Dollhouse

Dollhouse season one, episode three: Stage Fright

Echo is programmed to secretly rescue a Britney-esque singer from a crazed fan. But how do you save someone who doesn’t want to be saved? (Contains spoilers)

This is a weekly discussion of the episodes airing on UK TV. If you have not seen this episode, here be spoilers. If you have seen the entire season, please don’t spoil it for others by talking about future events. Thank you!

If you’ve got a problem, if no one else can help, if you’re disappointed to find that the A-Team are all either retired or dead – and if you’ve got a ridiculous amount of money and no ethical issues with the idea of human slavery – perhaps you can hire ... The Dollhouse.

All right, it isn’t catchy as advertising goes, but whatever it is they’re doing, it’s working: there’s never a drop in business at the Dollhouse.

THIS WEEK’S ADVENTURE ...

Another week, another imprint for Echo: this week she’s a stealth bodyguard.

This week’s (unknowing) client: Rayna Russell, a Britney Spears-type pop star diva with a lot of fans, some more fanatical than others. When her life is threatened by a stalker-fan, her manager hires the Dollhouse to provide a backing singer, best mate and secret body guard, after she refuses all other security.

In comes Echo-imprint Jordan – a young wannabe singer with a killer voice and no problem wearing an elastic band as a stage outfit. She’s been implanted with a fierce desire to look after Rayna, but why she felt that way had to be a mystery to Echo/Jordan as well (not sure why).

Feel it she does however, and through various ways, means, twists and implausibilities (that you can discuss below if you like), Echo – with help from Sierra again – saves the day, saves the star (even though she did turn out to have a bit of a death wish), and all ended well.

A COUPLE OF THINGS

• Why is pop music in made-up things invariably bad? Songs written for the purpose (see Buffy the Musical, Dr Horrible etc) are ace. But when you need almost-incidental "hit" songs, meant to be chart topping earworms of whichever universe they feature in? Always terrible.

Rayna’s concert finale, Superstar, sounds like a mash up of various other songs, yet not entirely convincing as a song in its own right (though in fact, it turns out it actually is one, written by one of the people playing the other backing singers). It’s got an air of Womanizer by Britney, but the lyrics are even worse: "Superstar, Superstar, riding in your fancy car" ...

Admittedly though, this is covered by the writers in the episode itself. "They aren’t very GOOD lyrics," says one of the backing singers – so it’s not like we’re bringing up something they don’t know.

• While hiring the Dollhouse might solve your problems, it costs more than money. First client of the series (well, second client, if you count the stud on the motorcycle)? Near-fatally shot. Next one? Dead in the woods. This one? Chair in the face, pushed off a lighting rig, almost killed. And people pay for this?

ARE WE NEARLY THERE YET?

The interesting thing is: of all the three we’ve seen so far, in this run of stand-alone episodes (before what everyone claims is the game-changing Episode Six), this one is the most straightforward A-Teamish storyline – a run-of-the-mill playing out of the programmable-person concept.

It feels like what Dollhouse might have been, had it not been a Joss Whedon conceit: a Scooby Doo "mystery of the week", presented, developed and resolved by the perfect people: Dolls. The formula would have worked, but that alone wouldn’t have worked long term, would it?

That’s not to say the episode did nothing. It raised one question that seems central to much going on here: how hard do you fight to save someone who doesn’t want to be saved? Or that doesn’t realise they might need saving? The Rayna "death-by-stalking" decision is presented as someone wanting to choose their own fate – though not realising what their choice means. So far, so symbolic ...

Echo started her engagement as Jordan singing a song especially penned for the episode called Freedom, and the episode closed with it too. And we’ve seen Agent Ballard getting more and more agitated, trying to "free" Caroline/Echo.

But we’ve also seen multiple flashbacks of Echo signing up for a five-year contract at the Dollhouse, apparently of her own volition. Choice and freedom and free will and saving people whether they like it or not ... all woven in with Scooby Doo bits. Hurrah for Whedon.

NEW THINGS THIS EPISODE BROUGHT (AND QUESTIONS)

• The revelation that Eliza Dushku has a lovely singing voice. Not sure if that makes any difference in the long term, but it’s always nice to know.

• The growing sense that Doll-programmer Topher is not just comic relief, of the Xander-in-Buffy-season-one type he might first have appeared to be; he’s turning out to be a lot more ego-filled and smug. So who can we adopt as likable guide to hang on to? I wanted him to be it!