The Left Hand (Dollhouse)
Encyclopedia
"The Left Hand" is the 6th episode of the second season of the American science fiction
television
series Dollhouse
and the show's 19th episode overall. The episode was written by Tracy Bellomo and directed by Wendey Stanzler
. It aired in the United States on Fox
on December 4, 2009.
This is the second episode of a three episodic arc where the Rossum Corporation's agenda is revealed. This episode was aired back-to-back with "The Public Eye
".
Adelle meets with Stewart Lipman, head of the D.C. Dollhouse. Adelle demands that Lipman give Echo back. Lipman deflects, saying he needs authorisation to release Echo, after they messed with their affairs, and it is protocol. Adelle then makes Lipman agree that Topher must inspect Echo, also as apart of protocol. Back in the LA Dollhouse, Victor who has been imprinted with Topher is nervous about his current situation. Boyd reassures him and make sure he stays on task in getting Perrin's brain map.
Topher meets Bennet and they immediately hit it off. Topher and Bennet seem to have feelings for one another and exchange awkward pleasantries.
Adelle continues to push Lipman to release Echo, but Lipman refuses her requests. Eventually Adelle, under the pretense of a sexual advance, threatens to send an active to castrate and kill Lipman unless he releases Echo. He finally agrees to do so.
Topher and Bennet talk about the "disruptor" used to disable Echo and Perrin. Lipman calls down, telling Bennet to release Echo and Topher uses this chance to establish a connection from the D.C. Dollhouse to LA Dollhouse where Victor/Topher is there to attempt getting into her files.
Perrin wakes up and finds Echo dreaming. Echo is in fact living one of Bennet's memories. In the memory Caroline leaves Bennet for dead in a wrecked lab. Bennet's arm is crushed under a concrete column and she is unable to move. Bennet asks Caroline not to leave her. Perrin is able to wake up Echo and they leave. As a result of the memory, Echo's left arm is unable to move. Bennet watches from the security monitors and injures herself. Bennet stumbles back to find Topher and tells him Echo injured her and took Perrin. Echo and Perrin now in the real world are trying to get away and remove their tracking devices in a bathroom restaurant.
Topher and Bennet come up with a way to stop Echo and Perrin. By tapping the disruptor into the bio-link they should be able to put both actives to sleep. The go-ahead is given. Topher and Bennet share their active's respective brain maps and Topher is able to send Perrin's brain map to Victor/Topher. Bennet, however is preparing an assassin trigger to be uploaded along with the disruptor.
Perrin takes Echo back to his own house. There he relives the moment he met his handler and wonders if it really happened or it was a false memory. The handler tells him she comes from "Salinas, Kansas," (which may be an error on her part since Salina is in Kansas, and Salinas is in California). Perrin plans to finish his mission and take down the Dollhouse. Bennet starts the disruptor but only activates it for Perrin. Echo is pinned by Perrin but overcomes the memory from Bennet and is able to move her arm and free herself. Topher calls Victor/Topher and asks what is happening. Victor/Topher says he is looking at an activated sleeper and Echo's readings are spiking all over. Topher tells Bennet to undo what she did. Bennet explains that Echo/Caroline was her friend and she ended up getting a dead arm for it. Topher implores Bennet to stop Perrin but she says no. Topher knocks her out and is now working with Victor/Topher to isolate the pathway so they can stop Perrin.
Perrin's handler and other agents arrives at the house and begin to look for the actives. Echo is knocked out by Perrin's handler. Perrin continues to try and hunt Echo but is stopped by his handler. She tries to talk Perrin down, but he chokes her to death. Echo wakes up and tries to stop Perrin but is too late. Topher has been locked out of Bennet's system, but Topher/Victor finds the pathway and deactivates it. Echo implores Perrin to finish his job and bring down the Dollhouse.
Perrin arrives at the Senate Inquiry to reveal the truth, but his imprinting kicks in and he tells the Rossum cover story instead. He states that the Rossum Corporation has been set up by competing companies, who have killed his wife with a car bomb. He also presents forged documents showing that Madeline was in a mental institution for the past 3 years. Perrin leaves the inquiry.
Back in the LA Dollhouse, Boyd reports that Echo is simply gone. Victor/Topher is reluctant to have himself wiped, but eventually is. Madeline is brought to the D.C. Dollhouse and re-imprinted. Echo walks the streets of D.C. alone.
said of "The Left Hand" that it was "SO GOOD that it creates a kind of melancholy knowing that this too will end." Eric Goldman from IGN
said of the episode, "was quite a bit more disjointed than the one that proceeded it – though it at least still possessed an energy and momentum that other Dollhouse episodes have lacked."
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series Dollhouse
Dollhouse (TV series)
Dollhouse is an American science fiction television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon under Mutant Enemy Productions. It premiered on February 13, 2009, on the Fox network and was officially cancelled on November 11, 2009. The final episode aired on January 29, 2010...
and the show's 19th episode overall. The episode was written by Tracy Bellomo and directed by Wendey Stanzler
Wendey Stanzler
Wendey Stanzler is an American television editor, director and producer from Flint, Michigan, where she was co-editor and associate producer of Michael Moore's documentary, Roger & Me in 1990. She also co-edited Moore's only fiction film, Canadian Bacon...
. It aired in the United States on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
on December 4, 2009.
This is the second episode of a three episodic arc where the Rossum Corporation's agenda is revealed. This episode was aired back-to-back with "The Public Eye
The Public Eye (Dollhouse)
"The Public Eye" is the 5th episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series Dollhouse and the show's 18th episode overall. The episode was written by Andrew Chambliss and directed by David Solomon. It aired in the United States on Fox on December 4, 2009.This is the...
".
Plot
The episode starts with D.C. Dollhouse programmer Bennet Halverson continuing to torture Echo, noting she is just a shell as she is not cursing, praying or even passing out. Perrin pleads with his handler not to be wiped, however she tells him he was a nobody and is better off forgetting who he was. Adelle and Topher head towards the D.C. Dollhouse. Echo is given one of Bennet's memories.Adelle meets with Stewart Lipman, head of the D.C. Dollhouse. Adelle demands that Lipman give Echo back. Lipman deflects, saying he needs authorisation to release Echo, after they messed with their affairs, and it is protocol. Adelle then makes Lipman agree that Topher must inspect Echo, also as apart of protocol. Back in the LA Dollhouse, Victor who has been imprinted with Topher is nervous about his current situation. Boyd reassures him and make sure he stays on task in getting Perrin's brain map.
Topher meets Bennet and they immediately hit it off. Topher and Bennet seem to have feelings for one another and exchange awkward pleasantries.
Adelle continues to push Lipman to release Echo, but Lipman refuses her requests. Eventually Adelle, under the pretense of a sexual advance, threatens to send an active to castrate and kill Lipman unless he releases Echo. He finally agrees to do so.
Topher and Bennet talk about the "disruptor" used to disable Echo and Perrin. Lipman calls down, telling Bennet to release Echo and Topher uses this chance to establish a connection from the D.C. Dollhouse to LA Dollhouse where Victor/Topher is there to attempt getting into her files.
Perrin wakes up and finds Echo dreaming. Echo is in fact living one of Bennet's memories. In the memory Caroline leaves Bennet for dead in a wrecked lab. Bennet's arm is crushed under a concrete column and she is unable to move. Bennet asks Caroline not to leave her. Perrin is able to wake up Echo and they leave. As a result of the memory, Echo's left arm is unable to move. Bennet watches from the security monitors and injures herself. Bennet stumbles back to find Topher and tells him Echo injured her and took Perrin. Echo and Perrin now in the real world are trying to get away and remove their tracking devices in a bathroom restaurant.
Topher and Bennet come up with a way to stop Echo and Perrin. By tapping the disruptor into the bio-link they should be able to put both actives to sleep. The go-ahead is given. Topher and Bennet share their active's respective brain maps and Topher is able to send Perrin's brain map to Victor/Topher. Bennet, however is preparing an assassin trigger to be uploaded along with the disruptor.
Perrin takes Echo back to his own house. There he relives the moment he met his handler and wonders if it really happened or it was a false memory. The handler tells him she comes from "Salinas, Kansas," (which may be an error on her part since Salina is in Kansas, and Salinas is in California). Perrin plans to finish his mission and take down the Dollhouse. Bennet starts the disruptor but only activates it for Perrin. Echo is pinned by Perrin but overcomes the memory from Bennet and is able to move her arm and free herself. Topher calls Victor/Topher and asks what is happening. Victor/Topher says he is looking at an activated sleeper and Echo's readings are spiking all over. Topher tells Bennet to undo what she did. Bennet explains that Echo/Caroline was her friend and she ended up getting a dead arm for it. Topher implores Bennet to stop Perrin but she says no. Topher knocks her out and is now working with Victor/Topher to isolate the pathway so they can stop Perrin.
Perrin's handler and other agents arrives at the house and begin to look for the actives. Echo is knocked out by Perrin's handler. Perrin continues to try and hunt Echo but is stopped by his handler. She tries to talk Perrin down, but he chokes her to death. Echo wakes up and tries to stop Perrin but is too late. Topher has been locked out of Bennet's system, but Topher/Victor finds the pathway and deactivates it. Echo implores Perrin to finish his job and bring down the Dollhouse.
Perrin arrives at the Senate Inquiry to reveal the truth, but his imprinting kicks in and he tells the Rossum cover story instead. He states that the Rossum Corporation has been set up by competing companies, who have killed his wife with a car bomb. He also presents forged documents showing that Madeline was in a mental institution for the past 3 years. Perrin leaves the inquiry.
Back in the LA Dollhouse, Boyd reports that Echo is simply gone. Victor/Topher is reluctant to have himself wiped, but eventually is. Madeline is brought to the D.C. Dollhouse and re-imprinted. Echo walks the streets of D.C. alone.
Reviews
Jevon Phillips from Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
said of "The Left Hand" that it was "SO GOOD that it creates a kind of melancholy knowing that this too will end." Eric Goldman from IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
said of the episode, "was quite a bit more disjointed than the one that proceeded it – though it at least still possessed an energy and momentum that other Dollhouse episodes have lacked."