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Dollhouse can Joss make it happen this time...

#81 User is offline   Abyss 

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Posted 27 August 2009 - 10:16 PM

Summer Glau was just added to the cast for S2.

One the one hand, millions of Joss/TerminatorTSC/Firefly fanboys' hormones have a whole other reason to tune in.

On the other hand, while i liked her in TerminatorTSC, i am on the fence about her acting.


Relatedlty, Jamie Bamber (BSG's Apollo) is guesting in the premiere, which means if we're lucky we'll FINALLY see Halo punch Apollo in the face repeatedly.

I so want to like this show but last season ended SO weak.

- Abyss, will have to track down the lost ep now.
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#82 User is offline   Gem Windcaster 

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Posted 27 August 2009 - 10:32 PM

Summer Glau will act the crap out of Dushku. At least if she acts half as good as she did in Firefly. I still can't believe they canceled TSCC and kept a show like Dollhouse - I mean come on, the difference in actual quality is immense. On another note - does this mean Dollhouse will cancel soon? Poor Ms. Glau hasn't been lucky with cancellations - although she might heighten the quality of the show.

This post has been edited by Gem Windcaster: 27 August 2009 - 10:33 PM

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#83 User is offline   Abyss 

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Posted 28 August 2009 - 01:35 AM

Oooo, good point. The 'Curse of Glau'.

- Abyss, bcs 'The Curse of Summer' just sounds silly...
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#84 User is offline   Abyss 

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Posted 25 September 2009 - 05:22 PM

Premiere tonight. Expectations set to 'low/cautiously optimistic'.

- Abyss, ...bets they put Dushku in lingerie in the first ten minutes...
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#85 User is offline   dawnkiller 

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Posted 26 September 2009 - 02:02 AM

Having seen the premier, is it just me or has the entire cast gotten exponentially more fucked up? Well, okay, mostly Saunders. (I would have said that Boyd still seems normal, but apparently he finds Saunders' nervous breakdown to be hot.)

Also just me, or does it seem way too easy to break conditioning? (Dollhouse drinking game: Take a drink every time someone forgets what personality they have.)

My opinion in short: Topher/Saunders scene = Best thing about the ep IMO. Ballard = Getting sort of boring, but still a sad, sad human being. DeWitt = Nice callback to the inappropriate touching of Victor. Sierra/Ivy = Unnecessary, but forgiven for the lulz. Very glad they spent time on the House crew, which I still regard as more interesting than the engagements.

View PostAbyss, on 25 September 2009 - 05:22 PM, said:

- Abyss, ...bets they put Dushku in lingerie in the first ten minutes...


I timed it. It was actually 13. They're learning restraint.
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#86 User is offline   Epiph 

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Posted 29 September 2009 - 04:42 PM

I wasn't totally thrilled with the premier. I agree about the Topher/Saunders scene, that was good stuff. I dislike pairing Echo and Ballard; it's bound to turn into a romantic entanglement, and I loved the Boyd/Echo father/daughter thing. I wish they could kill off Echo and keep the show, because I really dislike Dushku and her stupid, expressionless face.
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#87 User is offline   Sixty 

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Posted 30 September 2009 - 02:02 AM

Expressionless works remarkably well for a doll, though.
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#88 User is offline   Sir Thursday 

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Posted 05 October 2009 - 06:09 PM

View PostSixty, on 30 September 2009 - 02:02 AM, said:

Expressionless works remarkably well for a doll, though.


Sure, but I don't really rate Dushku, even with her expressionlessness. Having said that, her acting was OK for the most part in the most recent episode. But overall, Episode 2 was a big step back from Episode 1. Topher/Saunders was excellent, and really delved into the ethical and philosophical questions that the Dollhouse poses. There was no equivalent in Episode 2, really. And the almost complete absence of Victor was dismaying - he's the best doll (though Sierra and Whisky were both pretty awesome in Ep 1). Hope he comes back into the spotlight soon.
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#89 User is offline   Binder of Demons 

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Posted 05 October 2009 - 08:32 PM

I've said it before (and i said this before i ever saw Dollhouse), I think its' a shame that Amy Acker (Dr. Saunders) wasn't the one cast as Echo, since she is capable of showing a wide range of emotions, and can do drama or comedy scenes at the drop of a hat.

Dushku has a very limited range in my opinion, far too limited for the central role in all this.

I haven't had a chance to see any of season 2 yet, but i hope they manage to improve things on last season, which had some decent moments but overall was disappointing.

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#90 User is offline   Abyss 

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Posted 05 October 2009 - 08:57 PM

View PostBinder of Demons, on 05 October 2009 - 08:32 PM, said:

I've said it before (and i said this before i ever saw Dollhouse), I think its' a shame that Amy Acker (Dr. Saunders) wasn't the one cast as Echo, since she is capable of showing a wide range of emotions, and can do drama or comedy scenes at the drop of a hat.
...


Agreed. She rocks the premiere.


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#91 User is offline   drinksinbars 

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Posted 07 October 2009 - 02:45 PM

didnt really like second episode, thought it was pretty poor. not looking good for this season.
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#92 User is offline   dawnkiller 

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Posted 10 October 2009 - 02:14 AM

Okay, think the 3rd ep's been the best so far -- not as strong interaction-wise as, say, Topher/Saunders in the first, but the A and B plots were definitely more entertaining. Victor's actor once again steals the show (the guy never seems the same in any appearance, which is exactly as it should be). The imprint-shuffling made no sense, but once I saw the club scene I found I no longer cared.

While I generally find Echo to be of the least interest, I will say I like that they're starting to show the angle of the doll's personality -- like the ability to reject/resist certain imprints, and an active awareness of what's going on. Way more interesting than season 1, IMO, where my biggest complaint was a lack of consistent personality to follow. It also gives her a nicely eerie quality to display that awareness through the vaguely-lobotomized mein of a doll. Dushku's range is still less than it should be for the role, but at least the char is a little more interesting to follow.

Not necessarily bad, but I find it a little odd how hit-you-over-the-head they can be with some things (multiple instances where Echo and Victor's scenarios and words echoed the basic premise of the Dollhouse itself regarding objects/power), but weirdly subtle with others. DeWitt's perhaps slightly-beyond-professional feelings for Victor in particular spring to mind; a straight transcript of her dialogue wouldn't indicate anything untoward, but the way she delivers a line or the actions she takes (ex. the reconstructive surgery) indicates lingering emotion. It's a surprisingly deft handling in a show that's otherwise . . . not quite so much.

(Was I the only one hoping the professor's engagement would turn out to be making a stupid co-ed finally understand the Canterbury Tales?)

This post has been edited by dawnkiller: 10 October 2009 - 02:16 AM

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#93 User is offline   Abyss 

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Posted 19 October 2009 - 05:40 PM

Ep 2 sucked. Seriously. I ffwd large chunks of it. If they couldn't do better than that i was pretty much done with this show.

As it stands Fox recently announced they will air the full 13 S2 eps, which loosely translates as 'we're confirming we'll air these, just not necessarily in a time slot any human watches and kiss S3 goodbye unless viewer digits skyrocket beyond all unreasonable expectation'.

View Postdawnkiller, on 10 October 2009 - 02:14 AM, said:

...(Was I the only one hoping the professor's engagement would turn out to be making a stupid co-ed finally understand the Canterbury Tales?)



Nope, but they played down to our expectations - Dollhouse clients have two needs: rollplay sex toys and replacements for dead rollplay sex toys.

Spoiler


Dushku is just not nailing it. She's the weakest part of the show and i can't quite decide if it's her fault or the direction/script but either way it's not good.



- Abyss, notes this was enough of an improvement to bring me back next ep but the show is walking the thin line.
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#94 User is offline   Sir Thursday 

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Posted 20 October 2009 - 05:13 PM

View PostAbyss, on 19 October 2009 - 05:40 PM, said:

As it stands Fox recently announced they will air the full 13 S2 eps, which loosely translates as 'we're confirming we'll air these, just not necessarily in a time slot any human watches and kiss S3 goodbye unless viewer digits skyrocket beyond all unreasonable expectation'.


I didn't read it that way at all - Fox may be evil but they're not stupid. They don't need to give a guarantee like that at all, and the fact that they have, along with very positive noises about the strength of Dollhouse's DVR numbers indicates to me that they see enough upside in the show not to give up on it yet. Their exact statement was something along the lines of: "We're going to air all the episodes before we make a decision about the show's future." To me, that says they really don't want to have to cancel it if they can help it, and are hoping for some ratings upticks from the later episodes.

By the way, anyone know why there wasn't a new episode last week?

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#95 User is offline   Abyss 

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Posted 20 October 2009 - 05:27 PM

View PostSir Thursday, on 20 October 2009 - 05:13 PM, said:

View PostAbyss, on 19 October 2009 - 05:40 PM, said:

As it stands Fox recently announced they will air the full 13 S2 eps, which loosely translates as 'we're confirming we'll air these, just not necessarily in a time slot any human watches and kiss S3 goodbye unless viewer digits skyrocket beyond all unreasonable expectation'.


I didn't read it that way at all - Fox may be evil but they're not stupid. They don't need to give a guarantee like that at all, and the fact that they have, along with very positive noises about the strength of Dollhouse's DVR numbers indicates to me that they see enough upside in the show not to give up on it yet. Their exact statement was something along the lines of: "We're going to air all the episodes before we make a decision about the show's future." To me, that says they really don't want to have to cancel it if they can help it, and are hoping for some ratings upticks from the later episodes.

By the way, anyone know why there wasn't a new episode last week?

Sir Thursday


I suspect optimism, but we'll see. The show beat the odds (and the ratings) last season to almost everyone's surprise. It COULD improve and see ratings skyrocket and survive.

Fox may be evil but its audience is stupid - the painful truth is that Fox can get better ratings with a rerun of SURVIVOR: BEIRUT. people love Joss, sometimes to the point of wilful blindness, but his golden touch wore off when BUFFY ended.

No ep last week because of baseball. Show returns this week.

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#96 User is offline   Abyss 

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Posted 23 October 2009 - 03:14 PM

Fox wouldn't take the ratings hit thru November sweeps. Announcement today, after tonight's ep DOLLHOUSE moved out of the schedule til Dec 4, then remaining eps get burned off in 2hr runs through Dec. (but if you're watching, check your listings, this sort of thing can change...)

I don't think we'll be seeing the show again unless the Dec numbers are massive big.

On the bright side, this frees some perfectly good actors up for other work. :)

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#97 User is offline   Gothos 

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Posted 23 October 2009 - 06:53 PM

View PostAbyss, on 03 March 2009 - 08:27 PM, said:

Then came Firefly. And i was not impressed. Too slow. Too angsty. Too dusty. I tried. I watched more eps than i didn't. But Firefly didn't work for me, tho i did think the movie was okay as a wrap-up of the series.


oh man... now I have a crisis of faith in the almighty Abyss... you've disappointed me, yo!
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#98 User is offline   Abyss 

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Posted 23 October 2009 - 09:10 PM

Does it help to know I've seen virtually every ep of Buffy and Angel at least twice?

It's not that Firefly was bad, it's that Joss went for a different formula and hey, kudos to him for trying, but it didn't fly. Too much build-up, not enough pay-off, and the characters weren't interesting enough to carry it. Look at the movie. Look how much development, plot and character was worked into 2hrs. That should have been EVERY episode. The fact that an entire series could be wrapped in 2 hrs tells you how much depth it had (and don't start listing all the plots that weren't tied up - they weren't important enough to matter).

I know Browncoats like to wave the DVD sales numbers and con attendance as proof that this show had a following, and they're right, it had a following. So does The Bachelor, only bigger. And it cost less to make. That's why Fox pulled the plug.

Joss set out to make this sprawling vista of space and war and conspiracies and so on, practically whispering 'keep watching, it's gonna get good, uh huh, uh huh, yeah, three or four eps from now something really cool will happen, really, look at all the witty and clever foreshadowing, yeah, yeah, here, look at the space whore in the meantime...' instead of reaching out every week, grabbing the biggest audience possible by the face, dragging them into the screen and screaming 'YOU WILL WATCH THIS SHOW BECAUSE IT RAWKS' at the top of his lungs, directing Mal to shoot reavers in the face while River goes telephathic ninja all over the fucking place and Zoe installs a frikkin gun on that turtle of a spaceship...

Anyrate, didn't happen.

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#99 User is offline   Gothos 

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Posted 23 October 2009 - 10:01 PM

don't get things mixed up - the fulltime motion picture was made as a reaction to firefly evolving into a cult series, years after the show got cut. and frankly, if you put a show like that after friday's sports event, it's SUCH a surprise attendance was low, really! from where I stand, the movie didn't do the characters justice, and you can't just put the whole setting into 2hrs and expect anyone to catch on properly. even worse that they destroyed any chance for continuation with the serenity crew.

see, to me, the characters are some of the best to ever grace the TV screen, and after only 14 episodes, that's quite something. great humor, interesting plots, gray-and-gray morality, well-written characters, an original setting, all of that is in there.

it's somewhat apparent you'd like this to be an action flick. but it's not, and that's what best about it. I'll use the area of my best expertise as a parallel: you want an FPS and space opera shooter, a cross between assassin's creed, wing commander and good ol' half-life. but this is like an RPG.

you want duke nukem 3d. I want planescape: torment. that's probably why I liked the show, and you didn't.


(also, buffy and angel are just not interesting at all beyond SMG's tits)
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#100 User is offline   dawnkiller 

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Posted 24 October 2009 - 06:24 PM

Well, that was an interesting one . . .

Liked seeing another use for dolls behind Dead Loved One Replacement or Unnecessarily Expensive Prostitutes -- making yourself look good. Ah, Dr. McEvilDude, you are sad indeed. Nice reminder that DeWitt is, in actuality, middle management.

(No one cares that Saunders left, apparently. Well, okay. Then again, they did say all dolls are lo-jacked in the last ep, so I guess they know where she is.)

I'm not entirely sure about Sierra just marching off to confront Dr. McEvilDude with relatively little anxiety (and also taking the news she was a vegetable for hire remarkably well), but I'm willing to forgive it because it spared us another Sierra As Victim episode. However, considering the first couple eps of this seasons it's starting to seem like dolls menace, attack, and stab their clients with alarming frequency, to the point I can only assume Wolfram & Hart handle their legal department.

A retroactive "huh, interesting" moment is to remember that Sierra was the doll Topher used for his "diagnostic" (ie. self-birthday present). This either means two things -- that it was that event that predisposed Topher towards concern (like DeWitt took extra care repairing Victor's face), or that it was the circumstances around her recruitment that lead him to choose her in the first place. He did seem very proud when he thought he "helped" her out of schizophrenia. These are little nods that I actually find pretty interesting in terms of the House staff's characterization, because clearly at least a few of them don't buy into the continued assertions that the dolls are just vegetables (at least where personal attachment is concerned).

This was maybe the first time I really bought Victor and Sierra's Tru Wuv. Not that I didn't find it rather charming, but I was having some problems regarding it as based on anything deeper than You're Pretty. The little scene in the shower, though, was really sweet. It's always interesting to see the dolls interacting, too, even if the conversation isn't exactly scintillating.

I appreciate the continued creepification of Echo (for example, her Sleepchamber Full of Crazy). We kept being told she was dangerous in S1, and it's hard to take it seriously when the character is a piece of cardboard. It's still cardboard, but at least it's got more going for it now.

Book Boyd is getting more interesting, not just due to his clearly shady background but because he is now actively encouraging Echo's rebellion. He doesn't seem particularly judgemental about the Dollhouse and its clients, but he clearly finds Echo's antics amusing at the very least. He clearly feels affection for people, the dolls in particular, but after that clean-up job it's kind of hard to tell if he's got actual morals or is just in it for the lulz.
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