*Minor Spoiler Alert*
Firefly wasn’t neccessarily the greatest science fiction series ever made. Sometimes it seems like fans over-glorify it because it was cancelled after 13 episodes, and it was excellent enough to break the mold and get a feature film, which was unheard of. But it definately pushed envelopes and took risks, just like Buffy and Angel did. So despite what I thought was a somewhat dull premise for a Whedon series, I expected a lot from Dollhouse. I figured Joss Whedon would find a way to make it equally revolutionary. After seeing the pilot, I see potential, but I don’t see envelope-pushing.
Don’t get me wrong– I’m giving it the benefit of the doubt right now because the story telling was top nouch. The story about the personality Echo is imprinted with– the woman who was violated as a child and then later meets her oppressor– is character-driven, moving, and excellent. The problem for me is that while this woman is wonderfully developed, we’ll never see her again. Next episode, Echo will get some other personality. I realize what the show is doing, that Echo, for whatever reason, is beginning to remember her life while having personalities imprinted on her, and at some point in the series I would imagine she’ll remember everything all the time. But what makes the pilot somewhat weak for me is that I feel like I know barely anything about Echo herself. The teaser hints that there’s something she’s trying to atone for, which is ultimately why she agrees to be a “doll,” but it’s left a mystery as to what that is. So far, that seems like a mistake to me… I suppose I can’t be sure until that mystery is revealed.
The rest of the ensemble cast is given too little screen time for me to get a beat on any of them, with the exception of Topher, who is responsible for programming personalities and monitoring Echo. He seems to be the comic relief of the show, espeically since he’s, so far, the only character with even a spark of personality. He reminds me a lot of Mr. Universe from Serenity, and I think he’s got a lot of potential. I hope he doesn’t get killed off in eight episodes like Doyle did in Angel.
I’m excited to see Amy Acker again (Fred from Angel) but her character’s pretty dry and generic scientist chick so far. I think Boyd will go places, though here in the pilot he’s very generic ex-cop and not too much else. I’m more surprised by him so far than anyone, because I hated Harry Lennix’s character in the Matrix films and that’s the only other thing I’ve ever seen him in.
I loved Eliza Dushku as Faith in Buffy and Angel, but I really wish she was playing a more-different character here. I wish Echo herself was played up as being a little older, more mature, and not so party-girl (was that dance scene in the teaser there just as a through-back for Faith fans?). Her performance was definately confident, and as I said before, she made the personality that was imprinted on her three-dimensional and interesting. She doesn’t have the commanding presence of Sarah Michelle Gellar, but then again, neither did she until Buffy had been on for a while. Whether she can carry the series will depend on her versatility in playing multiple personalities while simultaneously turning Echo into a full character.
As Megan mentioned, the little bits of Joss-speak that are in this stand out and don’t really fit. I’m not sure why there isn’t more. I always thought Whedon’s original dialog had a lot to do with what made his characters come alive, and these folks aren’t real to me yet. Then again, I felt the same way about Firefly’s pilot, which was working so hard to create its universe I couldn’t get a handle on all its characters.
The Dollhouse set is massive, impressive, and was terribly under used in the pilot. I didn’t feel like I was really taken into this universe until the very end, watching the dolls showering and being put to bed. The final scene is the most interesting, and seems to set up what I’m really hoping for– background to make Echo, not just her imprinted personalities, a whole person.
What it’s really got going for it is, as is always the case with Whedon concepts, questions about the human condition. With this one, he’s asking what makes a person a person. How do a person’s experiences, intellect, physical flaws shade them? Is Echo still Echo when she has someone else’s personality imprinted on her? Does that person come alive again through her, or are they just a fascimile? Particularly interesting is the scene where Topher explains that the personality needs all her flaws– including poor eyesight and asthma– in order to function in the capacity she’s assigned for, because the woman she’s based on had them.
The first episode is a little rocky, but even if weren’t a Whedon show, I think it did enough to make me give it a shot.
LLAP
-Cap’n Logan
