Neat, though no new info really to be gleamed from the pics. Something I hadn't thought about before, in regards to the imprint process. I fully understand the blue lights and such around the head, but what's the purpose of putting the hands in that kind of thing as well? Are new fingerprints part of the imprint process? Could certainly be handy (no pun intended) for when the dolls engage in less-than-legal missions.

JMaloney | November 13, 19:12 CET

I think you probably nailed it, JMaloney.

pat32082 | November 13, 19:14 CET

Any idea if this is the real series premiere? As in, Feb. 13th episode, or scrapped episode?

I guess it doesn't matter, since the imprinting scene probably happens in both/every.

Jobo | November 13, 19:30 CET

Yes as far as I can tell.

Simon | November 13, 19:31 CET

I'd speculate that the "hand plates" might be something to do with imprinting "muscle memory". It's no good knowing kung-fu if your muscles and non-CNS nerves don't know that you know it.

Could be fingerprints too I guess.

Saje | November 13, 19:37 CET

That was my other thought, Saje, though the feet don't seem to get any of the blue-light treatment, based on what I can see in the trailer.

Back to the promo pics, it's worth noting that Topher and Boyd are wearing the same outfits as they are in the "There's nothing real about it...they're programmed" part of trailer. Though, since the trailer contains scrapped-pilot footage (according to gossi), that may not clear anything up.

JMaloney | November 13, 19:42 CET

Amused that Fox Flash ("Fox Publicity Online") still lists it as Mondays at 8PM. Go go gadget Fox PR!

The One True b!X | November 13, 19:47 CET

Meh.

[ edited by theonetruebix on 2008-11-13 19:49 ]

The One True b!X | November 13, 19:48 CET

Actually (and now I'm obsessing), it appears that the blue-light thingy has undergone some re-designing. Compare those pics with the original trailer and the new trailer. The new trailer shows a blue-light-thingy (that is what it'll be called, by the way) that's very different-looking from the promo pics and the original trailer. That makes me believe that the promo pics and the "nothing real about it" scene are from the original pilot.

JMaloney | November 13, 19:50 CET

The two pics of Eliza may not actually be new but DAMN are they sexy! There's no wonder that Faith was always my favourite of the Buffyverse ladies.

The Highlander | November 13, 19:54 CET

I haven't read any of the script bits floating around. That said, I wonder what happens once they've finished giving an Active a new personality. It's one thing to wake up in a crazy-advanced mad scientist lab in the blank state. It's quite another to wake up as the personality of the week. They must have a way of dealing with getting the programmed person out and away from the Dollhouse once the programming is in place.

Sunfire | November 13, 19:58 CET

To me Amber was the most beautiful, but Eliza is the hottest.

Brasilian Chaos Man | November 13, 19:58 CET

I don't remember "nothing real about it" in the original pilot script, offhand. Could be wrong, though.

The One True b!X | November 13, 19:59 CET

Maybe it's from the re-worked-pilot-turned-into-episode-two-but-still-got-scrapped episode? Who knows. All I can tell is that blue-light-thingy got a makeover at some point.

JMaloney | November 13, 20:40 CET

Or they're two separate machines ? The "did I go to sleep" scene is slightly different between trailer 1 and 2, maybe the "lie inside" blue light machine is the one used for the initial wiping ? Though that said, I can imagine a conversation with the network that took imprinting from being a fairly innocuous process done fully clothed to something involving a lot of writhing around while wearing underwear, so either's possible.

... though the feet don't seem to get any of the blue-light treatment, based on what I can see in the trailer.

True. Just seems a bit weird if the "blue light" around her head is the imprinting machinery but the blue light around her hands has nothing to do with imprinting and is a kind of skin remover/rebuilder - it'd be reducing the light to "a sort of changey thing". Course, it's a macguffin at the end of the day, it could work any old how (maybe it's a sort of transporter a la Star Trek and it physically moves brain - and skin - matter around ?).

(and strictly, even if it's wiping off her fingerprints, she should still have one around her feet since feet have similar skin ridges/valleys to fingers and they're just as unique - could be a problem given how fond they seem to be of wandering around barefoot ;)

Saje | November 13, 20:51 CET

As long as the comparisons with the Trek transporter don't stretch to the machine switching Echo with her Mirror Universe evil twin.

Not sure even Eliza is hot enough to pull of a goatee beard and still work the sex appeal. ;)

The Highlander | November 13, 20:57 CET

Heh ;). Though traditionally the Trek women went evil by wearing skin-tight leather which I think Eliza could totally pull off.

... the look I mean, pull off the look ;-).

Saje | November 13, 21:00 CET

I love the imprint machine thingy, it just looks so fancy and high-tech. The imprinting of "muscle memory" seems probable, and even though we haven't seen any imprinting devices for the feet, it might be that the ones for the arms works for the entire body of the imprinted doll, including feet.

Another thing I was wondering about is how the Dollhouse retrieves the dolls after an assignment is completed. Are the dolls just programmed to "shut down", or to return to the Dollhouse? If it's the latter, the Dollhouse would be very easy to find, as long as you've found the doll. Paul Ballard would just have to follow the doll, and voilà!

And what about the scene in the trailer where Echo says "Did I fall asleep?" and Topher answers "For a litte while". Would that be before, or after an assignment?

Hrmph. All this thinking is no good for me long before February :P.

(Also, Eliza looks totally awesome in those pics =D)

[ edited by Xyron on 2008-11-13 21:04 ]

[ edited by Xyron on 2008-11-13 21:20 ]

Xyron | November 13, 21:03 CET

I thought I read somewhere early on that they're programmed to return. At the same time, they've also got handlers. Maybe they're programmed to return to the handler, who then spirits them back to the Dollhouse?

The One True b!X | November 13, 21:05 CET

"Though traditionally the Trek women went evil by wearing skin-tight leather..."

Riiight! The Kira Nerys style of evil twin. Yeah, I can see how Eliza could make that work. ;)

The Highlander | November 13, 21:11 CET

I think the Eliza headshot would be perfect for the Dollhouse countdown clock widget I see in my head. (Cuz, yes, that's exactly what I mean by making "What's Your Fantasy?" eyes.)

Pointy | November 13, 21:46 CET

Bix - that would be very cool. Great end episode scenes for Boyd and Echo - Echo: "ooo I don't want to go and talk to that bloke, but I think I will anyway and I don't know why, and woooaaa", Boyd: < guilt >.

curlymynci | November 13, 22:20 CET

And what about the scene in the trailer where Echo says "Did I fall asleep?" and Topher answers "For a litte while". Would that be before, or after an assignment?

I assume that's post assignment. In the blank slate state, I imagine she's used to interacting with Topher and experience the return to blankness and loss of assignment memories as maybe a kind of hiccup in awareness.

Sunfire | November 13, 22:27 CET

Hmmm, that would be awesome, Sunfire. Let's hope you're right. With Joss of course, nothing ever turns out the way you expect them to.

Xyron | November 13, 23:42 CET

And what about the ears format?
I heard they are as unique as the finger prints. Ok, should stop seeing Supernatural.

Brasilian Chaos Man | November 14, 13:26 CET