1×13 – Epitaph One | Hollywood Subliminals

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Dollhouse (2009) - 1x13-Epitaph One

Epitaph One is the 13th episode of Dollhouse. It was written by Maurissa Tancharoen and Jed Whedon, with a story by Joss Whedon. It was directed by David Solomon.

Originally not part of Fox’s Season One order, “Epitaph One” is not expected to be aired on Fox. It was released on the Dollhouse Season One DVD set and it was screened at San Diego Comic Con 2009. The world premiere of “Epitaph One” was in Singapore via SingTel mio TV’s on-demand Season Pass service on June 17, 2009. Most international markets are expected to air “Epitaph One” as part of the first season.

Despite the fact that “Epitaph One” never aired in its country of origin, it was widely received by viewers and critics alike as one of the best episodes of the entire series, and it proved vitally important to the plot arc of the second and final season of Dollhouse. “Epitaph One” has been so highly praised, in fact, that in 2010 it was nominated for the hugely prestigious Hugo Award (an annual awards ceremony for the best of science fiction and fantasy projects over the course of that year) in the category of Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.

PREMISE

In 2019 Rossum has let the Dollhouse technology slip out of its hands, leading to wiping and imprinting on a massive scale. The world is in chaos and a group of renegades trying to avoid the tech that destroyed mankind search for Safe Haven. Instead, they find the place where the tech originated: The Dollhouse.

PLOT SUMMARY

The year is now 2019. A group of “actuals” (non-imprinted humans) are attempting to get underground to avoid the technology that will wipe their minds. It is revealed that Rossum Corporation has let the technology slip from their hands and China has created a way to spread the imprint not only through phone lines but also by blanketing an area with a wave, and as a result the humans of the world have been imprinted to kill those who have not been.

A small group consisting of Mag, Zone, Griff, Lyn, a child named Iris and her wiped father, Mr. Miller, manage to get into the sewers and find a hole which leads them into the Dollhouse. The group explores the area and manages to reactivate the circuit breakers, bringing electrical power back to the Dollhouse. The group eventually finds the chair. Attached to the chair is a tablet with an easy interface and set of memories. Mr. Miller is placed into the chair and is given the memories one at a time. Through this, events leading to the post-apocalyptic state are revealed. The group realizes that this place is the origin of the imprinting technology. In one of the flashbacks it is revealed that originally, imprints had to be conducted with the use of leads and electrodes attached to an Active’s bv1vfdszsddddddddd z aq rumored among actuals to be a sanctuary from the imprinted and the mind-wiping technology. Whiskey states that the memories in the tablet will lead them there. In another flashback scene Victor, who has been imprinted with Clive Ambrose, head of the Rossum Corporation, is informing them they are going to sell actives. For a nine-figure sum, a person can have immortality, similar to that of the episode “Haunted.” Mr. Ambrose informs Adelle DeWitt that it would be all legal within a year as their services to high-ranking officials would push this legislation through. DeWitt believes it is morally wrong, but Mr. Ambrose states they have a choice to either join them or die; meanwhile, his soul is currently in ten other dolls, making the same ultimatum to the leaders of ten other Dollhouse branches.

Iris then comes into the room and asks about her father, who is in the imprinting chair. She then shoots and kills Griff, the only other person in the room, and frames her father, screaming to attract the attention of the group. Zone takes Mr. Miller out to the bathroom and executes him. Whiskey sits down into the chair and activates a memory showing a flashback.

Dominic has been retrieved from the Attic. However, by this time the public has already been imprinted, beginning the apocalyptic events. He has been briefed on the situation and it is clear that Adelle has decided to break the house from the Rossum Corporation and as a result is at war with them. Gloating about his foresight on the matter, Dominic alludes to a run-in with a mentally crumbling Topher. He certainly enjoys lording the current circumstances over Adelle, regardless of her visible guilt over the way things have come to pass. Dominic shoots a decanter of whisky out of her hand, but she just pours a glass of vodka neat, implying a relapse. Adelle informs Dominic of the recent revelation of a potential cure, a “block” to prevent being imprinted. It seems Caroline is the only one who has it, which presents a problem for the house. Dominic can’t even remember which doll Caroline was.

Whiskey, now awake, states that something has to go into the chair and points to the hard drive slot. Mag asks Whiskey what needs to go in there. Whiskey says she doesn’t remember…yet. Whiskey is then given another memory. In this flashback, Victor and Sierra have been given their real souls back – their identities as Anthony Ceccoli and Priya Tsetsang, respectively – and they discuss what is to come. Anthony shows Priya a hidden cabinet filled with more hard drives – copies of all their personalities including Caroline’s, just in case. (As a side note, Priya is shown to have the first “birthmark”.) In 2019, Mag, Zone, Iris and Whiskey are all that are left and they go find the hard drives. Zone decides to give Iris a gun to protect herself. The group then go back to the chair room to upload Caroline’s mind into Whiskey so they can find Safe Haven. However Iris turns her gun on them saying, she does not know how she ended up in a child’s body but she wants out. She says she will take Mag’s body and then imprint Whiskey with Caroline and get to Safe Haven herself. She tries to fire the gun at Zone only to discover it unloaded, and Zone quickly grabs Iris and puts her into the chair. Zone figured out Iris wasn’t who she appeared when he executed her “father”; he had a birthmark but his name was not Mr. Miller, as Iris claimed.

Mag activates the tablet and another flashback occurs. The Dollhouse has now isolated itself from the increasing anarchy in the outside world and Adelle looks on as her former Actives pray. The dolls have had their true souls restored to them, in defiance of the Rossum Corporation. Topher – who by now has been stricken by mental illness and is holed up in an Active’s sleeping pod – then calls for Adelle and in a short conversation it is revealed that in an instant an army was created. A phone call has been made to everyone, and those who picked up the phone were imprinted, similar to the way Echo was wiped in “Gray Hour.” An insane and guilt-wracked Topher now realizes that his creation of waves for imprinting is to blame for the unfolding tragedy outside. Adelle tries desperately to comfort him, but he succumbs to a fit, mumbling “I know what I know” repeatedly and rocking back and forth. Adelle cradles him in her arms, until a loud disturbance is heard off camera.

The Dollhouse is then on guard as someone tries to break through the fortifications. However it turns out to be Caroline and Paul, who have returned to take the ex-Actives to Safe Haven. In a conversation with Dr. Saunders, Caroline requests that Topher copy her personality. Dr Saunders says that Topher “doesn’t go in there anymore” because of his mental illness, and says that she can do it. Caroline says she knows where to go and someday someone may need to know. She also states no one has been wiped at Safe Haven thanks to Alpha. Caroline now prepares to evacuate the Dollhouse. However, DeWitt is not among those fleeing. DeWitt asks Caroline whether she has come to lead the lambs. Caroline rebuffs her, saying that the former Actives are not lambs. DeWitt inquires whether she is going to save her or kill her, and Caroline asks if there is a reason to spare her life. DeWitt says she is not going to plead as she has made her mind up. Caroline then cocks her pistol.

Caroline has now been imprinted into Iris. She is surprised to see that Dr. Saunders held out, but soon sees that she has reverted to the “active”, Whiskey. Mag asks about Whiskey; Caroline says that she told her if she stayed she would lose her mind. She guessed it was the better option. The imprinted have now reached the Dollhouse and the group must leave. Mag implores Whiskey to come with them, but she says she must wait. Caroline, Zone and Mag go up the elevator shaft while Whiskey goes back into the Dollhouse and activates a nerve gas, which envelopes the main floor of the dollhouse where the imprinted are now beginning to overrun. She then sits down on the balcony and watches as the nerve gas quickly incapacitates the horde. Whiskey has obviously evolved and realizes her mission is to remain behind to guide those seeking Safe Haven.

The group climbs to DeWitt’s old office. The group looks out the window to see the devastated world that they have made. A collage of photos of those “To Remember” is pasted on the wall. Victor, Sierra, November and Caroline’s photos sit on the wall along with those of many other Actives. Caroline picks her photo off the wall and states she hopes she finds herself alive before placing it back onto the wall. The episode ends with the group climbing out the window onto a ladder.

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