Dollhouse

[Inigima]

[quote name='Max the Mostly Mediocre' post='1687291' date='Feb 15 2009, 04.22']It's unkind, but every time Dushku was in her, uh, blank slate mode, I couldn't help thinking that Summer Glau did it better in Firefly/Serenity.[/quote]
I'm not certain the two are directly comparable. Been a while since I've seen Firefly/Serenity, but when is River in a similar state?

[needle]

Dammit. I was really hoping this would be good, but simultaneously worried it wouldn't be.

God knows when it'll get to the Uk and we can actually watch it, anyway.

[Ran]

I liked it. Not the middle, so much, that was just kind of so-so. But the concept and its , and the turn at the very end, is intriguing, and I thought Dushku was fine. She's not the world's greatest actress, but she's broadly competent, and very good at playing certain things (like feisty, spirited ass-kicking).

Biggest plot fault(s) for me are:

1) Echo just wandering into the personality transfer room. If they have issues with the dolls seeing the process, locking doors might be a nice idea. Weak, Mr. Whedon. Weak.

2) Negotiator Echo bumping into the man who abused one of the sources for her personality, which seems awfully coincidental.

SPOILER: Dollhouse

However, on reflection in light of that turn in the end, it may be that Alpha or someone else engineered this event specifically to get a doll -- not necessarily Echo, though probably -- to run into this guy.

3) Her Spanish was kinda crappy. ;) Although I guess there's no reason that they were planning to give her anything more than early high school Spanish, I guess.


I'll be watching the next episode, certainly.

(And yeah, Fox is squeezing all it can out of the high concept, re: beautiful people. That dress Duskhu had on at the start? Ought to be illegal.)

Plot speculation:

SPOILER: Dollhouse

Is Dr. Saunders scarred because of the result of Alpha's escape... or is she a former doll whose scars make her unsuitable for the job, and for whatever reason they kept her on board?

What odds they get a personality copy of new employees like Boyd and, if they get disgruntled, wipe 'em, upload the memory backup, and send them on their way?

[Mexal]

Who was Alpha? I think I missed that part.

[Rubies & Jade]

[quote name='Ran' post='1687403' date='Feb 15 2009, 10.27']1) Echo just wandering into the personality transfer room. If they have issues with the dolls seeing the process, locking doors might be a nice idea. Weak, Mr. Whedon. Weak.[/quote]
yeah, I almost turned it off at that point. not only lock the doors, but fire your interior decorator--why have a room that you want secret lined with frosted glass so those you want to keep out can see the flashing lights & hear screaming? stupid.

[quote name='Ran' post='1687403' date='Feb 15 2009, 10.27']

SPOILER: Dollhouse

Is Dr. Saunders scarred ...

[/quote]
this is the only thing that kinda intriqued me--I wanna know whats her deal.

[Ran]

Mexal,

SPOILER: Dollhouse

The file at the end referred to Alpha. Then we see some weird naked guy watching a DVD of Caroline with the bodies of two dead people behind him, and he's sending a photo to Agent Ballard. Given that Caroline was renamed Echo, and that other woman Sierra, they're naming the dolls after the military phonetic alphabet -- Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, etc. So Alpha's a rogue doll, it seems.

That's my speculation, anyways.

[Mexal]

[quote name='Ran' post='1687424' date='Feb 15 2009, 10.59']Mexal,

SPOILER: Dollhouse

The file at the end referred to Alpha. Then we see some weird naked guy watching a DVD of Caroline with the bodies of two dead people behind him, and he's sending a photo to Agent Ballard. Given that Caroline was renamed Echo, and that other woman Sierra, they're naming the dolls after the military phonetic alphabet -- Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, etc. So Alpha's a rogue doll, it seems.

That's my speculation, anyways.

[/quote]

Ok. Makes sense.

[Ran]

Oh, forgot to mention I liked the intro sequence's use of the tilt-shift effect. Clever, and nicely thematic.

[Guest Raidne]

That dress was criminal.

I think the first episode was OK and that there's a lot of potential for the show to get better. I really like the central premise as developed by Whedon, who I trust to keep it complex and a bit philosophical and not let it evolve into a cheap spin on the first season of Alias (which I also actually liked, anyway). I do hope the actors get a little less heavy handed at handling the issues of self and responsibility and all that that are raised, but if last week's BSG was any indication, I can forgive that pretty easily.

[Matrim Fox Cauthon]

[quote name='Ran' post='1687403' date='Feb 15 2009, 10.27']Biggest plot fault(s) for me are:

1) Echo just wandering into the personality transfer room. If they have issues with the dolls seeing the process, locking doors might be a nice idea. Weak, Mr. Whedon. Weak.[/quote]It's not just a matter of an unlocked door, but how easily accessed that area seems to be by the dolls.

My only concern is that I will hate Dollhouse Helo anywhere near as much as I hate BSG Helo.

[Guest Raidne]

[quote name='Matrim Fox Cauthon' post='1687540' date='Feb 15 2009, 13.39']My only concern is that I will hate Dollhouse Helo anywhere near as much as I hate BSG Helo.[/quote]

I could not agree more.

[Ran]

Bah. Can't keep a good man down. ;)

I was surprised that so much vitriol was being spent on the show pre-airing, about the rape of the dolls and whatnot, when the intro piece basically makes it plain that the dolls (or at least Echo) are there because they made a choice to trade five years of their lives (and bodies) for ... something. Obviously, whether being able to sell oneself into what's basically slavery is okay is a question. But still. I had thought from all the talk that they were kidnapped homeless people or something.

They aren't necessarily innocent victims, although the Ballard angle may suggest that not all the dolls are there voluntarily.

[Vegas]

[quote name='Ran' post='1687590' date='Feb 15 2009, 14.35']They aren't necessarily innocent victims, although the Ballard angle may suggest that not all the dolls are there voluntarily.[/quote]

The Dollhouse is, at best, a predator of the desperate. There's quite a bit of [i]Altered Carbon[/i] philosophy going on with this show (as regards to sleeving/resleeving). Perhaps I'd be okay with it if it were a government sanctioned establishment.

[Ran]

I don't know that government sanction makes it any better, really. But yes, they seem willing to recruit desperate people. Doubtless we'll learn more about Echo's background and what brought her to that choice if the show continues past its initial order.

[Dirk Llama]

[quote name='Matrim Fox Cauthon' post='1687540' date='Feb 15 2009, 13.39']It's not just a matter of an unlocked door, but how easily accessed that area seems to be by the dolls.

My only concern is that I will hate Dollhouse Helo anywhere near as much as I hate BSG Helo.[/quote]

Michael Muhney, who played Lamb on [i]Veronica Mars[/i] auditioned for the role and while he's not a tremendous actor, he's certainly better than Tahmoh Penikett. Or, maybe Tahmoh just hasn't had much to work with because Helo is by far the most loosely drawn of all the major [i]Battlestar Galactica[/i] characters. There's something to Helo, he's loyal and shit, but it's not much. So, hopefuly it's a failure of writing and not acting, because it'd suck for a seemingly significant character to be played by a black hole of an actor. Could bring down the whole show.

[oneeye]

I think the reason the doll memory room is not well hidden is because it's supposed to be a safe treatment room not something bad.

Also most dolls don't show much curiosity.

---------


Helo will be dead soon, along with everyone else once Cavil #1 catches up with them, worry not my pretties.

[Shryke]

Aye, I didn't see anything wrong with the Doll walking in on the procedure. Their more like ... kids. The doctor let her wander off and the computer guy just didn't want her fucking the procedure up.

I mean, the rooms not a damn secret, everyone in the place is either a Doll or knows what's going on. There's no reason it SHOULD be locked.


All in all, I enjoyed it. Not spectacular, but I'm interested and I was entertained.

[Matrim Fox Cauthon]

BTW, I was definitely not convinced by the actor that the computer guy could be any sort of scientist, computer guy, or a genius.

[Brude]

[quote name='Bach' post='1687833' date='Feb 15 2009, 20.38']I think the reason the doll memory room is not well hidden is because it's supposed to be a safe treatment room not something bad.

Also most dolls don't show much curiosity.[/quote]
I think as part of their memory implants they are given the notion that "the treatment" is all well and good for them, nothing to fear, question or worry about. It's just a part of the reality they know and trust. That's why they are perfectly willing and accepting of going back to the Dollhouse for their treatment.

[Mya Stone]

As my stepkids flew into Boston on Friday night, I had to DVR this and finally got a chance to watch it.

I like it, I think it's an interesting premise, and while I'll concede that Eliza isn't the world's best actress, she's interesting, and this will give her many things to play to. I also think that for a pilot, it was okay, but has shown that it's got potential that far excedes what we've been shown so far, and I really hope that the Friday night death slot isn't the kiss of death for this show before it's given a full season to spread it's wings.

Did anyone else think that parts of the Dollhouse looked very Wolfram and Hartish? :P

And it was great to see Amy Acker. I'd love to know more about her. She's too much of Joss's girl to just be given a couple of lines here and there - there's totally back story, and I hope we're given the time to find out.