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walkwithheroesFrom May 8th to May 10th, I watched all 12 episodes of the FOX show Dollhouse. Mostly because so many people on my f-list wanted it and mostly because I heard Alan Tudyk was guest staring in episodes eleven and twelve; I’ve been an Alan Tudyk fan since 2001/2002, so I had to watch. Now, I did watch the pilot, because I’ve enjoyed some of Joss Whedon’s other work (Firefly, Serenity, the first five and a half (or so) seasons of Buffy, the first two seasons of Angel), but – I turned it off about twenty minutes in.
Going into the episodes, I knew very little. I knew Eliza Dushku (Echo) was the star and a producer. I knew what I had seen was not the original pilot (is it ever with FOX?) and I knew that it was about these “Actives/Dolls” remembering themselves. Basically, I knew the plot and a few complaints that fans had with the show (slow pacing, weird slave/rape vibe in episodes, to name a few.)
Well, after watching the episodes, more or less back to back, I can safely saw the show has promise and it has a lot of issues that need to be worked out. For one thing: the first five episodes lacked focus. For another the Echo character is just a bit . . . well, focused on quite a bit. There are times when she’s Mary-Sue- ish and all her imprints seem to be the same – I blame writing and Dushku not being a strong enough actress at this point in her career. Also, Ballard’s increasingly creepy obsession with saving Caroline is . . . well, creepy. Very very creepy.
I’m actually less creeped out by John Conner having a thing for his Terminator protector, Cameron. I was less creped out when Jun Matsumoto and Nana Eikura were twins who made out. There’s just something freaky about a grown man being obsessed with a woman he’s never met and then wanting to ‘save’ her, while (maybe?) knowing that when she has no ‘imprint’, she’s basically, you know, a two year old.
But, I digress. I watched the episodes and have some thoughts. There were, as I said, some good and some bad points. And no, I don't think everyone will agree with me. But, I do hope we can all be adult about this.
Good Points:
- Most of the cast are wonderful in their roles. Harry J. Lennix (Boyd), Fran Kranz (Topher), Amy Acker (Whiskey/Claire Saunders), Olivia Williams (DeWitt) , Dichen Lachman (Sierra), Enver Gjokaj (Victor), Reed Diamond (Dominic) and even Alan Tudyk (Alpha) made me feel something for their characters. I was always wary of DeWitt, wondering what was up with Dr. Saunders, feeling sorry for Sierra and Victor. Etc, etc. I liked some of their storylines: Topher apparently having no morals, until the last episode, where she was clearly showing remorse over Whiskey (makes me think he might be just as trapped as the Actives and Whiskey herself). DeWitt was all British and shady, but there was something there – like, she thought – as all people do – that she was doing what was right and needed. Boyd, feeling fatherly toward Echo, but doing a job. Plus: Dichen and Enver were excellent in playing different people every week and then going back to being innocent child.
- The later episodes. Things began to slowly pick up around episode six, which is when (I believe that is when Joss was given full control) Echo was pushed slightly out of the way and more storylines came into focus. Also, more of the seeder side of the Dollhouse was shown, characters began to come forward and be explored, etc.
- The Topher/Dr. Saunders (Whiskey) mystery/connection. I find that so very fascinating. Did they know each other before? Did he really program her to hate him? Is Topher being blackmailed to do his work? Is he just doing it to keep Whiskey/Claire safe? Why did he finally show emotion after she expressed the fact that, no, she didn’t look?
- DeWitt. I tend to lean toward the ‘She’s doing a job.’ But. . .there are times when it seems to be more. All the shit Echo’s pulled and she’s not in the Attic? DeWitt clearly likes Echo, has an investment in her, but why?
- Sierra and Victor. He’s got a crush on her and she looks for him before going to bed. It’s all rather sweet. I mean, it’s not creepy ala Ballard’s thing for Echo or even Alpha’s later thing for Echo. It’s like, as others have said, two kindergartners holding hands, sitting next to each other at lunch time, sleeping next to each other at nap time, or looking for each other on the playground. Now, when they had their ‘We kind of remember/we’re kind of normal’ episode (1.08 – “Needs”) that let me know there could be more when they both start being more self-aware.
- People looking for/trying to stop the Dollhouse. There are 20 around the world, so the idea of people wanting to take them is cool. Sort of giving it all two sides to the story. Just wish they had used that more.
- Amy Acker’s scenes as Whiskey. It goes back to the first thing, but it reminded me why I like Amy Acker. And the Whiskey!Crystal and Alpha!Bobby scenes in twelve? So creepy, and yet – Amy/Alan have chemistry. Ew. Disturbing, but I couldn’t turn away. Alpha’s Handler said that Whiskey was a “bad influence” on Alpha, so if there is a second season, I want to see more of that. Were Whiskey and Alpha friends?
Which leads me to:
Bad Points:
- Some of the acting is bad/always the same/phoned in. I’m looking at you, Miracle Laurie (Mellie/November), Eliza Dushku (Echo/Caroline), and Tahmoh Penikett (Paul Ballard).
- Those first four or five episodes were horrible. It was all about Echo with her clients and having sex/being sexy.
- The Dollhouse is something that seems more like a big whore house than a place to help anyone. Using a Doll to negotiate something, okay. Using a Doll to figure out who killed you, alright. Using a Doll to sneak into a private building, fine. Using a Doll to bring comfort to a dying kid, great. Using a Doll to have sexy fun time? EW. EWW! The Dollhouse should be called Pimphouse. There is just something disturbing and disgusting about people paying to have sex with someone who will do whatever they want and then leave – and not remember a damn thing. I understand that the producers, FOX, and the writers and actors discuss the whole slavery/human tracking/rape thing often, but they never really got to the heart of the issue.
- Slow pacing was another issue with this show. Did they know there would only be 12 episodes? Because, it seems like they didn’t. I thought the whole point was that Echo and the other Actives were becoming self-aware, and that didn’t really happen. I mean, there were hints that Echo and even Victor and to a lesser extent Sierra were remembering and becoming self aware, but that never went anywhere. Not really. Instead, they went the ‘People are who they are, even if they have no memories.’ route. Which was fine. But, they were still rather slow getting to that point.
- Uneven plots goes with the slow pacing. Half the characters didn’t even get a plot line until episode five or six. And then, they more or less went away by episode eight/nine/ten. The plot of Ballard wanting to shut down the Dollhouse turned into him having an obsession with Echo/Caroline. Echo becoming self-aware went in and out. The staff of the Dollhouse were the “evil/bad people/mortally gray people” for nearly half the show. Victor and Sierra were just their imprints for the first five episodes. I could go on. But, the fact that at least 25-30 minutes of each 46-49 minute episode was Echo in her imprinted state or people talking about Echo? Seriously?
- Alpha was not the villain he could have been. In the end, he was a crazy murder, who went crazier and was obsessed with a girl. Disappointing and more likely than not, poor planning.
- Everybody loves/is obsessed with Echo. Considering that Eliza came up with this concept with Joss. That they were discussing her career path and how she never gets to do what she wants. And, the fact that she has said that she feels that “there is something of herself in Echo, in Caroline, and in every engagement identity Echo assumes.” makes me think this is a bit of a vanity project. I mean, Ballard and Alpha are obsessed with her, when Ballard never met her and Alpha become obsessed when he had the mind of a five year old. Boyd loves her as a father/friend, which I suppose is not an issue, so much – it’s just odd that he’s really the only Handler (that we’ve seen) who wants to protect his charge. Maybe Boyd is just a better person. DeWitt gives Echo many chances. Lots of chances. She should be in the Attic, but instead she’s walking around, and getting sent on all sorts of engagements. And don’t get me started on Caroline – from what we’ve seen, she was self-righteous and even a bit, well, stupid. Ah, youth. That said, I just want to be clear that I am in no way trying to bash Eliza (who comes off as a nice and fun girl). I just wish the writers/producers would not focus so much on her character.
- For an ensemble show, it really wasn’t much of an ensemble. Half the time, I felt like half the characters would show up to: program an Active, fix an Active’s arm, be programmed, be snarky, whatever. There are seven main cast members and four recurring cast members that were in nearly every episode. Yet, I feel that only three or four of them got any real development, until the last episode. And then, that development wasn’t much – just more questions that may or may not be answered. I have watched shorter shows with more characters that gave their characters more development. It was just that Dollhouse was too rushed/lazy/ill plotted to do so.
Things I Still Don't Get:
- Do the other Actives/Dolls not notice that "nice Dr. Saunders" is Whiskey? Or were most of them killed, so they only had to 'reprogram' a handful?
- Does Whiskey/Claire Saunders never glitch?
- It seems like Sierra was sold to the Dollhouse. I thought they didn't do that.
With all of that said, I do think Dollhouse had/has potential. The show needs a lot of tweaking. A lot of tweaking. Plots need to be more even – this is mean to be ‘ensemble’ than ‘The Echo and Ballard Show’. Characters need to be reworked a bit. And the writing needs to be tighter – because some episodes had scenes that worked beautifully and other scenes that were just a mess.
I’ve read that FOX will only renew Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles or Dollhouse. Because God knows you can’t have more than one futuristic sci-fi show. And honestly, while I enjoyed both (more or less on the Dollhouse front) and while I agree that both need some work (TSCC less so, as they’ve had more episodes to work it out – they’re building a new mythology people. They go slow because of that. Dollhouse went slow to show Dolls having dates with people who are, like, two seconds from being perverts.) I would, personally, pick TSCC at this point. Besides, its overall ratings were (apparently) more solid. To be fair, I may do this with TSCC. Because, at the end of the day - I still cannot figure out if I like the show or just the actors/some of the characters. But, I know I adored everything a bout TSCC.
Going into the episodes, I knew very little. I knew Eliza Dushku (Echo) was the star and a producer. I knew what I had seen was not the original pilot (is it ever with FOX?) and I knew that it was about these “Actives/Dolls” remembering themselves. Basically, I knew the plot and a few complaints that fans had with the show (slow pacing, weird slave/rape vibe in episodes, to name a few.)
Well, after watching the episodes, more or less back to back, I can safely saw the show has promise and it has a lot of issues that need to be worked out. For one thing: the first five episodes lacked focus. For another the Echo character is just a bit . . . well, focused on quite a bit. There are times when she’s Mary-Sue- ish and all her imprints seem to be the same – I blame writing and Dushku not being a strong enough actress at this point in her career. Also, Ballard’s increasingly creepy obsession with saving Caroline is . . . well, creepy. Very very creepy.
I’m actually less creeped out by John Conner having a thing for his Terminator protector, Cameron. I was less creped out when Jun Matsumoto and Nana Eikura were twins who made out. There’s just something freaky about a grown man being obsessed with a woman he’s never met and then wanting to ‘save’ her, while (maybe?) knowing that when she has no ‘imprint’, she’s basically, you know, a two year old.
But, I digress. I watched the episodes and have some thoughts. There were, as I said, some good and some bad points. And no, I don't think everyone will agree with me. But, I do hope we can all be adult about this.
Good Points:
- Most of the cast are wonderful in their roles. Harry J. Lennix (Boyd), Fran Kranz (Topher), Amy Acker (Whiskey/Claire Saunders), Olivia Williams (DeWitt) , Dichen Lachman (Sierra), Enver Gjokaj (Victor), Reed Diamond (Dominic) and even Alan Tudyk (Alpha) made me feel something for their characters. I was always wary of DeWitt, wondering what was up with Dr. Saunders, feeling sorry for Sierra and Victor. Etc, etc. I liked some of their storylines: Topher apparently having no morals, until the last episode, where she was clearly showing remorse over Whiskey (makes me think he might be just as trapped as the Actives and Whiskey herself). DeWitt was all British and shady, but there was something there – like, she thought – as all people do – that she was doing what was right and needed. Boyd, feeling fatherly toward Echo, but doing a job. Plus: Dichen and Enver were excellent in playing different people every week and then going back to being innocent child.
- The later episodes. Things began to slowly pick up around episode six, which is when (I believe that is when Joss was given full control) Echo was pushed slightly out of the way and more storylines came into focus. Also, more of the seeder side of the Dollhouse was shown, characters began to come forward and be explored, etc.
- The Topher/Dr. Saunders (Whiskey) mystery/connection. I find that so very fascinating. Did they know each other before? Did he really program her to hate him? Is Topher being blackmailed to do his work? Is he just doing it to keep Whiskey/Claire safe? Why did he finally show emotion after she expressed the fact that, no, she didn’t look?
- DeWitt. I tend to lean toward the ‘She’s doing a job.’ But. . .there are times when it seems to be more. All the shit Echo’s pulled and she’s not in the Attic? DeWitt clearly likes Echo, has an investment in her, but why?
- Sierra and Victor. He’s got a crush on her and she looks for him before going to bed. It’s all rather sweet. I mean, it’s not creepy ala Ballard’s thing for Echo or even Alpha’s later thing for Echo. It’s like, as others have said, two kindergartners holding hands, sitting next to each other at lunch time, sleeping next to each other at nap time, or looking for each other on the playground. Now, when they had their ‘We kind of remember/we’re kind of normal’ episode (1.08 – “Needs”) that let me know there could be more when they both start being more self-aware.
- People looking for/trying to stop the Dollhouse. There are 20 around the world, so the idea of people wanting to take them is cool. Sort of giving it all two sides to the story. Just wish they had used that more.
- Amy Acker’s scenes as Whiskey. It goes back to the first thing, but it reminded me why I like Amy Acker. And the Whiskey!Crystal and Alpha!Bobby scenes in twelve? So creepy, and yet – Amy/Alan have chemistry. Ew. Disturbing, but I couldn’t turn away. Alpha’s Handler said that Whiskey was a “bad influence” on Alpha, so if there is a second season, I want to see more of that. Were Whiskey and Alpha friends?
Which leads me to:
Bad Points:
- Some of the acting is bad/always the same/phoned in. I’m looking at you, Miracle Laurie (Mellie/November), Eliza Dushku (Echo/Caroline), and Tahmoh Penikett (Paul Ballard).
- Those first four or five episodes were horrible. It was all about Echo with her clients and having sex/being sexy.
- The Dollhouse is something that seems more like a big whore house than a place to help anyone. Using a Doll to negotiate something, okay. Using a Doll to figure out who killed you, alright. Using a Doll to sneak into a private building, fine. Using a Doll to bring comfort to a dying kid, great. Using a Doll to have sexy fun time? EW. EWW! The Dollhouse should be called Pimphouse. There is just something disturbing and disgusting about people paying to have sex with someone who will do whatever they want and then leave – and not remember a damn thing. I understand that the producers, FOX, and the writers and actors discuss the whole slavery/human tracking/rape thing often, but they never really got to the heart of the issue.
- Slow pacing was another issue with this show. Did they know there would only be 12 episodes? Because, it seems like they didn’t. I thought the whole point was that Echo and the other Actives were becoming self-aware, and that didn’t really happen. I mean, there were hints that Echo and even Victor and to a lesser extent Sierra were remembering and becoming self aware, but that never went anywhere. Not really. Instead, they went the ‘People are who they are, even if they have no memories.’ route. Which was fine. But, they were still rather slow getting to that point.
- Uneven plots goes with the slow pacing. Half the characters didn’t even get a plot line until episode five or six. And then, they more or less went away by episode eight/nine/ten. The plot of Ballard wanting to shut down the Dollhouse turned into him having an obsession with Echo/Caroline. Echo becoming self-aware went in and out. The staff of the Dollhouse were the “evil/bad people/mortally gray people” for nearly half the show. Victor and Sierra were just their imprints for the first five episodes. I could go on. But, the fact that at least 25-30 minutes of each 46-49 minute episode was Echo in her imprinted state or people talking about Echo? Seriously?
- Alpha was not the villain he could have been. In the end, he was a crazy murder, who went crazier and was obsessed with a girl. Disappointing and more likely than not, poor planning.
- Everybody loves/is obsessed with Echo. Considering that Eliza came up with this concept with Joss. That they were discussing her career path and how she never gets to do what she wants. And, the fact that she has said that she feels that “there is something of herself in Echo, in Caroline, and in every engagement identity Echo assumes.” makes me think this is a bit of a vanity project. I mean, Ballard and Alpha are obsessed with her, when Ballard never met her and Alpha become obsessed when he had the mind of a five year old. Boyd loves her as a father/friend, which I suppose is not an issue, so much – it’s just odd that he’s really the only Handler (that we’ve seen) who wants to protect his charge. Maybe Boyd is just a better person. DeWitt gives Echo many chances. Lots of chances. She should be in the Attic, but instead she’s walking around, and getting sent on all sorts of engagements. And don’t get me started on Caroline – from what we’ve seen, she was self-righteous and even a bit, well, stupid. Ah, youth. That said, I just want to be clear that I am in no way trying to bash Eliza (who comes off as a nice and fun girl). I just wish the writers/producers would not focus so much on her character.
- For an ensemble show, it really wasn’t much of an ensemble. Half the time, I felt like half the characters would show up to: program an Active, fix an Active’s arm, be programmed, be snarky, whatever. There are seven main cast members and four recurring cast members that were in nearly every episode. Yet, I feel that only three or four of them got any real development, until the last episode. And then, that development wasn’t much – just more questions that may or may not be answered. I have watched shorter shows with more characters that gave their characters more development. It was just that Dollhouse was too rushed/lazy/ill plotted to do so.
Things I Still Don't Get:
- Do the other Actives/Dolls not notice that "nice Dr. Saunders" is Whiskey? Or were most of them killed, so they only had to 'reprogram' a handful?
- Does Whiskey/Claire Saunders never glitch?
- It seems like Sierra was sold to the Dollhouse. I thought they didn't do that.
With all of that said, I do think Dollhouse had/has potential. The show needs a lot of tweaking. A lot of tweaking. Plots need to be more even – this is mean to be ‘ensemble’ than ‘The Echo and Ballard Show’. Characters need to be reworked a bit. And the writing needs to be tighter – because some episodes had scenes that worked beautifully and other scenes that were just a mess.
I’ve read that FOX will only renew Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles or Dollhouse. Because God knows you can’t have more than one futuristic sci-fi show. And honestly, while I enjoyed both (more or less on the Dollhouse front) and while I agree that both need some work (TSCC less so, as they’ve had more episodes to work it out – they’re building a new mythology people. They go slow because of that. Dollhouse went slow to show Dolls having dates with people who are, like, two seconds from being perverts.) I would, personally, pick TSCC at this point. Besides, its overall ratings were (apparently) more solid. To be fair, I may do this with TSCC. Because, at the end of the day - I still cannot figure out if I like the show or just the actors/some of the characters. But, I know I adored everything a bout TSCC.
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no subject
Date: 2009-05-14 10:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-14 11:44 pm (UTC)It's just painfully clear that Joss W. didn't get to start on his vision for the show until episode 6 and by then, it was nearly too late to save the show. I will check out the DVD, because the original pilot (which has the clips used in the trailers) is on there. But, as I said. . . I don't know if it should get a season two. If it does - get those producers and writers in a room to hammer out all the glitches this show has.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-15 05:05 am (UTC)I love Joss Whedon in everything that he does, so I'm def. gonna watch it:)
no subject
Date: 2009-05-15 07:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-15 07:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-15 07:22 pm (UTC)