Discussion is good! I get to refine my argument on you :P
Getting left behind was absolutely a large part of the reason she was so bitter. I wasn't trying to erase that and I'm sorry if it came across that way. That being said, there were other ways to tell that story. Why have the camera linger on Bennett's arm if it wasn't meant to be important? (I'd be really curious to see if that was scripted or directorial choice.) Why not actually make Echo/Caroline feel all of that panic and fear and helplessness and betrayal? It would have been just as effective a challenge for her to overcome later. (Though potentially carrying other squicky disability issues - people should just snap out of depression and other mental illness, it's that easy, yeah? - I don't know if they could have won on this one.)
As for your "It's all in her head" argument, Dollhouse has shown us repeatedly that they're not just tricking the brain into doing what they want; they're actually changing brain chemistry, from curing 'mental illness' (Sierra) to embedding incredibly strong maternal instincts (Echo). The brain can be the malfunctioning part of the nervous system just as the surely as the nerves.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2009-12-06 01:00 pm (UTC)Getting left behind was absolutely a large part of the reason she was so bitter. I wasn't trying to erase that and I'm sorry if it came across that way. That being said, there were other ways to tell that story. Why have the camera linger on Bennett's arm if it wasn't meant to be important? (I'd be really curious to see if that was scripted or directorial choice.) Why not actually make Echo/Caroline feel all of that panic and fear and helplessness and betrayal? It would have been just as effective a challenge for her to overcome later. (Though potentially carrying other squicky disability issues - people should just snap out of depression and other mental illness, it's that easy, yeah? - I don't know if they could have won on this one.)
As for your "It's all in her head" argument, Dollhouse has shown us repeatedly that they're not just tricking the brain into doing what they want; they're actually changing brain chemistry, from curing 'mental illness' (Sierra) to embedding incredibly strong maternal instincts (Echo). The brain can be the malfunctioning part of the nervous system just as the surely as the nerves.