Whose dream?

[anarchangel23]

I just finished watching the first episode of Dollhouse on Hulu. It was a solid episode with lots of interesting hooks laid for the rest of the half length opening season. I've watched two other premier episodes of one-hour dramas recently (Heroes and Terminator: Summer Glau Chronicles) and this was better than both. Echo (Eliza Dushka's character

Comments

[cataragon]

I really disliked the first episode, which surprised me, because I was fully prepared to love it.
I'm going to watch more, probably, because I've liked everything else Whedon has done, but I was really disappointed, especially in the misogyny, which is very unlike any of his other stuff.

C.

[anarchangel23]

What did you find misogynistic? (Other than the premise of the show, of course, which is self-consciously so.)

[cataragon]

I didn't like the fact that the very first assignment they showed was sexual in nature - like that's the first thing you think of when you have a woman who can be made into/made to do anything - compliant sex doll. I didn't like the cognitive dissonance of that in an episode in which PTSD and triggering was a plot point - especially in combination with the discussion between the two (male) staff members early on about how wiping her memory was best for her. I just found the juxtaposition of those three elements really creepifying.

I didn't feel any enthusiasm for or connection with any of the characters either. I will watch a few more episodes, I think, and see. But I found that first episode actually upsetting (and I know I have the history, but so do a lot of other women, and I know of at least one other woman, without the history, who found the pilot squickifying)

C.

[anarchangel23]

Yup, that's fair enough. I thought the juxtaposition of Echo's first two personas was designed to be jarring, especially, as you say, the first one was the stereotypical first thing the concept evokes. I haven't decided whether I think they laid the creepiness on a bit thick in that episode or not. The more I think about it, the more I like the fact that it was creepy, because it was a challenge to the viewer: "Hey, a compliant sex doll, cool huh! How about a plot about a sex offender? Still sexy?"

[cataragon]

I hadn't thought about it quite like that - I'm willing to believe they were attempting to make that challenge, but it just didn't come across that way to me.
In particular watching her, under imprint, have a classic PTSD trigger episode, and be in distress, while aware that she was being used all the time by other people and could not remember it herself just really pushed ick buttons for me.
I guess in a lot of ways it's the classic question: "What makes you who you are?" just writ large - the trauma survivor has to live with the consequences, but would it be better not to know at all?
I suspect the answer, at least as far as this show goes, is no, it is not better. But the first episode didn't do as good a job of showing that as the second did, leaving me wondering, I guess, if they were implying the opposite.

[prolegomenon]

I didn't really like the first episode either. But I was too thick/tired to even realise she was being hired as a "sex doll" early on...but once this was pointed out to me and I mulled on it for a while, I thought realistically if a woman could be made into anything - and it was a kinda dodgy underground op with rich clients- wouldn't that be what they were hired for a heck of a lot of the time? I spose the question for me is at what point should a TV show try to be realistic versus trying to portray a sense of morality in order to change the way people think.
And Liz hated me for it... but I also have my reservations about Eliza Dushka's ability to act such a complex role. I didn't buy her negotiator thing at all, a really hard role to play ...but to me she just didn't pull it off.

[cataragon]

I agree about the realism of the concept, I was just disappointed because in the past Joss Whedon has made attempts to break out of that formula. The first episode didn't seem to be condemning the behaviour, which squicked me. The second episode brings the ambiguity of morality into far sharper contrast, so I liked it a bit better.

I have to say, I agree about Eliza Dushku. She's a good actress, but I'm not sure she's a good enough character actress, which is what they really needed for this role. It probably doesn't help that for me (and I'm guessing a significant portion of the audience) she's already very familiar in other roles.

[anarchangel23]

...at what point should a TV show try to be realistic versus trying to portray a sense of morality...

I would argue that the started in episode one with the juxtaposition of the sex doll and the abuse victim.

I didn't buy her negotiator thing at all...

No? I thought it was good. I don't think the second episode will reassure you on this count.