Dollhouse: A Spy in the House of Love

Episode 1.09

Nothing is as it seems in the Dollhouse ...

So much happens in this episode. A lot of revelations and shockers for some of our favourite (and maybe not so favourite) characters, and there's not much I can really say without spoiling the episode for those of you who haven't seen it. Believe me - this is one that you want to watch for yourselves. Possibly my favourite episode so far.


We start with lots of strange white-blue flashy strobe-y type lights and someone struggling in Topher's chair-room (is there an official name for this?) as they try and give them their 'treatment'. Flash down to Echo and Sierra who notice the lights and then blood splats against the window and BAM! rewind twelve hours.

Echo is coming back from an engagement as a dominatrix, talking to Boyd about how it's not about the sex and the pain, but the trust that each person puts in the other. I love how ironic it is that these Dolls come out with the most insightful of observations and how her mini-speech below underlies the whole essence of the Dollhouse:

Echo: "Everyone thinks its about the pain. Its not about the pain. Its about trust. Handing yourself over fully and completely to another human being. Theres nothing more beautiful than letting go like that."

On her way to her treatment, she bumps into Victor who is off on his tenth Miss Lonely Hearts engagement. Echo gets wiped and we see that Adelle has been called to HQ for a few days leaving Mr Dominic in charge - never a good sign. Topher confronts Boyd with the news that there's a spy in the Dollhouse and he can't contact DeWitt - uh oh!

There's a whole lotta flashbacks as we keep winding back to November, Sierra, Victor and finally Echo getting imprinted with the personalities that play crucial parts in this episode. It's a little confusing as you keep seeing the same bits twice but it makes more sense to start from the beginning as you see how each of these characters has their own separate but interlinked role to play.

I'm going to stop there as pretty much everything else that happens is a spoiler. I'll just say that I feel really sorry for DeWitt as we see how the Powers That Be have very different missions for the Dollhouse than what she's working towards. On the upside, I adore her blouse and I love Sierra's entire outfit even more - I want them.