Discussion
SexyStilettos 
Send a Compliment at 11:19 PDT, 8 March, 2009With all the talk of Dollhouse being cancelled after only four episodes, people are certainly making their feelings heard on the issue. Everyone I talk to seems to be divided. One side claims that Dushku isn't a great actress, the show itself is mediocre and that most people are just watching it because it's a Joss Whedon show. The other side argues that it's one of the more original shows to emerge from T.V land in a while, with good concepts, story lines and acting.
While all of this does come down to personal taste, I was wondering what people think of the claim that the show probably wouldn't be watched by anyone if it weren't for the great Joss Whedon's name plastered all over it.
Personally I love Whedon, Dushku and the show, but I wonder if I'd have even paid any attention to it if I didn't know it was a Whedon show.
last edited by SexyStilettos Send a Compliment at 11:21 PDT, 8 March, 2009
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Comments (8 comments)
you're quite right. I think it wouldn't get half the viewers if it wasn't a Whedon. Though on a similar note, i don't think it would have this 'cancellation' hysteria if it wasn't a Whedon either. Everyone is expecting Whedon and Dushku to fail since their projects (Firefly and Tru Calling) were cancelled after finishing with Buffy/Angel. As you say, it is only four episodes in and the storyline is definately picking up. I write the reviews for it here and am always being fair and unbias when doing so and not listening to the 'doom and gloom' hype about it. But I realy do feel Dushku is not convincing me being someone different when she has an imprint, though Dichen Lachman who plays Sierra is excellent at it and possibly should of played Echo and have Dushku playing Sierra.
I agree that it was the Whedeon/Dushku names that originally brought me to look into what this show was about, but if I had heard of this plot without these names, I think I'd be interested, too. I really enjoyed Buffy and Dr Horrible, but that's about all the Whedon watching I've done. Putting him with Dushku (whom I adore) again is what made me sit up and take notice.
I think this show is great. The premise is such a creative one, and lends itself to so much excitement and suspense. That makes for good tv. I think the acting has been great, and the stories have been enjoyable (some more than others-- episode 2 was fantastic).
I think sabre7's comment about "Dushku is not convincing me being someone different when she has an imprint" kind of misses the point. We are seeing through each epidose that she ISN'T a completely different person. That's exactly what the show is showing us-- that contrary to the Dollhouse's belief that they can completely wipe out memories and personalities and imprint new ones, there are aspects and memories that are retained. Therefore, while on the surface she's a different persona, she's still got a lot of the same memories/feelings/reactions underneath. I'm interested to see how this is going to progress and shape as they continue to let us in.
I will be continuing to watch this show... hopefully I'll have the opportunity to do so for a couple of seasons.
Oh I do understand that Echo is retaining memory but the story shows us that in examples of ep:2 when she slaps her shoulder like she saw in her imprint after being wiped and also when she says 'friends look out for each other' in her Tabula Rasa state and in her imprint of ep:3. The point I was trying to make was that she was supposed to be different personalities (or blends) in ep:3 & 4 but they just seemed like she was playing Faith from Buffy again. Sierra has had three imprints so far and is a more convincing actress. Especially when she plays Taffy exactly like Eliza Dushku and helps the story that they at different points in the episode were the same personality blend.
Didn't mean to criticise her acting or offend anyone, I just hope the network see the quality of the story and not try to attack her directly. I've seen most of Eliza Dushku's work and have to say she is far better as a supporting actress and not a lead.
Keep the show alive
While I doubt I would have been as totally invested from the get-go if it weren't a Whedon, I think I still would have watched the show after hearing about the premise, and I still would have loved it once I started watching.
The premise is way original, the questions it poses are deep without turning it into one of those annoying pretentious shows that tries too hard. The messages it sends are understated, pulling true emotion because they rely on the inherent impact of the events instead of swelling music and important-sounding speeches. Of course, it wouldn't be half as good if Whedon weren't making it, but if I had no idea who he was, this show would still have me hooked.
Don't listen to them! I am the ultimate TV god or at least the one that I know about out of everyone I know. But seriously it is good you gotta try it.
take my advice!!
ttfn
The truth is about everyone's opinion who likes the show, is that even if it wasn't a Whedon show, and you'd still given it a chance on a day it aired an episode, you'd still like it. But the reason we love it IS because it's a Whedon show. It wouldn't be anything like it is, or anything at all, without him.
I have never even heard of Whedon or Dushku, but I still started to watch the show after I found it on Sidereel and I totally love it.
Now, the only reason that I wouldn't be watching it if it weren't a Joss Whedon show is that I probably wouldn't have seen an advertisement for it, or whatever it was that alerted me about the show.
If I had, I was interested in watching the show since then and assuming we are saying the episodes would have been the same, except for Joss, I would still be watching it. I really don't pay attention to who created the show or who is writing, and often who is acting. It's merely do I like it? and I do.
Btw some of these "reCAPTCHA" words they make you type in are ridiculous, and I have a hard time figuring out if its 1l) or ID or 1D etc.