Summary and spoilers
Somewhere out west, Alpha is back, wielding his knife to ‘sucker-slash’ an unwitting man.
In Echo’s isolation cell, she chooses to endure intense headaches rather than tell why she has returned. We see now that DeWitt suspects espionage, and her plan is to torture Echo for information. Her bigger plan is to get Ballard to talk by forcing him to watch Echo’s torture. When that doesn’t work, DeWitt tries jealousy: she sends Echo back into the field for a romantic engagement. Echo doesn’t need to be programmed; she just retrieves the required personality (this is a return engagement), rendering Topher obsolete.
The return engagement is short, as the client (Frank) has been killed by Alpha as a gift to Echo. Alpha has arranged a number of recent engagements, and has killed off a series of Echo’s former love-related clients. The latest client is blown up in full view of Boyd and Ballard, while Alpha stands by, making humorous and sick quips.
Ballard tracks down the final living love client, dumpy computer whiz Joel Miner (as seen in episode 1.6 - Man On The Street). Miner is taken back to the Dollhouse for safekeeping.
DeWitt is getting more brazen about confronting the Langton, Ballard, and Echo ‘cabal’. The cabal is getting more brazen about disobeying her.
Just after Topher clumsily assures Minor that he is safe from Alpha in the Dollhouse, Alpha breaks in and enters DeWitt’s office. He presents her with an envelope filled with photographs of…something. Just don’t assume like I did that they are snaps of his killings. Alpha activates a device that sets all the dolls as attack dogs against their handlers. Then he captures Joel Minor. But this is only a ruse for him to get the real lover of Echo, Ballard. That envelope mentioned earlier contained photos of Echo and Ballard from when they were co-habitating, and Alpha is convinved that Echo loves Ballard.
In his quest to discover what in Ballard’s brain caused him to be chosen by Echo, Alpha kills Ballard. Echo arrives too late to save Ballard, but not too late to beat the crap out of Alpha.
Comments
Boyd and Ballard explain to Topher that Echo has retained every personality that was ever implanted on her (including all the ones that Alpha dumped into her). A wipe pushes them back down, but they return. What’s more, Echo can re-surface them as needed.
Dollhouse Quotes
I don’t like seeing her in pain. I looked into her eyes and swore to protect her, same as you, before you. Today, protecting her means not reacting while DeWitt tortures her. So man up!"
- Boyd to Ballard
Topher: [to Boyd] Does she still trust you with her life? And is that because she’s programmed to, or just because you’re a swell guy with a trustworthy brow.
Echo: I’d like to think both.
"I am obsolete! This must be what old people feel like…and Blockbuster."
- Topher, after seeing the new improved Echo
Boyd: Alpha! Do not do this! There’s a part of you that knows this is wrong.
Alpha: There are many parts of me that know that this is wrong – none the care, and six… [laughs] that just find it funny.
"Well..Tally Ho then! In fact, what say we tally your ho’s. How many you got down there these days? A couple of hundred? More? Less?"
- Alpha to DeWitt
"Boyfriend’s dead. You want to snuggle? Too soon?"
- Alpha to Echo
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