I’d been eagerly anticipating the return of Dollhouse, but it was only when I sat down to watch the episode that I felt a slight pang of nerves. The last half of the first season was fantastic; ditching the standalone episodes and delving deeper into the grim realities of the Dollhouse, alongside the development of the non-Dushku cast members, was the making of the show. They’d finally found their feet, and then blew me off mine with the spectacular “Epitaph One”. My trepidation came from the fear that Joss et al may have forgotten those lessons over the summer break and reverted to Echo-as-hostage-negotiator mediocrity.

Thankfully they didn’t; though the story picks up 3 months on from last seasons “Omega” the writing style is just as sharp, with the second season premiere both written and directed by Joss Whedon. Whilst the A-plot of the episode was a relatively straightforward affair, with Echo sent to seduce/marry/dig dirt on an arms dealer, the real meat of the episode was all based in the Dollhouse.

The most fascinating development in this first episode was the exploration of the relationship between Topher and Saunders, the latter now painfully aware that she is in reality an Active imprinted with the expertise of the former Dollhouse doctor who fell prey to Alpha. Whilst Saunders was never the bubbliest character, and rightly so, it seems that she’s taken a turn for the worse over the last few months and is now taking some sick satisfaction in psychologically torturing Topher, playing with his mind just as he played with hers. Saunders tactics are a little more varied than imprinting, however; feeding footage onto Topher’s consoles and hiding rats in his cupboards is more her style.

Perhaps the strongest scene in the episode comes when a bitter, confused Saunders tries to play into her own self-image as a Doll by trying to be Topher’s sexual plaything. This is the real tragedy of Saunders’ character; she knows she isn’t a real person, so she’s swinging wildly between different personas (of her own volition). After all, they’re just as real as each other. Topher fights off her advances, insisting that she’s better than that, and seems deeply upset and disturbed at how Whisky is turning out.

You almost get the impression that the Saunders persona was an imprint that Topher was particularly proud of; he explains unlike other Actives, who are designed to be relatively predictable and thus reliable for engagements, he deliberately made Saunders different. She’s crammed full of variables and unpredictability in order to be a dissenting voice to Topher, to ensure that the Actives are receiving the best possible care. Saunders is quite possibly the most human imprint we’ve seen on the show (with the exception of real people such as Dominic) and, unfortunately for her, her choices are her own. Topher suggests that Adelle may be willing to restore Whisky’s original personality, but of course, even that is unacceptable to Saunders; as much as she hates what she is, she’s very much aware that she is simply a parasite inhabiting a body, and restoring that body’s personality would mean her death. We can also maybe infer that on some deeply subconscious level Saunders refused to have her scars removed because she knew she would be sent back into service as a Doll. It’s become increasingly clear why long-term engagements are avoided by the Dollhouse. Now that Saunders is fully self-aware she’s facing massive self-doubt and guilt over her existence, which is to be expected from someone who presumably has a very strong set of medical ethics.

It’s such a shame that Amy Acker will only be appearing in 3 episodes this season (as she’s busy playing a regular character on another show). Saunders was always an interesting supporting character in the first season but since we’ve learned the truth about her she’s become absolutely compelling; fingers crossed she can make more appearances further down the line. And hey, at least we know she won’t be killed off any time soon, considering she’s still haunting the Dollhouse in ten years time…

So, as one former Angel cast-member begins to disappear from the show, another emerges. Alexis Denisof made his first appearance as Senator Perrin in this episode, vowing to investigate the Rossum Corporation (the head honchos behind the Dollhouse) for withholding medical innovations from the public. Whilst his appearance was only brief, it was intriguing; whose side is Perrin on? Could he be connected to the anti-Dollhouse movement that imprinted Echo and November last season? Adelle seems to think someone tipped him off, with Boyd and Ballard each pointing the figure at the other; their rivalry could be an interesting development this season, with former handler Boyd seemingly still strongly connected to Echo and new handler Ballard still demonstrating his obsessive attachment to her.

Ballard’s relationship with Echo does yield results, however, with Echo finally gaining a basic understanding of what the Dollhouse is; the conclusion to the episode features Echo telling Ballard that she remembers being made into “many people” but that none of them are really her. Ballard vows to help her rediscover Caroline, whatever it takes.

A very strong start to the season has left me very optimistic, even though the less than stellar ratings are a minor cause for concern. What did you make of the episode? Rate it below!

Check out her thoughts on Epitaph One, the difficulties of working in television, and playing new aspects of her character here.