Sierra's tell-tale dark and twisty artwork

Yes, I’ve been writing fairly frequently about Dollhouse because even when it’s not doing so well, I think it still deserves attention. And even though there are episodes that fall flat or otherwise fail to satisfy, sometimes (too rarely, but sometimes) there are episodes like last week’s “Belonging.” It worked on so many important levels – first and foremost, “Belonging” developed the mythology of the show rather than introducing a new creepy Dollhouse client whose engagement (spoiler!) will inevitably go awry. The show began to deal with what happens when someone becomes a doll against her will, and that allowed the writers to finally present the Dollhouse from a sociopathic, deeply evil perspective. Unlike so many previous installments, where we listen to Paul Ballard rail against the cruelty of dollhood but then also watch Adele Dewitt calmly justify the Dollhouse as a willing, consensual service, there was no mistaking the underlying immorality here.

Topher: from mad scientist to something resembling a human

Topher was really the key to the moral core of “Belonging.” For so long, he’s been an obnoxious, one-note asshole who can’t even hit his evil laughter in a believable register, and suddenly, “Belonging” transformed him into a fully formed human being. Once he discovered that Sierra had been drugged into insanity and entered the Dollhouse against her will, Topher stopped drinking the Kool-Aid. Watching him develop from evil mad scientist into a guy retching as he saws apart a body was thrilling, and moving, and it felt just. Topher deserves to deal with the consequences of his thoughtlessness, and this episode was a good start.

When they learn to read, you know you're in trouble

The thing about “Belonging” that pushed it over the edge for me, though, was that all of the parts were really working. If the episode had just dealt with Sierra’s past and Topher’s dawning humanity without any of the many smaller moments that surrounded and contexualized that plotline, it would still have been a good episode. Enhancing the action with Echo’s growing personhood (through my all time favorite signal of rebellion – she reads!), Victor’s incredibly endearing loving gestures, and The Awesomeness of Boyd made the whole hour excellent, not just the main plotline. The Awesomeness of Boyd, by the way, includes discovering Echo’s hidden book, slipping her the access card, and most of all, his Sopranos-esque body removal skills. (“Look, I’m gonna need da Goose, is he around? Yeah, I need someone…disappeared.”)

The word around the internets is that the next episode is just as good if not better. Too bad it won’t air until December.