Briar Rose

"Briar Rose" is the eleventh episode of Dollhouse. It was written by Jane Espenson and directed by Dwight Little. The episode aired on May 1, 2009 on Fox.

Synopsis

Ballard's investigation leads him to the agoraphobic designer of the Dollhouse (guest star Alan Tudyk), and the story of “Sleeping Beauty” foreshadows Echo’s future, while allowing her to help a young girl deal with her traumatic past.

Adelle looks to the Attic in search of answers, while Alpha reveals himself to set his end game in motion.

Engagements

Engagements

Active	Client	Alias	Personality	Mission
Alpha	Alpha	Stephen Kepler	Environmental designer	Conceal identity and infiltrate the Dollhouse
Echo	Topher Brink	Susan	Counselor	Help a young girl through her childhood trauma
Echo	Alpha	Crystal	Lover	A familiar identity for Alpha to easily manipulate
November	In House	Mellie	Paul Ballard's neighbor	Discover what Paul Ballard knows of the Dollhouse
Sierra	In House	Gerhardt	FBI forensic analyst	Investigate a murder victim found in Tuscon, Arizona
Whiskey	In House	Claire Saunders	Scarred Physician loyal to the cause	House Physician
Victor	In House	Laurence Dominic	Former Head of Dollhouse Security, NSA Mole	Open a locked flash drive presumably sent by the NSA (actually sent by Alpha)

Continuity

Chronology

• Dialogue suggests that this episode takes place in the final days of April, 2009 with Alpha as Kepler saying that Earth Day (April 22) was "last week." This is further supported by Topher Brink explicitly saying that it was 2009 in "Needs" and a visual date of April 19, 2009 on a letter in "Haunted."

Echo's evolution

• In her doll state Echo remembers the time she fought Paul in "Man on the Street" and the time Boyd got shot in "The Target."

Episode connections

Past episodes

• Dominic is brought back in Victor's body to help decrypt a flash drive supposedly sent by the NSA. He was found out as a mole for the NSA and sent to the attic in "A Spy in the House of Love."
• Paul is shocked to see Victor in the Dollhouse, realizing that his Russian informant Anton Lubov from the first four episodes was not real.
• After opening November's pod, Paul reminds himself she's a sleeper agent. This was first seen in "Man on the Street" and Paul learned about it in "A Spy in the House of Love".
• During the fight between Boyd and Paul, Echo's memories from "Man on the Street" and "The Target" make her side with Boyd.
• Alpha's ability to inflict deep cuts in short time, mentioned for the first time in "The Target," is demonstrated here when he slices up Victor's face in two seconds.

Future episodes

• While panicking, Dominic mistakenly calls Dr. Saunders "Whiskey." She mistakes it for him asking for a drink. "Omega" will reveal that she is an Active named Whiskey, only with a permanent imprint.
• Topher's tendency to install additional security measures in his lab and on his equipment, seen here when Alpha can't log into his computer and has to find another one, will play a part in "The Hollow Men" when his secret security camera will help Anthony and Priya learn about Boyd's true agenda.
• Alpha pointedly asks Dr. Saunders if she always wanted to be a doctor, and when she says "yes" tells her it is a lie. He also is curious to hear her recollection of their first meeting which, according to her, happened when he was brought into the Dollhouse. In addition to Claire's real origin, "Omega" will reveal that the Dollhouse originally had a different (real) Dr. Saunders, who presumably was there when Alpha was brought in and whom Alpha killed.

Cast

Main cast

• Eliza Dushku as Echo/Susan/Crystal
• Harry Lennix as Boyd Langton
• Tahmoh Penikett as Paul Ballard
• Fran Kranz as Topher Brink
• Enver Gjokaj as Victor/Laurence Dominic
• Dichen Lachman as Sierra
• and Olivia Williams as Adelle DeWitt

Recurring roles

• Amy Acker as Claire Saunders
• Miracle Laurie as Mellie/November
• Liza Lapira as Ivy
• Aisha Hinds as Loomis
• Alan Tudyk as Alpha/Stephen Kepler/Bobby

Guest starring

• Hannah Leigh Dworkin as Susan
• Judith Moreland as Renee

Background information

Production

Production on "Briar Rose" started on January 12, 2009.

Reception

Critics

"Built so well, misdirected with skill, setup for next week ideally. This is superb television. More please."

―The TV Critic's Review

"“Briar Rose” did everything a penultimate episode should do: Threw a lot of good energy on the main plot, sprung a couple big revelations, and sent us hard-charging into the finale."

―A.V. Club Recap

"In short: color me excited for how this is all going to end."

―Zap2it Recap

"Smart, packed with witty banter and bursting with tension, "Briar Rose" is another example of what "Dollhouse" can be. Let's just hope Fox give the series another chance."

―Airlock Alpha Recap

Briar Rose was ranked #4 on TIME Magazine's Top TV Episodes of 2009.

Ratings

"Briar Rose" reached 3.062 million viewers, a 1.9/3 Rating/Share, a 1.1/4 Rating/Share in the 18-49 demographic and a 1.4/4 Rating/Share in the 25-54 demographic.

The quarter-hour breakdown:

Time Period	Rating/Share	Rating/Share (18-49)
9:01 PM–9:15 PM	2.0/4	1.1/4
9:15 PM–9:30 PM	1.8/3	1.1/4
9:30 PM–9:45 PM	1.8/3	1.1/4
9:45 PM–10:00 PM	1.9/3	1.2/4

International titles

• French: "La Belle au bois dormant" (The Beauty Sleeping in the Woods - the tale's French title)
• Italian: "Fuga dalla Dollhouse" (Escape from the Dollhouse)

Promotional Photos

External links

• "Briar Rose" at the Official Dollhouse Wiki
• "Briar Rose" at tv.com
• "Briar Rose" at IMDb