Topher returns to his lab to find Claire, her back to him, standing on the balcony. She intones that she thinks he gave her more computer skills than a medical doctor needs, and awful realization hits as he looks over at his computer screen, which has her picture and code name on it. She adds that it was very easy for him to hack his system, so either Alpha was exaggerating about the walls Topher had up, or she should blow this popsicle stand and start the next Microsoft. She says she's curious -- she can see why the Dollhouse wouldn't want to waste an investment, and how convenient it was to put her into the role when her predecessor bit it. "But why did you decide that it was so important for me to hate you?" Ooh, nice. I was hoping we'd start finding more depth to Topher, and this makes me wonder if they were involved in some way. But Topher has no answer for her, so she bites out, "I think that's strange," and starts to leave. In a choked voice, though, he notes that she didn't open the file. "Aren't you curious to see who you really are?" Again, if she'd looked, I wonder if the reason he programmed her to hate him would have been evident, but she simply replies, "I know who I am," and leaves. Topher looks like he might die on the spot...

...while Adelle isn't doing much better, as she icily notes, "So he continues to elude us." Boyd answers that that's true, and adds that an anonymous source is providing for Wendy's family. Hmm, interesting, and even though I had many problems with the way this episode wrapped some stuff up, it laid the groundwork for some very interesting stuff next season, should Fox choose to take its head out of its ass. Although what happened to the wedge with Wendy's personality on it? Adelle sighs that that's cold comfort, and vows that they'll find him, especially with the aid of their new contractor -- Ballard. And while it's tough on the surface to imagine that Ballard would go to work for his sworn enemy, consider a few things: One, the FBI, outside of Aisha Hinds, is a closed door to him regarding the Dollhouse -- the interaction with Tanaka acknowledged any doubts about that. Two, he never got the chance to investigate the Dollhouse's reason for existing, as November told him to, and what better way to do so than from the inside? And three, there's what's about to happen, so let's get on with it, as Ballard says he's not officially working for her until she holds up her end of the bargain, and Adelle assures him that "the young lady's" freedom has been granted, with full payment on her contract. She then gets a call and instructs the person on the other end to "send her in," and the object of Ballard's beneficence enters -- November. Leaving aside the fact that it couldn't be Echo for the obvious reason of Eliza Dushku, I liked this from a dramatic standpoint -- while Ballard seems like he's only starting to know Echo, his journey with November feels finished. On top of that, I think he really did care about Mellie, and if we've learned anything from the episode, it's that part of the real her was always there, so it makes sense to me for him to choose her instead of Echo. (The part I referred to earlier that got cut involved Alpha threatening to awaken the sleeper in November with the "flowers in a vase" command, which also would have had an effect on Ballard -- he wouldn't have wanted her to be a killer again.) I also don't think Adelle would have let Echo go nearly as easily, but that's another story. And I realize I'm sort of spewing more than usual here, but... well, I'm not going to say it, but you know. November uncertainly gives Ballard another "Hello," and he smiles in return...