# Dollhouse 5/8 - Season Finale **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 8, 2009, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollhouse-5-8-season-finale/495779 "2009-05-08T19:54:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollhouse-5-8-season-finale/495779/21 "2009-05-09T18:16:54Z")
Meh. The resolution of this episode made very little sense. What convinced Ballard that he shouldn’t be shutting down the entire dollhouse, not just demanding the freedom of one Doll? And why would Echo voluntarily go back to be wiped, now that she _knows_ what’s involved? ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2009, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollhouse-5-8-season-finale/495779/22 "2009-05-09T18:19:46Z")
Because she signed a contract. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2009, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollhouse-5-8-season-finale/495779/23 "2009-05-09T19:26:29Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > Because she signed a contract. Yah, but as she said: “I’ve got thirty-eight brains, and not one of them thinks you can sign a contract to be a slave.” It that’s the reason, it’s inconsistent with the character. ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2009, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollhouse-5-8-season-finale/495779/24 "2009-05-09T19:43:47Z")
It’s probably because they asked her to go for her treatment. It was never said she went in voluntarily was it? I loved the conflict between Alpha’s multiple personalities. “We’re not bluffing. I’m bluffing. But the rest of us, we mean business.” And then the fact that one of his multiple personalities has a multiple personality. Nice episode. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2009, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollhouse-5-8-season-finale/495779/25 "2009-05-09T21:27:44Z")
> [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](#): > > Nah, Ballard and Boyd will begin a cross-country hunt of Alpha, with a doll of the week helicopter’d to them as they need various skills. > > I’m pleased a few of my questions were cleared up, especially the backstory of Alpha (even though my previous guess had been completely wrong about him). Looks like we were right about Whiskey, although I don’t think we considered who the previous imprint was.\*\* I’m sorry we didn’t find out who the Dollhouse Mole is.\*\* (bolding mine) Sure we did - It was Whikey Saunders - SHe had internal reasons (she was broke, she really didn’t want to be a Dr) plus, Topher apparently programmed her with significant computer skills (She hacked his system) and a ‘hatred’ for Topher. I wanted to know what was on the Computer that Topher wanted her to see - my guess, She is his Sister. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2009, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollhouse-5-8-season-finale/495779/26 "2009-05-09T22:30:42Z")
> [@simster](#): > > (bolding mine) > > Sure we did - It was Whikey Saunders - SHe had internal reasons (she was broke, she really didn’t want to be a Dr) plus, Topher apparently programmed her with significant computer skills (She hacked his system) and a ‘hatred’ for Topher. > > I wanted to know what was on the Computer that Topher wanted her to see - my guess, She is his Sister. Yeesh! I hope not. That would be seriously fraked up. ---
**Author:** ![Offkenter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f08c70/32.png) [@Offkenter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Offkenter)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2009, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollhouse-5-8-season-finale/495779/27 "2009-05-09T23:47:06Z")
Wait, if Whiskey never opened her own file to see who she had been, what made her think that she was “made” to hate Topher? I took that line to mean that she had a deep hatred of him that she BLAMED on him. It would be a sign of remorse on Topher’s part if he had actually programmed that in to her, but if she never read her own file, how would she know? ---
**Author:** ![RickG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rickg/32/5174_2.png) [@RickG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickG)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollhouse-5-8-season-finale/495779/28 "2009-05-10T00:06:12Z")
I liked the episode, and would really like the show to come back. There are a lot of really interesting issues about identity, mind-body dulaity, the Soul™, etc. that I’d like to see Joss explore in much more depth. One thing though. If Topher is so damn smart, why no off-site backups? I mean, keeping your originals and the only backups on the same shelf? Really? ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollhouse-5-8-season-finale/495779/29 "2009-05-10T00:39:08Z")
> [@Offkenter](#): > > Wait, if Whiskey never opened her own file to see who she had been, what made her think that she was “made” to hate Topher? I took that line to mean that she had a deep hatred of him that she BLAMED on him. It would be a sign of remorse on Topher’s part if he had actually programmed that in to her, but if she never read her own file, how would she know? I guess she looked at what imprints were used in making her. This doesn’t require her to know what she was like before that. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollhouse-5-8-season-finale/495779/30 "2009-05-10T01:51:15Z")
I liked the little reference to fireflies 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![StuffLikeThatThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@StuffLikeThatThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StuffLikeThatThere)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollhouse-5-8-season-finale/495779/31 "2009-05-10T01:51:37Z")
> [@RickG](#): > > One thing though. If Topher is so damn smart, why no off-site backups? I mean, keeping your originals and the only backups on the same shelf? Really? I thought of the same thing. Why weren’t the originals AND the backups in some hidden vault somewhere? I imagine it has something to do with needing to move the story along in a certain direction. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollhouse-5-8-season-finale/495779/32 "2009-05-10T02:16:37Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > I liked the little reference to fireflies 🙂 I got that too. I thought the “souls in jars” sounded like Angel, as well. ---
**Author:** ![Offkenter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f08c70/32.png) [@Offkenter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Offkenter)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollhouse-5-8-season-finale/495779/33 "2009-05-10T02:28:38Z")
> [@Lakai](#): > > I guess she looked at what imprints were used in making her. This doesn’t require her to know what she was like before that. Hmm. Maybe so. I have to think about that. Speaking of the fireflies comment, I enjoyed the inclusion of all the mannequins in Alpha’s lair. It was both an interesting character detail and a kind of sly self reference. Alpha plays with (human size) dolls. ---
**Author:** ![tiltypig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@tiltypig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiltypig)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollhouse-5-8-season-finale/495779/34 "2009-05-10T03:02:46Z")
> [@simster](#): > > (bolding mine) > > Sure we did - It was Whikey Saunders - SHe had internal reasons (she was broke, she really didn’t want to be a Dr) plus, Topher apparently programmed her with significant computer skills (She hacked his system) and a ‘hatred’ for Topher. > > I wanted to know what was on the Computer that Topher wanted her to see - my guess, She is his Sister. Maybe she was originally the friend Topher gets to pull out once a year, on his birthday, to play laser tag with. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollhouse-5-8-season-finale/495779/35 "2009-05-10T10:01:58Z")
> [@RickG](#): > > I liked the episode, and would really like the show to come back. There are a lot of really interesting issues about identity, mind-body dulaity, the Soul™, etc. that I’d like to see Joss explore in much more depth. > > One thing though. If Topher is so damn smart, why no off-site backups? I mean, keeping your originals and the only backups on the same shelf? Really? Totally agreed. That was especially egregious to those of us who work in computer-related professions. I currently am a one-man development house for a company in London. Each week I make a backup of _everything_ I have developed or even tinkered with and I store it at my friend’s house. In the unlikely case that my house burns down, the people in London will still have their intellectual property. (Mind you, I would prefer something even more secure, but I do trust this friend.) This is so ingrained in me that it was the very first thing I thought when the backups were destroyed. But I guess we make allowances to the story-teller. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollhouse-5-8-season-finale/495779/36 "2009-05-10T12:36:24Z")
> [@Offkenter](#): > > Wait, if Whiskey never opened her own file to see who she had been, what made her think that she was “made” to hate Topher? I took that line to mean that she had a deep hatred of him that she BLAMED on him. It would be a sign of remorse on Topher’s part if he had actually programmed that in to her, but if she never read her own file, how would she know? She realized her personality (who she thought of as herself) was created artificially. So she started to analyze why she was given certain personality traits. She had a deep seated hatred for Topher, and she wondered - if he was the one that did my programming, why would he include a hatred for himself? Of course it could’ve simply been a natural result of the various personality traits she had rather than a deliberate choice. I find her attitude interesting (and logical) - she knew she was entirely artificial, and yet that was who she was - to her, she’s a real person, a real personality. She didn’t want to find out about her real/original personality because it doesn’t matter. She is Dr. Saunders. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollhouse-5-8-season-finale/495779/37 "2009-05-10T14:20:19Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > She realized her personality (who she thought of as herself) was created artificially. So she started to analyze why she was given certain personality traits. She had a deep seated hatred for Topher, and she wondered - if he was the one that did my programming, why would he include a hatred for himself? Probably he did it just because she’s hot and he’d be working alongside her every day. Topher’s also rather shy of girls. Like he’s been told the one asian girl (not Sierra) likes him, but he entirely ignored it. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollhouse-5-8-season-finale/495779/38 "2009-05-10T14:35:53Z")
Was anyone else really by Echo having trouble getting to Caroline’s hard drive on the little beam. She had all of the imprints she’s ever had in her head-what about the skills of the bank robber, maybe the back-up dancer? It just seemed like a lazy writing convention. Other than that, I loved it. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollhouse-5-8-season-finale/495779/39 "2009-05-10T15:33:44Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > She realized her personality (who she thought of as herself) was created artificially. She should have realized it from the get-go, considering that the original Dr. Saunders was a man. Clearly actives are aware when their bodies don’t match their selves, as evidenced by Caroline’s reaction when Alpha imprinted her in the clerk’s body. ---
**Author:** ![Offkenter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f08c70/32.png) [@Offkenter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Offkenter)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollhouse-5-8-season-finale/495779/40 "2009-05-10T17:12:31Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > She realized her personality (who she thought of as herself) was created artificially. So she started to analyze why she was given certain personality traits. She had a deep seated hatred for Topher, and she wondered - if he was the one that did my programming, why would he include a hatred for himself? Ah, excellent point. Thanks! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollhouse-5-8-season-finale/495779.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollhouse-5-8-season-finale/495779.md?page=3)