Dollhouse, Infusion, and a mosty-idle day...

[fajrdrako]

I felt immobile and sick most of the day, so I lounged on my sofa and watched the most recent three episodes of Dollhouse together. The quick-potted comments:

1. 1x04 - "Gray Hour". Loved the job this time: art heist, and I liked Echo as Taffy the safecracker. But... predictably, as always... she fails to complete her mission. This time I was more forgiving, since the circumstances of her failure were interesting - Alpha messing up the signal. Cool.
   
   Ever since the revelation that Victor is a Doll, I suspect everyone of being a Doll. Everyone except Ballard: I refuse to believe it of him, just because that would be too disappointing.
   
   
2. 1x05 - "True Believer". Thought the religious compound theme squicked me at first, I came to like it. I thought Brian Bloom as Jonas Sparrow (great name!) was too good looking for my own good. It was great to see Echo in a role that didn't involve prostitution. And why, why on earth, does Ballard trust Mellie so easily? Isn't she an obvious plant, and probably a Doll?
   
   
3. 1x06 - "Man on the Street". For the episode that was supposed to be a mind-blower, I was less than overwhelmed. It was a good plot, granted, and it took the story in several interesting directions. For a brief shining moment I got my hopes up that Mellie wasn't (predictably) a Doll, but no, it turned out that she was one, after all. I love the way the scene transpired - activation by phone call - so I forgive a lot. But don't understand why Ballard tells everything to her, and can only hope he's setting her up in order to rescue her.
   
   This episode was less centred on Echo than most, and, sadly, I think that's the main reason I liked it better. I am now convinced that most of the Dollhouse staff are also Dolls, though they don't know it themselves.
   
   I really loved the TV interviews with 'the man on the street' regarding their thoughts on the 'urban myth' of Dollhouse.
   
   I keep wanting to like this show more than I do. For me, Eliza Dushku is the weakest point; Tahmoh Penikett is the strongest. But even he still isn't a fully characterized protagonist. We don't have a hero anchoring us, or a reliable reality to cling to. It's a jigsaw puzzle with way too many pieces missing.
   
   Spent the afternoon discussing Dollhouse on e-mail, and napping, and even managed to do something useful, like washing the dishes. Still feeling as if I'd been the victim of a ten-ton truck ... with fangs.
   
   Then miraculously by late afternoon I started to feel much better. Better enough to go out for dinner with maaseru, maaboroshi and Catherine, because it's Catherine's last evening in Canada - at least on this trip - she's back off to the UK tonight. So we went to Infusion Bistro and had a lovely meal, topped off with their crème brulée, which was totally delicious.
   
   I'm also having a whale of a time listening to the audiobook version of Terry Pratchett's Night Watch.
   
   

Comments

[beathen.livejournal.com]

In Man on the Street I'm surprised you didn't mention the extra program that Echo had that allowed a person on the inside of the Dollhouse to connect with Ballard. When Topher walked out of his office before completing the upload I just knew someone was going to tamper with it.

I'm almost kind of sad that Millie is a doll. She just seemed like the unlucky-in-love who has a crush on her neighbor, and now the relationship has a darker tint to it.

[duncanmac.livejournal.com]

Here's hoping you Feel Better Soon. [It's never fun to feel as if a truck hit you with no warning.]

Caution: my latest post has *lots* of punning (and channeling Spider Robinson). You may not like it.

[nishatalitha.livejournal.com]

Ever since the revelation that Victor is a Doll, I suspect everyone of being a Doll. ...For a brief shining moment I got my hopes up that Mellie wasn't (predictably) a Doll, but no, it turned out that she was one, after all.

Yes! I think this is why the episode disappointed me. Interesting in terms of the tech, but at this point, I think the implications would have been more interesting if Mellie had died. Different direction, anyway.

I am now convinced that most of the Dollhouse staff are also Dolls, though they don't know it themselves.

Hadn't explictly occurred to me, but it wouldn't surprise me if they were.

Oh well, it's a 13 episode show and if the remaining ones are more or less as strong as 6, I might actually manage to follow it successfully.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Night Watch is one of my favorites. Of course, it thematically crosses with Doctor Who, which is probably one of the reasons I love it so much.


So everyone at the House is also a Doll, more or less? Well, that explains a lot. I assume Joss is trying to say Something Deep about us all being programmed in our lives, but frankly, I'm still squicked. And wondering why half these people don't hire real experts instead of dolls.

[janne-d.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, I hope you feel better soon.

Who is reading Night Watch? That is probably my favourite Discworld book.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm feeling better. Thank goodness.

Steven Briggs is reading Night Watch, and very well, too.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

it thematically crosses with Doctor Who

Yes! I was just waiting for someone to explain to Vimes that this was wibbly-wobbly time-wimey stuff. Which of course it is.

So everyone at the House is also a Doll, more or less?

It's a theory. Probably not a good one.

I assume Joss is trying to say Something Deep about us all being programmed in our lives, but frankly, I'm still squicked.

I am getting increasingly squicked.

And wondering why half these people don't hire real experts instead of dolls.

Exactly! So much less fuss and muss, and then they'd get people who knew what they were doing, instead of people whose programming breaks down in the middle of a job - as Echo's seems to do all the time.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Interesting in terms of the tech, but at this point, I think the implications would have been more interesting if Mellie had died.

I agree, absolutely. Or if she'd survived by running, or if something else really unexpected had happened... As it is, the conspiracy is too all-encompassing. Trust No One. But we're left with a show without heroes, almost without protagonists. Who are we supposed to like and trust? Topher?

I'm not ready to stop watching, but I feel somewhat frustrated by it. It seems to be all detail and no substance.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Feeling better, thank goodness.

I'll avoid your latest post. Thanks for the warning.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

In Man on the Street I'm surprised you didn't mention the extra program that Echo had that allowed a person on the inside of the Dollhouse to connect with Ballard.

Yes, actually, that was one of the more interesting plot details. I think I forgot it.

Wish I knew what it meant!

I was sorry about Mellie being a Doll, too. We're left with no 'normal' characters at all. There are Dolls, there are Doll-handlers, there's Ballard with his quest, and the unseen Alpha. Anyone else? And everyone is suspect because anyone might be a Doll or a Doll-handler in disguise.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I was just waiting for someone to explain to Vimes that this was wibbly-wobbly time-wimey stuff.

You need to read Thief of Time for that, although "wobbly" isn't one of the words.

So much less fuss and muss, and then they'd get people who knew what they were doing

And probably cheaper to boot!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

probably cheaper to boot!

Yes. Considering that such emphasis is put on how expensive they are, I can't imagine that a regular call girl wouldn't be a better deal.