REVIEW: “True Believer” raises bar for Dollhouse
NOTE: This review is meant for those Dollhouse fans who watched Episode 5, “True Believer,” Friday night on Fox. If you have not seen the fifth episode, read at your own spoiler risk.
Eliza Dushku, Harry Lennix and Brian Bloom provide arguably the most entertaining — and certainly the highest level of acting talent — seen on an episode of Dollhouse thus far. While I thoroughly enjoyed the thrill-a-minute second episode, “True Believer” bests that episode in almost every way. That’s great news considering all the pre-season hype centered around Episode 6, next week’s episode.
Dollhouse laid out the symmetry of this episode pretty clearly from the outset. It was interesting to see the parallels drawn between Dollhouse leader Adelle DeWitt (a spright Olivia Williams) and cult-leader Jonas Sparrow (Bloom.) Both can be accused of brainwashing: DeWitt does it with science, technology and Topher. Sparrow uses religion, something many men and women have killed for and died for since the dawn of time. It’s an interesting comparison and contrast — science vs. religion — with ultimately the same end result. It faintly reminded me of the philosophical battle between Jack and Locke on J.J. Abrams’ Lost.
For her part, Dushku shined in this episode as a blind woman used to infiltrate a Waco-esque cult. She was wholly believable in the role. Perhaps it helped that Sparrow and others in the cult also questioned her identity and came to the same conclusion that we did. Echo’s blindness also added symbolism to this episode. Her visual impairment reflected her blind devotion to Sparrow. When Sparrow slapped her, however, Echo regained her sight and began to think for herself, blind to his religious ramblings no longer.
In stark contrast to some of the show’s other episodic guest stars, Bloom delivers as the nervous yet confident leader of the cult. His past and present mirror those of other cult leaders with only one exception — his current followers seem to lack the quantity of children that men like David Koresh and Jim Jones took in. No one will ever be able to forget those numbers — 21 of the 76 killed in Waco were children, and one-third of the 918 people killed in Jonestown were also children. (Read: Mind control — more than science fiction?) Still, the calm voice and controlling demeanor used by Bloom in this episode resonated as spot-on matches. He nailed it.
It’s tough to give credit to so many actors in this episode without first giving a nod to episode writer Tim Minear. His work on past Whedon shows has been praised before (with nearly a third of Firefly’s episodes to his credit,) and he chooses this episode to roar back in a big way. Minear paints this episode with fantastic symbolism, thought-provoking parallels and — for me — Mountain Dew-spewing laughter. Man reactions, anyone?
You can count this Dollhouse fan among the many who will tune in to Minear’s new pilot on ABC, “Miracle Man” whenever it airs.
This is why “True Believer” is the best episode so far, and for the first time in a review — I haven’t even had to delve into the backstory to taut the virtues of a particular episode. While “The Target” provided thrills and eye-candy, this episode of Dollhouse forces you to really think about what’s going on and the morally gray science Dollhouse leaders find themselves immersed in. You could arguably say this element is what’s been missing from the show. For the first time, we are asked to draw a line in the sand and choose sides.
Religion can change people in many of the same ways that Topher can. It’s a scary thought. And it makes you wonder — why do the leaders of the Dollhouse feel what they’re doing is any different?
Maybe Alpha isn’t the bad guy after all…
The Good: Solid acting by Eliza Dushku and Brian Bloom make this episode a Season 1 highlight
The Bad: The fact that no one bothered to check the store’s security tape… a tad unbelievable but a minor blip on the map.
The Ugly: Victor’s “man-reaction” — thank God for fuzzy video! (He’s only human though — I mean it is Dichen Lachman.)
ActiveDollhouse Grade: A
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[...] REVIEW: “True Believer” raises bar for Dollhouse [...]
If the guy in charge of the investigation was the one to plant the evidence, why would he want anyone to check the tapes to see that it was him?
To think that no one else in the entire ATF would demand to see the tape is highly implausible. It would have been maybe slightly more believable if the guy who planted the evidence took the tape and then destroyed it somehow, but to have Boyd ask the store clerk if anyone watched the tape and for him to say no is not believable at all. Like I said though, not a big deal, but I do have a Good, Bad and Ugly segment to fill!
Count me in the group hoping to see a certain Active’s “man reaction” a little clearer on the DVD set!
[...] REVIEW: “True Believer” raises bar for Dollhouse [...]
[...] at the Dollhouse, drama is unfolding there, too, with the rape of Sierra (Dichen Lachman.) Due to Victor’s man-reactions from earlier episodes, he’s the prime suspect, but Langton quickly realizes that something [...]
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