TV Review: Dollhouse – Omega

Posted by Michelle Graham (michelle@filmschoolrejects.com) on May 11, 2009

dollhouse-omega

Dollhouse, Fox, Airs Friday 9/8c

Episode: “Omega” (Season 1, Episode 12)

Synopsis: In the season finale (sort of), the mystery of the composite event that spiraled Alpha into Crazytown is fully explained, as we see why Echo holds such a fascination for him. Meanwhile, events thought previously understood are given a new explanation and an old doll is revealed. Finally, Agent Ballard ties himself to the Dollhouse in exchange for playing knight on a white steed and saving the damsel, even though she’ll never know it happened.

Review: It confounds me that this episode received all-series low ratings. Plot wise, it was an all-season high, with threads previously thought to be fully understood completely altered. People had suspicions about Dr. Saunders, and some even hypothesized that she was a doll, but this was right out of left field. Of course, the episode wasn’t a one-trick pony. Trust Mr. Whedon to knock the season finale right out of the ballpark.

From the revelations regarding Whisky, Alpha and Echo to Agent Ballard’s new employment, Caroline’s witnessing of herself as a doll to Echo getting her head around the idea that she is a shell, even though she can contain the personalities of so many others, the episode provided one hell of an emotional ride. Best of all, even though we were left with some driving questions and a villain on a mission still to capture, we got answers.

A common issue with season finales is that they concentrate on the cliffhanger aspect so much that you end up seriously frustrated for three or four months, waiting for answers to finally come. Alpha’s origin (particularly what caused his composite event) was explained, his drive to hook up with Echo is understood and the mystery over why Dr. Saunders was left alive when so many others were dead during his attack is clear. Echo is back where she belongs, though the idea of “Omega” becoming an operative for the Dollhouse alongside Ballard was somewhat appealing and did offer an interesting possible arc to follow.

The remaining issues which can carry over to the next season (if we’re lucky enough to be granted one) range in size from mere wonderings to major plot points. What will happen to Victor now that he can no longer be his best? Why did Topher program Dr. Saunders to hate him? What other directives did he instill? Could this be tied to the still-unknown informant which leaked information to Ballard? Now that Ballard plays for the Dollhouse team, will he be an even better operative against them, operating from within to discover their purpose? How much does Echo remember of what has just happened? And of course, where is Alpha and what is his next move now that his beloved Omega has disappointed and betrayed him? There’s quite a bit of meat left in this series, not to mention character development and one-shot stories.

The season as a whole is difficult to categorize, as 4 of the initial 5 episodes were much weaker than the remainder of the season (the pilot being the notable exception, and even then there’s controversy). However, whilst many found the initial episodes dull and merely filler, I know that at the time I enjoyed them. Also, similar to shows like “Lost“, there’s more subtext there than can be gotten on the first time around. From episode 6 (”Man on the Street“) onwards though, the series was a powerhouse, with each new episode leaving you itching for more. Characters like Sierra and Victor have come into their own, and have had major plotlines associated with them. The show may seem to be all about a single character, but it’s more of an ensemble piece than you would think. The more it focuses on the characters and not just the engagements, the stronger it gets. One major concern which floated around after the idea of this show got out was that it would be nothing more than episode of the week fare. If the characters’ personalities change from week to week, how does one attach to any character at all? After 12 episodes, it’s safe to say that this isn’t an issue. They’ve found something that works. Hell, they’ve even moved an oft-dismissed boring character into the heart of the show (yes, I’m looking at you, Ballard). This is progress indeed.

Whether the story will live on beyond this episode remains to be seen, as we wait for Fox’s air schedule for 2009/2010 to get the final verdict on Dollhouse. Ratings have dropped in the last few weeks, so perhaps it’s too much to hope for another season, but these ratings don’t contain the numbers for DVR or Hulu viewings. Maybe some tech savvy executive will take a look at those figures and decide to save it, but only time will tell.

Finally, just to clarify this whole pseudo-season finale issue. There is an episode remaining in the season, but Fox doesn’t plan to air it. “Epitaph One” is a standalone episode following the events of “Omega”, but with no plot additions. It will feature on the DVD box set, so we will get to see it, but unless Fox changes its tune it won’t air on network television.

So that’s it for these reviews. Maybe we’ll be back next year, maybe we won’t, but either way you can still catch coverage of (most of) your favorite shows in the TV for Movie Lovers Archive. As usual, it you’ve missed any Dollhouse episodes, recap on them here.

Did you watch Dollhouse this week? What’d you think? Reckon it’ll be back? Sad to see it go? Did you see the Saunders twist coming? What’s Alpha’s next move? Anyone else notice that they caused the composite event that created psycho Alpha?


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  • It took a few episodes for this show to come into its own, but with episodes four and five being as good as they were, I got hooked and grew to love it more as time goes on, even got the non-TV watching girlfriend into this. Besides Lost and Heroes, this is the only show still engaging me (I'm looking at you Supernatural/Smallville/Burn Notice, etc.). I definitely hope Fox executives look around online and see the fan following and resurrect it, maybe with some semblance of an advertising campaign too.

    I'm really surprised my Whedon-ite friends haven't hooked into this show with more vigor, but there weren't many of Family Guy fans the first time around either, and look what happened there.
  • aaron
    I always thought it was Alpha sending Ballard the information.
  • Alpha sent him the initial information about Caroline (the DVD and the photo), yes. The information sent via actives with hidden aspects to their persona (Echo as the ninja assassin revealing that there is a Dollhouse and November as Mellie informing him that Mellie is a doll and cannot be trusted) couldn't have been him though, as he'd need to be inside the Dollhouse to have corrupted the imprints. That group (the dolls kept referring to themselves as part of a we, with an insider tampering with the imprints) is still a mystery, one that they'll hopefully get to explain!
  • aaron
    Mellie mentions that the person who has been sending the messages through dolls has been captured and that from now on, the info would passed on some other way.
    It was Dominic and the NSA.
  • reaiser
    Personnaly, i think that Dollhouse is one of the best writen shows out there right now. There was a lot of good new shows and of course Lost, but Dollhouse was a whole different ballgame. I just that Fox doesn't pull another Firefly and cancel the thing just as it gets interesting. So in a way it's up to us to buy the dvd and tell our friends that they should really take a better look at that show.

    Great review by the way. I really enjoyed reading them.

    See you next year i hope.
  • I think I missed why did Alpha leave Dr. Saunders alive. Care to fill me in on that one? It is ironic that Whiskey was the most requested doll before Echo. That was an interesting tidbit. I too, want to know why did Topher program Dr. Saunders to hate him. That is so interesting to me. I still think Topher himself is a doll and someone comes in real late at night give him his treatment. Then again, that might be too much out of right field. That was a very nice scene when Echo could see herself as Caroline. That was well done. I am not sure about Ballard and how long he will stay with the dollhouse working. I don't see that as a good fit. So sad his girl didn't even remember him at all. I would think they would find a way to bring her back, right? And why didn't we see any of them trying to track down Alpha. The both of them can always use more screen time. I would love to see what happens with Victor moving forward. Maybe he will have a new job in the dollhouse? So many questions. Let's say FOX doesn't pick up the show, could Direct TV's 101 pick it up and keep it going like it has done with many shows (specifically 'Friday Night Lights')?
  • Blue McGee
    Amani, I think Whisky was left alive because if you remember, Alpha was also obsessed with the imprint she had (both of them on the run from the law...etc...) and while his main obsession was with Echo, he still went back and imprinted that same personality into her.

    As for why Topher "programmed" Whisky to hate him... I think people might be taking that too literal. I don't think he did program that at all. In fact, I think Whisky tells him this because she knows it will hurt him. Furthermore, when she tells him "she knows who she is," he realizes that even though she may remember show she is/was, she still hates him, and probably hates him all the more for it. My own little theory is there's some connection between Topher and Whiskey (or who she was before... maybe she's that imprint that he uses for his birthday each year), and maybe she's the reason he got involved with the Dollhouse in the first place.

    Promo photos for the thirteenth episode (which is set a few years in the future) show Victor without any scars. So I'm guessing he will get plastic surgery... though, why Whisky was never given the same treatment boggles me (considering Alpha said Victor's cuts were deeper). Maybe it'll be Adelle's own feelings towards Victor (or, the Roger imprint) that get that done.

    I also read that a few scenes were cut from the finale... where we see Sierra and November as bounty hunters and, along with Boyd, they chase Alpha (so there's an actual resolution... rather than Alpha just disappearing up a stairwell) but I guess we won't see those scenes until the DVD boxset is released.
  • I definitely think there's something else between Topher and Whisky, but I'm not sure what. Whisky doesn't know who she was though, Topher even says that she didn't open the file to see her original life. I'd say you're right about some aspects, Topher and Whisky had a tie, but perhaps he programmed her to hate him because he blamed himself for her predicament and thought he deserved to be hated. It may have come from an older tie, or simply because Alpha broke on his watch and he didn't notice the danger.

    As for why Whisky didn't get any plastic surgery, perhaps the technology to completely erase scars wasn't around a couple of years ago. Also, they needed to replace Dr. Saunders with a new doctor and with no guarantees that Whisky would be perfect after trying to repair them, they decided it would make more sense to just reprogram her as the doctor instead.
  • Blue McGee
    Oh, I know why Whisky was turned into Dr Saunders. It makes perfect sense... until you realize that Whisky's contract will eventually expire and the poor woman will be left with hideous scars. (Or maybe she's never going to be free). But the plastic surgery procedure would definitely have been available a few years ago. My theory is that she's there for keeps... maybe was suffering from Dementia, or something that couldn't "cured," and so her best bet was to be wiped and become a Doll for the rest of her life. I'm not too sure really. Anything Whedon-related can be turned into so many things, which is why his shows tend to be of the awesome-variety.

    It's very possible Topher did program Whisky to hate him. But how would she ever know that? She couldn't, at all. The only reason she would say something like that, would be to hurt Topher for what he's done to her, and what he continued to do by lying to her every day. When she says "I know who I am," it can most definitely be taken as "she's a Doll, she knows it. She's an imprint of Saunders... and she's okay with that, because that's what she signed up for." Or it could be taken in a different way... it might be speculated that after realizing she was a Doll, she didn't need to open the file, because she had already started to remember things. Just cos she didn't open the file, doesn't mean she doesn't know who she is.
  • It certainly sounds like she's there forever, and I hope we find out why! That dementia idea would be a great reason, imagine being able to avoid mental illness like that (but you'd also be losing yourself anyway, which may not be the best compromise. At least you'd never experience the horrible realisation part though)

    If she saw the details of her imprint she could know exactly what he put into her, but it didn't look like that sort of detail was on the screen. I think what you said first would be more accurate, where she has accepted her life as a doll. The reason I'd say that one is that after all that anger during the episode and her yelling at Victor, she shows that she's accepted who she is by doing something that was a tradition for the original Dr. Saunders, she hands Victor the jar of lollipops to choose from.

    I'm starting to feel like I should watch this episode again, to make sure I got every single nuance! Not that that's a bad thing, the ability for a show to give you more each time you watch an old episode is definitely something to be praised, but it makes remembering all the details hard!
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