My Buffy Movie Page In a New Home

As I am getting older, I am making some changes.
I've looked at my Yahoo home page, and whether I still need it. Since I have two blogs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and Tumblr, my homepage is no longer the source of news it used to be. It used to be an update for Whedon shows, and a weekly episode guide, too. However, I could only save my Dollhouse episode guide through this site and Whedonopolis. I really wish I could have saved some of my episode reviews from Buffy and Angel. I never did review Firefly or Serenity, although I did comment on special events. 

So, I will have a new website through Wix that will be the new home for my memorial of The Bronze, and the day Angel was cancelled by the WB. It'll also be the home for some of my favorite cons, including the Flanvention, Wolfram and Hart Revue, Browncoat Ball and other events. 

I still need a home for my original page talking about the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie from 1992, and my dreams of it being riffed on by this guy and his two robots. Since Rifftrax has targeted Super Mario Brothers and Psycho II, plus both Doctor Who movies with Peter Cushing, there's always a chance. 

So, this is what I said about the original Buffy, with some updated comments:

Since the dawn of Man, the vampires have walked among us...killing...feeding.
The only one with the strength and skill to stop their henious evil is the Slayer.

She who wears the birthmark, the Mark of the Coven.

Trained by the Watcher, one Slayer dies, and the next is Chosen

It's very difficult to turn a good movie into a good TV show (MASH, Dr. Kildare, The Odd Couple, and not much else) or even a good TV show into a good movie (The Fugitive, MST 3000, The X-Files...maybe, South Park)

But turning a bad movie into a great TV show? Our Slayer may be the only character who has done that successfully...but it may have cost her respect and recognition that she so richly deserves.
The movie may be the reason why. Maybe it was a good idea that just wasn't executed as well as it should have.
Several actresses were up for the part, including Drew Barrymore, Allysa Milano and Alicia Silverstone (who was too young).
It was supposed to make Kristy Swanson, who played Buffy, a star. It was supposed to be Luke Perry's breakout role after several years as the male lead in Beverly Hills, 90210.Somehow, it didn't turn out that way.
On the other hand, it did have a well-known actor (Donald Sutherland as Merrick, the Watcher), two future Oscar winners (Hillary Swank and Ben Affleck), and a comeback role for Paul Reubens, alias Pee-Wee Herman..who was coming off a sex scandal that destroyed his career as a kids' TV host.
Not only that, it had David Arquette, who went on to fame in the Scream movies and telephone commercials, and wound up marrying Courtney Cox (and was a pro wrestling champion for a while).

The movie wasn't the sleeper hit 20th Century Fox had hoped. The major newsmagazines panned it. Time blamed the director for not having confidence in the script, while Newsweek blamed the script for not being able to merge the scary and funny bits as well as (and I swear to God this is true) Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.

But the director, Fran Rubel Kazui, says the movie just wasn't marketed well, and didn't find its audience until it was released on video. The budget was seven million, but earned nearly 16 point seven million in the theaters. However, some criticized her for her hands-off style of directing. Joss Whedon, who wrote the movie, even admitted the movie didn't meet his vision. He talked about it in an interview with The Onion ...

I had major involvement. I was there almost all the way through shooting. I pretty much eventually threw up my hands because I could not be around Donald Sutherland any longer. It didn't turn out to be the movie that I had written. They never do, but that was my first lesson in that. Not that the movie is without merit, but I just watched a lot of stupid wannabe-star behavior and a director with a different vision than mine--which was her right, it was her movie--but it was still frustrating. Eventually, I was like, "I need to be away from here."

Fox executives also wanted the movie to be less funny and more scary, but Kuzui ignored those suggestions. He did have some nice things to say about Paul Reubens as Count Pee Wee, and that Rutger Hauer wasn't as bad in the movie as people thought.  The movie was supposed to end with Buffy setting the gym on fire (probably after she burns Lothos' head). The closest thing to his original script is in the three-part comic series, "Origin". 

There's not much connection between the movie and the TV show. In "Becoming, part one," the first meeting between Buffy and Merrick was MUCH different than in the movie: she met him in the TV show outside her high school, and he didn't look anything like Sutherland (more like Wilford Brimley). In the movie, of course, Merrick meets Buffy at the gym, and tells her about her "birthright." Also, there's no mention of a "Pike" in Buffy's past in the TV show, although there is in a Buffy novel. I suspect that there never really was a Pike, and they just added him for effect.

While the movie didn't make an impression in theaters, at least two of the producers, Gail Berman and Sandy Gallin, decided that Buffy would make a great TV show. If not for that, Buffy the Vampire Slayer would have been nothing more than fodder for Mystery Science Theater 3000 (whose first supervising producer was Gallin!)

In fact, I have this dream that the Satellite of Love lands mysteriously in Los Angeles. Buffy and her Slayerettes investigate, and then are surprised to meet Mike, Servo and Crow. Then, they find this movie about a cheerleader who fights vampires, and Buffy says, "Guys, we have got to riff on this!"
And who could blame them?

There were plans for a Buffy movie for a new generation...and but without Joss Whedon or Sarah Michelle Gellar. (Edited to add: since Joss is busy in the Marvel-verse, and the TV cast has aged some, this may be more likely). More people are wondering why anyone should try. After all, more people look for the TV show, not the movie.
If Fran Kuzui wants to make a new Slayer movie, one word of advice:  any name except Buffy.
That way, if a new Slayer movie is done right, the real thing can show up, and give her blessing, which would also be Joss Whedon's.
For we all know, he is the one true parent of Buffy Anne Summers. 

(Also, the Nerdist website speculated what kind of Buffy movie we'd get if it was made in the 1970's. Actually, the casting's not bad: Cybill Shepherd as Buffy, Peter Cushing as Giles, Kurt Russell as Xander, Susan Dey as Willow, Morgan Fairchild as Darla. Not sure about Leonard Nimoy as the Master, though. This was during a time when he wanted to prove he was more than Spock, but I'm not sure this would be it.)
A blog called The Exploding Kinetoscope did a very detailed essay on the movie. It makes my essay look quite lacking. It compares the original Buffy movie to lots of other movies, and praises Sutherland's performance. Well, I had my angle and this blogger has his. Click here, and see for yourself.
AAAANNNDDD...someone found an article in Movieline that gives a detailed look at the movie, with a lot of emphasis on how this affects Luke Perry's chances to breaking away from his role on 90210. It didn't, but you wonder if it could have if the movie was closer to Joss' original plan, and people decided this was NOT a kid's movie.

Now, after we have had a flood of vampire genre on TV and the movies...for good and bad...could it be time for an all new version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, based on what Whedon really had in mind? If so, he, or Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tanchareon, should be involved somehow. That way, it will be done right.
Besides, wouldn't Emma Roberts look great mowing down the Hellspawn?

And for the record, my new website that's devoted to the many Buffy-related activities I've attended is http://davidmello4.wix.com/impalergeneral. 

Picked The Wrong Year To Skip Comic-Con

Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.--Lloyd Bridges, Airplane!

I've been going to Comic-Con since 2004, when Sarah Michelle Gellar finally decided to go to plug her new movie, The Grudge. I discovered some new shows that we still remember, including Bones and Lost. It was big, but not and airy, and getting into any panel you want was a reality, not a pipe dream/deep delusion that it is today.

This year would have been my tenth straight Comic-Con, except I am still in between jobs. I send resumes to hundreds of prospective employees, and about nine out of ten of them automatically throw them away. So, I have to stay home.

This year looked like slim pickings to me compared to previous years, mainly because the Harry Potter and Twilight franchises, which really packed the con in years past, are over. Not to worry, because other franchises have taken over, including Marvel, Hunger Games, and the Hobbit. TV has also taken over, with its wealth of genre shows from Arrow and Walking Dead to True Blood and Game of Thrones to take over for past classics including Buffy the Vampire Slayer (natch), Battlestar Galactica, X-Files, and Smallville.

For those who think comics aren't that important at Comic-Con anymore, think again. Some titles pull in the fans, including the perennials such as Batman, Superman and Spider-Man, but comics connected with TV shows (even Adventure Time and many Dark Horse titles) keep them as a major part of the con. Toys are also getting bigger, thanks to Mattel, when they roll out models exclusive to the con.

What I'll miss most of all if that I can't cover stories for Whedonopolis. I am at my happiest when I write a story that, for the most part, wind up as exclusives that no other internet news site has. Did any other website interview Alexis Denisof and Amy Acker just before Much Ado About Nothing premiered at the San Francisco International Film Festival..and came back for the movie's first officials weekend? Did anyone else talk to the original Slayer, Kristy Swanson, when she was in Sacramento for a small con in Sacramento? I did that, and I am sure I would have found a story at Comic-Con no one else could find.

So, what will I miss?

the panel for Intelligence, featuring Sawyer from Lost as the first internet-connected secret agent,
an EW panel that includes both Matt Smith and David Guintoli (and the Grimm and Doctor Who panels, too),
the 5th anniversary of Dr. Horrible,
a panel for Agents of SHIELD which should include lots from the pilot,
Joss of course,
maybe a preview of The World's End (Pegg and Frost's version of This Is The End),
what's next for Geek and Sundry,
the Veronica Mars movie,
how Amy Acker will try to break up Husbands (think scorned ex-fiancé who won't accept being the wrong gender for one of them),
the Eric Andre Show (mostly because of how he greeted Tea Party supporters with hoods...on TV),  How I Met Your Mother,
Matt Smith with Chris Hardwick at the Balboa (will burritos be included again?),
and the annual showing of Once More With Feeling.

Granted, I'd be lucky to see half this stuff, or even a third, if I was able to go this year. I was lucky to be at the Firefly panel thanks to lining up many, many hours ahead of time. Comic-Con has gotten so big, you have to stand in line at 6 AM to see anything...even if it's for something at 6 PM. That's why if I did get a ticket to the Nerdist podcast taping at the Balboa, I really wouldn't have to go to the Doctor Who panel the next day. Of course, I would have wished I could get him to autograph a burrito but that's unlikely. Who can autograph a burrito?

Fortunately, thanks to YouTube and similar sites, someone will be smart enough to record as many of these panels as possible, and I can still see them. Sadly, I wouldn't be able to find a story no one else finds, but I can still see what happened eventually.

Missing Wondercon and Comic-Con this year has been a real bummer this year, but I am glad I am still useful to Whedonopolis. I still wrote stuff about the SHIELD show, and two articles about Much Ado in San Francisco. I just wish I had some idea about whether people are reading my stuff, or even like it. The old Whedonopolis site measured how many hits my articles got, and I knew people actually read my articles.

Then again, there's one big reason why I'm mad I can't go....the swag!
I could always use another big tote bag that's really a portable billboard to the next big TV show, movie, comic book or whatever. It's still cool.
Sure, I found really rare swag that was never offered for sale, like a t-shirt from an early Butt Numb-A-Thon Harry Knowles hosted, or a Moonite t-shirt that recalled the day they accidentally put Boston on Red Alert six years ago. Still, it would be nice to have a foam TARDIS, a Kick-Ass 2 hat, or a plastic Captain American shield or Thor hammer...or a Mockingjay pin.

I will say I have done pretty good overall. Who else has way too many Joss autographs, but still has one framed...and even a picture? Last year, I got Tarantino's autograph on a Django Unchained poster, which is more valuable since he won an Oscar for Original Screenplay. I still have the dog tags from the Inglorious Basterds premiere, and a few other posters that can't be found anywhere else.

So, I have to stay home, but someday, I'll be back. Maybe I can return in time for Avengers 2.

Joss Whedon Joins Twitter: What Does That Really Mean?

Like many fans of Joss Whedon, I woke up this morning, still excited about the first promo for the ABC show Marvel's Agents of SHIELD. Mostly, we were really stoked about what could be the catch phrase of the summer: "Don't touch Lola," uttered by the literally indestructible Agent Philip Coulson. How he's indestructible...well, that will be explained sometime, but let's enjoy it.

Then I find out on Facebook that Joss has finally made the plunge into Twitter, the 21st century equivalent of sending telegrams to friends, family or people who you think are just wrong.

According to his page @JossActual, he started his account sometime after 11 PM Pacific Time. His first words:

It's me! Joss! My own account! No more hiding under studio skirts! I'm FREE! @MuchAdoFilm @AgentsofSHIELD @Marvel @roadsidetweets #free

Then, his next tweet:

MY account! I got strong opinions! I'm gettin' POLITICAL! (Heads up, LEMURS.) And making wry observations about mundane stuff!

That sounded good to me. So, I followed his account and, just because I can't help it, I try to write something that's as quirky as he is...

@JossActual Welcome! We Tweeters will follow you to the ends of the Earth, but not that tacky boutique over there, or that boring disco

OK, it isn't as quirky...or maybe it is. You decide. I follow that with something more intelligent:

@JossActual Of course, congratulations on @AgentsofSHIELD (is Luke Cage included?) and enjoy Seattle this week in #MuchAdoRulestheWorld

That's less quirky, but I had to say something about Much Ado About Nothing about to kick off the Seattle International Film Festival. Maybe it will get an award there, or it will rule the world (at least the indie film part).

He sent some tweets before when he used the @MuchAdoMovie Twitter feed just before the movie's premiere during South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. He also wrote a few after that. This may be why he decided to get his own account.

This does not mean I'll be tweeting Joss 7200 times a day. I can be quirky elsewhere, and often. I do think that Joss will get a mountain of thank-you tweets when Much Ado finally gets a regular run next month, and then Comic-Con, and then the TV show. Maybe he'll get comments from readers of his Dark Horse comics. They can do that now.

Joss finally joining Twitter is the nerdy equivalent of Miley Cyrus coming back to Twitter, but over-active Whedon fans should keep the tweeting at a minimum, and make those tweets count. After all, it's all about quality, not quantity. That goes for how many followers you have. He has 67 thousand followers as of Monday afternoon. That will get much bigger, but not in the Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber territory. It'll still be impressive though.

Meanwhile, much of the Whedonverse is already on Twitter, from David Boreanaz and Alyson Hannigan, to Seth Green, Nick Brendon, Tom Lenk, Fran Kranz, Morena Baccarin, Jewel Staite, Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, Seam Maher, Alan Tudyk, Camden Toy, Doug Jones, Eliza Dushku, Felicia Day, David Fury, Jane Espenson, Charisma Carpenter, Kristy Swanson, Amber Benson, James Marsters, Tim Minear....nearly everyone.
Sarah Michelle Gellar isn't on Twitter, but that can always change.

As far as connecting with Joss through Twitter, we shouldn't go too far. One big Twitter-lanche, and he might be scared off. Just welcome him, and think of an impressive tweet you can use when the time is right. That's the best way.
When he has a thought that is longer than 140 characters, we head to Whedonesque, like we always do..

First Look At Saturn Award Nominations

While the Oscars will be remembered for the Best Director that didn't get nominated, the Saturn Awards may get some attention between April and June over who will be up for awards.

Unlike the Oscars, the Saturn Awards, run by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films gives genre films their due. In fact, they even let some unexpected movies into the mix. That's due to giving out four different "Best Pictures" for Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Action/Adventure and Horror/Thriller. While some films that the Oscars usually ignore get their due in these awards, other nominees may puzzle some people. A musical? Anne Hathway gets two nominations? What's Robot and Frank or Compliance? (Netflix will answer that question). This is my take on the major movie nominations...

SCIENCE FICTION

The Avengers is nominated along with Cloud Atlas, Chronicle, Hunger Games, Looper and Prometheus. While The Avengers may have the edge because it earned a lot of cash, there may be support for Looper, the first Time Travel Noir film. I'll pick Avengers.

FANTASY

The Hobbit will compete with The Amazing Spider-Man, Life of Pi, Snow White and the Huntsman, Ted and Ruby Sparks. The big support for Hobbit will lead to a big win.

ACTION-ADVENTURE

People are wondering why Les Miserables is nominated. Musicals are not action-packed, although there was some here. However, it'll be a battle between The Dark Knight Rises, Skyfall and Django Unchained, while 007 just coming out on top. Taken 2 and The Bourne Legacy fills out the list

HORROR/THRILLER

The Cabin in the Woods was the ultimate sleeper film because it was on the shelf for years while MGM tried to get its financial house in order. Lionsgate wound up releasing the film and did well. It looks like the favorite here,  but the other nominees are surprises: Argo, Zero Dark 30 and The Impossible. Also on the list are Seven Psychopaths and The Woman in Black.

There's also a category for independent films. That is going to be tough, because Compliance (which could be called a thriller and horror film) is up against Killer Joe, Hitchcock, Seeking a Friend at the End of the World, Robot and Frank (which puts new meaning to the term "computer crime"). The Paperboy and Safety Not Guaranteed. Netflix should help me catch up, but Compliance may have an edge because of the subject matter.

Now to acting:

BEST ACTOR

Daniel Craig has the edge for Skyfall, the most successful Bond movie ever, and one that marks a big change in the franchise, too. He'll be challenged by Joseph Gordon-Levitt for Looper and Matthew McConaughey for Killer Joe. The other nominees are Christian Bale (The Dark Knight Rises), Martin Freeman (The Hobbit) and Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables).

BEST ACTRESS

It'll be Katniss vs. Maya this time, but they'll face some interesting competition. Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Chastain are the front runners, with Lawrence in the race for Hunger Games. However, look out for Ann Dowd in Compliance. She may win this award. Also on the list are Zoe Kazan (Ruby Sparks), Helen Mirren (Hitchcock) and Naomi Watts (The Impossible).

SUPPORTING ACTOR

This could be very interesting: Christoph Waltz will still have Oscar momentum thanks to Django Unchained, but Javier Bardem may have a better chance for his role in Skyfall. There's also Gordon-Levitt in Dark Knight Rises, Clark Gregg in The Avengers, Ian McKellen for The Hobbit, and Michael Fassbinder in Prometheus. It'll be Bardem by a handful of voters over Waltz.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Anne Hathaway has a good claim here, but not as Fantine. She stole The Dark Knight Rises, but the fact she's also nominated for Les Miserables may hurt her chances. A sleeper choice may be Judi Dench in Skyfall or Gina Gershon for Killer Joe. Also nominated are Charlize Theron for Snow White and the Huntsman and Nicole Kidman for The Paperboy.

Best screenplay will be interesting. Joss Whedon has two nominations, The Avengers and Cabin in the Woods (with Drew Goddard). Quentin Tarantino is also in there for Django Unchained, Tracy Letts for Killer Joe, Martin McDonagh for Seven Psychopaths and David Magee for Life of Pi. Whedon may be able to survive the vote split and win with Drew for Cabin.

Then there's Best Director. Some may wonder why Tarantino isn't in the race, but the choices make sense: Joss for Avengers, Christopher Nolan for Dark Knight Rises, Ang Lee for Life of Pi, Rian Johnson for Looper, Peter Jackson for The Hobbit and William Friedkin for Killer Joe. My preferences are Whedon, Lee and Johnson, but I am not sure. Good thing I have some time before the ballot arrives.

You can look at the entire list of nominees here, and join the Academy to have a say on who should win. Just visit saturnawards.org. Voting starts in April, and the winners will be announced in June.

Joss Whedon Dominates the Oscars...Sort Of

Since I am at a loss of how to pass the time this afternoon while I am waiting for The Walking Dead, BAFTA Awards and the Grammys, I will write a really cheesy column about how the inventor of Slaying, Vampires with Soul and Big Damn Heroes actually has a big connection with the Academy Awards in two weeks.

Joss Whedon won't be at the Academy Awards next weekend. He'll will be busy in Glasgow and Dublin showing Much Ado About Nothing to the film festivals there.  He would belong at the Oscars though, aside from his nomination for a screenplay award for Toy Story in 1995. It's actually because of his connection with what could be the favorite for Best Picture

Joss' biggest connection is Argo, the movie with the Best Director of 2012 (sorry, whoever wins the Oscar). The most obvious one Clea DuVall, who played Cora Lijek, one of the workers from the US Embassy who hid in the Canadian Embassy in Iran in 1979. She also played Marcie Ross, the invisible girl who was gunning for Cordelia  in  Buffy's first season ("Invisible Girl" or "Out of Sight, Out of Mind"). It would have been great to see what happened to Marcie after the FBI grabbed her. My guess is her invisibility wore off after being away from Sunnydale, but she figured out how to work undercover in other ways. DuVall was an FBI agent in Heroes, so it's plausible.

It doesn't stop there. Keith Szarabajka, who was Angel's nemesis Daniel Holtz, played Adam Engell one of the CIA officials discussing how to get the six Americans out of Iran.

Oh, and Ben Affleck was one of the basketball players in the original Buffy movie. It was when one the players suddenly became a vampire.

Oops, I almost forgot Tom Lenk, who plays a reporter for Variety when they have the table read for the fake movie.  He'll be more prominent when Much Ado About Nothing reaches American theaters this summer (aside from SXSW in March).

Yes, Browncoats, Alan Tydyk should be included, too. He is the voice of the Candy King in Wreck-It Ralph, a likely favorite for Best Animated Film

AHHH! I know, Tara fans. Amy Adams was also in the Buffy episode "Family", five years before she earned her first of four Oscar nominations for Junebug. She's in the Supprorting Actress race for The Master (no, not the one who was clobbered a formerly dead Slayer). Sorry about that.

Of course, the Oscars announced the cast of The Avengers will be presenting, while the film is up for the award for Best Visual Effects. You can't ignore a comic book movie that earns as much as the gross national product of a couple of small island nations.

I just wonder if Much Ado About Nothing, which was made at Joss' house in 12 days for the cost of a really long limousine, could get some awards, too. Maybe Joss may find himself in the Independent Spirit Awards in 2014. Wouldn't that be interesting?

Much Ado About Avengers In The Woods..with Buffys

Being an overnight guy for a Sacramento radio station, I hear a lot about how the Mayans are predicting the end of the world next year because their calendar runs out, or how a comet from millions of miles away somehow set off Occupy Wall Street.

Well, I say 2012 is the Year of the Whedoncalypse, where his mighty hand, and maybe his ears, nose and throat, will shove the Earth into a new state of consciousness, based on the belief that spending millions of dollars on a 3-D movie that blasphemes The Three Musketeers is an embarrassment to our species.

This is really based on that surprise announcement Sunday night that Joss made his version of Much Ado About Nothing at his house with a hefty amount of Whedonverse alumni while no one was looking. We've been too keyed up about The Avengers we didn't know he had this idea in the back of his mind. What's more, he did this on his vacation and his wife was OK with it. That's because it's the beginning of Bellwether Studios, a micro-studio where new technologies and getting around typical studio suits can be the new road to good movies.

Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof as Benedick and Beatrice is a great selling point right there. Wesley and Fred/Illyria together again. Come to think of it, could Illyria, a God to a God, be intrigued by playing Beatrice? Sure, once she realizes blasting demons who sneaked into the play can be dealt with at intermission. I think Amy would add a dash of Illyria playing this role. while Alexis added some Wesley with a trace of the goofy news anchor he played in How I Met Your Mother.

Add Nathan Fillion as Dogberry, Sean Maher as Don John, Fran Kranz as Claudio, Clark Gregg (our favorite SHIELD agent) and Reed Diamond of Dollhouse, and you've got something. The whole press release is here, and it looks like we'll have to wait until March to see it at a film festival near you. Sadly, there isn't one near me, but maybe someone could start one to get this movie to Sacramento.

You should also thank Dr. Horrible for this, too. Making that internet musical for a pittance for the net, leading to massive DVD sales and applause everywhere, showed that you don't need the big studios to get a movie made, or even the usual indie guys like IFC Films. Just do it yourself, get actors who want to make movies for the fun of it and to sharpen their skills, and off you go. Heck, using cable companies and streaming media aside from Netflix can solve distribution problems. Kevin Smith has proven that with Red State.

The best benefit, of course, is seeing our favorite actors from the Whedonverse more often. Wouldn't you like to see Sean Maher despite the fact The Playboy Club is out of business, or Fran after the Dollhouse is closed, or Amy or Nathan? Course ya do.

Now a flood of links: the website for the movie, followed by the Entertainment Weekly article that includes Amy and Alexis together,and looking all Shakespeare like in a 21st Century world.

Of course, that's only the beginning. The Avengers is coming in May, but before that we FINALLY get to see Cabin in the Woods after the MGM bankrupcy drama. Let's also not forget it's Buffy the Vampire Slayer's 15th anniversary...and 20 years since that movie was shown. I was really disappointed by the blu-ray release of that movie. Why no cast reunion, or even more outtakes? C'mon, guys, she gave the WB a reason to exist. You should have worked harder. Then, again let's have the TV Buffy in blu-ray with new extras. That would be even better. Your move, Fox Home Entertainment.
Oh, and Firefly is ten years old in 2012. Browncoats assemble!

Whedon Alumni Among the Busiest

Recently a familiar face just joined Mad Men.
A guy named Danny was just hired by Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, even though all he had was one concept for several products..and he's a cousin of Roger's wife, Jane.
If he looked familiar, he's actually Danny Strong, who was Johnathan on Buffy and also a very good TV screenwriter. He was the guy who wrote Recount, about the 2000 presidential election.

Then I was thinking a lot of the old cast members of the Whedonverse are still quite busy. Look at the cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Sarah Michelle Gellar is currently enjoying motherhood, as shown in this picture....



Fans, though, hope she will be back soon.
Many cast members are enjoying TV success. Alyson Hannigan is on How I Met Your Mother, David Boreanaz with Bones, Nicholas Brendon makes occasional appearances on Criminal Minds, and James Marsters is poised to be back on Smallville and Caprica (if that gets more episodes. He'll also play a big role in the premiere of Hawaii Five-0, and maybe more after that. Charisma Carpenter has recently been spotted in The Expendables, and has a couple of movies in the works. Amber Benson is a successful author, and co-directed the office/alien invasion movie Drones. Michelle Trachtenberg was a regular on Mercy, but has also been wreaking havoc on Gossip Girl, and will do even more havoc soon.

The crew of Firefly has also done pretty well in the biz. Nathan Fillion, of course, is set to solve crimes and flirt at a cop (even if she has a gun) on Castle for another year. Adam Baldwin is also back as Casey on Chuck, and Morena Baccarin will be back as a very scary alien queen on V. Alan Tudyk has been in movies, including 3:10 to Yuma, but made a heck of an impression as Alpha on Dollhouse (which is one good reason why you should get the season 2 DVD next month). Jewel Staite and Sean Maher recently guest starred on Warehouse 13. She was also on Stargate Atlantis, and I have an action figure of her from that show. Maher just landed a gig on ABC Family's gymnastics show Make It or Break It.
Ron Glass, who played Book, was recently in the U-S version of Death at a Funeral. That's ironic, since Tudyk was in the original as the guy who took one wild drug accidentally. We'll hear more from him when we read The Shepherd's Tale from Dark Horse this fall.
Gina Torres, who played Zoe, is part of the cast of ABC Family's Huge, where she's a counselor at a weight-reduction camp.
Summer Glau has been seen as a Terminator and a wounded computer genius on Dollhouse. Now, she'll be a two-fisted muckraking blogger on The Cape.

As for Angel, Christian Kane is still a big part of the caper drama Leverage. Amy Acker was a regular on Dollhouse and Happy Town. She'll be seen in Cabin in the Woods once MGM fixes its financial problems. Vincent Kartheizer, of course, is enjoying success as Pete Campbell in Mad Men. J. August Richards has been on the TNT show Raising the Bar, and was recently seen on Grey's Anatomy.

The cast of Dollhouse also has a lot of talent, and may are hoping to see more of them soon. Eliza Dushku has been a major part of the Buffyverse as Faith, and Echo in Dollhouse. She's now developing a movie on Robert Mapplethorpe. Olivia Williams was recently seen in The Ghost Writer. Who wouldn't want to see her as a female Giles in a possible Slayer spinoff?
Harry Lennix has an interesting resume. Not only was he Boyd on the show, he was also in State of Play, and even Little Britain USA is the US President. He'll soon be in Mr. Sophistication and McBett, which is Macbeth in the Caribbean.
Enver Gjokaj, if I had my way, would be the new Rollin Hand in Mission Impossible 4. He's been seen recently in Fox's Lie to Me.
Miracle Laurie, who played Maddie/Mellie/November, is part of a ukelele band, but will soon be in a sci-fi drama set in San Francisco about 160 years from now.
Fran Kranz was supposed to be in an NBC romantic comedy, but will also be part of Cabin in the Woods.
Tahmoh Penikett, already a big fan favorite in Battlestar Galactica and Dollhouse, will soon be seen in The Hostage.

The Whedonverse is filled with very talented people and actors that we're certain to see again and again.

At Least My Comic-Con Evenings Are Set

Lately, some enterprising people have discovered that Comic-Con fans may not want to see the latest blockbuster hit that's in town for a sneak preview, or attend a panel of terrible animation. They search for exotic things, or stuff that's cooler than what some call "Cannes for Nerds"

I think this all started when Rifftrax had a live show at the Balboa, tossing venom on Plan 9 From Outer Space. Since then, more people have decided to become the alternative to Comic-Con at night. In my case, the places where I'm going occur after some panel does take place. I still hope to see The Expendables, only if the screening does happen on a Saturday, or the movie ends around 10 PM. Otherwise. I'll be occupied.

Still, my post 7 PM plans are pretty much set for most of the week. I snagged tix for Hammer Improv, also known as the Knights of Good Improv since Felicia, Sandeep and Jeff are in the group. I wouldn't be surprised if the rest of the guys dropped by, or even Wil Wheaton. He has to warm up for his w00tstock show.

I'd go to that, but I'm instead going to the Gaslamp 14 on Thursday for the Serenity screening. It's been five years since I was told this movie would screen at Comic-Con...the day after it happened. It was the reason I got a cell phone. This time, I'll go to the 5th anniversary. Who knows if this event will bigger than before? The alumni sure are.

Then there's the Patten Oswalt late show at the House of Blues. I'll bring my Serenity Float Out issue, in the hopes he'll sign it. If that's not possible, that's no problem. At least I will get to see him up close for the first time since the Ratatouille panel at Wondercon.

Saturday's up in the air, aside from Kevin Smith at hall H after the Marvel fans are in shock. In any case, it looks like it may be much better than last year's Laptop Suicide event. I'll use my briefcase to carry everything at all times. It's just good half my stuff will be at a safe place through Monday.

So, here's to what could be the end of the San Diego era, unless Comic-Con decision to add two hotels to the lineup will be enough to keep it away from Anaheim three years from now. We'll actually find out before it begins.

Coming This Fall..A Lot Of Whedonverse Alumni

Now that the TV season is over, and we say goodbye to three TV stales, it's time to look at the future.
Last year at this time, fans of the Whedonverse were happy a lot of the old gang were still on TV from Eliza Dushku on Dollhouse to Julie Benz in Dexter, from Alyson Hannigan in How I Met Your Mother, to Nathan Fillon on Castle. There was also the return of Morena Baccarin as the now very angry Visitor leader in V.

As for next season, many Whedonverse favorites will still be with us, and even a few coming back on movies or TV. Many of them will be coming from Firefly. Fillion and Baccarin will be back in their shows. Summer Glau is poised to return as a crusading blogger helping a vigilante known as The Cape, Sean Maher and Jewel Staite will make an appearance on Warehouse 13, Alan Tudyk will be part of Transformers 3 (but Megan Fox won't be), Adam Baldwin will be a reluctant mentor to a spy-in-training on Chuck. Even Ron Glass, aka Book, will return when we finally learn "The Shepherd's Tale" in a new book from Dark Horse.
We shouldn't forget Gina Torres, who will be a counselor in Huge, about teens at a camp for heavy teens, especially one who refuses to believe being big is bad. That will be on ABC Family later this month.

Alyson Hannigan, of course, is still with How I Met Your Mother (which hopefully will return to getting us closer to that), and David Boreanaz will be back in Bones. James Marsters, who's becoming more well-known for Caprica than he was in Buffy and Angel, may be well-known in a new version of Hawaii Five-0 as the nemesis of McGarrett. Benz, meanwhile, will soon become part of No Ordinary Family, as the mom who suddenly becomes faster than her mini-van...although the rest of the family have new skills, too.

Of course, things may change between now and the fall. Fran Kranz was supposed to be part of a new NBC sitcom but was recast after the pilot. Rest assured, though, these and other actors in the Whedonverse will make their way to our TV and movie screens soon enough.

Wondercon: News From Dark Horse

Dark Horse had been the home for comic books from most of the Whedonverse, except for Angel.
Fans were hoping to get big news from the comic book company about what to expect from Buffy, Dr. Horrible or maybe the Guild.
Spokesman Jeremy Atkins and writer Randy Stradley said they didn't have any big news. However, they did say they were very excited about the future. The latest on Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 8 is linked to the shocking news that Angel is Twilight. They did say issue 34 this month will actually surprise a lot of fans who wished Buffy and Angel would be together. Let's just say if such a thing happened, now would not be the right time. It's Xander-and-Willow-kissing-at-the-wrong-time all over again (this was from season three, by the way).

Meanwhile, they did talk about the new Serenity/Firefly projects. One of them is the new Wash story, "Float Out", written by Patten Oswalt. That's coming in June. Atkins revealed that Oswalt was actually unsure if he could do the job after he was "out-geeked" by MTV reporter Rick Marshall. The other big story is the long-awaited "Shepherd's Tale", which reveals the back story of Shepherd Book. It will be released as a hardcover in November. Atkins said that Ron Glass, who played Book, called him and said he story was inspired. He even said it would interesting enough to bring back he role on TV, if that happened.
Atkins says Serenity has been a very popular title in Dark Horse. "While the television world may be done with Firefly", he says, "we're nowhere near it."

Several fans asked questions about the Guild, which just started its three-issue run, and whether Dollhouse could get a second life as a comic book. "Joss got his heartbroken again with another great series that people got behind," he says. "If it does happen, it would be a little while in the future." However, Atkins says Dark Horse would be happy to work with Joss if a Dollhouse comic book was possible.

Dollhouse: A Different Kind Of Toy Story

As some of you know, Smart Pop Books had a contest recently asking fans to write an essay on the late great Fox show, Dollhouse. The top 15 winners would have their entries published and put in a book that will be released this fall.
About a hundred people submitted entries, including me. The results were finally revealed....and I didn't make it.
Maybe my entry was terrible, or too profound or too weird, or the competition was really that tight. I'm guessing it was one close contest.
All I know is that they got Jane Espenson as a judge. If there's anyone who knows good writing, it is her.

Therefore, here is my entry. Judge for yourself.

Question: what do Dollhouse and Toy Story have in common?

To the hard core Joss Whedon fan, the answer is obvious. Just two years before he turned a little teen horror comedy called Buffy the Vampire Slayer into a classic TV cult hit, he was involved in the screenplay of Toy Story, which revolutionized animated films. It also led to getting an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

Last fall, Toy Story and its sequel were both re-released as a 3-D movie double feature as a prelude to the next movie, also in 3-D, next summer. It turned out to be a big hit, and the planned two-week engagement wound up being extended. A recent article in Entertainment Weekly* revealed that Whedon wanted to use Barbie to help rescue Woody and Buzz Lightyear in the first movie's final act, where they were in danger of benig abandoned by Andy's family. It makes sense for a man who believes in girl power, or in this case doll power. Whedon said in the article he wanted Barbie as "Sarah Connor in a pink convertible." It would have been worth it to hear her say "come with me if you want to live" more than a decade before Summer Glau does on a TV version of the Terminator franchise. Producer Matt Guggenheim said in the article Mattel objected to using Barbie because they thought girls project their own ideas of what Barbie should be. Giving Barbie her own voice, Mattel allegedly thought, wouldn't become a girl's ideal. After Toy Story became successful, Mattel allowed Barbie to be part of Toy Story 2. That led to several Barbie CGI movies which are mostly fairy tales. Maybe it didn't think little girls would be ready for Barbie the Vampire Slayer, although they thought Barbie and Ken could fill Mulder and Scully's shoes in a special X-Files edition of the two dolls.

Mattel's alleged objection, however, stuck with me because it could be the same attitude Rossum has towards its Actives in all its Dollhouses. An Active is there to fulfill a client's fantasy or need. If you give an Active its own voice, it may not become a person's ideal. It would become, well, too human to do the job it's supposed to do. At least too human for Rossum's comfort.

So, could Dollhouse be the dark side of Toy Story, where clients could be like fair and loving like Andy, or evil like Sid, or somewhere in between?
That's not too far out, really, although there are other ways to connect the movie with the TV show.

Let's start with the idea that both Toy Story and Dollhouse involve people treating people like toys. A child defines what a toy should be, just as a client decides what an Active should be. Through the short history of Dollhouse, consider some of the "roles" that Actives have played: a geisha, midwife, backup singer, nerdy fan, birthday party guest, a Topher clone, blind girl, safecracker, wife, mother, solider, lover, doctor...and a few others Barbie never had the chance to do. However, the Actives are treated like what toys are supposed to be: living yet blank objects until someone wants to play with them. They are not supposed to form attachments with each other, like Echo does with Sierra and Victor. They are not supposed to share affection, or have "man reactions" on their own. A Doll is just there to fulfill a fantasy. It's not supposed to have one of its own. That's only allowed in Pixar movies.

Usually, the Dollhouses cater to clients who have a lot of money, and are just like Andy, a person who treats his toys fairly. When the first Toy Story movie starts, he's using his toys to play out a bank robbery, with Woody as the hero who saves the day. Compare that to a client asking to have an Active to play more mature roles, like a romantic date, a mercenary rescuing a kidnapped child or a safecracker. After the client is finished "playing" with his Active, it gets "put back on the shelf" after its imprint is wiped clean. In the Toy Story world, the toys know full well what they are, and just enjoy life being part of a child's world. The Actives just wander around, paint or practice yoga. As far as the Dollhouse is concerned, Actives are toys with no thoughts in their heads. Having thoughts would make them more complicated than a Mr. Potato Head, whether he's a toy or the Pixar version with Don Rickles' voice.

There are clients who are like Sid, the evil kid who likes to break toys, or make them even worse. Remember the Erector set spider with the bald baby doll head? The best example of a "Sid" is Nolan Kinnard, a major player inside Rossum. One day, he meets a girl named Priya at a party, and decides he must possess her, literally. Using a mental health clinic that he owns, he drives Priya insane through the use of drugs. Then he sends her to the Dollhouse, where she is turned into Sierra, an Active who is his own personal plaything. Calling her his girlfriend would be too charitable. In "Needs", Sierra becomes aware of her past as Priya, and confronts Nolan about it. Not only does he admit it, he says she is going to return to him anytime he wants. He's right, because Sierra's sudden self-awareness was really part of a plan by Dr. Claire Saunders to have the Actives resolve unresolved issues, and become obedient again. This didn't quite work with all of them. It's also ironic, since the one who came up with the plan is later revealed to be an Active, too. More on that later.
Then when Nolan demands that he keep Sierra permanently, he uses his position in Rossum, and pressure from fellow company bigwig Matthew Harding, to get what he wants. However, what he winds up getting is Sierra as Priya, her former self. She tells Nolan she never loved him, but loves someone else whose name she can't explain. When Nolan start abusing what was supposed to be his personal toy, she winds up stabbing him to death. Sid should be glad his mutant toys never struck back like that, or that Woody just warned him to take care of his toys.

Another example is Hearn, who was Sierra's handler. Adelle DeWitt figures out that he has been raping Sierra, but he also admits it readily. He says when you see women who are willing to do anything for you, you're bound to take advantage. She gives him a way out by sending him to kill Mellie, who's been helping FBI agent Paul Ballard expose the Dollhouse. When Hearn does attack her, she gets a call from Dewitt, telling her there are three flowers in a vase. The phrase turns Mellie from victim to Hearn's assassin, but it also shows she is a sleeper Active. She takes care of Hearn just as Sierra took care of Nolan. It's quite a lesson to both Nolan and Hearn not to abuse toys, whether they own one or not.

There's also a list of clients who are somewhere between Andy and Sid. That is, they may seem to have the best of intentions at first, but their needs may become too dark or uncomfortable. Richard Connell, the client in "The Target", wanted a companion on a whitewater rafting trip. What he really wanted was a companion for a hunting trip, with Echo as his prey. She's barely able to escape, but the Dollhouse is stunned about how they were fooled by this man, and whether rouge Active Alpha is responsible.

Joel Mynor, internet whiz, is the only client on the show who is able to justify why he needs an Active. In "Man on the Street", he explains that he wanted to capture a moment that never was: surprising his wife with a new house that he bought through his internet creation, "Bouncy the Rat". That moment never happened because she died in a car crash just before she got to the house. Paul still thinks Joel's fantasy is bad because he's using a person who is fulfilling his fantasy because she lost her free will. However, Joel turns it around on Paul, asking him whether his fantasy is saving Echo from her life as an Active, and what he hopes to get out of it. In a way, Paul hopes to find redemption through a toy, in this case Echo.

Later, Paul discovers that he's no better than Mynor or any other Dollhouse client. This happens when he learns that Mellie is a sleeper Active. It's a fact that surprises her because his relationship with Mellie had become intimate. He wonders if her affections towards him are real or programmed. It gets to the point that he doesn't care, and still has sex with her. Afterwards, when she asks when they're going to find Dollhouse clients, Paul finds one...in his own mirror.

He would be surprised if he learned that Adelle DeWitt, who manages the Los Angeles Dollhouse, had been posing as "Miss Lonelyhearts" so she could enjoy her own toy...Victor, or Roger as she calls him. Some may wonder how this is different than what Nolan or Hearn did to Sierra. While these two men abused Sierra to get what they want, all Adelle had to do was have Victor imprinted. She didn't force him to have sex with her. He was just programmed to do that. He is her toy, and he is there to be her ideal. Victor/Roger is a life-sized version of Ken, only better...or at least that's what she tells herself. It's still abuse because she's taking advantage of a man who has no free will. Rather than take her chances at parties or even singles bars, she finds a quick yet empty solution with an Active. It's not as violent as what Nolan and Hearn did, but it's still abuse. She even tries to enjoy one last night of passion with Victor/Roger before his term as an Active ends. He is reluctant because, as Sierra told Nolan, he says there's someone else he loves, but can't explain who she is.
Why did she did she think she could get away with it? Maybe she thinks she's entitled to borrowing a "toy" because she thinks the Dollhouse is her own toy store, if she doesn't get caught. That's what being head of a Dollhouse means, until Matthew Harding tells her she is seen as a toy to those who are really in charge, including himself and Clive Ambrose. That may have been the moment she started having doubts about what the Dollhouse is really doing, well before Ballard did.

The connections between Toy Story and Dollhouse don't stop there. While all the toys in Toy Story are aware of who they are, the exception is Buzz Lightyear, who is convinced he's a real Space Ranger who can fly. This puts him in a rivalry with Woody, who had enjoyed his status as Andy's favorite toy. He finds out the truth by seeing a commercial about himself, and finds out the hard way he can't go to infinity, but can go straight down. Through friendship from Woody and the other toys, he gets over this problem.
In the Dollhouse, there is no rivalry among the Actives. They just know one thing: "I try to do my best". For a while the number one Active was Whiskey, who would later become Dr. Claire Saunders. Whiskey would be the most popular Active, until Alpha decides to make Echo the top Active. He does that by scarring Whisky and killing some Actives. He did this because it was love at first sight for him, He did this to earn her love, but would not get it. Love was not important to her. She didn't get "girl reactions" when she was with Alpha. It was more like fear when she saw what he did. Still, her fear was gone when she was wiped, and prepared for her next role that a person bought her to fulfill.

Dr. Saunders could be considered the Dollhouse version of Buzz. As he always thought he was a real crime-fighting hero, Claire thought she's always been the physician of the Dollhouse because she was programmed that way. When Dr. Saunders discovers her Active past, she isn't interesting in learning who she was. She just knows who she is now.
That would have been the end, until "Vows", when Dr. Saunders is busy taunting Topher. She is still dealing with the fact that her past and present is all a lie, and that Topher made her. She later seduces him, claiming that Topher made her to hate him so that he would eventuallty win her love. He disagrees, because he wanted her to hate him to remind him that it's partially his fault Alpha went mad, which led to Saunders, as Whisky being scarred. He's not the client here. Dr. Saunders' process of discovering her true self is much more complicated that what Buzz had to accept.
It would have been interesting to see how Claire would decide that, even if she was an Active, she can be a real person by just saying that she was. However, that would never happen, as her body would be taken over by Clyde Randolph, one of the co-founders of Rossum, in "The Hollow Men."

However, one Doll did manage to say he was real by saying so. It was none other than Paul Ballard. Throughout the series, he considered Dolls as people who may as well be murdered, even though they didn't know it. He considered those who used them, even for the best of intentions, to be cruel. He had to be turned into a Doll to be saved after Alpha severely damaged his brain in "A Love Supreme". At least he has Mellie, who is also a Doll again when her retirement ended in "The Left Hand." When they infiltrate Rossum headquarters in Tucson in "The Hollow Men", she asks him why is she there with him. She keeps reminding him that they're not real, and their love for each other is a program. In fact, it was just a few days before when he looked at Mellie again, and wondered if she was really all right now that she will never be free from being an Active. Now, he accepts the fact that he is a Doll, but also declares he is still as real as anyone. That includes their love for each other. He may have gotten the inspiration from how Sierra and Victor fell for each other, even as Dolls. It's just as important as Buzz sees that he may be a toy, but can be something special because of what he can do to save his friends.

There could also be a link between Woody in Toy Story 2 and Senator Daniel Perrin, Rossum's man in the U.S. Senate, and how an Active can be considered a commodity rather than a fantasy. In the movie, toy store owner Al McWhiggin finds Woody because he wants to sell him to a museum in Japan. To sweeten the deal, he gets someone to "spruce up" Woody so that he looks like he's in mint condition. That's not too far off from that Rossum did to one Daniel Perrin. He had the pedigree to be someone important in Washington, but not the desire. That changed when Rossum used its Dollhouse in Washington D.C. to "improve" his brain. It had hoped he would give them some clout in Washington, and pass regulations that would favor Rossum. It would lead to him marrying his handler, and starting a campaign to "expose" Rossum's unethical medical experiments, which would eventually exonerate them. The plan almost works, but Rossum winds up changing Perrin again, with more ambition towards a new goal: the White House. Somehow, Rossum is determined to turn the nation, and eventually the world, into its own Dollhouse. They would create toys that are no longer playthings anyone can control. but wind up controlling us.

It's interesting that Joss Whedon would be involved in two projects that would look at humanity and identity. One would be Toy Story, which looks at toys when they're not at play, and how they can be as human as we are. The other would be Dollhouse, which looks at life-sized toys made of flesh and blood, and how they can be used and abused just like any toy. The movie would make millions of dollars for Disney, while the TV show would face a premature end.

The final results are also very different. In a Pixar world, the toys sing and dance, and are happy that they're together. In a Dollhouse world, the world is not so cheery. In about ten years, it becomes a mess filled with Dumbshows and Tech Heads, Butchers attacking Actuals, while the most powerful change bodies as often as they change suits, or exist in multiple bodies. It's the fulfillment of the professor's prediction from "Man on the Street", when he says Mankind will cease to matter if technology robs it of its true self. The only hope for a happy ending arrives when those who invented the tech that ruined the world use it again to fix their mistake, and sacrifice themselves as penance.

While a scene that was never part of Toy Story inspired this comparison with Dollhouse, there's another scene that was almost part of the Dollhouse pilot that's also important. It's where Topher told Boyd in the unaired pilot, "Echo" that everyone who lives in the Dollhouse, even the staff, are toys, and those who play with the Actives little children. That statement becomes very ironic, since it's eventually revealed Boyd was the toymaker all along.
Maybe the lesson here is that we should not treat others like mindless toys. It's a lesson that hopefully corporations, and people of major influence, should learn....or they will find out the average person isn't the same as that old Barbie they used to have.

*http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,299897_3,00.html

I Wish We Had More Time

The first anniversary of the first episode of Dollhouse is just a few days away. It was only last week the last episode aired, with the world apparently about to recover after most of humanity was reduced to toys.

Fans and actors alike were convinced the show would have lasted for years if Fox gave it more time to find an audience. Of course, it would have also helped it the network gave it as much attention as 24, House, The Simpsons or American Idol. Remember the "Friday Night Fights" ad?
Given that, there's a lot of questions that have been left unanswered because the show lasted only 26 episodes.

What convinced Caroline to take on Rossum?

From what we can gather from her first meeting with Adelle DeWitt, and that video form college, Caroline must have been inspired from a professor to make her mark on the world as a protester. It did cost her friendships, and maybe love as well, but what made her determined to be a pesky problem for Rossum?

Why was Paul Ballard so obsessed with the Dollhouse?

We now from the first episode, "Echo" that he was assigned to investigate the Dollhouse even if his bosses are convinced it doesn't exist. There was mention of Paul having a confrontation with a senator over the Dollhouse, and how sometimes he doesn't close cases.
My guess was that Paul had a witness that would have sent a very powerful person to prison. Then, the witness denied what he said before, or that he met Paul. Why? Because his memories were removed by the Dollhouse, what else?

What was Adelle's "worst indiscretion"?

Adelle DeWitt enjoys a lot of perks being the head of the Los Angeles Dollhouse. It even includes "borrowing" an Active to fulfill her needs. Of course, that's when she poses as "Miss Lonelyhearts" to have the company of a handsome man...namely Victor, who is called Roger. She eventually breaks it off when it interferes with her job. When she tells Matthew Harding, one of the major bigwigs, she can't let Nolan Kinnard own Sierra (considering he's the one that turned her into an Active after driving her insane with drugs), he tells her he knows about "Miss Lonelyhearts", but that was not her worst sin. It makes you wonder what could be worse than using an Active as, to quote a song from the Dresden Dolls, her "coin-operated boy".
She did work as a scientist in a division that made replacement body parts out of stem cells. Could she have tried to recreate a whole human being that way?

Who was sending those messages to Paul through Echo and November?

Remember the shocking moment in "Man on the Street" when Echo told Paul Ballard the Dollhouse was real? She went on to say he has to find out Rossum's real purpose of providing Actives, and it's not just granting fantasies. Then, in "Spy In The House of Love", Mellie gives Paul another message, revealing the Dollhouse has spied on him, and that she's an Active.
Once Paul joins the Dollhouse as Echo's handler, the question of who is giving Paul these messages through the Actives is dropped. It would have been fun to figure out who it was. It may have been Dominic, who was a mole for the government, or Dr. Saunders, or maybe someone we never met

Whatever happened to Senator Daniel Perrin?

This is also an interesting question since you can still find him at Twitter. One of his more recent tweets talks about how Rossum's headquarters was blown up at the end of "The Hollow Men." It would be interesting to see if he ever reached the White House as Rossum's man, but that his administration didn't turn out as well as it hoped. He would have been the perfect bridge between what happened in the Dollhouse now, and ten years from now.

What happened to Claire Saunders/Whisky?

The last time we saw her was at Rossum, and that Clyde Randolph had taken over her body. Then, she was knocked out just before Echo turned co-founder Boyd Langton into the bomb that would blow up corporate headquarters. However, she was seen at the L.A. Dollhouse a few years later, regaining her identity as Saunders. So, how did she get out, and turned back to normal?

How did the tech wind up destroying the world?

It was thought that the prototype for Topher's Make Anyone An Active Ray was at Rossum's headquarters in Tucson. However, it's not hard to consider there had been extra prototypes safely hidden at other Dollhouses. If Harding and Clive Ambrose made extra versions of themselves by 2010, it makes sense.

Of course, there are lots of other mysteries that may remain unsolved within the 'verse of the Dollhouse, such as whether FBI agent Graham Tanaka, a guy who thinks Paul's insane for thinking the Dollhouse exists, may have been a mole for Rossum. What are the back stories for Dominic, Mag, Zone, and Tony and Priya's break-up?
Well, that's what fan fiction is for, but it shows the complete Dollhouse saga would have lasted a lot longer than 26 episodes.

Recap of Dollhouse "Epitaph Two: Return", or Sequel To A Lost Episode

Nearly a year, 26 episodes, 25 shown on TV.
Now, Joss Whedon and Eliza Dushku's Dollhouse is closed.
The finale had a lot to offer, but some may think there was still something missing. If Epitaph One had aired, and there were more episodes to fill the gaps, it would have been perfect. As Dr. Saunders said, "I wish we had more time."

"Epitaph Two: Return" makes history as the first sequel to a lost episode. Of course, it's "Epitaph One", available only on DVD or iTunes. Fox decided to start the final episode with a quick review of what happened there. Still, some fans may wonder how Dr. Saunders wasn't Clyde Randolph anymore, and how she turned into Whisky...and who are Mag, Zone and a little girl who also calls herself Caroline. That may be the only problem with this episode. Even loyal fans may have missed E-1, and wished they had seen it before the "sequel".

The story starts somewhere in the Sierra Nevada in the year 2020. A man in a suit wanders around, looking lost. He's met by a pack of well-dressed Butchers out to clobber him. Someone wakes from a Jeep after hearing the commotion, It's cynical Zone, while his friends Mag and Ivy/MiniEcho are nearby looking for get water. When they see the Butchers, they leave quickly. Mag wonders if MiniEcho knows the way to SaveHaven. She says she does, and that it's possible to make a true world. Zone doesn't believe that, since half the world's been wiped, and MiniEcho isn't an Actual like he and Mag are. MiniEcho says "We are lost. We are not gone."
It looks like they could be gone. As soon as they return to camp, they are kidnapped and sent to Neuropolis, the City of Minds. It used to be called Tucson, Rossum's home base. It's also next to SaveHaven, but that was out of necessity.
We also see Rossum has turned from a company to a dictatorship, but it's also suffered. Matthew Harding is more interested in committing the Seven Deadly Sins, then change bodies after using it up. That's why people are called "suits", and that Harding looks like Oliver Platt, not Keith Carradine. His assistant is a slimy looking guy who used to be Clive Ambrose. FatHarding looks over several guys who could become him, but looks at a familiar-looking "DumbShow." It's Paul Ballard. As FatHarding leaves the room, SlimyClive wonders what's so special about Paul. One headbutt later, and he knows.
Meanwhile, Echo takes care of the guards, and shoots FatHarding dead. Sure, he says there are "backups" of him, but she'll deal with that. Echo is impressed meeting herself as a nine-year-old girl, while Paul finds a familiar face...Topher Brink.
The years have been tough on him. He's been forced by Rossum to make a pulse bomb that will wipe everyone, or as he says "erase" the world. If he doesn't, he sees someone get shot to death. He relives the nightmare of losing Bennett every day. However, he's also come up with a way to erase the Dolls, and make them people again. He can erase the world, but he can also bring it back.

Meanwhile, a woman and a young boy are admiring the strawberries growing on their farm. The woman is Adelle DeWitt, and the boy is called T. His mom used to be called Sierra. Call her Priya now. She's happy to be away from the tech and the Dollhouse, and prefers this oasis of peace in an insane world.
However, the insane world comes to the farm's doorstep. Echo explains that if they want to take down Rossum, they have to go back to the Dollhouse to find what Topher needs. This doesn't go over too well, but there's no choice. Paul also adds that if Topher is successful, those Actives who want to keep their memories will have to stay underground for more than a year. Since Priya doesn't want to forget her son, this is a choice she has to accept.
Then a nasty group of Tech Heads, or people who plug in abilities in their brains, arrives. They include a bald guy named Romeo, a weapons expert named Kilo (yes, that Kilo, also known as Maurissa Tanchareon), and a tough guy named Victor, also known as Tony. Yes, that Victor. When he adds English to his skill set, he explains he was asked to help in the road trip back to the Dollhouse.

The road trip features some revealing scenes. It starts with Zone getting to know Kilo, and how she has to switch imprints to stay sane. There's Priya and Tony, talking about how the tech pulled them apart. He accepted it to protect her and save the world. She rejected it because of the pain, and decided not to fight. They both have something they care about, and that is their son.
Then there's Paul and Echo. He wonders why she stays so guarded around him. There's a connection but she won't admit it. He thinks that she's scared what may happen when she has to stop fighting and stay in one place. It means having to reach out to someone. "I think you've got a hundred people living inside your head," he says, "and you're the loneliest person I know."

They get to L-A, but are met by the meanest Butchers around. One of them shoots Mag, and Paul chases him off. He tells Mag she'll be OK...just as he's shot to death. Echo sees this, but has no time to cry. She has to get everyone to the Dollhouse.
Paul Ballard's death is a shock, but not a surprise to those familiar with Joss' works. Tragedy is always the payment for triumph, from Wash dying in Firefly to Angel being sent to Hell in order to save the world in "Belonging".

Once they get inside the Dollhouse, they find several Actives wandering around, saying they're trying to do their best.
They also find Alpha....who's a good guy. He also decided to quit the fight to make the Dollhouse his own SafeHaven.
Romeo and Kilo have other ideas. They want to be Super Tech Heads, and will shoot Topher if they have to. Alpha interrupts them, while Tony tries to stop his double-crossing friends. He says that while getting skills as fast as he can download them are great, he wants to rebuild the world with his own two hands. Romeo's upset because it makes Tony a Luddite just like Alpha.
This is a mistake. Alpha says he's no Luddite, and clobbers Romeo. Echo also pins down Kilo, who is impressed by all this.

As for Topher, he suddenly has an idea...naptime! Actually, he heads back to his personal space and comes up with a way to make the pulse bomb they need.
Priya is busy breaking tech, in order to keep Tony away from it. Echo is upset, telling Priya Tony loves her and always did, despite being an Active for so long. Echo tells her Priya should break the tech, shut him out of her life, never tell him that she loves him.
But then, that doesn't describe Priya. It describes Echo. Paul's death finally hits her hard. She realizes she's now alone, and could have had more if she let Paul in.

Thanks to a video lecture from his lost love, Bennett Halverson, Topher has what he needs to make the pulse bomb, and make sure no one becomes a Doll again. Thing is, he has to detonate the bomb himself. It's a small price to pay, since he was one of the reason why the world became a Dollhouse. Adelle offers to help, but he won't hear of it. "I'll fix what they did to their heads," he says, "You fix what we did to the rest of the world. Your job is way harder." It may be, but at least Adelle DeWitt is the only Rossum employee willing to apologize and atone.
Zone decides to take up a tough job, too. He'll look after MiniEcho, when she becomes Ivy again after the blast. Mag will stay in the Dollhouse while she heals. We also find out Zone used to be a landscape architect. Who knew?
We also see Priya introduce T to his dad. We also see T is for Tony, just like his dad. The family is whole again, even in a place they'd rather not be.
So, Echo prepares to dismantle the tech while she guides the Actives out. "Funny that the last fantasy the Dollhouse should fulfill would be yours", Adelle tells Echo. Echo says she doesn't have any fantasies. Some may say she has at least one.

Topher builds the bomb. Just before the blast, he looks at the wall of photos of all the Actives in Adelle's old office. It's the last thing he sees.

After the blast, all the Actives fall asleep for a little while. Then they wake up, and look at the mess. It will be a tough job, considering there's still the chance extra Hardings and Clive Ambroses could be out there, maybe planning to revive Doll-making.

As Echo heads to the imprint chair, she sees an envelope that's addressed to her. She sees there's one more imprint to be done. She imprints Paul into herself. She has finally let him in.
The last shot is Echo preparing to lay in her pod. She's going to fall asleep, for a little while.
The show, meanwhile, will rest in peace.

Considering how quickly they had to wrap up the show, this was a good effort. There were wonderful performances by the Epitaph One Gang, led by Felicia Day, and from Eliza, Enver Gjokai, Dichen Lachman, Fran Kranz(who should be on 24 if Mary Lynn Rasjcub retires) and Olivia Williams.
Still, fans may get the feeling the story is ending too suddenly. We want to know why Alpha has evolved towards a more peaceful state, what other adventures Mag and Zone had, why Priya and Tony split because of the tech, and how Rossum ruined the world, and eventually itself. It really would have helped if Fox decided to show "Epitaph One" first followed by the sequel.
And..there's also the wish we'd see how the survivors rebuild the world, while keeping Dollmaking tech at bay.

Still, Joss Whedon had a lot to say about identity, reality, and relationships. He also had some things to say about how big bad corporations try to influence us for supposedly positive reasons, and how science can destroy as easily as it can improve our world. What Topher did, and how he atones, is proof of that.
It would have been just perfect if there were another 13 or so episodes to fill the gaps between "Hollow Men", "Epitaph One" and "Epitaph Two". We would have had a classic 39-part sci-fi series.
That being said, we still had an impressive 26-episode body of work that will be remembered and discussed for some time to come.
This also means Fridays will be pretty dull again, unless you have cable.

Thanks, Joss, for being your best...again.

Recap of Dollhouse "The Hollow Men" of the Thoughtpocalypse

We always wondered what was Boyd Langdon's story, and why he wound up in the Dollhouse.
Now we know...he created it with a guy named Clyde Randolph. Now Caroline Farrell has seen them both.
This week, Boyd will call her a savior, and she proves him right in a very different way. However, there are casualties, and the apocalypse came anyway. People who bought the DVD already know that

Before the recap, check out this from Aint It Cool News. It explains why the evil corporation is called Rossum, and how it's linked to the original creation of the word "robot."

We go back two years, just before the story of Echo began. Boyd is talking to her old self, Caroline Farrell. He says Rossum knows all about her, even the fact she had her bone barrow tested to see if she can help her cousin who has leukemia. Rossum is a big company, and she can't escape from it. She has two choices: face life in prison for her terrorist acts, or become an Active. He's doing this because she's special, and he promises he will protect her. She tries to turn down this offer, but we know she can't. Adelle DeWitt waits for her, with her tea and "sympathy."

Advance to "present day", where Sierra and Victor, or actually Priya and Tony, decide to postpone their life together to help the rest of Team Echo in its battle against Rossum. They come back, and find the place a shambles. "Looks like the war started without us," Tony says.
Above ground, Paul breaks the cell phones to keep Rossum from finding them. Mellie complains about the bleeding on her neck, due to removing her GPS chip. Adelle is there, too. Mellie loves Paul, but she knows that's just software, not passion. Paul thinks their love is real to him, even if he's an Active, too.
Topher drives up, and Echo comes out. She says her body is on fire, and she has to be sedated. They suspect she's been imprinted one time too many, especially after they put Caroline in her so she could identify the men who run Rossum. However, Adelle points out they can just go to headquarters in Tucson, and walk right in. Just show them Echo.
At the Dollhouse, Priya sees the security tapes of what happened are gone. She also sees a note that says "press enter" on the imprint chair. She figures out one of them has to be imprinted again. They had sworn never to be imprinted again, but i nthis case, they have no choice. Tony volunteers, and he becomes VicTopher (Topher in Victor's body) again. He is surprised to see Sierra as Priya, and the Dollhouse in shambles.
That's nothing compared to what Team Echo finds in Tucson: Clyde Randolph, version 2010, in Whisky/Claire Saunders' body. She's the corporate version of Illyria, in a fine tailored suit and tie and twice as scary. She says she's looking for people who can evolve, specifically Echo.

VicTopher is still trying to get a handle on things, but remembers he had a hidden camera in the imprint room. He was hoping to catch a thief. What he finds is Boyd drugging Echo just as Caroline's memories were put into her.
Meanwhile, Clyde/Claire share whisky (of course) with Adelle, and compliments her on how she's helped Echo evolve. Clyde/Claire sees Echo as the savior of "the deserving few". If Adelle cooperates, she may be included. She says Echo may not be in any shape to help anyone, but Clyde/Claire says it's Echo's body that she wants.

This will be a pattern. As a few Twitter fans have pointed out, there's a lot of exposition by both sides in this episode. It's possible Joss Whedon and the Dollhouse staff had hoped to have 22 episodes to finish the second season. Once they knew it would be 13, they had to speed up the storyline. The episode, in fact, was made just as Fox decided to cancel the show.

Back to the recap: the rest of the team is locked away, but Boyd gets them out by pretending to rewire the lock. Actually, he has his all access card. He tells Paul and Mellie to find weapons, while Topher goes with him. He tells Boyd that he suspects someone in the Dollhouse may have drugged Echo, as Nolan drugged Priya before making her into Sierra. He also tells Boyd about his plan to get Tony re-imprinted so he could be VicTopher again. Too bad Topher told the wrong guy about this.
VicTopher, though, is upset his "man-friend" betrayed him. Still, he's not sure if he should kill Boyd or get his autograph. Priya wants to help Echo and the staff. So, she brings back Tony, with additional skills to make him SuperVictor. They leave for Tucson.

In Tucson, Echo's on a table. All the memories of what she has been though,and who she has been, come flooding back in. She wakes up and says "Boyd."
Meanwhile, Boyd and Topher see that Rossum has made several prototypes of the Imprint Gun that can turn anyone into a Doll. Topher breaks one of them, because he is sick that his technology is being made into weapons. He's also upset he invented them. Boyd argues they should have one working gun to protect themselves. Of course, there's a darker reason.
Paul and Mellie are able to find guns. She wonders why she's here, in this situation. Paul says he couldn't let her go. She reminds him that their love...and themselves...are all programmed. They're not even real anymore. Paul says what they are and what they feel are real...to him, at least.
Topher's able to make a working Imprint Gun. Boyd says he's very impressed. It's why he "chose" Topher. As he's asking for what, Echo enters the room and clobbers Boyd. However, Clyde/Claire is there, too, with a gun at Echo's head. Topher is stunned by this, even after Echo explains who Boyd really is. Boyd says he wasn't going to kill Topher because he's "family"..as are Echo, Clyde/Claire and Adelle.
He's also impressed how Topher has developed ethics while Adelle has developed conviction. Topher says it best: "I'm the Tin Man, she's the lion, and you're the head of the Lollipop Guild who's a traitor." He's also upset he got Claire to kill Bennett last week, but he says sacrifice is necessary. After all, he says it's all part of evolution. When new technology is made, it can be abused. So, once Topher's imprint gun is released upon the world, certain people have to protect themselves. It's a matter, he says, of being the destroyed or the destroyers.
Yet, it all comes back to Echo. Boyd tells her that her spinal fluid is very special. It can be used as a "vaccine" against being imprinted, and that she literally has to be harvested to protect the deserving few. She balks at this, but Boyd has an imprint gun that quickly disables her.

Paul and Mellie start destroying the mainframe, but Boyd knows about this. He forces Adelle to tell Mellie that there are three flowers in a vase. This, of course, is the code to turn her into a killer. While Adelle refuses, Mellie hears that phrase. Whether it's a recording or Adelle really doing it is unclear, but Mellie starts shooting at Paul and the mainframe. As he tries to get her to stop. she says she can't kill him, but has to stop herself. She shoots herself, and the blood falls on Paul's face. Another love story ends in tragedy.

Echo is laid out on a table, just as how Sierra was prepared to become a Doll. This time, she is not a Doll or a person. She is a vaccine. However, Tony and Priya arrive to get her out.
Topher is stunned over what has happened, and the fact he has created the "thoughtpocalypse". "I figure if I'm responsible for the end of the world," he says, " I get to name it." Priya and Tony pretend to be captured...until they set up a few bombs to get everyone out. As for Echo, she's confronted by Clyde/Claire, who is all Clyde. They get in a big fight, and it looks even.
Boyd is told of Echo's escape, then meets Paul, who tells him about Mellie. Boyd pretends it's really Adelle's fault, and they both confront her.
Echo says she may wind up killing Clyde/Claire and herself, but Clyde/Claire says he's got plenty of spare bodies to use. Come to think of it, who says this Clyde is the only one right now? Still, Echo is able to knock this Clyde/Claire out. She's about to blow up the mainframe. when Paul comes in with Boyd. Before she can explain, Boyd pulls a gun at a stunned Paul.

Paul tells Echo to shoot him, but Boyd thinks she won't because she loves Paul.
Finally, Boyd is wrong. Echo does shoot Paul as a distraction. They both try to overtake Boyd, but he pins Echo down, ready to kill her. After all, all they need is the spinal fluid. They don't need her alive.
Then a shot is fired...from Topher's Imprint Gun. Despite the fact that he said his invention would cause evil, Topher had to use it to save Echo. Boyd, the toymaker, the destroyer...is now a toy. He asks Echo, "did I fall asleep?"
She turns Boyd into a suicide bomber, and he destroys the Rossum mainframe. Everyone is able to get out alive.
Finally, Echo asks Paul is she really did save the world.
It looks that way, but anyone who has seen "Epitaph One" knows the mission didn't succeed after all. Imprinting the masses still happened. The world still spiralled into a thoughtpocalypse. The last thing we see is "ten years later", with Echo and Paul with guns, trying to keep moving.

So, how did the thoughtpocalypse happen?
Well, in E-1, Clyde/Claire apparently was turned back into Whisky. This may mean Clyde/Claire got out, but was defeated later on. Also, Harding's still around. Maybe he made copies of Topher's plans, and that at least one other Dollhouse may have been working on the Imprint Gun. A lot can happen in ten years. Boyd was right, though, about how technology can change the world, and sometimes destroy it.

"The Hollow Men" is more like a bridge between the present day and the series finale, "Epitaph Two: Return", set in 2020. That's why the plot was a bit rushed, and there was a lot of backstory and exposition to be explained. It's to be expected, since this was filmed just after Fox decided to cancel the show after 13 episodes. Joss Whedon had a lot to say about technology and moral choices, but not enough time to say it.
The final episode on January 29th will see if the destroyed can defeat the destroyers, and if Echo winds up as a savior after all.

Recap of Dollhouse "Getting Closer", or Meet Caroline Farrell

Remember when this show was all about a girl who could be anyone but herself, and the FBI agent who's determined to save her and destroy the evil organization that has imprisoned her?
As Dollhouse prepares to be foreclosed by Fox, it has become a very different place. The girl has become more than just herself, or what she used to be. The agent is now a Doll, and the boss wants to destroy those she works for. That last fact would surprise even her.
This week's episode, "Getting Closer" looks at the connection between Bennett Halverston and Caroline, how the truth is a little different than what Bennett remembers, and the scariest secret about Rossum itself.

We start "three years ago" (let's say 2007), where Caroline has infiltrated an office by using her charms on a security agent. We find out it's Adelle DeWitt's office. While she handcuffs the guy to a pipe, she gets her own file, and that of a brainy girl who apparently could "kill me with your brain" (hello, Firefly fans). The girl, of course, is Bennett, and she seems to be very important to the company. She tells him she's no thief...but she is a terrorist who thinks Rossum is out of control.
Advance to now, or actually where we left off in "The Attic". Team Echo is there, including Paul, Adelle, Boyd, Sierra, Victor, Topher and Ivy. Echo recaps what they have to do: find Caroline's memory wedge, and put it in her. That way, they can find out what Caroline learned about who was the person who betrayed Clyde Randolph and advanced Rossum towards making the whole world a Dollhouse. Finding him or her is what counts. Ivy's not sure about putting a real person's memories into Echo, considering Echo doesn't want to be what she was. She could wind up confused, insane, or Alpha 2.0. Still, they have to do this.
Echo talks to Paul, saying they haven't talked since he was brain dead. He noted she's died in a way, too.
One problem: Caroline's wedge is missing. There's a backup, but it's damaged, thanks to Alpha. Want to bet he took the original, too?

Back to 2007, we see Bennett at Tuscon Tech, on a Rossum scholarship. She's looking for a place to have lunch, but Caroline chases away two obnoxious blonds at a table by pretending to vomit due to bad bisque. That's what those girls get for thinking Bennett was a waitress. Looks like Bennett and Caroline will be pals after this.
Then we see Echo look at Caroline's video yearbook, like the one in "Ghost". Adelle notes Caroline looks so innocent, but she's left a trail of unhappiness and a few bodies. She's worse than evil, Adelle says...Caroline is an idealist.
Interesting point, but what about your ideals, Adelle? Is your ideal being a model employee at Rossum, running a Dollhouse that fulfills the needs of the rich and powerful? Did you do this because Rossum is still doing good things thanks to what they learned about imprinting brains? Is that your ideal, or your excuse, or really your explanation? Caroline is a wrecking crew because she knows Rossum's dark side, which is making anyone a doll that the rich and powerful, or Rossum itself, can play with. Why else would they make a senator? Remember, the events involving Caroline and Bennett take place three years before, about the time Rossum "improved" Daniel Perrin to make him the senator of its dreams.

Well, Echo says she's glad the wedge is gone, and suspects people think she took it because she likes herself as she is now. As for now, Echo and Caroline may have the same body, but they are two distinct people.
At the imprint room, Topher tries to program an Active in the Washington D.C. office. Bennett, in D.C., catches them, but Topher succeeds. The Active grabs Bennett, while Paul arrives with Victor. One gingersnap (the word, that is, to disable the Active) later, they're on their way back to Los Angeles. They do stop to bring November/Mellie back, too. Bennett snipes at Adelle, even at how her Actives roam like free-range chickens. Hey, what's better than organic Actives?

When Topher meets Bennett, it's clear his crush for her is still strong, and it kind of hinders their goal to fix the backup wedge. She flatly refuses, despite Adelle's subtle threats. Once Topher praises her skills, and uses his own geeky charms, she starts to reconsider...for the challenge. Topher and Bennett make a cute romantic couple. They almost kiss, but then he implies the wedge Bennett has to fix has Caroline's personality. Apparently that led to her punching him in the face, because he said so in a later scene. Instead of seeing Bennett's anger, we go back to 2007, where Caroline gives Bennett a treatment, or rather a makeover. Bennett likes the attention, and even wishes she were more like Caroline. It would be a cool college friendship if not for the fact Bennett works for the enemy.
Later, we see Boyd coming home to....Dr. Saunders. Apparently she and Boyd are close, and she has the confidence to return as the doc. Not bad for someone who used to be the top Active.

Just as Dr. Saunders starts to mend Topher, it's back to 2007 when the then-security chief Laurence Dominic tells Adelle (in a hairstyle she should have kept) that some security footage was deleted three months ago, and that two files are missing. Basically, it was Caroline, and Adelle seems to be familiar with her. She also learns Caroline is rooming with Bennett, who seems to be pegged to be a major figure at Rossum. So, it's off to Tucson, where Rossum is headquartered.
Speaking of Bennett, she confronts Caroline with the fact she has her file. What makes Bennett mad is that Caroline wouldn't confide in her. What's more surprising is that Caroline admits she wants to bring Rossum down because they're out of control...and Bennett asks if she can help. This is a surprise because she doesn't ask Caroline for proof Rossum is evil. After all, Rossum's the reason why Bennett's in school.

Back to 2010, Echo looks at Bennett, who's locked up. Echo notes that some people can't believe she's a real person, not even Paul when he tried to help her. That's why she doesn't want Caroline back into her to "reclaim" her body. Boyd notes that won't happen because she built herself from scratch. Not bad for an Active. He even says Caroline may be proud of her, once the two egos meet.
Later, she sends Victor and Sierra away, so they can spend at least one night together. She points out it's going to be a war, and they may lose a lot when it gets bad. Them, Dominic emerges from the Attic, dressed like he's from the cast of Tron. He says that the original Clyde Randolph (former co-founder of Rossum) is dead, and the company is now after them.
Adelle is forced to take action, including "firing" the Actives. She must also send back Dominic to the Attic, and move the battle to Tucson.

Another flashback to Rossum Central in Tucson, They're ready to blow up a building, until Caroline finds a hidden room. Bennett tells her not to go, because if you get curious, you get dead. Ask any cat. Caroline goes in, and sees three people encased behind glass. One opens his eyes and sings opera. She tries to abort the mission, but the bombs go off.

Back in 2010, Paul is surprised that Echo agrees with Adelle that Dominic has to go back to the Attic. Paul says "I don't know you anymore", which is true because forgetting her was the only way to save him. However, he has Mellie back. She's happy to see him, programmed or not. She turns to Echo, thinking she's Caroline, and said Paul never gave up looking for her. She agrees.
Adelle then meets with Clive Ambrose, who's got plenty of people ready to help him take over, and toss her out. Well, a few bullets from Boyd eliminates the problem. As Adelle sees the rug is done for, she also sees Boyd is, too. He's been shot.

Back in Tucson 2007, Caroline sees Bennett is trapped, her left arm pinned by a large tower. Caroline is unable to get her out. She sees Adelle and Dominic are coming. So, according to Bennett, she was deserted. However, the real story is that Caroline decided to give herself up, and save Bennett from Rossum's wrath.
In 2010, both Echo and Bennett meet. Echo diffuses the conflict by pointing out she doesn't want to be Caroline again. She only wants to know what she knows. After that, Bennett can do what she wants with Caroline, such as what she did in "The Left Hand."

Adelle figures Ambrose may have imprinted himself in at least one other body, in case he got killed. So, to give Boyd time to run, she'll tell Ambrose 2.0 what happened. Dr. Saunders, however, has to stay. We then see that tearful farewell they shared in "Epitaph One." What happened in that episode has to happen again, and that includes what's coming next week.

So, Bennett fixes the wedge, and she and Topher share a painful kiss. He's still smarting from her punching him. Their romantic moment looks geeky, but it's still better than all of Leap Year...and All About Steve...and The Ugly Truth...and When In Rome...well, you get the idea.
As Topher goes to find a part, Dr. Saunders suddenly shows up. She admits she is surprised Topher can actually have a crush on someone, even Bennett. She's so surprised....she shoots Bennett in the head, with Topher seeing the bloody tragedy.
Maybe this started the madness.
Paul thinks that maybe Rossum turned Dr. Saunders into a sleeper agent, and programmed her to kill Bennett. I'm not so sure. First, did Rossum have any idea Bennett would betray the company? She virtually had control of the D.C. Dollhouse, which means it were certain she'd be part of their new vision. I think Dr. Saunders killed Bennett because of jealousy. Remember, she tried to seduce Topher in "Vows", thinking that is what he wanted. Maybe seeing Topher with another girl was too much for her to bear. Now that she's killed someone, where will she go next?

Another flashback: Adelle confronts Caroline, saying she is upset her little stunt forced her to go to Tucson. "I loathe Tucson," she hisses. Then she gets a phone call from the head of Rossum, who wants to talk to Caroline. She goes. Adelle does not.

In 2010, the good guys at Rossum are trapped, as the Rossum Army closes in. Topher is still shaken by what he has seen, and wonders if Bennett could be saved. Not this time. Ivy wants to stay, but Topher pulls himself together to tell her to go. He tells her that she has an incredible brain that should stay in her head. His one piece of advice: "Don't become me."

Adelle is also told to go just as she sees the Rossum troops close in, She laments they keep breaking windows she just replaced, but she goes. Now, all that are left are Paul, Mellie, and Topher. He gets the wedge ready to go as one of Rossum's killers show up. He fakes being Bruce Lee long enough for Boyd to come back and kill the assassin.
Now Echo has Caroline's head inside her. She remembers going into the office of the president of Rossum....a quiet and polite guy who looks like Elijah Wood. He calls himself Clyde Randolph the second, and that he uses other bodies. He says he's quite impressed with her. His partner agrees. His partner....Boyd Langton??
Uh, if that's true, maybe Boyd did a little "improvement" on Saunders' brain when she wasn't looking, and made her a sleeper? If so, that must have been recent if he knew what Bennett was up to.
Well, in 2006, Boyd Langton and Clyde Randolph 2 are together, running Rossum, and they offer Caroline a proposition. She won't be harmed. In fact, she can help a lot of people. She's won't be a typical Active. They know that.
She is very skeptical about this. Should she trust these guys?
"With your life," Boyd says.

Leave it to Tim Minear to give us a story that changes the game, field, players, rules, stadium and league. He also did a good job fitting one of the clips from "Epitaph One" into the overall story.

We see that Echo is a real person, made from scratch through experience and technology. She has improved herself from what she used to be. Again, Echo and Caroline are two distinct people. However, can they be the best of both worlds, and merge? If so, would we get something better, or Alpha 2.0, which is even worse. Judging from what we saw of Echo in "Epitaph One", it's a good guess Echo stayed while her old self is still in a wedge. Thus, Echo will meet Caroline again, only she'll be a small girl who used to be Iris. How we'll get there is what happens next week. The point is, Echo is real, and she wants that to be recognized.
We also know that most of the crew will somehow survive, but what about November? We didn't see her in E-1, except in a photo.
The biggest tragedy, though, will be Topher Brink. He started as a snarky know-it-all, but has grown into a mad scientist who grows a conscience. We also see that it won't be guilt that drives him mad. It will be a broken heart.

Next week, it will be the invasion of the Hollow Men. We have to accept they will win, because that's how we got to the world of "Epitaph One". The final victory may have to wait.