Epitaph One

General Impressions: My-my, the most overrated episode ever. I used to think that. I still think that the characters of this episode stepped out from Alien Resurrections. And I still think it's overrated. I mean, we've got pre-apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic before with Whedon - Buffy season 7 and 8, Angel season 5 and After the Fall... I liked the not-so-Whedon-Dollhouse-ending-with Greg-Laswell-song-more... but whatever. This, like most of Dollhouse, got more awesome in second viewing.

It's the flashbacks. I mean, there really isn't anything else to talk about. I'm thinking that most of these memories are Adelle's. Because except for the Boyd memory (and russian Echo), she is in all of them, and the memories form one continous narrative around the themes of giving people what they need, rather than what they want.

1) What Dollhouse is. That's the scene from the original pilot. Nothing special about that.

2) Welcome Topher to the Dollhouse. Awesome Reed Diamond, and awesome Topher.

3) Paul, Topher and russian Echo. This probably takes place after Instinct.

4) Boyd and Saunders from Getting Closer. At first, before the Boyd-factor, I assumed that this tells why Whiskey got left behind. Because she wanted to wait for Boyd. Now of course, there seems to be another reason.

5) Adelle and imprinted Victor with mr.Ambrose. This I assume takes place either in post-Hollow Men, or before Getting Closer. "This law will be legal within a year." This kinda implies that senator Daniel Perrin is already a president. I think. Or around the same time when Echo is helping mexican immigrants.

6) Adelle and Dominic. Beautiful scene. Awesome in it's bitterness and tall morally judgemental men. I love how Dominic keeps shooting at Adelle. And that near-crazy realization hitting home. Also, in light of new reveleations... Dominic asks "which one is Caroline."

7) Victor and Sierra. "Don't end up like November" "Which one?" What's the deal with these "which one" Novembers and Carolines? I was sad to see that their greatest love story has ended. Sierra would still like, and she has all that unloved woman on crack vibe to her, but Victor is all "no." What's up with that?

8) Crazy sad Topher and Echo's return. That cult thing was just scary. Fucked up world. Taking cues from Battlestar Galactica with it's fascist humanity collective, I see.

And why does Echo refer to herself as Caroline. It made me sad. Is she going to kill Adelle? Sad. And Topher's scene just tore me apart.

I'm thinking that this is the flashback that we will see in Epitaph Two again. In trailers, you have Echo and Paul walking in post-apocalyptic LA and shooting people, so I assume that is just before their arrival.

Right before Caroline pointed the gun at Adelle, it was sort of hinted that Caroline was behind this new crazy culy. Adelle cynically refering to them as Caroline's lambs. Okay, not specifically as Caroline's lambs, but she was all dissappointed in having this cult.

What I expect from Epitaph Two? Answers dammit. Boyd to make sense (he does kinda, but also not) and to see why Echo isn't Echo anymore but some mean bitch leader of a religious cult.