New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse - Page 2

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

People forget, X-Files made it's hey in it's best years on Friday night. Years ago, ABC's TGIF was a big hit with Friday Comedies. The right audience is there on Fridays with not a hell of a lot going, which is why BSG does well.

I'm really looking forward to this and wish them success!

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

They've been advertising this at such random times over a long period that I didn't realize it was airing tonight until maybe 6 days ago. It was always 'coming soon' or something like that.

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

So it just finished and I was pretty impressed so far. Assuming that this is shown in order, after the Firefly fiasco, I was a little surprised at how fast they just jumped into things with her getting 'treated'. Though, I guess its not so much her past that matters right this moment and that'll be a side story for a while.. at least based on that guy at the end.

Still, a good start. I'm a little annoyed about it being on Fridays, but that's what DVRs are for anyway, when I have other plans.

I think maybe that's part of what Fox is relying on, that DVRs are so prevalent these days that for all the people that won't watch it because its on Friday, there's a lot more who can record it and watch whenever they want. I'd also take a wild guess, but I bet among those who are interested in science-fiction shows in the first place that there might even be an even higher percentage of people who would have a DVR.

Edit: Actually read the last page and I guess assuming that it was shown in order was actually a mistake.

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

The show doesn't look half bad. I'll check it out tonight.

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

Way better then I thought it would be. I was hoping it would be good, but had lowered my expectations based on the pilot issues as above. I figured this might really struggle out of the gate but build into something. I was pretty surprised with how "polished" the first episode was (IMHO).

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

Off to a great start.

It was more multi-layered than I thought it would be and that was a very welcome thing.

One thing I didn't know was that the personalities that these "actives" are downloaded with are actually comprised of actual memories from real people and not completely fabricated. Very nice and human touch that will make things interesting in the future i'm sure.

Another thing is certain, the Dollhouse is an extremely unethical organization I thought, taking girls and essentially turning them into zombies, blank slates to "dress up" in any personality they choose that's appropriate for these "engagments".

I actually don't know who to root for yet, the Dollhouse or the FBI agent who wants to find it and shut it down and I like that conflict.

Joss Whedon has created yet another example of why he's the king of different and fresh sci-fi television and I for one hope that FOX makes good on it's promise to let this one breath for a while.

BTW, seeing Amy Acker with the scars made me sad in some way.

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

Dullhouse was pretty much a flat line for about 2/3 of the episode, but it sort of picked up the pace in the final third of the episode, but I fear that people were tuning out half-way through.

The show feels really anti-septic, too insular. I realize it's a controlled space, but just the set design is very off-putting to my eyes.

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

For all of its complete weirdness, this is probably the most marketable, accessible show from Whedon yet. It's certainly the first since early "Buffy" that provides an episodic framework within an ongoing storyline.

Some of the editing decisions were strange; if the pilot had opened with the FBI agent's debriefing, it would have taken care of a lot of the exposition upfront so the Dollhouse scenes would be less burdened.

Like John, I really appreciated that the personas were crafted from bits and pieces of real people. It gives you something human to root for, instead of having Eliza Dushku be a blank slate each week. The actives always have emotional baggage, even if it's a different person's baggage every week.

The one thing I question is why the Dollhouse lets its clients in on the secret; if they presented themselves as the highest-caliber temp agency in the world, it would explain why the uber-rich would be willing to hire a programmed approximation of what they need, instead of the real deal. When it comes to custom dating, it makes a little bit more sense for the client to be in the loop. The motorbike guy probably gave the Dollhouse a list of attributes he wanted from his ideal woman, and they shoved it into Echo.

The set design of the Dollhouse is Minority Report meets Princeton-Plainsboro from "House, M.D."

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

Yes, the client could go out and contract a high caliber third party negotiator who's supposedly an expert based on the credentials he/she has on paper. Or, being that he's wealthy and has likely been made aware of this Dollhouse agency through positive word of mouth from other uber-wealthy friends, you could pay said agency to create the perfect kidnap negotiator that can all but guarentee his daughter's safety. It's about percentages and I could buy someone with that level of disposable income wanting the very best his money could create to help save his daughter.

That may not fit every engagement from here on out but I didn't have an issue with it during the pilot.

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

KABB in San Antonio thought that I would like to have a red, white and blue crawl throughout most of Dollhouse explaining that they were going ahead with digital broadcasting on the 17th.
KABB in San Antonio was in error.
I really just wanted to enjoy Joss' new TV show and thought that the 3 people that weren't aware of the digital switchover were ignorant losers that deserved whatever inconvenience was awaiting them.

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

Yikes, that was really bad. Annoying because I love the actresses in the show (especially Olivia Williams). The dialogue was flat, the plot uninteresting. Did it work on a superficial level (with the sound turned off)? Aside from that awful slow-mo bike chase, almost. I dread to imagine how bad the other pilots were. "Dollhouse: The Complete Series" DVD boxset coming soon to a discount store near you.

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

It was a little slow, but I liked it over all. It didn't have a pilot feel to it, though - it makes sense that this was supposed to be the second episode.

Since the personalities are based on real people - I am thinking that the active's original personalities and memories are stored away somewhere, and they could be restored at some point.

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

I didn't even see all those scars on Acker's face. Looks like I'll have to impose my mad HT skills on my friends' SD setup.

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

I think the bigger point is that they could store the memories. This tells me that somewhere in their vault is the original memories of whoever Echo is.. the person we saw in the very beginning. And whether she gets those memories back or if she even wants those memories back.

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

Good show. Another one I have to add to my DVR record list. I'm already taping too many shows to keep up with so I'm gonna have to let one go. Most likely going to be The Beast.

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

Regarding the last scene...
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

Ratings were decent, second in it's timeslot; up about .5 over "Lyrics" and up almost a full point over "Canterbury's Law"

Viewers Give Warm Welcome to Whedon's 'Dollhouse' - TVWeek - News


With Friday night ratings expected to be low, this was a decent sign, an improvement over previous placement. Now the question is if the audience holds on.

And, FYI, just for the dance scene alone with Eliza in an unber-short outfit.. yeah, I'll tune in again

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

That is what will bring me back for now. I was trying really hard to love the show...I didn't.

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

Not a bad show - we'll see how it goes for awhile. Let's hope it doesn't get too formulaic. I thought it was interesting having former guest stars from 24 (Vincent Laresca) and (Gabriel Crestejo) Prison Break.

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

I think Joss fans might go into this show hoping it will be the next Firefly or Buffy but it really is different. It didn't even sound like a Whedon show. None of his trademark banter and off the cuff statements. That might be a good thing in the long run but we will see. I liked it. It didn't grab me like Firefly or Lost or BSG did in the first episode but to be honest Buffy and X-Files took a few eps to grow on me before I loved them.

I am curious how long this show will last. If Fox gives it a full season I will be surprised but we will see. I hope they do as the premise is unique (a quality lacking on TV...even with non-reality shows) and some of the characters have potential (the kind of evil nerdy download tech, Amy Acker...still hotter than anyone on the show even with the scars...the boss lady...Echo's handler...etc...). I wonder if Alpha is the Big Bad or merely a bump in the road. Will there be a Big Bad? It is a Whedon show, after all.

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

Since I've been watching TV on a 27" 4x3 TV set, I wasn't aware of her facial scars until she tracked Echo to the mind-wipe-dump office.

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

Seriously...the dance scene? She is just SMOKIN' hot.

But, man, I don't think she has the acting chops to pull off playing different personalities each week. I certainly didn't buy her in this episode as the negotiator.

I don't know that this show makes it. The dialogue needs to be trumped up a LOT. This is Whedon we're talking about. The Nikita feel is something they need to grow out of. And, the stories just have to be stronger.

And, of course...Eliza needs to step up.

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

I have to remind myself that premiere episodes are not where Whedon's strengths lie. IMO, "Buffy" was probably the most approachable of his premieres, and of course he didn't direct that. "Dollhouse" was difficult to warm up to, that's for sure. But with "Firefly", the long premiere episode (the original, 1st-on-the-DVD episode) is so oblique that I tell certain people who borrow my set that they might want to start with the 2nd episode, then go back and watch the premiere later.

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I watched the show streaming from Fox's web site and man, the quality was fantastic. Much better than any other site I have used. As for the show...

I liked it a lot. A little slow at first but it picked up and finished well. Since I like it I have to assume it means it won't last long but I am keeping my fingers crossed.

-Keith

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

I dislike Whedon, and this did nothing to change my mind. That's good, because I didn't need to add another show to my already crowded Friday DVR schedule. The only thing I liked was that the main room of the Dollhouse reminded me of a level in No One Lives Forever. Not a reason to ever tune back in, of course.

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

So how did it end? A rotted tree took out a power line down the street and knocked my neighborhood's power out at about 9:45, just when they were going to mind wipe Echo again and her handler was arguing with Olivia Williams.

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

You can see the ending (hell, just zip to it) at Fox.Com or Hulu.Com. Contribute some to the online ratings, which also help the show.

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

No One Lives Forever?

anyway, over a dvdtalk someone callled Josh posted
some thing s that might be problems with the premise.

"Okay, the premise is that the "Dollhouse" is a highly illegal operation, that's described as being like an urban legend in its secrecy. That's not a great business model, is it? I mean, you have the government trying to shut them down, yet they have to operate enough in the open so that people can actually hire their services.

And another problem is that... why bother hiring a doll? I understand "Echo" will be acting as a hostage negotiator in the pilot episode. Why not just get a real hostage negotiator? Unless you're doing something illegal, like looking for a prostitute or an assassin, why bother going to the Dollhouse for services at all? Why not just go the Bunny Ranch if you're looking for a piece of ass? Gotta be cheaper than going through the Dollhouse.

And then there's the cost. Considering the illegal nature of the operation, all of the employees, and high tech equipment involved in the Dollhouse, their services are going to be REALLY expensive. That's going to seriously limit the kinds of missions the dolls are sent out on, when they can only be hired by about 1% of the population. "

these concerns make sense to me.

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

Ken Tucker raised at least one of those points in his review for Entertainment Weekly. Alas, it may ultimately come down to this: "it's cutting-edge technology in a house full of hot chicks." At this point it might seem like pandering to the geek squad, but I have faith in Whedon to refine things as we go. If it stays on the air.

Re: New Joss Whedon show announced: Dollhouse

Just a quick summary of results:

(1) I think we're going to find out that there are a lot of people who know who are high up who are actively protecting them.

(2) The biggest reason to hiring a doll vs. hiring a negotiator should be obvious. It's not that they can be programmed to be one of the best, it's that 24 hours after you use their services, they will never remember it. All of your information is kept private and concealed. Nothing you say will ever go anywhere. Thinking of the Mel Gibson film "Ransom".. at some point, he had to tell the negotiator information about his business, etc. That negotiator would live and go on and constantly be aware of this information. A doll would never remember the information. It's the fact that they get wiped later that makes them near priceless. Have a fetish for a chick made up like a Geisha who can beat you? (we saw an active as a Geisha early on). Fine. Hire a doll instead of a Geisha, and no one ever knows your depravity and risk of blackmail? Gone. The fact that a doll gets blanked afterward as their biggest selling point was even pointed out in it; when the agency freaked out that the client might become aware that the handler was aware of what was going on.

(3) I think that's the point; these are only used by the uber-elite who are using them in positions/situations where discretion and manipulation of them is what is desired. Need some corporate espionage done with the ability to completely be unconnected? Witness wiped out in the end? Hire a doll. Full crazy fetish? Fine, a doll. Need to negotiate with a kidnapper but your money comes from illegal drug money or whatever? Perfect, get a doll.