Dollhouse (TV Series) Epitaph Two: Return (2010) User Reviews

One of the best series finales

[maemaechan · 10/10 · 2 February 2010]

This is the episode that I've been waiting for. Not because it was a series finale, but because it shows that high quality writing is truly out there. After a season full of twists and turns, this is the one that finally shows the light, and in the end, it delivers where so many other shows have failed.

Yes, characters died (two of my favorites, actually). For a show steeped in sci-fi and action, this is quite possibly the most realistic aspect. Not everyone survives, and the character reactions to it were perfect. The way Echo held it all in when she saw that Paul had been killed during the battle to get to the Dollhouse. The way Adelle let Topher do what was needed, despite how the viewer could see how much it hurt to let him go. Even the way Alpha was willing to leave one last gift for Echo before leaving for a life unknown.

This was a truly heartbreakingly wonderful episode, and it's rare that these sorts of episodes ever get the chance to air. I hate that the series is canceled, but if this is the way that it had to go out, then I'm glade that it went out on such a high note.

Damn good ending

[lordbaz · 10/10 · 2 February 2010]

So we see the end of another Joss Whedon show, sailing off into the sunset... and naturally leaving us all annoyed that we won't be getting any more episodes.

Though since we get and ending like that? Worth it. Absolutely. Basically everything that had been mentioned since the very first episode was led to a very satisfying conclusion and even managing to still throw in a good twist or three, and the subtle touch of grey in Eliza Dushku's hair? Very nicely done.

One final point? At least Fox let the show finish on a high note, and it will be a definite pick-up on Blu-ray for me.

Can the world be saved?

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 5 March 2019]

This episode follows on a year after the final episode of the first season. Those who survived that episode, including a young girl who has now been imprinted with Caroline's personality, escape from LA and head towards Safe Haven but are captured by Rossum. Their captivity is short as they are rescued by Echo and Ballard, along with Topher who had been forced to work for Rossum to wipe every mind in the world. He believes that he can use this work to reset everybody's minds to how they were before. Since this also includes the actives they must head back to the LA Dollhouse to be protected from its effects. While all this is going on we see how various characters have been surviving; some eschewing technology while others, led by Victor, use it to their advantage.

It is a real pity that 'Dollhouse' was killed off after only two seasons but I am grateful that fans at least got a proper ending. This episode nicely wraps up most plot strands without feeling too safe; in fact there are a couple of shocking moments I wouldn't have expected prior to watching. There are twists along the way and some decent action. The acting, both from regulars and guest stars, is impressive and the episode has a good look with a slightly burnt out feel. There are other highlights that can't be revealed without spoiling key details of the story. Overall I feel this was an impressive finale even if I'd have preferred it to come after a few more seasons.

Brave new world!

[Joxerlives · 10/10 · 10 June 2012]

The good; Very, very good ep, lovely way to round out the series and a great send off for the characters. Many, many nice little features including Harding and his allergy to shellfish again and Victor still having Ernesto the Acrobat in his memories.

The bad; Joss WHY NO COMMENTARY? You didn't do one for the last ep of Angel either. Or are you saving it for Special Edition DVDs to fund your new project? That said the dinner party is a nice touch.When Adele leads the Dolls into the streets outside where have all the butchers gone? The idea that Victor, Echo and Sierra have to hide underground for a year to escape Topher's pulse is just silly.

Best line; Alpha; "We're not freak shows. Well OK I am. And Echo. But Adele's a class act all the way" and Adele; "I'm glad you didn't clean up" Alpha; "It spoke to the schizophrenic in me. Well, both of them actually"

Packing heat; everyone armed to the teeth. For a guy who says he doesn't like guns Joss puts a heck of a lot of them in his shows.

Echo kissage; 5 In the missing scenes we see that Echo/Rebecca got all kissy with Joel in the back of the van at the end of The Love Supreme

Capt subtext; Note the tender way Adele feeds Topher whom she refers to as 'darling'. She offers to die with him but he wants her to live. Mag seems to have the hots for Kilo and vice versa. Adele and Echo finally embrace. The butchers are now wearing suits, do they represent the network executives that cancelled the show?

Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost; Paul and Echo appear to have become occasional sexual partners but not romantic lovers. Victor/Anthony and Sierra/Priya are lovers and have a son.

Total number personalities; note 'mini-me' refers to herself as Caroline? But in every other way she's Echo, able to access all the memories in her head. Ballard refers to 100 people in Echo's head. 101 including him. Surprisingly the series doesn't end with Caroline getting her body back, she's just one of the personalities in Echo's head.

Echo; 101 Sierra; 13 Victor; 11 November; 3

Total LA dolls; Kilo again, for a second I thought it might be Ivy. We also have Romeo and Yankee 11-Echo, Sierra, November, Victor, Mike, Tango, Alpha, Whiskey, Kilo, Romeo, Yankee

Subverting the Hollywood cliché; Psycho killer Alpha pops up in his usual sinister fashion....and get's a great big hug from everyone!

Bondage; Paul and Echo in chains Sierra tied up; 2 Ballard; 3 Echo; 7 Victor; 2

Kills; Echo kills the Rossum honcho for the last time. Once they get into the fight with the Reavers...sorry butchers, you just lose track.

Sierra; 3 kills Echo; 5 November;1 Victor; 2 Boyd; 4

Know the face? Nate Dushku, Eliza's brother plays one of the Clive Ambrose's, he was also in the Angel ep 'Orpheus' as the armed robber in the doughnut shop.

18-Whedon alumni-

Missing scenes;.

The deleted scene from this ep is reminiscent of the ending to The Tripods, Zone, Mag and mini-me stumbling across a deserted camp but ready to start again. You can't help but feel bad for Adele when she tries to pick up Victor in the bar in Stop Loss, he actually offers to take her home but she knows she's not the girl he's waiting for.

Reminds me of; Wizard of Oz again, the 'great and terrible' Caroline. The method by which Rossum force Topher to work for them is similar to how Lorne is forced to work in Vegas in the Angel ep 'The House Always Wins'. Sierra/Priya appears to be auditioning for the remake of Little House on the Prarie. In contrast we have Mad Max Victor.

Whedon clichés; strawberries again! Also in Alpha we have the series greatest villain becoming the series greatest hero (Spike, Angel, Illyria, the agent in Serenity;the movie) Maimed characters. Rich and powerful families who cover up the evil deeds of their wayward sons. Top security installations which aren't secure at all. Loving self-sacrificing mothers who risk all for their children. Corporate politics literally played with deadly seriousness. Monty Python quoting villains. Offices full of zombies. Strawberries. Sleeper agents. One girl who holds the secret to everything. Villains who become heroes.

Breaking the programming; Note the butchers are now using guns, they're evolving too.

Questions and observations; So what happened between the events of The Hollow Men and Epitaph 2? An awful lot it seems! Presumably everyone makes their way back to the Dollhouse once the world starts going to hell. What happens between Adele and Echo so that Echo is on the point of killing her in Epitaph One? Presumably the vaccine that makes everyone immune to imprinting is derived from Echo's spinal fluid as we saw in the previous ep? Does Alpha have the same ability and is that how he created safe haven? What does Topher go 'huh' for at the very last moment when he looks at the 'Remember' wall? Love Adele's new family, her, Zone and mini-me ex-Caroline, she can start again, ever the Shepherd leading them into the light (we've seen how good she is with kids from her relationship with Victor/Sierra's son). Alpha finds it amusing that Romeo refers to him as a 'luddite' (groups of disgruntled workers who opposed the industrial revolution). Nice that they could work Summer Glau into the final ep through Topher's vid.

So what happened to Ivy, Dominic, Alpha, Perrin, Whiskey etc? I guess we have to leave it to the fanfic? Who kept sending Ballard all the clues to the Dollhouse, was it Alpha? I like Joss' idea of Echo and co as the post apocalyptic A-team, I'd watch that.

Marks out of 10; 10/10

Really, why did you hold this one out on us, come on!

[maine_310 · 10/10 · 1 February 2010]

This is the quality I wanted, probably for the past two seasons. Arggh, this was actually a cool idea for a series and they blew it! I want to have more episodes of this series, I don't know what the previous episodes were about, but this one was clear about the exact quality in producing, action and the acting by Eliza Dushku was unbelievable! This is the Dollhouse we want. Why did you wait until now to give us this one, why!

As you probably gathered from the ranting above, I was a bit disappointed by this one, and not in the 'this episode sucked' way, but in the 'this episode flew through the hills and now the series is being canceled' kind of way. Whedon should have started from scratch for Season two, he should have used the same style of this episode and portray possible flashbacks, anything better than what he gave us.

This was his plan all along, I knew it, he wanted us to give poor reviews and poor comments and he wanted us to criticize until we begged for a cancellation, his end game would be to shove it to us "You see, this is what you are going to be missing out on, I had good ideas", but that really sucks Whedon, that was a low blow.

It would be generous if someone could pick up the same style and change the overall name of the series. I mean really, I always admired the original idea of this series and I expected so much out of it. Instead of focusing on sending actives on engagements, or even during, they should have focused on developing characters like Boyd and the organization he worked for. Look at how beautifully Dushku pulled off that 'grief ridden' scene, the actors and actresses needed more room to bring out their true talents. My only regret on their part is that the chance is probably gone now, when we could have gotten so much more out of it.

Terrible, truly terrible.

Lexa Reviews

http://lexabutti.blogspot.com

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Five Stars (...for the Finale)

Grade A-

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A bit of a letdown compared to "Epitaph One"

[gridoon2024 · 7/10 · 10 November 2010]

In the year 2020, Mag, Zone and Caroline (in the body of that little girl) reach "Safe Haven" - the place where nobody can be imprinted. But just as soon as they arrive there, they learn that they have to go back to the L.A. Dollhouse to help guide Echo and her crew who must accompany Topher there; Topher may be half-crazy now, but he's still a genius, and he thinks he has devised a way to reverse the mind-wiping process and restore everyone (everyone still left alive, that is) to their original identities. But he needs to go back to the Dollhouse to do it. "Epitaph One" was a great episode, "Epitaph Two", the continuation (and conclusion) of its story, is merely a good one. It's clear at this point that the "Dollhouse"'s cancellation hurt Joss Whedon's original long-term plans for the show; as a result, a lot of interesting ideas (like the "tech-heads") remain underdeveloped, some characters vanish mysteriously (Whiskey, Dominic), other plot points are not explained (Alpha's transformation into a figure of good), and there are huge gaps in the evolution of the story during the 2010-2020 time period (gaps which may filled-in by a series of comics that will follow; the first chapter, included in the season 2 DVD set, is an intriguing start towards that direction - and it confirms that Mag is a lesbian!). Nonetheless, a bittersweet and acceptable under these conditions finale, and the welcome return of Felicia Day and Zack Ward, who really feel like an integral part of this world despite having appeared in just two episodes. *** out of 4.

Does every JW finale have to be an apocalypse?

[chris-j-chuba · 1/10 · 29 September 2023]

The storyline sets up the all too familiar storming of the castle to save save humanity.

The only thing missing was a voiceover, 'this is the last they will be together; those who survive will never be the same' as they play soulful music with wordless singing, 'la la la la LA LA LAHHH'. After all, no one ever said that being a hero is easy; friends will die and there will be endless kickboxing.

This felt contrived because there was no reason for Rossum to turn everyone into murderous, zombies. Rossum only needs 2% of us to achieve immortality with mind transference (imprinting). The rich still need the rest of us to tend their estates, serve them lobsters, and make their lives pleasant. Building a giant transmitter to turn all of us into murderous zombies makes the world unlivable, even for them. Let's see, we can either 1. Harvest a small number of people to achieve immortality and make billions of $, OR 2. Turn the entire world into a post-apocalyptic nightmare, so obviously they chose door #2.