Vows/Instinct

In the first of two episodes launching the new season, it's been several months since Alpha's attack on the Dollhouse and Echo has been imprinted as a deep undercover agent working with Ballard to take down Martin Klar (Jamie Bamber), an international arms dealer. Echo marries Klar and plays the role of loving newlywed until her husband discovers her trying to break into his office desk. He accuses her of being a spy and hits her, the knock to the head causing her to get visions of her past imprints. Recovering, Echo manages to convince Klar he's wrong and accompanies him on his next deal.

Realising that Echo is glitching, Ballard deliberately gets himself caught by Klar's men and strikes Echo to trigger her fight-mode abilities. She turns into a whirling, fighting machine, taking out Klar's men and capturing Klar himself. Ballard takes Echo back to the Dollhouse where she tells him she's remembering her previous imprints and asks for his help.

Meanwhile, Dr Claire Saunders struggles to come to terms with the realisation she's an Active and takes her anger out on Topher. She tampers with his computers, releases rats into his lab and even tries to seduce him. Boyd attempts to comfort her and she admits she's scared to leave the Dollhouse, but eventually takes a car and drives out onto the city streets.

And the latest threat to the Dollhouse comes from US Senator Perin, who's investigating the Rossum Corporation for withholding medical advancements.

Instinct

Topher's new programming manages to trick an Active's brain into changing the body's physiology, which comes in useful when widower Nate hires Echo to act as mother to his new-born baby, Jack. But, with hormones going crazy, Echo becomes suspicious of her 'husband's' behaviour, believing he's having an affair and wants to have her killed. She goes on the run with the baby, ending up at a police station where she asks for help. Nate arrives to claim the baby and Ballard drags a screaming and kicking Echo back to the Dollhouse.

Topher tells her the mind-wipe will take away her pain but Echo wakes and knocks him out. Her maternal instincts have been retained and she escapes in search of baby Jack. DeWitt warns Nate but he finds Echo holding the baby... and a knife! Nate eventually convinces her that Jack is not her baby and she hands him over and leaves to be collected by Ballard.

Meanwhile, Senator Perrin's investigation into the Rossum Corporation is given a helping hand when he receives an anonymous delivery of documents containing evidence of the Dollhouse's activities.

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