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?"

[beshter]

Glad it's on hulu, I missed it this week.