"He's paid to not look surprised."
I’ve been trying to figure out how to approach an end assessment of the late Dollhouse. I have no strong feelings, probably because I wasn’t that huge a fan of it the first place. Sure it had a (mostly) stellar cast, and it threw out some lofty issues to discuss and debate (Free will! Identity! Sexual slavery!), but it was more a curiosity (look what Joss is doing now!) than a story I could get emotionally involved in (in a completely sane way, of course).
Didn’t help that Joss & co. were forced to end their story early and the plotholes were many and HUGE:
Why was Boyd the bringer of the apocalypse? Where’s his mad scientist origin story? (Was he even a scientist?) What exactly was the sitch with Dr. CliveClaire and Boyd? Was she always Clive as Claire and Whiskey? Why would Boyd, in protecting his walking-talking fountain of youth, allow Echo to be put in so many dangerous situations? What was with the creepy ‘you’re my family’ talk? (Even Paul? I mean, he just tried to kill Paul!) And what about a contingency plan? He was an evil genius, so he should’ve had a backup of himself somewhere super-secret and safe should, you know, he be made into a human bomb. Evil geniuses usually think ahead, right?
I can’t help but thing that Joss’s original plan for Boyd was something different but the truncated season (and I would imagine, the reduced guest star budget – no more Carradines for you!) forced him to turn to an already-there character/actor rather than introduce someone new…so TWIST! I guess? Lennix was great as evil, but there’s only so much an actor can do without a viable, earned backstory.
How did Caroline get the funds for all her hot clothes and solo commando missions? ID/credit card theft a la the Supernatural boys? I kind of hope she had a secret benefactor who figure in later in the story.
How did Adelle get there? If there’s any glaringly absent backstory, it’s hers. Of course, Olivia Williams and her arms are so amazing, I’m happy as long she’s in her immaculate wardrobe and toting a gun.
Wasn’t Echo told to smash the chair after she (ugh) uploaded Paul to her overly crowded brain? That chair was still intact when Fox abruptly cut to the next show.** Sloppiness or an opening for future stories elsewhere, like comics?
I like romance with my sci-fi but sometimes I feel like Joss watched more Days of Our Lives
than I did as a kid. Why did I have to watch Tony and Priya futzing around Topher’s workshop discussing their relationship in the penultimate ep instead of learning just what the hell Boyd’s deal was or seeing Adele’s reaction when she found out who Boyd really was? I felt cheated.
Of course, I never bought the doomed OTP of Echo & Paul as they were so thoroughly boring and awful and idiotic. It was even worse when Topher had to clip Paul's ‘lurve nerves’ or whatever to make room in his brain for…shit, I don’t know. And then to have Echo pining for him?? Gah. Paul was even worse as the patronizing manipulator of doormat Mellie. She offs herself to save him?! Her mad ninja skillz were the only remotely interesting things about her! Kill him! KILL HIM WITH YOUR FLOWERS IN A VASE!!!!!
(Honestly, I was always astonished a guy that stupid and obvious stayed alive that long.)
And, then, once Paul was finally offed, we got to see Echo have an Adama-esque level meltdown minus the paint and antique model ships. I guess she felt bad about not saying how she felt about him? I… *sigh* So she uploads him…and will she be yelling at herself when they fight about leaving dirty dishes in the sink in her head? I really didn’t get how that was going to work.
Even the Tony/Priya relationship stuff seemed out of place – hell, downright laughable – with the dystopian backdrop. (And of course that's Tony’s kid. Why reveal it like it was surprising?) This is when the character aspect gets in the way of plot, which was of primary importance in the final episode. I would’ve rather gotten hints on the relationship stuff and more solid storytelling when it came to the plot. (Writing was not all that good for this series. Joss is still great with a quip, but in general the writing was mediocre to awful. More than once it felt like the script faltered under too many metaphors and too much preaching.)
Speaking of MadMaxVictor and his cyberpunk babelfish, the last few eps were a holy wreck of (the writers’?) fave sci fi films and shows rolled in an overflowing cannoli of heretofore unmixed elements:
Zombies: the Dolls (natch), Prya’s evil doctor/rapist in her Attic hallucinations.
BSG: Cylon Tanks of Goo™ in the attic, with Clive as the mainfraim/hybrid (ENDOFLINE)
Frankenstein: Obvious, only more with the brain zappy than the sewn together body parts.
That Whedon Touch: Ginger lesbians, double-handed neck breaks, evil white men (except for Boyd. Progress in a post-racial Obama world?), ending his stories with widespread wanton death and destruction.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy parts of this last stretch of eps:
REED!
ALPHA! (Who rehabbed himself in Reno. Of course.)
Victor as Topher
Adelle mothering Topher
Topher as Martyred Nerd (Was the red shirt he was wearing a Trek shoutout?)
Scut Farkus as the leader of the Resistance
How Tuscon is the center of all Dollhouse-an evil, like how Burbank is the center of international espionage on Chuck.
So, Dollhouse, you collapsed under the weight of Joss's pretensions and Fox's stupidity. There's always my Firefly DVDs.
*Say maybe he was an unfairly disgraced cop/fed who had a daughter he never saw/lost to violence/general badness because he was so devoted to the job, which is why he was so protective of Echo. Cliché, yes, but I think Lennix could have sold it.
**The end? Ya didn't have two seconds for a proper fade out Fox? It's a fucking cooking show!!!
Showing posts with label dollhouse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dollhouse. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Did I miss anything? Just the Vodka, thank God.
Dollhouse, Season 2
I intended to post episode reviews, but laziness and a sense of fruitlessness, compelled me to abstain. In other words, I would be saying the same thing every week: stand-alone eps are weak and absurd, while the interior eps dealing with the ethics and background of the Dollhouse are some of the most intriguing television drama I've seen.
Stand-alones
Eliza and Tamoh, and their characters, still interest me the least. Though, I will say both the writing for them and their performances are better than what we saw during the first season. Nonetheless, when Echo and Paul take center stage, the rest of the DHers seem to lose dozens of IQ points: Really, who thought leaving the serial killer unguarded and still alive was a good idea? Anyone can come in or out of the place, unchecked and unseen.
TPTB also hit and miss with their use of guest stars. Jamie Bamber worked out great, all sinister with the accent and the hotness...mmmm Apollo..... um. right. But they also had Michael Hogan and let him die in a car accident halfway through the ep without doing much of anything! How do you waste Saul Fucking Tigh??!!!
The Grand Arc
When we stay in the Dollhouse we see one of the best ensembles on television. And we actually learn about these people: We learn about these people: Boyd the Fixer, Topher the MD, Priya the artist, the Doctors Saunders, Ms. Adele Lonelyhearts.... And here is also where Echo and her development as a sort of emancipating leader of the Dolls makes her the compelling question mark rather then the chick in the ridiculously tight clothes.*
Specifically, "Belonging" was even better because of how it tied to the unaired season one coda "Epitaph One." We see the beginning of Topher going mental and Adele's (now the functional alcoholic) beginning softness towards him, and Echo the Protector.
Oh, and as far as "Epitaph One" goes, my only real note is that I loved seeing Olivia Williams with a machine gun more than I can say.
So, while I do look forward to the eps returning in December, I kinda hope that Fox's shunning the series during November sweeps is a sign that they'll give the show a merciful death. I don't think Joss really has it in him, story-wise, to go further than this second season without annoying the shit out of me.
*Seriously, that dress she wore at the beginning of "Belonging" was retarded. Showing off a beautiful girl is fine, but she was basically naked. They give Dichen reasonable clothes. Why can't Eliza get a break? But it must also be said: Eliza needs to learn how to walk. A girl that pretty should glide, not lumber. Christ, I'm turning into to my grandmother.
I intended to post episode reviews, but laziness and a sense of fruitlessness, compelled me to abstain. In other words, I would be saying the same thing every week: stand-alone eps are weak and absurd, while the interior eps dealing with the ethics and background of the Dollhouse are some of the most intriguing television drama I've seen.
Stand-alones
Eliza and Tamoh, and their characters, still interest me the least. Though, I will say both the writing for them and their performances are better than what we saw during the first season. Nonetheless, when Echo and Paul take center stage, the rest of the DHers seem to lose dozens of IQ points: Really, who thought leaving the serial killer unguarded and still alive was a good idea? Anyone can come in or out of the place, unchecked and unseen.
TPTB also hit and miss with their use of guest stars. Jamie Bamber worked out great, all sinister with the accent and the hotness...mmmm Apollo..... um. right. But they also had Michael Hogan and let him die in a car accident halfway through the ep without doing much of anything! How do you waste Saul Fucking Tigh??!!!
The Grand Arc
When we stay in the Dollhouse we see one of the best ensembles on television. And we actually learn about these people: We learn about these people: Boyd the Fixer, Topher the MD, Priya the artist, the Doctors Saunders, Ms. Adele Lonelyhearts.... And here is also where Echo and her development as a sort of emancipating leader of the Dolls makes her the compelling question mark rather then the chick in the ridiculously tight clothes.*
Specifically, "Belonging" was even better because of how it tied to the unaired season one coda "Epitaph One." We see the beginning of Topher going mental and Adele's (now the functional alcoholic) beginning softness towards him, and Echo the Protector.
Oh, and as far as "Epitaph One" goes, my only real note is that I loved seeing Olivia Williams with a machine gun more than I can say.
So, while I do look forward to the eps returning in December, I kinda hope that Fox's shunning the series during November sweeps is a sign that they'll give the show a merciful death. I don't think Joss really has it in him, story-wise, to go further than this second season without annoying the shit out of me.
*Seriously, that dress she wore at the beginning of "Belonging" was retarded. Showing off a beautiful girl is fine, but she was basically naked. They give Dichen reasonable clothes. Why can't Eliza get a break? But it must also be said: Eliza needs to learn how to walk. A girl that pretty should glide, not lumber. Christ, I'm turning into to my grandmother.
Monday, May 11, 2009
You always say nothing.
Quick off-topic pondering: Why is evil Prison Break mom so evil? Is it cuz it's hard to see through a dozen layers of of false eyelashes and mascara and eyeliner? And also not to get at least some of that mascara smudged on that spiffy white pantsuit she's wearing? Must be frustrating...
Dollhouse, Week 12
So. Huh. I guess it's appropriate the season finale would be indicative of how I feel about the show as a whole: The two leads are mediocre and poorly written; the plot's a mess; and good actors (and some beautiful sets!) are going to waste.
To the pains...
Her is me. So, shiny sparkly Echo is the reason the psycho killer from Alpha's original self switched on, and he offed his handler, the original Dr. Saunders (an old dude!), and sliced up Whiskey's (Saunders 2.0) face. Why Whiskey? Because she was the #1 Doll and Alpha wanted shiny sparkly Echo to be number one. (Yes, all this chaos and death resulted from a dude wanting the new girl in school.) His obsession with Echo withstands the 40-something personalities he holds in that square head of his, and decides that she should be Omega to his Alpha and have bunches of fucked up personalities too! So they can "ascend" (when did this become fucking Stargate?) and be superstrong psycho freaks together, ruling the world or something, from a warehouse in an abandoned San Pedro industrial park. To do this, they kidnap the ....
...and for some reason Google hiccuped, the toads rained from the sky, and the rivers ran red, deleting my brilliantly bitter post about this sad clusterfuck of a show. So let's cut to the chase, as I am tired and this shit ain't getting renewed...
Acker and Kranz were fantastic and I would love to see these characters interact more. There's some lovely development here that we'll probably never get to see. Let's hope they get better shows next year.
For the first time, I liked Caroline, in the random kidnapping victim who happened to be Mike Seaver's baby sister. But she doesn't have a producer's credit like Eliza so...YA DEAD.
Ballard still sucks and he is already pushing Boyd to the background.
RE: Alpha's serial killer-ness: "I flagged it in the paperwork..." (He was an administrative SNAFU! This explains everything!)
They actually take the prospective actives pre-brainwipe on a tour of the facilities? I figured they would anesthetize them right after signing and make with the mindzapping before there were any second thoughts. Then again, these are the same folks who recruit serial killers for dangerous brainfuckery, give them weapons training, and then headquarter themselves in Tuscon. So, clearly this is SOP... ("It was only 'attempted murder'...")
"Bal-LARD and his crimesolving abilities"?! Biggest laugh of the season.
Is one of Alpha's imprints Dr. Smith?
"Friends are nice."
"You are the best?" Oh for fuck's sake. Amy Acker kicks Eliza's ass everyday of the week and twice on Sundays. Alpha totally traded down...
This is what I've been saying: Don't let Dolls have scissors.
Eyes! Like Deadwood!!!!
You don't get enough Minoan shout-outs.....
"Well, one of my personalities happens to be a multiple personality..."
Wedge. Say it again.
Wedge.
Wedge. Wedge. Wedge. Wedge.
He saved the girl. GEDDIT?!
November = Madeline Cosley. Who is she? Fuck if I know...
Dollhouse, Week 12
So. Huh. I guess it's appropriate the season finale would be indicative of how I feel about the show as a whole: The two leads are mediocre and poorly written; the plot's a mess; and good actors (and some beautiful sets!) are going to waste.
To the pains...
Her is me. So, shiny sparkly Echo is the reason the psycho killer from Alpha's original self switched on, and he offed his handler, the original Dr. Saunders (an old dude!), and sliced up Whiskey's (Saunders 2.0) face. Why Whiskey? Because she was the #1 Doll and Alpha wanted shiny sparkly Echo to be number one. (Yes, all this chaos and death resulted from a dude wanting the new girl in school.) His obsession with Echo withstands the 40-something personalities he holds in that square head of his, and decides that she should be Omega to his Alpha and have bunches of fucked up personalities too! So they can "ascend" (when did this become fucking Stargate?) and be superstrong psycho freaks together, ruling the world or something, from a warehouse in an abandoned San Pedro industrial park. To do this, they kidnap the ....
...and for some reason Google hiccuped, the toads rained from the sky, and the rivers ran red, deleting my brilliantly bitter post about this sad clusterfuck of a show. So let's cut to the chase, as I am tired and this shit ain't getting renewed...
Acker and Kranz were fantastic and I would love to see these characters interact more. There's some lovely development here that we'll probably never get to see. Let's hope they get better shows next year.
For the first time, I liked Caroline, in the random kidnapping victim who happened to be Mike Seaver's baby sister. But she doesn't have a producer's credit like Eliza so...YA DEAD.
Ballard still sucks and he is already pushing Boyd to the background.
RE: Alpha's serial killer-ness: "I flagged it in the paperwork..." (He was an administrative SNAFU! This explains everything!)
They actually take the prospective actives pre-brainwipe on a tour of the facilities? I figured they would anesthetize them right after signing and make with the mindzapping before there were any second thoughts. Then again, these are the same folks who recruit serial killers for dangerous brainfuckery, give them weapons training, and then headquarter themselves in Tuscon. So, clearly this is SOP... ("It was only 'attempted murder'...")
"Bal-LARD and his crimesolving abilities"?! Biggest laugh of the season.
Is one of Alpha's imprints Dr. Smith?
"Friends are nice."
"You are the best?" Oh for fuck's sake. Amy Acker kicks Eliza's ass everyday of the week and twice on Sundays. Alpha totally traded down...
This is what I've been saying: Don't let Dolls have scissors.
Eyes! Like Deadwood!!!!
You don't get enough Minoan shout-outs.....
"Well, one of my personalities happens to be a multiple personality..."
Wedge. Say it again.
Wedge.
Wedge. Wedge. Wedge. Wedge.
He saved the girl. GEDDIT?!
November = Madeline Cosley. Who is she? Fuck if I know...
Sunday, May 3, 2009
I'm not comfortable having people in my home who aren't delivering me Thai food.
Me neither, Alpha. Me neither.
Dollhouse, Week 11
Here's why I can't get with Caroline or Ballard as my 'heroes': They seem more concerned about being right, rather than them doing right. Flaws are fine, but this just makes them assholes. And not amusing/sorta likable assholes, like House, just annoying, obnoxious, and taking screen time from characters that are actually compelling. It also doesn't help that the actors are fairly mediocre and around more for their hotness than their charisma or talent. That's why I couldn't enjoy this ep like wanted to; there's a good story developing here but it's being hampered by its leads. That's a problem.
Good
Written by Jane Espenson - "Carrots. Medicinal carrots." "I'm gonna die in pajamas."
"It's a small world, right? I went to elementary school with Jenna Elfman."
Let's keep bald black lady Fed and send Ballard to the attic.
Victor as Dominic!!! The freakout of realizing he was Attic-ed and now temporarily in a Doll was a nice touch, and the actor did a fine EvilReedDiamond impersonation.
Tudyk!!!! - So fantastic. Hilarious, menacing, and definitely worth the wait. Eliza's had virtually no presence when they shared a scene. Next week should be interesting... (And I really wanted Alpha to break out while he was in the mindzappy room and shove Ballard into the Comfy Chair.)
Boyd. Fuck Yeah. I seriously hate Ballard for hurting Boyd. This will not stand.
Random
"The Dollhouse is underground." - They're the Mole People!!??!!1
So the LA Dollhouse was built eight years ago?
Dollhouse HQ is in...Tuscon? For christ's sake, why? Then again, a locus of evil located in that god-forsaken place does make some sense. I have feeling Cindy McCain is involved somehow...
"Caroline, you don't have to do what they tell you." - Just do what I tell you. Be free, you brainwashed freak.
Grrrrr
Echo saves the children - was this some pro bono work that's supposed to make us like the Dollhouse tech now? Why did it take up so much time and then go nowhere? Why was it so. fucking. boring?
Why is it just Caroline that matters to Ballard? He doesn't think there are other Dolls that might like to not be Dolls anymore (like maybe the one he's been fucking for the last month)? I don't buy the connection they're trying to build between them. There is no connection, writers, other than their annoyance.
Seriously, Fox: NASCAR popups? During Dollhouse? I'm guessing the demos don't overlap as much as you'd like to think...
Dollhouse, Week 11
Here's why I can't get with Caroline or Ballard as my 'heroes': They seem more concerned about being right, rather than them doing right. Flaws are fine, but this just makes them assholes. And not amusing/sorta likable assholes, like House, just annoying, obnoxious, and taking screen time from characters that are actually compelling. It also doesn't help that the actors are fairly mediocre and around more for their hotness than their charisma or talent. That's why I couldn't enjoy this ep like wanted to; there's a good story developing here but it's being hampered by its leads. That's a problem.
Good
Written by Jane Espenson - "Carrots. Medicinal carrots." "I'm gonna die in pajamas."
"It's a small world, right? I went to elementary school with Jenna Elfman."
Let's keep bald black lady Fed and send Ballard to the attic.
Victor as Dominic!!! The freakout of realizing he was Attic-ed and now temporarily in a Doll was a nice touch, and the actor did a fine EvilReedDiamond impersonation.
Tudyk!!!! - So fantastic. Hilarious, menacing, and definitely worth the wait. Eliza's had virtually no presence when they shared a scene. Next week should be interesting... (And I really wanted Alpha to break out while he was in the mindzappy room and shove Ballard into the Comfy Chair.)
Boyd. Fuck Yeah. I seriously hate Ballard for hurting Boyd. This will not stand.
Random
"The Dollhouse is underground." - They're the Mole People!!??!!1
So the LA Dollhouse was built eight years ago?
Dollhouse HQ is in...Tuscon? For christ's sake, why? Then again, a locus of evil located in that god-forsaken place does make some sense. I have feeling Cindy McCain is involved somehow...
"Caroline, you don't have to do what they tell you." - Just do what I tell you. Be free, you brainwashed freak.
Grrrrr
Echo saves the children - was this some pro bono work that's supposed to make us like the Dollhouse tech now? Why did it take up so much time and then go nowhere? Why was it so. fucking. boring?
Why is it just Caroline that matters to Ballard? He doesn't think there are other Dolls that might like to not be Dolls anymore (like maybe the one he's been fucking for the last month)? I don't buy the connection they're trying to build between them. There is no connection, writers, other than their annoyance.
Seriously, Fox: NASCAR popups? During Dollhouse? I'm guessing the demos don't overlap as much as you'd like to think...
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Right now, we should be drinking.
Damnit! I turned the teevee too soon and thought WILLIAM FICHTNER was gonna be on Dollhouse. *sigh*
Dollhouse, Week 10
Alas, there was no Fichtner, but there was Gregg Henry, one of the kick-ass HITGs. Alas, he was woefully underused. Even as the red herring, he could've been given more to do. (Question: The boat fiasco = The noodle incident?)
Good
Topher - Layers! It appears that even he succumbs to his loneliness once a year, and creates a geek dream girl to play laser tag with for his birthday. Gah, how sad. It wasn't even some nasty, pervy scenario; he just wanted someone to hang out with! Also, love his interactions with Boyd.
Jane Espenson! wrote some of tonight's episode - can you guess which parts? (I'm guessing the discussion with NerdSierra about androids. And the, 'more money for everyone, yay!')
"We can't play with the sleepies..."
Everlasting life? Another morally questionable twist of the Dollhouse tech. Should there be a second season, this facet could give it legs.
Tudyk = Alpha? It's a guess. In any case, I would give about ten Tahmohs for one Tudyk on a regular basis. Let's make this happen, Joss.
Eh.
The Echo-focused plot. I like a drawing-room mystery as much as the next gal, but this was pretty rote and unsurprising. I mean, why wouldn't the killer be the evil popped-collar preppy with a gambling problem, when the bitter daughter and drunken uncle get so little screentime? (Also, I've only seen Jordan Bridges play a good guy once. and he still died.)
And yet another strange wardrobe choice takes me out of the story: the solid gold dress at the end? Seemed a bit much for a daytime reading of the will and stroll by the pasture. One can be both practical and hot in a decent pair of jeans and shitkickers.
November's breasts: MVP of the whole Mellie/Paul storyline? Paul's anger at the whole situation and the rough sex that followed is fine bit of darkness to add to that plot, but I'm still not feeling all that sorry for Ballard, and Mellie is such a simpering doormat I feel like smacking her around a bit myself. Perhaps I should give Joss, et al., kudos for creating a story wherein the mad scientists, rather than their victims, are the most interesting and sympathetic characters.
Um, where *was* Echo's handler? Seemed like he would've been handy when the Topsider Killer made with the syringe....
Dollhouse, Week 10
Alas, there was no Fichtner, but there was Gregg Henry, one of the kick-ass HITGs. Alas, he was woefully underused. Even as the red herring, he could've been given more to do. (Question: The boat fiasco = The noodle incident?)
Good
Topher - Layers! It appears that even he succumbs to his loneliness once a year, and creates a geek dream girl to play laser tag with for his birthday. Gah, how sad. It wasn't even some nasty, pervy scenario; he just wanted someone to hang out with! Also, love his interactions with Boyd.
Jane Espenson! wrote some of tonight's episode - can you guess which parts? (I'm guessing the discussion with NerdSierra about androids. And the, 'more money for everyone, yay!')
"We can't play with the sleepies..."
Everlasting life? Another morally questionable twist of the Dollhouse tech. Should there be a second season, this facet could give it legs.
Tudyk = Alpha? It's a guess. In any case, I would give about ten Tahmohs for one Tudyk on a regular basis. Let's make this happen, Joss.
Eh.
The Echo-focused plot. I like a drawing-room mystery as much as the next gal, but this was pretty rote and unsurprising. I mean, why wouldn't the killer be the evil popped-collar preppy with a gambling problem, when the bitter daughter and drunken uncle get so little screentime? (Also, I've only seen Jordan Bridges play a good guy once. and he still died.)
And yet another strange wardrobe choice takes me out of the story: the solid gold dress at the end? Seemed a bit much for a daytime reading of the will and stroll by the pasture. One can be both practical and hot in a decent pair of jeans and shitkickers.
November's breasts: MVP of the whole Mellie/Paul storyline? Paul's anger at the whole situation and the rough sex that followed is fine bit of darkness to add to that plot, but I'm still not feeling all that sorry for Ballard, and Mellie is such a simpering doormat I feel like smacking her around a bit myself. Perhaps I should give Joss, et al., kudos for creating a story wherein the mad scientists, rather than their victims, are the most interesting and sympathetic characters.
Um, where *was* Echo's handler? Seemed like he would've been handy when the Topsider Killer made with the syringe....
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Maybe there'll be cake?
Dollhouse, Week 9
Well fuck me, THAT was an excellent episode.
Adele uses Victor! Holy shit! There was cake! (so the 'meeting' was just a much-needed day off...) And, fittingly, it's kinda violent and twisted and desperate. Adele is just a fascinating character and Olivia Williams is incredible. It was an excellent use of the entire cast while maintaining Echo as a focal point, action-y, emotional, suspenseful... Which makes next week's ep seem all the more disappointing - an Echo mystery of the week? Really?
Random observations
I told Joss there should be swords...
Victor's got a hot lady handler! We need to see more lady handlers... And I don't mean that in a dirty way!
"...or an assassin that does cheers..."
"You think I'm a spy?"
"Not in a bad way...."
Art class? Are there be fingerpaints and paper mache? Wait, they let them have scissors? and not the blunt-point kindergarten kind? That's not gonna end well.
Ballard - how many guns are shoving in your pants there, buster?
For a minute I thought that file room was the Intersect.
"...no need to hide your flaws" - so really, the Dolls just give you the out if you have a tendency to fart in bed...
Oh Evil Reed Diamond, I hope we'll see you again...preferably bound and splayed in the back of my van...
Well fuck me, THAT was an excellent episode.
Adele uses Victor! Holy shit! There was cake! (so the 'meeting' was just a much-needed day off...) And, fittingly, it's kinda violent and twisted and desperate. Adele is just a fascinating character and Olivia Williams is incredible. It was an excellent use of the entire cast while maintaining Echo as a focal point, action-y, emotional, suspenseful... Which makes next week's ep seem all the more disappointing - an Echo mystery of the week? Really?
Random observations
I told Joss there should be swords...
Victor's got a hot lady handler! We need to see more lady handlers... And I don't mean that in a dirty way!
"...or an assassin that does cheers..."
"You think I'm a spy?"
"Not in a bad way...."
Art class? Are there be fingerpaints and paper mache? Wait, they let them have scissors? and not the blunt-point kindergarten kind? That's not gonna end well.
Ballard - how many guns are shoving in your pants there, buster?
For a minute I thought that file room was the Intersect.
"...no need to hide your flaws" - so really, the Dolls just give you the out if you have a tendency to fart in bed...
Oh Evil Reed Diamond, I hope we'll see you again...preferably bound and splayed in the back of my van...
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Banana pancakes? We're all gonna die.
Dollhouse, Week 8
Freedom has to be earned. God, their teasers suck. Poor Eliza got her boobs shoved up to her neck and we get a redundant fantasy sequence that shows us nothing but Tahmoh's absurdly smooth and ripped torso. And still, despite said torso, Ballard's stuff leaves me cold.... "Show - don't tell" - OREALLY?! Too meta show, too meta...and not in your favor.
Staff meeting! One of the main reasons the last few eps have worked better than their predecessors is that they've stayed in the office. The House is the most fascinating aspect of the show, and that's where the cream of the cast is. Dr. NotFred rocks. Not sure why she isn't a regular, as I have avoided (most) spoilers. And I'd definitely like to find more backstory on her than Caroline or Ballard.... Also, I want Olivia and the First Lady to arm wrestle with those serious biceps they got. We also finally saw some female handlers! Finally! Where have they been and will we see them again?
Aliens! I thought for sure the blonde dude was your redshirt for the evening. Somewhere that actor has sung 'Springtime for Hitler'* in community theater.
The faux Doll revival/revolt was exciting and answered some questions, including the incredibly depressing fact that Sierra apparently entered the Dollhouse because she was raped...and got raped again (many times over?) by Handler McPerv. Mellie/November, though, was not consistent: she was frightened, then badass, then frightened again, so I wasn't sure what to make of her. Of course, by the time she hit the cemetery I was just wishing the poor girl could catch a break. But: awww Victor/Sierra smoochies...
Um, I don't like Caroline. She's righteous to the point of foolishness - the type of foolishness that gets people killed (bye cutie boyfriend!). And sweetie, we're part Cylon, we're totally programmable.
House
House : Mos Def on the virtual beach :: Death : Max Van Sydow playing chess on the shore
I haven't seen the Kutler suicide ep yet, but I'm happy for Kal Penn's new White House job. He seems like an earnest down-to-earth guy who sincerely believes in the administration's work.
Also, see him in The Namesake, a touching, lyrical film based on the novel by Jhumpa Lahiri.
ER
It was a lovely, low-key series finale, despite Stamos' scenery-chewing. Alexis Bledel impressed me with very believable non-Rory portrayal of a young intern: inexperienced but smart, overwhelmed and awkward, but caring.
Young Rachel Greene is tall just like her Pops and seems to have gotten over her troubled teen ways... but why did they give her that awful up-do at the beginning of the ep? It was like she was in a BBC costume drama from the neck up.
Oh, Dr. Carter you haven't looked the happy - or that hot! - in ages. You're a County rat and you know it...
Castle
Nate Fillion has a new murder mystery show: it's pure fluff and lamely predictable and absurdly unrealistic. But then there are random moments where he's playing laser tag with his precocious but responsible teen daughter, or Susan Sullivan just appears in all her fabulousness, or he's wearing onion goggles while making dinner, or name-checking Commander Riker and Sleestacks ... and it becomes damn charming ... and evident of some serious geekitude on the writing staff.
Also, the wardrobe folks on this show dress Fillion very well.
(But what in the hell were they thinking when they put the lovely Stana Katic in that ruffly hot pink atrocity and the wing-y hair last week? She looked like a refugee from Shindig...)
*It's Captain Jack!
Freedom has to be earned. God, their teasers suck. Poor Eliza got her boobs shoved up to her neck and we get a redundant fantasy sequence that shows us nothing but Tahmoh's absurdly smooth and ripped torso. And still, despite said torso, Ballard's stuff leaves me cold.... "Show - don't tell" - OREALLY?! Too meta show, too meta...and not in your favor.
Staff meeting! One of the main reasons the last few eps have worked better than their predecessors is that they've stayed in the office. The House is the most fascinating aspect of the show, and that's where the cream of the cast is. Dr. NotFred rocks. Not sure why she isn't a regular, as I have avoided (most) spoilers. And I'd definitely like to find more backstory on her than Caroline or Ballard.... Also, I want Olivia and the First Lady to arm wrestle with those serious biceps they got. We also finally saw some female handlers! Finally! Where have they been and will we see them again?
Aliens! I thought for sure the blonde dude was your redshirt for the evening. Somewhere that actor has sung 'Springtime for Hitler'* in community theater.
The faux Doll revival/revolt was exciting and answered some questions, including the incredibly depressing fact that Sierra apparently entered the Dollhouse because she was raped...and got raped again (many times over?) by Handler McPerv. Mellie/November, though, was not consistent: she was frightened, then badass, then frightened again, so I wasn't sure what to make of her. Of course, by the time she hit the cemetery I was just wishing the poor girl could catch a break. But: awww Victor/Sierra smoochies...
Um, I don't like Caroline. She's righteous to the point of foolishness - the type of foolishness that gets people killed (bye cutie boyfriend!). And sweetie, we're part Cylon, we're totally programmable.
House
House : Mos Def on the virtual beach :: Death : Max Van Sydow playing chess on the shore
I haven't seen the Kutler suicide ep yet, but I'm happy for Kal Penn's new White House job. He seems like an earnest down-to-earth guy who sincerely believes in the administration's work.
Also, see him in The Namesake, a touching, lyrical film based on the novel by Jhumpa Lahiri.
ER
It was a lovely, low-key series finale, despite Stamos' scenery-chewing. Alexis Bledel impressed me with very believable non-Rory portrayal of a young intern: inexperienced but smart, overwhelmed and awkward, but caring.
Young Rachel Greene is tall just like her Pops and seems to have gotten over her troubled teen ways... but why did they give her that awful up-do at the beginning of the ep? It was like she was in a BBC costume drama from the neck up.
Oh, Dr. Carter you haven't looked the happy - or that hot! - in ages. You're a County rat and you know it...
Castle
Nate Fillion has a new murder mystery show: it's pure fluff and lamely predictable and absurdly unrealistic. But then there are random moments where he's playing laser tag with his precocious but responsible teen daughter, or Susan Sullivan just appears in all her fabulousness, or he's wearing onion goggles while making dinner, or name-checking Commander Riker and Sleestacks ... and it becomes damn charming ... and evident of some serious geekitude on the writing staff.
Also, the wardrobe folks on this show dress Fillion very well.
(But what in the hell were they thinking when they put the lovely Stana Katic in that ruffly hot pink atrocity and the wing-y hair last week? She looked like a refugee from Shindig...)
*It's Captain Jack!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
You haven't seen my drawer of inappropriate starches?
Dollhouse, Week 7
It's made of brown. This was...kinda exciting! Still don't care about Caroline or Ballard as characters, but the tension of containing the contagion (wordplay!) was quite effective. And a new Doll! So many questions answered! (Boyd should always be business casual.) So many raised! (EvilReedDiamond not so evil?) The most pressing being: what happened to Topher's pants?
High five!
Next week's the Doll's Awaken-rebellion-thing looks fantastic...but where can they go after that?
In other TeeVee...
BSG finale
I'm not sure I can create a coherent and cohesive response to this ending. I was not disappointed, but I was rather surprised that there was a happy ending. (Almost) Everyone lived and were able to start anew. Though I was hoping that Starbuck, Apollo, and the Fighting Agathons (Helo survived?!) found Lake Wobegon - where all the women are strong (Kara, Athena), the men are good looking (Lee, Karl) and the children are above average (wee troublemaker Hera)....
Random thoughts...
Saul Fucking Tigh. Drunk. At a strip club. With his wives. (And of course, they declare their eternal love for each other at said strip club while downing shots and watching lapdances. Their trashiness is so endearing.)
Doc Cottle humbled into speechlessness.
"The night's young and so are you." DRINK!
Well, I suppose vomiting in the gutter is better than breaking down in the bathroom again, Bill.
"...then I want you to start throwing rocks."
Wanton Centurion-on-Centurion violence!
ADMIRAL HOSHI. PRESIDENT ROMO. This is a nation I can believe in.
Baltar so pathetic with his Rubbermaid File Tote of Destiny...
So, what they're saying is, it's all Callie's fault... And Tori's.... I can get behind that.
Galen's the first Viking/Scotsman/Icelander? So the kilts were his idea? Noted! (But I want pictures.)
So Asimo and the pervy AsianSexBot are the harbingers of the endtimes? Thanks for head's up, Ron.
30 Rock
Muppets. Dennis. Hornberger. Now that they've ditched the guest stars (who weren't all bad) the show has finally gotten back to the interplay of the writers room and Jenna and Tracy and the complete madness that makes it great. Plz keep it this way, thnx
OMIGOD HE'S MORTAL.
The Office
Oh no. I love it when Pam walks on hot coals.
"I'm aware of the effect I have on women."
It's made of brown. This was...kinda exciting! Still don't care about Caroline or Ballard as characters, but the tension of containing the contagion (wordplay!) was quite effective. And a new Doll! So many questions answered! (Boyd should always be business casual.) So many raised! (EvilReedDiamond not so evil?) The most pressing being: what happened to Topher's pants?
High five!
Next week's the Doll's Awaken-rebellion-thing looks fantastic...but where can they go after that?
In other TeeVee...
BSG finale
I'm not sure I can create a coherent and cohesive response to this ending. I was not disappointed, but I was rather surprised that there was a happy ending. (Almost) Everyone lived and were able to start anew. Though I was hoping that Starbuck, Apollo, and the Fighting Agathons (Helo survived?!) found Lake Wobegon - where all the women are strong (Kara, Athena), the men are good looking (Lee, Karl) and the children are above average (wee troublemaker Hera)....
Random thoughts...
Saul Fucking Tigh. Drunk. At a strip club. With his wives. (And of course, they declare their eternal love for each other at said strip club while downing shots and watching lapdances. Their trashiness is so endearing.)
Doc Cottle humbled into speechlessness.
"The night's young and so are you." DRINK!
Well, I suppose vomiting in the gutter is better than breaking down in the bathroom again, Bill.
"...then I want you to start throwing rocks."
Wanton Centurion-on-Centurion violence!
ADMIRAL HOSHI. PRESIDENT ROMO. This is a nation I can believe in.
Baltar so pathetic with his Rubbermaid File Tote of Destiny...
So, what they're saying is, it's all Callie's fault... And Tori's.... I can get behind that.
Galen's the first Viking/Scotsman/Icelander? So the kilts were his idea? Noted! (But I want pictures.)
So Asimo and the pervy AsianSexBot are the harbingers of the endtimes? Thanks for head's up, Ron.
30 Rock
Muppets. Dennis. Hornberger. Now that they've ditched the guest stars (who weren't all bad) the show has finally gotten back to the interplay of the writers room and Jenna and Tracy and the complete madness that makes it great. Plz keep it this way, thnx
OMIGOD HE'S MORTAL.
The Office
Oh no. I love it when Pam walks on hot coals.
"I'm aware of the effect I have on women."
Friday, March 20, 2009
This is getting old.
Dollhouse, Week 6
There's no porn! Oh it would've been much more interesting if there were. That said, the pretty people are doing nothing for me.
Ballard: He's an asshole and I don't care. The only good part of him kissing Mellie was that he finally shut the fuck up. Also: he is the worst FBI agent ever - Sidney Bristow would mock him. And kick his ass. She's twice Eliza's size...
And Echo is, well, a non-entity. The good thing about her this ep is that she took a back seat to the overall plot. Joss (read: Patton and/or Mellie, depending on the scene) was heavily pushing Ballard's obsession with Echo/Caroline...and I just wasn't buying it. Obsessed with the organization? Yes - hell, if Ballard asks anybody 'where's the Dollhouse' one more time I'm gonna reach through the screen and punch him in the nuts - but Caroline is just the key that gets him there. But now it's about Caroline? If this is supposed to be about Ballard chasing just Caroline, Joss might as well go full Mamet* and have him keep repeating 'where's the girl' until he reaches Olivia's door.
Patton is a tiny, tiny man. I've actually seen him live, in person, and up close. But I was drunk at a bar and sitting down, so clearly I didn't realize he was a PocketPatton. Eliza is taller than he is. Still, his performance was a highlight. You really don't get that sort of material on King of Queens...
Can Patton, NotFred, Olivia, and Boyd stay and the rest leave? Okay, Topher still amuses me in his snide, creepy way... Does his assistant have a name yet?
Moral spankitude! While the issues of identity and prostitution and free will and human nature are all fun to ponder, pedantic/didactic Joss makes my eyes roll. And the idiot-on-the-street interviews were both poorly written and poorly acted.** Make me think, but don't lecture me. And, for the love of Giles, don't lecture me badly.
The Sierra/Victor/Handler McRapey story at least had some ActionBoyd to make it entertaining...
Ma'am, do you have an exit strategy? Well, do you, Joss? There were no surprises here: Mellie's a doll?! Oh, it wasn't telegraphed from the get-go and they didn't have her callsign on IMDB for the last month or anything... And I still had to watch her get assaulted and strangled. I'm so tired of predatory white dudes assaulting young women. I know the point Joss is trying to make, but that doesn't make it easier to watch.
This was the first time I actually flipped to FNL rather than wait to watch online the next day. Coach calling a ref a 'sonofabitch' and getting thrown out of the game was ten times more awesome than Ballard's post-coital banter. So much for the game-changer super awesome episode....
*I saw Redbelt the other day, and while Chiwetel Ejiofor (The Operative!) and Emily Mortimer were marvelous (as usual), it was quite plain that Mamet has become a parody of himself. One can only stand so many stilted conversations regarding manliness and honor before you just need someone kick somebody's, anybody's ass.
**It's true! Joss can produce sucky scripts!
There's no porn! Oh it would've been much more interesting if there were. That said, the pretty people are doing nothing for me.
Ballard: He's an asshole and I don't care. The only good part of him kissing Mellie was that he finally shut the fuck up. Also: he is the worst FBI agent ever - Sidney Bristow would mock him. And kick his ass. She's twice Eliza's size...
And Echo is, well, a non-entity. The good thing about her this ep is that she took a back seat to the overall plot. Joss (read: Patton and/or Mellie, depending on the scene) was heavily pushing Ballard's obsession with Echo/Caroline...and I just wasn't buying it. Obsessed with the organization? Yes - hell, if Ballard asks anybody 'where's the Dollhouse' one more time I'm gonna reach through the screen and punch him in the nuts - but Caroline is just the key that gets him there. But now it's about Caroline? If this is supposed to be about Ballard chasing just Caroline, Joss might as well go full Mamet* and have him keep repeating 'where's the girl' until he reaches Olivia's door.
Patton is a tiny, tiny man. I've actually seen him live, in person, and up close. But I was drunk at a bar and sitting down, so clearly I didn't realize he was a PocketPatton. Eliza is taller than he is. Still, his performance was a highlight. You really don't get that sort of material on King of Queens...
Can Patton, NotFred, Olivia, and Boyd stay and the rest leave? Okay, Topher still amuses me in his snide, creepy way... Does his assistant have a name yet?
Moral spankitude! While the issues of identity and prostitution and free will and human nature are all fun to ponder, pedantic/didactic Joss makes my eyes roll. And the idiot-on-the-street interviews were both poorly written and poorly acted.** Make me think, but don't lecture me. And, for the love of Giles, don't lecture me badly.
The Sierra/Victor/Handler McRapey story at least had some ActionBoyd to make it entertaining...
Ma'am, do you have an exit strategy? Well, do you, Joss? There were no surprises here: Mellie's a doll?! Oh, it wasn't telegraphed from the get-go and they didn't have her callsign on IMDB for the last month or anything... And I still had to watch her get assaulted and strangled. I'm so tired of predatory white dudes assaulting young women. I know the point Joss is trying to make, but that doesn't make it easier to watch.
This was the first time I actually flipped to FNL rather than wait to watch online the next day. Coach calling a ref a 'sonofabitch' and getting thrown out of the game was ten times more awesome than Ballard's post-coital banter. So much for the game-changer super awesome episode....
*I saw Redbelt the other day, and while Chiwetel Ejiofor (The Operative!) and Emily Mortimer were marvelous (as usual), it was quite plain that Mamet has become a parody of himself. One can only stand so many stilted conversations regarding manliness and honor before you just need someone kick somebody's, anybody's ass.
**It's true! Joss can produce sucky scripts!
Friday, March 13, 2009
She's just a girl.
Dollhouse, Week 5
In brief...
Thank goodness for Tim Minear. I missed you.
'Sneizure.' HA! I was not expecting that.
Topher must own futures in sweater vests.
More Amy Acker, plz.
Not that Eliza did a bad job (on the contrary, she was way impressive here), but the Topher/NotFred/Erection story was much more fun - Topher and NotFred have great comedic chemistry.
I'm kinda ready for Tahmoh to go, as he's become the Morena Baccarin of this show: pretty, wooden acting, boring cliched character introduced too early in the overall arc. I might actually be intrigued with Ballard if he were introduced this ep, just driving up at the end to ask the ATF agent questions. Wha?! The FBI is looking for Echo? How could this be?... and then we find out next week or later about the mysterious envelopes he's been receiving and that he's been meeting with the GangsterDoll and that he kickboxes...
Evil Reed Diamond. I did not expect him to do the (non)extraction himself. Evil, indeed, but kinda stupid. Why didn't pack a silencer and make sure she was dead? You travel all that way and don't seal the deal? I mean, the ATF already had video of the cult leader threatening her with a gun, so EvilReed wouldn't be implicated if she was found with a bullet in her brain.
Also: the blind savior wore heels to her baptism into an Amishy-attired cult? Oh show - you never fail to do the inexplicable to take me out of an emotional moment...
'Take the stairs.' Bish plz, you're so almost fired...maybe. (I think EvilReed has connections to the senior partners. It's the only explanation for why Adele hasn't gotten rid of him. If she had a spaceship and an airlock, he'd so be out of the picture by now...)
PATTON OSWALT!!!!!!!11 (Please tell me he's a Doll that kicks Ballard's ass...)
In brief...
Thank goodness for Tim Minear. I missed you.
'Sneizure.' HA! I was not expecting that.
Topher must own futures in sweater vests.
More Amy Acker, plz.
Not that Eliza did a bad job (on the contrary, she was way impressive here), but the Topher/NotFred/Erection story was much more fun - Topher and NotFred have great comedic chemistry.
I'm kinda ready for Tahmoh to go, as he's become the Morena Baccarin of this show: pretty, wooden acting, boring cliched character introduced too early in the overall arc. I might actually be intrigued with Ballard if he were introduced this ep, just driving up at the end to ask the ATF agent questions. Wha?! The FBI is looking for Echo? How could this be?... and then we find out next week or later about the mysterious envelopes he's been receiving and that he's been meeting with the GangsterDoll and that he kickboxes...
Evil Reed Diamond. I did not expect him to do the (non)extraction himself. Evil, indeed, but kinda stupid. Why didn't pack a silencer and make sure she was dead? You travel all that way and don't seal the deal? I mean, the ATF already had video of the cult leader threatening her with a gun, so EvilReed wouldn't be implicated if she was found with a bullet in her brain.
Also: the blind savior wore heels to her baptism into an Amishy-attired cult? Oh show - you never fail to do the inexplicable to take me out of an emotional moment...
'Take the stairs.' Bish plz, you're so almost fired...maybe. (I think EvilReed has connections to the senior partners. It's the only explanation for why Adele hasn't gotten rid of him. If she had a spaceship and an airlock, he'd so be out of the picture by now...)
PATTON OSWALT!!!!!!!11 (Please tell me he's a Doll that kicks Ballard's ass...)
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Blue Skies
Dollhouse, Week 4
Why in the world would anyone have to hire a Doll to act as a midwife? Does the Glorious Collective of International Birthing Assistants prohibit traveling to mountain chalets? And unless the child is an alien and/or a Cylon, there's no reason that the midwife shouldn't be able remember the job. WTF, Joss - it's maddening shit like this that kinda ruins an otherwise strong episode.
I'm choosing to ignore those couple go-nowhere scenes with Ballard and RussianGangsterDoll. I...really have no idea where that's going. Why doesn't DeWitt just have Doll kill him? The Feds will just go after the Russians.)
The high points were, again, any and every scene with Boyd (the character and the actor provide the glue holding this sinking ship together) and Olivia Williams' wardrobe (and her hair was gorgeous).
Gah. Who am I kidding. Really, I'm just huddled on the floor in the fetal position, waiting for my Dr. Horrible DVD to arrive....
Why in the world would anyone have to hire a Doll to act as a midwife? Does the Glorious Collective of International Birthing Assistants prohibit traveling to mountain chalets? And unless the child is an alien and/or a Cylon, there's no reason that the midwife shouldn't be able remember the job. WTF, Joss - it's maddening shit like this that kinda ruins an otherwise strong episode.
I'm choosing to ignore those couple go-nowhere scenes with Ballard and RussianGangsterDoll. I...really have no idea where that's going. Why doesn't DeWitt just have Doll kill him? The Feds will just go after the Russians.)
The high points were, again, any and every scene with Boyd (the character and the actor provide the glue holding this sinking ship together) and Olivia Williams' wardrobe (and her hair was gorgeous).
Gah. Who am I kidding. Really, I'm just huddled on the floor in the fetal position, waiting for my Dr. Horrible DVD to arrive....
Sunday, February 22, 2009
You spinnin' yet?
Dollhouse Week 2
And this wasn't the pilot episode because? ...ah. It was supposed to be episode 8. Which explains why we already know Echo's real name, saw how Alpha went homicidal, and how Boyd bonded Echo. This is stuff you usually hold onto until sweeps week or end of the season. Poor Joss has been forced by the FuxHeads to blow the whole kit & kaboodle early in the game. At this point, I'm not sure if Joss has enough story to get through 13 episodes, much less the five years he says he has supposedly planned out.
This week revealed something more than just how Boyd became protective of Echo: Joss and his Mutant Enemy stable of writers (including this eps' scribe Steven Deknight, of Angel and Buffy, and Tim Minear, of Angel, Firefly, and Wonderfalls) can't write cops for crap. The scenes with Ballard sparring with Agent Mark Romo Badger Sheppard were so...awful, like that's how the writers thought cops/feds talk to each other because that's how dull and unimaginative they are on other cop shows? On CBS?
What I wouldn't give for Bunk and McNutty to come in show 'em how cops can be funny, flawed, serious, and good at their jobs all at the same time.
The poor writing for cops is indicative of one of Joss' major flaws: he has a tendency have all these great ideas, but seems to do little to no research to back them up and/or flesh them out. Two bloggers have taken on Firefly in the last week, discussing Whedon's notions of sex work and Orientalism (minus the actual Asians). The articles and the comments (particularly for the Racialicious piece) smart and insightful, articulating some problems I had with the show in a way I never could. And now, it seems I'll only be popping in my Firefly DVDs for the Fillion/Baldwin/Tudyk funny and eye-candy....
And this wasn't the pilot episode because? ...ah. It was supposed to be episode 8. Which explains why we already know Echo's real name, saw how Alpha went homicidal, and how Boyd bonded Echo. This is stuff you usually hold onto until sweeps week or end of the season. Poor Joss has been forced by the FuxHeads to blow the whole kit & kaboodle early in the game. At this point, I'm not sure if Joss has enough story to get through 13 episodes, much less the five years he says he has supposedly planned out.
This week revealed something more than just how Boyd became protective of Echo: Joss and his Mutant Enemy stable of writers (including this eps' scribe Steven Deknight, of Angel and Buffy, and Tim Minear, of Angel, Firefly, and Wonderfalls) can't write cops for crap. The scenes with Ballard sparring with Agent Mark Romo Badger Sheppard were so...awful, like that's how the writers thought cops/feds talk to each other because that's how dull and unimaginative they are on other cop shows? On CBS?
What I wouldn't give for Bunk and McNutty to come in show 'em how cops can be funny, flawed, serious, and good at their jobs all at the same time.
The poor writing for cops is indicative of one of Joss' major flaws: he has a tendency have all these great ideas, but seems to do little to no research to back them up and/or flesh them out. Two bloggers have taken on Firefly in the last week, discussing Whedon's notions of sex work and Orientalism (minus the actual Asians). The articles and the comments (particularly for the Racialicious piece) smart and insightful, articulating some problems I had with the show in a way I never could. And now, it seems I'll only be popping in my Firefly DVDs for the Fillion/Baldwin/Tudyk funny and eye-candy....
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Does someone take care of you?
The pilot of Dollhouse did not blow me away. BUT as a stand alone episode, it had enough character and suspense to bring me into next week.
Of notice...
Cast
Did you know that Eliza Dushku was kinda hot? I wonder if there is any possible way to show as much of her body as network TV will allow from as many angles as possible to get that across.... Oh she acts too? Yeah, she was pretty good with that. But the 'hot' thing. Someone should try to capitalize on that.
(Also, she is ridiculously tiny. That little girl she was carrying out of the pedo-kidnappers' hideout was as big as she was! Kind blew the seriousness of the scene watching this incredibly petite woman trying to struggle to carry a 10 year old who is already five feet tall.)
Thank you, Joss, for a little parity with the nice long scenes of sweaty, shirtless Tahmoh. Let's keep that up, 'kay? Thx.
Harry Lennix, Reed Diamond, Fran Kranz, Amy Acker, and Olivia Williams* are all those HITGs you wish were in more, and/or wish would be given more in the parts they're in.
Interestingly, these are the adults in this piece (er - maybe not techie Fran/Topher). The 'dolls' - both male and female, apparently - appear to all be relatively young and attractive, and are made child-like by the mind wipes so the actors still seem ... too young? Like they're all at a super high-tech boarding school or something? Or they're sexy 20-somethings that share one of those unrealistically posh beach-front houses you see on the teevee. Speaking of....
The Set reminds me of the House of Blue Leaves from Kill Bill:
Intentional? Think there will be swords? Joss, you should totally have swords.
The Promos
Those Summer/Eliza Terminator/Dollhouse bumpers were excruciating. The tank tops, the leather, the overly glossed lips and come-hither dialog.... Jesus. Using sex as a selling point is fine, but let's try to be a bit more subtle about it. Is imagination that dead in Hollywood?
Oh my. That was a silly question...
The Plot
I'll wait till the season's over to make a proper assessment of the series. A pilot is such a strange animal storytelling-wise: so much info to present in so little time. Right now it just seems like a decent weekly psychothriller, but I think it can and will be more.
*see Williams in Miss Austen Regrets. It's surprisingly good.
Of notice...
Cast
Did you know that Eliza Dushku was kinda hot? I wonder if there is any possible way to show as much of her body as network TV will allow from as many angles as possible to get that across.... Oh she acts too? Yeah, she was pretty good with that. But the 'hot' thing. Someone should try to capitalize on that.
(Also, she is ridiculously tiny. That little girl she was carrying out of the pedo-kidnappers' hideout was as big as she was! Kind blew the seriousness of the scene watching this incredibly petite woman trying to struggle to carry a 10 year old who is already five feet tall.)
Thank you, Joss, for a little parity with the nice long scenes of sweaty, shirtless Tahmoh. Let's keep that up, 'kay? Thx.
Harry Lennix, Reed Diamond, Fran Kranz, Amy Acker, and Olivia Williams* are all those HITGs you wish were in more, and/or wish would be given more in the parts they're in.
Interestingly, these are the adults in this piece (er - maybe not techie Fran/Topher). The 'dolls' - both male and female, apparently - appear to all be relatively young and attractive, and are made child-like by the mind wipes so the actors still seem ... too young? Like they're all at a super high-tech boarding school or something? Or they're sexy 20-somethings that share one of those unrealistically posh beach-front houses you see on the teevee. Speaking of....
The Set reminds me of the House of Blue Leaves from Kill Bill:
Intentional? Think there will be swords? Joss, you should totally have swords.
The Promos
Those Summer/Eliza Terminator/Dollhouse bumpers were excruciating. The tank tops, the leather, the overly glossed lips and come-hither dialog.... Jesus. Using sex as a selling point is fine, but let's try to be a bit more subtle about it. Is imagination that dead in Hollywood?
Oh my. That was a silly question...
The Plot
I'll wait till the season's over to make a proper assessment of the series. A pilot is such a strange animal storytelling-wise: so much info to present in so little time. Right now it just seems like a decent weekly psychothriller, but I think it can and will be more.
*see Williams in Miss Austen Regrets. It's surprisingly good.
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