tardis_stowaway (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
tardis_stowaway) wrote2009-05-01 10:31 pm
tardis_stowaway) wrote2009-05-01 10:31 pm
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Massive Dollhouse SQUEE!!!!!
OMG! Dollhouse tonight!! So awesome!!! Joss Whedon FTW!!!!
*pause to breathe deeply and regain ability to type in comeplete sentences*
Folks, if you've liked some of Whedon's previous series but you haven't watched Dollhouse due to the mediocre reviews of the first few episodes, you might want to rethink your decision. This show has grown into some damn fine television.
WOW. Everything was great in this episode: plot, dialog, casting (hooray for Alan Tudyk!), action, and more. As an added bonus, Topher got tased! I wanted to high-five Ballard for that.
Like most of the internet, I was spoiled about who would play Alpha, but the facade of the neurotic, kooky designer was so thorough that I began to wonder if the casting spoilers were a false plant. The reveal literally made me gasp out loud. Tudyk was hilarious early on, getting lots of quirky Whedonesque dialog, but I hadn't anticipated how utterly creepy he could be. What is it with Joss and casting his Firefly actors as villains?
The scene where they put Dominic's personality in Victor's body was unsettling and awesome. Adelle really is ice-cold to face the personality of her former friend (well, as close as she had to one) in the body of her favorite doll and interrogate him. Victor's actor, Enver Gjokaj, did a really great job of being Dominic. I love Victor to bits ("people were fighting on me"--so cute!), which is why it was especially shocking when Alpha slashed him to bits. Eep! Not Victor!!!
Ballard was pretty clever in tracking the Dollhouse down, but very dumb to invade it with nothing more than an unwilling accomplice, a taser, and a gun. (The conversations about the lack of rope made me think of Sam Gamgee. Note to self: never invade the Dollhouse without first passing through Lothlorien and getting elven rope.) He was even dumber to leave Mellie/November behind and attempt to rescue Caroline/Echo instead. Why not bring the doll who might have some buried memories of loving you? The fight between Ballard and Boyd was pretty neat. I got the feeling that all of Boyd's arguments about why taking Echo outside will never work are ideas that he's had to repeat to himself.
The Briar Rose metaphor was a bit heavy-handed, but I liked it anyway. As you all know, I'm a sucker for fairy tales. :) I do wonder why Topher had the idea of the pro bono imprint work that had Echo telling the story. Was it just an academic exercise in making the older version of the same brain, an actual random act of kindness, or does he have some sort of interest in the welfare of this particular child?
I want to see more about how this now. Is there method in Alpha's madness? What's going on between him and Echo? Will Ballard get out of the Dollhouse with personality intact? What will happen to Victor? Will the finale answer these questions or leave us on a giant cliffhanger of doom? The last question especially concerns me, since a cliffhanger might never be resolved. Please don't cancel the awesomeness, Fox!
*pause to breathe deeply and regain ability to type in comeplete sentences*
Folks, if you've liked some of Whedon's previous series but you haven't watched Dollhouse due to the mediocre reviews of the first few episodes, you might want to rethink your decision. This show has grown into some damn fine television.
WOW. Everything was great in this episode: plot, dialog, casting (hooray for Alan Tudyk!), action, and more. As an added bonus, Topher got tased! I wanted to high-five Ballard for that.
Like most of the internet, I was spoiled about who would play Alpha, but the facade of the neurotic, kooky designer was so thorough that I began to wonder if the casting spoilers were a false plant. The reveal literally made me gasp out loud. Tudyk was hilarious early on, getting lots of quirky Whedonesque dialog, but I hadn't anticipated how utterly creepy he could be. What is it with Joss and casting his Firefly actors as villains?
The scene where they put Dominic's personality in Victor's body was unsettling and awesome. Adelle really is ice-cold to face the personality of her former friend (well, as close as she had to one) in the body of her favorite doll and interrogate him. Victor's actor, Enver Gjokaj, did a really great job of being Dominic. I love Victor to bits ("people were fighting on me"--so cute!), which is why it was especially shocking when Alpha slashed him to bits. Eep! Not Victor!!!
Ballard was pretty clever in tracking the Dollhouse down, but very dumb to invade it with nothing more than an unwilling accomplice, a taser, and a gun. (The conversations about the lack of rope made me think of Sam Gamgee. Note to self: never invade the Dollhouse without first passing through Lothlorien and getting elven rope.) He was even dumber to leave Mellie/November behind and attempt to rescue Caroline/Echo instead. Why not bring the doll who might have some buried memories of loving you? The fight between Ballard and Boyd was pretty neat. I got the feeling that all of Boyd's arguments about why taking Echo outside will never work are ideas that he's had to repeat to himself.
The Briar Rose metaphor was a bit heavy-handed, but I liked it anyway. As you all know, I'm a sucker for fairy tales. :) I do wonder why Topher had the idea of the pro bono imprint work that had Echo telling the story. Was it just an academic exercise in making the older version of the same brain, an actual random act of kindness, or does he have some sort of interest in the welfare of this particular child?
I want to see more about how this now. Is there method in Alpha's madness? What's going on between him and Echo? Will Ballard get out of the Dollhouse with personality intact? What will happen to Victor? Will the finale answer these questions or leave us on a giant cliffhanger of doom? The last question especially concerns me, since a cliffhanger might never be resolved. Please don't cancel the awesomeness, Fox!
no subject
And Victor continues to impress me as the doll with the best acting skills. Really freaking awesome.
And I kind of loved the fight between Paul and Boyd. It is such a messed up situation, because of course, in terms of moral ground, Paul is in the right, but what he's doing is stupid and would get Echo hurt, traumatized, or killed. Meanwhile, Boyd is in fact sort of like the pimp, but he devotes his life to making sure Echo is safe and happy, and of course, is the one I like and identify with. Such a tangled web Joss weaves...
no subject
Yes! I had only watched a few episodes of Firefly when it was on the air due to the Friday night timeslot of doom, so when Fillion appeared as a Buffy villain it quickly became my dominant impression of him. When I got more into Firefly, I spent a long time being twitchy and expecting the Captain to go for the eyes. I don't want to feel the need to throw my arms in front of my face whenever I see dear Wash, but I suppose if I do then Dollhouse is doing its job.
Paul is in the right, but what he's doing is stupid and would get Echo hurt, traumatized, or killed.
Yes! By "rescuing" her in her wiped doll state, he isn't even rescuing Caroline. That personality isn't present. All he's doing is trying to take Echo into a world she isn't prepared for. In the bigger picture, Boyd is complicit in the evil of the Dollhouse. However, he's more likable (and less crazy-obsessive) than Ballard, and in the small picture of this episode he's more or less in the right. Joss messes with our minds, and I like it.