Dollhouse 2x02

[timepiececlock]

Short note: That was simultaneously more offensive and more interesting than the pilot.

With this show so far, it's like Joss Whedon woke up one morning, decided he didn't like being the secret overlord of nerd tv, and resolved to create a show specifically designed to destroy his own fanbase. As an experiment or something--just to see if he can. And I guess we'll find out.

Besides all that, I caught myself up on the recent Heroes volume today, and since I have no justification for why I'm still watching that banal pile of shit from the idiot dog (which kills or tortures every woman but Claire, and even she was violated), I don't feel compelled to examine too closely why I'm not turned off by this show.

Video review will be up in a few days!


ETA: possibly, the original pilot script? ...might be considered spoilery if they air this ep later.

Comments

[ryanitenebrae.livejournal.com]

I haven't watched this yet, but I'm intrigued. NPR spoiled me for this episode a week ago, so I've been sitting on the information waiting to see people's reactions.

I just saw it. Man, that was really great, in my opinion. ^_^ I'll post on it, but first I need to get over the incredible happiness that it included a guy who hunts people named Richard Connell.

[vickiso.livejournal.com]

I'm still giving the show the benefit of the doubt--first 10 episodes are going to set up everything for the first season of the series, so I don't think I should expect Buffy season 3 when I'm going to get Buffy season 1. (Inca mummy teacher? Hyena people? Really?)

Also, I think this is going to be a slightly different show from his previous projects in that Echo is essentially a non-character character--we don't know what to make of her because she doesn't learn from her experiences. Therein lies the tragedy. But we all know that tampering with natural law (i.e. magic, science) always generate consequences--made real in the form of Alpha in this season--so we know Echo's going to make a comeback, and the buildup to the payoff is what we're anticipating.

Anyhow, I'm just holding my breath.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

You're right about Echo being a non-character at this point. She's not Caroline anymore. I suppose it might be easier to think of her as Mytho from PT, who was background furniture to all the other characters until the last two eps.

The problem is having a non-character as the protagonist, instead of as a support. It doesn't leave you much else to focus on, and makes the "give it time" thing seem to take even longer.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

How would a riff of the most dangerous game destroy his fanbase?

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Not that in particular--I mean general stuff. Like the lack of funny language, the weak plotting of ep 1 (this episode was better, but not great), and the exploitation stuff. And the way that it's hard to sympathize with a new character every week.

Also, this riff off the Most Dangerous Game was made a lot grosser than the original short story with the prostitution/mind-rape stuff happening at the same time. And the glorification of cut-up bodies.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

*nods*

I definitely see what you mean about the lack of witty dialogue.

[ryanitenebrae.livejournal.com]

I apologize for intruding, but I wanted to say that so far, I like the relative lack of quippiness. (In fact, I wish Topher would quit it.) The setting and premise really aren't conducive to it, in my opinion.

I also keep seeing a trend here of victims overcoming fear and coming to power, which I love.

Can I ask what you mean by the glorification of cut-up bodies? ^^;;

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Topher's responses are irritating to me because they aren't funny. I don't mean there hasn't been any attempts, just that the quality is completely not there.

By glorification I mean mostly the artful posting and soft, glowy lighting. Bright red lines against soft, whit-gold colors, high saturation and high contrast.

[ryanitenebrae.livejournal.com]

I agree. I'm really liking him as a character, too, but the Wash-isms are ruining it for me. The quips in Firefly always worked for me because of the team dynamic. That really isn't present here, so trying to insert quips through Topher just falls flat.

I see what you mean, though that's pretty common, in general, with television and movies. I agree that it's disturbing.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Let me add: despite all of that, I liked this episode better than last one, and I'm possibly willing to watch a whole season of this show. But at the same time, I deeply understand and sympathize with why other people won't.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I totally understand why people don't like it. But on the other hand, I really DO enjoy it - it reminds me a lot of Dark Angel, actually.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Someone mentioned "Oh, I remember why like it--this hits my manga kinks," and I have to say I sadly agree. Personalities erased? Hidden identities? Previous lives? Super missions? Undercover stuff? ALL ANIME KINKS. Hell, in my very first manga/anime, Sailor Moon, the characters were reincarnated, gained and lost memories of their reincarnations, had personalities swamped to turn "evil", and even lost their original memories for as much as a year's worth of time. One person had black outs because his soul kept manifesting its superhero stuff externally of his body. So the memory stuff? I'm kinda 'so totally there' once I think about it. It's just the squick factor is sooooo high.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

*nods*

Actually, meganbmoore was mentioning the most of the people who liked it/where interested were anime/manga fans.