...but he doesn't, so it's his fault Ballard and Alan Tudyk are about to penetrate the Dollhouse's perimeter, specifically by opening a grate and heading down a vent for ten stories without benefit of rope, and while I'm not sure exactly how the logistics of that are going to work, given that it's kind of hard to see what they're dealing with, I think it's fair to say that if Ballard were even a passable agent, he might wonder how a pothead agoraphobe has the muscular stamina for whatever they're about to do.

Echo comes out of the chair in her dormant state...

...and then Ballard is helping Alan Tudyk and his pot-fueled freakout down, and the latter is babbling so nervously I can't make out everything he says, but his landing is not what I would call graceful, so I'm definitely not surprised to catch the word "wedgie" in there, and if at least ten takes of this scene didn't end up on the cutting-room floor because of hysterics on the part of cast and crew alike, I've missed my bet. Ballard opts to press forward, though, prompting this from Alan Tudyk: "Just because we can move forward, we must? This is the same expansionist thinking that led to the Trail of Tears, man!" Again, I can't do justice to the delivery, but if you, like me, cannot get enough of this man, I invite you to watch this. Warning: NOT work-appropriate, not because of the material, but because of the uproarious laughter it causes.

Oh, crap, I forgot they're not done with the damn girl -- she's reading Briar Rose out loud as Ballard and Alan Tudyk make their way in, and Echo settles into her compartment for the night. I mean, okay, the misdirection that Ballard is the rescuer is nice, but let's get on with it: Ballard and Echo reach the balcony, and Ballard confirms to himself: "It's real." Sorry to step on your big triumphant moment, but duh.