It probably started with killing Paul. Pepper hadn't seen that episode yet, and I told her, "Stop watching. Take what you like about Dollhouse and walk away." Because I knew seeing Paul - her favorite character - get killed was going to be an awful blow. She had to watch it with Wesley. I wasn't going to make her watch it with Paul, too.
It gutted me as well, but I can't not finish something, so I stuck in for the duration. I actually kind of liked the twists and turns of last week's episode - even if I did see Bennett's death as extreme, but it fit with the characters and really, I don't think Summer Glau is that good of an actress so wasn't sad to see her go - but last night's was just awful. Boyd's rationale was ridiculous at best, and the pacing was very herky jerky. My breaking point? Mellie's suicide. I mean, come on. Sure, it says a lot about the character. It's a tremendous sacrifice, proving the depths of her love for Paul. But it was just one more trauma for a character that's already been traumatized enough. And the splatter across Paul? Just plain mean.
The difference between this and Buffy - for me, at least - is that Buffy rarely forgot that in between the bad stuff, there's good stuff, too. We got breaks from the pain and misery because we recognized there was actually hope on the horizon. There is zero hope in the Dollhouse world. And that's what I just can't stomach, or want to have to put up with week after week.
Because if you don't have hope, what's the point of even trying?
The bright side of last night's episode? Victor (I can never remember his real name) getting imprinted with Topher. Enver Gjokaj is the single best actor on the entire show, a chameleon with range I think we're only beginning to see. Watching him this season has been a real treat. *He* is the actor I'm going to watch out for.
