Episode: DOLLHOUSE, “Instinct” Season 2, ep.2
Original U.S. Airdate: 10/2/09
Topher out-Topher-ed himself- invents code that can reprogram the human body
In this ep, Topher changed Echo on a glandular level- for a mothering assignment, he made her actually lactate. This kind of technology could help people fight cancer or develop telekinesis!
The maternal instinct is strong
On this assignment, Echo is Emily, the replacement mother for Nate, a man whose wife died in childbirth. She becomes suspicious of his behavior when he is distant from both her and baby Jack. Emily suspects that he is having an affair and finds pictures of him with another woman (his real wife). Nate realizes that this has been a mistake and calls the Dollhouse. Emily overhears him on the phone where she thinks that he is out to kill her and “get rid of the baby”. She is brought back into the Dollhouse after being separated from the baby and at the police station. Topher’s changing of her body was stronger than the mind wipe and Echo just knows that she must get her baby boy back. When she realizes that she was made to think that she loves the baby, she gives the baby back to Nate and leaves, knowing that Nate will be a father to Jack as he is all that Nate has left of his dead wife.
Senator Perrin’s war on the Rossum Corp. gets evidence and a name
The Senator gets a special delivery from an anonymous source with wire-tap conversations and other evidence outlining the Rossum and the Dollhouse’s activities. More than that, he now has a name. Whose? We are hot to find out!
And just who dropped off these papers? Presumably, it is Paul, but the Whedon team may throw us a curve ball here.
The Dollhouse deals in pain
More specifically, the Dollhouse works its clients and potential actives in alleviating pain. For Madeline, formerly November, they took away the pain of losing her daughter in exchange for five years of service. For Nate, he couldn’t bear the pain of losing his wife and blamed the baby. His hiring the Dollhouse was his way of not dealing with his pain and his son.
Echo’s pain, not just memories
Echo not only remembers what happens to her on every assignment, but she feels everything. Paul offers to tell Topher to try to take away this pain, but Echo wants to keep it all. She is awake now and doesn’t want to go back to sleep. She is still in with Paul to take down the Dollhouse and free everyone trapped in it.
[Commentary]
It was utterly heartbreaking to watch them take away Emily/Echo’s baby at the police station. Utterly heartbreaking!
This, I thought was a strong ep. It seeded interesting plotlines for the season and was a powerhouse of emotion that I hope brings in more viewers to the show. Bravo, team Dollhouse!
Next time on “Dollhouse”: Click here for this week’s ep synopsis, teaser, and promo pics.
Watch “Dollhouse” on Fox, Fridays 9/8 C.
