Dolls, Cylonz, what is human what is real?

[hansioux]

In the rush to end the series dollhouse episodes are jam packed these days. There are many brain nuggets that warrants deep discussion, but because so much are happening on screen, sometimes they are lost in the WTF moments.

In this week’s episode 2x12 Hollow Men, there was a moment early on when Mellie tried to kiss Paul and Paul backed off, and Mellie said “i’m sorry… they say the way I feel about you is just a program huh, i’ll try to remember that”.

Then when they are inside the Rossum building, in a short exchange between Paul and Mellie, Mellie said “I am not real, Paul. I know this. I am a program.” To which Paul replied “So am I, and i decided it doesn’t matter anymore. We feel what we feel. And I don’t want to reach the end without you.”

It’s ironic that it’s Tahmoh’s character saying this. Since Helo was the first one to accept cylon’s humanity on BSG. It goes back to all those BSG discussions on whether or not Cylonz are human.

Is it the organic parts of us that makes us real or the way we think. Are dolls personality real? If a cylon sleeper agent such as Boomer’s personality isn’t real, then is Mellie real? What if I are programmed to think like me, like what Paul is going through. Is Paul still Paul with Paul’s old memories programmed back into his head?

If only Joss has more time to explore…

[fastcart]

Interesting topic. After last night’s DH and Sanctuary, a rerun of SG Atlantis aired involving Replicator clones of Elizabeth, John, McKay, Ronan, and Teyla. Weir had an interesting line. “Because I’m a copy, you all will see me as less than the original.” I paraphrased there, but that’s the gist.

Similar logic can be placed on dolls and their personalities. I tend think anyone programmed by another person is less than someone who wasn’t. A program will always reflect the ideals and flaws of whoever put them there. Even if there exists a “perfect” copy, which would you choose given the choice between the original and the copy albeit people and personalities, or paintings and analog media (because digital media is a different story)?

That’s not to say one or I couldn’t grow to appreciate the copy or the program in his/her own rights. That’s a different topic.

[64kCylon]

in The Plan, says she hates herself when she’s under. She somehow knows what she did when she was the sleeper. She said she liked herself more as Boomer, loved herself, actually.

So, in that instance, she’s the same person. The Cylon(z,s) have free access to their counterparts’ memories and skills. They seem, by model, to be a collective being. In that sense there was more than Boomer when she was the sleeper.

In DH all the imprints remain. Some, like Echo and Alpha, become collective beings actively. No pun intended. All dolls retain their imprints and so are collective beings. Most of which do not know what they do, ever.

Which is real? I am not the 5-year-old I once was, but those memories are apparently all there and affect me as much as they do. Still, I am not five. I am not the person I was yesterday, by the same token. Yesterday is simply more me by virtue of being recent. Trauma flips that on its head. Distant traumas seem recent to me and has greater influence and disproportionately so.

I guess I am as real as the things which stick with “me.” Boomer got to choose somewhat, and the Dolls seem to have no choice, or very little, depending.

I suppose I have choice, too. The choice to allow influence, up to a point, that is.

The 12 models were supposed to represent the kinds of humans. Perhaps their fusion is an uber-human and none of the models are whole people. If all the Dorals had merged maybe they’d dress differently more often, and more so, if they merged with the Sixes they’d have fashion sense, too.

They didn’t choose, so they were as real as what stuck. Still some variety lurked beneath the surface like a five-year-old me.

Of course, Cavil messed with them. Topher messed with the dolls. None were free. But That Is Another Story.