Dollhouse Season 1 Episode 3: Stage Fright

The third episode of this crazy show about people turned into mindless dolls who are rented to the highest bidder is written by Joss Whedon's own brother, Jed Whedon and his wife, Maurissa Tancharoen, the same people who run Agents of Shield.

We open this episode on a singer in a sexy outfit dancing in a cage before driving the crowd wild. They love her. Everything is going like clockwork until the pyrotechnics go haywire and burn one of her back up singers. The creepiest white boy watches on with a smile.

Boyd is still recovering from his arrow wound and he has to talk Dr. Saunders into allowing him back on to duty. She doesn't want to because he isn't ready but she does it so that he can look after Echo and make sure nothing happens to him.

Victor tires to break into Ballard's house but the neighbor girl catches him and scares him off but not before he scares her. She promises to leave a message for him but you can tell she wants no part of Victor.

The manager of the singer from the start hires the Dollhouse to send someone to protect her, turns out that the attack should have hit her instead of her back up singer. They send Echo and the manager pretends not to like her, thus convincing the lead singer to hire her. Who knew Eliza Dushku could sing so well? She should have been on Once More With Feeling, she would have been great!

The lead singer is easily stressed out, I can relate, but she takes a quick liking to Echo. The two of them seem to have hit it off fast. The programing has worked like a dream. Meanwhile across town Ballard meets with Victor and the two go over what he has learned about the dollhouse, nothing. After all he is a doll pretending to help him.

Echo goes to the manager and starts giving him tips on where to put added security. Echo's first night on stage sees the return of the creepy white guy. Meanwhile Sierria turns up as a crazy fan. Yet another doll set to protect her. The white boy starts going where he has no place. Nothing happens at the show. Sierria and the creepy white boy both show up at the party. Some guy comes up to take a picture of the singer but Echo tosses his ass hard on the ground. She plays no games.

Victor sends Ballard to an old house. He gets attacked in the house and even gets shot, but he still manages to take them both down before calling for help. The singer has been talking to the guy who has been attacking the show. She defends him. She loves her crazy fan. Weird lady. She wants to be killed on stage, so that she will be free of all this and go down as a legend. The manager orders the show shut down but no one will listen to him.

Echo saves the singer just as the bullets start flying. Ballard is being treated for his gun shot. The singer is pissed at Echo for saving her life. She fires Echo and her fan kidnaps Sierra and puts a video out of him about to kill her. Her manager finds out that she knows the guy. That she wanted this all along.

The singer won't even try to help Sierria because she is so full of herself so Echo knocks her out and forces her to help. Echo has the singer tied up and tries to offer her in trade for Sierria. Echo is far off book. Boyd goes looking for them. The singer flips the script and begs to be let go. She doesn't want to die anymore. Echo pushes her off the edge, but she has her tied up so that she won't fall. She then takes out the kidnapper and saves the day.

Echo didn't go off task at all, she saved the singer from herself. She made her want to live again. Echo finished her task perfectly. Once more the security guard wants to send her to the attic but DeWitt won't hear it. She thinks that Echo is perfect.

The neighbor girl comes to the hospital to visit Ballard as he recovers in the hospital. She really cares about him. Meanwhile Echo, in doll form is starting to get smarter and  smarter. Things are starting to heat up in the Dollhouse.