Heroes v. Dollhouse
Hi there!
I'm watching Heroes now, I just saw the latest episode of Joss Whedon's Dollhouse.
When I'd heard that Joss was doing a new series, I thought: "WooHoo! BuffAngeFly II!!". I was sincerely hoping for another great series with amazing plot twists and turns and awesome characterization. Well, at least until the inevitable puppet episode.
But then I heard what the series was about.
It's an "edgy" series about an undercover Los Angeles agency that not only rents out high-class prostitutes to fulfill their customers' every desire, but then erases their memories so that after they're done screwing their money-laden clients, they remember nothing of the incident and revert back to their child-like brain-inhibited states. Oh, and sometimes they're hired out for ninja infiltration and assassination. Because it's Joss, and it wouldn't be Joss unless every human being with 2 X chromosomes had M4d N1nj4 Skillz.
But ... I forced myself to watch it, and ... I kinda liked it.
Okay yeah, the whole "it's kinda technically rape, isn't it?" thing doesn't jive well with my belief that rapists ought to be gently introduced balls-first into a chipper-shredder, but I have hopes that there's more to this than a series about human sex-trafficking. Because it's still Joss, right, and he's only using squicky concepts to shock us and then ironically turn it on it's ear, right? Riiight?
So the first episode wasn't spectacular, and by the second episode, I was slowly starting to agree with Tycho and Gabe on the subject. Except, I'm slowly starting to see something in the show that I ... like. There's an undercurrent of ... what's that called again? Oh yes, HALFWAY DECENT WRITING. Something I haven't seen on TV since the first season of Heroes. This most recent episode kicked me in the gut with a few twists that I SHOULD have seen coming a mile away, but apparently too much predictable television has completely numbed me to this sort of thing.
I feel like I'm enjoying this series to SPITE myself! It's really bizarre. Am I just slavishly devoted to Joss, and determined to like this no matter what, or am I seeing a decent show here for a change?
Your thoughts?
Now about Heroes:
"Really Hiro?! You STILL haven't been able to use your powers since Mr. Petrelli (if that IS his real name) zapped you last season, even thought EVERY other hero that has encountered him and lost their powers have miraculously regained their powers just ... just because they wanted to, except now that a baby who controls electricity touches you, you suddenly have one (and only one) of those powers back!? Really? Is that internally consistent with the way that anyone's powers have worked so far? You'd think that Ando throwing around +5 power bonuses would have been able to kick start them better than Baby-Power-Up. Yes, and isn't it too bad that Sylar, mass-murdering psychopath at large brought the angry bald Federal guy that was hunting him a nice prezzie, isn't it? He's so thoughtful. But at least, AT LEAST Michah's Aunt who hasn't seen him since he was little, not only recognized him at a glance but knew exactly what his powers were. You'd think her sister wouldn't have had time to send her family update e-mails what with being on the run all during the first 2 seasons.* And it's fascinating that Angela was almost able to escape the Federal Agents that had her limo surrounded by simply WALKING OUT THE DOOR AND DOWN THE STREET!?" Oh! OH!! And it's a damn good thing that every mother who has a convicted terrorist for an ex-husband reacts to two grown men trying to STEAL HER BABY by calmly asking them their intentions and seeing nothing wrong with their story, decides to believe them. Because hey, why the Hell not??"
So please, could SOMEone, ANYone, give me a good reason that I'm still watching this show?? [sigh]
*As I was writing this, I just realized how this would have been possible, but I don't care at this point, I am a big Ranty McRanterson! Graaaaaaaah!!
I'm watching Heroes now, I just saw the latest episode of Joss Whedon's Dollhouse.
When I'd heard that Joss was doing a new series, I thought: "WooHoo! BuffAngeFly II!!". I was sincerely hoping for another great series with amazing plot twists and turns and awesome characterization. Well, at least until the inevitable puppet episode.
But then I heard what the series was about.
It's an "edgy" series about an undercover Los Angeles agency that not only rents out high-class prostitutes to fulfill their customers' every desire, but then erases their memories so that after they're done screwing their money-laden clients, they remember nothing of the incident and revert back to their child-like brain-inhibited states. Oh, and sometimes they're hired out for ninja infiltration and assassination. Because it's Joss, and it wouldn't be Joss unless every human being with 2 X chromosomes had M4d N1nj4 Skillz.
But ... I forced myself to watch it, and ... I kinda liked it.
Okay yeah, the whole "it's kinda technically rape, isn't it?" thing doesn't jive well with my belief that rapists ought to be gently introduced balls-first into a chipper-shredder, but I have hopes that there's more to this than a series about human sex-trafficking. Because it's still Joss, right, and he's only using squicky concepts to shock us and then ironically turn it on it's ear, right? Riiight?
So the first episode wasn't spectacular, and by the second episode, I was slowly starting to agree with Tycho and Gabe on the subject. Except, I'm slowly starting to see something in the show that I ... like. There's an undercurrent of ... what's that called again? Oh yes, HALFWAY DECENT WRITING. Something I haven't seen on TV since the first season of Heroes. This most recent episode kicked me in the gut with a few twists that I SHOULD have seen coming a mile away, but apparently too much predictable television has completely numbed me to this sort of thing.
I feel like I'm enjoying this series to SPITE myself! It's really bizarre. Am I just slavishly devoted to Joss, and determined to like this no matter what, or am I seeing a decent show here for a change?
Your thoughts?
Now about Heroes:
"Really Hiro?! You STILL haven't been able to use your powers since Mr. Petrelli (if that IS his real name) zapped you last season, even thought EVERY other hero that has encountered him and lost their powers have miraculously regained their powers just ... just because they wanted to, except now that a baby who controls electricity touches you, you suddenly have one (and only one) of those powers back!? Really? Is that internally consistent with the way that anyone's powers have worked so far? You'd think that Ando throwing around +5 power bonuses would have been able to kick start them better than Baby-Power-Up. Yes, and isn't it too bad that Sylar, mass-murdering psychopath at large brought the angry bald Federal guy that was hunting him a nice prezzie, isn't it? He's so thoughtful. But at least, AT LEAST Michah's Aunt who hasn't seen him since he was little, not only recognized him at a glance but knew exactly what his powers were. You'd think her sister wouldn't have had time to send her family update e-mails what with being on the run all during the first 2 seasons.* And it's fascinating that Angela was almost able to escape the Federal Agents that had her limo surrounded by simply WALKING OUT THE DOOR AND DOWN THE STREET!?" Oh! OH!! And it's a damn good thing that every mother who has a convicted terrorist for an ex-husband reacts to two grown men trying to STEAL HER BABY by calmly asking them their intentions and seeing nothing wrong with their story, decides to believe them. Because hey, why the Hell not??"
So please, could SOMEone, ANYone, give me a good reason that I'm still watching this show?? [sigh]
*As I was writing this, I just realized how this would have been possible, but I don't care at this point, I am a big Ranty McRanterson! Graaaaaaaah!!