❝ I suppose, why hire a new physician when you can just... imprint the broken doll ❞

- Claire Saunders

Formerly known to the Dollhouse as Whiskey, the most popular and requested active that they had, Alpha became jealous of her 'trying to be her best', attacking her with pruning shears in order to let the Echo (an active he had an infatuation for) be the best. Unwilling to waste a doll and their investment (and unable/unwilling to release her from her contract early due to what had occurred) Adelle asked Topher to imprint Whiskey with a permanent new identity. After Doctor Saunders, the Dollhouse's original physician, had been killed in Alpha's attack they used this in deciding who Whiskey should be. After tweaking Doctor Saunder's original personality (to change their memories of their age and gender) Claire Saunders was created.

Prior to entering the Dollhouse "the original personality" was approached by the Dollhouse, for unknown reasons. The Dollhouse always offers a trade - five years of service for your life, something that flashes by in a heartbeat. What happens once you sign the dotted line is that all of your memories and your personality is wiped away, backed up on a 'wedge' to leave the body as a blank slate. These bodies are given new names (Claire's being Whiskey) and live at the Dollhouse - an idyllic place set to provide comfort and ease of life, with every need being fulfilled for them. Once you are at the Dollhouse you are a doll - or active. Although the dolls have no memories of themselves their blank slate allows them to be imprinted with a new personality - something that can only be done on person whom has been wiped (and given active architecture). The Dollhouse provides a 'service' - the rich can pay to fulfill their fantasies, whether it be a dream date or have someone break into a vault to steal artwork. If you have the money the Dollhouse can provide it - with the right skills, memories and personality 'downloaded' into one of the dolls for the engagement.

Originally Claire is unaware that she is a doll, and believes the memories that she has been given - she always wanted to be a doctor, and remains at the Dollhouse 24/7 in order to give the best care possible to the dolls - although this is part in due to the numerous phobias that she also possesses. Claire goes about her work at the Dollhouse unaware that anything is different - minus having to adjust to her scarred appearance, and the knowledge of what Alpha did. There are also new faces to meet, including new recruited handlers to replace those that were killed, and for a while the Dollhouse is a very tense place.

For the next few months the Dollhouse as a whole takes its time to heal, although it doesn't stop its work. Claire is ever busy working as the Dollhouse physician - giving every doll a physical check up after every engagement, making certain that their well being was on top form. Claire often also frequently disagreed with Topher regarding some of the engagements that the actives were sent on, viewing several off them ass either too dangerous or putting the actives in unnecessary risk. This is something that Topher tried to justify given the skills that he put into the actives, and the ability to monitor the situation but it did little to soothe Claire given how frequently they disagreed on it. After Claire was asked to surgically implant an optical camera onto Echo, with Topher manipulating her brain to think that she was blind, Claire argued about how dangerous this procedure was - adding that if Echo sneezed it could cause a seizure, however the procedure was completed despite her reservations.

After Topher notices something unexpected in one of the dolls he goes to Claire for help, asking for her medical opinion and (more so) looking to someone who wouldn't be so embarrassed. Making Topher help her as she searched the video camera footage, given that it was her idea, Claire helped Topher identify when (and later why) Victor had started having 'man reactions'. Claire is partly unsurprised that Victor ends up with this 'problem' given that she had previously recommended against dolls being imprinted with the same imprint multiple times. Given that Victor had been assigned by 'Miss Lonely Hearts' on his now eighth engagement (with the same imprint) Claire was worried. Whilst she was able to discover that Sierra was the cause of Victor's man reactions these urges were something that Victor shouldn't have had after being wiped, backing up Claire's theory that there was a remnant lingering from the repeated same engagements.

After reporting the incident with Victor, Sierra's attack, and with others noticing 'alternate thinking' in Echo, a meeting was called regarding the state of the affairs of the Dollhouse - which was pretty poor. After it was discussed what should happen Claire proposed an idea that she believed would help remove the problem - more than altering any of their medications could. Claire believed that in giving them closure it could help to resolve any underlying issues or emotional needs that had cropped up - things that the dolls wouldn't remember in their blank state (particularly if they stemmed from their original personalities) but would be subconsciously affecting them. Although the test was scheduled to be a few weeks away Adelle implanted it early to ensure that the handlers could react and be prepared for any situation. With five dolls restored to their original personalities (minus their memories) the situation was monitored by those in the know - Adelle, Mr Dominic and Claire.

During the exercise Echo (Caroline) came to Claire to ask for help in finding out what was going on and in leaving the Dollhouse. Claire, knowing what was really happening and needing the experiment to play out naturally, told Echo that she couldn't help her - though she did let her know that she was being watched (by Adelle and Mr Dominic). Although three of the other dolls (November, Sierra and Victor) left the Dollhouse in search of their closure Echo stayed behind as Echo's (Caroline's) conflict was with Rossum itself. Claire was present when Echo led all of the dolls out into 'freedom', ending her conflict. With the actives that had left retrieved, and those led outside returned into the Dollhouse, the test was complete - to Claire's relief (that it had gone without incident) and to the Dollhouse's gladness. Once it was completed Boyd (Echo's handler) came to talk to Claire about the test - calling it a game, which she fervently refuted as it was not fun for anyone. Claire reminded him that he only has to look after Echo but that she has to look after everyone in the Dollhouse, making things like what had been happening to Echo, Sierra and Victor a large worry - particularly after what had happened with Alpha.

Life at the Dollhouse continues, and Echo, Sierra and Victor are monitored more closely than they were previously to make sure that Claire's intervention was a success, and on initial outlook it appears so. However the Dollhouse wouldn't be itself if it stayed quiet for too long, and after Topher discovers that one of his imprints has been affected - and that there is a spy in the Dollhouse - things become worrying. After Echo is imprinted as an interrogator to help discover the identity of the spy Claire is one of the people that Echo speaks to due to her access to the imprint room. It is here that Claire reveals that she remains at the Dollhouse 24/7 - claiming that it is to best serve the Dollhouse. Echo questions this, and the healthiness of it, but Claire makes no further comment on it - although she will later tell Boyd that she doesn't leave the Dollhouse due to her multiple phobias (Claire is afraid to leave the Dollhouse, she 'has a problem with' crowds, people, sunlight, open spaces, noise, pets). Whilst Claire may have problems with many of these things it is shown that she's trying to change this, beginning with being a member on a dating website. After Mr Dominic is revealed to have been the spy Claire is present when he is wiped prior to being sent to the Attic, tending to Adelle afterwards after she was accidentally shot in the process.

The problems don't stop with Mr Dominic, as it becomes revealed that Alpha is in fact alive and not dead as everyone was informed. Mr Dominic's betrayal went further than being an NSA spy after a package comes in for him, showing him to have been communicating with Alpha. Whilst Sierra is sent out to investigate the body that Alpha had left clues for, Paul Ballard (a man whom had been investigating the Dollhouse for the FBI for months) arrives at the Dollhouse - with Alpha. After Alpha (posing as Stephen Kepler) sends Paul off to find what he wants - Echo and whoever is behind the Dollhouse - Alpha puts his own plans in motion. Alpha first finds Claire, after using her office to hack Topher's systems, when she returns to her office. The sight of Alpha instantly terrifies Claire, and Alpha grabs her, studying the 'gifts' that he left her (her scars) before asking her questions. As Alpha knew her as a doll - Whiskey - he finds it interesting to discover that she has been imprinted as the Dollhouse physician and asks her if she always wanted to be a doctor. When Claire replies that she did he shouts that it is a lie, and threatens her into his bidding - to bring Echo to her office so that Alpha can take her. Once Alpha and Echo have left Claire flees her office to find help, discovering an attacked Victor on the way.

After getting help for Victor and making sure that no one else has been hurt Claire begins to think on what Alpha said - something that she takes into consideration far more than she probably should for his mental state (though there may have been previous unrevealed clues she had discovered). Claire begins looking through Topher's files and discovers the truth about herself - that she was originally a doll, and after Echo is returned to the Dollhouse Claire confronts Topher about this, even admitting that she could understand why it had happened. It surprises Topher that Claire hadn't opened the file on herself to find out who she was but Claire retorts that she knows who she is.

Whilst Claire may believe that it may not be entirely true - or, at least, the revelation that she used to be someone else hits her harder than she'd expected. At first Claire begins to toy with Topher, giving herself a little comfort - and showing that she isn't happy that he did this to her, as he is the one that 'created' her. Whilst Claire may be trying to cope with the knowledge it is clear that she is finding it difficult, and goes to Topher in the middle of the night. Although she at first appears to be attempting to seduce him (because that was 'his plan' all along) she breaks down, confused about who she is and what she's supposed to do know - one reason why imprints are never told that they are imprinted as it will confuse them. Topher ends up asking Claire why she didn't look at the file, or ask Adelle to restore her original personality and Claire reveals that it is because she is scared of dying. She admits that she isn't real, and that she's in someone else's body, but she's too afraid by the truth - and her current existence ending - to do anything about it.

Nothing more becomes said on the matter, at least not by Topher. After Victor undergoes expensive surgery to repair his scars Boyd asks Claire if she'd considered having the same procedure and she (somewhat sardonically) replies that she likes her scars - that it brings out her eyes. Claire adds to this by stating that if she did have her scars removed that she'd be no better than one of 'them' - a doll, and what she used to be - and Claire doesn't want to go back to that either. She later admits to Boyd that she is afraid to leave the Dollhouse - that she's just 'made that way', and that her entire existence is due to a sociopath in a sweater-vest. Whilst she may not be happy about it it is something that she clings onto - she has to to survive.

And survive is something that Claire tries to do. With the truth now out, her fears admitted, and some careful pushing from Boyd Claire finally leaves the Dollhouse.