"Man on the Street" was a pivotal episode in Dollhouse for many reasons. Not only did this episode establish more clearly the world in which the Dollhouse exists, but it also helped to set in motion major character's motivations and paths for the rest of the series. Nowhere is this more apparent than with the story arc of FBI agent Paul Ballard's search for Echo, the young woman he knows as Caroline.
Watching the first five episodes of the series, it seems obvious that Paul's one-man fight against the Dollhouse is failing miserably. His case is considered a joke by his peers and superiors; his investigations consistently lead to nowhere, and the only major lead he had - the Russian informant Lubov - was actually the Doll Victor, working with the Dollhouse. Paul has lost his wife, his friends, and credibility at his job from working this investigation.
But that isn't why Paul keeps going. Early in the series, Paul was given a photo and later a video of the Active Echo before the Dollhouse - when she was still known as Caroline. This put a face on the Dollhouse's mistreatment of others, and it also gave him a new goal: to save Caroline, which might not have the most noble intentions, but certainly is motivating.
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