History Series / Dollhouse

** Bennett appears to have been through it a few times as well, serving as Caroline's ReverseMole until Caroline's martyr complex left Bennett without the use of her left arm, then turning face again in "Getting Closer" (2x11) [[spoiler:only to get [[RedemptionEqualsDeath murdered.]]]]

* ZettaiRyouiki:
** When Echo goes undercover as a hooker as part of her "Taffy" persona in "Gray Hour" (1x04), she has thigh-high leather boots, with a leather skirt. Once the disguise is no longer needed, she changes into something more sensible (and better suited for robbery), but still keeps the high-heeled boots.
** Used again as "Alice" in "Echoes" (1x07). Who says this trope gets neglected by the Western world?
** The opener of "A Spy in the House of Love" (1x09) makes [[RuleOfThree three]] for Echo. Later in the episode, Ivy gets a lower-grade Zettai Ryouiki.
** A fourth instance slightly low on the leg occurs in "Belle Chose" (2x03).
** Caroline and Ivy both get a C-grade in "Getting Closer" (2x11), but neither matters because Bennett one-upped them at the start of the episode.
** Mellie in "The Hollow Men," but only a D.

%%* {{Adorkable}}: Topher for sure. Bennett if you can overlook her sociopathic tendencies.

--->'''Echo/Jordan''': "You can fire me, but bitch, don't think you can take me!"
--->'''Faith''' ''(threateningly to Buffy)'': "Wow. Think you can take me?"

* PowerPerversionPotential: The poster child for the trope as, unlike most other works, it engages with and explores those dark little mind-control/brainwashing fantasies as part of the premise. [[FanDisservice Then throws them in your face]].
** Seen on multiple levels. First, there's the sheer number of engagements that involve dangerous, illegal, or... well, [[ShapedLikeItself perverted]] activities. Beyond that is the very existence of the Dollhouses - a technology with the potential to completely revolutionize fields from education to psychiatry is used almost exclusively for the creation of stables of brainwashed slaves.

* ReplacementGoldfish: Played with in "Instincts" (2x02) when Echo finds a photograph of her "husband" with his ''actual'' (dead) wife, whose memories she has apparently been implanted with (seeing a honeymoon picture, she remarks that that was where ''they'' went on their honeymoon.)

%%** Ballard's apartment.

%%* ShowerScene: Lots! And coed to boot! Even Adelle gets one.

%%* DeadPersonConversation: [[spoiler: Echo and Paul at the end of "Epitaph Two: Return."]]

%%** Played with in "Haunted."

%%* DrivenToSuicide:
%%** [[spoiler:Mellie/November]] in "The Hollow Man."
%%** On a technicality, [[spoiler:Boyd]].

* In 1x09, "A Spy in the House of Love", Echo, imprinted as a spycatcher, interrogates various Dollhouse staff members. Her questions for [[spoiler:Dr. Saunders]] center around the fact that they seem to always be on duty, never leave the building, and don't seem to have any outside hobbies. [[spoiler:Dr. Saunders is an Active, imprinted as an emergency replacement for the House's original doctor.]]

%%* CombatStilettos: Which "Taffy" ("Gray Hour" (1x04)) seems to think are comfortable shoes.

** In "Epitaph Two" (2x13), Neuropolis running out of shellfish for Ambrose, a reference to him enjoying it in "Epitaph One" (1x13).

** From that same episode, the recurring 'carrots' gag, referencing Disney's ''Disney/SleepingBeauty'' movie.

%%* AfterTheEnd: "Epitaph One" and "Epitaph Two: Return".

%%* WomanInWhite: [[spoiler:Whiskey, "Epitaph One" (1x13).]]

* HeelFaceDoorSlam: [[spoiler:Bennett Halverson]]. She's being helpful, albeit mainly just so she can get her revenge, and she's even [[spoiler:hitting it off with Topher]], and [[spoiler:Saunders/Whiskey]] walks in and ''shoots her''. [[{{HSQ}} Holy Shit!]]

Throw in one [[CowboyCop obsessive FBI agent]], Paul Ballard, looking for the Dollhouse; one [[PhlebotinumRebel escaped Active]] named Alpha who is [[AxCrazy insane]]; and one Active, Echo, who appears to be remembering things from her engagements that should have been wiped; mix for two minutes and bake at 350 degrees. Season with a bunch of guest stars from Joss Whedon's stable, including Creator/SummerGlau, Alexis Denisof, Creator/AmyAcker, Creator/AlanTudyk, Creator/ElizaDushku in the starring role of Echo, and breakout performances by Fran Kranz and Creator/EnverGjokaj, and we have a Dollhouse.

** "Did I fall asleep?" Subverted in "Stop-Loss" when the first thing out of Victor's mouth (after "Roger" is scrubbed from his brain) is "Has anyone seen Sierra?" A combined [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments heartwarmer]] and OhCrap; it's nice to see Victor and Sierra remembering more and more... but it's not good when the [[MagnificentBitch jealous lover]], plagued by a constant [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor yo-yoing of morality]], is in the room too.

* HurricaneOfExcuses: The "medicinal carrots" line from "Briar Rose" (1x11) -- see the SugarWiki/FunnyMoments page for the whole thing.

The show is about the titular Dollhouse, an illegal offshoot of a corrupt medical conglomeration known as the Rossum Corporation. Basically, the Dollhouse consists of a group of men and women called "Actives" or "dolls," who have been [[BlankSlate wiped clean of their own personalities]] and have [[FakeMemories new personalities]], tailor-made to suit the customer's needs, "imprinted" onto them for the various clients of the Dollhouse. Besides [[TheOldestProfession the obvious applications]], "dolls" can be rented for use as made-to-order surrogate mothers, bodyguards, best friends, thieves, negotiators, and politicians (and those are just the examples from the show itself). If you have the money, the Dollhouse can create a human being to fulfill your desires, no matter what they are. Each doll gets wiped and imprinted many times for many different purposes over the course of their service contract, which they signed voluntarily before being wiped.

* HurricaneOfExcuses: The "medicinal carrots" line from "Briar Rose" (1x11) -- see the CrowningMomentOfFunny page for the whole thing.

** "Did I fall asleep?" Subverted in "Stop-Loss" when the first thing out of Victor's mouth (after "Roger" is scrubbed from his brain) is "Has anyone seen Sierra?" A combined [[HeartwarmingMoment heartwarmer]] and OhCrap; it's nice to see Victor and Sierra remembering more and more... but it's not good when the [[MagnificentBitch jealous lover]], plagued by a constant [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor yo-yoing of morality]], is in the room too.

* BioPunk: Brain manipulation, body hopping? In the world of the future [[spoiler: the Tech Heads combine this with Cyberpunk and a hefty dose of MadMax.]]

** Under the effects of a MushroomSamba, Boyd plays an excerpt from [[Music/FryderykChopin Chopin's]] ''Fantasie-Impromptu'' in C-sharp minor, demonstrating that while he's not at the pro level, he's definitely had years of piano experience. (TruthInTelevision: Harry Lennix played that scene himself. Also true: the rest of the ''Fantasie-Impromptu'' is a great deal harder!)