Lost Favorites - Walkabout

Walkabout is my favorite episode of Lost, and while it lacks the structural
daring of The Constant, the epic scope of The Shape of Things to Come,
 or the insightful moral inquiry of One of Them, it more then makes up for it
 in it's devastating evocation of a life wasted and regained.
Walkabout was only the forth  episode it what then amounted to a entertaining
series which had it's share  of promise and a few great scenes like the JJ Abrams
directed pilot opening scene. But in Walkabout the creators revealed it's dramatic
ambitions to be far larger then those initial episodes would have led viewers to
believe.  While the show later managed to achieve  similar emotional gravitas as
 in the above mentioned works and others, none quite opened up the mystery and
potential of the island itself, or the possibility that all of it's current
 inhabitants were broken emotionally and in Lockes case physically.

It's the first John Locke episode, a character considered by many to be the series
finest (although Desmond and Ben have rights on that spot) one whose episodes would
 continue to portray a tragic spiral of missed moments and failed occasions(from
Lock down, The Man from Tallahassee to The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham to this
 season's The Substitute)  a life left unfulfilled even for the temporary reprieve
offered in those 4 months on the island. Locke is the shows most compelling symbol
of it's fate vs free will push and pull, and here the source of his own faith comes
not in the form of a pure WTF twist but a transcendent reveal of suffering,  grace
and the will to push forward to whatever destiny had laid out. while Terry O Quin
had certainly created an interesting character in those initial episodes, here he
gave great weight with each reveal as to his circumstance. Each flashback becomes
more devastating then the next, ending on inter-cutting of 3 moments in time where
director Jack Bender uses the Lost  flashback format to create scenes which chart
 the depths of human despair to the instance where a man and group decided to press
 on in the face of the unknown.

Of course an episode of Lost is ultimately as good as it's sub plots, and
the one involving the burning of  the plane wreckage complements the A story's
theme of rebirth/ starting over, the conversation with Rose and Jack which revolves
 largely around a characters need to be tied to her faith and not the grim realities
 and in a haunting touch Jack seeing the body of his deceased father Christian
 (although we don't know the significance for him at the time), all points which
underlying how far they may be from their real lives their damages
selves will always reflect the sad realities of who they were(and ultimately will be).

Walkabout in it's on island action charts the ambiguity of the mysterious
character of John Locke who is at once stoic and resourceful, yet other times
helpless and emotionally frustrated. When he comes face to face with the smoke
monster, Locke feels he has been graced with the true spirit  of the island and
in retrospect after the events of Season 5 this encounter becomes more sad  and
tragic. Locke was the islands greatest patsy, and the unknowing agent of what may turn
 out to be it's greatest threat, and while  throughout the series we had a powerful idea
 of how destructive his belief in his destiny could be, it was made compelling and
understandable  by this extraordinary glimpse into a middle aged man's temporary realization of self.

Favorite Lost Episodes 10-6

In honor of the sixth and final season of Lost, I'll be listing off my ten favorite Lost episodes starting with 10-6

Confirmed Dead - Season 4's second episode immediately put an infusion of new blood into the on island action with four new players, with three actually being notable. Unstable physicist Daniel Faraday(that great American eccentric Jeremy Davies) physic Miles(Ken Leung becoming the shows most effective procurer of sarcasm) and that old grizzly bear pilot Frank Lapidus (played by the criminally underrated Jeff Fahey) Not only does this episode give a greater idea of how the rest of the world reacted(and were misled) to Oceanic 815, we get fascinating teases on why the boats crew is really there.

The Man From Tallahassee - One of the best John Locke episodes revolves largely around the great interplay between Locke and Ben Linus as both duel with each other(which was the focal point of other strong Locke based ep's like Lockdown and Cabin Fever), with Linus outsmarting Locke by episodes end to his purpose. But it's the flashback where we learned the cause of Locke's paralysis and it was much worse then the viewer could ever have guessed, further securing Locke as one of the great tragic characters in tv history.

One of Them - It was a toss between this and The Economist as the best Sayid episode (and therefore one of the series best), but while The Economist has a truly awesome flashfoward story, One of Them, is one of the best episodes of Lost in showing how morality on this island (as in real life) is completely relative. It's filled with the great mysteries that were only answered until later in the series such as Rousseau's knowledge of Ben (here Henry Gale) and of course the introduction of Linus himself whose pleas of innocence become more fascinating in retrospect given what we later know of his character (and Emerson nailed it out of the park from the first).

LaFleur - The episode where Sawyer truly became the James Ford (or in this case Jim LaFleur) that should have been had the tragic event of 1976 not come to pass. The
episode jumps from 1974 to 77 showing how Ford, Juliet, Miles, Jin and Daniel hooked up with the Dharma Initiative. The inter cutting compellingly shows how deeply this band of time travelers have become involved with the island community. It's Lost at it's communal loving best (something the show hadn't been as strong on since the first season), as well as introducing what arguably became Lost's best romance between James and Juliet (ok after Desmond and Penny), but also providing one of those classic Lost reunions at episodes end which hit the right amount of sentiment and classic romanticism.

Flashes Before Your Eyes - If isn't wasn't for the season 4 masterpiece The Constant this would be Desmond's best episode, still Flashes is probably just as representative, not only to the special place Desmond has in the Lost universe, but also to that classic Lost theme of freewill vs fate and provided the series with it's first major dip into the time travel waters it would consistently wade in. It also provides a deeper look at both Charles Widmore and an introduction to Eloise Hawking who would play a much larger role by the fifth season. But as much as anything it's the Desmond and Penny relationship that resonates above all else, providing the series with it's true heart and soul.

Top 5(or 6) Dollhouse Episodes

Dollhouse was the last breath of greatness of a truly monumental decade of television, and it carried over into 2010 with three outstanding episodes that concluded once and for all a flawed if mostly great series. This writer could think of no other network, or even cable series which engaged (and at best brilliantly so) the sc-fi concepts that even mainstream cinema had gone through in the past 15 years in the form of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Cell, The Matrix and Existenz. Dollhouse was just as socially relevant as BSG, and as vivid a portrait of a surrogate family's coming together as any of Whedon's other works. While it may have initially received critical flack, I personally believe that it was even greater then Firefly, which if you'd believe the writings of every writer and blogger was a flawless series which didn't fall face flat on it's western concept for time to time as much as Dollhouse failed in it's early run to make the personality a week aspect entertaining. It was a powerful look into the underlying truths of human character regardless of how many times the tech enhanced, destroyed, or even attempted illuminate them. And at it's most moving Dollhouse showed human beings struggling to do the right thing, to define themselves against a world where class, money and subsequently power were put over human decency, morality and that ever present pandora's box that this technology opened up.



The Public Eye/The Left Hand - This magnificent paranoid thriller is a beautifully constructed work that further develops the idea of the all powerful corporation Rossum in a chillingly precedent light, and it's filled with so many wild tonal changes in it's 80 minutes running time you have to give it credit even when it feels overstuffed. For example it has the great Summer Glau convincing ranging from cold blooded psychopath to smitten science nerd at the alter of Topher (and he responds in kind with a hilarious reference to the The Fury) and at the center it's got a compelling performance from Alexis Denisof, much missed under Whedon after his great work in Angel Season 5. Denisof plays the ideal left leaning democrat whose own sense of identity becomes murky by episode's end, showing that even the possibility of free will carries with it the potential for evil.

The Attic - The Attic was referenced throughout much of season 1 and 2, it was an ever present threat for both active and handler, a handy tool for the Rossum corporation's failures in science and in business when murder was just a little too counter productive. Of course we never really knew what the Attic was until this extraordinary episode. The Attic belongs in that great tradition of sub conscious explorations that Joss Whedon provided us with in Restless, and numerous other dream sequences in his various series. It's a poetic, thrilling, often surreal work and served as a devastating follow up to the series richly woven mythology relating to 2019, where society as a result of massive corporate greed has fallen into chaos. It's got Dominic back this time guiding Echo through the mental mainframes of Rossum, and Sierra and Victor engaging in their own meta battles/horrors. But like Epitaph One before it, The Attic ends on a powerful sense of hope for moral decency in a world that values power more then the sanctity of human life.

A Spy in the House of Love - The first truly great Dollhouse episode after excellent outings on Man in the Street and Needs, used it's non linear narrative beautifully not only to give the viewer a greater idea of the people inside the Dollhouse but to build up the mythology in ways that still resonates in episode like The Attic. Here characters like Dominic and Adelle are humanized, with their various motivations becoming both tragic and compelling under this episodes light. November's reveal to Ballard was both heartbreaking and chilling for it's impact on him and his willingness to take advantage of it. And again we witness Echo forming something of a identity, becoming self aware in the face of a threat to her existence. Of course to top it all off we have Sierra in kick ass "Alias" mode running manic through the halls of the NSA.

Belonging - Belonging was one of 2009's ballsiest episodes especially in a second season that had already set out it's cards on the table about it's thematic goals. Specifically the devaluation and exploitation of human life by the corporate powers that be. How many shows take their main characters and make them accomplices to what amounts to rape, and then in the most horrific way possible has them face the bloody consequences of said actions. It was largely a tragedy where Dichen Lachman's Sierra was exploited by forces both familiar and largely unseen (chillingly embodied by Vincent Ventresca and the great Keith Carradine). But it was the character of Topher who most moved, and unnerved. We witness his conscience come out fully, as he realizes to his horror his part in Sierra's fate, and clueless to it's long term ramifications allows free will to take it's course. On another note Belonging in a moving chapter in the Sierra/Victor love narrative, on that again shows human resilience to science and capitalism. It's a nice dose of light, in what amounts to one of the darkest episodes on television...if not for...

Epitaph One - The game changer that those of us who love this show have talked about ever since it was realized on DVD. A 42 minute glimpse into our collective future, and how the characters of the Dollhouse responded. The first great thing about this episode is that it makes the viewer care about a group of characters we barely know (and in some cases characters we never thought we could even care about). It's the urgency with which Whedon and company have drawn 2019 that we understand immediately their bitterness, exhaustion and fear. It's a world fully formed, occupied by characters long devoid of real hope, and yet they enter the beating heart where it all began and learn how those responsible, even the worst among them, recognized the horror of what they were a part of and tried to do something about it. Each flashback is a testimonial that speaks to this time and place, drawing a vivid portrait of how science was used for among other things, corporate greed, human malice, apathy, the obsession for the physical to the determent of the spiritual. It did it with as much immediacy as series such as BSG and Lost have mustered. Beyond this bleak vision lies Whedon's belief in human resiliency against insurmountable forces, where the likes of Buffy Summers, Angel and Mal Reynolds battled to half victory's and in some instances sure defeats. So such is it here where we know for certain that the battle may be lost, yet humanity still lives for a new day.

Top 10 Television Episodes of 2009 and 5 Runners Up

1. ABQ (Breaking Bad Ep 13) -In a extraordinary season of television, with more then half the episodes being perfect, it would seem obvious to choose the finale, however unlike most serialized television, while it all added up to this it can certainly stand it's own. ABQ is the year's most devastating hour of television and one of the finest to be produced for the medium. With the extraordinary performances of Arron Paul and Brian Cranston at it's center, Breaking Bad took a bold move forward in ABQ, suggesting, without tipping it's hand, the possibly that the universe may indeed come down to karma, and that ultimately our actions can have far reaching consequences that reach beyond our doorsteps or even our neighborhoods. So it's only fitting that the end result of one man's selfish choices rain down from the skies over his home. - Alt Ep 4 Days Out or Phoenix (I CAN'T CHOOSE THE SEASON WAS THAT GREAT) .

2. Seven Twenty Three - Already a stellar third season, however it's primary focus on character rather then plot caused the casual viewer to criticize it's first haft (unjustified n my opinion with a death, a birth and some major revelations along the way). While Guy Walks into a Advertising Agency was one of the boldest works of the series (and the bloodiest, bringing the first in what will likely be many great allusions to the escalating conflict in Vietnam) Seven Twenty Three was the most perfectly realized episode of the season to date, on par with all time highs like The Jet Set and Three Sundays, episodes which subtly observed these characters in their social milieus while everyday choices are made. As always the focus is on Don Draper, here taking a disastrous attempt to reaffirm his "hobo code" only to be pulled down by the social forces that be. Don's already lagging far behind the culture of his time, but as this series has constantly shown he's clearly not the only one. Alt Ep- Shut the Door Have a Seat

3. Children of Earth Day 4 - The first three episodes may be more tightly scripted and crafted (and no question they're among the most best of the year) but Day 4 (and Day 5 ) is where producer writer Russell T Davies further developed his powerful blend of humanism and social cynicism, a mix that had pervaded his work on Doctor Who and the first 2 seasons of Torchwood. The viewer witnesses our bureaucratic constructs play out in horrific fashion in the face of the central threat and all within the realm of plausibility. Here human folly is vividly scaled by Davies and director Euros Lynn, and in the end in concert with the real life tensions evoked we witness a love story come to a devastating yet beautifully realized end. Alt Ep Day 5

4. Underdogs - Friday Night Lights - FNL is at it's best when it evokes the communal thrall (and occasional sadness) of small town football and Underdogs is the most powerful realization of this since the Season 1 finale. But it's all in the details and here the creators craft a scene for scene paean to life as struggle, where decisions however right in theory can have devastating effects both on and off field. The consequences of Tammi and Eric's joint decision to call protective services on Joe McCoy may have formed the dramatic back bone of this episode, but it was again the fringe characters that gave this episode it's depth, be it Tyra's moment of self realization on paper, to Julie and Loraine's recognition that they need to support Matt leaving Texas. But the moment of gut wrenching pain comes in a gorgeous lyrical moment, as time is suspended during the State game where loss is evident, and then the two sides part, one in joy and the other in sadness. Alt FNL ep The Son

5. Epitaph One - One of the boldest episodes under the Joss Whedon producer flag, using the flashback format in a revitalized way as the flashbacks are of our present (or near future) while the bulk of the episode takes place in 2019 with human civilization having been obliterated by our reckless use of the Dollhouse's technology. It's a cautionary tale, almost a work of horror regarding the danger of technology to our human identity(collective and individual). Regardless a powerful sense of hope prevails, not only for our future but for the characters whom we had already spent 12 episodes with and those who we have only just met. Alt Ep Belonging

6. Gilead - To it's tense opening prison sequence to it's haunting finale scored to the great Devandra Banhart, Gilead is the most realized episode of Sons of Anarchy to date (if not quite it's most powerful). It all climaxes with one of the most brutal fight scenes on small screen. It may be behind Captain Turner vs Dan Doraty, Ralphie vs Tony, and even the visceral charge of Tavon and Shane's brawl in Kurt Sutter's other famous series, but still one which finds a nasty vent for Jax and Clay's feelings towards each other. Still Jax doesn't even know what Clay did to his father!! This episode had some of Ryan Hurst's most moving moments as Opie, working behind the scenes to save the club but unable to even look his kids in the face due to his grief. Also Gemma's conversation with Oswalts about healing and the need to keep community together held so many meanings besides the plot requisites that it further deepened the show. But in the end it was Jax's moment of self awareness in his interrogation that moved me the most, the moment where he realized his power and his place however regressive said recognition ends up being by seasons end. Alt Ep Balm

7. Two Weeks Michael Scott puts in his two weeks notice, says goodbye to Dunder Mufflin (at least temporally) and decides to start his very own paper company specifically the MSPC (the subject of many hilarious episodes). Of course everybody is at least curious how the experience of no Michael Scott is going to seem, but not so much that they're willing to follow him. Of course that's the point, Michael may be an idiot about 95 percent of the time (you think I'm giving him too much credit) but he at least recognizes that fundamental truth. That work is tedious bullshit, and that its much better to have fun. Of course Michael isn't some martyr on the alter of our secret desire to break away, but an unfortunate product of no ask no tell corporate culture and a bad pool gene. Regardless when Michael makes his last ditch attempt to bring everybody over, while crawling and pleading with his former co workers, the moment while one of desperation, was the series at it's best in illustrating the character's timely achieved, however backwardly realized, truth. Of course when Pam and Michael turn the corner (in a film parody I thought would never seem fresh ever again), that mixture of hope and fear created as timely a shot as
was crafted in 2009. Alt Ep Murder

8. The Variable - The thematic sequel to last years masterful the Constant is not quite on the level of that work, but it's still one of the years most poetic and profound works, the one where the long time Lost theme of free will vs fate gets it's most devastating yet strangely ambiguous presentation. It's anchored by the ever brilliant Jeremy Davies, who is the one American character actor who can bring real dramatic weight to human eccentricity. It all ends on that final moment of recognition, where we realize the universe we think we understand is far more complex and beyond our control. On a plot level it's the story of how a man was controlled across time and space, but as always in Lost even the most absurd concepts are given genuine depth. Alt Ep - LeFure

9. The Oath - There are more daring episodes of BSG from the final season such as Sometime a Great Notion or Daybreak and the companion episode Blood on the Scales is nearly as good, but The Oath is BSG at it's most perfect, from it's script to it's direction (from the excellent John Dahl) building up systematically to the central coup and documenting the fall out along the way as the fleet splits. Here human civilization really goes to shit with little to no chance to put the pieces back together again. It ends on another of BSG's powerful affirmations of the friendship Tigh and Adama share both whom will go out on their last stand if need be. Space Cowboys indeed. - Alt Ep Sometimes a Great Notion

10. Torch - Torch(episode 13) is the jewel ep of the best season of Rescue Me and under normal circumstances it probably would have been the finale (previous seasons only held 13 eps). Regardless this magnificent work is perhaps the finest episode in the series and one that contains it's greatest moment (you'll know it when you see it). Torch is the show's most powerful statement on grief and how we struggle to live on even when we've tragically become immune to the uglier areas of humanity. It's the episode that manages to effectively dramatize Tommy Gavin's self destruction(something which the series has often failed to do) and amazingly show that the world may have a place for him in it just as he is. - Alt Ep Iceman

and the final 5!!

Debate 101 - It was this or Introduction to Statistics and while having Chevy Chase trip out as "Beast Master" was undoubtedly the funnest moment of the year (ok in the top 3) it was this episode that really delivered on the promise of the initial episodes. It's got Abed taking his meta commentary to absurdest heights, it's got Allison Brie at her most adorable, it's got a wonderfully goofy Evil Woman singalong and yes Arron Himelstein is hilarious as Greendales handicapped rival with his pony tail and scarf. Of course the key here all comes down to the central debate, is man good or is man evil and while Community clearly recognizes human complexity, it certainly in the Abed sub plot recognizes the consistency of human behavior for better or worse. - Alt Ep Introduction to Statistics

Eastbound and Down Part 5 - This is the episode where the series desperate elements came together, Green's poetics, Adam Mackay's goofy farce, and Jody Hill's cynicism, each one balanced perfectly to not only give great empathy to the characters resignation to the mundane, or provide a ruthless attack of small town hypocrisies, but the joy in saying FUCK YOU in the most outrageous way, one which hilariously affirms Kenny Powers proud identity as a sicko, hick narcissistic asshole. And yes it has Will Farrell as a Ric Flair aping car salesmen. Alt Ep Part 3

Chuck Vs the Ring The goody bag episode of the year, meaning its got everything but a big glittering Christmas tree. It delivers the goods with little to spare. It peaks being Jeffster's Mr Roboto wedding ruin and the immortal line "Why are you letting a Sam Kinison lookalike and a lesbian Indian ruin your wedding". And yeah it's got Chevy Chase being a sarcastic bad ass. Alt Ep Chuck Versus the Suburbs


Jabberwocky - It was this or Racial Sensitivity, but Jabberwocky really gets at the heart of Better of Ted as a satire, the way uniformity breeds ignorance, the way fear of ignorance breeds more ignorance and how the corporate latter from the janitors to the CEO respond in turn. Ted and Veronica's big presentation was perhaps the shows funnest moment to date, poking fun at US corporate climate in ways that only 30 Rock USED to match and really Porta De Rosi has given us one of the year's funnest performances. Alt Ep Racial Sensitivity

Tiny Bubbles - What could have come to the sentimental, instead is a lovely paean to the sister/brotherhood of nursing, with the residents here gather to pay tribute to a fallen friend and assist her in her passing. It's got alot going for it including the moving bed side toast, but it's really Paul's speech that really cuts to the bone, about needlessly assisting. It's moments like that minus all the touchy feelie shit that clogs up most of television drama where you understand the appeal of this profession. Alt Ep Pilot

Dollhouse Season 2 Instinct

Instinct starts out with Ballard, ever the detective, trying to put himself in the position of the victim, in this case the Active. He's intrigued by the technology and the people behind it so he circles the imprint chair in fascination and disgust. Ballard is now firmly in the Dollhouse, although both he and Echo have made their pact against it(something which Dewitt seems to be partly aware of with respect to Ballard's motives). Topher comes in and is in full on narcissist mode, after his feelings of guilt from Vows. Both characters engage in a dialogue about Echo's latest assignment (which includes a great line from Topher comparing a bad imprint to post David lee Roth Van Halen) which shows how these two characters at least on the surface view this idea. Ballard is slightly shocked, if again fascinated by what the Dollhouse is doing, and Topher again is being a massive tool despite what we know about his underlying character. Dollhouse is at it's best when it shows how the characters that are protecting/programing the dolls, view them as their subjects, and even more so when they use them from their own interests. Watching these caretakers respond to the fantasy job for all its implications opens the episode on a strong note, but it's quickly matched by what follows.

Last season when a concept was introduced, say a doll being an imprint of a dead woman or becoming temporarily blind, the idea was conceptually interesting, but mostly underdeveloped in execution. Right off we get a substantially realized idea, both effectively dramatizes and thematically interesting, that the science of Rossum/Topher is getting more reckless by the leaps and bounds of their discovery's, and that the human mind won't adapt and sometimes in Echo's case it will.

Instinct is the first standalone to effectively dramatize the implications of mentally/biologically altering a person (previous standalone s merely used the alterations to move the plot along). Here Echo is imprinted as a mother, but instead of just making her care for the child, the Dollhouse has given her the overwhelming biological desire(and the biological ability) to nurse the infant. The opening credit sequence chillingly shows Echo breast feeding the child, taking what amounts to the Rossum's experiments(as well as monetary source) to a new disturbing level. The episode then presides from the POV of Echo's imprint as she sees suspicious signs all around her that everything is not all right. It should be noted as well, that the client here is portrayed in a more sympathetic light then most of the Dollhouse's male clientele and although it at first appears that the character may be using Echo for more unsavory purposes, it is revealed that he's merely trying to construct a relationship for his son and not for himself. Of course this client can't adjust to the situation and leads to Echo's going off on a motherly freak out. Eliza Dushku in this episode, Vows and in the best eps from last season is really putting in some strong work. Her critics once stated she played a blank slate each with different occupations(or outfits), but now despite her limitations she is convincingly playing these imprints as characters and not as types. Of particular note should be her final confrontation, with her character having emerged from her treatment with her primal instincts intact but also her burgeoning self awareness of her status as a doll(and all the baggage that entails.)
The episode like Vows ends on a lyrical moment with Echo and Ballard reaffirming their pact to find Echo's Caroline identity. What's constantly fascinating but both these episodes is how Dewitt and the Dollhouse seems to be fascinated by Echo's developments, her mess ups a product of her evolution. In the end as scientists playing god, they're probably getting more value from watching her engage in each individual scenario. So to the individuals who complain as to why the Dollhouse would allow Echo to keep going out on these missions when she keeps "breaking", it seems to me that it was established, back in mid Season 1 that this organization would be more then willing to make some risks in order to see what happens to their favorite lab mouse.

On the other hand the November subplot was handed just right as well, showing how this character may never truly be out of the Dollhouse's sphere, and also underscoring how Ballard is becoming slightly complacent in the actions of the Dollhouse as an exploiter of human beings. The Senator subplot was effectively laid out, showing us a man with a loving wife, who is not as icily cold as his initial appearance would have us believe, but a crusader, who political motivations aside wants to do the right thing. If the episode had a flaw it was the predictability of Echo's break in to the house with the lightning and the lighting going out, as well the actor playing the client was bland at least initially until his final scene with Echo. I should also say that I missed both Harry Lennox and Amy Acker (who apparently will only be making two more appearances this season...sniffle). No where near as strong as Vows, but Joss Whedon has already given us an episode that is a marked improvement over haft of Season 1(mostly the pre Man on the Street eps). Two good episodes in and I'm already expecting a great season( at least based on Whedon's stellar track record with the standalone/arc format).

Dollhouse Season 2 : Vows

The naysayers should have long been converted, but to be specific it should have been clear around A Say in the House of Love, even after Man on the Street and Needs, that Dollhouse was the the boldest piece of network television on air(along with Lost of course). This was the episode where Dollhouse truly showed it could more then match it's conceptual ambitions. Later eps like the two partner Brier Rose and Omega, underscored this and then came along Epitaph One which raised the bar even higher. So there was a lot riding on this second season premiere, to see if Whedon would compromise his vision, or if he would go full on with what had been developed to date.

Well it should be said first off that Vows is the best season premier under Whedon's producer/director eye since the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode Anne, and so it goes without saying that it's vastly superior to the C Grade ep Ghost which officially opened the Dollhouse season earlier this year (as well it was the worst episode of television Whedon has ever directed). But it should also be said that Whedon and company weren't going to dive deep down in the rabbit hole of Epitaph One just yet, just part way with regards to that eps revelations of character. Vows is at once a standalone Dollhouse episode, in theory the type which was so botched and lacking in originality for the first 5 episodes of Season 1, but Whedon has improved his game since, so what we get is a well developed idea involving Echo evolving within the field due to her circumstances(and Eliza Dusku matching it). The client here turns out to be Ballard himself using the Dollhouse as a necessary evil in order to take down a top arms kingpin played by fellow BSG alum Jamie Bamber. Bamber bringing genuine menace and a human side in the face of betrayal despite what could have been a one note role (see most of the first haft of last season for examples of "the evil male client"). In a sequence that lives up to Epitaph One aesthetic break off, we witness Echo 's imprint on her wedding night making passionate love while Ballard listens in, sexually and emotional shaken by the whole incident. It's one of the series most striking set pieces to date, with out of focus framing and tight close ups, sharp inter-cutting between both Ballard and Echo, a poignant musical accompaniment, conveying the degrees to which Ballard has become emotionally involved with Echo/Caroline.

Taking this even further is the post credits scene with Topher where we begin with him waking from his bed, then the camera follows him out of the barren room and halls out into the bright reds of the Dollhouse proper. This scene underlines how Topher has no life outside of his work here, his involvement with the rest of the human race mostly consists of programing them to be who he/client/Rossum wants them to be. It's a striking moment that lives up to Topher's unexpectedly moving scenes from Epitaph One where we witnessed a man's sanity having collapsed under the crushing guilt of what he had done. The smirking jerk still exists, but he's been given depth now (one of the few letdowns from Season 1 was how they gave Dewitt and Dominic greater complexity and empathy but just disdain for this character). With these two eps I can see Topher becoming one of the great Whedon sociopaths, up there with Spike, Lindsey and Jane.

The most important development in the episode however (and it ties in nicely with Topher and Boyd) is with the character of Dr Saunder's/Whiskey, and it should be mentioned that Amy Acker continues to show that's she's one of the most criminally unappreciated actors around (no actor perhaps except Garrieet Dillahunt in Deadwood has manged to convey two separate characters so convincingly like Acker did as Fred/Illeria in Angel), here Acker plays as women who's own grasp of self is falling apart, she wants to an individual, and not an active and yet on some level she yearns for that simplicity, on another level she's disgusted that Tohper whom she despises was responsible for creating her personality. In the episodes key scene Whiskey puts the moves on Topher to prove a point about her individuality, however ends up feeling worse cause she isn't really herself just filling a body with another person's personality. The whole scene takes place in Topher computer backroom with both characters have an involving if sad discussion about the nature of human indentity and what it means to evolve from your initial programing. We see two characters who have felt self loathing for so long yet haven't really shared it, they come together even in their dislike of the other.

Whedon has started off his season on a striking high note with these scenes, but also of note is the introduction of Alexis Denisoff as a crusading senator (and Boyd's dress down of his origins), Boyd's interest in Whiskey and his concern over Ballard; Ballards conversation with Dewitt (honestly I love it when these characters discuss moral fine points), a nice touch with Sierra and Victor joining together with both dolls drawn to each other despite attempts to keep them apart and yes again Echo and Ballard. Be it the great moment when Ballard called up Echo's memory's from the great fight scene in Man on the Street, which in turn led to a pretty decent action sequence. But best of all was where both characters make a pact to help Echo get back to her identity as Caroline. In this powerful closing sequence we witness what's promising to be one of Joss Whedon's most moving love stories (and one that's cirtainly filled when some interesting grey areas for Ballard), two people choosing to stand against a wall of corporate indifference and greed, to help her rediscover her singular identity.

Mad Men Season 3 Recap

***Spoilers Ahead***


It still shocks me that there are people who don't like the third season of Mad Men, I mean to be fair to date there hasn't been an episode as complete as The Jet Set or Three Sundays or the first seasons Marriage of Figaro, but you can't say that there have been any weak episodes either. Indeed these episodes are in their way as ambitious as their predecessors. Personally My Old Kentucky Home would be my favorite to date, and I have high regard for the others as well. The comedy has been more pronounced and finds it greatest release in the cultural/business war between the British and Americans at Sterling Cooper, and it gets progressively more hilarious with each episode. Other achievements of the season to date have been the development of Sally Draper as a character, the arrival of Betty's father and his subsequent demise, the use of social touchstones like the self immolation of the Buddhist monk in Vietnam and the death of Medgar Evers, and Weiner and company's continued fascination with the identity's people construct privately and socially to deal with everyday life. Simultaneously Mad Men's rich gallery of female characters Joan, Betty and Peggy have taken fascinating developments, with Joan's realization that the American dream she's acquired is a trap, Peggy's further exploration of sex and self, and Betty becoming stronger if more superficial in her family life, while her and Don try and repair their marriage.

One quip it's that Bryan Batt hasn't been given enough to do after his excellence start in the premiere Out of Town, still his jaw dropping moment of fey to his wife in The Arrangements and his subsequent conversation with Don were excellent scenes. As well Betty's holy shit I'm stoned moments in My Old Kentucky Home were a little too on the nose, although her realization from the experience was wonderfully written.

Jet Set and Out of Town director Phil Abraham did some expressive work in The Fog, especially with Betty's hospital experience and that final shot was devastating. My Old Kentucky Home took brutal look at the sycophantic nature of Manhattan social life, with Roger's attempts at entertainment offensive and blatantly disregarding of the social changes he can't grasp, and Pete and his wife making a moving if ultimately sad attempt at showmanship with their Charleston. Guy Walks into a Bar was the perhaps the boldest in terms of plotting to date, with writers Robin Veith, Matthew Weiner and director Lesli Linka Glatter making the biggest and boldest attempt at historical/cultural symbolism to date with bloody black humor in tow. Of course in the end it's not Mad Men's social commentary be it subtle or broad that strikes me about the series as it's universal portrayal of human beings trying to adapt to cultural shift. Sometimes it's hilarious(Paul Kinsey being the most pretentious and pathetic example) and sometimes the way the individuals walk that line between self and their own social constructs is brilliantly realized(Don and Peggy). In the end perhaps the most painfully tragic characters are either the people who are out touch completely (Roger), or the ones who have the potential for more but whose fear and immaturity won't allow it (Pete).

There's much to look forward to with Don's continued relationship with Conrad Hilton to be developed, the Sterling marriage and it's likely ruin, Sally Draper's potential intellectual awakening or psychological destruction depending on her parenting, and the potential release for Salvatore whose own heterosexual persona is on the brink of collapse. But it's Don and Betty's attempts are reconciliation that are the most moving, as two people despite their relative unhappiness try to achieve success in the marriage by means which will never truly be compatible with who they really are. They both love each other, but in truth they don't know each other and for every affirmation of love(the ending of My Old Kentucky Home) there is also the sad fact of his past failures(the ending of Out of Town) but beyond that Don's attempts at spiritual fulfillment in Love Among the Ruins, where in place of his philandering, shows a character trying to make his life work and finding some degree of satisfaction.