[US] DollHouse [** Spoilers **] (Renewed!)

lostexpectation

and neighbour too obviously

User45701

just finished 3 and i didnt like the plot (singer) but i liked everything else, the bit at the end with echo and both actives interacting even thoough they dont know one another.

The bit at the end also.

The dialog is there but lacking in detail and the Joss style humor, his shows create thir own humor.

I dont know if it does or does not get cancelled i will still buy the season 1 DVd beause i have a feeling all the deleted/cut down scenes from each episode will add allot and there has to be the plot is not fluid enough to be uncut.

EDIT: It just lacks the detail of a Joss show - The cops, clearly since the singer 1 was involed they could not just take the stalker fan and disappear him so the cops where called and we can assume he was taken away but the cops would have quested echo and what if they wanted to ask one or two more questions for either echo or siera, what if either where asked to testify in court about your mans actions ect.

I just feel the shows lacks detail, in firelfy ever little thing was considered. i only watched buffy the once though but i remember them answering/resolving most things very well with few questions

S.M.B.

i can't believe i'm saying this but...

...i'm done

painful viewing imo

Ivan

I thought episode 3 was great. Some overall plot developments, some great moments from all characters though I kinda expected Sierra to jump in at the last moment and get her ass-kicking groove on.

All in all, I like where the show is going and what it's doing to get there.
So there isnt the same humour, Firefly was brilliant in that respect but buffy got silly after a point trying to produce similar results; so I'm fine with the few little humourous elements.

And the stories are all very engaging, as for the acting, I honestly dont believe I am watching the same show as everybody else. How is Eliza Dushku's acting bad?

is_that_so

A little bit better than the previous one in terms of story flow, although a fairly poor idea and noticeable only for its inclusion of Whedon as writer. Perhaps an attempt to rescue it from its canning? It also strikes me that they have no real idea who their audience is. The first couple of episodes suggested Whedon fans/rock chicks and then this one plumbs the depths and goes straight for X-Factor.

Already it seems utterly formulaic. Dushku gets reprogrammed, saves the day and fast forward to the last 20 seconds so we can see "All's not quite what it seems". I can only surmise that the producer aka Dushku is having some influence on the dreadful plotlines.

Dushku's acting such as it is, has called on her to be either a feisty but vapid, overgrown teenager or a reject from America's Next Top Model/X-Factor. No real acting needed for that. None of those characters have had any depth whatsoever, quite simply because neither she nor the scriptwriters are capable of it. She also gets so much screen time that the show is not about the Dollhouse but all about her. The rest of the cast are completely wasted and done no favours by the increasingly risible dialogue.

Re-watched a bit of Firefly at the weekend. He did well there, aided by a strong cast, all of whom were actually involved and decent credible stories, but this one doesn't seem to have a leg to stand on. Perhaps one more for me although with its numbers dropping it could beat me to it.

S.M.B.

is_that_so wrote: »

A little bit better than the previous one in terms of story flow, although a fairly poor idea and noticeable only for its inclusion of Whedon as writer.

Was it not Jed Whedon who co-wrote the show?

I thought some of the dialogue was atrocious anyway.

There really is nothing good about this show.

User45701

im going to keep watching anyway, no reason to give up on a show after only 3 episodes

S.M.B.

User45701 wrote: »

im going to keep watching anyway, no reason to give up on a show after only 3 episodes

why not?

it really is a poor show

not even an average show

if it weren't for joss' involvement this would be getting slated here

lostexpectation

humour was the key to all his other shows,

the squint has been goofy but that's all

lots of buffy type melodrama this ep

but it ain't worth it without the humour.

User45701

lostexpectation wrote: »

and neighbour too obviously

S.M.B. wrote: »

why not?

it really is a poor show

not even an average show

if it weren't for joss' involvement this would be getting slated here

i pay more attention to this than i do a new episode of heroes - i dont really know what that means...

herobear

Compared to this, Drive was a masterpiece, and we all know how that turned out....

Richard Dower

User45701 wrote: »

i pay more attention to this than i do a new episode of heroes - i dont really know what that means...

Ouch!

I've given up on this show already, it's terrible.

User45701

first bit of good news

http://scifiwire.com/2009/03/dvr-ratings-boost-foxs-sarah-connor-and-dollhouse.php

The pilots ratings are up 30% after factoring in DVR

S.M.B.

that's bad news though

:pac:

Basq

I haven't even watched episode 3 yet.. and I'm not sure if i'm bothered!

But if I read one more poster on a TV forum saying "Joss, return to the Buffyverse!"

Oh God.. Buffy / Angel were remarkable shows but give the guy some creative control.. rather than wanting him to re-hash previous glories! :rolleyes:

matrim

I'm not sure whether I like it or not. At times it's good and seems to have loads of potential but then it just seems to let you down overall.

I'm still going to give it another while because I still think it can turn good.

Linku

It really feels like Joss Whedon had no part of this, where's his dialogue and charm? I feel like I've gone back to 2001 and I'm watching Dark Angel or Alias.

I don't think I've ever given up on a TV show so quickly as this...

opr

Huge disappointment and i won't be watching anymore.

Opr

anotherlostie

I've never watched a JW show before, and I have to say I like it. Perhaps the burden of expectation is too much for some. On the other hand I was a fan of Alias, and it was a message on facebook that suggested the show was Alias 2.0 that encouraged me to watch. Now while I don't think it is up to the standard of early Alias, there is hope with the season long Alpha arc. I too did think it was daft that Sierra didn't get to have the bodyguard memories imprinted in her psyche, but that would have taken from the plot, I guess. But overall I have enjoyed the last two episodes, and will stick with it for now.

Richard Dower

It was better then last week, but still pretty weak overall....wonder how/who reset Echo by remote?
Dunno guys, is it going anywhere?...i mean, if things don't improve history has shown that by ep. 6 Fox could pull it.

SirLemonhead

I'm enjoying it so far, oddly enough (I hate Joss Whedon). Haven't really been exactly disappointed by any of the episodes yet. It's enjoyable and a bit of fun.

"It really feels like Joss Whedon had no part of this, where's his dialogue and charm? "

Joss Whedon's style of dialogue is the reason why I can't stand anything he does

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Another good episode. Show is definitely picking up - just hope fox give it a chance.

abelard

CaptainNegative wrote: »

Another good episode. Show is definitely picking up - just hope fox give it a chance.

Agreed - while I can't quite put my finger on why, I thought this episode was the strongest yet.

What have the ratings been like? I know the first episode rated pretty poor, has it picked up any bit since?

matrim

I enjoyed ep 4 too. An interesting episode story with some more advancement into the alpha story arc

lostexpectation

things are gettting fubared very quickly with this echo

is_that_so

I don't think the problem is all about Echo. The incompetents running the Dollhouse do it no favours. Between Reed, Williams and the dim-witted tech they are fast stripping any degree of credibility the "Dollhouse" has. With that kind of incredible tech they surely would have put far more capable people in charge. It has also become very predictable with Sierra sent in with monotonous regularity when Echo fouls up.

While the positive of this episode is that it spent time actually explaining something about the Dollhouse, it doesn't seem to be going anywhere at all and as posted before now the premise becomes less and less interesting. Even though the episode was better, most of it was telegraphed, including the very obvious double-cross and the Sierra rescue.

There are now so many wasted characters that you would wonder if they even planned it out. The FBI agent and the dopey Russian serve no purpose whatsoever apart from the need to add a bit of tension. Reed Diamond does nothing except glare and Williams says her lines like someone who's permanently doped. TBH I really can't see this getting a full run as it stands.

EDIT: Numbers seems to be dropping even more alarmingly. Not looking good at all nor for TSCC.

Richard Dower

Dushku is the problem, she dosen't have the acting range to take on different characters...she's no Toni Collette who is doing a first class job playing several different characters as part of her multiple personality disorder.

Dushku got the gig to keep Whedon fanboys happy, nothing else...she's a weak actress and this show and the Echo character brings this very much to the forefront of viewers eyes.

lostexpectation

dushku got the job cos it was dushku's option, the problem is she thinks she can do it.

anotherlostie

I thought Sierra was class in this show; she played the part much better than Echo. We should see more of her.

I didn't at all like the way in which the Echo and the bad guy got away at the end - far too easy and contrived.

And yes I hate the dopey Russian too. What purpose does this character serve? But mainly I dislike the character because I don't understand 50% of what he is saying, a situation not helped by Ballard's constant mumbling. I need subtitles!

Linku

Episode 4 was a big improvement, there was far more structure to the episode. The first three episodes felt like a boring program about a high class brothel.

The little Whedonisms are starting to appear in the dialogue too, especially with Topher, who's a classic Whedon character. Adelle was humanised a bit too, she made a lot of the Dollhouse scenes in the first few episodes feel far too cold.

Just when I was about to give up on the show, I think that if it's improves at this rate, it'll be fairly decent by the sixth episode. However, I also predicted before the show started that this was when the series would be cancelled, which I still think might happen.

matrim

Another good episode yesterday. They are moving along the main storyline faster than I thought they would which keeps it more interesting than just a standard imprint of the week style.

Also with cracks starting to appear in the other dolls it makes it more than just about echo

J-blk

Yep, I liked it - of course the humor was a bit juvenile with Victor "noticing" Sierra but I like how they worked in the whole communal showers thing from the pilot as part of the actual overall plot, rather than just another random detail...

Episode 6 is meant to be the really big twist so I'm anxious to see what they have in store for us - it could be the make or break point for the show...

Mr E

Just watched 4 and 5 back to back - a really big improvement on the first 3. Like other posters said, they're moving away from the escort of the week storylines and moving into more interesting territory. Nice to see the backstory moving along nicely too. I'm looking forward to next weeks episode now. I still think this show is dead if its stays in its current slot. Give it a mid-season finale, give it a rerun at the start of the summer in a decent timeslot, and continue on from there with better numbers.

User45701

Agree with the above it is getting better and the good news is - Ratings have gone up
http://scifiwire.com/2009/03/terminator-dollhouse-rati.php

Mr E

That is good news....

J-blk

Good news indeed though the "game changing" 6th episode of Dollhouse is on against the BSG series finale this week - D'oh! Which means that episode will probably tank again... hopefully FOX will take DVR ratings into account somewhat, which apparently have been pretty good (at least when compared to the "live" viewings):

http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/03/03/dvrs-help-foxs-friday-nights/

SirLemonhead

Found the newest one sorta dull myself, but it's been decent so far

iguana

J-blk wrote: »

Good news indeed though the "game changing" 6th episode of Dollhouse is on against the BSG series finale this week - D'oh! Which means that episode will probably tank again... hopefully FOX will take DVR ratings into account somewhat, which apparently have been pretty good (at least when compared to the "live" viewings):

http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/03/03/dvrs-help-foxs-friday-nights/

I guess the silver lining there is that after next week the Dollhouse ratings could shoot up as once BSG is over a high number of it's viewers could start watching Dollhouse as it's aired.

And I know that the image of sci-fi fans is that we're goofy nerds with no lives, but Friday night is surely not the best time to air anything as people will be out.

User45701

A interview with Joss states that episode 6 will be the "answers episode", hopefully the show will find its feet. the episode is called "The man in the street"

Mr E

Huge episode. I'm hooked now. I'm saying a prayer for this show's survival.

Not many things make me swear out loud, but that "Third flower in the vase..." scene really caught me off guard. Bravo.

Any theories who the insider is? Is Topher's assistant too obvious?

And what the ultimate purpose for the Dollhouses? (If not fantasy fulfillment?)
And Dollhouses. :eek:

Roll on next week.

tvnutz

Ye did not see it coming when friendly hot neighbour turned out to be a doll.I thought the episode was a bit dargge dout at the start though,it only got good in the last 15 mins.

It may be too obvious,but it might make sense that it is Topher's assistant. then again it could easily be Amy Acker's character,she could be p!ssed at having her face carved to shreds and blames the Dollhouse.

tvnutz

Fox scored a typically low-rated Friday, but the one minor positive to make note of is ongoing slight gains for Dollhouse out of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Take a look:

Fox/Friday
8:00 p.m. - Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Viewers: 3.65 million (#4); A18-49: 1.3/ 5 (#3)

9:00 p.m. – Dollhouse
Viewers: 4.13 million (#3), A18-49: 1.5/ 5 (#3)

To the fans of Dollhouse: don’t rule this show out. There could be a possibility this will return next season.

Fox scheduled a phone conference with the press on Dollhouse, which means they are considering a second season.

http://pifeedback.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/63310451/m/506103791

abelard

Glad I've stuck with it so far, really enjoyed that episode.

Didn't see that coming with the neighbour either, though looking back on it, her unexplained devotion towards Ballard and habit of waiting for him with dinner may have been hints!

I ended up watching this episode in bits (started watching it on a train!), so maybe I missed something important, but was it explained how Boyd worked out who Sierra's attacker was?

A friend of mine suggested Ms DeWitt could herself be a doll, which could be possible given that there seems to be another layer of power above her with the whole global network of Dollhouses and mysterious intentions.

Lirange

Mr E wrote: »

Any theories who the insider is? Is Topher's assistant too obvious?

And what the ultimate purpose for the Dollhouses? (If not fantasy fulfillment?)
And Dollhouses. :eek:

I think the insider is Mrs. Dewitt. Topher's assistant is her tech savvy instrument. She's watching Ballard but not exactly putting him off the scent. I think Ballard is a doll designed to (eventually) help bring down the dollhouses and the larger shady syndicate. We're given no background to his Dollhouse obsession which looks like another doll imprint twist waiting to be revealed. Mrs. Dewitt has to be discreet because she has Mr. Dominic, the company man constantly looking over her shoulder.

A big part of the series is going to be to guess who is and who is not a doll. Topher himself may well be a doll. There are obviously more like him at the other dollhouses. They need those without moral reflection and people they can trust doing what he does.

herobear

i was just thinking to myself last week, what a mindf*** it'd be if Mellie was an Active, so when Dewitt set that guy up to attack her, i knew what was coming, so awesome! (shes totally hot too, so nice to see her being used more)

Maybe im overanalyzing but, what if the echo glitch, wasnt really a glitch at all? maybe they just wanted Ballard to think he was onto something ? to lead him on a wild goose chase.

More Romo is always a plus too.

tvnutz

I might have to watch this episode again,because thinking about it now,it was probably the best episode of the show so far,but while watching it I didn't feel that way. i felt very underwhelmed,and that was probably because I watched it right after the epic series finale of battlestar galactica...which was probably not a good thing to do!

Richard Dower

Brilliant episode! and easily best of the season, i was sad to think the hot neighbour was gonna be killed and BOOM!

Total shocker and did NOT see it coming, and she is a total hottie, it's nice to know her character is much bigger then what we first thought. And that fight scene was amazing!...there were also some Wheadonisims in the script "Porn!"...great stuff.

Gonna keep watching now, Wheadon was right when he said it was gonna be an important episode, i just want him to start writing more scripts himself!

lostexpectation

Lirange wrote: »

I think the insider is Mrs. Dewitt. Topher's assistant is her tech savvy instrument. She's watching Ballard but not exactly putting him off the scent. I think Ballard is a doll designed to (eventually) help bring down the dollhouses and the larger shady syndicate. We're given no background to his Dollhouse obsession which looks like another doll imprint twist waiting to be revealed. Mrs. Dewitt has to be discreet because she has Mr. Dominic, the company man constantly looking over her shoulder.

A big part of the series is going to be to guess who is and who is not a doll. Topher himself may well be a doll. There are obviously more like him at the other dollhouses. They need those without moral reflection and people they can trust doing what he does.

so who isn't a doll then?

J-blk

tvnutz wrote: »

I might have to watch this episode again,because thinking about it now,it was probably the best episode of the show so far,but while watching it I didn't feel that way. i felt very underwhelmed,and that was probably because I watched it right after the epic series finale of battlestar galactica...which was probably not a good thing to do!

Yep, I did the same thing myself and it probably majorly diminished the overall impact of this episode - another problem was that I was spoiled to the possibility of Mellie being an active, because an idiot reviewer on a TV blog I read kept mentioning from the first episode that the actress had originally been cast to play an active, but it seemed they had changed their minds about the role...

The "glitch" in Echo was interesting and introduces another force at work I guess or would it be somehow related to Alpha screwing with the Dollhouse again?

Ballard could very well be an active as well, both his obsession and fighting skills just don't seem normal...

And yes, even though still not there yet, this episode did have a lot more Whedonisms than the previous five - I'm definitely hoping for the show to last, especially now that BSG has left a huge void to fill for SciFi fans .