14 December 2012
Quote of the Day: Dollhouse
From "Belle Chose" (2.03):
[Boyd & Adelle are discussing a coma patient.]
Boyd: Do we really want to wake this guy up?
Adelle: Mr. Langton, have you no charity? We are working to reunite a desperate family with their wayward loved one.
Boyd: And by "wayward", do you mean that they've been looking for him ever since he skipped his last bail hearing?
Adelle: A bail hearing over a minor matter which has since been resolved.
Boyd: And by "resolved", do you mean --
Adelle: Yes, yes. A judge was bought off. There is no need to continue translating me.
[Boyd & Adelle are discussing a coma patient.]
Boyd: Do we really want to wake this guy up?
Adelle: Mr. Langton, have you no charity? We are working to reunite a desperate family with their wayward loved one.
Boyd: And by "wayward", do you mean that they've been looking for him ever since he skipped his last bail hearing?
Adelle: A bail hearing over a minor matter which has since been resolved.
Boyd: And by "resolved", do you mean --
Adelle: Yes, yes. A judge was bought off. There is no need to continue translating me.
Labels: Dollhouse
27 November 2012
Quote of the Day: "Mark Watches"
I'm really enjoying reading Mark Watches's reactions to watching Dollhouse. (Probably because I agree with everything he says -- that makes him seem REEEEALLY smart and perceptive!) He's up to episode 1.11, "Briar Rose":
I CAN’T. I CAN’T DEAL WITH THIS. I DON’T THINK I HAVE EVER BEEN SO UNFORTUNATELY UNPREPARED FOR A TELEVISION SHOW IN ALL MY LIFE. THIS SHOW WAS NOT WHAT I THOUGHT IT WAS, AND EVERY TIME I GET CLOSER TO UNDERSTANDING DOLLHOUSE, THE RUG IS PULLED OUT FROM UNDERNEATH ME.
H E L P.
* This is, without a doubt, one of the most thrilling and tense hours of television I’ve experienced in the Mark Does Stuff universe. Like, this upstages some particularly frightening episodes of Battlestar Galactica, slaps [the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode] “Hush” in the face, laughs at the fourth hour of Torchwood: Children of Earth, and joins the league of The Prisoner or Breaking Bad when it comes to suspenseful television. I’m serious, this is one of the coolest science fiction stories I’ve come across, and I can barely wrap my head around what just happened.
* And look, I clearly enjoyed all three of Joss Whedon’s other shows, but since “Man on the Street,” this is the most consistent the man’s ever been. I also like the first five episodes, too, but Dollhouse really comes into form with this batch of episodes.
* Enver Gjokaj nearly steals the show. I can’t say he does this alone, because this episode also has Dichen Lackman and Alan Tudyk giving performances that are stunning and unreal. But I have to devote a bullet point to Enver’s truly inspiring acting. He is able to talk exactly like Dominic sounds. It’s eerie and unsettling. Did he and Daniel Day-Lewis make a pact with Satan? (Sorry, I just saw Lincoln the night before I’m writing this review, so he’s on my mind.) I think the casting agents should be given medals for this cast. And puppies. Give ‘em lots of puppies.
* Oh my god, I could not believe Paul Ballard’s story. I’m so heartbroken over his treatment of Mellie, despite that I know it was a way for him to get her to go back to the Dollhouse. And I know Mellie isn’t real, but Miracle Laurie plays her so fantastically that I’m confused by the whole thing. Should I feel so strongly for a programmed fantasy? I can’t help it!!!
* It’s weird thinking about Ballard breaking into the Dollhouse with Kepler because while I was watching it, it was both tense and hilarious. Kepler was the worst possible person to bring along for that mission, and I enjoyed Tudyk’s sense of comic timing. Except now, in hindsight, IT’S TERRIFYING. THAT’S ALPHA THE WHOLE TIME. God, I need to know so much more about Alpha right now. Was he the remains of an identity? Did he invent it himself? Did he take over Stephen Kepler’s life? I DON’T EVEN KNOW.
* Alpha’s reveal is seriously one of the most shocking things I’ve seen in any of Whedon’s shows. As soon as he cut up Victor’s face, it was unmistakable that Kepler was really Alpha the whole time. But there was a cue just before this: Dr. Saunders’s reaction. That really gave it away. My god, how is she going to cope with this? The man who slashed up her face nearly did it again.
I CAN’T. I CAN’T DEAL WITH THIS. I DON’T THINK I HAVE EVER BEEN SO UNFORTUNATELY UNPREPARED FOR A TELEVISION SHOW IN ALL MY LIFE. THIS SHOW WAS NOT WHAT I THOUGHT IT WAS, AND EVERY TIME I GET CLOSER TO UNDERSTANDING DOLLHOUSE, THE RUG IS PULLED OUT FROM UNDERNEATH ME.
H E L P.
* This is, without a doubt, one of the most thrilling and tense hours of television I’ve experienced in the Mark Does Stuff universe. Like, this upstages some particularly frightening episodes of Battlestar Galactica, slaps [the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode] “Hush” in the face, laughs at the fourth hour of Torchwood: Children of Earth, and joins the league of The Prisoner or Breaking Bad when it comes to suspenseful television. I’m serious, this is one of the coolest science fiction stories I’ve come across, and I can barely wrap my head around what just happened.
* And look, I clearly enjoyed all three of Joss Whedon’s other shows, but since “Man on the Street,” this is the most consistent the man’s ever been. I also like the first five episodes, too, but Dollhouse really comes into form with this batch of episodes.
* Enver Gjokaj nearly steals the show. I can’t say he does this alone, because this episode also has Dichen Lackman and Alan Tudyk giving performances that are stunning and unreal. But I have to devote a bullet point to Enver’s truly inspiring acting. He is able to talk exactly like Dominic sounds. It’s eerie and unsettling. Did he and Daniel Day-Lewis make a pact with Satan? (Sorry, I just saw Lincoln the night before I’m writing this review, so he’s on my mind.) I think the casting agents should be given medals for this cast. And puppies. Give ‘em lots of puppies.
* Oh my god, I could not believe Paul Ballard’s story. I’m so heartbroken over his treatment of Mellie, despite that I know it was a way for him to get her to go back to the Dollhouse. And I know Mellie isn’t real, but Miracle Laurie plays her so fantastically that I’m confused by the whole thing. Should I feel so strongly for a programmed fantasy? I can’t help it!!!
* It’s weird thinking about Ballard breaking into the Dollhouse with Kepler because while I was watching it, it was both tense and hilarious. Kepler was the worst possible person to bring along for that mission, and I enjoyed Tudyk’s sense of comic timing. Except now, in hindsight, IT’S TERRIFYING. THAT’S ALPHA THE WHOLE TIME. God, I need to know so much more about Alpha right now. Was he the remains of an identity? Did he invent it himself? Did he take over Stephen Kepler’s life? I DON’T EVEN KNOW.
* Alpha’s reveal is seriously one of the most shocking things I’ve seen in any of Whedon’s shows. As soon as he cut up Victor’s face, it was unmistakable that Kepler was really Alpha the whole time. But there was a cue just before this: Dr. Saunders’s reaction. That really gave it away. My god, how is she going to cope with this? The man who slashed up her face nearly did it again.
Labels: Dollhouse
17 November 2012
Quote of the Day: "Mark Watches"
Mark Watches is a website where Mark watches full runs of TV shows and reviews them. Recently he started watching Dollhouse -- one of my all-time favorite shows. When he reviewed episode 1.05 (True Believer), he liked the show, but was yearning for something more than the self-contained plots that the first five episodes had.
I thought to myself, "Dude, just wait for the next episode. Episode 1.06 will make your brain explode." And, indeed, it did.
From his review of "Man on the Street":
THE PLOT. OH MY GOD, THE PLOT TWISTS.
Honestly, there’s so much to like about “Man on the Street,” but the story really comes together in this episode. All of this happens IN ONE STORY:
* Ballard meets Caroline/Echo.
* Ballard definitively learns that the Dollhouse is 100% real.
* Ballard FIGHTS Echo.
* Echo reveals that there’s an insider within the Dollhouse willing to be a whistleblower for Ballard because THERE IS SOMETHING WORSE THAN THE DOLLHOUSE IN THE WORKS.
* We learn there are 20 (!!!!!!) Dollhouses around the world. TWENTY!!!!
* Hearn is murdered.
* By Mellie.
* WHO WAS AN ACTIVE THE WHOLE FUCKING TIME.
* NO WHAT THE FUCK, SHE IS SO GREAT AND I LOVED HER AND SHE WAS JUST GETTING INTO ALL THIS CUTENESS WITH BALLARD WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME
* oh god SHOULD I JUST ASSUME EVERYONE ON THIS SHOW IS A FUCKING ACTIVE. THIS IS SCARING ME.
* BALLARD IS SUSPENDED FROM THE F.B.I. HE’S GOING TO LET THE DOLLHOUSE WIN. OH MY GOD.
I thought to myself, "Dude, just wait for the next episode. Episode 1.06 will make your brain explode." And, indeed, it did.
From his review of "Man on the Street":
THE PLOT. OH MY GOD, THE PLOT TWISTS.
Honestly, there’s so much to like about “Man on the Street,” but the story really comes together in this episode. All of this happens IN ONE STORY:
* Ballard meets Caroline/Echo.
* Ballard definitively learns that the Dollhouse is 100% real.
* Ballard FIGHTS Echo.
* Echo reveals that there’s an insider within the Dollhouse willing to be a whistleblower for Ballard because THERE IS SOMETHING WORSE THAN THE DOLLHOUSE IN THE WORKS.
* We learn there are 20 (!!!!!!) Dollhouses around the world. TWENTY!!!!
* Hearn is murdered.
* By Mellie.
* WHO WAS AN ACTIVE THE WHOLE FUCKING TIME.
* NO WHAT THE FUCK, SHE IS SO GREAT AND I LOVED HER AND SHE WAS JUST GETTING INTO ALL THIS CUTENESS WITH BALLARD WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME
* oh god SHOULD I JUST ASSUME EVERYONE ON THIS SHOW IS A FUCKING ACTIVE. THIS IS SCARING ME.
* BALLARD IS SUSPENDED FROM THE F.B.I. HE’S GOING TO LET THE DOLLHOUSE WIN. OH MY GOD.
Labels: Dollhouse
28 October 2012
Quote of the Day: Dollhouse
From "Belle Chose" (2.03):
Adele: Good news on the coma front?
Topher: Uh... yeah. Good news is that he's in a coma.
Adele: I beg your pardon?
Boyd: Just show her what you showed me.
Topher: [Shows Adele a brain scan.] This is a brain. A healthy brain. Frankly, an overly smart brain. It's my brain. And this is Terry Karrens' brain. [Shows Adele another brain scan.] See these dark areas? How they extend all the way out to here? You know why that looks like that? That's because Terry Karrens doesn't use that part of his brain. And that'd be where you find stored such things as empathy, compassion, an aversion to disemboweling puppies... Basically, this is what some of your more famous serial killer's brains look like.
Adele: You're quite certain of this?
Topher: Certain enough that I have serious ethical problems trying to wake him up.
Boyd: Topher has ethical problems. Topher.
Topher: Heh. Way to land it.
Adele: Good news on the coma front?
Topher: Uh... yeah. Good news is that he's in a coma.
Adele: I beg your pardon?
Boyd: Just show her what you showed me.
Topher: [Shows Adele a brain scan.] This is a brain. A healthy brain. Frankly, an overly smart brain. It's my brain. And this is Terry Karrens' brain. [Shows Adele another brain scan.] See these dark areas? How they extend all the way out to here? You know why that looks like that? That's because Terry Karrens doesn't use that part of his brain. And that'd be where you find stored such things as empathy, compassion, an aversion to disemboweling puppies... Basically, this is what some of your more famous serial killer's brains look like.
Adele: You're quite certain of this?
Topher: Certain enough that I have serious ethical problems trying to wake him up.
Boyd: Topher has ethical problems. Topher.
Topher: Heh. Way to land it.
Labels: Dollhouse
26 May 2012
Quote of the Day: Joss Whedon
I've been a fan of Joss Whedon since I discovered Buffy the Vampire Slayer back in the late 90's. With each new project (Angel, Firefly, Dr. Horrible, Dollhouse...) he proved his awesomeness to me. In the land of Hollywood, he was the quirky producer, who made shows with "cult followings".
And then he got hired to direct The Avengers. And it is a HUGE hit. Right after it came out, and the box office was going through the roof, here's (part of) what he posted on Whedonesque.com -- a fan website that he uses to occasionally post stuff for his fans, since he is (self-admittedly) too lazy to get his own website:
"What doesn't change is anything that matters. What doesn't change is that I've had the smartest, most loyal, most passionate, most articulate group of -- I'm not even gonna say fans. I'm going with 'peeps' -- that any cult oddity such as my bad self could have dreamt of. When almost no one was watching, when people probably should have STOPPED watching, I've had three constants: my family and friends, my collaborators (often the same), and y'all. A lot of stories have come out about my 'dark years', and how I'm 'unrecognized'... I love these stories, because they make me seem super-important, but I have never felt the darkness (and I'm ALL about my darkness) that they described. Because I have so much. I have people, in my life, on this site, in places I've yet to discover, that always made me feel the truth of success: an artist and an audience communicating. Communicating to the point of collaborating. I've thought, 'maybe I'm over; maybe I've said my piece'. But never with fear. Never with rancor. Because of y'all. Because you knew me when. If you think topping a box office record compares with someone telling you your work helped them through a rough time, you're probably new here. (For the record, and despite my inhuman distance from the joy-joy of it: topping a box office record is super-dope. I'm an alien, not a robot.) So this is me, saying thank you. All of you. You've taken as much guff for loving my work as I have for over-writing it, and you deserve, in this our time of streaming into the main, to crow. To glow. To crow and go 'I told you so', to those Joe Blows not in the know. (LAST time I hire Dr. Seuss to punch my posts up. Yeesh!)"
And then he got hired to direct The Avengers. And it is a HUGE hit. Right after it came out, and the box office was going through the roof, here's (part of) what he posted on Whedonesque.com -- a fan website that he uses to occasionally post stuff for his fans, since he is (self-admittedly) too lazy to get his own website:
"What doesn't change is anything that matters. What doesn't change is that I've had the smartest, most loyal, most passionate, most articulate group of -- I'm not even gonna say fans. I'm going with 'peeps' -- that any cult oddity such as my bad self could have dreamt of. When almost no one was watching, when people probably should have STOPPED watching, I've had three constants: my family and friends, my collaborators (often the same), and y'all. A lot of stories have come out about my 'dark years', and how I'm 'unrecognized'... I love these stories, because they make me seem super-important, but I have never felt the darkness (and I'm ALL about my darkness) that they described. Because I have so much. I have people, in my life, on this site, in places I've yet to discover, that always made me feel the truth of success: an artist and an audience communicating. Communicating to the point of collaborating. I've thought, 'maybe I'm over; maybe I've said my piece'. But never with fear. Never with rancor. Because of y'all. Because you knew me when. If you think topping a box office record compares with someone telling you your work helped them through a rough time, you're probably new here. (For the record, and despite my inhuman distance from the joy-joy of it: topping a box office record is super-dope. I'm an alien, not a robot.) So this is me, saying thank you. All of you. You've taken as much guff for loving my work as I have for over-writing it, and you deserve, in this our time of streaming into the main, to crow. To glow. To crow and go 'I told you so', to those Joe Blows not in the know. (LAST time I hire Dr. Seuss to punch my posts up. Yeesh!)"
Labels: Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dollhouse, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Firefly, random awesomeness
30 April 2012
Quote of the Day: Dollhouse
From "Getting Closer" (2.11):
Adelle: Caroline Farrel left quite a trail of unhappiness in her wake, and not a few bodies.
Echo: Are you saying she's evil?
Adelle: Worse. An idealist.
Adelle: Caroline Farrel left quite a trail of unhappiness in her wake, and not a few bodies.
Echo: Are you saying she's evil?
Adelle: Worse. An idealist.
Labels: Dollhouse
23 January 2012
Dollhouse Review
Apparently this dude is a highly-respected YouTube review. (Yeah, me neither.) At any rate, he's got a great review of the EXCELLENT show Dollhouse:
[h/t Whedonesque]
[h/t Whedonesque]
Labels: Dollhouse
23 October 2011
Quote of the Day: Dollhouse
From "Belle Chose" (2.03):
DeWitt: Any progress on locating our troubled missing employee?
Langton: She’s not really missing, is she? She left.
DeWitt: Well, I call that missing.
Langton: I call that leaving.
DeWitt: Any progress on locating our troubled missing employee?
Langton: She’s not really missing, is she? She left.
DeWitt: Well, I call that missing.
Langton: I call that leaving.
Labels: Dollhouse
25 September 2011
Quote of the Day: A.V. Club
From their review of the Dollhouse episode "The Hollow Men":
"At some point in the years to come, I plan to re-watch both seasons of Dollhouse and see if those early episodes work better now that all’s revealed. I still don’t know if [Joss] Whedon and company knew where they were headed all along, or if they’re just very clever at locating the most useful pieces of what they’ve previously put into the show. Either way, it’s been quite a progression from where Dollhouse started and where it is now. It’s as though MacGyver gradually morphed into Battlestar Galactica."
"At some point in the years to come, I plan to re-watch both seasons of Dollhouse and see if those early episodes work better now that all’s revealed. I still don’t know if [Joss] Whedon and company knew where they were headed all along, or if they’re just very clever at locating the most useful pieces of what they’ve previously put into the show. Either way, it’s been quite a progression from where Dollhouse started and where it is now. It’s as though MacGyver gradually morphed into Battlestar Galactica."
Labels: Dollhouse
09 May 2011
Quote of the Day: Dollhouse
From "The Hollow Men" (episode 2.12):
Topher: I did all of this. I'm the one who brings about the thought-pocalypse.
Adele: Thought-pocalypse?
Topher: Is brain-pocalypse better? I figure, if I'm responsible for the end of the world, I get to name it.
Topher: I did all of this. I'm the one who brings about the thought-pocalypse.
Adele: Thought-pocalypse?
Topher: Is brain-pocalypse better? I figure, if I'm responsible for the end of the world, I get to name it.
Labels: Dollhouse
09 April 2011
Pretty (and Sad)
The song first appeared in the Dollhouse episode "Epitaph One" (great ep, btw). The writers of the song (and episode), Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, then made a non-Dollhouse video for the song, that stars Maurissa Tancharoen and Fran Kranz....both of whom appeared on the TV show.
Make sense? Well, it doesn't matter. It's a pretty song, and a lovely -- but sad -- video:
Make sense? Well, it doesn't matter. It's a pretty song, and a lovely -- but sad -- video:
02 February 2011
Quote of the Day: Dollhouse
From "Omega" (episode 1.12):
Echo: You think we're gods?
Alpha: We're not just humans anymore. We're not multiple personalities. We're many personalities. Uh... one of my personalities happens to be a multiple personality, but that doesn't make me a multiple personality. I'm looking for a little nuance here.
Echo: We're not gods.
Alpha: Fine, Übermensch. Nietzsche predicted our rise. Perfected. Objective. Something new.
Echo: Right. New, superior people. With a little German thrown in. What could possibly go wrong?
[Heh. When I first posted this, I labeled it "Seattle Storm". I must have been thinking ahead to my Camille Little post!]
Echo: You think we're gods?
Alpha: We're not just humans anymore. We're not multiple personalities. We're many personalities. Uh... one of my personalities happens to be a multiple personality, but that doesn't make me a multiple personality. I'm looking for a little nuance here.
Echo: We're not gods.
Alpha: Fine, Übermensch. Nietzsche predicted our rise. Perfected. Objective. Something new.
Echo: Right. New, superior people. With a little German thrown in. What could possibly go wrong?
[Heh. When I first posted this, I labeled it "Seattle Storm". I must have been thinking ahead to my Camille Little post!]
Labels: Dollhouse
23 November 2010
Quote of the Day: Dollhouse
From "Belonging" (episode 2.04):
Topher: Do you know where you are?
Priya: I'm in hell.
Topher: You're in Los Angeles. I can understand the mix-up.
Topher: Do you know where you are?
Priya: I'm in hell.
Topher: You're in Los Angeles. I can understand the mix-up.
Labels: Dollhouse
20 May 2010
Quote of the Day: Dollhouse
From "Needs" (episode 1.08):
Dominic: It's easy to be attached to your assigned active. In fact it's necessary, but don't think of them as children; think of them as pets.
Dr. Saunders: Is that supposed to be funny?
Dominic: When your child starts talking for the first time, you feel proud. When your dog does, you freak the hell out.
Dominic: It's easy to be attached to your assigned active. In fact it's necessary, but don't think of them as children; think of them as pets.
Dr. Saunders: Is that supposed to be funny?
Dominic: When your child starts talking for the first time, you feel proud. When your dog does, you freak the hell out.
Labels: Dollhouse
07 September 2009
The Torch Online.com
When TheTorchOnline.com first started up, I thought, "How neat! A website devoted to all things fantasy!" While I've enjoyed reading interviews with people like Lucy "Xena" Lawless, and I found their lists of upcoming fantasy shows and fantasy books to be useful, I have discovered that I almost completely disagree with their reviews.
Here are the most extreme examples:
This summer NBC aired a show called Merlin. They raved about most of the episodes, and grumbled about the occasional clunker. I, on the other hand, couldn't tell the difference between the "good" and "bad" episodes.
On the other side of the fence, I love Joss Whedon's Dollhouse. I thought the first few episodes were fine, and all the episodes starting from episode 6 on were AMAZING. They, on the other hand, couldn't tell the difference between the early (bad) and late (good) episodes.
Here are the most extreme examples:
This summer NBC aired a show called Merlin. They raved about most of the episodes, and grumbled about the occasional clunker. I, on the other hand, couldn't tell the difference between the "good" and "bad" episodes.
On the other side of the fence, I love Joss Whedon's Dollhouse. I thought the first few episodes were fine, and all the episodes starting from episode 6 on were AMAZING. They, on the other hand, couldn't tell the difference between the early (bad) and late (good) episodes.
Labels: Dollhouse, scifi/fantasy
01 September 2009
Quote of the Week
I'm about halfway done with the first season of Dollhouse. It's been fun to watch the early episodes, knowing what I know now about some of the characters.
Here's a quote from the episode "Echoes", in which the staff of the dollhouse are accidentally drugged:
Adelle: Are you making any progress [on finding an antidote for the drug]?
Topher: I'm working! What are you doing, besides ... being ...
Adelle: Being what?
Topher: Wait a minute.
Adelle: Sarcastic? Unfeeling? British?
Topher: It's an animal.
Adelle: [alarmed] Where?
Topher: No! The word!
Adelle: Still, you have to admit that I am very British. I don't say hard "R's".
Topher: You know what I like? Brown sauce. What's it made of? Science doesn't know!
Adelle: It's made of brown.
Topher: Brown ... mined from the earth by the hard scrabble brown miners of North Brownderton!
Adelle: Oh my god, I find lentils completely incomprehensible.
Here's a quote from the episode "Echoes", in which the staff of the dollhouse are accidentally drugged:
Adelle: Are you making any progress [on finding an antidote for the drug]?
Topher: I'm working! What are you doing, besides ... being ...
Adelle: Being what?
Topher: Wait a minute.
Adelle: Sarcastic? Unfeeling? British?
Topher: It's an animal.
Adelle: [alarmed] Where?
Topher: No! The word!
Adelle: Still, you have to admit that I am very British. I don't say hard "R's".
Topher: You know what I like? Brown sauce. What's it made of? Science doesn't know!
Adelle: It's made of brown.
Topher: Brown ... mined from the earth by the hard scrabble brown miners of North Brownderton!
Adelle: Oh my god, I find lentils completely incomprehensible.
Labels: Dollhouse
15 May 2009
One in the Plus Column for Fox
10 April 2009
New Show Reviews
Usually I do my new show reviews in October. But this year, only one of my new shows (Fringe) premiered in the fall. Dollhouse started in February, Kings started in March, and The Unusuals and Southland both premiered this week. So, here were are in April, and I'm finally ready to do my reviews.
It feels a little odd, because I've seen fifteen episodes of Fringe, nine episodes Dollhouse, four episodes of Kings, but only the pilots of The Unusuals and Southland. It seems unfair, but that's just how it is.
Ready? Here we go....
Fringe
The main character is bland and uninteresting. The supporting characters, however, are fun and funny. The father/son characters of Walter & Peter Bishop are pretty much why I keep watching. They're awesome. If only the plots were a little more intriguing....
Dollhouse
This was the show I was most excited to see. It was created by Joss Whedon (a.k.a. the creator of Buffy, Angel, Firefly/Serenity, and Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog) and stars Eliza Dushku (Faith on Buffy) and Tahmoh Penikett (Helo on Battlestar Galactica). The first few episodes were decent, but the last few have been fantastic. The rumor is that the network, the almost-always-idiotic FOX, meddled with the initial episodes, but eventually let Joss Whedon do his thing. It's really, REALLY obvious when the network stopped meddling. It's unlikely that Dollhouse will get renewed for a second season, and I think that's a shame.
Kings
Every once in a while a scifi/fantasy show I watch will do an alternate universe (AU) episode. With very few exceptions, I LOVE these episodes! So when I heard there was going to be a entire AU show, I was excited. Unfortunately, the show varies from being pretentious and over-written to dull to (occasionally) mildly interesting. The main characters are bland and earnest or scenery-chewing bores. Some of the supporting characters (primarily the Queen and the Prince) are interesting, but don't get nearly enough scenes. I think what killed this show for me was a scene in last week's episode: Main-character-hero-guy has been sent to quell a political protest. When he started to speak, everyone politely quieted down. When a protester asked him a question, the question was well-phrased and asked in a oddly unemotional tone of voice. I think the show-runners are going for epic and dramatic, but they've made a show that is pretentious and boring.
The Unusuals & Southland
These two shows premiered the same week, and have a lot in common: They're both cop shows. They both star a former "teen" actor (former Joan of Arcadia Amber Tamblyn on The Unusuals and former O.C.-er Ben McKenzie on Southland). Both of their characters are new to their jobs. (She's a detective who has been suddenly transferred from vice to homicide, he's a rookie uniform cop.) All of their co-workers have secrets to hide. Both have rocky relationships with their new partners. And for both, their best ally seems to be the only female cop in their unit.
That being said, the shows are completely different. The Unusuals mixes the quirky in with the dark, and is occasionally quite funny. Southland was gritty and filmed in a quasi-documentary style.
The other big difference: If I remember, I'll probably watch the next episode of Southland. On the other hand, as soon as I finished watching the premiere of The Unusuals, I wanted to re-watch it. It's my second favorite new show of the season.
It feels a little odd, because I've seen fifteen episodes of Fringe, nine episodes Dollhouse, four episodes of Kings, but only the pilots of The Unusuals and Southland. It seems unfair, but that's just how it is.
Ready? Here we go....
Fringe
The main character is bland and uninteresting. The supporting characters, however, are fun and funny. The father/son characters of Walter & Peter Bishop are pretty much why I keep watching. They're awesome. If only the plots were a little more intriguing....
Dollhouse
This was the show I was most excited to see. It was created by Joss Whedon (a.k.a. the creator of Buffy, Angel, Firefly/Serenity, and Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog) and stars Eliza Dushku (Faith on Buffy) and Tahmoh Penikett (Helo on Battlestar Galactica). The first few episodes were decent, but the last few have been fantastic. The rumor is that the network, the almost-always-idiotic FOX, meddled with the initial episodes, but eventually let Joss Whedon do his thing. It's really, REALLY obvious when the network stopped meddling. It's unlikely that Dollhouse will get renewed for a second season, and I think that's a shame.
Kings
Every once in a while a scifi/fantasy show I watch will do an alternate universe (AU) episode. With very few exceptions, I LOVE these episodes! So when I heard there was going to be a entire AU show, I was excited. Unfortunately, the show varies from being pretentious and over-written to dull to (occasionally) mildly interesting. The main characters are bland and earnest or scenery-chewing bores. Some of the supporting characters (primarily the Queen and the Prince) are interesting, but don't get nearly enough scenes. I think what killed this show for me was a scene in last week's episode: Main-character-hero-guy has been sent to quell a political protest. When he started to speak, everyone politely quieted down. When a protester asked him a question, the question was well-phrased and asked in a oddly unemotional tone of voice. I think the show-runners are going for epic and dramatic, but they've made a show that is pretentious and boring.
The Unusuals & Southland
These two shows premiered the same week, and have a lot in common: They're both cop shows. They both star a former "teen" actor (former Joan of Arcadia Amber Tamblyn on The Unusuals and former O.C.-er Ben McKenzie on Southland). Both of their characters are new to their jobs. (She's a detective who has been suddenly transferred from vice to homicide, he's a rookie uniform cop.) All of their co-workers have secrets to hide. Both have rocky relationships with their new partners. And for both, their best ally seems to be the only female cop in their unit.
That being said, the shows are completely different. The Unusuals mixes the quirky in with the dark, and is occasionally quite funny. Southland was gritty and filmed in a quasi-documentary style.
The other big difference: If I remember, I'll probably watch the next episode of Southland. On the other hand, as soon as I finished watching the premiere of The Unusuals, I wanted to re-watch it. It's my second favorite new show of the season.
