Brightside: I probably won't have to watch this show ever again.
I found the finale very disappointing. I mean, I find the whole show disappointing, so this was about par for the course.
Alpha and Whiskey's Bobby and Crystal personalities at the beginning had a very Natural Born Killers feel. And more imagery of sex and violence! Yippie.
I hope that what they were going for with "Omega" Echo, was that that was Caroline's personality in control, but without any of her memories. Who else would Omega be? Some 49th personality forged in the craziness of having 48 personalities in your head? While that sounds cool, it's so problematic. I think that Caroline has an unequivocal right to her body. If she can be in control and synthesize parts of other personalities, that's fine, but no other personality has the right to supplant her, even if it is "superior." It kind of sort of maybe seemed like this is what the show is going for, that the original personality stays and can reassert dominance, with Omega Echo's speech ("black president" reference was cringe-worthy, though) and Ballard's vague notions of a soul and Alpha's creepy cutting, but I don't really have much faith in the show. I mean, Omega Echo had to deliver the closest thing to an empowering speech the show has had so far with her boobs literally falling out of her shirt. So maybe Whedon et all really do think that created-but-superior personalities have a right to take over people's bodies.
There was also the whole part where Alpha was VICTIM BLAMING Caroline, which made me rage. He was saying that all the horrible things that happened to Echo's imprints were Caroline's fault. Not the fault of clients who wanted to use and abuse her, not the fault of the Dollhouse that profits from this, certainly not the fault of adorkable Topher who programs her mind to be pretty and clean and unable to say no. No, they get off scott fucking free, it's all CAROLINE'S fault. Now, yes, Omega Echo does then come out and say that Caroline isn't to blame, that no one can sell themselves into slavery, but she doesn't then say who is to blame, she doesn't declare any awesome vendettas against those who have abused her. This would have been a perfect opportunity for the show to stop hand waving and take a stand and say "these characters are in the wrong and they deserve to pay." But... nothing. She just ends up having to let Ballard rescue her "self," and then goes back to being a victim. Great.
What about November (forgot her real name)? She says she feels like "she just got there" and that, what, makes it all ok? How would she feel if she knew the guy who "rescued" her also had sex with her while unconscious? She'll never know, so it doesn't matter? I would have liked a bit more backstory on her character, too. How long since her daughter died? What sort of life is she going back to? Guess that stuff doesn't matter, either, as long as Ballard gets to feel like a hero.
I'm hoping that Topher DIDN'T program Whiskey-as-Saunders to hate him, that that is something coming from her true original personality. I don't want it to be about him and his feelings of guilt. I don't care. I want it to be about her feelings, her thoughts. I want the feelings of the victim to matter more than the feelings of the abuser. I also hope she guts him. Heck, I might even watch season 2 if that happens! As it is now, I think I'm done with Dollhouse, since it just makes me angry.
It could be a good show. It could be truly subversive, if only it would realize it's own biases. I've seen the argument that the Dollhouse is a metaphor for the television/film industry because it's about producing fantasies. Want to explore that more? Show how reality contradicts fantasy. The dolls aren't just naturally perfect looking, are they? The Dollhouse must employ a large staff of make-up artists and hairstylists, why not show them? Show the illusions being created, physically created, in a way that translates directly into the real world. Don't just throw up images of perfectly made up and coiffed women in high high heels as if it's the way women naturally look, and then act like you're deconstructing fantasy.
And Whiskey-as-Saunders would be an interesting chance to subvert gender. Saunders knows she's an imprint, is she aware the original Saunders was a man? What happens when you take a male imprint and put it in a female active? Does Saunders have a male gendered perspective? Does Whiskey's original personality subvert this in subtle ways? I'm not sure how this would be shown, but I'm just saying the character has interesting possibilities and raises interesting questions, which will probably be ignored in order to focus on poor Topher and his guilty conscience.
Anyway, that's enough disjointed rambling for now. Time to sleep.
Alpha and Whiskey's Bobby and Crystal personalities at the beginning had a very Natural Born Killers feel. And more imagery of sex and violence! Yippie.
I hope that what they were going for with "Omega" Echo, was that that was Caroline's personality in control, but without any of her memories. Who else would Omega be? Some 49th personality forged in the craziness of having 48 personalities in your head? While that sounds cool, it's so problematic. I think that Caroline has an unequivocal right to her body. If she can be in control and synthesize parts of other personalities, that's fine, but no other personality has the right to supplant her, even if it is "superior." It kind of sort of maybe seemed like this is what the show is going for, that the original personality stays and can reassert dominance, with Omega Echo's speech ("black president" reference was cringe-worthy, though) and Ballard's vague notions of a soul and Alpha's creepy cutting, but I don't really have much faith in the show. I mean, Omega Echo had to deliver the closest thing to an empowering speech the show has had so far with her boobs literally falling out of her shirt. So maybe Whedon et all really do think that created-but-superior personalities have a right to take over people's bodies.
There was also the whole part where Alpha was VICTIM BLAMING Caroline, which made me rage. He was saying that all the horrible things that happened to Echo's imprints were Caroline's fault. Not the fault of clients who wanted to use and abuse her, not the fault of the Dollhouse that profits from this, certainly not the fault of adorkable Topher who programs her mind to be pretty and clean and unable to say no. No, they get off scott fucking free, it's all CAROLINE'S fault. Now, yes, Omega Echo does then come out and say that Caroline isn't to blame, that no one can sell themselves into slavery, but she doesn't then say who is to blame, she doesn't declare any awesome vendettas against those who have abused her. This would have been a perfect opportunity for the show to stop hand waving and take a stand and say "these characters are in the wrong and they deserve to pay." But... nothing. She just ends up having to let Ballard rescue her "self," and then goes back to being a victim. Great.
What about November (forgot her real name)? She says she feels like "she just got there" and that, what, makes it all ok? How would she feel if she knew the guy who "rescued" her also had sex with her while unconscious? She'll never know, so it doesn't matter? I would have liked a bit more backstory on her character, too. How long since her daughter died? What sort of life is she going back to? Guess that stuff doesn't matter, either, as long as Ballard gets to feel like a hero.
I'm hoping that Topher DIDN'T program Whiskey-as-Saunders to hate him, that that is something coming from her true original personality. I don't want it to be about him and his feelings of guilt. I don't care. I want it to be about her feelings, her thoughts. I want the feelings of the victim to matter more than the feelings of the abuser. I also hope she guts him. Heck, I might even watch season 2 if that happens! As it is now, I think I'm done with Dollhouse, since it just makes me angry.
It could be a good show. It could be truly subversive, if only it would realize it's own biases. I've seen the argument that the Dollhouse is a metaphor for the television/film industry because it's about producing fantasies. Want to explore that more? Show how reality contradicts fantasy. The dolls aren't just naturally perfect looking, are they? The Dollhouse must employ a large staff of make-up artists and hairstylists, why not show them? Show the illusions being created, physically created, in a way that translates directly into the real world. Don't just throw up images of perfectly made up and coiffed women in high high heels as if it's the way women naturally look, and then act like you're deconstructing fantasy.
And Whiskey-as-Saunders would be an interesting chance to subvert gender. Saunders knows she's an imprint, is she aware the original Saunders was a man? What happens when you take a male imprint and put it in a female active? Does Saunders have a male gendered perspective? Does Whiskey's original personality subvert this in subtle ways? I'm not sure how this would be shown, but I'm just saying the character has interesting possibilities and raises interesting questions, which will probably be ignored in order to focus on poor Topher and his guilty conscience.
Anyway, that's enough disjointed rambling for now. Time to sleep.