Season 2 Episode 13

Epitaph 2: Return

Aired Friday 9:00 PM Jan 29, 2010 on FOX

Episode Fan Reviews (19)

out of 10
722 votes
  • This series isn't over until the Epitaph is sung.

    As intriguing as the first 25 episodes of Dollhouse were (not including the original pilot), the series would be nothing without this finale. Epitaph 2 is to Dollhouse what Serenity is to Firefly; it ties up loose ends, prevents future apocalypses, and gives fans, at least this one, the assurance that our beloved characters are going to have as close to a happy ending as they can in their post-apocalyptic Earth. Of course, losing Ballard and Topher, like losing Shepard and Wash, wasn't easy; their deaths made me wish that I had no emotions like the dolls/dumbshows this series features. But after our tears fall and the heroes manage to restore things (again), we can appreciate that sacrifices must be made for the cause, and the ending is all the happier because Topher and Ballard made it possible.

    Kudos to the writers for having Alan Tudyk and Summer Glau reprise their roles as Alpha and Bennett, respectively. The episode would have been perfect with a glimpse (or fleeting mention) of Ivy and Whiskey. But, for the most part, this episode is a well-executed end to a sci-fi series that made us laugh, yell, wail, and contemplate the implications of technology.

  • Epitaph 2; The End of Dollhouse

    EPITAPH 2; The return

    The good;

    Very, very good ep, lovely way to round out the series and a great send off for the characters. Many, many nice little features including Harding and his allergy to shellfish again and Victor still having Ernesto the Acrobat in his memories.

    The bad;

    Joss WHY NO COMMENTARY? You didn't do one for the last ep of Angel either. Or are you saving it for Special Edition DVDs to fund your new project? That said the dinner party is a nice touch.When Adele leads the Dolls into the streets outside where have all the butchers gone? The idea that Victor, Echo and Sierra have to hide underground for a year to escape Topher's pulse is just silly.

    Best line;

    Alpha; "We're not freak shows. Well ok I am. And Echo. But Adele's a class act all the way"


    Adele; "I'm glad you didn't clean up"

    Alpha; "It spoke to the schizophrenic in me. Well, both of them actually"

    Packing heat; everyone armed to the teeth. For a guy who says he doesn't like guns Joss puts a heck of a lot of them in his shows.


    Boyd; 11

    Dominic; 10

    Sierra; 9

    Victor; 9

    Ballard; 14

    November; 2

    Adele; 4

    Echo kissage; 5

    In the missing scenes we see that Echo/Rebecca got all kissy with Joel in the back of the van at the end of The Love Supreme

    Kinky dinky;

    Naked musclemen in chains. Say what you like about Joss he gives us cheesecake but for boys AND girls of all tastes and persuasions.

    Capt subtext;

    Note the tender way Adele feeds Topher whom she refers to as 'darling'. She offers to die with him but he wants her to live. Mag seems to have the hots for Kilo and vice versa, Zone commenting that she now has the option to 'go down'. Adele and Echo finally embrace. The butchers are now wearing suits, do they represent the network executives that cancelled the show?

    Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost; Paul and Echo appear to have become occasional sexual partners but not romantic lovers. Victor/Anthony and Sierra/Priya are lovers and have a son.

    Echo; 7 definite, 2 possible

    November; 1

    Ballard; 2

    Victor; 2

    Adele; 1

    Sierra 2

    Topher; 1 possible

    How'd they get away with that?

    Paul is dead...(hmmm? Have I heard that somewhere before?). Once again shot in the head with his brains all over another character, in this case poor Mag.

    Total number personalitites; note 'mini-me' refers to herself as Caroline? But in every other way she's Echo, able to access all the memories in her head. Ballard refers to 100 people in Echo's head. 101 including him. Suprisingly the series doesn't end with Caroline getting her body back, she's just one of the personalities in Echo's head.

    Echo; 101

    Sierra; 13

    Victor; 11

    November; 3

    Total LA dolls; Kilo again, for a second I thought it might be Ivy. We also have Romeo and Yankee

    11-Echo, Sierra, November, Victor, Mike, Tango, Alpha, Whiskey, Kilo, Romeo, Yankee

    Subverting the Hollywood cliche;

    Psycho killer Alpha pops up in his usual sinister fashion....and get's a great big hug from everyone!

    Bondage; Paul and Echo in chains

    Sierra tied up; 2

    Ballard; 3

    Echo; 7

    Victor; 2

    Kills; Echo kills the Rossum honcho for the last time. Once they get into the fight with the Reavers...sorry butchers, you just lose track.

    Sierra; 3 kills

    Echo; 5


    Victor; 2

    Boyd; 4

    Happy hookers;

    Zone refers to Echo as a 'magically delicious superwhore'.

    Know the face? Nate Dushku, Eliza's brother plays one of the Clive Ambrose's, he was also in the Angel ep 'Orpheus' as the armed robber in the doughnut shop.


    Missing scenes;.

    The deleted scene from this ep is reminiscent of the ending to The Tripods, Zone, Mag and mini-me stumbling across a deserted camp but ready to start again. You can't help but feel bad for Adele when she tries to pick up Victor in the bar in Stop Loss, he actually offers to take her home but she knows she's not the girl he's waiting for.

    Reminds me of;

    Wizard of Oz again, the 'great and terrible' Caroline. The method by which Rossum force Topher to work for them is similar to how Lorne is forced to work in Vegas in the Angel ep 'The House Always Wins'. Sierra/Priya appears to be auditioning for the remake of Little House on the Prarie. In contrast we have Mad Max Victor.

    Whedon cliches; strawberries again! Also in Alpha we have the series greatest villain becoming the series greatest hero (Spike, Angel, Illyria, the agent in Serenity;the movie)

    Maimed characters. Rich and powerful famillies who cover up the evil deeds of their wayward sons. Top security installations which aren't secure at all. Loving self-sacrificing mothers who risk all for their children. Corporate politics literally played with deadly seriousness. Monty Python quoting villains. Offices full of zombies. Strawberries. Sleeper agents. One girl who holds the secret to everything. Villains who become heroes.

    Breaking the programming;

    Note the butchers are now using guns, they're evolving too.

    Questions and observations;

    So what happened between the events of The Hollow Men and Epitaph 2? An awful lot it seems! Presumably everyone makes their way back to the Dollhouse once the world starts going to hell. What happens between Adele and Echo so that Echo is on the point of killing her in Epitaph One? Presumably the vaccine that makes everyone immune to imprinting is derived from Echo's spinal fluid as we saw in the previous ep? Does Alpha have the same ability and is that how he created safe haven? What does Topher go 'huh' for at the very last moment when he looks at the 'Remember' wall? Love Adele's new family, her, Zone and mini-me ex-Caroline, she can start again, ever the Shepherd leading them into the light (we've seen how good she is with kids from her relationship with Victor/Sierra's son). Alpha finds it amusing that Romeo refers to him as a 'luddite' (groups of disgruntled workers who opposed the industrial revolution). Nice that they could work Summer Glau into the final ep through Topher's vid.

    So what happened to Ivy, Dominic, Alpha, Perrin, Whiskey etc? I guess we have to leave it to the fanfic? Who kept sending Ballard all the clues to the Dollhouse, was it Alpha? I like Joss' idea of Echo and co as the post apocalyptic A-team, I'd watch that.

    Marks out of 10; 10/10

    So that's Dollhouse. Good series and enjoyed it a lot. If I were to rate Joss's series I would score them as;

    Buffy; 10/10-best TV show of all time

    Angel; 10/10 (only beaten by Buffy because we had more Buffy eps)

    Dollhouse; 8/10

    Firefly; 7/10

    For all you Browncoats who now want to lynch me maybe I'd like Firefly better if there'd been more eps but it only had 16 compared to 27 for Dollhouse, if Firefly had been given a greater chance it might have done better. I think Firefly's problem is that as a space show it was quite expensive in terms of special effects, costumes, sets, makeup etc whilst Dollhouse could be filmed just on an ordinary street. Looking back over the eps I'd say Epitaph 1&2 are my favourites with A Love Supreme and Man on the Street coming up behind them, Spy in the House of Love also in the top 5 and I have a soft spot for Haunted. I think Dollhouse had less of a sense of fun than Buffy or Angel although Topher was a funny character, it was all more grown up. The Dolls didn't grow on you in their dazed state and the other characters weren't sympathectic or charismactic enough. Certainly glad I watched it though, enjoyed it immensely. Apart from Eliza in sexy outfits the standout for me was Enver as Victor who really showed some amazing range and talent in his various Doll characters

  • An amazing episode of television for a show that I believe was far superior to its predecessor. I own Firefly but I watch Dollhouse!

    Just needed to jump in with my two cents for all these Dollhouse haters who believe Firefly was somehow the superior show. It wasn't.

    Firefly was axed long before Dollhouse because it failed on many more levels. What made Buffy, Angel and Dollhouse work was the world was built from the ground up. We start with a few characters who we love and the world and mythology is built from there. Firefly jumped right in with way to many lead characters to count, a very dull opening episode and throughout its 12 episode run only a few episodes that really engaged me. I have the DVD but have not watched it since my initial viewing of the series as a whole. The movie worked a bit better but ultimately what Dollhouse is is the answer to all these issues.

    Dollhouse learnt from the mistakes of Firefly and ultimately became the superior show. While nothing Joss has created can compare to his Buffy universe that intrigued us and kept us watching for 8 years (I'm including Angel in that count), Dollhouse comes as a breath of fresh air after the dull as paint drying Firefly. Dollhouse ends with an amazing finale where characters we love die, questions we had are answered and the ideas of freedom and individuality are upheld. Echo also becomes Whendon's most complex hero. Sure she started as a vegetable but where the series leaves her is as this amazing heroine who gives up more for what she believes in then Buffy, Angel or Mal ever gave up.

    A fantastic final episode to a masterpiece. It is sad the series only got two seasons and 26 episodes BUT they were an amazing 26 episodes that kept there audience on the edge of their seat. Thank you Joss for some of the most amazing hours of television I've ever seen. I am sure if Firefly can earn a movie, Dollhouse will not be far behind. Superior television at its best. :)
  • A very tidy ending ...

    Knowing the circumstances under which the show ended, I guess this is the best than could be expected. All along in Season 2 (especially the last half) the story arc was sped up and plot strands/reveals were compactly presented so that nary a stone was left unturned at the close. I guess from that perspective I am grateful and not left wondering what happened to X, Y, or Z.

    I thought it was kind of cheesy for Echo to go back into the pod as the closing scene. But that is okay - I will let Whedon and Co have that moment.

    Overall, I was a little apprehensive about seeing this show but in the end I am glad that I did. To be honest my expectations going in were pretty low and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I actually enjoyed the show. Sure there were those "whatever" moments - but how many shows DON'T have them. I felt like, in the end, my viewing time was worth it.
  • Great final

    So.. after two years, it is over. In ratings wise, it was astrophysical but I liked the show.. I liked the story and just like Epitaph 1 showed the full potential what could have been, the same happened with epitaph 2: it was all about the story what would have been developed, explained in depth if there would have been time but there wasn't and so some parts felt very rushed, there were lot of to take in put.. I still liked it.

    It was very emotional and weird.. I never thought that show would make me cry but it did. I loved the developments.. some really good char moments but in all - it was conclusive.. it took it all together and gave a finish. Not all the series do that. So glad for that.
  • Really, why did you hold this one out on us, come on!

    This is the quality I wanted, probably for the past two seasons. Arggh, this was actually a cool idea for a series and they blew it! I want to have more episodes of this series, I don't know what the previous episodes were about, but this one was clear about the exact quality in producing, action and the acting by Eliza Dushku was unbelievable! This is the Dollhouse we want. Why did you wait until now to give us this one, why!

    As you probably gathered from the ranting above, I was a bit disappointed by this one, and not in the 'this episode sucked' way, but in the 'this episode flew through the hills and now the series is being canceled' kind of way. Whedon should have started from scratch for Season two, he should have used the same style of this episode and portray possible flashbacks, anything better than what he gave us.

    This was his plan all along, I knew it, he wanted us to give poor reviews and poor comments and he wanted us to criticize until we begged for a cancellation, his end game would be to shove it to us "You see, this is what you are going to be missing out on, I had good ideas", but that really sucks Whedon, that was a low blow.

    It would be generous if someone could pick up the same style and change the overall name of the series. I mean really, I always admired the original idea of this series and I expected so much out of it. Instead of focusing on sending actives on engagements, or even during, they should have focused on developing characters like Boyd and the organization he worked for. Look at how beautifully Dushku pulled off that 'grief ridden' scene, the actors and actresses needed more room to bring out their true talents. My only regret on their part is that the chance is probably gone now, when we could have gotten so much more out of it.

    Terrible, truly terrible.

    Lexa Reviews


    Five Stars (...for the Finale)

    Grade A-
  • Completely amazing!

    This episode was simply amazing! It's now my favorite episode, but it so very saddens me that it will be the last! There are so many ways that this episode is great! I loved that Priya and Tony have a kid! Anything with Topher was powerful! Adelle's relationship with him in the Epitaph episodes was very sad and lovely! She was always there for him! Eliza Dushku was perfect in this episode! My favorite part of this episode was when she wass yelling at Priya but it was really how she felt about Paul dying and she completely broke down saying she's always alone! Oh and I LOVED so much that Alpha was a good guy! Alpha is amazing! It was so cute of him to give Echo Paul's mind! All and all, this episode was a perfect ending to a show that ended way to soon!
  • The end has come

    It's interesting to note that many fans also felt that the writers went a step too far with the Boyd reveal in "Getting Closer", and that it hobbled the ability to bring the resolution of the season/series to a fitting and satisfactory end. It's true that many writers manage to provide a near-perfect setup, only to struggle with the payoff. Joss Whedon has been more successful than others over the course of his career, but his writing teams are hardly immune.

    Some have wondered if the existence of "Epitaph One" was the problem. Having set that future in stone, the writers were locked onto a path with a known destination. And with only twelve episodes to get from the first season finale to the basis for that apocalyptic future, the writers were facing down quite a challenge. In that respect, it's amazing that they managed to make it fit together as well as they did.

    Yet I think that "Epitaph One" gave them a goal to achieve, which served to tighten the focus for most of the season. The only problem came when they tried to get too cute with the twists and turns. The Boyd/Whiskey reveal did explain why Rossum lost control of the tech, but it also made it impossible for some of the dots to be connected. Many of the "flashbacks" in "Epitaph One" are left with only the slightest hint of context, and the presence of Whiskey in 2019 doesn't fit at all.

    Having now seen the series' conclusion, set after "Epitaph One" and bringing the story to a close, I'm even less enamored of the Boyd reveal. The time that was spent making that work could have been used to make better sense of Caroline's importance, Alpha's role in the grand plan, and the preparations made in the wake of Rossum's corporate beheading.

    Ironically, while Caroline/Echo's unique nature was touted in "The Hollow Men" (however inconsistent with the earlier hints that Victor and Sierra had similar developing immunity), it had almost nothing to do with the final solution to the wiping problem. It just explained, more or less, why Echo was able to lead the resistance. But was a specific explanation necessary?

    After all, her immunity to the wiping process was already evident, and left alone, it also would have made more sense. Consider that the implication for most of the second season was that a certain percentage of Dolls would, over time, develop composite personalities that were, in essence, reflections or "echoes" of their original selves. The more a Doll was wiped and reprogrammed, the more likely the compositing would take place.

    Left alone, this would have explained why so many of the Dolls survived to make it to Safe Haven, and why they would be able to resist the tech. It also could have formed the basis for the restoration of civilization: that there were some pockets still out there surviving, having developed composite immunity over time. Topher's final solution might have still been the same, but at least it would have connected better than the ultra-specific explanation given for Echo's development.

    As it is, this series finale was merely functional. It didn't have the stunning gravitas of "Epitaph One". There wasn't the same crushing sense of hopelessness. Part of that was the recognition that the only resolution, once Topher came on the scene, would be a successful mission to save what was left of the world. Topher's final act of genius would, in one instant, wipe out the remnants of Rossum's middle-management, kill the tech, and give humanity a chance to rebuild. Even with tragedy along the way, it had to end on that semi-optimistic note. I just couldn't see Joss taking it the other, far more crushing direction.

    The presence of two Caroline's never seemed to pay off, despite early hints that there would be a purpose to it. The tension between Anthony and Priya was a bit unexpected, but it was a natural enough extension of Anthony's appreciation of his tech-based mojo in "The Hollow Men" for it to make sense. Thankfully, the writers chose to allow Anthony and Priya to find happiness with their son; that's a rare commodity in a Joss production.

    The showdown with Harding and Ambrose simply did not work, largely because the actors were annoying and there wasn't enough time to give the audience a reason to care. It was one of those moments that had to be there to ensure that the audience understood the link between "The Hollow Men" and this episode, but it just felt rushed. And Neuropolis was the sort of thing that sounds clever in the writing room, but is just corny on-screen.

    I already mentioned the issue with Whiskey. Fans that never saw "Epitaph One" will never think to ask the question, but how did Whiskey go from being a meat-suit for Clyde 2.0 to the bizarre servitor of the Dollhouse in "Epitaph One"? There wasn't even a hint of how that happened. And since the copy of Caroline only served to bring Zone and Mag to Safe Haven via Neuropolis, it just wasn't a great payoff to Whiskey's apparent importance in that prior episode.

    Also, there was never a payoff to Dominic's presence in the Attic, beyond triggering some of what happened in "Getting Closer". I was hoping that "Epitaph Two" would tie up that particular loose thread, even in passing, and it never happened. It seems as though the trip to the Attic was to provide some necessary exposition and give the characters something of an early warning sign, and nothing else. Considering some of the implications from "The Attic", that was a letdown.

    While a lot of the problems were a lack of follow-through on previous plot and character threads, there was also a problem with execution. This series finale may have been too ambitious for its own good. Many of the action set pieces were terribly staged, and poorly directed. The writers tried to mitigate the issue within the dialogue, but it's clear that the budget and shooting schedule issues got in the way of meeting the original intentions.

    While I thought a lot of things didn't quite work, and that the writers failed to live up to the promise of "Epitaph One", there were things I did like. First and foremost, Topher's final moments were an amazing turn for the character. Topher's character arc was one of the best aspects of the series. As central as Echo was to the entire progression of the plot, Topher became one of the reasons to keep watching.

    I also loved how well the writers handled the Echo/Alpha/Paul subplot. It was never overtly explained, but Alpha was clearly changed by the inclusion of Paul's mind into his composite personality. And when Paul died, Alpha understood that there was nothing to be gained by having Paul erased from his brain like the rest of his mental menagerie. His final gift to Echo, a copy of Paul to upload into her mind for the rest of her life, was a beautiful payoff to "A Love Supreme".

    It's unlikely that the writers could have given the series a sense of full resolution with this episode. At best, the plot and character arcs would have been given some degree of closure, and for the most part, that's what was accomplished. The rough nature of the resolution is largely a symptom of circumstance; the writers did what they thought was best with the time they had left. It's probably no surprise that some of the choices wouldn't quite work, and it's unfortunate that many of those questionable choices were concentrated at the end of the run.

    On the other hand, I'm still left with a desire to see where the story would go from here. I understand that Joss has said that he considers "Dollhouse" to have come to its end with this finale, and that there are no plans for a "Dollhouse: Season 3" comic book treatment. And this does work well enough as a firm ending. For my own part, I'd love to see how the world would recover from a long-term disaster on this scale.

    Whatever the case, "Dollhouse" has come to its end, and Joss Whedon managed to tell a relatively complete story despite poor ratings, network intervention, and a flawed premise. I personally feel that the story as a whole mitigates much of the early criticism of the premise, though there are aspects that will always be put to understandable question. So perhaps it makes sense that "Epitaph Two" is a flawed but ambitious finale to a flawed but ambitious series.
  • In the conclusion to Epitaph 1 (from the season 1 DVD), the Dollhouse characters seek to restore the chaotic results of the tech implemented by the founders of Rossum in Season 2. This wraps up the show well.

    I do not want to write this as a spoiler, as so many others have, so I'll be brief.

    Dollhouse was a great show, and Joss pulled out all the stops for this final episode. Though I've read negative reviews, this was an emotion-packed episode, and was a great ending to the show. I do recommend Epitaph 1 (S01E13) from the DVD first, as this is the continuation of it. I felt like this episode brought things in the show together well and brought redemption and conclusion to the characters. This episode made the series worth watching.

    To those who thought this episode was lame, I'm not sure if you were really watching the show all along. The rest of the episodes made me really care about the characters, and maybe the reason this episode was not meaningful was that you did not care about the characters. Sure, there were some random things in there, but 10 years (2009-2019) of insanity in the world can explain why the characters would band together. Ten years changes people somewhat.
  • Excellent ending to a hit or miss series.

    Dollhouse has to be one of the most frustrating television series of all time, starting each season with a series of bland, episodic, uninspired episodes and then flipping over midway into a series of brilliant stories following a compelling story arc. The final episodes of season two perfectly typify what the series could have been if it had focused entirely on the story arc and pushed the episodic stuff to the background, and Epitaph 2 wraps up the series beautifully, creating a compelling distopia.

    The big problem with Epitaph 2 is that a lot of people never saw epitaph 1, and it is perplexing that the network did this. If you didn't download that first Epitaph, or see it on the DVD, then you're likely to be completely confused by the finale. I did see it, but that was a while ago and I would have loved a more detailed refresher in the show, but it was obvious Dollhouse was overlong as is (the show weirdly cuts out about 2 seconds before it should at the end, which is rather jarring).

    In spite of being confused by who some of the people introduced in Epitaph 1 were, I thought it was a fascinating episode. The best thing bout it was the tech-heads who have become enamored with the technology to the point where they keep USB drives of personality traits around their necks and talk to each other in tech-slang (one face-to-face argument ends with a stern "log off!"). There are a few real shocking moments in the show, Topher is fascinating in his mentally unstable state and there are many telling encounters. I was pretty shocked when I see viewers had only rated the episode as 6.something, but I do think that is at least a partial reflection of people not having seen Epitaph 1.

    A great ending to a half-great series.
  • We all want more, but alas, parting is such sweet sorrow!

    I have read a few of the reviews and we all seem to feel the same way: The show -as in the whole series- had so much to give; was brilliant in many ways but fell just short of the mark at the end.
    However, there are the Nods of Excellence due to many.

    Topher and Adele's scenes in the final episode were truly wonderful. Great credit to Fran Kranz for such an intricate portrayal of his character.

    Victor - Enver Gjokaj - is due an Nod of Excellence. Not only for being Victor but for-as I've said before- out-Tophering Topher. Great work.

    Harry J. Lennix as Boyd was such a scene stealer and his role left my jaw on the floor for quite a while!

    Eliza Dushku was trememndous throughout the whole series. The *only* time for me where she didn't work for me was her meltdown scene with Sierra. I understand the context and what was going on but for me her acting fell short in those scenes.

    I think Adair Tishler - Kid Caroline - is a brilliant talent. She's got quite a list of work!

    I would like to continue but I'm too tired!

    I really feel this was a great show that was never really given the opportunity to go in the direction it should have. I have *great* admiration for Joss Whedon and his talent and vision. I hope his next venture is Network free and sets the standard higher than ever.
    If you've got this far, thanks for reading.
  • A great end to a show that needed more time.

    We all saw that this show wasn't going to last long, probably lasted longer then anyone expected when Fox showed a rare act of kindness by giving the show another chance and we've got to be grateful for that at least as Season 2 was great once it got into the swing of things.

    The whole cast gave it there all for this episode, even Eliza who I wasn't a fan of prior to Dollhouse and still think someone else could have played Echo/Caroline better (just imagine Summer Glau as Echo and try to tell yourself that wouldn't have been better for the show).

    With the show over I look forward to seeing what Enver Gjokaj does next, it has to be a lead role or else I'm going to be very disappointed as he provided the best moments of Dollhouse when he was Topher.

    There were still a few loose ends to the show obviously but perhaps Joss will make a movie in a couple years time that gives a satisfying conclusion to these unanswered questions ;).
  • Now *that* was the Joss Whedon that we know and love.

    For the life of me, I cannot figure out what was going on behind the scenes of Dollhouse. I watched faithfully out of a sense of loyalty to Joss on the grounds of all the other truly great stories he's told, and I told everyone I knew who wasn't familiar with Joss's work "Watch that show Dollhouse... it's going to be incredible"

    But slowly, as mediocre episode after mediocre episode was aired, I lost faith. I couldn't believe that this was the guy that wrote Firefly, and the friends of mine that I told to watch inexorably came to the conclusion that the show, and Joss, sucked. I'm sorry; I had to ultimately agree: Dollhouse sucked. It was not up to the standard set by any number of Joss's previous works.

    I had actually given up and stopped watching before Epitaph Part 2, and saw it later. I can only say this: "Oh, hello Joss, good to have you back..." Part 2 and the unaired Part 1 were gold. Joss proved that given an hour, he can make you care about any character on the screen, just like he did countless times with Firefly, Buffy, and everything else.

    My only question is this: Why did it take two whole seasons in order to get the two episodes that mattered (in the sense that they actually seemed to have been writeen by him) ?

    Overall, the Epitaph story was great and worthy of Joss's name.
  • Talk about a forgettable season finale.

    So, for the first two dozen episodes of the show, we're going to see the inside of one of many Dollhouses. Okay, with me this far? What does the last episode do? Take things to a post-nuclear Earth with complete chaos and little explanation as to why things are the way they are. And Dollhouse wonders why its 18-49 numbers are atrocious.

    This was a show that I really enjoyed talking about for the past 1 1/2 years, before it debuted, while it was on the air, and probably for another month after its conclusion, and yet this was the worst episode of the bunch.

    It seems like networks have been giving shows with bad ratings a chance the past few years. Dirty Sexy Money, Pushing Daisies, Better off Ted, Terminator, Dollhouse, Reaper, these shows all got renewed because critics like them. DSM finished off its run with a huge bombshell, with Dutch George, who was supposed to be dead all along, showing up as the show faded to black. What does Dollhouse do? They have Echo/Caroline go back into her pod. Poetic? Yes. A fitting end to a Joss Whedon series? Not even close?
  • It's 2020, and Echo and all the survivers, are trying to restore everyone's original imprint.

    Brilliant Episode! I love this as the series finale of the show. It gives so much closure. It was really sad when Mag got shot, but I'm glad she survived. That other dude, which I can't remember his name, well I like the ending where he takes care of that girl. I can't believe Ballard died, but knowing Joss Whedon, someone always has to die. I love how all the army peopel turn on everyone. I love the scene where Echo breaks down crying because Ballard died. I love the Adelle/Topher mother/son relationship. I love the crazy things he says, and I love how emotional Adelle was in this episode. I love how Anthony and Priya were able to have a family in the future. I love how Topher sacrifices himself to save the world. I give this episode a 10/10.
  • In order to put things right with the world, what's left of the Dollhouse LA location return with some people they've picked up on the way so Topher can reverse the technology that caused the catastrophic effect on the landscape of man.

    Not sure what the people who have put negative scores in expected from this the final episode. If you saw Epitaph One this was a very appropriate followup to that partial ending of the Dollhouse story. Actually except for some small pieces this was a very fine conclusion and this was the eventual direction the show was going to take.

    In a very succinct way this brings the story full circle and ends the madness that Rossum brought upon themselves and the world. Topher and the other scientists slowly but surely built the tech to a point where it became uncontrollable. This is an allegory for the world today and based on some of his past work I would think part of Whedon's story idea from the very beginning.

    The episode certainly was entertaining enough and even had some action scenes. We even got to see some of the Rossum heads get theirs possibly for good. The gluttony was a little farcical, but when you are trying to make a point, make it as big as possible.

    They did a good job with this concerning they had some forethought on how they were going to end the story. Epitaph One was made to represent the end if the series finished after one season. Based on the fact the series got a second season this pretty well completed the story as it needed to be.

    Overall a pleasing ending to a hard story to tell. This show had a lot of people with negative vibes before it even came on television. I remember early on if you even wrote something nice in a review people gave it a thumbs down. This show also is a prime example of a show that people give it a low score without even watching it. There have been and are a number of shows like that on at any one time. It's unfortunate.

    So the show that was The Dollhouse is done with this finale. I wonder what people will have to be upset about and not watch on Friday nights going forward? Should be fun to see! Thanks for reading...
  • The nine is for successfully rounding off two years of this SF apocalyptic thriller!

    I'm satisfied. If it had to end, a good ending it was. NOT apocalyptic, NOT a big bang, but rounded-up with as much as it could pack in one episode without becoming ridiculous.
    Let's touch upon the bad; we didn't see all the transitions between the years; however, that was actually well incorporated into the story (although finding Tofer AND the crew in the same place at the same time and at the RIGHT time was REALLY a stretch. Paul dies instantly? Well, that's something that's perhaps a little too realistic for any TV watcher, but again, delayed Echo's reaction was a GREAT comeback.
    No climax; I was really expecting something to be happening with Tofer's ascent with the wipe apparatus; unfortunately, I think Whedon just ran out of time and we had to settle for "relatively happily ever after".
    Alpha gone without an explanation and a secret conversation? Oh, Whedon, you sly dog; Dollhouse The Movie anyone?
    By the by, EXCELLENT performances from Tofer and Alpha.
    Oh, and since half the reviews of SF shows start with "well, it isn't Battlestar Galactica, but...", I have to say that the scene where the assault team enters the dark streets was a BSG scene indeed; hard, heavy, seething.
    All in all, it's unfortunate that Whedon did not have more time, but he gave us good two seasons of a great idea. Hopefully, SyFy or another smaller house will give him room to move.
  • Meg, Zone and their little girl reunite with the original gang and Caroline.

    Epitaph Two, while not as perfect as the first one, serves its purpose to tie loose ends after Meg, Zone and not!Caroline left to Safe Heave. The emotional tone characteristic of Josh Whedon sets as their wise-beyond-her-years version of Caroline leads this futuristic version of a dysfunctional family complete with bisexual mother - Meg - and atypical father figure - Zone - back to her old self.

    As fiercely as they fight for one another Echo keeps pushing Ballard away, same goes to Priya since she doesn't want Tony's tech to contaminate the life of their son, ironically Alpha turns out to be the best of them, having lost his taste for the battle he has set up a refuge where he embraces Echo as she brings Topher back to the only place where they could fix the world: their Dollhouse in L.A.

    Indeed, Topher has created a pulse that would revert everyone to their old selves, losing the last 10 years of their existance in the process, only thing is Paul gets killed and Mag loses her legs on their way in, none of it affects Adelle as much as the realization that Topher himself will die as soon as he sets up the explosion that will fix this mess, a small price to pay according to him who asks her to be brave since her job - to rebuild - begins after his is complete.

    And thus Priya introduces her son to his father as Mag says good-bye to her family and pleads Zone not to be such an influence on their little girl, he promises to watch over her and they both will check up on Mag, now confined to a weelchair. She used to be a teacher she says, he used to be an landscape architect and their child is lucky for she gets to start all over again. After they leave the building, Echo sits on the chair one last time to let Ballard in, or rather his imprint, the last gift by Alpha who'd rather wake up from the pulse far away to figure out who he is all by himself.
  • Needs more cooking

    Thrown together and poorly edited. Seemed like a piece from a different production team that needed another 2 weeks in post. Seriously put together to tie off the loose ends and put the series to bed.

    The final scene doesn't finish playing out and is cut to make broadcast time, for Pete's sake.

    The series end deserved a better treatment. The only scene I found worth my time was the resolution of Paul at the end. Epitaph was actually worth the view but, as far as I can see, wasn't aired. I found it on iTunes last season. Epitaph 2 is a hugh jump those who didn't see it.

    Just sloppy.
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