So far, Dollhouse has been maddeningly uneven. The premiere was lukewarm, the psycho hunter episode excellent and last week’s backup singer plot was a train wreck. Wheadon made it clear in a Rolling Stone interview that his experience making Dollhouse has soured him for network television so we may never see this program even out, but it continues to have gas in the tank.

In what first appears as a straight hooker job becomes a high end museum robbery. Don’t look now, but a compelling episode has taken shape. Echo is set up as the ring leader and been created as a master thief and safecracker. One of the gang makes a break for it with the loot and Echo calls in Boyd for support. While on the call a mysterious squealing noise kicks in and Echo’s mind is wiped clean leaving her traped ad helpless.

Back home with a fresh bullet wound Agent Bowers settles in with his pain medication. The phony russian mobster who the Dollhouse planted has returned and is trying to get closer to Bowers. After three episodes, Bowers has done little more than be ridiculed, yell and dead ends and get shot. At this point, Bowers is just taking up space.

Echo is blubbering her codewords and wandering around the museum staring at paintings. The Dollhouse decides to implant Sierra with the identity that Echo lost and to use her for a rescue. Its too late for her to go in, but Sierra calls her and begins to lead her through an intricate escape. It doesn’t go well and she trips the alarm. Now with the police on the way and security closing in, the thieves arm themselves for a standoff. With bullets flying a random smoke grenade is thrown and Echo is somehow able to escape into Boyd’s waiting arms far far easier than she should’ve.

Its not a very satisfying end to what was a pretty satisfying episode. Not surprisingly, Alpha is behind the remote wipe of Echo’s mind. I’m enjoying the continued build up of the uber-badass Alpha. But I do worry about overstating him. It might be best to totally flip the script and when Alpha does show up he’s mousy and unimpressive.