Dollhouse #4: Gray Hour/Season 1/2009

[Truth Seeker]

Gray Hour

Writers:Sarah Fain, Elizabeth Craft

Director:Rod Hardy

Stars:Eliza Dushku (Echo)
Tahmoh Penikett (Paul Ballard)
Olivia Williams (Adelle DeWitt)
Fran Kranz (Topher Brink)
Harry J. Lennix (Boyd Langton)
Enver Gjokaj (Lubov)
Dichen Lachman (Sierra)

Recurring Role:Amy Acker (Dr. Claire Saunders)

Guest Star:Liza Lapira (Ivy)
Reed Diamond (Laurence Dominic)
Anson Mount (Vitas)
Toby Leonard Moore (Walton)
Kevin Will (Gerry)
Sarah McElligott (Nancy)
Andrew Bowen (Scott)
Mark Ivanir (Cyril)
Tony Amendola (Atalo Diakos)

Echo becomes a burglar so she can perform a dangerous art break-in. Meanwhile Ballard challenges Lubov and Adelle makes a disturbing confession
​

 

[Crothian]

Why would you use the Dollhouse to get a midwife? That seemed odd. Liked the episode though.

 

[Remus Lupin]

I was wondering the same thing. Surely you can find other, equally effective and much cheeper methods to have your child born. Beyond that, I'm sorry to say, Dushku just can't pull off any kind of character other than a scowling tough girl (she also does "empty shell" pretty well), but I didn't buy her as the hostage negotiator, or the midwife.

That aside, I agree it was a good episode, particularly the way they brought in Sierra as the alternate Taffy.

A question: Did the tech guy thief who was rescued sign on with the Dollhouse? I might have missed a line about that later in the ep. But it would seem like a logical conclusion.

 

[Krug]

Wasn't too bad an episode, but I think Dushku is still too weak to pull things off.
I don't see how the details of the case would only be known to the client as the head of operations said to the main client at the start of the ep; wouldn't the programmer and the guys following the 'dolls' know?

Tech guy thief> I don't think there was anything about that.

 

[John Crichton]

Beyond that, I'm sorry to say, Dushku just can't pull off any kind of character other than a scowling tough girl (she also does "empty shell" pretty well), but I didn't buy her as the hostage negotiator, or the midwife.

I had no problem with either of the roles you just mentioned. I thought she was just fine. Actually, the negotiator was my favorite personality so far.

 

[Farganger]

Still watching, but I thought this was the weakest yet.

Too many clumsy elements to list, but I agree the midwife assigment was poorly conceived -- if nothing else, perhaps a hint as to why it made sense to the clients. I'm not in the writers' room, of course, but I wonder if it was one of the quicky "alternative" assignments they thought it necessary to shoehorn in, in light of Josh (and according to him, Dushku's) desire to fully explore the sexual side of the Dollhouse's services and supposed critical/network opposition to making the show too prurient.

The false conflict created in the scene where Sierra was imprinted with the Taffy personality was also disappointing. If you go to all the trouble to imprint a doll with fail-safes like "never second-guess a client -- I did that once early in my career and blah, blah, blah" -- why would you possibly leave the possibility your "Taffy" would want to negotiate or renegotiate the fee on the table? I mean, really, why not have her believe that the finances were beneath her, being the best of the best, and that her "agent"/handler took care of that junk?

The urgency of making the deal, showing her the money, etc. was all very forced.

Maybe the actors will find their feet though, and the scripts will improve. Certainly, Joss has a great body of work out there, and will doubtless give us more in the near, or nearish, future!

 

[John Crichton]

Too many clumsy elements to list, but I agree the midwife assigment was poorly conceived -- if nothing else, perhaps a hint as to why it made sense to the clients. I'm not in the writers' room, of course, but I wonder if it was one of the quicky "alternative" assignments they thought it necessary to shoehorn in, in light of Josh (and according to him, Dushku's) desire to fully explore the sexual side of the Dollhouse's services and supposed critical/network opposition to making the show too prurient.

I saw the midwife scene as another piece of the puzzle that will eventually lead to Echo remembering her real life. Something like not remembering who her parents are and other related things that would cause doubt in the Tabula Rasa state.

The false conflict created in the scene where Sierra was imprinted with the Taffy personality was also disappointing. If you go to all the trouble to imprint a doll with fail-safes like "never second-guess a client -- I did that once early in my career and blah, blah, blah" -- why would you possibly leave the possibility your "Taffy" would want to negotiate or renegotiate the fee on the table? I mean, really, why not have her believe that the finances were beneath her, being the best of the best, and that her "agent"/handler took care of that junk?

Probably because all the personalities are taken from real people, flaws and quirks too. I'd say that the more specific a job gets there are less personalities to choose from so they have to pick from what they have. Like the negotiator from the first ep and the asthma/kidnapping thing.

 

[satori01]

My most prominent feeling about the show is a resounding "meh".
Dushku and Tammoh (Helio) just have very limited ranges as actors.
My wife and I are still watching, out of a hope that like Fringe the characters and the plot will get much better....but my gut is telling me the show is just going to miss the mark.

A very interesting premise, but just not cast very well, and not particularly well written.

 

[Fast Learner]

I'm holding out hope, as next Friday's episode was written by Tim Minnear and the one following was written by Joss. If they can't make it work after that, then I'll count it out.

 

[Grymar]

I thought this was the best episode front to back yet. The best moment goes to the very ending of the last episode where Echo gives a slight shake of the head to Sierra.

They are doing subtle little things like that, the "flocking" at lunch, and how Echo is quietly retaining more and more personality in her TR state. It is building.

This episode rated a 4 out of 5 for me. Good, entertaining TV. Better than the average Smallville, not as good as the average Battlestar or Lost.