

Season 2, Episode 3
Written by Tim Minear
Directed by David Solomon
Original Airdate: 9 October 2009
“Lovely. So you’re saying that we’ve imprinted an active as a serial killer and blindly let him loose upon the streets.“
Adele
REGULAR CAST
- Eliza Dushku as Echo
- Harry Lennix as Boyd Langton
- Fran Kranz as Topher Brink
- Tahmon Penikett as Paul Ballard
- Enver Gjokaj as Victor
- Dichen Lachman as Sierra
- Olivia Williams as Adele DeWitt
GUEST CAST
- Liza Lapira as Ivy
- Arye Gross as Professor Gossen
- Michael Hogan as Bradley Karrens
- Joseph Sikora as Terry Karrens
- Matt Winston as Franklin
CO-STARRING
- Tara Holt as Big Sis
- Keith Pillow as Doctor
- Danielle Langlois as Aunt Shiela
- Deanna Douglas as Little Sister
- Andrew Di Palma as Frat Boy
- Susan Ziegler as Mother
- Ed Wordie as Male Handler
- Sam Sabbah as Bo Peep Active
SYNOPSIS
A man meticulously arranges paralyzed women in a warehouse, treating them as mannequins in a 1950s-style croquet scene. When one tries to escape, he kills her with a croquet mallet, declaring they need a new “Aunt Sheila.” While searching for his next victim, he is hit by a car.
At the Dollhouse, Ballard struggles to adjust as Echo’s handler. Boyd and Adelle discuss Dr. Saunders’ departure, while Victor expresses his own sadness over her absence. Meanwhile, Topher examines the comatose man from the accident, Terry Karrens, whose brain resembles that of a serial killer. Terry’s uncle, Bradley, pressures Adelle to revive him to locate his victims and pay them off.
Topher imprints Victor with Terry’s mind, allowing Ballard to interrogate him while Echo, imprinted as Kiki, begins her engagement – a teacher/student fantasy. Terry confesses to killing “Aunt Sheila,” but Bradley sneaks Victor/Terry out of the Dollhouse. Victor/Terry escapes, continuing his search for a new victim. Adelle orders his retrieval, but Topher reveals Victor’s GPS tag was removed during his facial reconstruction.
Victor/Terry enters a dance club as Topher attempts a remote wipe, causing a system-wide shutdown. Meanwhile, Kiki’s engagement takes a dark turn – Echo stabs her client and transforms into Terry. Boyd tries to intervene but finds the teacher bleeding, with “Whore” written in blood on a mirror.
Victor, now imprinted with Kiki’s persona, dances at the club, oblivious to his body’s identity. Ballard retrieves him, while Echo/Terry returns to the warehouse, attacking the kidnapped women. Echo glitches, regaining control long enough to urge the women to kill Terry before he takes over again. “Big Sis” attacks Echo/Terry with a croquet mallet but is stopped by Dollhouse staff.
Back at the Dollhouse, Adelle informs Ballard that Terry is being transferred to a hospital. Ballard stands over Terry’s lifeless body, implying he may have unplugged his life support. A wiped Echo sees Terry and murmurs, “Goodness gracious,” suggesting a fragment of Terry remains.
TRIVIA
Guest star Michael Hogan also played alongside Tahmoh Penikett in Battlestar Galactica as General Saul Tigh.
Sierra does not appear in this episode.
CONTINUITY
Paul feels awkward about working as Echo’s handler, which he started doing in Vows.
The episode mentions Dr. Saunders leaving the Dollhouse, which happened in Vows.
Topher mentions one of his techniques to wake up Terry might give him a “man reaction.” Topher’s tendency to call erections “man reactions” has been established in True Believer.
Boyd replaces Paul as Echo’s handler for this episode. He was hired to be Echo’s handler as seen in a flashback in The Target, served as such for most of the first season and got promoted to head of security in A Spy in the House of Love.
Topher’s attempt at a remote wipe uses the same signal Alpha used in Gray Hour.
Victor is said to not have his GPS strip due to the surgeries to remove his scars. He was scarred in Briar Rose and was still undergoing surgeries as of Vows.
Topher has one of his first ethical problems, one about waking up Terry who might be a serial killer. He will have a much bigger one in Belonging.
The imprint of Terry Karrens lingering in Echo’s brain will be brought up again in Stop-Loss and The Attic.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?









