Dollhouse

[Cell]

Originally Posted by KoshFan

Huh. Well, it just seems you're often very critical of things that I like a lot, and it bugs me. Part of it is, my "willing suspension of disbelief" is extremely strong until other people start pointing out problems, after which I can't ignore them. So I may be shooting the messenger.

Also, Whedon does nothing but moralizing.

Not always, and usually when he does he's actually spot on with it, ie; not shoving morals onto people who don't have any.

I do get you about the not wanting to hear about problems bit.

Originally Posted by Jade Jaguar

I can't agree with you there. Ballard has quite obviously been growing progressively more obsessed, and more aggitated. True, he doesn't act out on it as overtly as some, i.e. Alpha. Also true, he isn't really at his wit's end, but someone can be quite aggitated, increasingly so, without being at their wit's end. Some stay in that state almost continuously...

It felt to me like they just dropped in this episode after brilliantly bringing along that aspect of Ballard in the past few eps.

[vacantlook]

Yeah, that was good. Must have more!!

[Sindatur]

Originally Posted by vacantlook

Yeah, that was good. Must have more!!

Ditto.

[Recoil]

I dont think getting more is likely. Ratings have been constantly slipping.

That said, I was gone for a couple of weeks and just caught up and watched the finale, and I liked it. I thought Alan Tudyk was AWESOME. They also used him brilliantly. They introduced him as very Wash-like character. Silly, funny, a bit neurotic, which was very familiar to Whedon fans who loved Wash. But when he slashed up Victor and you find out he was Alpha...he really REALLY pulled off the intimindating psycho part well. It was something completely new Ive seen from him and he did it great. Frankly, he did a much better job at handling different personalitites than Eliza has done in the show so far.

When Dominic (in Victor's Body) called out Whisky, I pretty much knew that Dr Saunders was really a doll. First, he was sort of looking in her direction. Second, Alpha made that comment "How long have you wanted to be a doctor" and thats how it played out in the finale.

The finale was also well done, and you cant help but think of how dreadful this technology is and they showed it off well. Basically saying anyones personality and anyones body are interchangable is a scary concept. Alpha's comment about "they are all pretty much the same." The only saving grace is that Alpha's original character has clearly carried into his Doll persona and is more powerful than the technology --- the human soul concept.

If this show were to continue I think it would be telling the story of a very different type of apocolypse. Not like each season of Buffy where there is some clear bad guy going to destroy the world. This would be a very different kind, with humanity getting destroyed or changed by completely different means.

Too bad I dont think its getting renewed though. I didnt enjoy the first few episodes of the show but it really has gotten better and better...

[Sindatur]

JW seems to think there's a good chance of renewal, and they're getting a revenue stream off Hulu, so, they may be generating enough revenue combined to continue with a second season.

[Jade Jaguar]

Yeah, I enjoyed the finale. Ballard is going to work for Dollhouse? Are they going to make him a doll? Is that the price he paid to give November back her identity? And, why did he bali out November, and not Caroline?

[vacantlook]

Originally Posted by Jade Jaguar

Yeah, I enjoyed the finale. Ballard is going to work for Dollhouse? Are they going to make him a doll? Is that the price he paid to give November back her identity? And, why did he bali out November, and not Caroline?

Adelle says:

ADELLE
We'll find him. I have confidence now. Our new contractor has skills which inspire it.

To me, that says that he's not going to be a doll since it's his own skills that she thinks will enable them to find and stop Alpha.

Perhaps he picked Madeline to free from her contract as penance for his having used her. With him working for the Dollhouse to hunt down Alpha, he's on the inside, and still has opportunities to free Caroline.

The script for the episode reveals that there was a bit cut from the episode. Sierra and November were written to be there at the end alongside Echo, Ballard, and Boyd fighting against Alpha. That's what we saw them being programmed for in the episode, but their part of the final battle was cut out. It's kind of a shame too because there's one little bit of that cut part that I think is hilarious:

Paul looks across to Boyd. Boyd shakes his head -- do not get in their way. Paul ignores it. Here comes November, slamming a fresh clip into her weapon. Paul steps in front of her. She doesn't even slow.

Boyd starts heading over to pull him out of the way.

BOYD
Ballard! Just back away!

PAUL
It's ok. I've seen how you do this!

And November is nearly on top of him when --

PAUL (CONT'D) (with purpose)
You need therapy.

WHACK! She bashes him with the butt of her weapon without breaking a stride. He goes down. Boyd crouches at Paul's side.

BOYD
Treatment. You need treatment.

PAUL (dazed, head ringing)
No, no. I'll be fine.

He passes out.

And speaking of fun little moments, one of my favorites was this exchange:

ALPHA
Lay back in the chair!

ECHO
You lay back in the chair! I'm done laying back in the chair. I am ready to rinse and spit!

I love that little quick quip, which reflected back to a comment earlier in the episode about Alpha's imprint chair looking like a dentist chair. I can get so much joy out of little moments like that.

[Jade Jaguar]

Originally Posted by vacantlook

To me, that says that he's not going to be a doll since it's his own skills that she thinks will enable them to find and stop Alpha.

Perhaps he picked Madeline to free from her contract as penance for his having used her. With him working for the Dollhouse to hunt down Alpha, he's on the inside, and still has opportunities to free Caroline.

I think you are almost certainly right, but I think they were deliberately a bit ambiguous.

And yes, I think that is a good explanation for why he picked Madeline.

[vacantlook]

I just read over on Whedonesque that Dollhouse has been renewed for another 13 episode season.

[Recoil]

I just saw that too. Unbelievable!