Just got done reading Hazel’s review of the third episode of Dollhouse, and I have to admit I’m having trouble disagreeing with any of her points.
Her basic point is that there have been plenty of cringe-worthy moments and elements that didn’t quite work. And that the only “good” parts have been more hints of what might come than they have been anything truly spectacular about the actual episode itself.
In particular, there’s a lot of stuff that is apparently designed to seem “edgy” – including the general premise of virtual slavery entailed by the whole premise of the show. And there are scenes that range from uncomfortable (a girl getting slapped by her manager) to preposterously hackneyed and lame (a guy who buys Echo so he can first have sex with her and then hunt her with a bow and arrow…seriously). But all of this lacks the necessary backbone of a show that justifies the inclusion of such silliness and discomfort.
To continue piling on, there’s the very real issue that Eliza Dushku so far has done little to suggest she has the acting talent to play all these different roles. So far, she’s had to do:
– variations on Faith, which she can do well, of course, but that’s also not saying that much
– the tabula rasa state of being unprogrammed, which I think she has done quite poorly. I’m not sure what I think they should act like in that state, but it sure isn’t what I’ve seen so far
– a sexy hostage negotiator. Meh.
In the third episode, she was supposed to be a backup singer cum bodyguard. But the result was a strange mishmash of a teeny-bopper, Faith, any random character from Firefly, and a preachy amateur psychologist. The result: a confusing character that really didn’t work for me. (As a sidenote, if you want to see an actress who falls completely into a role and has it fit perfectly, Dichen Lachman’s performance as Sierra is quite good. Though it’s completely baffling why she wasn’t programmed to turn into a bad-ass if she got caught. In fact, it’s unclear exactly why she was involved in the operation at all, given that she was alone with the killer and all she did was cower…)
These issues aren’t entirely Dushku’s fault though. There’s also the writing and conception, which I’m not sure has been thought through completely. The most awkward times have been when Echo has had to deliver lines that a Whedon-character would say. Because she hasn’t had a role yet where that sort of quipping makes any sense. So when she starts talking like Kaylee or Mal or something it falls pretty flat.
Oh, and a final complaint is the over-obviousness of Big Themes. Part of it is that I’m simply not that interested in their meta-theme of “popular culture imprints roles onto actors and musicians and other performers – and isn’t it cool how the actives are a metaphor for that?” When it’s vague and in the background, it’s fine, but when they hit you over the head with it…no good. Episode 3 suffered from this the worst. FAR too much talky/preachy “tell don’t show” stuff going on.
Still, all of that said, I’m not nearly as down on things as it seems like Hazel is. I’m willing to remain open to the possibilities that they’re laying the groundwork for. And while I haven’t been tremendously impressed with the main stories of any of the episodes so far, they’ve actually done a pretty good job of tying together the larger arc of the show. They’re dropping hints, fitting pieces together, and piquing my interest for sure. And there are a few moments here and there that are done with subtlety and care, and which suggest Very Good things to come (the head shake to close this episode being a great example).
Basically, I think it could still turn out very well and these beginning episodes may be weak in part because they’re still finding their footing. There’s a lot of stuff to deal with here (even for someone who’s done three other shows already), including finding a balance between an action show that won’t get cancelled and a thought-provoking, clever show about layered characters and a slowly unfolding plot.
There’s also the issue raised above. Namely, that I’m not sure Joss is all that comfortable with the sort of world these characters exist in. Buffy worked in part because it ran on its own rules. Same thing with Firefly. Angel, too, but less so. It tried to be more “edgy” and closer to the “real” world. With that in mind, I don’t think it’s coincidence that Angel was mediocre at best. It remains to be seen whether Joss can find a way to make his unique style work in this kind of story.
And, as someone who doesn’t have a TV and doesn’t really keep track of shows on a weekly basis (two exceptions: Top Chef and The Office), it’s nice to have a Joss show that I’m excited about. If it continues on with episodes of the quality we’ve seen so far, that enthusiasm will dim before too long. But for now, I’ll happily check on Hulu to see when the most recent one has been uploaded.
And I’ll tentatively commit to posting reviews of episodes from now on – all in an effort to further dilute the focus of this blog.