Well, boys and girls, the moment we’ve all been waiting for — the premiere of a new Joss Whedon TV show — has come and gone. Dollhouse has reared its not-at-all-ugly head; what do We think of it? Did the mindbending adventures of Echo (Eliza Dushku) tickle your geek fancy, or were you left as blank as an Active’s brain after an "engagement"?
You can read Ken Tucker’s official take here, but I’ve got a few SPOILERY thoughts of my own…after the jump.
1. It’s all pretty cool. Literally, there’s something very calm, very serene about the way Dollhouse unfolded. Despite the warm earth tones of the Dollhouse itself, "Ghost" was a sterile, emotion-lite episode. Much of that comes from the fact that we know that whatever Echo is experiencing isn’t "real" — yes, her breakdown when confronted with the kidnapper-rapist was heartfelt and moving, but it wasn’t Echo’s breakdown. It belonged to the personality she’d been imprinted with. Maybe as time goes on, and Echo herself registers as a character, I’ll become more invested.
2. Eliza Dushku sure is purty. In the words of my buddy Josh, so long as each adventure finds her in progressively fewer clothes, we’re all good. (And is it weird that Tahmoh Penikett was wearing less clothes, on average, than Dushku? Whedon is, apparently, an equal opportunity titilator.)
3. But I’m not sure she’s got the tools for the job. As I watched the premiere, I couldn’t help but wonder, What would an actress like Naomi Watts do with this role? Super-confident and tough-as-nails are right in Dushku’s wheelhouse, but when Whedon asks her to play brittle, or overwhelmed, or sheepish, or do an accent, things might not go as smoothly.
4. Fridays might be a blessing. It seemed like a curse, Dollhouse being scheduled on Friday night, usually the death zone for first-run TV. But perhaps the diminished expectations could do it a favor — ratings that would be a failure on any other night might be seen as victory on a Friday.
5. For all that, I can’t wait to see what happens next. Whedon is one of a handful of creators — like Ronald D. Moore, James Cameron, and Warren Ellis — whom I will trust to either get it right, or fail because their reach exceeding their grasp. Their mistakes are often as interesting as other people’s successes. So I’m in for the long haul.
What about you? Are you checking in to Dollhouse, or was this a very short stay?
Dollhouse totally rocked. I’m in!
If you think all Eliza can do is badass, you clearly missed her Faith arc on ANGEL, especially the ep where she shattered in Angel’s arms. The girl can straight act.
I’m 27 minutes through the pilot and I already see Sydney, DIxon and Marshall….where is Spydaddy when you need him? I guess I’ll keep watching b/c I miss Alias?
I’m in too. I have some ideas of where it might be going, but I trust Whedon to see it through (if FOX let’s him).
I’m going to keep watching for now – there’s not much on Friday night anyway.
SOOOO good. Can’t wait for next week.
I agree with the previous comment, it did have an Alias feel. While I was watching it I found myself wondering what Jennifer Garner could do with it. I do miss Alias, too…maybe I’ll get my fix with Dollhouse.
definitely BA. And I agree, Shawn; the episode where Faith breaks down on Angel was Elisha Dushku at her best. Anyone questioning her ability to act overwhelmed just needs to watch that arc.
I, for one, am in. I would love to see alittle more of Echo’s personality resurface and register on her face, and I’m sure with time they will show us all of that. So bring in on.
I really enjoyed it! It was pretty darn cool. And I have pretty good expectations for the episodes to come, because really, the other Joss shows started off okay, and became slowly more and more awesome over time.
I thought it was a strong opener with an established and expected “type” show – not many surprises. I’ll watch it again and give it time to build.
I’m in, only because thats what I usually do when new show premier, I’m in until they get canceled, or not(for Dollhouse Fridays is the best time slot, no other competition, more people might tune it)anyways, great concept, loved that new “doll” who barged in at the end(her and Echo are gonna be kicking ass!) One thing I don’t like is that science-tech dude, find a better replacement, or maybe I just keep watching and try not to care too much about him. Otherwise, great show, more sci-fi for me to watch!!!(Fringe on Tuesdays, LOST on Wednesdays, and now Dollhouse on Fridays)
I liked it. Thought it was better than the Fringe premiere. Great pairing with Sara Connor (and after BSG). In a way, I’m glad its on Friday because where else would it fit? It would get killed on most other nights especially with American Idol on now.
The fact that Dushku plays a different “character” each week isn’t a barrier to investing in the show for me. Since Dollhouse made it clear that these memories came from a real person at one time, it adds some emotional resonance; at this week, it was almost like it gives that other person closure. Plus, I’m convinced it’s a smart move that might help attract the casual viewer who likes procedurals, while keeping underlying mythology for the Whedonites.
Each of the individuals in the show clearly has a rich backgrounds to be explored, and Joss Whedon has the ability to create fantastic ensemble characters, so that will keep me watching. Plus, as my friend pointed out, if you go back and rewatch the pilot of Buffy you’ll be reminded of how HORRID it was.
Introducing Tahmoh Penikett shirtless didn’t hurt either…
I loved it. Can’t wait to see more. I agree about hesitations to Eliza playing a wide variety of roles, but I am up to giving her a shot and hopefully being pleasantly surprised.