Damsel in the Dollhouse: Part 3

So far, I've written about how Sierra is the character who suffers the most in Dollhouse, yet looking back I don't feel that the points I've addressed have really supported that point. So today I will run through every major terrible thing that Sierra (and also her original self Priya) have gone through.

1. That scene of Sierra's first wipe

I believe that this short scene in the first episode "Ghost" is very important in establishing not only the theme of Sierra's suffering, but also the idea that the Dollhouse is not exactly what it seems. Up until this point, the actions of the Dollhouse have appeared for the most part to be consensual on both sides. We see the clients knowingly request the Dolls' services, and Adele DeWitt's conversation with pre-Dollhouse Echo (aka Caroline) informs the audience that individuals must voluntarily sign a 5-year contract with the House and are generously compensated after their contract expires.
However, seeing Priya about to be wiped into Sierra and the pained look on her pain conveys a implied message that the Dollhouse's operations are inherently harmful to the Actives (the Programmer Topher Brink admits that the first wipe, while necessary, "is always the worst"). This scene also plants the seed of the idea that those who join the Dollhouse may not exactly be doing it of their own free will.

2. Victor and Sierra's relationship

Again, within the universe of the Dollhouse, the romance that develops between Victor and Sierra should not be possible. According to the chief programmer Topher, all Actives have their sex drives removed as a result of the initial wiping process. Yet despite the efforts of the Dollhouse to stop it, the Dolls begin to form personal relationships, but especially Victor and Sierra.

In "True Believer", Topher and Dr. Saunders discover that Victor is having, as Topher calls it, "man-reactions" when looking at Sierra in the shower, this indicates a serious problem with the technology that keeps the Dolls blissfully unaware of their day-to-day activities. Later, in "Needs", when Echo, Sierra, and Victor all have their original personalities returned to them, Sierra and Victor still manage to come together and fall in love all over again. Their relationship only grows stronger with each attempt to separate one from the other.

3. The "Man on the Street" Incident

The man pictured above is Sierra's handler, Joe Hearn. We are first introduced to him in "Man on the Street", a episode that I have already described as a turning point in Dollhouse in terms of quality. And while "Man on the Street" focuses on Echo and Agent Ballard, there is a significant and disturbing side-story involving Sierra, Victor, and Hearn.

In this episode, people in the Dollhouse have noticed Sierra becoming very quiet and sad recently. We also see Sierra break down crying when Victor touches her shoulder, someone she normally gets along with very much. An examination by Dr. Saunders reveals that Sierra has had sex while she was in her Doll state in the House. Dr. Saunders, Topher, and Echo's handler Boyd investigate who did this to Sierra.

Victor is the first suspect - Sierra did shriek when he touched her, and he is known to have physical feelings toward her. If Victor did have consensual sex with Sierra, it would show at best a high level of self-awareness in the Doll state; however, if it was rape, then the Dollhouse can no longer guarantee its Actives' safety within their walls. 

However, a sting operation set up by Boyd uncovers the truth - Sierra's handler has been abusing her in a concealed section of the House away from cameras. The handler is appropriately disposed of by Adele DeWitt, and Sierra is wiped to help her forget the abuse. More importantly, this episode foreshadows a important point of Sierra's most tragic piece of backstory.

4. How Sierra got into the Dollhouse

Throughout the first season and most of the second season, Dollhouse hinted that the way Sierra ended up in the Dollhouse was not entirely on-the-level. Especially in "Needs", the audience is given reason to believe that Priya (Sierra before the Dollhouse) had less choice in the matter than her fellow Actives. Then, in the final few episodes of the series, just before cancellation, Joss Whedon presented "Belonging". 

"Belonging" is an entire episode devoted to Sierra's back-story. It ties all the hints and speculation of the past two seasons together very nicely. It also draws from the themes of the three above specific cases of Sierra's suffering. Showing how Priya became Sierra also explains how Sierra's relationship with Victor and that first pained expression in the very beginning of the series. Unfortunately, "Belonging" also explains why the writers of Dollhouse felt it necessary to use "Man on the Street" to establish Sierra as being a victim of abuse and manipulation by other men.

"Belonging" is an intense episode that I realize now as I write that it must be covered as its own post. Next week, I'll go into depth about this episode, and what it means for Sierra and ultimately the ethics of the Dollhouse.