Episode 3 - Stage Fright
28 September 2009
Review
Synopsis: Echo becomes pop diva Rayna Russel’s new backup singer. Russel is being stalked and her life is under threat, Echo is programmed to unconsciously want to protect her. Sierra is sent along as backup in the persona of Rayna’s number one fan. When Echo thwarts an attempted assassination, the crazed fan takes Sierra hostage and forces a confrontation with Echo and Rayna. Echo’s successful but unorthodox methods provoke a variety of reactions from the staff of the Dollhouse. Meanwhile active Victor in the guise of criminal Lubov sets up Agent Ballard to be killed.
The Good: The attempt to make a link between Britney Spears-style fame and the manufactured life of an Active is a brave one. The Active’s holding up a mirror to society is definitely a worthy attempt to make a culturally relevant point. Rayna’s story does have some moments which work well. The opening shot of her looking anxious certainly gives a subtle hint of what is to come. Her manager Biz also plays his role well, his manipulation of her into picking Echo as her new backup dancer was another brief glimpse into the world she inhabits.
The real winner from Rayna’s story is Dichen Lachman (Sierra) who gets to play a nervous Aussie fan. The question of whether Eliza Dushku will get to stretch herself as an actress remains but here Sierra gets to play a roll which is completely different to the commando we saw her inhabit in the pilot. Similarly Victor shows off a breezy comfort in his role as gangster hanger on Lubov. The twist that he is an Active adds some intrigue to his interactions with Ballard and it’s certainly a mystery as to who hired him to play his current role.
Topher provides some more interesting details about the way personalities are crafted. Here we see that he has given Echo both a persona and a mission parameter which guides her behaviour. Dr Saunders also explains that there are different kinds of mission for the Actives, referencing “romantic” and “altruistic” as other options. The altruistic side of the Dollhouse will be a key component in humanising an operation which still looks largely like a high class brothel. Topher also gets to stand up to Laurence and remind us that his “genius” is indispensable.
There is also good continuity from the previous episode with Boyd getting his wounds healed and Dr Saunders showing concern for what Echo had just been through (after being hunted). Echo’s creative behaviour was also linked back to Alpha which is the key ongoing story arc – as it will explain what is happening to her.
The Bad: Unfortunately the bulk of this episode is dragged down by the Rayna story. She snaps a bit too suddenly for my liking and her own mental state is handled too swiftly to have any resonance. The picture of a girl trapped by her own fame and need to please others is just too large a story to tell here. The most unconvincing aspect of her desire to be murdered on stage is the fact that she articulates it literally to Echo just before going on stage. For someone in such a state of mental distress it was far too honest and controlled an admission.
Then there is the crazed fan who is given no characterisation at all. He somehow can gain access to restricted areas of an arena and if that weren’t implausible enough he then remains there after the shooting. Did no one think to check all the rooms in the building? That only adds to the contrived and tensionless showdown with Echo, Sierra and Rayna. Has there ever been a stalker plotline on television where the star actually gets killed? Even if it has it’s not the norm and so there is zero excitement in the standoff which we know Echo will emerge from victoriously.
The problem with Echo remains a lack of definition as to who she is. We know she is an aspiring dancer this week but we aren’t told what skills or personality she has been given in order to be a good bodyguard. So when she takes matters into her own hands and kidnaps Rayna we don’t know who is doing this. Is this Echo’s personalities merging together? Is it Caroline coming through? Or is it just the unknown aspects of her bodyguard persona? She comes across as very Buffy as she dishes out punishment and a moral lesson to go with it. The final scene shows Echo’s growing awareness of her reality but again we don’t know how aware. It seems odd that she and Sierra are aware enough not to behave affectionately in front of their handlers, but doubtless this story has many more chapters to it.
The Rayna story also loses out on time to develop because we have another showdown across town as Victor sends Agent Ballard (essentially) to his death in an abandoned hotel. For a moment it looks like a truly shocking development as Ballard takes a bullet to the gut. But sadly he leaps up and channels his inner-Jack Bauer and takes out all three of the gangsters sent to kill him. We still have no reason to like Ballard and to squeeze his dramatic showdown into this already complicated episode also fell flat.
The Unknown: Who are the Borodins and are they connected to the Dollhouse? Who hired Victor to infiltrate them and why? How much does Echo now remember about previous engagements?
Best Moment: The most authentic moment of the episode came when Biz came to see Adelle and we got to see her interact with an old customer or even friend. Biz played his role well and the link between his relationship with Rayna and that of an Active and their minder didn’t have time to be fully explored.
Epilogue: More teething trouble for Dollhouse as the stalker storyline really fails in all departments. It is unconvincing and tries to cover too much ground in too short a time. The problem of Echo’s personality remains the missing link to bonding new fans to the shows main character. I’m also concerned with the lack of humour which makes the show feel dark and gloomy most of the time.
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