Comments | embers_log: Dollhouse

embers_log

Dollhouse - SPOILERS!

Feb 14, 2009 09:02

This post will contain huge spoilers for Dollhouse, so please do watch it first on Hulu or at the Fox HD streaming website....
(if you didn't watch it on air last night).

I will put all spoilers behind the cut: I was thrilled when I saw the show, but that was last night, right after seeing it.
( spoilers for the first episode 'Ghost' of DOLLHOUSE )

dollhouse, joss whedon

Comments 16

liluv February 14 2009, 21:06:56 UTC

You make good points and I too thought of La Femme Nikita. I loved that show a lot (LFN) and I am not sure it´s good Dollhouse reminds me of it ( ... )

embers_log February 14 2009, 21:34:33 UTC

Well there are a lot of different things going on here: it is a little like LFN because we seem to be told that 'Caroline' has no choice and is being forced into doing the personality wipe. We don't know if this is because of something terrible she has done (like the girl in LFN) or what ( ... )

liluv February 14 2009, 21:44:09 UTC

Yes, that´s what I meant with "zang". I didn´t know how to say it, I thought something special was missing. You know something that keeps you glued to the tv or that knocks your socks off for second. This can be one tiny little thing and very personal. I didn´t find that in the pilot.
I liked the whole think okay, but if it wasn´t written by Joss- I am not sure I´d give it another shot. I think what I mean is: I am not hooked.

Is "actives" the term for the people working there? I can´t remember, did only woman work in that organization? I mean a personality receiver? Wouldn´t that be weird?

Funny that you mention Veronica Mars, because I wasn´t immediately hooked on that one. It took 3 or 4 episodes to get to me. Maybe it´s the same with Dollhouse. I don´t know I usually get hooked right away, but obviously not with every show.

Btw. I loved to see Amy Acker. Her character interested me a lot.

liluv February 14 2009, 21:45:11 UTC

sorry for the typos. I think I´ll head to bed now :-)

Thread 5

moscow_watcher February 15 2009, 12:26:41 UTC

Echo (should I even think of her as Caroline?) was downloaded with a damaged/suicidal personality

My impression was that she was downloaded with memories, but they don't necessarily a personality. While original Eleanor Penn couldn't cope with these memories, Caroline, as a person, is stronger and more determined.

Again, just my impression, but it looks Joss plans to explore the issue of memories defining (or not defining) personality.

On a more shallow note, yes, Tahmoh is incredibly hot. I spent an evening making avis with the screencaps from these scenes :)

embers_log February 15 2009, 19:58:04 UTC

Yes I agree with your impressions, and that is an important distinction: that one's personality is not merely a collection of one's memories. feel that this exploration is the most (so far) interesting of Joss' themes... I think my POV may be more from the direction of Eastern philosophy, and I'm sure Joss' is not... but I will still be very interested in what he has to say (or suggest) on the topic!

And your icons are awesome! I have to incorporate this one:

( ... )

moscow_watcher February 15 2009, 23:40:35 UTC

that one's personality is not merely a collection of one's memories. feel that this exploration is the most (so far) interesting of Joss' themes...

Yes, exactly. Funny, but I can't but remember the film "Overboard" with Goldy Hawn. She plays a business lady who runs a multi-million dollar empire but one day she falls overboard and loses her memories. Local ne'er-do-well plays a cruel joke on her and declares she is his wife. She accepts her "wife" status, but retains her enterprising personality and, with her help, he becomes a new man.

I think Overboard" was the first film I saw that was based on the idea of personality being bigger than memories. I think that in Dollhouse it's intentional that in the first sequence Caroline was talking about "making a difference". I wonder what has she done in her past.

I friended you back - I hope to read more reviews of yours! :)

embers_log February 16 2009, 02:27:27 UTC

'Overboard' is a great example.... but 'Total Recall' is another w/a different angle: where we accept the memories that are in our heads, we act on the belief of who we are, we don't doubt ourselves partly because we have enough self confidence but also because we have experience....
If you started to doubt your experiences then that would also under cut your self confidence. It is all very tied together.

Someone (I referenced below because I liked their comments) said that in that balcony scene w/the father of the kidnapped girl, when he questioned Eleanor's Echo's experiences you can see her become confused...
it only takes a couple of pulls of the string to unravel the network of personality they have strung together. It is a very interesting premise for a show!

a Whedonesque comment worth noting embers_log February 15 2009, 23:26:59 UTC

Three things I loved the most about this episode (lots of spoilers ( ... )

Another Whedonesque comment worth noting embers_log February 15 2009, 23:28:30 UTC

Some very great points, ebb_of_laughter! And welcome ( ... )

On the Uses and Abuses of Enchantment, or Dollhouse Premieres embers_log February 15 2009, 23:32:04 UTC

from:http://jaynelovesvera.wordpress.com/2009/02/14/on-the-uses-and-abuses-of-enchantment-or-dollhouse-premieres/... )

callmeserenity February 16 2009, 00:30:43 UTC

Les and I watched Dollhouse on Hulu. I thought it was interesting. I'm not sure if it's going to be something I'll get hooked on and want to watch all the time, but I'm going to give it awhile. Especially since Joss mentioned episode 6??? I thought it was very interesting even though I had a very hard time with the child abuse plot (I almost wanted to stop watching) but I loved the Echo gave Eleanor her closure. That was great. I also thought that this was not the way Joss wanted to start the story. Like this is Dollhouse's "The Train Job". I want to see HIS pilot. I want to see more of Joss in this, I didn't really feel a lot of him in it. Not much humour, not much of "Joss-speak." A lot of familiar faces, though.

embers_log February 16 2009, 01:43:23 UTC

Well I'll bet there won't be any more abused children (because repeating stories is not a mistake Joss usually makes) but I think he was kind of suggesting that these actives are like children (with their memories gone they are very open and trusting and child-like) and are being abused.
It didn't have a lot of humor, but I hear that Alan Tudyk will be showing up and he'll bring the funny I'm sure!

callmeserenity February 17 2009, 11:38:49 UTC

I hope so. I'm not worried about repeated storylines, I just think it was very heavy hitting for a first episode, I guess I'll wait and see how things go. I just wish Joss would stop writing shows for FOX or FOX would stop messing up Joss' shows.

embers_log February 17 2009, 19:54:50 UTC

Well I agree about not liking Fox, but they are the ones who are throwing their money in his direction... none of the other networks have tried to hire him, or his Whedonesque actors.

Basically I would rather see Joss shows on TV no matter who is paying for it...
I would rather have a TV on every week w/his characters & conversations, rather than wait years for a movie to be made, and then it is over in 2 hrs.

Online content is cool, but still too short, and I don't think he can afford to live off that alone.