Review of:  Dollhouse 108 Needs 

Overall Rating: 10

When Echo, Sierra, Victor, Mike and November wake up with most of their original personalities intact, Echo attempts to escape from the Dollhouse with her fellow actives.  Watch the episode streaming online above.

This is an amazing episode that is as good if not better than Gray Hour which is the best episode of the series so far.  “Needs” executes a brilliant intense pace with a high level of tension to support that pace as I was given as an audience member the very hope of escape that was bubbling just under my surface.

The real story of this episode is about Adell DeWitt as she attempts to bring order back to her house, the Dollhouse.  I love the use of tidal forces as an analogy for the problems in the Dollhouse with actives going off mission and the anomalies amongst all of the actives due to the drug in “Echoes”.

In this episode we get to learn more about some of the other dolls: Sierra, Melanie, Victor, and Echo.  Sierra and Melanie are the two we get to learn the most about, it was sad and shocking.  After watching this episode I understand and can empathize with why and how Melanie got into the dollhouse but Sierra sets up an inconsistency in DeWitts’ explanation for how people become dolls.

This episode also features a lot of Paul Ballard, not so much in total air time but in quality time.  We really get to see his character putting together some of the clues that he has picked up so far.  They give us a good glimpse into his psyche and he gets a new boon giving him an edge against the Dollhouse and a new trail to follow that could lead him to Caroline.

Joss brings up some really interesting morality questions in this episode.  We hear about a situation where a lady hires an active to tempt her husband into infidelity so that she can get a “perfect” divorce and presumably all of the possessions they hold.  What do you think about the morality of this kind of test?  Should that count as infidelity or entrapment?

For more detailed conversation check out “Playing In The Dollhouse” a Dollhouse podcast here.  Where we discuss the man on the inside and a fun / crazy theory about Ballard and Omega.

Likes

• The pace

• The tension

• The Plot Twists

• That we get a lot more information about the characters:  Echo, Victor, Sierra, Melanie, and Ballard

Favorite Quotes

• Adelle DeWitt:  “This house is out of balance”

• Mr. Dominic:  “if your child speaks for the first time then you are proud.  If your pet speaks then you freak the hell out.

For More Dollhouse click here

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Listen to “Playing In The Dollhouse” a Dollhouse podcast here.

Next Week: Spy in the House of Love
When it is discovered that there is a spy in the Dollhouse, Echo and Sierra are imprinted with the personalities of spy hunters to catch the traitor.

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