Dollhouse 1.02 Target

[orangerful]

I'm sorry, but I find Eliza Dushku to be distractingly thin on Dollhouse. Is this an issue with anyone else? I mean, I know she's a tiny girl, but she seems too thin, almost unhealthy. It really bothers me.

ANYWAY, on to episode 2, in which we get a bit more backstory to who the frak these people are:



Okay, I liked this episode better than the first episode, mostly because of all the flashbacks showing us how Echo's Watcher handler came to be at the Dollhouse. We got to see bits and pieces of Echo's original self while she was tripping on the spiked water. We learned how Fred got her scars (not a big shocker there) and we got a bit more on Alpha's escape - the big story being that he left Echo untouched. So he has some sort of connection with her.

...which is now making me think of the remade Bionic Woman and how the original Bionic Woman was hunting down the new one, trying to get her to join the dark side. Will Alpha turn out to have a backstory that makes us feel sorry for him? He was clearly behind the "test" that was this week's main plot.

Speaking of the main plot, that was truly disturbing. I actually had a nightmare about being chased through the woods on Saturday (okay, I was being chased by a demon baby but I blame that on the fact that i also played a little bit of Dead Space and watched Family Guy....). It was intense because I didn't know what was going to happen.

I like the nerdy computer guy but I really don't trust him. It's unclear about his relationship with the dolls. He can't be as disconnected as he pretends to be...or if he is that disconnected, I'm guessing it's in reaction to something he did before that messed things up.

Still not in love with the show, but I'm enjoying it. I'll give it a few more episodes. Maybe Eliza will have a cheeseburger and stop distracting me with how pointy she has become.

Comments

[impalalove]

I'm happy this was the first episode I watched, considering I still haven't seen the pilot just yet. I like the nerdy computer guy (what, he's cute!), but yeah, I'm not entirely certain who to think of anyone just yet. :/

[spitefairy.livejournal.com]

I liked this episode a lot better too. I was kind of sad that Fred's scars were resolved so quickly, I was kind of hoping to get like hints and fun stuff, really the show needs a more subtleties.

I don't like nerdy computer guy, I find him dishonest seeming and well, a wannabe wash that isn't wash and should stop trying to be wash.

[faeriesfolly.livejournal.com]

--When it was revealed that Alpha did that to Fred I literally said out loud, "WE WERE RIGHT!" haha.

--Now I will type up the rest of my thoughts/scribbles while I wait to feel tired.

[whitemartyr.livejournal.com]

yes she reallh does need to eat something!! I liked when she was all tough-n-buff as Faith post-prison at the end of Buffy...

I'm not loving this show either, but did enjoy the back story. I am a bit sad that I'm not loving it. It feels for the first time that one of Joss' shows is... derivative? WEIRD! But it's still early days.

Def gonna keep watching though.

[cheshire-c.livejournal.com]

I'm seriously disappointed in Joss. I might try again next year, if the show lasts that long, but I'm through with it for this season. >:-(

[jellibean.livejournal.com]

I like when they put Eliza in costumes that aren't yoga outfits. She looks almost normal-sized then. And seriously, does she only have one style of tank top in a thousand different colors? Some of the other dolls wear sleeves! (And bras!)

I liked the second episode better than the first, and I'm a bit more excited now that I know who's playing Alpha.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

you could probably just skip the pilot, not a whole lot happened that wasn't covered again in this episode.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

faeriesfolly said he looked like a Warren/Andrew lovechild, which I think lends him more of an air of creepiness than before.

He is not Wash though. As long as I don't see him playing with dinosaurs, I'll just assume his Wash-like characteristics are just coincidence.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

wow, really? Are you going to post a longer rant somewhere? Does it just rub you the wrong way?

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm gonna keep watching with the hopes that whatever creativity FOX threatened out of the first few episodes will reappear as the season moves on. Here's hoping it makes it a full season!

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

AH NO SPOILERS! I'm actually trying to avoid that bit of information (though I'm sure someone will make an icon or something and ruin it for me). But I must try!

[cheshire-c.livejournal.com]

I wasn't planning on ranting anywhere else, so I'll rant here for you. :-)

I think my biggest problem is that since the main character is wiped clean of personality (heh, "character", actually) after each episode, there's no character development. And that's what makes any show interesting to me, the character development over time. Joss is usually *so* good at that; I'm disappointed so far. The only character I'm interested in at all is Echo's guardian. But in episode #2, he was on screen less than 10 minutes. *So* not worth it. None of the other characters appeal to me at this point, and I won't watch something I dislike just for the sake of an actor.

Also, and this feels like it's catering to fanboys so much more than it is to someone like me. I mean, Echo can be anything you want, will do anything she's programmed to do, with no consequences. I find it disturbing and potentially offensive, especially since out of show so far, she's been used in each episode as a programmed sex toy. Joss did such a good job in that season 6 Buffy episode with Warren's ex, pointing out that, gosh, if the woman's under the influence of something (magic, in that case, science in Dollhouse, or drugs/alcohol in the real world), then even if she 'consents' it doesn't count and it's still rape. I'm not interested in watching repetitive rape fantasies, thank you very much.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

Hm...okay, different interpretation than me! I thought the bit with Echo mimicking the guys arm thrust/smack at the end of the episode was a sign that from now on she might begin to develop new tendencies, that her "programming" wasn't going to take as well, thus leading to actual characterness...I'll keep you posted though. Cancellation is already being rumored so who knows how much more we'll see.

There's already rumors that the original pilot will be on the DVD set, I'm already curious to see how the show was originally intended to start. People on FOX's survey panel say that the network was worried it was too confusing for people to follow. *sigh* I wish it was on Sci-Fi channel, they clearly have no problem with confusing.

[cheshire-c.livejournal.com]

Well, yeah, the person-programming is bound to fail (wouldn't be a series w/o it failing), but I'm not willing to be patient with the show anymore 'cause of the other problems I mentioned. And first seasons are often rough, anyway.

What, so Fox screwed with the pilot to make it dumber? Gosh, I'm so shocked.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

oh yeah, people were flailing about that awhile back. Dollhouse was supposed to start with the regular season, but FOX made Joss re-write and re-shoot the pilot...this might have even happened twice.

Also, Penny Arcade (http://www.penny-arcade.com) today sums up all the problems and issues I have with the show, both in Tycho's blog and the comic itself.