Dollhouse Premier: Ghost

The Premier of Dollhouse was perfectly named “Ghost” because there were multiple references to being a Ghost. But before I get into this I want to explain, to those who may not already know, what Dollhouse is about. The Dollhouse is a private company. They provide a service. A customer asks for a specialist in anything and the Dollhouse provides it. They do this by implanting personalities and memories into what they call an “active”. Echo, Eliza Dushku’s character is one of these actives. Once her memory of Being Caroline, who she was before she entered the Dollhouse, is erased she becomes the innocent Echo. Echo becomes a Ghost of Caroline by walking and talking but not acting or remembering Caroline. We don’t actually see Echo’s first mission as an active but we do see Caroline and Adelle Dewitt the head of Dollhouse talk about her joining Dollhouse. As is the case with most of the episode in this conversation information about Echo, or in this instant Caroline’s past can only be understood when the viewer plays close attention to what people are saying. For instance when Adelle says “clean up this mess” and “actions have consequences” there is an implication that Caroline has gotten herself into trouble. In exchange for five years as a Doll or “Active” as they call them the Dollhouse will clean up the mess that Caroline has made of her life. All of this especially the part about erasing people’s memories is very illegal so part of the plot of Dollhouse is to keep the house a secret only known to the very wealthy and connected.
Now when I said that information about Echo’s past is hard to understand I was also referring to the first engagement we see her on. I for a long time thought she was having a good weekend partying with a guy whom she told she would be having a procedure done, so there would be no string attached. But when you listen closely to the conversation Topher Brink, the scientist who wipes and implants memories, and Boyd Langton, Echo’s handler, you hear the line “did something happen during the engagement” and “we gave two people the perfect weekend together”. Both these lines imply that the guy whom she was spending time with was a customer who apparently wanted the perfect date and got it.
As Echo, Eliza Dushku’s character is innocent because her memories and personalities have been completely wiped. When she is implanted she is given a name and with it a past of a person or amalgam of people who actually existed. But as Echo her innocents makes her infantile and oblivious, and with innocents comes curiosity. The scene between her and Dr. Saunders played by Amy Acker shows just how innocent she is and how curious she is. This can be and I predict will be a problem for the Dollhouse because she will find herself being in places and seeing things she shouldn’t. And if, as implied by a memory flash, Echo/ Caroline begins to remember things they believe they have erased then curiosity could be very damaging t the Dollhouse, especially if she makes contact with Tahmoh Penikett’s Character, FBI agent Paul Ballard.
Ballard is trying to expose the Dollhouse even though his fellow coworkers think it’s a fairytale. Even though Penikett’s character didn’t have much screen time in the episode “Ghost” what the producer did manage to fit in summed up Ballard’s character beautifully. By inter-splicing two scenes together it was made clear that Paul Ballard would not stop his investigation until he found the Dollhouse. This is despite the fact that two fellow agents were urging him to stay away from other ongoing investigations. The two scenes were these; first Agent Ballard and two other FBI agents, presumably some higher up then him, are having a territorial dispute, and second Ballard is boxing with an opponent. The opponent is a symbol of the two other agents because when they get words in the opponent starts to win. But at the very end Ballard defeats his opponent with a great amount of determination yet in words during the first scene he agrees to not interfere with other ongoing investigations. As the preview of the next episode has shown, we will learn more about his character as the show progresses but I should get back to the episode “Ghost”.
The main mission which the episode concentrates on is a kidnapping of a 12 year old girl. Her father is the client. He is willing to pay the 5 million dollar ransom but he wants a negotiator so the Dollhouse sends Echo as Miss Eleanor Penn. The client is aware of the nature of the Dollhouse yet Miss Penn even thought she knows about the existence of the treatments does not know exactly what the treatments do. This is where things become surprising for me. And that’s saying a lot because I have not been pleasantly surprised by a show in a long time. Echo is given faults because as Topher says “achievement is balanced by fault”. But I never anticipated that Echo’s fault, her implanted past of being kidnapped as well as her asthma would be the reason that the engagement succeeded. The main incident is this; At the point of exchange, the girl in exchange for the money, Miss Penn breaks out into an asthma attack because she sees the man who kidnapped and sexually abused her, more accurately the woman whose memories she has. Miss Penn knows from her past experience that they won’t return the girl. Her knowledge of one of the kidnappers and what she’s learned during the negotiations helps her get the girl back despite the complication during the exchange. At this point in the show Ghost is used many times, apparently the man who abused Miss Penn told her he was a Ghost and now Miss Penn is a Ghost since the woman who formed these memories is dead. And Miss Penn also refers to herself as a Ghost when she is Miss Penn. The scene goes like this; after finding out where the kidnappers are she confronts them; telling them that the kidnapper she knows will kill them and since she knows where the girl is and reveals to them she was one of his prisoners, he is killed by his fellow kidnappers. But, despite the fact that that the Dollhouse was not interested in justice, since they hear shots they send in an agent who kills the other kidnapers. And if it wasn’t clear enough that the Dollhouse is more an evil agency than one of good, the agency keeps the millions of dollars of ransom as well as their payment.
The show brings up a lot of questions that need to be answered but so far the plot is holding together. It’s original and fascinating as most of Joss Whedon’s shows are. And if you don’t understand everything the first time, watch it again. It’s worth it because even on my third time I found things I didn’t see before, which made the episode better the third time around. You can catch the next Episode of Dollhouse on Friday on Fox 11 at 9/8 Central or at Fox.com full episodes.

Knight Rider--A Great Show

I know the network was upset about Knight Rider's Ratings but instead of canceling a new show like most stations do they have restructured it. Restructuring is what I think I would be good at. And they did a good job at restructuring; not only have they cut down the cast to make it easier to follow the interpersonal dynamics but they have created a family type group that with the viewers observing eyes can be a part of. Everyone loves being part of a group that they can be proud of and feel accepted by. The other thing they have done is created autonomy for Knight Industries which opens up the possibilities of where the missions can take them. The scripts now are more original. Sure there was an episode with a bank heist but Kitt always makes things a little more interesting. And the funny comments revolving around the little girl Maggie were awesome too. Every show needs comedy so people don't have to take themselves too seriously. I mean really, it's a show about a talking thinking car how seriously can you take it. But that's what's so fun about fictional TV.

Comment to Viewers

You may have noticed that sometimes I rambled without punctuation when I'm excited and I misspell things especially names...well you get the point.

Stargate Atlantis Ending

Even though I have been complaining about how terrible Stargate Atlantis has been lately I am still sad that it is ending. I was really hoping things would get better. It only lasted five years which is half the time Stargate SG1 was on the air. However I do believe they should have ended Stargate SG1 after season 8. Sorry Ben and Claudia. It just wasn't the same without Richard and the writers opened a lot of plot lines that they didn't have time to close. The movies didn't do it justice. Anyway I am sad about Stargate Atlantis Ending I had some really good script ideas. One which I actually wrote. I'm going to try to link it to this page. It's my first script. I know it's not perfect. I really need some lessons! A job with someone would be nice!!!! Another idea I'll talk about another time when I have all the details settled. Basically I have to pick which version I like.