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Dollhouse bucked the odds and returns for its second season on Fox Fridays tonight at 9 p.m. EDT.
"Jee-sus, it's like Iwo Jima out there" - Roger Sterling on "Mad Men"
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Someone on Whedonesque said that Whedon promised to make the most of Amy's three episodes this season, so I guess she'll be in 3 episodes total. Amazing scenes between Saunders and Topher -- if felt like 2 or 3 episodes of their lives crammed into one.
Usually now I'd be craving the rest of the season, to marathon at least 4 or 5 in a row, but this show is so zig-zag in its path that I think I'll be fine just waiting for one a week, thank you.
Really good episode. Didn't much care for the story about the wedding and bomb-maker, but there were moments when it seemed clear that Eliza must have taken acting classes over the summer. She's getting better.
And I was pleased to see Topher's lab assistant is still there... and the new set with Topher's bunk ...and the improved opening sequence ...and JOSS what the heck were you doing with that Eliza and Amy kiss flashback!?? Trying to dampen the pants of a million+ viewers? Not a complaint, but I feel I was being taken advantage of! Which is of course the nature of the dollhouse...
A heavy episode, well done.
Next week's preview looks like filler. But at least the premiere was this good.
"Scientists are saying the future is going to be far more futuristic than they originally predicted." -Krysta Now
- Joined: June 1999
- Post Count: 33,004
Sierra was into her "white woman" persona for that early scene with Topher's Asian counterpart, but it was more than one line.
The episode was much more involving in the Whiskey scenes, while the Echo scenes still don't really elicit much entertainment value from me.
"Jee-sus, it's like Iwo Jima out there" - Roger Sterling on "Mad Men"
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- Joined: November 1998
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
Adam Lenhardt 
I just really don't want this show to die.
Dollhouse #2x01 was one of my favorite premieres (behind House). It was enjoyable enough last season, but this is the first time I've cared if it sticks around. Previously, I was Drago on the matter.
I'm not a fan of blaming a lead-in for a show's performance. Certainly a lead-in can help a show, but if a show resonates with the audience, they'll find it no matter what. The real problem is SciFi generally struggles on network TV in prime time. On the flip side, it's generally more expensive and difficult to make. Not the best recipe, but I just try to enjoy what we get.
Studios, caption your internet streams.
- Joined: November 1998
- Post Count: 2,010
2X02 wasn't my favorite episode, but the horror moment was pretty creepy. "
Mommy's home." It was nice for Ballard to see November / Mellie / Madeleine Costley.
I was a bit confused by Topher saying he couldn't do anything to Ballard unless he wiped him, but then he offers Mellie enhancements. It'd seem he could do what Ballard asked by downloading his personality, making whatever changes Ballard wanted, wiping, then uploading.
Can't get enough of Echo? Get Virtual Echo for your desktop.
http://www.fox.com/dollhouse/virtualecho/
Edited by Mikah Cerucco - 10/3/09 at 6:47am
Studios, caption your internet streams.
- Joined: November 1998
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I feel bad for the fans of the show, but after the series premiere, I decided to cut my losses and allocate my 42 minutes elsewhere. I am apparently not alone.
Getting out of jury duty is easy. The trick is to say you're prejudiced against all races.
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- Joined: March 2001
- Post Count: 3,971
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Adam Lenhardt
It definitely seemed like a regression back to the season one stand-alone model. I was a little sad to see the "Tara Butters/Michele Fazekas" writing credit, because their decision to jump ship from their own show to "Reaper" was the final nail in that show's coffin.
Not entirely stand-alone. A lot of long-arc info was conveyed. It is starting to explain what makes Echo unique in her ability to remember (or at least have some sort of feeling memory) about her assignments, whereas none of the other dolls do -- they're starting to suggest that the brain may not be the seat of the soul, so to speak (at least not for Echo). And it's teasing us with the possibilities of who the informer is. Ballard also stated plainly that he is trying to bring down the Dollhouse, whereas before it was iffy whether he took the job and just accepted that the most he could do was try to be a good influence. And Echo is getting more personality even when she's wiped. (I liked her command to the car to "go").
I didn't know the show had begun again, but I found out just in time last week. All I'm expecting is 13 episodes. Whether they're aired, or simply produced and sold on DVD, looks like an open question with these kinds of ratings.
Edited by Will_B - 10/3/09 at 2:40pm
"Scientists are saying the future is going to be far more futuristic than they originally predicted." -Krysta Now
- Joined: November 1998
- Post Count: 2,010
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Will_B
All I'm expecting is 13 episodes. Whether they're aired, or simply produced and sold on DVD, looks like an open question with these kinds of ratings.
Did Fox order and agree to pay for 13 episodes?
Studios, caption your internet streams.
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I believe Eliza tweeted that they've shot 8 episodes already, so they probably did pay for 13. They'd probably still have to pay everyone even if they didn't actually make them, so they may as well make them. I hope.
"Scientists are saying the future is going to be far more futuristic than they originally predicted." -Krysta Now
- Joined: November 1998
- Post Count: 2,010
Pull the plug on airing whenever they want? Sure. But pull the plug on paying for what they've ordered? I'm not the authority, but I doubt strongly it's that easy. If they've aired 2 episodes, but the producers have filmed 8, someone has to pay for those additional 6? The talent did the work (writing, acting, directing, etc.) so they get paid. Are the producers expected to eat that? The talent? No. The only reason they'd have filmed those 8 is because Fox ordered them. So Fox has to pay for them.
Now, if Fox today went and said, "We don't want the ones you haven't filmed yet," that's an even more complex issue. The writers are undoubtedly ahead of episode 8 if #2x08 has already been filmed. They'd get paid, right?
Like I said, I don't know the details of how the contracts are set up. Without knowing the contracts, I see no guarantee that if Fox cancelled the series tomorrow, we'd still get all 13 episodes on DVD.
As someone else said in one of these threads, if Fox were to cancel Dollhouse, do they have something else that'll get more ratings to put in that slot? If not, they may as well just continue airing Dollhouse.
Anyway, it's nice to know that 8 are in the bag. That's at least 6 more to see on DVD even if they aren't aired.
Studios, caption your internet streams.
- Joined: November 1998
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Its a tough row to hoe for any series when the weakest link is with the main star. This last episode illustrated Dushku's limitations as an actress perfectly. Her scene with the baby being taken away was wasted. Dollhouse is at its best when the show focuses on the characters around Echo.
I keep thinking of how great this show could be with someone like Yvonne Strahovski as Echo.
Every man is my superior, in that I may learn from him.
- Joined: November 1998
- Post Count: 2,010
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Adam Lenhardt The idea of influencing the unconcious parts of the mind to release the hormones necessary for lactation raises interesting questions, but I'm not sure they were interesting enough to build an episode around.
I think it was, but not
that episode.
Quote:I have to agree with you here. The network's already ordered the 13 episodes, so we'll definitely get those. I wouldn't expect a pick-up for the back nine, however.
Well that was my question. I didn't know how many they ordered, and I didn't know what happens in the case where an order is cancelled before work on episodes (which are part of that order) has started.
Slight diversion. I don't think
Drive ever made it to DVD.
Studios, caption your internet streams.
I wonder how well DVD and Blu-ray sales did though, if maybe that justifies keeping it on the whole season. I'd think it probably would since this is a Whedon show.
