What does creator/producer Joss Whedon know about the viewer's needs?
Well, he knew that his fans, admirers and general audiences "needed" a good episode of Dollhouse...and he delivered. "Needs" is not merely a strong outing for the freshman genre program; it may be the strongest aired thus far. (And does anyone else notice how the even-numbered episodes of Dollhouse always seem better?; this was # 8).
After a sexual fantasy/nightmare sequence gone awry (featuring Dushku and Penikott getting it on together...) "Needs" depicts an apparent glitch in the Dollhouse pod (sleeping) room. Echo (Eliza Dushku), Sierra, Victor and November/Millie all awaken in mid-sleep with their identities in tact. Their identities, but not their memories. Fearful, confused and concerned, the Actives seek an escape from the high-security Dollhouse facility. The episode follows their progress from the interior of the facility to the armory, to the "wardrobe" room, to the garages and even beyond, to the outside world.
Memories begin to return to their fugitives a little at a time. Sierra recalls the man, Nolan (Vincent Ventreseca) who "gave" her to the Dollhouse, a rejected would-be lover...and scuzball. November remembers that she has (or had...) a little girl named Katie. Echo, meanwhile, keeps seeing images of an idyllic mountain...though we don't know why. Topher confirms this memory is "real" and not part of an imprint.
The episode's title -- "Needs" -- reveals the narrative end-game, and it's a good one. Specifically, the Dollhouse controllers have arranged for the entire escape scenario so that each of the glitching Actives can experience some sense of closure; have their emotional "needs" met over deep-seated psychological issues. For Echo, it's rescuing others. For November, it's closure about her dead child. For Sierra, it's confronting the man who stole her life. And for Victor, it's about protecting Sierra.
Why does this episode work so well? Perhaps it is because in "Needs" we follow a smaller group of characters (the escaping Actives) on a clear mission (escape!) and start to detect elements of their core personalities asserting themselves. The episode is tense because we actually have characters (not blank-slates...) to cheer for, and we never know where the story is headed.
I should add too, that the episode features a fantastic, knock-down, drag-out fight between a non-programmed Echo and a female doll handler. It's splendidly choreographed fight (unlike some previous action-scenes on the show...) and surprisingly brutal too.
I realize Dollhouse has been problematic since the start, but it's tallying up some strong installments, and that's why I continue to watch. Five episodes to go this season...
Well, he knew that his fans, admirers and general audiences "needed" a good episode of Dollhouse...and he delivered. "Needs" is not merely a strong outing for the freshman genre program; it may be the strongest aired thus far. (And does anyone else notice how the even-numbered episodes of Dollhouse always seem better?; this was # 8).
After a sexual fantasy/nightmare sequence gone awry (featuring Dushku and Penikott getting it on together...) "Needs" depicts an apparent glitch in the Dollhouse pod (sleeping) room. Echo (Eliza Dushku), Sierra, Victor and November/Millie all awaken in mid-sleep with their identities in tact. Their identities, but not their memories. Fearful, confused and concerned, the Actives seek an escape from the high-security Dollhouse facility. The episode follows their progress from the interior of the facility to the armory, to the "wardrobe" room, to the garages and even beyond, to the outside world.
Memories begin to return to their fugitives a little at a time. Sierra recalls the man, Nolan (Vincent Ventreseca) who "gave" her to the Dollhouse, a rejected would-be lover...and scuzball. November remembers that she has (or had...) a little girl named Katie. Echo, meanwhile, keeps seeing images of an idyllic mountain...though we don't know why. Topher confirms this memory is "real" and not part of an imprint.
The episode's title -- "Needs" -- reveals the narrative end-game, and it's a good one. Specifically, the Dollhouse controllers have arranged for the entire escape scenario so that each of the glitching Actives can experience some sense of closure; have their emotional "needs" met over deep-seated psychological issues. For Echo, it's rescuing others. For November, it's closure about her dead child. For Sierra, it's confronting the man who stole her life. And for Victor, it's about protecting Sierra.
Why does this episode work so well? Perhaps it is because in "Needs" we follow a smaller group of characters (the escaping Actives) on a clear mission (escape!) and start to detect elements of their core personalities asserting themselves. The episode is tense because we actually have characters (not blank-slates...) to cheer for, and we never know where the story is headed.
I should add too, that the episode features a fantastic, knock-down, drag-out fight between a non-programmed Echo and a female doll handler. It's splendidly choreographed fight (unlike some previous action-scenes on the show...) and surprisingly brutal too.
I realize Dollhouse has been problematic since the start, but it's tallying up some strong installments, and that's why I continue to watch. Five episodes to go this season...
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