"Did I Fall Asleep?"

[ozmissage]

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Alright guys it’s that time of year again, you know that time when tiny Sci-Fi shows with minuscule, but passionate fan bases are in danger of being yanked off the air by evil business type folks who care about silly things like “ratings” and “money”.

Well logic be damned. They’ve taken too many of my shows already. Somewhere out there Bryan Fuller is weeping into a pie shaped pillow and that’s just not cool man. Tim Minear has apparently lost the will to create his own stuff and will probably open a souvenir shop in Niagara Falls any day now. And now they’re going after Joss. Again.

Dollhouse is not a great show. Yet. It’s not Buffy. It’s not Firefly. It’s not even Angel. It hasn’t completely found its footing, sometimes it stumbles around like a drunken collegiate at a frat party spouting half-cocked philosophical ideas in between Jello shots. That is to say it has big ideas, but sometimes it doesn’t execute them with what you would call elegance.

It frustrates me often. I spend large portions of most episodes imagining how much better the show would be if it was on HBO and they could actually explore the wrongness instead of sending Echo off to be a bodyguard/back-up dancer.

But (there’s always a but) sometimes it’s almost brilliant. “A Spy in the House of Love”, “Briar Rose”, the mythical “Man on the Street” episode…”Epitaph One”---this is the very best of Dollhouse. These episodes reveal a show that’s not afraid to ask the hard questions. It’s about human trafficking, it’s also about identity and humanity and responsibility. And sometimes it’s about inappropriate starches.

It also has one of the best casts on television (and yes I’m including Dushka in this because even when she fails, you know it’s not for lack of trying.) Fran Kranz needs to be on my television every week, preferably as Topher Brink. Olivia Williams’s Adelle Dewitt is the most impressive female character I’ve seen since Juliet Burke burnt her muffins. And if you haven’t seen what Enver Gjokaj can do yet, then my friends you are seriously missing out. Not to mention Alan Tudyk’s absolutely terrifyingly awesome turn as a raging sociopath.

What I’m saying is: this is not a perfect show. The big meanies in the expensive suits might have point this time. Dollhouse is not a misunderstood masterpiece, it’s a show with some serious narrative problems, it’s a show that doesn’t always know what it wants to be, it’s a show that may never be as good as the pedigree behind it, but it’s a complicated, thought-provoking, well-acted, well-written show with a truly original idea at its core. I would like to believe that in a world where Lost is about to go off the air leaving us with a network television landscape riddled with shows about doctors, lawyers, and various law enforcement agents that something this unique can still survive because I’m afraid the alternative looks a lot like The Jay Leno Show.

So I’m asking you this: watch the show one time. If you don’t like it, that’s cool, but give it a shot. Tell someone about it. “Hey man, I heard about this wacky new show on Fox…” I’m not asking anybody to write any letters because…well, I’m not going to write any letters. The thing is I’m tired of seeing creative programming cancelled or worse watered down because nobody’s watching. It sucks.

So I’m asking you to help. Even if you don’t care about this show, I know you’ve cared about a show like this before. It’s an old story and damnit I want a happy ending this time.

And come on, who doesn’t like to stick it to the man?

(Besides Joss Whedon would make a terrible fry cook. Let’s keep the man employed.)

More info about what you can do to help can be found here:

Blank Dolls

Comments

[elliotsmelliot.livejournal.com]

I watched the first three episodes of Dollhouse last season and just could not get into it. I heard it got more interesting and intricate along the way. I've been meaning to check it out again, but I just haven't had time.

The thing is I’m tired of seeing creative programming cancelled or worse watered down because nobody’s watching.

I know. It sucks. I am still mourning the loss of Pushing Daisies.

[ozmissage.livejournal.com]

I miss Pushing Daisies so much. Fuller is one of my all time favorite television creators and everything he's done has ended prematurely. He's going to break the curse one of these days. ;)

I don't blame you for quiting Dollhouse after episode three. If it had been anyone else's show I would have bailed out then to because "Stage Fright" was horrible. Just a really bad hour of television.

It still has huge issues. Like I said, it's not as good as it could be, but it has gotten better. And Kranz and Williams are brilliant. I think that's what I find most disappointing---the idea that these actors that I've grown to love won't be on my television week after week.

[toestastegood.livejournal.com]

I really, really enjoy Dollhouse. It's far from perfect, but it is under-rated. There's so much more they can do, and Epitaph One makes me desperately want to see where they're heading with this. I hope we get another season.

[ozmissage.livejournal.com]

I desperately want to see how they get to Epitaph One. The show has so much potential, I just hope it gets to stick around long enough to realize it.

[sedauny.livejournal.com]

I do enjoy Dollhouse, although I'm not exactly a good helper in this, since you need cable or satellite to get any reception out here and I don't have either and am pretty much stuck waiting for the DVDs to watch it. I do watch online when I can, but nbc.com and my computer do not make happy time together. I will agree with you about Fran Kranz, Olivia Williams, Harry Lennox, Enver Gjokaj, and most of the cast. The main set is also excellent; I think the Firefly trick of having the main set fully built up is a wonderful way of getting a feeling of reality, especially for places that are constructed of futuristic fantasy. I'm hoping the senator subplot continues as a way of exploring more palatable uses for Dollhouse technology--I've wondered whether it would work to scan the brain of someone at risk for Alzheimer's and then try re-imprinting their memories back into their brain if they develop the disease. I could see that as one of the lures that would bring researchers such as Adelle onto the slippery slope. They need to explore more of what you can do with a doll that you can't just hire a tart for cheaper.

[ozmissage.livejournal.com]

That is such an interesting idea. I would love to see them explore something like that, it seems like the sort thing Topher would have a ball with.

I've been dying to see them explore the scientific side of this more since it started. I would love to see a programmer choose to be programmed just for the experience of it. I think there's a whole other area to explore outside of rich people hire folks for sex and mothering skills. I want them to go deeper and move away from this Alias style case nonsense.

If every episode could be like "A Spy in the House of Love" I would be a happy camper.