Too Many Rogues Syndrome
Or, Why The Dollhouse Fell Flat
Among Role-Playing gamers, there is a recognition that the first couple of sessions of any game are going to be a bit stiff, and perhaps not quite as fun as later games. The reason is simple: the characters are new, and the setting is new, and no one is quite yet sure of what's going on. This problem can be made worse, though, if the group has too many Rogues.
In D&D, for those who don't already know, the Rogue is the thief/con-artist class. Typically, these are cagey, hang back in the shadows types. Always let the other guy go first, so your Rogue can do sneaky stuff while the bad guys are distracted by the other guy.
So, naturally, if your group has too many Rogues, what you end up with for the first few sessions is a bunch of suspicious, cagey types who are not-engaging with one another, with each of them waiting for the others to make the first move.
Joss Wheadon's new series, The Dollhouse, has too many Rogues.
For those who missed the first episode, the basic premise is this:
A shadowy, evil corporation (the titular Dollhouse) has a small set of "actives," people who have volunteered to have their memories and personalities erased so that they can later be temporarily programmed with whatever skills and memories are useful for the evil corporation's clients. An active can be programmed to be your dream date, a tough-as-nails hostage negotiator, or the Ninja to beat all Ninjas. Or, anything, really.
Echo is one of these actives. If the internet buzz is to be believed, we'll be seeing her develop an independent personality over time. She is handled, in the field Boyd Langdon, an ex-cop with a vaguely-fatherly concern for Echo's personal well-being. Other characters include the staff and executives of the Dollhouse, and (of course) the client and bad guys of the week. A maverick FBI agent is investigating the Dollhouse, against pressure from above. There is also a rogue active, called Alpha, who seems to be some kind of psycho-killer who may be obsessed with Echo.
Here's the problem. Echo is the main character. The show spends its time focusing mostly on her, or things of importance to her. Yet, Echo is a cipher. By the premise, she has no character of her own. What is the audience supposed to latch on to, beyond a vague feeling that the way the company is using her is Just Not Right?
In order to pull off a lead role like Echo, what one needs is a strong character actor. Someone who can be several distinct and believable people, switching roles with body language and voice without changing a single piece of wardrobe or makeup. Dushku is not that actor. She does a good "tough & sassy action girl," but that's the limit of her range.
This could be overcome if the other characters were engaging, either as sympathetic bystanders or fascinating bad guys... But they aren't. Putting aside the fact that the limited screen time each was allowed in the premier episode left the actors unable to do more than project "standard evil executive," or "standard creepy mad science guy," they're all emotionally flat.
This is understandable. What they're doing for a living isn't just illegal, it's also horrifying on a personal level. They have to emotionally detach from what they're doing. Which is where the Too Many Rogues Syndrome comes in.
The characters with no personalities give the audience no place to invest. The characters who have personalities are, with the exception of father-surrogate Boyd, unlikable people who are withdrawn from each other and also the audience. Everyone is so busy hiding in the shadows that there's nothing there to get excited about.
It's a great premise, but a great premise won't do by itself. The Client of the Week won't hold an audience, either. The exploration of what's going on at the Dollhouse, with the FBI guy, with the psycho-killer active, and with Echo's developing personality will not allow enough screen time for the supposed A Plot with the Client to be explored in any depth.
I'm afraid this one is doomed for the canceled-after-ten-episodes bin. Because the characters are actively evading the audience's emotional attachment.
Among Role-Playing gamers, there is a recognition that the first couple of sessions of any game are going to be a bit stiff, and perhaps not quite as fun as later games. The reason is simple: the characters are new, and the setting is new, and no one is quite yet sure of what's going on. This problem can be made worse, though, if the group has too many Rogues.
In D&D, for those who don't already know, the Rogue is the thief/con-artist class. Typically, these are cagey, hang back in the shadows types. Always let the other guy go first, so your Rogue can do sneaky stuff while the bad guys are distracted by the other guy.
So, naturally, if your group has too many Rogues, what you end up with for the first few sessions is a bunch of suspicious, cagey types who are not-engaging with one another, with each of them waiting for the others to make the first move.
Joss Wheadon's new series, The Dollhouse, has too many Rogues.
For those who missed the first episode, the basic premise is this:
A shadowy, evil corporation (the titular Dollhouse) has a small set of "actives," people who have volunteered to have their memories and personalities erased so that they can later be temporarily programmed with whatever skills and memories are useful for the evil corporation's clients. An active can be programmed to be your dream date, a tough-as-nails hostage negotiator, or the Ninja to beat all Ninjas. Or, anything, really.
Echo is one of these actives. If the internet buzz is to be believed, we'll be seeing her develop an independent personality over time. She is handled, in the field Boyd Langdon, an ex-cop with a vaguely-fatherly concern for Echo's personal well-being. Other characters include the staff and executives of the Dollhouse, and (of course) the client and bad guys of the week. A maverick FBI agent is investigating the Dollhouse, against pressure from above. There is also a rogue active, called Alpha, who seems to be some kind of psycho-killer who may be obsessed with Echo.
Here's the problem. Echo is the main character. The show spends its time focusing mostly on her, or things of importance to her. Yet, Echo is a cipher. By the premise, she has no character of her own. What is the audience supposed to latch on to, beyond a vague feeling that the way the company is using her is Just Not Right?
In order to pull off a lead role like Echo, what one needs is a strong character actor. Someone who can be several distinct and believable people, switching roles with body language and voice without changing a single piece of wardrobe or makeup. Dushku is not that actor. She does a good "tough & sassy action girl," but that's the limit of her range.
This could be overcome if the other characters were engaging, either as sympathetic bystanders or fascinating bad guys... But they aren't. Putting aside the fact that the limited screen time each was allowed in the premier episode left the actors unable to do more than project "standard evil executive," or "standard creepy mad science guy," they're all emotionally flat.
This is understandable. What they're doing for a living isn't just illegal, it's also horrifying on a personal level. They have to emotionally detach from what they're doing. Which is where the Too Many Rogues Syndrome comes in.
The characters with no personalities give the audience no place to invest. The characters who have personalities are, with the exception of father-surrogate Boyd, unlikable people who are withdrawn from each other and also the audience. Everyone is so busy hiding in the shadows that there's nothing there to get excited about.
It's a great premise, but a great premise won't do by itself. The Client of the Week won't hold an audience, either. The exploration of what's going on at the Dollhouse, with the FBI guy, with the psycho-killer active, and with Echo's developing personality will not allow enough screen time for the supposed A Plot with the Client to be explored in any depth.
I'm afraid this one is doomed for the canceled-after-ten-episodes bin. Because the characters are actively evading the audience's emotional attachment.