‘Dollhouse’ Leaves an Imprint

So, did you watch it? I know slightly less than 5 million viewers tuned in for the Dollhouse premiere, but I was there and I’m hooked. (Freakish side note: Just as I finished that sentence, BethAnne IM’d me about having just finished watching the pilot and told me, “I’m hooked.” Further proof that we share a brain.) We were given just enough background info on the Dollhouse and Echo to help us understand the gist of what’s going on, but not so much that we actually understand why.

The bits with Sierra were disturbing in a way I was not prepared for, and Echo’s reaction to what she saw underscored that. Ellie’s reaction to seeing “her” former captor was also chilling in that it showed just how real the imprinted personalities are. I’m curious how another person’s experiences can be imprinted, though. Did the girl who really was captured come in and get scanned? Did Topher create the memories from newspaper reports of the crime?  Or is that part of the amalgamation from her medical files?

What’s going on with Ballard’s new snitch, Victor? I couldn’t tell if Victor was participating in an engagement when Ballard spotted him or if he’s connected to the Dollhouse another way. Because if he’s an Active and was on assignment, he won’t remember Ballard after his mind is wiped. And Topher will probably find out about the encounter when the data is parsed afterward.

Speaking of things that left me wondering – holy cats, that final scene! Two people are dead, some naked (?) guy appears to have killed them, and now he’s sending Echo’s pre-Dollhouse photo to Ballard. Did he know her previously? Is he part of “the mess” that DeWitt promised to clean up in exchange for Echo’s 5-year term? And just how much of a mess could Echo have been in if her goals (per the graduation video) were to make a difference in the world and work with Doctors Without Borders or somesuch?

One episode in, and I’m already obsessed. Yep, must be a Whedon project.