"Dollhouse" The Left Hand (2009)

Director:

Wendey Stanzler

Writers:

Joss Whedon (creator)
Tracy Bellomo (written by)

TV Series:

"Dollhouse" (2009)

Original Air Date:

4 December 2009 (Season 2, Episode 6)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

Echo and Bennett have a shocking confrontation in which she reveals the reason for her grudge against Echo...

Plot Keywords:

Memory | Morality | Mortality | FBI | Self Awareness

Cast

Eliza Dushku	...	Echo / Caroline Farrell
Harry Lennix	...	Boyd Langton
Fran Kranz	...	Topher Brink
Tahmoh Penikett	...	Paul Ballard (credit only)
Enver Gjokaj	...	Victor / Topher Brink
Dichen Lachman	...	Sierra (credit only)
Olivia Williams	...	Adelle DeWitt
Alexis Denisof	...	Senator Daniel Perrin
Nelson Franklin	...	Burt Styne
Summer Glau	...	Bennett Halverson
Stacey Scowley	...	Cindy Perrin
Miracle Laurie	...	Madeline Costley
Ray Wise	...	Howard Lipman
Matt Riedy	...	Senator
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Chris Gann	...	Johnson special ops
Selena Johnson	...	News Reporter (uncredited)
Joseph O'Brien	...	News Reporter (uncredited)

Directed by
Wendey Stanzler

Writing credits
Joss Whedon		(creator)
Tracy Bellomo		(written by)

Produced by
Tara Butters	....	consulting producer
Chris Cheramie	....	associate producer
Eliza Dushku	....	producer
Michele Fazekas	....	consulting producer
Kelly A. Manners	....	producer
Tim Minear	....	executive producer
David Solomon	....	executive producer
Joss Whedon	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Mychael Danna		(score by)
Rob Simonsen		(score by)

Cinematography by
Lisa Wiegand		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Elena Maganini

Casting by
Anya Colloff

Production Design by
Cameron Birnie

Art Direction by
Ron Mason

Set Decoration by
David A. Koneff		(as David Koneff)

Costume Design by
Shawna Trpcic

Makeup Department
David Abbott	....	department head makeup artist
André Dubois	....	department head hairstylist
Teressa Hill	....	department head hair
Viola Rock	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jessica Bupp	....	post-production supervisor
Robert D. Nellans	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Athena Alexander	....	second assistant director
Imhotep Coleman	....	dga trainee
Brenda Kalosh	....	first assistant director

Art Department
James L. Eddy	....	assistant property master
Donald S. Foster	....	set dresser
Douglas T. Madison	....	property master
Richard 'Rocky' Nichols	....	assistant property master
Michael Voelker	....	on-set dresser
Ted Wilson	....	construction coordinator
Amy Smith	....	art department coordinator (uncredited)

Sound Department
William Dotson	....	sound supervisor
Shawn Kennelly	....	foley mixer supervisor
Scott C. Kolden	....	sound effects editor
Laura Macias	....	foley artist
Ryan Maguire	....	foley mixer for m&e
Coleman Metts	....	production sound mixer
Todd Orr	....	sound re-recording mixer
Cathie Speakman	....	supervising adr editor
Ken Teaney	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Chris Nelson	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Michael D. Leone	....	visual effects supervisor
Zachariah Zaubi	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Michael Gaines	....	stunts
Mike Massa	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Ron Baldwin	....	camera operator
Kathryn Comkowycz	....	assistant camera
John Farr	....	rigging gaffer
Jay Hunter	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Jay Hunter	....	director of photography: second unit
Ben Krout	....	key rigging grip
Michael Mull	....	grip
Michael Pizzuto	....	key grip
Dylan Pomerleau	....	rigging electrician
Sean Prichard	....	dolly grip
Chris Reiter	....	gaffer
Andi Ruane	....	additional dolly grip
L. Andrew Sigler	....	best boy grip
Reza Tabrizi	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Ty Trullinger	....	video playback coordinator
Adam L. Taylor	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Amy McIntyre Britt	....	casting
Michael V. Nicolo	....	casting (as Michael Nicolo)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Antonina Lerch	....	costume cutter/fitter (as Antonina Grib)
Cleo Mannell	....	key costumer

Editorial Department
Jeff Ervin	....	assistant editor
Larry Field	....	final colorist
Richard Flores Jr.	....	telecine colorist
Cody Smith	....	post-production assistant
Jim Darby	....	on-line editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Eric Bazilian	....	composer: theme song
Jonatha Brooke	....	composer: theme song
Jonatha Brooke	....	performer: theme song
Jessica Garey	....	music coordinator
Russ Howard III	....	composer: additional music
Moira Marquis	....	music editor
Andrea von Foerster	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Leroy Reed	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Nirvana Adams	....	script supervisor
Brian Avery	....	production assistant
Daniel Beals	....	set production assistant
Tracy Bellomo	....	story editor
Alex Bente	....	set production assistant
Josh Botana	....	office production assistant
Christopher Campbell	....	location manager (as Chris Campbell)
Andrew Chambliss	....	story editor
Travis Coles	....	office production assistant
Jenny DeArmitt	....	assistant: writer
Natalie Farrell	....	assistant to executive producer
Virginia Farrell	....	assistant to Eliza Dushku
John J. Gray	....	assistant to executive producer
Dave Landaker	....	video and computer playback operator
Tony Lindo	....	production accountant
Nicki Maron	....	assistant to executive producer: joss whedon / assistant to producers
Brian Peralez	....	production assistant
Lynnet Price	....	production coordinator
Lisa Randolph	....	script coordinator
Chandra Smith	....	assistant to executive producer (as Chandra Farley Smith)
Danielle Snowdon	....	script supervisor: second unit
Celez Suratos	....	assistant to producers
Maurissa Tancharoen	....	story editor
Tammy Thomas	....	production assistant
Jed Whedon	....	story editor
Joy Wingard	....	production assistant
Amy D'Alessandro	....	titles by (uncredited)
Peter Kelley	....	acting coach: Eliza Dushku (uncredited)
Tony Rudenko	....	video computer graphics operator (uncredited)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Elizabeth Craft		2008
Sarah Fain		2008
Joss Whedon		creator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tina Ficaro	....	wardrobe supervisor (2008)

Production Companies

• 20th Century Fox Television

Distributors

• Fox Network (2009) (USA) (TV)

Special Effects

• Lion Visual Effects (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Level 3 Post  video post-production services
• Panavision  camera equipment provided by
• Todd-AO Studios  sound post-production services
• Wilshire Editorial  sound post-production services

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:TV-14

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Quotes:

Adelle DeWitt:Finding him obstinate, are we?
Topher Brink, Victor:Yes!... This is so weird.

Movie Connections:

References Grease (1978)

Here's Summer

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The good; Once again some great acting from Enver, his Topher impression is flawless. Nice face off between Adele and her Washington counterpart too.

The bad; It all seems a little overly complex, surely there must be simpler ways for Rossum to protect itself. Equally it rather beggars belief that with all the attention focused on him Rossum could get away with controlling the senator in quite so blatant a manner.

Best line; Topher; "The only person in the world I would trust" (HIMSELF!) also like Adele; (grabbing the Washington Dollhouse heads groin)"If you don't return my active I will send someone to cut these off!" plus Adele; (upon finding Topher arguing with Topher/Victor); "Finding him obstinate are we?"

Packing heat; Echo;8 Boyd; 8 Dominic; 9 Sierra; 4 Victor; 3 Ballard; 10 November; 1

Echo kissage; 4

Kinky dinky; Topher thinks Bennett's 'Librarian energy' is through the roof, she has got a serious case of the Diana Princes.

Capt subtext; Bennett remarks to Topher 'Looks like you got the girl'. Love the little smile of pride Adele gives Topher as he tricks his way into Perrin's brain print. Topher asks himself "Who's your backdoor man?" before deciding on a better phrasing.

Notches on the Dollhouse bedpost; Echo; 5 definite, 2 possible November; 1 Ballard; 1 Victor; 1 Adele; 1 Sierra 1 Topher; 1 possible

How'd they get away with that? Echo getting tortured is nasty indeed, she can't pass out and can't even cry out to god. Can we please have an ep without needles, I really don't like them. Bennett's headbutt is also nasty, somehow it's easier to watch people harm one another than themselves. On a similar vein hard to watch Perrin and Echo cutting one another's chips out. Perrin snapping the goons neck and strangling his wife is also disturbing, Alexis showing some of the creepiness he demonstrated in the Angel ep 'Billy'.

Total number personalities; Echo; 28 Sierra; 12 Victor; 10 November; 3

Total LA dolls; Mellie is a Doll once more at the Washington Dollhouse, I wonder what her new name will be? 9-Echo, Sierra, November, Victor, Mike, Tango, Alpha, Whiskey, Kilo

Bondage; Sierra tied up; 1 Ballard; 1 Echo; 2

Knocked out; twice for Echo Echo; 6 November; 1 Sierra; 1 Victor; 1 Topher; 2

Kills; Sierra; 3 kills Echo; 3 November;1

Dolls injured; Echo roughed up again.

Happy hookers; As Bennett stares quizzically at Echo/Bree's brain print Topher explains "She was kinda a hooker"

Know the face? Ray Wise, another great character actor from Twin Peaks, Robocop and especially good as The Devil in Reaper. He'll later turn up as one of the many Whedon alumni on 'How I met your Mother'

14-Whedon alumni-Mark Shepherd-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Amy Acker-2 (Dollhouse/Angel), walking action figure-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse), Eliza Dushku-3 (Buffy/Angel/Dollhouse), Jim Piddock-2 (Angel/Dollhouse), Gregg Henry-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Alan Tudyk-2 (Dollhouse/Firefly), Felicia Day-2(Dollhouse/Buffy), Alexis Denisoff-3 (Buffy, Angel and Dollhouse), Kristoffer Pohala-2 (Dollhouse/Angel), Stacey Scowley-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse) Clyde Katulas-2 (Buffy/Dollhouse), Maurissa Tanchon-2(Dollhouse/Dr Horrible), Summer Glau-3(Angel/Firefly/Dollhouse).

Reminds me of; With her useless arm Bennett has more than a little Dr Strangelove about her.

Whedon clichés; Maimed characters. Rich and powerful families who cover up the evil deeds of their wayward sons. Top security installations which aren't secure at all. Loving self-sacrificing mothers who risk all for their children

Breaking the programming; Echo can now distance herself from the personality of Caroline and perhaps doesn't want her back. If Bennett's memories are to be trusted we can see why? Echo is now able to overcome her imprinting to the degree that she can use her arm even though Bennett programmed her not to.

Questions and observations; So it appears Caroline is not the saint we might first have thought. Topher refers to Echo as his friend, a small but somehow huge moment. Boyd refers to 'manufacturing a president' (Kennedy?) whilst Adele actually refers to Rossum as 'facists' seeing them for what they really are at last. So it seems that Rossum can 'improve' people, take away their negative qualities and give them beneficial ones? Part of me says that's a wonderful power, part of me says it could so easily be abused. On the one hand we could cure people of phobias, addictions, prevent paedophiles being attracted to children, take away criminals violent and anti-social traits, brave new world. On the other hand who decides what is truly negative and what is beneficial, what if someone decides to 'cure' gay people? To make everyone fit into their narrow vision of morality? The prospect sounds scarily like some form of mental eugenics. So now we have Echo out in the world on her own, dechipped and free of the Dollhouse. How will she cope? Can't wait to find out.

Marks out of 10; 8/10, good ep