Dariane and I were lucky enough to catch the SDCC screening of the “true” Dollhouse season one closer.
Minor spoilers follow.
The buzz around the internet has been that this is the best Dollhouse episode yet. The buzz is, as is often the case, one thousand percent correct. As much as I loved “Man on the Street” and “Briar Rose,” they’re now distant from the first place hit: “Epitaph One.”
Style, story, and substance. The Dollhouse team has their work cut out for them to top this one next season.
The new director of photography, 24’s Rodney Charters, has changed the visual look of the show completely. It’s dynamic and, in Joss’s own words, far more “visceral” than the rest of season one - it reminded me a lot of Tahmoh Penikett’s last series, Battlestar Galactica. The camerawork, in conjunction with the music, created a wide range of emotional and dynamic states - frenetic violence, tears in the ruins, romance snatched before sprint and chase.
Enver Gjokaj’s had the standout performance in “Briar Rose.” But the Dollhouse cast is full of fantastic actors, as Fran Kranz demonstrates in “Epitaph One.” This episode more than any other shows his full range. There are moments that show his character as the arrogant sophomoric genius we all know and love. There’s quiet shame. And his character’s fate… as Joss said, “I cry every time. Every time.”
Loved the episode. Loved it like crazy. This is exactly why we wanted Dollhouse to return.
I can’t wait to see what the writing team has next for us.
