ends up being a great deal better than the cliche-ridden teaser indicates it will be. Brian Bloom is convincing as Jonas, and the actors playing the members of his cult are equally good, which goes a long toward selling a potentially hackneyed situation.

Still, while good performances and a well-judged storytelling pace keep True Believer watchable, I can't help but feel let down by it.  I can see the wisdom in using tried-and-true standalone plots to carry viewers along while the concept and characters are established, but True Believer is at least one too many of these "canned plots" for my tastes. Gray Hour hinted that this series was ready to move on to something more. True Believer ends up being a step back into safe territory, right at the time the show needs to be moving out of its safe zone.


Rating: 5/10.

Previous Episode: Gray Hour
Next Episode: Man on the Street


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