Adelle DeWitt
From Dollhouse Wiki
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| Name: | Adelle DeWitt |
| First Appearance: | Ghost |
| Actor: | Olivia Williams |
| Occupation: | Head of the LA Dollhouse |
Portrayed by Olivia Williams, Adelle DeWitt is a main character of Dollhouse. She is the boss of the Actives in the Dollhouse and is also the employer of the Dollhouse-staff. Topher Brink, Boyd Langton, Dr. Claire Saunders and Laurence Dominic answer to her, and she has a secretary called Judith. She is employed by a larger entity and herself answers to Matthew Harding, Clive Ambrose, and many other unknown Rossum higher ups.
She is also the main contact for all clients of the Dollhouse, negotiating the contracts with them and sometimes even developing friendly relationships with them.
Her other duties include recruiting people to become Actives.
The official character description calls DeWitt "very sophisticated" and "cold as an alp." She "runs the Dollhouse with an efficiency that is both ruthless and protective" and "would die before she showed anyone how lonely she is."[1]
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[edit] Character Development
[edit] Background
DeWitt's life before employment at the Dollhouse is largely a mystery. In "A Spy in the House of Love", she tells Victor in his Roger persona that she used to "head a division that grew replacement organs out of stem cells." It is likely this was a division of the Rossum Corporation.
[edit] Dollhouse
As the head of the LA Dollhouse, DeWitt is a demanding and cold leader who nevertheless allows for breach of protocol or non-standard behavior if she sees value in it. Employees who betray her may be sent to the Attic, like Laurence Dominic, or assassinated, like Joe Hearn. She is never seen engaging in personally revealing conversations with her employees. She may be cold and exacting on the job, but she exercises flexibility with her employees when it benefits the Dollhouse. While Dominic sees Echo's erratic behavior as a threat, DeWitt sees it as an asset which makes her a better doll and a protector of the Dollhouse.
DeWitt's chill and effectiveness at work are counterbalanced by an intense loneliness. As revealed in "A Spy in the House of Love", turns to the very self-styled "self-deluding" behavior of her clients by hiring Victor as her lover, and using a pseudonym ("Catherine"), in a mere facsimile of a true social life. She see a great value in the service the Dollhouse provides, insisting the clients are getting what they "need", though she may be blinded by the fact that she so deeply identifies with those clients. In "Haunted", she says that "Lonliness leads to nothing good, only detachment. And sometimes the people who most need to reach out are the people least capable of it."
It is often implied DeWitt struggles with alcoholism.
[edit] Relationships
- Echo: DeWitt offered Caroline her five-year term in the Dollhouse. She told her that she would take care of the mess Caroline's life was in and that the experience in the Dollhouse could help her. Since Caroline became Echo, DeWitt has shown a growing confidence and interest in Echo's ways to handle problems during engagements. She sends her back as Ellie Penn to save Davina Crestejo in "Ghost", even though at that point it wasn't clear that the client, Davina's father Gabriel Crestejo, was still alive. DeWitt also prevented Boyd from shooting the fan during the hostage exchange in "Stage Fright" to see how Echo would handle the situation. She was impressed by Echo's out-of-the-box-thinking and thought that Echo acted in the Dollhouse's best interest since she stopped the person trying to kill Rayna permanently, it just happened to be Rayna herself. In "Gray Hour" DeWitt was deeply uncomfortable with the notion that she might have to neutralize Echo since she was remotely wiped during a heist-engagement. In "True Believer" DeWitt continued to praise her adaptability in difficult situations, and Laurence Dominic suggested that she probably "likes" Echo. In the next episode, "Man on the Street", after Echo drew a picture similar to that in her assignment as Rebecca Mynor Adelle allowed Echo to finish the engagement that was previously interrupted by Agent Ballard, seeming to acknowledge that Echo is remembering through her wipes.
- Topher Brink: Topher is blatantly unprofessional in dress and manner, but Adelle is patient and indulgent with the quirks of the genius responsible for the imprints. Topher has described himself as DeWitt's "number one son", and her relationship with him is very boss-y. In "Gray Hour" DeWitt has admitted to Topher that despite the Dollhouse's efforts to dispose of Alpha he is still alive. She upped his security clearance and suggested they work together on stopping him from causing more damage. Their relationship grows more complicated during the course of Epitaph One. By the time Topher has had a complete breakdown, Adelle takes on a very maternal role with him, reading to him, making sure he eats, and generally taking care of him. At that point, Topher refuses to leave the pods and won't take his meds without Adelle there to tend to him.
- Laurence Dominic: Dominic is DeWitt's right hand, following every order she gives him, but also questioning some of her reasonings. She clearly has the upper hand in every argument, since she is his boss, but they are not in agreement on every topic (for instance Echo). While DeWitt seems fond of her and her specialness, Dominic continues to remind DeWitt that Echo is showing the same signs that Alpha showed before his composite event. In "True Believer" he goes behind DeWitt's back and tries but fails to get Echo killed during the engagement. DeWitt noticed his absence (but not his attempt at Echo's life) and reminded him that he should not "gamble on what [she is] willing to do". Although insisting to Dr. Claire Saunders that Dominic was merely "an employee with whom [she] worked closely", she was visibly affected when it is revealed Dominic is an NSA spy. This did not deter her from sending Dominic to the Attic, however, and when she stops him from shooting himself he turns the gun on her.
- Boyd Langton: DeWitt hired Langton after the Alpha incident because the Dollhouse looked for people with a more intensive background, probably referring to his previous career as a cop. She likes to tell him that situations are more complicated than he imagines, and makes references to him not being long enough in her employ to know every aspect of her work. In "Ghost" DeWitt's business-focused view was contrasted by Langton's moral point of view when he convinced her that wiping Echo would destroy the chances of finding Davina Crestejo and that it doesn't matter that the client is probably dead since they "have a mission". He reminded her that she likes to tell herself that what the Dollhouse does helps people.
- November: Although the exact nature of the relationship Adelle shares with November/Mellie is unknown, she seems to share a similarly caring relationship with her as she does with Echo, refusing to bring her in the Dollhouse due to Mellie's love for Ballard. Adelle was also the one to activate November's fighting imprint to kill Joe Hearn.
- Alpha: The rogue Active is one of the few things that can crack Adelle's composure. In "Gray Hour", the thought that Alpha has compromised the Dollhouse's security drives her to drink. In "Briar Rose", Adelle raises her voice at Dominic (imprinted in Victor) in trying to get information on a possible lead on Alpha. In "Omega", she is visibly angry when she learns that Paul unwittingly brought "that thing into my house."
- Sierra: In the episode "Needs", it's stated that Sierra was "sold" into the Dollhouse. When Boyd discusses with Dr. Saunders how the actives gained closure, he agrees that Sierra needed to confront the man who "took away her power" (presumably a reference to being sold into the Dollhouse). It was revealed in the episode Belonging, Sierra was brought to the Dollhouse as a mental patient suffering from severe schizophrenia. It was assumed by the staff that Sierra confronted "the doctor who diagnosed her" when in actuality she was confronting Nolan, the man who drugged her into what appeared to be schizophrenic fits. When Topher discovers the truth, Adelle finds out and is furious, accusing Nolan of making her an accomplice to what is essentially kidnap and rape. When she tries to take the situation to her superiors, Adelle is blackmailed into forcing Sierra into a permanent imprint and being sent to Nolan forever. She echos Paul's statement from the first season saying "we're not slave merchants". But when her hands are tied, she folds and forces Topher to give Sierra to Nolan. She spends the remainder of the episode feeling extremely guilty, drinking alone in her office but also making sure Topher follows through. When Sierra is returned to the Dollhouse under vague and suspicious circumstances, she chooses to not ask about the reasons and accepts that she got what she wanted, regardless of the means.
- Victor: In the episode "A Spy in the House of Love", it's shown that she was engaging him, as Miss Lonelyhearts, so that he could provide moral support and also sex. But, she soon came to grips with herself and cut off any further engagements with Victor. In Belonging, it is revealed that the Rossum higher ups know about her tryst with Victor, but don't care as they all "take a little something home from the office once in a while."
- Paul Ballard: At the start of the series she shows little concern about Paul Ballard's investigation and appears quite confident he has nothing despite Domonic's insistence that "Even a blind dog can find a bone if he digs enough holes". And indeed Dominic words prove wise as Paul continues to get closer to the Dollhouse thanks to Alpha's help and his own personal determination. This forces Adelle to send in one active (Victor) to throw him off and in to a trap, but that only proves to strengthen his resolve. She then sends Echo to discredit Paul by framing him for shooting a police officer. It is after this that Adelle starts to see Paul as a growing concern but she remains confident that they can keep him out of their hair with "love" by using their sleeper active November to keep him distracted. This proves to be an absolute failure thanks to Paul's resolve which is only strengthened when he discovers who November is, thanks to the mole. When they finally do meet in "Briar Rose" Adelle tries to lord superiority over Paul telling him he has no idea what they are doing and scoffing at his ideals of morality and his belief the Dollhouse is "consensual slavery". She even becomes enraged with him in the next episode when she learns he inadvertently brought Alpha back in to the house. But as "Omega" progresses she begins to see him as useful when he deduces Alpha's location and saves Echo's backup from destruction. His words on morality even seem to have an effect on her when he points out how their use of a violent criminal led to the monster known has Alpha. She keeps Paul on the staff in the end has he has the most expertise in hunting Alpha, as a private contractor.
- Dr. Claire Saunders: Adelle tolerates Claire's objections and criticisms, though she knows Claire is an Active from the beginning. She has a moment of vulnerability in front of the doctor after Dominic wounds her.
[edit] Epitaph One
In the future of Epitaph One, Adelle learns that the Dollhouse will begin selling permanent imprints (more or less stealing the lives of others), so that the wealthy and powerful can become immortal. She objects strongly, on the grounds that the Actives should have their memories and personalities returned to them.
A later memory reveals that Dominic has returned to his original body. He confronts her, accusing her of being responsible for the collapse of the world from widespread imprinting technology. There's also the implication she's become an alcoholic.
After civilization collapses, Adelle becomes the leader of the refugee community living in the Dollhouse. She also comforts Topher who is mentally distressed.
When Paul and Echo return to the Dollhouse, Echo goes to speak with Adelle. Holding a loaded gun.
When the "actuals" leave the Dollhouse, they go through Adelle's office, and see it has become a memorial shrine to many people.
[edit] Notes & References
- ↑ DarkUFO (2008-03-03). Dollhouse - Casting News. spoilertv.blogspot.com. Retrieved on 2008-09-24.
