Cool News
‘They’re Not Just Experimenting With Animals!!’ We Arrive Friday Night At The Exciting Midpoint Of Joss Whedon’s DOLLHOUSE!!
I am – Hercules!!
Last week’s reveal-happy Joss Whedon-penned “Dollhouse” was so good (and so much better than all the prior “Dollhouse” episodes) it makes me a little nutty that everybody was busy with that spaceship show over on SciFi. I’m especially enjoying neighbor Mellie and Olivia Williams as the Dollhouse’s keeper.
You can watch last week’s, titled “Man On The Street,” right here:
Tonight’s installment, which marks the midpoint of “Dollhouse’s” 13-episode first-season run, looks like another hot one.
Fox says of tonight’s installment, titled “Echoes”:
A deadly virus outbreak on a college campus sends Echo back to school where pieces of her past come into focus. Guest Cast: Reed Diamond as Laurence Dominic; Miracle Laurie as Mellie; Brett Claywell as Matt; Philip Casnoff as Clive Ambrose; Mechad Brooks as Sam; Josh Cooke as Leo Carpenter; Octavia Spencer as Professor Janack.
The Fox Network just got new boss, the guy who’s been running the Fox Searchlight movie subsidiary forever. I like Fox Searchlight projects better than most of the stuff I see on the Fox Network, so hopefully the Searchlight guy will prove smart enough to bring “Dollhouse” back for another season in a real timeslot. Or at least smart enough to talk Whedon into making another TV show, then schedule said show after “American Idol.”
9 p.m. Friday. Fox.
Season Eight: Volume Four!!
Sci-Fi DVD Sale!!
Season Eight: Volume Four!!
Sci-Fi DVD Sale!!
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was weak.
i was excited to see what they promoted as being the turning point or whatever, but nothing really happened.
i'm still waiting for a stand-out episode. -
Anyone else notice that they changed the characters' clothes in the image at the end of that Adventureland ad? Before the main boy/girl actors were wearing t-shirts that said "games games games," now they are in different outfits. Who are the ad wizards...
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Was amazing! It was the episode we were waiting for...and honestly will be the "pilot" episode in my mind from this point on. If the show goes on for 2-3 years I will never watch an episode earlier than last weeks. It set a lot of great plotlines into motion and made it start to feel like a Whedon show. I can't wait to see where this week goes. For those of you who gave up after the first 2-3 weeks, watch last week's episode and then pick up again this week.
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I've enjoyed everything Whedon has done so far, and each show always inevitably gets better. Since I'm already liking this one, I can't wait to see where it goes.
That said, I feel like he's been a bit restrained with his signature humor. Everyone's a critic, right? -
It may be too late to save this, even with this awesome episode.
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To a greater or lesser degree. Last one was very good, but not in some mystical other league than the previous eps.
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I hate popular consumption. Let a great sory brew. Let it build. Why is everything about immediate gratification!??? I trust what Joss wants to do. It seems a bit... um... 'lite' right now but I'll take this seemingly disposable stuff to build a bigger and brilliant thing! Fox. Patience!
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...at the season finale. I know you guys are thinking the show is light right now, but trust me, you are not prepared for 1.13. Think, apocalypse.
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...Except the Pop-Singer episode.
Wow. That was a piece of dogshit, if it wasn't for Tahmoh's character--and his neighbor. In fact, I would say (even though it is some of the best work she has ever done) the weakest part of the show is Eliza Dushku. It isn't that she is bad--but other people in it are so great, like Tahmoh and Harry Lennix. But, it is all coming into focus and finding it's legs...hopefully it will get to grow beyond this first season.
And if not, hopefully Joss has a sense of closure at the end of the first season. He is usually pretty good at that. -
he does. Epic stuff.
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...and the same for Terminator: SC. Instead, Fox programmed the Osbournes there?
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That was clever!
If you really want to impress, do that again next week. -
Now, that's clever! If you really want to impress, don't go there, well, with the Dirty Sanchez...but the Juan Sanchez part might be okay?
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just out of curiousity, Herc, what did you think of the finale of 'that spaceship show'? were your questions answered?
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I was thinking the same thing. Herc, you're a massive fan yet I haven't seen anything anywhere on what you thought. Personally, I loved it but thought the Starbuck/In Head duo was unsatisfactory, but the finale was note-perfect otherwise. Oh, other than a Adama/Tigh goodbye!
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My days of not taking you seriously are definitely coming to a midpoint.
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oh...
yeah, well... frak! :( -
You can count on it.
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Godsdammit
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Damn You Michael Bay
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That's assuming Fox doesn't unceremoniously yank it from the schedule.
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Because so far it's been MIA along with the writing, acting, directing, set design, lighing, make up, catering and general competance.
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The Centurions rescue the survivors still living on New Caprica
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Mar 27, 2009 7:38:12 AM CDT
TERMINATOR: SCC made last week's Dollhouse feel like naptime.
by ninjarap
Watching something as phenomenal as last week's Terminator made it really difficult to care about Dollhouse last week immediately afterwards, no matter how decent it kinda was. Did you know Joss Whedon is a self-confessed avid fan of Terminator: SCC? It's true. Probably because he likes to watch shows that are better-written than his own.
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Mar 27, 2009 7:45:25 AM CDT
not that I would be caught saying this beyond the cover of inter
by ravex
but smallville was really good this week.
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damn short subject lines...
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Mar 27, 2009 8:03:01 AM CDT
TERMINATOR: TSCC made last week's DOLLHOUSE feel like FULL HOUSE
by spyguy
I know Herc is obviously in the tank for anything Whedon, but TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES is clearly superior. If nothing else, it deserves a separate talkback now that BSG is finished with not answering unanswered questions.
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Elbaviecnocni!
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Keel Haul Helo!
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We just all have to deal with the fact that unless Herc likes the show, there will be no talkback. I am tired of asking for talk backs for Terminator, Chuck, House, Dexter (well most episodes), or whatever show that is popular with fans of this board, not not Herc. I think it is a poor marketing decision not to give your audience what they want, but it is kinda useless to continually ask for something that Herc is never going to give.
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With an even bigger vagina.
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Sure, there are some glaring biases, but Herc has a good personality and takes a lot of abuse in stride and can defuse potential flamewars by having a sense of humor. And no, I'm not Herc's mom.
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for thier own talkback. Which one is more fucked up again?
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... on the TBs he inexplicably chooses. Yes, I recognize the irony.
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AND I LIKE IT!
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Mar 27, 2009 10:06:46 AM CDT
At least this is one place where "exciting midpoint" is being ir
by photoboy
Both this and Terminator are my favourite things on TV at the moment. It's shame that they're both inevitably going to be cancelled at the end of their seasons.
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I think you guys should go for it!
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Fucking amazing television.
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is my promised naked Alan Tudyk running around crazy and killing things???
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Admits he is a "devotee" of the series. That should be enough for Herc: http://scifiwire.com/2009/01/joss-whedon-speaks-candidaly-about-dollhouse-and-has-a-message-for-haters.php
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I can't even remember his name. Horribly miscast. He really drags down any scene he's in. I think he's the one who needs a personality transplant.
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It'll never be "enough" :)
Seriously though, I think the majority watch both series and it's not like he mods our asses off that people can't talk about both shows. Unless it's just a dedication thing and it's more about seeing a headline than anything else. If that's the case, see above (Cold!Daddy). -
Ha, got you! Everyone knows the Zone is for pussies.
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I'm crossing my fingers that, in addition to giving "Dollhouse" some breathing room, Mr. Searchlight will renew "Sarah Connor Chronicles." Yeah, there have been some weak eps, but overall it's extremely impressive and engaging. Now that BSG is gone it's my favorite show on TV.
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looks like a zombie that's about to eat Andy Sandberg Light's brain in that Adventureland picture.
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it was alright...better than the others but still pretty uninteresting in my opinion. I've come to find recently that I can't name any of the characters on this show besides Echo and Ballard. If I can't remember characters names then the show is not working at all. I hope it continues to get better as I'd love for it to be a show I love....but for now it's just something I watch when I get around to it.
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the million dollar whore suck a dick this time?
ratings gold.... -
Did anybody else think Olivia Williams who plays the head of the dollhouse was Penney from Lost? For the first 6 episodes of Dollhouse we all thought that was Penney from Lost, and then only just the other day we were looking on IMDB and saw that it was a different actress. I'm STILL in disbelief. She looks just like her.
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Sigh Fy is showing the BG ending again tonight from 7-9:10 so i'll probably watch it again and then Dollhouse after. Talk about following the sublime with the ridiculous! Bring on The Plan and Caprica and the final season's DVD!!
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Last week was awesome. The issue becomes, how many other people are sleeper Dolls. Theoretically, everyone running the Dollhouse could be Dolls.
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last week was JUICY. I love the darkness of the show. It's too good for network TV. Maybe it should go to AMC with Breaking Bad or FX with Damages. Or of course, most logically, SciFi.
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was on the Sixth Sense and The Postman. She's pretty
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Just think of any Joss Whedon tv venture as a miniseries or movie, because it's gonna get cancelled sooner or later. If I were you, I would be happy that this guy still gets offers with his recent track record.
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But considering how pretty not so great it was before, I have to honestly say it might have had an effect on my perception. In the end though, does it matter? I enjoyed the hell out of it. And that neighbor lady sure is a chunk of woman. (in a good way)
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but all this jibber jabber about these shows is pointless when you compare it to the greatness that is SUPERNATURAL. Search your feelings, you know this to be true.
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Dollhouse is a really weak show. The biggest problem is that Dushku really can't act (or at least has no range), and they've put her in a role where she's supposed to be a different person every week. Plus, the plot is just dumb. Fox put this show on Friday night b/c they knew it was doomed for failure right out of the box.
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today? Since it doesn't appear we'll be talking Veronica Mars reunion movie anytime soon.
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Gotta admit it. Supernatural has been surprising as hell. VERY good recent run. I'm hooked.
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Mar 27, 2009 12:41:23 PM CDT
Dollhouse Theme Song: From a Feminine Hygiene Product Commercial
by darfurontherocks
You know it...
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Mar 27, 2009 12:46:56 PM CDT
This is what bugs me most about Sarah Connor Chronicles these da
by hercules
The season seems to center on the hot Australian from the future wanting to kill blonde teen from the future so that John will hate the terminators and stop using them as tools. (I may have that wrong.)
But if the events of Terminator I & II didn't sour John on robots, what difference makes the death-by-T801 of some random blonde he met 10 minutes ago?
I'm still watching, which is something, but the series frusrates me (and others, I gather; its ratings continue to plummet). -
That episode finally felt like a Joss Whedon show. The writing and performance of Patton Oswalt's character, the reveals about Mellie - ok, she's my favorite on the show (and the hottest). It was funny because I thought - wait, this is a Joss show - she had fun, no consequences sex. She must die! And I thought they were going there, until the rug got pulled out from under us. Though I've liked the show and its ideas, I wasn't wowed until last week. Can't wait for more.
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I gave up after episode 2...one of the worst piece of crap I've ever seen. If it's gotten better, then too bad it lost me.
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Now I haven't seen the last 2 Terminator episodes yet (damn DVR snafu), and I've heard they're good, but I feel like this show spends a lot of time spinning its wheels. Really, Sarah's not that interesting of a character. And neither is John. Any ep. focusing on Cameron or on Reese (sometimes) is always better. In the end, I hope they find a way to come up with a satisfying ending to lead into the next movie. But I don't have a real strong desire for another season. Yeah, I'll have to agree Supernatural has been pretty great lately. The one last week focusing on Castiel was amazing stuff. This is one dark show and I can't imagine how either of these guys will ever get a happy ending. It's definitely in my top 5 right now.
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you can definitely read into it that Australian chick wanted to sour Connor on all Terms as tools, but I think she specifically wanted him to stop using Cameron as his "right hand cyborg" in the future. I think they established that Australian chick comes from a timeline where Cameron stayed by his side through judgement day and beyond...
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Best hope that Mellie doesn't listen to that answerphone message again though eh?
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It was pretty good except that when lois was chloe she suddenly lost Chloe's annoying way of talking. It's more annoying than a Kryptonian gnat. But, I did get a chill when Chloe said "Watchtower" at the end. That chill could be the sinus infection talking though.
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During the episode a few weeks ago, the one where Clark decides to tell the world his secret only to have it have disastrous results, he went back in time to fix things. Does this mean there are now 2 Clark Kents running around, the one we had been watching throughout the episode and his past self? Since Clark changed things, the future he left no longer exists so he can't use the ring to return to it. Even if he went back to the future it would be inhabited by the Clark Kent who was part of the time-line that didn't have to deal with Tori Spelling's bad acting. Or does Clark going back in time cause the Clark of that past time to cease to exist? That would suck for past-Clark - buddy's just going about his life, minding his own business, maybe saving some people, forgetting to pick up Lois, and suddenly is erased from existence. One second there, next second like he'd never been. I think Clark basically killing himself to save the world should be a bigger deal, or maybe its just me.
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Mar 27, 2009 1:57:44 PM CDT
mooli, it will be ok as long as she listens to the whole thing
by big jim
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Buffy...seven seasons. Angel..five seasons. Firefly was cancelled after thirteen episodes. Now he has dollhouse. Are you on crack? His track record is pretty good considering how difficult television can be these days.
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Fox have told Dollverse that all 13 episodes of DOLLHOUSE will definitely now air.
The episodes and air dates left:
1-07
"Echoes"
March 27, 2009
1-08
"Needs"
April 3, 2009
1-9
"Spy in the House of Love"
April 10th
April 17th - DOLLHOUSE off air due to Prison Break
1-10
"Haunted"
April 24, 2009
1-11
"Briar Rose"
May 1st, 2009
1-12
"Omega"
May 8th, 2009
1-13
"Epitaph One"
May 15th, 2009
After DOLLHOUSE finishes, we've been told a new series called "MENTAL" will be taking over the timeslot.
http://tinyurl.com/cmmwyl
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So great and spectacular episodes and others that seem just to be filler or writers just wanting prove they are deep or something. I personally hated the whole Riley storyline. I felt even before it was revealed that she came from the future to sour John on Terminators (and after we found out for that matter too) that she dragged the show to a halt.
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Probably because it was mostly about Agent Ballard and mostly about Agent Ballard kicking ass, which is about the most interesting part of this show. This is how Dollhouse *should* have been with Eliza and the Dollhouse being the backstory, with the main story being about Agent Ballard figuring it all out. Good conspiracy that they introduced. FINALLY. I had pretty much stopped watching it and was bored so I watched this episode since I hadn't taken it off my DVR record list, and I'm glad I did. But more Agent Ballard please and less Eliza.
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Echo wasn't featured? Small portions... small portions. Eliza should be like a really hot version of Kramer from Seinfeld and only appear in 20% of the scenes.
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Herc, that whole arc with Jessie and Riley that you hate is over now. Jessie gone. Riley dead. So how about the T:SCC talkback? I'm chiming in so there's yet another person bugging you.
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Why doesn't anybody do something to stop it?!?!?
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But the second season really just started out so slow. Every week it was like a sitcom with robots.
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I think John Connor should totally do Cameron. Hey, don't get all righteous! I know you're all thinking it, too.
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We know it's because you are mad that all Joss ever cranks out is shit. At least I can sometimes stay awake during SCC, but FUCKING DOLLHOUSE PUTS ME THE FUCK TO SLEEP. I'll be fucking fair and try and watch last weeks ep, but I hate Joss anyways regardless of this series so perhaps it's best I just never try to watch anything that fucking douche puts out.
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That leaves me with Fox Sunday animation night, Bill Maher on HBO, and maybe a scant few other shows I want to watch, fuck TV right now. I hate Lost even, Jar Jar Abrams cn suck my cock. Fuck most TV right now, fuck it. And fuck Caprica too while your at it. Fuck you too Herc for hating on SCC while blowing bullshit Dollhouse. It's BS.
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Thars a reel show right there
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Fridays are so dull. Nothing on but basketball.
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Dollhouse has kicked into a higher gear, which is nice, but Terminator is the real gem on fox right now. The two together make for a nice two hour recording block.
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Tonight's Episode: "To the Lighthouse"
Sarah, fearing for her life, hides John in a safe house with the only person she feels she can trust (Dean Winters); Cameron and Derek struggle to work together after she reveals a big secret.
Ok, that's not the most exciting summary in the world. At least it sounds like there will be plenty of Cameron. -
anyway? All he does is stand around.
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They only knocked another one out of the park last night but fuck that show. Lets keep having talkbacks with watered down versions of something cool Joss Whedon did over 10 years ago.
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Mar 27, 2009 5:28:43 PM CDT
BTVS > ANGEL > FIREFLY > > >DOLLHOUSE
by christian_bale_trashed_my_lights
Whatever magic dust the fairies sprinkled on Joss Whedon, it's decreasing with each tv show that he creates.I'm actually dreading whatever show he creates when DH is cancelled.
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and I hope lips from the future is also (don't care for the actress)
Now maybe things will improve (hopefully) -
are you invoking the law of diminishing returns?
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Mar 27, 2009 6:09:19 PM CDT
Yes, I most certainly am invoking said law!
by christian_bale_trashed_my_lights
As for Doctor Horrible; I've only seen five minutes of it and so I can't really comment.I've heard good things about it though meaning it might well destroy my diminishing returns statement.
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Thank god for my DVR, cause man TSCC has been on fire (although I'll admit Herc has a point, it also ignores that Jesse doesn't necessarily know John's history with the machines), and Dollhouse is rapidly becoming the show I knew it could be. I can't believe we have such unrealistic expectations for shows now - they must be excellent off the mark, or people write them off. Maybe that's why most shows on today only have one or two good seasons in them - they blow it all right away, and then don't have any more stories to tell. It makes me wonder what shows I wasn't watching that could have turned into something outstanding. Huh. Anyway, as for the Supernatural debate, well yeah, the show has had 4 seasons (or something like that) to find it's style and for the characters to develop together. Geez, I saw some of the early episodes (even season 2) and they were very hit and miss - sometimes even bad. I'm thrilled it's become what it has, but how is it fair to compare a series well into its run to one that's just finding its footing? And sorry, but Supernatural exists because Whedon did what he did back when. The entire structure of the show is based on the Buffy model. Not that I'm complaining (good TV is good TV), but have a little respect.
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for a *webisode*. (heh) However, it is jaunty. I'd recommend it if you have 40 minutes to kill and if you are a bit evil.
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It's amazing how anyone could make Eliza unappealing and boring but they did.
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it was on longer. The one season of Firefly is better than the first season and the majority of season 2 of Angel imo.
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theme is awful. Especially for a Whedon show. All of his other themes get stuck in your head in a good way.
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Dushku has a very nice kiester
moar heinie time -
Seriously let this crap die already. It is Whedon's worst series by far, and I half think he made this crap just so he can take some more money from Fox for sinking his actually good show Firefly.
TSCC just needs more shooting and less emo. WTB to Gov! Hed save the show! -
Mar 27, 2009 7:25:33 PM CDT
Whedon and the art of tv show failure. Where are the crapjackets
by flip63hole
If it can fail, he'll figure out how to make it as geekily failoriffic as possible.
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Spike just made Buffy get him some spicy Buffalo wings because he was feeling peckish. I should really stop watching BtVS before Dollhouse - it's salt meet wound.
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for the btvs dvd's hit an all time low then, it's scarf city
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by Amazon when BtVS is $99 on sale. It's not a bad sale for 7 seasons plus commentaries, scripts, bloopers, etc. I went the old fashioned route and got them from Santa every year (I *love* that guy).
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Stolen word for word
Colossus the Forbin Project (and book)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus_(novel) -
Buffy was on for seven seasons and is consistently rated as one of the best series of all time (on real critic's lists, not geeker blog #118). Angel ran for 5 seasons, longer than the majority of shows. Firefly is held up as one of the most mistreated shows canceled before its time, not because it wasn't stellar, but because the network execs are idiots. So... how is Whedon the master of TV failure? Here's the thing: Network execs hate him. I don't know what he does to piss them off, but they do. Of course, as far as I'm concerned, you're doing something right if those vultures don't like you, but that's just me.
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Nope; fake out.
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Boob, boob, boob.
I hope I don't run out of Zinfandel... -
tscc is better now that ausie lip chick is gone
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damn you to non side bewb heck!
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but Joss doesn't get along with execs because he is a diva who doesn't like to change his work. And I say that with all respect and flailing fabulousness.
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Neato :D
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is a special hell for Sears cataloge masterbaters andpeople who don't watch Fox on Fridays.
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I think Dushku's face will hag out when she ages
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2 years? She was being held against her will for days? Is this a flashback??
That guy did an awesome impression of a fly. -
Fox, please, please, bring back some cool space shows like SAAB or Firefly. I really miss space above and beyond with Buchanan as a seasoned fighter pilot. Those two shows were not dull and boring, unlike the X-File wanabee show by that Lost guy and this very boring Buffy clone minus all of the things like vampires that actually made that show interesting. People want drastic escapism not a dulled up X-File/matrix clones set in the present time. The only thing that would make this show rock is if the Buffy universe actually showed up all of a sudden with the arival of Spike or something odd like that.
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for sleeping?? Nice, ass. And he's STILL talking to her even though it almost got her killed. Gah. Dufus!
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Pay no attention to those. Whitesnake is playing in the quad...
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make it go away
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Or Echo remembering? Tricksey show.
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didn't see her get off that bike in that skirt
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Old school :D
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are so 80's!
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NO?!? Boyd is not only flabbergasted , he is stoned out of his gourd.
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Therefore she must suck a mean dick, cause there is no other reason this talentless twat gets work while actual good actresses are stuck being bartenders.
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Was Caroline a terrorist? Or part of the CLIT?
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Why is there Canadian BSG actor in the show. He went from the best tv show in history to this mess? I hope ABC will re-run Dances or at least Barack Husein Obama decides to do a weekly "fireside chatroom" news conference on Friday nights.
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to be taking orders from a Doll *smirk*
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Asian bondage pr0n
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Everyone is stoned on airborne LSD. Ahh! Topher and Adelle are awesome!! And she has the munchies :D
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Topher has no pants and Adelle forwent the stairs. Boyd is made of classical awesome.
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Event up and coming.
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another word for filler
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I say that at least twice a week.
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Kellerman snuggling himself is gold.
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I know that the show would be very different if it wasn't like this but it just seems like every week the real story is, "How will the Dollhouse screw up this time?" and it really strains credibility. If the Dollhouse people were really this incompetent and their system had all these flaws then how would they ever get to have 40 Dollhouses or whatever?
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I want to see more of this girl.
From frame to frame, she goes from very alluring to repugnant.
I don't say this with my normal pinky to corner of mouth smartass shit.
She is very fascinating -
and one that should be posed more often. It's like the whole thing is non-proven and experimental even at the stage where they have many houses. It's like they are snake-oil salesmen or something; selling people what they think they need for profit. Or you know, that could be the point.
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So awkward:)
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cos i still don't care if this show lasts
Is that epi really the dealiy maker? -
There was slapsticky fun and more humour than we have seen to date. But there was some heavy stuff going on about Caroline/Echo. I don't think it was a trigger a la Mellie but Echo actually remembering. Victor remembered his Generation Kill phase and Seirra remembered her rape...for all the funny, it felt like they are still building toward something...creepy and unspeakable.
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That was quite quirky of an episode.
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Last weeks was better than this weeks, imo. Everyone was utilized to a degree that we haven't seen before in the sense that no one character seemed tagged on as an afterthought, and that's including tonights ep.
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Mar 27, 2009 9:11:51 PM CDT
Ok, after last week and this week, I'm really into this now.
by flickchick85
The previews for next week make it look like Joss is finally establishing his "real" premise for the show. If that's the case, I think I'm gonna love this. If they just somehow end up going back to the status quo at the end next week, I'll be hugely disappointed. But yeah, these past 2 weeks have given me faith that this could be a VERY good show.
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the so-called great 'Lost'....and a bunch of other shows people seem to think are exceptional, but I couldn't give a crap about...in fact I'd rather be taking a crap, reading a Buffy Season Eight collection than watching those so-called dramatic and so-called funny shows...feh
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Ok well more like ass flash when ED when around a lab stool to go after the black lab dude...I rewatched that over and over and over and over...I love my DVR...all I need is a zoom function!
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I really, really, REEELLY didn't think I would like this show. But after last week, this week and the preview for next week, I'm now saddened that it's most likely/possibly cancelled. And when you name the last episode of season 'Epitaph' that's never a good sign. The good sign is that it's named 'Epitaph ONE'...and this is monseiur Whedon.
I'll disagree with Firefly being far less than Buffy or Angel. I do love me some Joss (and not in a creepy way, I promise), but I felt like Firefly really was something special. Comparing it to Buffy/Angel (and it's a shared universe so I think of it like one big show) is like apples to oranges; both are tasty, but one you can bite into. The other you have to peel. I feel kinda' the same with Dollhouse. There's layers on layers that I'm just now beginning to comprehend.
The theme song does suck, no arguements there. Eliza's trying, but she just keeps hitting the same note she's always hit. Contrariwise, is this her 'Core/Caroline' personality shining through in every imprint she takes? (And no, probably not, but why can't I try to put some positive spin on things?) Literally every other character/actor is growing one me, though, like a fungus. Even Topher, who I wanted to throttle through the first few episodes.
Didn't think I'd say it, but...Excited for Next Week!!! -
was a perfect moment in time.,br>
Perfect casting
Very entertaining stories, written and portrayed well.
For reasons I will never understand, the network bullied it out of existence.
It's gone
Weird world e'nit? -
did any of you get the impression that Adelle knew Caroline/Echo before she joined the D'House? I have a "way out there" feeling that they are kin or something. And all that foreshadowy guinea pig talk...
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...your produce alone was worth the trip! No, but you will be getting cease & d-cist orders.
Anyway, with last week's Dollhouse, the real Joss Whedon finally showed up! Dollhouse needs a second season, much like early-Buffy, to really grow. Also, comparing Firefly to Buffy/Angel is frivolous, they're too different in format. Compared to old episodes of Westworld, the Adventures of Brisco County Jr, or even NBC's Voyagers would probably be more fair at least in terms of genre. Firefly was awesome - even the comics and rpg books don't suck! -
Look, everyone knows that rich people are perverts.
I'm a rich pervert and I'm spending million bucks to fuck some beneath me whore.
i'm going to cut my own orifice... -
fix the site so it works with spellchekers again
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The guy who smells like pee and follows me to my car after work said so.
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and it brings back memories of the "Great Spike Debate" that divided the Buffyverse way back then. *sigh* I'm getting maudlin and I am out of Zinfadel. I'm orf to the barz to scope morez.
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can't believe I read otherwise here. It was painful compared to the 2 weeks before that.
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Ugh.
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I think the thing is that "hot Australian from the future" isn't a strategy genius, and we find out that she is doing things for herself, and by herself. She went back in time in parts to get back her boyfriend and mostly to get revenge on the metal she blames for loosing her child. btw, pretty incredible SCC tonight, with Skynet entering the picture officially!
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she is listed as producer of this episode! I wonder what exactly that means
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"I could eat that word." I totally want to get stoned with Adele. Some great funny with everyone drugged out - I loved it when, at first, it was the Dolls who were in control and the Handlers were messed up. And yeah, I did hear Adele say two years. Something tells me this thing with Caroline goes far beyond the Dollhouse. And Mellie is now my favorite character (and the hottest). But here's the thing:
She was referred to as November. Which was what the character was called in the original casting sheet. But remember when they had to do the 'reshoots' and said that they had to write November out of the show and they created a new character for the actress to play? That was some fakeout. And it worked. I believed it. When the '3rd flower' phone call came in, I actually thought it was going to trigger the handler, not Mellie. I was genuinely surprised. It makes me suspicious that maybe this 'reshoot' and all the jiggering that everybody was worrying about at the beginning of the season was just to mess with people and backtrack on the November thing. 'Nothing is at it appears' indeed. Hmmm. -
Very...whedonesque (to make use of an already existing "word"). By the time it's canceled, this may actually be really good. *sigh*
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I think someone is screwing this one up, either the actress or the writers. At first, she's this simple good-natured girl, not too bright, insecure, with a crush on the more mature neighbor. Then, in bed she becomes a lot of serious and smarter, and then she's reading Wired (!?). Now, not matter her trauma, she seem to be acting secure and more agressive/brigther. It's just bizzare.
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And yet the most normal looking one, at the same time. Isn't that odd?
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It's actually pretty good. And the princess is smokin' hot. This show is kinda meh and I'm surprised that someone thinks Mellie is the hottest. She's a fatty.
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The biggest mistake they made was an unavoidable one: the show should have been from Ballard's perspective with Echo being the secondary character, flitting in and out to bump up the intrigue and forward the plot. I really believe that was a major problem for them right off the bat, and I thought they had corrected that last week by finally giving Ballard something to do, and by crossing his path with Echo's. Instead, this week we end up with more silly Echo nonsense (not to mention a repeat customer, meh) and Ballard does jack all except cook some eggs. Huh?
If this was anybody but Whedon I would have dropped it after like the second episode -- and as it stands now I'm just about to remove it from my TiVo. To avoid cancellation the final few episodes of the season are going to have to blow fucking minds. And even then... -
If you'd rather watch Dollhouse than LOST, you have really bad fucking taste.
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Just makes no sense to me. An America analogue, but with royalty. The show seems to shout "We're missing the point, and don't understand history or politics" at the top of it's lungs.
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all these chicks in short dresses and not a strong breeze to be had
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The mystery of Echo's past has been one of the eggs we've been excited to crack, and it turns out she was just a naive nobody with a metro boyfriend and run-of-the-mill it's-so-hip-to-be-cynical friends. SPOILER ALERT: Dollhouse forcibly recruits Echo just as she's about to get her first tramp stamps.
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because how can a character be inconsistent when they are not fully developed? In fact, this episode kinda threw any consistency that you thought you knew and turned it on its ear. Almost everyone was OoC from what we have seen before. It unstuffed the stuffy ones, wipes are remembering their "real" lives and Boyd & Ballard - who represent the morally justice part - were overshadowed by secretive deviousness.
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Careful MP, you are starting to sound all Whedon-y (It's mostly just nouns with "y"s on the end that make them verb worthy).
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I'm gonna copyright that term
fuck the rich getting richer, he wants to use that term let him pay royalties -
Mar 28, 2009 7:17:51 AM CDT
Just hijack the weekly Dollhouse Thread to do SSC talkback too
by alientoast
This last episode was very interesting: I think it strongly points to the fact John Henry might be the "Skynet" of the 3rd AI faction we've seen, the other 2 being Humans + Regular Skynet
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mad better by the absence of Lips McGee
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Mar 28, 2009 7:49:25 AM CDT
Dollhouse has seemed like a totally different show these last tw
by ckuouka
I went from being really indifferent to it to loving it. Last night's was very funny, although Joss normally does the "characters tripping out" episode later in a show's history (the Angel one, where everyone reverted to their sixteen-year-old-selves was probably his best of this kind). Still, I really hope the show does not get canceled, now that it's getting good.
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Oh, Joss, why have you made the BORING choice, making Caroline the boring sincere, humorless do-gooder out to save the animals and go to every anti-war protest?! Oh, God, I HATE that! Why not bad-ass Faith-like Caroline with some freaking personality? I hate these two-goodie shoes characters who are just so earnest in their two-goodiness. I mean they're OK in real life, they're good people, but they're just so freaking boring as characters. Let's have some complexities, let's have some darkness. You used to be good at that, Joss. Tru Calling failed because Tru was that kind of earnest boring do-gooder character who was a big doughnut whole in the center of the show. Don't make that mistake with Dollhouse.
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has very interesting characters who are willing to do bad things in order to achieve a greater good. This causes deeper characterizations, internal conflict, soul-searching, darkness, nuance. Good stuff.
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are people who watch Terminator tv show. I bet they watched every iteration of Star Trek. And Dr. Who.
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I've loved it every week. Hang me.
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And stop posting a talk-back for it every week. Prove to us you're not just some Whedon drone that automagically loves anything the guy scribbles down. Come on, he's mediocre at best, except you and the 12 other Whedon fans in the world can't comprehend this.
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and here's why. TSCC has complicated story line and complicated characters. It's not just the-monster-of-the-week show unlike some other shows I could name. The characters develop subtly over time. I could go on and on, but it is not an "easy" show.
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If last week's episode was supposed to be awesome and this week's was supposed to be good then I guess I don't get Whedon. But then again I never really liked Buffy and thought Firefly was just average.I ain't saying Dollhouse is bad but it doesn't compare to Lost or heck even Leverage in my opinion.
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If that was all there was to Echo/Caroline's "big secret" then the term EPIC FAIL is a major understatement.
It almost feels like Joss wrote/directed last week's episode and then said, "now that the ship is righted my work here is done. Time to move on to other things" and bailed leaving the other writers in charge and this is what they came up with.
"Maybe she likes animals?"
"Yeah!"
"Maybe she likes animals so much that she's willing to give away her friends, her family, her life, and... wait for it... her soul!"
"AMAZING!"
Meh. -
Ive informed the powers that be here, but no postings yet http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/tvandradioblog/2009/mar/26/red-dwarf-back-earth PLus new websites with stuff on them for you to figure out lol http://www.listerscominghome.co.uk/ http://www.ouroboroscrate.co.uk/ Enjoy!
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It must be my Dollhouse programming. Look, we've only scratched the surface here, so I'm pretty sure we haven't seen all of Caroline's story yet.
Johhnyangel, I really don't get what you're saying about Terminator's characters. I find those characters mostly boring and two-dimensional. Which is practically a necessity when the show is so angsty. "Doing bad things for the greater good" (especially with a ponderous voice over) does not necessarily equal depth. I can't think of a single thing that the characters have done (with the possible exception of Cameron and Weaver) that has ever surprised me in the least. When the emotionless robots are the most interesting characters, you know that's not a good sign. I actually hope the show wraps up with a good story, but I don't see it having much life beyond this season, unless they stretch it out even further with even more episodes with nothing happening. -
that Cameron and Cromartie are the best characters in TSCC, but they are really good characters. And they may seem "emotionless", but then Spock was pretty emotionless and yet he was the most interesting character in Star Trek. I don't have any problem with that. And I disagree about the other characters being "two-dimensional". That would imply to me that they are black and white characters. I think the characters actually all inhabit an area of grayness that is morally confusing to them. They try to act with clarity and yet they are always second-guessing themselves, because their choices are not black and white, they have to do bad things and hope for good outcomes. To me, that's pretty much like the real world.
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T:SCC is a much better series.
Oh, and Mellie is moving out and Paul is sad. Ain't that precious! Move on. Bang her and move on. Stop putting the moping male in series as a sop to the soap opera dummies. -
...then this was a terrible way to introduce it. Nevermind that you might alienate what little fans you have with whacky PETA antics, it just doesn't make sense from a practical perspective. Which, you could argue, is why there MUST be something more to it. But you need to give us at least a glimpse of that or risk leaving us all feeling cheated -- or worse yet -- bored. Guess what? No glimpse. Sure Olivia Williams gave a wry smirk or two indicating "something more going on", but this far into an unproven series that had 5 mediocre episodes in a row before having a solid A-, you need to give us a reason to hang on. Anything. I want to like it, I want to be able to say, "Firefly was great, but wait until you see Dollhouse!" but it ain't happening, and more importantly, it's not even scratching the surface of "could be fun". Follow up that big break through A- with another C+ and what do you get? People removing their Season Pass.
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is that obviously they are going to fail. The purpose of the entire series arc is to stop Skynet before Judgment Day. We already know how that comes out. T4:Salvation. John Connor in the future fighting the machines. I find the futility of their efforts to be poignant. Of all the characters in TSCC, only John Connor survives.
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Usually I don't like little kids in shows, but seeing John as a child with Sarah in the jungle worked.
Thomas Dekker has aged in real life and so has his character, and the weight on the JC character is becoming increasingly evident as his supporters sacrifice themselves.
It seems apparent that the series is tying into the upcoming Salvation movie with lots of resonances that should be rewarding for people who watch all the chronicles prior to the next movie(s).
The series may not last, but it is doing its job. -
...is by far the BEST Show of 2009. DO yourself a favor and watch it before NBC cancels it!
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No use watching it before NBC cancels it, just buy it on DVD after they cancel it.
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...when I first heard Terminator was going to be made into a TV show, I thought it would be a stupid idea to have a new terminator traveling back in time every week to duke it out. But they've managed instead to turn in into a quality character based drama that holds my attention better than most things on TV. And it just seems to get better and better at that. I really wasn't expecting that.
BSG is another show that fans claim is more about the characters, than the action, but I never really cared for the characters on that show (nor could I pin them down), so it tended to disappoint me by its lack of action. But with TSCC, they can take all the time they want, so long as they maintain this level of quality. -
I love that show. Download the first two eps if you missed them. It's easily the best new show this season (much better than Dollhouse and I'm a big Whedon fan). Too bad they chose such a crappy premiere date, instead of the fall, like everything else. But I have faith that it may find a second season. You can't blame the quality of the show for lackluster ratings this early on. They just need to sell it better and I think having Ian McShane on the show lends it a certain gravitas that'll encourage NBC to give it some room.
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but I find the storyline to be stupid. There's one rich industrialist who controls all the money in the kingdom? The kingdom is wealthy because they built a city from nothing? That just seems silly. They're going to give away their most prosperous region in order to buy peace? The king's number one general doubles as his head of assassins? This is supposed to be a kind of retelling of Saul and David from the Biblical book of Kings, but they've screwed up the scale when then went from the tiny little kingdom of Judea to a modern American type nation state. I love Ian McShane though. I'll probably keep watching for a while anyway just to see him.
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yeah its getting better, not great but getting better. seems odd no procotols for lockdowns aren't in place considering the "alpha" incident. why is tophers ass not kicked for giving the active higher clearance then the handler? why?????!?!?!??!!? can;t stand tscc watched epsiodes from s1 and s2 both shit. maybe i picked shit epsiodess, but i fiond the whole concept of that show dire
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will be canceled after second season, apparently.
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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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Or is that "The Naked Now"? Either way, it's ripping off STAR TREK. Meanwhile, on TERMINATOR: TSCC, something interesting actually happened.
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...but now I'm off - this week's was boring as all hell...
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use words like specificity in normal conversation??
Great episode, hopefully it will continue at this quality. C'mon Whedon. -
but only if they're English majors. Zing!This ep reminded me of the Buffy ep when the parents eat chocolate and turn into teenagers. A fun concept, but not as well executed this time. Though DeWit was splendid, as always. She's the only one with chops, I think. All in all, a lot of holes in the plot of this one. Why did Langdon fight the effects off so quickly as to come to Echo's rescue? Why didn't Echo die from a concentrated dose like Owen did? Why didn't the media go apey over this epidemic breaking out on a college campus? Where was Ballard? I thought he wasn't resting on his laurels. Why did Echo start remembering stuff before exposure to the toxin? That's a first. Convenient to the plot, yes, but consistent with the previous eps, no. This was a drop off from last week, which says that if Whedon wants this show to get picked up, he needs to be writing and directing every one for the rest of the season. Which looks like it might be the case, at least for the next one, but this was merely mediocre, which is par for the Dollhouse course. Last week was an exceptional exception.Kings has been so-so. My main problem is that David is a freaking idiot! He's got no plans, no intelligence that I can discern, he just reacts and things turn out in his favor. Now maybe this is the "Blessed of the Lord" aspect, but in the Bible the guy was a warrior, a confident and devout man, daring and dangerous. This guy is a moron who gets lucky. Maybe that'll change.
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They're just remakes of the first movie. At least T2 did something different.
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an interesting view point on io9.com . "Last night's episode, "Echoes," wasn't completely terrible - it was still better, for my money, than the tube-top-wearing backup singer episode - but it was definitely a disappointment after last week."
wow -
it's the only way it's going to remain solvent
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yogurt sales would go up also
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I felt embarrassed for the whole cast, however, the problem wasn't with them, it was with, and in, a terrible script, one of the worst scripts for any production, that I have ever experienced, in the form of the resulting production! This turkey should have been spotted as being just that, a turkey, as early as the outline stage, or in the final script, but obviously, the writing staff and the lead script supervisor, as well as the series creator, are having heavy quality control problems that should have already been fully worked-out, months ago?Last night's episode, was shockingly poor, and although I appreciated the humor in the dialogue, and even some very cool elements, like the FBI agent's doll girlfriend recalling her attack orders, but other than that, the plotting was a mess, and terribly inconsistent, ala why would you send handlers to the college armed with weapons, knowing that they could be affected by the spreading infection--and why was Echo at the college, but the leader of the Dollhouse...did not know that she was given an assignment there...along with her handler, until it was too late? I could fully review the episode, but why, it would be a perfect waste of my time, and yours?
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The episode was unwatchable, because they seemed undecided as to what point they were trying to make, or if there was a point to it, or a story at all...just a lot of talk, pretty much about nothing? How does this happen?
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She saw the news and went off on her own. Her handler followed her. He called in when he got there and that's when Adelle learned they were there. She had wanted Echo to stay away, to "sit this one out" as she put it.
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she wasnt on assignment there, her assignment was that motorcycle dude, she saw the news story on tv about the school and was compelled to go there. so thats why no one knew.
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...college dorm sex fantasy, those were his words if I recall correctly? I'll check again for clarification, but I think I am right...and then there is the issue about the second handler being on campus with the gun, knowing that he would be subject to the infection...as well, his boss and the science nerd at the Dollhouse knew, well ahead of time, but they placed him there, anyway? That is just plain bad writing!
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I checked and about 15 minutes in, Echo's handler assumes that Echo has come to the college because of her client's fantasy perhaps expanding to a fantasy about a college girl, the reason for my confusion. Thank you both for correcting my on that point. Still, why would the other handler be on campus, knowing he would be exposed to the toxin?
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Link on that?
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Which is just one of a billion reasons why last night's episode was terrible. How it got past the outline stage in the writers' room is a mystery.
It's a shame too, because you could tell they were really trying to amp up "the funny", something the show has been significantly lacking up until now. -
seems to be riding on the "galactica" idea that terminators and humans can all be friends and join hands in peace. future John Connor seems to be trying to form an aliance with them, wich I guess is a nice refreshing change from "the robots are evil because they don't have a god-given soul"
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I think is that Whedon is overcommited with other projects. With Buffy even when he wasn't "writing" the episode, he was very much involved in the final product. I'm not sure that is the case this time.
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I'm just sayin'............
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http://www.fmqinc.com/terminator-cancelled/
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invokes rule 34
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Then the 12 Whedon/Firefly/Buffy fans in the world will make a big stink about it and say the networks just don't "get it" and raise a huge shit-storm so the media is given a false impression that there are millions of fans when in fact it's only a very very VERY small vocal minority. I mean, where were the MILLIONS of fans for the Firefly movie Serenity? Hmmm? It tanked at the box-office. Case closed. Now STFU about this mediocre director. I mean, come on.
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yea i notice u get confused when theres a "lot of talk"....its called dialogue. its what happens in between the 'splosions and cleavage which is probably when u do pay attention....too much "talk" and your brain shuts off...overloaded probably...no wonder u were confused...but remember, the first step in gettin better is admitting u have a problem....lol
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i swear u mental midgets just dont understand the slow buildup of a plot. if a show aint awesome out the gate u rip it to shreds...its like chess, you get all your pieces in place and then the real moves start...u people are so impatient to wait for anything......and btw terminator is kicking ass and taking names..
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Could it have been better? Yes! Specifically, the problem in the movie came in the form of quality control wth respect to the visuals. To this day, I argue that the cinematography from the series Firefly was better than in the film, Serenity. Yes, a legendary DP shot Serenity, but he did a lackluster job, as the film was shot too dark. Also, planet sets...ala the Bar, and the Reaver world, etc., could have, and should have, looked much better in terms of FX and production design. It is a film like this, that deserves a special edition version with amped-up special effects, ala the Special Edition versions of Star Wars (the latter, largely did not need it, just Lucas tinkering and doing R&D research for digital filmmaking).
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In this case, the episode was so incredibly bad that I must admit, I began to find myself getting distracted by other things, as it played. The worse the episode got, the worse I got distracted.
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They didn't know it was contagious until they were already there, they initially thought the kids were just getting high off a drug. But regardless, last nights episode was pretty terrible, enough talkbackers have already pointed out why so I'll just agree. And to some above points that viewers need to be patient, no, it's fine to have an overarching plot but not at the expense of good storytelling, I'm tired of so much tv using "mystery" as a crutch to avoid character/story development. You can build up to stories while still telling a good story, rather than episodes of mediocrity being excused as prelude. Look at the wire or the shield or even buffy. Personally I think dollhouse is being hampered more by the wrong headed notion that it needs to be Eliza's star vehicle, rather than an interesting ensemble show that was hinted at last week.
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Peta grad student Daniel barely glanced at the babies in the jars before she was back crying in front of the bunny cages.
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the animal rights wackos regard animals as nobler than humans. As do most liberals.
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You can't comment on competence until you can SPELL IT.
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Are conservatives really so insecure that they need to make everything about a "liberal agenda"? News flash, guys: No animals OR BABIES were harmed in the making of this TV show. Because IT'S A TV SHOW.
Back on topic: Personally, I didn't think last week's episode was the "game-changer" that some others did, but this week's was definitely better. I have to agree with many others, though, that T:SCC has been and continues to be much, much stronger in terms of writing and character development. I enjoy Dollhouse from week to week, but I actively look forward to T:SCC. -
Mar 29, 2009 11:41:38 AM CDT
What is Echo was already a Doll in the Peta flashbacks?
by domi'sinnerchild
Maybe from a rival Dollhouse? It would explain the "two years" line and be less embarrassing than "she's a liberal ho" secret reveal. It might also explain why everybody is so interested in her specifically. Also, the reason the handlers were on campus was because they thought the effect wasn't transfered by touch... which doesn't make sense since they brought in the Dollhouse to begin with because they were immune (what did they think, there was some crazy Peta dude running around with a needle injecting people that only the Dollhouse could handle?). Still doesn't explain what Echo's "on leave" handler was doing there, but there were a lot of sketchy things.
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... followed her when she bailed on the other gig with the motorcycle dude.
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The very first scene we saw two students become infected by simply standing in the room. We, as an audience, knew something the characters did not, namely that the virus was most likely airborne. Yes, there was mention that it was thought the kids had been using it recreationally. However, if that were the case, why would the dolls be the only ones who could handle it? If no one suspected the virus being airborne, there was little chance of anyone else, taking the most rudimentary of precautions, being infected. So, while the exposition scene with the corporate muckety-muck set up the premise that the non-doll characters had nothing to worry about, the dolls being "perfect" for this assignment said the exact opposite. The scene gave conflicting information which should have, at the very least, made Topher conduct his experiment in a more controlled environment. Dude, ever hear of latex gloves and a respirator?
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I dont recall saying anything about "the liberal agenda". PETA is a bunch of wackos though. The point of my post would be the odd storytelling of the moment. Youd think it would progress from being sad for the bunnies then super freaked out by the reveal of the babies in jars. For some reason the babies were passed right by and the bunnies lingered over.
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Mar 29, 2009 2:29:40 PM CDT
I think people are reading too much into the bunny scene
by domi'sinnerchild
How exactly do you save a dead mutant/experimented on fetus? Can't you find those in pretty much every mad scientist's laboritory? I'm sticking to my theory that Echo was already a Doll in that scene and hanging out by the living animals because that's what she was programmed to do. She must have lingered there all of 15 seconds while her boyfriend was typing on the computer.
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When Topher injected the girl, I thought, that is supposed to be a toxin that can easily spread, why are they not in bio hazard suits, and why aren't there other scientists working on this? Next why use the Dolls for this case at all when the the federal government would be fully capable of handling any outbreak themselves, hazmat suits and all.
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also, the kid that died at the beginning, he was injected with it. he got a massive dose by the black guy who wanted to kill him.
I think Topher had no reason to think that the product was contagious; the story up to there was that it was a drug in a vial, not that infected people then could pass it on by touch. yep, as far as I can tell they were wrong in thinking it was airborn, it was passed through touch. -
it'd help if the gals were out flashing the goods in real life
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plot was pretty good too, show is starting to take off. But DAMN that outfit.....
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... and the ep was decent; however, to compare it to "that spaceship show" when said show has been slow for a good couple of seasons with a few phenomenal eps, when Dollhouse hasn't had any "hit you in the face eps" is a bit extreme.
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I'm going to admit that I'm starting to like Topher a little more than usual. Sadly we didn't get a chance to see Amy Acker's character get all goofy because that would have been interesting.
Really can't wait to see how things play out after next week if what the preview showed ends up sticking for the rest of the series. -
I need more of you.
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The government just hired the Dollhouse in episode 4 for a mission, given that, one would think that by now, they'd have their eyes on them, one way, or another? There was a viral outbreak on a major college campus and nobody, not one student, or professor, etc., used their cell phones, or text messaging, or even bothered to email anybody in the press, a friend off campus, or a family member, back home, and so on, that they, the whole campus, were being quarantined? This is just getting more than a bit convoluted as to what the rules of the show are, and what they aren't, and why.
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Mar 30, 2009 5:46:20 AM CDT
Very poorly written eipisode with some good bits in it
by col. tigh-fighter
Saw flashes of the old Joss there, but some serious plot wholes and lame acting let the whole thing down. :( Come on, Joss. Get it together!
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Yeah, maybe this episode wasn't as kickass as some of the previous eps have been, but I'm still very onboard this show. The mix of characters has hit on all cylinders for me, Dushku has surprised me with her range, and except for the badly and hastily thrown together pilot, I'm really enjoying the show. I wasn't expecting to after watching the first episode, but after Hulu-ing the second episode, I found myself interested in the plight of these characters.
I'm sticking with it. -
How subtle.
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Searching for a "cure" for a chemical that naturally leaves the body after a few hours?
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And I have to say, um, that's it? Some people are raving about these episodes, but they just seemed the usual plodding angst to me where little actually happens. There's nothing about any of these characters that I find remotely interesting or anything that makes me care about them. That whole flashback sequence with Jesse must have been simply about introducing the liquid terminator in the future stuff because it definitely didn't give me any insight on her. Wow, something bad happened and now she hates the robots! There's a shocker. With Terminator, I'm curious about plot points, and how some things will be resolved - especially the Weaver/John Henry story - though I highly disagree that it's poignant because we know they'll all die. That makes the show more pointless than poignant. Sorry, it's decent Friday entertainment, but it's definitely a 3rd tier show and doesn't hold a candle to BSG. The point is, I'm far more entertained by Dollhouse than Terminator.
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Specifically, Topher, manager-lady, and security-guy reacted to the drug like regular people.
Interesting that Amy Acker's doctor character wasn't there, though. -
Seemed sort of weird that with only two vials in the world (One MISSING!), they'd hand the other over to some dude that's good with programming brains (or at the very least ALL of it). Or that they didn't know the drug would burn off and needed him to somehow figure it out by injecting Dolls that they already theorized it would have no effect on. Or the poor security on the initial victims who easily snuck out (and lack of observation that the drug had worn off them). I guess it wasn't any worse than Adam based Buffy episodes however with the glowing green and lack of security.
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1) He's known Riley for months now. Not 10 minutes ago. Nobody who was killed in T1 or T2 was anyone he liked or cared about, unlike Riley, who he's known for most of a year. 2) Yes, you do have that plotline mixed up. Also, as much as that plotline felt a little annoying to me, the ending to it was so amazing that I"ve forgiven the whole thing retroactively. You don't seem aware that the storyline ended two weeks ago. 3) The ratings have actually been climbing bit by bit for the past 3 weeks now.
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Mar 30, 2009 11:17:21 PM CDT
Dollhouse is improving steadily with distance from Suits'
by chromedome
influence. I like where this one went, and what is hinted at for next week. Less "did I fall asleep" filler and more plot and character development. Well Done.Oh, and Pher Pher Binks must Die.Soon.
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They take the time to dwell where others would rush thru. Lena Heady OWNS this role, now. The kid is less stupid, not yet wise, which would be stupid writing, but beginning to accept his role, like it or not.The Sarah/Charlie moment was superb writing.
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I kind of get his role, which is comic relief amidst the seriousness of the dolls and handlers. I think they needed to make him slightly creepy instead of jokey; would any well-adjusted person be so light-hearted while manipulating people's minds to be sexbots or negotiators? If they'd played up the slightly twisted perception of reality he must have to have developed this technology, it might have made a good counterpoint to the sobriety of every one else, but his cheerfulness strikes a dischordant tone. Like it's not realistic. He's just too positive to be genuine. Andrew from Buffy was the same kind of thing, but he wasn't as important or competent, and so could truly be comic relief. Plus the whole vibe of the show was more dark comedy. Dollhouse is mostly dark. That said, given the teaser for this week, I'm going to tune it. Could this be the beginning of the true story of Dollhouse? Imagine if other branches started sending ops after the LA branch, with competing Dolls trying to kill each other or accomplish nefarious deeds to discredit DeWit or Ballard. There needs to be some source of tension, some threat to respond to. Right now there's no threat to the Dollhouse, no imminent threat. Ballard doesn't cut it. One man constrained by the law, now suspended with no resources and no idea of the true scope of the operation, is not a credible threat.
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Seriously Herc, Kings is far better than Dollhouse and you post a talkback for Dollhouse because it's Joss Whedon. BTW, I watch both shows and I'm telling you Kings has been more fun in the first three episodes than Dollhouse has been in seven.
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Ballard, though I like his character and he fights nice, seems to be kind of a lunkhead. He has the determination and the muscle but I don't think that is going to be enough to challenge Olivia's Dollhouse. She can think circles around him. He definitly is going to need help.
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And some sad news: Andy Halleck, who played Lorne of the Krevlornswath Clan on Angel, passed away last night at age 33 from heart disease.
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That's awful news. :(
RIP green dude. -
There is no excuse for something this terrible at this point. Horrible dialogue, zero respect by the writers for the milieu, brainless in-story recaps of previous events (in a desperate attempt to fill in for new audience members). I think I give up.
Also, the more I think about last week's episode, the more the "happy" ending with Patton Oswalt's greasy character getting his happy ending creeps me the fuck out. -
Far too fucking young to die at 33!
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Totally expanded upon the shows premise, showed us how and why the show can and will be interesting, Topher and Brit bitch where hysterically funny, plus Bulge from Krantz, always welcome, all in all I am now way more interested in Dollhouse than I was after the first 5 lameish episodes.Rip Hallett too, a real shame.
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As much as I wan to like this show, I really can’t. There are some major problems that keep me from enjoying it. I’ve liked just about everything Joss has done up to this point but this is the first time I’ve come down as strongly disliking something he’s done.
First and most important problem, Eliza just does not have the range that Joss thinks (or hoped) she has. Except for punky, smart-ass tough as nails chick, she is unconvincing. She’s the show’s lead and she can’t carry it.
I also (as with other talkbackers) cannot remember the names of most of the characters. Not a good sign. I had to look them up on IMDB.
The Topher character is so annoying I want to slap the shit out of him every time he is on screen.
Anything with the Paul Ballard and Adelle Dewitt characters has been so boring that it makes me want to do myself bodily harm in order to escape the utter boredom that ensues when they are onscreen. This is especially true of the whole Ballard sub-plot so far. The fight scene he had with Echo was pretty fun in the last week’s ep. but it didn’t make any sense. Strange mystery person in the know sends message via Echo but first let’s have Echo try to beat the living fuck out of you before she delivers the message. Ummm….ok.
The only bright-spot is the Mellie character. She’s beautiful and it’s nice to see an actress cast that doesn’t look like an anorexic with a boob job. Her eventual reveal as a doll was one of the few times my interest peeked up.
I think the main draw with Joss’ work up until this point has been that we love the characters. Though characters at times show that trademark Joss Whedon dialogue, there’s nothing really to like. If a character is not downright boring as hell, they are actively annoying. I don’t see things changing unless some drastic changes are made. It’s Joss after all so I’m hoping, but I’m not holding my breath.
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Sorry. Meant to write this 5 weeks from now.
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i've been complaining about this for the last couple weeks, if you go back and look at the talkbacks prior to the patton oswalt ep. And i agree that by and large there isn't an entry point into the show, like we had with buffy. Buffy, Xander, Willow, and Giles all brought a particular sensibility to the events there, and we could agree or empathize with them. Whereas we can't really with the dolls since they get erased every time and therefore have no set personality. that said, however, the preview for this week's ep looks like they're finally going to have the dolls develop an identity, so i'm willing to give it a little more time. These first eps have been laying the groundwork, i think, for the change in the fundamental direction of the show, which is hopefully going to involve dolls going on missions and coming back and having a foundational id against which the new memories or missions have to be dealt with. if we get a few different specific personalities to hang on to, then the show could take off. if things remain as is for the rest of the season, then i'm probably out.
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I am hoping for that as well. I'm going stick with it for the rest of the season but honestly, I'm not very hopeful. Still, I’m rooting for Joss to be able to pull it off.
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