Dollhouse

[borntohula]

did anyone watch this on friday? what do you think?

 

it peaked my interests, but i'm really going to have to see how other episodes shape up before i can really make a decision.

 

 

i really liked the ethical debate that was introduced almost immediately. sure, in the end, these "dolls" do great things for people, but they're also people who should have their own lives, and who shouldn't be treated as mindless drones. the whole ambivalence of the show is really clever.

 

i'm also excited to see how echo's real life--- i mean, her first life--- ends up creeping into her manufactured ones, and how that might act as a source of conflict as well. this show and fringe really enjoy telling you very little about the main characters from right off the bat. you know what you need to know, when you need to know it.

 

 

also, eliza dushku is hot.

[Muran]

We made an effort to watch it.

 

My initial reaction was boredom, and it lingered through the rest of the episode. I'll stick it out for another couple of episodes. I remembered how Buffy and Firefly started out a little slow as well.

 

I was disappointed that this first episode of completely devoid of the witty dialogue that Joss is so well-known for. It was generally humourless as well, and what I miss most is Whedon's ability to take a serious moment and inject a bit of humour into it, without being disrespectful to the scene.

 

It's setting itself up for a lot of stories, which is good, and you touched on some of it well.

 

I find Eliza Dushku to be...not a great actor sometimes. It's unfortunate that all I can see is Faith, when I see her.

 

I was more interested in seeing what was up with the very dour character Amy Acker had. Quite a difference from the Winifred Burkle I'm so used to and love.

 

Kevin is sitting behind me and disagreeing with me at Eliza Dushku's lack of versatility as an actress.

 

But more likely than not, he probably just thinks she's hot too ;)

[Crusader]

I think it's a good idea for a show but when I watched it, I kept thinking Eliza looked too much like a porn star or something. I mean, she looked a little too plastic rather than what she was supposedly implanted as. That and she looks more like a villain.

 

 

Helo being there was hilarious. Especially with the boxing scene.

 

[borntohula]

My initial reaction was boredom, and it lingered through the rest of the episode. I'll stick it out for another couple of episodes. I remembered how Buffy and Firefly started out a little slow as well.

i'm going to take a guess and blame that on the fact that fox made them re-write the entire episode. i also felt it was slow, especially for whedon, but i think that it followed the kind of pace you'd see in a CSI.

 

I was disappointed that this first episode of completely devoid of the witty dialogue that Joss is so well-known for. It was generally humourless as well, and what I miss most is Whedon's ability to take a serious moment and inject a bit of humour into it, without being disrespectful to the scene.

i'm also going to point the finger at fox for this one. i think they wanted to make the show as conventional as possible, without throwing people for a loop. i would've liked some more humour as well, but i can see that the character topher (?), the yougn blonde one who runs the place, will possibly be a wealth of humour later on in the show, once things settle down a bit. right now i think they just wanted audiences to grasp the concept without second-guessing the sincerity of it.

 

I find Eliza Dushku to be...not a great actor sometimes. It's unfortunate that all I can see is Faith, when I see her.

 

you're right about this... but when she was in "negotiator mode," i was believing her about 85% of the time. occasionally my mind would drift into "man she's hot" mode as it does with other bad, but pretty actresses like jessica alba, but i think dushku did a decent enough job that it really didn't ruin the show for me. i don't think whedon would've done this with her if he hadn't the utmost "faith" (rofl) in her ability to play a different person each and every show. as i said before, i think that eventually, a lot of echo will start to seep through into the character, and that will be a significant source of conflict... or i could be completely wrong and she's the lead because she's the producer of the show, and will see to it prevent anyone from actually taking this idea seriously.

 

I think it's a good idea for a show but when I watched it, I kept thinking Eliza looked too much like a porn star or something. I mean, she looked a little too plastic rather than what she was supposedly implanted as. That and she looks more like a villain.

i kindof get what you're saying. especially when she was in her yoga outfit in the "dollhouse."

[Hyphnip]

I enjoyed it but I can see how things could have been better. I'm hoping it will improve

[Muran]

Good points, definitely, Michael.

 

I'm really hoping Fox doesn't drop the ball with this.

 

I, too, felt it went pretty slow. Honestly, other than the actual *concept*, the show didn't feel like Joss at all.

 

I do appreciate the fact that when Joss likes an actor/actress, he does everything he can to use them again in his other shows. If anything, I'm hoping this show continues long enough that we get little guest spots for other Whedonverse actors. (Nathan Fillion anyone? Or dare I suggest Alexis Denisof?)

 

I think my heart broke a little bit when I saw the Mutant Enemy logo and the ever familiar "Grrr Arrrgh". I...I just really miss Buffy/Angel.

[Hyphnip]

I have the same feelings. I saw that and I cried. I'm just glad Buffy/Angel are being continued in comic form

[Muran]

It's unfortunate, but I haven't gone anywhere near the Buffy Season 8 or Angel: After The Fall. I'm stubborn in the notion that is just won't be the same without getting to hear the characters deliver the lines, act out the scenes...

 

Plus, the artwork is just...meh. And judging from the storylines that have been going on...no thanks.

[Hyphnip]

Your loss! I'm seriously enjoying them.

[Dan #3]

The Mutant Enemy logo at the end of the episode was the highlight for me, which I found rather disheartening. Mostly due to the lack of the patented Whedon dialogue. While this is certainly a more adult/mature show in tone compared to his previous work that doesn't mean there isn't room for the funny.

 

I'm not saying that I want Echo to be implanted as a stand-up comic, just saying the wit should be more prevalent.

[borntohula]

that was a much better episode than the first was. way more whedonesque, and not surprisingly, that episode had initially been intended as the first.

 

i liked how the story was told more from boyd's perspective, and how we see his relationship with echo developing. most who spend time with her only do it for about a day or so, but he's inextricably bound to her as her protector, so i liked that the complications inherent in such a relationship (his focus on her, her obliviousness to him) were addressed.

 

as for the story itself, i think we've all seen an episode of one show or another where the antagonist is a hunting enthusiast, chasing after the protagonist like sport.

kinda lacklustre, with the twist obviously being echo turning the tables.

 

Edited February 21, 2009 by borntohula

[Hyphnip]

I thought this was way better than the first episode. It was obvious how it was going to end. I am enjoying this show so far.

[Some Random]

...it peaked my interests...

 

or did it pique your interest ;) :angry:

[Muran]

Yeah, this 2nd episode seemed to work out a bit better. I heard that this wasn't the episode Joss meant to have been the 1st ep. That got pulled.

 

At least I sort of care about some of the characters now.

 

Still missing that legendary Whedialogue tho.

[borntohula]

or did it pique your interest ;) :angry:

haha thanks. how i let myself get away with writing that, i'll never know.

 

EDIT:

 

as of the second episode, i like how things are turning out, but there also some issues i'm beginning to be concerned about, and i'm wondering what others thought of them, or if you've picked up on the same things as well.

 

i find it interesting that the only dolls that we've seen in action have been women. sure, we've now been introduced to alpha, but we haven't really seen him, and he also doesn't function within the limits of the dollhouse organization either, so i'm not going to include him. the fact that the women are dolls, and their handlers, or programmers are males, makes room for an interesting commentary on patriarchal society. actually, you could incorporate alpha into this scenario, in that, he is a male and capable of freeing himself from patriarchal control. it might be inevitable that echo will somehow be... 'let loose' or 'escape' from the dollhouse and am interested by how this could turn into a sort of feminist commentary on things. but i'm also worried that the whole "father/daughter" relationship between boyd and echo might turn into a kind of dependency thing and will diminish any societal criticisms that the show might have. on the bright side, we've already seen that the relationship between echo and boyd was formed through "meaningless rituals," like hand-holding and eye contact--- things that are negotiated by societal norms... and yet, their bond is much deeper than that.

 

similarly, i think what topher said in the first episode, about him tempering his personality creations with "imperfections" or flaws is what makes them "real" or "believable," is going to be a governing rule in the dollhouse universe. i also think that it might cause a bit of an issue because of what "he" or the shows writers, seem to consider flaws. in the first episode, it was asthma attacks, and the spectre of a childhood rape that kept echo from succeeding, and while there was no mention of a flaw in the most recent episode, i've seen some production stills of an upcoming episode where echo is programmed to be blind. perhaps i'm reading too much into what topher has said, but it's just something i've been thinking about a lot while watching the show, and i think the way that the show interprets disability will prove to be interesting.

Edited February 22, 2009 by borntohula

[Hyphnip]

I'm bothered by the fact that Echo was obviously talking about things that she shouldn't remember and it seems like Boyd just shrugged it off. He should have known something was up.

[Crusader]

EVery time I hear them say "Alpha," I think about Rocko from that show Undergrads.

 

Alpha Alpha Alpha.

[Hyphnip]

...Imagine he was the alpha they were talking about!

[Muran]

haha that was full of awesome.

[borntohula]

yeah ,especially since i totally forgot about that alpha.

 

next episode looks like a humdinger:

 

 

lulz

[Crusader]

WE NEED TEENS WITH ATTITUDE!

[Hyphnip]

I think that was good when I was a teen but now that I'm in my 20's, I need people that are older.

[Hyphnip]

So another episode in and I'm 70% liking it, 30% not. I'm still kinda torn. I'll have to wait and see what's what.

[Muran]

Last episode was completely boring.

 

But, due to an unexpected spoiler I ran across while reading ONTD, I have to continue watching Dollhouse, because:

 

 

Alan Tudyk (Better known as Wash, from Firefly), has been confirmed as Alpha

 

 

If it weren't for the spoiler above, I would have been completely ok with dropping Dollhouse. Damn you, Joss Whedon.

[Hyphnip]

I want to read the spoiler so badly! Damn you Tracy!