Dr Horrible | Raising Jack

Look, I’m a fan of Whedon’s stuff. I love Buffy. I love Angel. I love Firefly and Serenity (even though on my first attempt to watch the pilot I bailed after ten minutes) and Dr Horrible.

But Dollhouse…

Dushku looks desperately for her ratings

I saw Whedon talking about the show at NYCC. He seemed to know that the show was going to be controversial, that it was going to get people talking. He seemed to know that he was going to be facing an uphill battle.

And you know what, the show is controversial. The Dollhouse itself is basically renting out sex slaves and wiping their memories – and let’s face it for a creator who talks a lot about women’s rights and the mistreatment of women (even though he’s also managed to piss off some feminists), it’s a tough stance to make.

But that’s not the problem with the show. The problem is that it doesn’t engage. It’s difficult to root for a character that’s virtually non-existent. Dushku’s Echo is clearly beginning to remember some of her past, but that doesn’t make up for the fact that she as a character doesn’t have much going for her. Sure, she looks good in a tank top but so what?

Of the rest of the cast, only two are actually close to being likeable – Harry Lennix’s conflicted handler and Tahmoh Penikett’s FBI agent. The problem with these two is that Lennix’s Boyd Langton is so obviously conflicted that you wonder why he signed up in the first place (although I suspect he’s a Doll himself), and that Penikett’s Paul Ballard is on the periphery of the show. I understand that’s going to change but right now, it’s distracting.

The show’s ratings didn’t start well then dropped off for the second episode; Whedon has said that Dollhouse is probably the last TV show he’ll work on and that in the future he’ll concentrate on online work (and I suspect movies).

Honestly, that may be for the best – because Dr Horrible is a hell of a lot more enjoyable than Dollhouse.

I’m going to keep watching, though. Partly because I’m a glutton for punishment and partly because I want to see Alpha Doll in action…

You know, Alpha. He’s like a leaf on the wind, you know.

5 Comments

Dr Horrible is finally on DVD!

November 29, 2008 by Rich

And just in time for Christmas!

According to Joss Whedon, the DVD of something available free on Hulu is well worth the money:

Is it worth fifteen hard-earned dollars? Absolutely. In fact, I can say withou reservation that the Dr. Horrible DVD is worth $15.23 EASILY. More, if your dollars weren’t the hard-earned kind, just the kind you have lying around in your mom’s purse. God knows WE’VE worked hard to earn ‘em. “Commentary! The Musical” is the most painstaking and exhausting piece of whimsey I have ever mistaken for a good idea. It has nearly twice as much music as Dr. Horrible itself -since you can’t really talk that much during a commentary musical or it sounds like a regular commentary. (Which we also have, with the stars and writers, plus making-of’s, ELE applications, and a few items left lying around by a notorious Bunny…) I can say without hesitation that I hesitate to say it’s great. And by great I mean ridiculous. It’s sophmoric, solopsistic, silly and the most fun I’ve had being exhausted since the fabled Mushortio itself. And everyone sings beautifullly. Which enrages me. I a little bit hate my friends now.

So why not get one for Christmas? Or two, or three, or four…

1 Comment