In Defense Of Dollhouse

So… I saw Dollhouse over the weekend. Just. Like. Everyone. Else.

Why?

Because it was Joss Whedon, of course.

Now, it seems like everyone’s gone and judged it. It’s gotta be crap. I mean, it’s airing on a Friday. It’s about girls who are custom ordered for specific tasks. Fox asked for a new first episode to be shot. You know that means trouble…. Yadda yadda.

Seriously? No one had ever seen it and people had already judged it. Then they saw it and the howls of disappointment became even louder than the cries that it was predestined to be craptaculor.

Fucking hell people.

I wasn’t personally blown away by the first episode but I’m still willing to give it a shot. And here’s why:

1. Fox asked for a new first episode
   According to the reasoning it was because the original pilot dropped the viewer into the series and was willing to let a lot of things unfold over time. Sounds good. That’s the way I would have done it. But Fox wanted an easier intro. That, too, is understandable. But the result is that you’re going to get a lot of, “This is the way things work” dialog that’s not exactly the most compelling but does give some back story.
2. Pilots always suck
   I’m sorry, but it’s true. “Oh, but what about Firefly,” people shout. Yes, but that’s the exception to the rule. Let us remember that the pilot to Angel wasn’t exactly stunning, and the pilot to Buffy was absolutely horrible. In fact, the advantage Joss Whedon had then was no one knew who the fuck he was so no one had any expectations when it came to his work. Yet, over the course of seven seasons of Buffy and five seasons of Angel both became amazing shows. Let them find their footing before declaring the whole thing fucking dead first, yeah?
3. Expectations were a little too high to begin with
   Look, I love Joss Whedon, too. But looking at his track record he’s had some pretty major turds also. Witness Alien: Resurrection and, to be honest, Serenity wasn’t all that great either. Everything Joss Whedon touches does not turn to gold. But there’s usually some element of entertainment to them that still makes them worth watching.
4. And did I mention? PILOTS ALWAYS SUCK
   I don’t think this point can be emphasized enough. Actors have to figure out their characters. Characters have to figure out their interactions with one another. Some things that worked perfectly in the writing room just don’t work with the actual chemistry of the actors while the chemistry that is there wasn’t even thought of and won’t be explored until the writers see it is there. I think it’s pretty lame to expect it all to be perfect from the get-go. Hell, even Firefly had a few kinks in the pilot. Notice how Mal was really dark in the first episode but by The Train Job, just one episode later, he’s a little lighter, a little funnier, a little more jovial in his black humor?
5. Who care’s that it’s airing on a Friday?
   Will someone explain this too me? Everyone says it’s a death timeslot but I’m old enough to remember… I don’t know… The X-Files surviving it quite nicely. (Another Fox show for all of you who have an irrational hatred of the network.) And in this day and age, it seems to matter even less. I mean, who doesn’t have a Tivo these days? I’ve got a fucking AppleTV and watched it on Sunday. I get that the ratings weren’t strong but in this day-and-age of watch-when-you-want television, what’s the big fucking deal about Friday nights?
6. And it’s just a show, people
   It’s an hour of television meant to take your mind off of what you’re supposed to be doing. Everyone’s welcome to have their politics, their beliefs, and their hopes for the show but it is just a show. Why not kick your feet up and enjoy it for what it is and not for what you were hoping for?

To the last point, even before anyone saw the show, I heard complaining that the show was demeaning to women. You know, renting girls to do whatever. For fuck’s sake, people. How can you know its demeaning without having seen it? And now that you’ve seen it, is it still demeaning? Would making a show about an actual call girl or prostitute be demeaning? Is it demeaning to admit that such a thing exists? That it has existed? I get that making it seem like a good thing might get a little touchy for some people but Dollhouse is clearly not glamorizing the situation. And that being the case, can’t we see how the main character not only deals with it but perhaps survives it? Is that demeaning also?

Some people are just damned touchy, you ask me.

Now, all that said, I do think their are problems with Dollhouse. Perhaps a lot of problems. And I hope they are corrected in the next few episodes. There was the story that Whedon suspended production for a little bit to fix somethings that even he didn’t like at first. Of course, this was held as a portent that the show was doomed but all indicators suggested that Fox backed him up on it because they wanted a good show. Executives do want something good, after all. It’s their job to attract viewers so they can promise eyeballs to the advertisers. And only good shows can get people to watch them. So… maybe Whedon will fix some of the problems as things go on. But maybe the story, as it unfolds will become more compelling in its own right as well.

It did with Buffy.