Dollhouse

(S01E11) So apparently, Echo/Caroline is Briar Rose. The big twist is that Ballard didn’t end up being the Prince. Alpha did.

So now we know Alpha’s face (and with that knowledge, my Ballard-as-Alpha theory gets blown to Hell in a handbasket), but we’re still missing a lot. We don’t know his motivation or his connection with Alpha. We do know that while masquerading as Stephen Kepler, he acts a lot like Topher (whom he may have used as inspiration for his facade) and when he reverts to character he acts a lot like Heath Ledger’s Joker (Alan Tudyk is a brilliant actor).

Many law firms take on pro bono work to help those that can’t afford legal help. I can only conclude that the Dollhouse has a similar service (or perhaps Topher does a little on the side), which is why a care center for abused children can afford a Doll that has been programmed to act like a grown-up, therapist version of their most abused patient.

That ability to actually create fictional personas based on postulations on how people will emotionally mature would be an interesting concept to explore if the show gets future seasons.

It’s amazing how Adelle, Boyd and the rest of the crew treat the Actives like cattle. They had no problem injecting Victor (even if he was imprinted with Dominic) with whatever crap they pumped into him to get him docile.

Dollhouse Headquarters is in Tucson? Brilliant. Nobody goes to Tucson.

Alpha must be a brilliant chess player. He knew exactly where Kepler would be so he could lay in wait (notice that Kepler was looking for recyclables). He knew that Ballard would eventually look for Kepler. Hell, he even planted his own photo at the FBI so he’d be mistaken for Kepler. All this to get back into the Dollhouse. So, why did he need Ballard to do it?

Did you notice how Alpha hid behind Ballard anytime someone in the Dollhouse who would recognize him came around? Perhaps he just needed Ballard to act as a barrier.

Speaking of, it was time for the Friday night main event of Ballard vs. Langton. And quite the smackdown it was. At least now Ballard knows exactly how much the Dollhouse has been trailing him since he learned of Lubov/Victor. Of course, so has Alpha.

Alan Tudyk really was the star of the episode. He even had the best lines, such as using the word "frakked" and saying "I heart my porn, but this is cool."

Given how obsessed either of them are with Echo, I wouldn’t be surprised if we learn that Alpha was implanted with Ballard’s personality, which made him go nuts. Unlikely, but possible.

There are too many questions remaining and only one more episode to explain them. I’m particularly curious about the relationship between Alpha and Echo. And what’s with the Southern accents?