Joss Whedon's Dollhouse
First off, I should make it clear that (offline) I've been predicting the suckage of this show. The premise just sounds awful to me. Most of the main characters don't have the same personalities from show to show? I just don't see how this can be engaging.
So now I've seen the first episode, and I have to say: I really hate being right all the time.
The folks over at Whedonesque seem to have drunk the Kool-Aide. (Oh, heck, who are we kidding? Those folks have been mainlining Kool-Aide ever since Buffy.) But, sadly, the Dollhouse pilot wasn't good. Or at least it didn't resonate with me, FWIW.
I guess the idea is going to be that there is some "personality leakage" or something that lets their real personalities come out here and there...but, again, I just don't see how this can be sustainable. Eventually that shtick is going to get old--eventually (read: pretty soon) it's all going to have to come out; otherwise people are just going to get annoyed.
But, then, what do I know? Lost seems really irritating to me. (Here's an island! Look, a bear! See how none of this makes sense! An invisible monster! Another person you don't know, acting all superior and/or arch! Now you're traveling through time! Whoa is this crazy or what?!) So clearly I'm no judge of what'll sell. I mean, I think The Office is not merely stupid but downright disgusting. I mean, you can build a whole show around the lurid spectacle of awkward, repulsive, pathetic, socially awkward people debasing themselves and being debased by the cool kids? Seriously? I feel like I need a shower after seeing that show. Bleck. The point being: I'm no judge of what people will like.
What we needed was for, say, Firefly to have gotten a decent chance. In that case we had a show, terrific from the very beginning, canned before there was any chance for it to take off. That just added to the Whedon mystique in a way--he produced great stuff, but the suits killed it off. I'm afraid Dollhouse is going to suck, and then the rap'll be: he produces non-good stuff which justifiably gets killed off.
But I hope I'm wrong. That Joss Whedon can be one really entertaining guy, and I'd be way happy with something even half as good as Buffy, Angel or Firefly. Half as good as those things would mean about ten times better than most of the crap on the tube, and that'd be good enough for me.
First off, I should make it clear that (offline) I've been predicting the suckage of this show. The premise just sounds awful to me. Most of the main characters don't have the same personalities from show to show? I just don't see how this can be engaging.
So now I've seen the first episode, and I have to say: I really hate being right all the time.
The folks over at Whedonesque seem to have drunk the Kool-Aide. (Oh, heck, who are we kidding? Those folks have been mainlining Kool-Aide ever since Buffy.) But, sadly, the Dollhouse pilot wasn't good. Or at least it didn't resonate with me, FWIW.
I guess the idea is going to be that there is some "personality leakage" or something that lets their real personalities come out here and there...but, again, I just don't see how this can be sustainable. Eventually that shtick is going to get old--eventually (read: pretty soon) it's all going to have to come out; otherwise people are just going to get annoyed.
But, then, what do I know? Lost seems really irritating to me. (Here's an island! Look, a bear! See how none of this makes sense! An invisible monster! Another person you don't know, acting all superior and/or arch! Now you're traveling through time! Whoa is this crazy or what?!) So clearly I'm no judge of what'll sell. I mean, I think The Office is not merely stupid but downright disgusting. I mean, you can build a whole show around the lurid spectacle of awkward, repulsive, pathetic, socially awkward people debasing themselves and being debased by the cool kids? Seriously? I feel like I need a shower after seeing that show. Bleck. The point being: I'm no judge of what people will like.
What we needed was for, say, Firefly to have gotten a decent chance. In that case we had a show, terrific from the very beginning, canned before there was any chance for it to take off. That just added to the Whedon mystique in a way--he produced great stuff, but the suits killed it off. I'm afraid Dollhouse is going to suck, and then the rap'll be: he produces non-good stuff which justifiably gets killed off.
But I hope I'm wrong. That Joss Whedon can be one really entertaining guy, and I'd be way happy with something even half as good as Buffy, Angel or Firefly. Half as good as those things would mean about ten times better than most of the crap on the tube, and that'd be good enough for me.
posted by Winston Smith at
12:16 PM
3 Comments:
Is there an actual critique here? If so, I'm having trouble spotting it unless your idea of critique is that said program is not up to your entertainment standards.
If Buffy was good but Dollhouse weak, how so?
When I visit Philosoraptor it's analysis I want to see dammit. Get crackin'
Not gettin' yer money's worth here, Gav?
Yeah, I guess all I got on this one is "me no like." Or at least "me no like so far."
Hmm... I enjoyed the first two episodes, but I do see your point about being concerned for the lack of continuity with the characters. I suspect that they'll try to soften that with the continuity of the secondary (non-doll) characters - like the handler guy. I guess we'll just have to see if it works out.
Also, lost rules, and if you say otherwise, the smoke monster will eat you.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home