I hold a PhD in rambling
I have to say, I don’t really get it when people say they don’t like Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog because of the sudden shift into tragedy in the third act. I mean, first of all, doesn’t that fit some definitions of a tragedy? It starts out with everything all hunky-dory except where it isn’t and ends with everybody dead everything screwed up? (And vice-versa for comedies, or so one high school English teacher phrased it in a vain but admirable attempt to make her dazed students show some slight interest in Shakespeare.)
And I disagree that it comes out of nowhere; there’s a dark theme running through the whole thing even as the comedy happens. Act I is mostly set-up, so it’s not as clear then, but the dark undertones are pretty obvious by the end of Act II. “My Eyes” has Billy singing about how fucked up the world is and how all his hope is dying so that darkness is all he has left. “Brand New Day” is an upbeat and awesome song about plotting murder.
And it’s not as if Act III abandons the comedy entirely. I mean, the first song is “So They Say,” which is almost entirely humorous except for the little Billy/Penny duet. The groupies bring the lulz. “Slipping” has Dr. Horrible interrupting his own evil gloating to correct a reporter on the spelling of his name. And even the depressing ending has the gem, ‘country mourns what’s-her-name.’
The whole thing is really a classic tragedy set-up: it’s about the downfall of a protagonist because of his character flaws. It has the impression of free will, where it’s the character’s choices that lead to the bad ending. Throughout the story, you want Billy to just talk to Penny. There are so many moments, and even when he screws up, he seems to get another chance. Penny obviously likes him as he is, but he thinks he needs to be a villain. Every time he has a choice between just talking honestly with her and trying to further his villain career, he chooses the latter and it makes the viewer want to scream a little bit on repeated viewing.
One of the most painful little bits is one I didn’t notice the first time I watched it, a scene during “So They Say.” Penny sings her few lines trying to convince herself she’s happy with Captain Hammer, even though she is obviously having doubts. She picks at her frozen yogurt while a second container sits unopened in front of her, and every time the little bells rings, she looks over to the door, hoping it’s Billy. Meanwhile, where is Billy? Holed up in his lab inventing a death ray to take out Captain Hammer, because that’s the only solution he sees.
The ending was inevitable, and I think it was beautifully set up. I cannot think of another satisfying way they could have ended it. Yes, it please our fluffy little hearts if Billy had gotten everything he wanted and lived happily ever after with Penny, but it just wouldn’t fit.
Besides, that’s what fanfic is for.
I'm using my fluffy-happy icon for irony's sake.
And I disagree that it comes out of nowhere; there’s a dark theme running through the whole thing even as the comedy happens. Act I is mostly set-up, so it’s not as clear then, but the dark undertones are pretty obvious by the end of Act II. “My Eyes” has Billy singing about how fucked up the world is and how all his hope is dying so that darkness is all he has left. “Brand New Day” is an upbeat and awesome song about plotting murder.
And it’s not as if Act III abandons the comedy entirely. I mean, the first song is “So They Say,” which is almost entirely humorous except for the little Billy/Penny duet. The groupies bring the lulz. “Slipping” has Dr. Horrible interrupting his own evil gloating to correct a reporter on the spelling of his name. And even the depressing ending has the gem, ‘country mourns what’s-her-name.’
The whole thing is really a classic tragedy set-up: it’s about the downfall of a protagonist because of his character flaws. It has the impression of free will, where it’s the character’s choices that lead to the bad ending. Throughout the story, you want Billy to just talk to Penny. There are so many moments, and even when he screws up, he seems to get another chance. Penny obviously likes him as he is, but he thinks he needs to be a villain. Every time he has a choice between just talking honestly with her and trying to further his villain career, he chooses the latter and it makes the viewer want to scream a little bit on repeated viewing.
One of the most painful little bits is one I didn’t notice the first time I watched it, a scene during “So They Say.” Penny sings her few lines trying to convince herself she’s happy with Captain Hammer, even though she is obviously having doubts. She picks at her frozen yogurt while a second container sits unopened in front of her, and every time the little bells rings, she looks over to the door, hoping it’s Billy. Meanwhile, where is Billy? Holed up in his lab inventing a death ray to take out Captain Hammer, because that’s the only solution he sees.
The ending was inevitable, and I think it was beautifully set up. I cannot think of another satisfying way they could have ended it. Yes, it please our fluffy little hearts if Billy had gotten everything he wanted and lived happily ever after with Penny, but it just wouldn’t fit.
Besides, that’s what fanfic is for.
I'm using my fluffy-happy icon for irony's sake.