Joss Whedon's Dollhouse

[BuffyGirl]

Adelle: The imprint process creates a new personality. A friend, a lover, a confidant. Your hearts desire made flesh.

I think by what Adelle says here, it seems very much so that they are a sure thing, as Dave says. But it just seems so bad to do that. If they at least had a choice, I wouldn't feel as bad. But I wouldn't mind less sex and more action...for a little while.

 

[Chapter 2099]

I don't know... It just seemed a bit corny to me. But it did show that her memory, once again, wasn't wiped clean. One thing's for sure, you won't ever catch me doing it.

Well, if you do give in to the phrase, I won't make fun of you.

Shoulder to the wheel. You know this saying may go above and beyond its original meaning if I type it anymore tonight. I think I've said it in 5 or so posts already. I might even start throwing it into the middle of threads at random and for no apparent reason.

 

[BuffyGirl]

I for one thought shoulder to the wheel was kind of lame. But whatever.

Did anyone go back to Kate at the dept (Angel) when we saw Ballard being teased by his co-workers? Kate used to get teased by her squad all the time about what she believed and all the strange things she saw and went out looking for, etc. And here are Ballards co-workers doing the same thing to him.

Very interesting!

 

[Darklord Dave]

Besides creating an instant catch phrase, the "shoulder to the wheel" gesture was incredibly creepy and certainly foreshadowing.

I wouldn't be surprised if Alpha gave the client the gesture and told him to use it on Echo. It is a trigger (combined with the drugs in the canteen) that will start to regenerate her memories or start her down the road to becoming a composite like Alpha.

If the drugs weren't there to make her remember, why were they there? The client seemed to want a real "most dangerous game" why would he chose to use the drug except as a requirement of Alpha?

 

[DarthNeil]

But I really loved the end. The way Echo looked at that jerk when he was talking bad about her. I loved how she was clicking.

The jerk is played by Reed Diamond (most recently seen in NBC's Journeyman) and while I thought he was great in one of my favourite shows from the 90's (Homicide)there's something I'm just noticing about him now in this show-- The way he walks/stands with his legs is very distracting.

Maybe it's just me. It's like his knees are always squeezing together.

Now is that picky or what?

Great episode.

 

[Kabukiman]

I'm torn on this week's episode. I loved the flashback stuff, but the crazy arrow guy seemed pointless.

Speaking of pointless, I really don't care for the sexual "engagements." I could be wrong, but wasn't signing up for Dollhouse billed as "doing some good"?

Anyway, I'm totally on board for the Alpha stuff and the helping innocents stuff, but I really don't care for the prostitution stuff. But I guess that's kind of the point of the show, isn't it?

edit: just watched the beginning of the pilot again on hulu, and Caroline (Echo) is expressly told "what we do helps people."

 

[Jair]

I think by helping people they mean the owners of the Dollhouse...financially. So far in the two episodes we've seen Echo on four missions, one to save a little girl who got kidnapped which they got paid for twice (since they took the money in the end), two missions that were pretty much straight up romantic encounters and 1 romantic encounter that turned into a survivial test. I can't see where the Dollhouse is helping humanity in any form other than for profit. So I'm assuming she was lying and it was part of the pitch to sign over your five years.

There is a ton of backstory here for the writers and it will be interesting how they tie in the russian sex slave trade as it looks to be an underlying theme.


Evan

 

[Batty]

Besides creating an instant catch phrase, the "shoulder to the wheel" gesture was incredibly creepy and certainly foreshadowing.

I think that's what bothered me about it. I don't want some nerdy catch phrase or gesture. I'm hoping we don't see it again.

 

[darthviper107]

I'm torn on this week's episode. I loved the flashback stuff, but the crazy arrow guy seemed pointless.

It seems that he may have been hired by Alpha as a test for Echo, to see if she would survive.

 

[hairlesswookiee]

I think by helping people they mean the owners of the Dollhouse...financially. So far in the two episodes we've seen Echo on four missions, one to save a little girl who got kidnapped which they got paid for twice (since they took the money in the end), two missions that were pretty much straight up romantic encounters and 1 romantic encounter that turned into a survivial test. I can't see where the Dollhouse is helping humanity in any form other than for profit. So I'm assuming she was lying and it was part of the pitch to sign over your five years.

There is a ton of backstory here for the writers and it will be interesting how they tie in the russian sex slave trade as it looks to be an underlying theme.


Evan

lol....i said the same thing last night right before the archer dude went crazy and started the game. she's pretty much a glorified "hooker" that doesn't have insight on it because she has her memory wiped. do they have regular STD testing in between clients?? i'd hate to pay that much money only to get something else along with the fantasy date.
~~~i'm also really digging the show and i really like the backstory with Alpha. i'm interested to see where they take it.

 

[TheObsoleteMan]

I really enjoyed tonight's episode too. It was a lot deeper than the pilot. It definitely gave the feeling that Joss has a big story to tell.



And I didn't like the "shoulder to the wheel" thing she did at the very end.

I agree, I too thought the "shoulder to the wheel" thing was very corny, particularly because I knew it was coming. There was no way they were gonna keep hitting you over the head with that not to use it as a hook to show she's retaining memories. The actor playing the hunter was also very hammy which made me doubly dislike that stupid catchphrase.

 

[BuffyGirl]

I agree, I too thought the "shoulder to the wheel" thing was very corny, particularly because I knew it was coming. There was no way they were gonna keep hitting you over the head with that not to use it as a hook to show she's retaining memories. The actor playing the hunter was also very hammy which made me doubly dislike that stupid catchphrase.

When the ratings are up. Someone let me know.

 

[TheObsoleteMan]

The backstory with Echo's handler was the best part of the episode for me. He's the standout character so far imo.

 

[Eli26]

The backstory with Echo's handler was the best part of the episode for me. He's the standout character so far imo.

And arguably the strongest actor in the series so far. Perhaps not a stronger actor beyond this show, but from what we have seen.. his role has been the most convincing.

 

[Batty]

The backstory with Echo's handler was the best part of the episode for me. He's the standout character so far imo.

I agree. I'm looking forward to seeing more about the relationship between Langton and Echo.



Ratings:

The numbers are disheartening, if not entirely surprising.

The second episodes of Fox's "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" and "Dollhouse" failed to improve on their premieres last week, even though Friday's biggest usual competitor from a numbers standpoint -- CBS' crime dramas -- aired repeats.

"Dollhouse" (4.2 million viewers, 1.7 preliminary adults 18-49 rating/7 share), fell 15% in the ratings. This is an almost-typical second-episode slip and placed second in its 9 p.m. hour, topped by "Supernanny" (5.2 million, 1.8/5).

At 8 p.m., "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" (3.8 million, 1.3/5) was roughly steady, falling a tenth of a point from last week's midseason return to tie a repeat of "Wife Swap" to place second in the hour.

Given it's a Friday night, neither "Terminator" or "Dollhouse" pop out as a jarringly low rating on the grid. But Fox's shows are relatively expensive scripted dramas that typically require higher numbers than a competitor's repeats or newsmagazines such as "Dateline" and "20/20," regardless of what night they're on.

For those who haven't seen "Dollhouse," here's the entire second episode, which some fans say they enjoyed more than the first.

 

[TheObsoleteMan]

Given it's a Friday night, neither "Terminator" or "Dollhouse" pop out as a jarringly low rating on the grid. But Fox's shows are relatively expensive scripted dramas that typically require higher numbers than a competitor's repeats or newsmagazines such as "Dateline" and "20/20," regardless of what night they're on.

That's going to be the big problem for Dollhouse. It looks like an expensive show to produce, and I don't see Fox accepting those mediocre ratings for too long. It's a miracle SCC has lasted this long. I'd be shocked if that show makes it past this season.

 

[Eli26]

This is another reason I won't follow the show. It doesn't have long for this world.

And I have too much other important things to get accomplished in the meantime.

Four reasons I can't follow this series...

Lack of time due to school, gym, and the social life.

It lacks that Joss quality that I have seen from his past work...

Fox will kill it before it picks up steam.

It's on a Friday Night. No need to be home.

 

[DarthNeil]

This is another reason I won't follow the show. It doesn't have long for this world.

And I have too much other important things to get accomplished in the meantime.

Four reasons I can't follow this series...

Lack of time due to school, gym, and the social life.

It lacks that Joss quality that I have seen from his past work...

Fox will kill it before it picks up steam.

It's on a Friday Night. No need to be home.

They have these new inventions called PVR's... You might want to check them out.

 

[Eli26]

They have these new inventions called PVR's... You might want to check them out.

Either way I am not that interested. TV is pretty much dead to me.

 

[Batty]

I'm also glad Mark Sheppard is part of the show. I always like seeing him pop-up in different shows. In the past two weeks I think he's appeared in Dollhouse, Leverage, BSG and Burn Notice.