This is it, then. The final episode has aired. No more Dollhouse. And the ending’s set in a not too distant future, ravaged by a horde of zombified people. But we have to ask, one last time, is the ending good or will we be left hating it? Find out in this final review of Dollhouse’s “Epilogue Two: Return!”
I can actually sum this episode up in one sentence: If the whole show would have been as awesome as this, it wouldn’t have been cancelled. See, there you have it, but it doesn’t help you much. So let’s look at this for a bit more, be it only to live through the memory of the show once more.
Caroline’s back in the form of a ten year old girl and she leads Mag and Zone to safe haven, with a little detour to Neuropolis, formerly known as Tucson. There they meet up with Echo and Ballard who are carrying out a kind of guerrilla war against the thing that has evolved out of Rossum. So they meet up and eventually reach safe haven, with a newly liberated but still insane Topher in tow. Safe haven, as it turns out, it not some postapocalyptic fortress in the middle of nowhere, no, it’s just a tiny farmhouse led by none other than Adele DeWitt. There we’re treated to the first load of surprises such as Priya’s son, Topher’s plan and the location and job of Victor who goes by Victor part of the time. Turns out he’s been “seduced by the Tech” and keeps imprinting him with new traits he carries around with him on USB Sticks slung around his neck... oh, screw the details, he and his crew look like Mad Max people. That’s all that counts. And it’s awesome.
Anyway, Topher has a plan how to bring back humanity and that’s the plan they go for. There are a lot of very surprising twists and turns here but I won’t tell you anything, because if you watch it yourself, you’ll enjoy it that much more. If you’ve seen it already, you know what I’m talking about.
The acting was top notch. From everyone. Felicia Day once more does an awesome job at being scared and crying. Really, I find that most impressive; those two things are what most actresses – including Eliza Dushku – can’t pull off. But Felicia Day does that really well. But even Eliza Dushku is up to her best, giving an awesome final impression of Echo. Topher’s still good at being insane and arguably has the very best ending of any of the characters. I can’t help but like the guy.
The story’s packed with unexpected twists and turns while maintaining its initial course and wrapping everything up. The writing team here really did their best and they can show this episode off proudly. Everyone gets some sort of closure, every storythread is resolved and we’re left happy in the end. Even though it’s a “one laughing, one crying eye” sort of ending. But Dollhouse is over. No more. I don’t know about you, dear reader, but I could have watched a couple seasons set in the postapocalyptic wasteland that were our cities, so I’m even more sad to see the show going.
All in all, it was one of the best endings I’ve ever come across. Just watch it. You won’t regret it.
