Goodbye, Dollhouse

"It speaks to the schizophrenic in me. Well... both of them, actually."

I think Dollhouse might be the first show in history to air a second part of an episode where they didn't actually air the first part. Anyone who watched the show on Fox but didn't buy the DVDs must have been scratching their heads at the "previously on" section at the beginning, which referred back only to "Epitaph, Part 1." I actually watched that episode right before the finale, and part of me wonders if it would have worked better as a 2-part finale.

I liked it, actually. I liked it a lot. I really enjoyed the Topher bits. This is the guy who, when I saw the first episode, I LOATHED him and wished he weren't on the show at all. And now, two seasons later, it's like he's the heart of the show. He's the guy who made the biggest journey and who becomes the tragic character at the end. Joss loves those guys. (Think Wesley on Angel.)

Joss also loves for someone to go boom as they're saving the world. Spike disintegrates. Wesley dies fighting the good fight. There's always someone who's gone at the end, and choosing Topher had as much impact on me as Wesley's death. I was gutted. Especially at his little, "Huh," as he looks at the wall of photos that always reminds me of the memorial wall on BSG.

Here's a question: couldn't they have put crazy Topher in the chair, wiped him and imprinted him with the old genius Topher's mind? Or was Adelle convinced that it would actually take crazy Topher to come up with the technology they needed to revert Earth back to the way it was?

I really liked the Priya/Anthony storyline. The Caroline/Paul one seemed a little overwrought to me... while I enjoy Eliza Dushku, I felt like her big breakdown scene screamed, "GIVE ME THE EMMY!" much like Angelina Jolie's big breakdown scene seemed overdone in A Mighty Heart. But that aside, when Paul died, I gasped, but not as loudly as I moaned sadly when I realized Priya and Anthony were no longer together. I loved their relationship, that idea that no matter how many times you imprint them or wipe them clean, they will still be drawn to one another. So I really liked how that storyline was resolved by the end.

Throwing Alpha in there as a nice guy seemed a little random to me. While I LOVE seeing Alpha, it's like he was added in just to throw out a few random jokes and be silly before completely disappearing when the going got tough.

Maybe it's because of how much I loved Epitaph 1, but that one seemed like more of a satisfying ending to the series than this one did. I will be haunted for a long time by Whiskey, walking the halls of the Dollhouse because she "has to wait" and refusing to leave, but once she realizes her work is done she gasses everyone, including herself, and just sits on the ramp, her legs dangling and her head calmly to one side as she slowly falls asleep forever. It was an incredible image, and nothing in this episode was quite like that. My husband (who hasn't watched an episode this season) loved the Mad Max stuff with the tech-heads, though, so it was definitely working for him.

"Epitaph 2" was more of a Coda than a finale. The previous episode was the one that brought the season's arc to a close, and this was the one that gave it its exclamation mark at the end. Once again, an apocalypse was averted and the world moves on to live another day.

What would be interesting would be to see Joss Whedon actually explore what happens AFTER an apocalypse, rather than the lead-up to it. Maybe that's why, of the three Whedon finales, Angel will always be my favourite. For me, they will always be rushing headlong into battle, and our imaginations fill in the rest.

I enjoyed the ending, and it left me with a feeling of emptiness and sadness, which is what all good finales do. Joss once again managed to give me heartbreak and laughter. But Dollhouse never resonated with me emotionally the way Angel and Buffy did. That's not a knock against the show -- it was always more a show of the head than the heart -- but while I was on the edge of my seat in anticipation of the other finales, this one I watched as if I were watching any episode of any show. Yet, I realized in watching this episode just how much these characters have come to mean to me.

In the end, Topher was the one who stuck with me the most, and if Whiskey haunted me from Epitaph 1, it's Topher who will stick with me in Epitaph 2.

Bravo, Mr. Whedon. May you continue to bring us great television, and may you finally align yourself with a network that will not only give you a chance, but will give your show a fighting chance. I can't wait to see what's up your sleeve next.

Dollhouse Finale Tonight!

I can't believe I almost forgot to post this (in all the excitement over the Lost premiere, I'd forgotten about the Dollhouse finale! Bad Whedon fan!) The episode is called "Epitaph, Part 2," carrying over from "Epitaph, Part 1," which is only available on the Season 1 DVD and didn't actually air on Fox. Could this be the first time a network show has a sequel for an episode that didn't actually broadcast? Interesting. Anyway, it'll be exciting to find out how it all comes down. The last few episodes have been pretty astounding.

Dollhouse Tonight!

Last Friday I was in NY for a sales conference, staying in a shoebox-sized hotel room, and I met up with my friend Ian, whom I’d first met at Slayage. The original idea had been to meet up for dinner, but then he remembered that last Friday was the return of Dollhouse, in special back-to-back episodes. So he said we should grab dinner early and then get back to the hotel room to watch them, starting at 8. Brilliant, I thought, since my husband gave up on Dollhouse ages ago, and NO ONE I know seems to be up to date with it, so I can never talk about it with anyone.

And WHAT a return it was. The two-part arc featured Summer Glau as a one-handed, female, more sinister version of Topher with some major issues with Caroline in her past (interestingly, not Echo, but Caroline); Ray Wise as the Adelle of the other Dollhouse (his presence made me miss Reaper even more); a surprise discovery about Alexis Denisof’s senator and his wife; and a laugh-out-loud hilarious performance from Enver Gjokaj, who plays Victor. See, Topher never leaves the Dollhouse, so when he has to, the only person he trusts enough to hold down the fort is... himself. So he imprints Victor with his personality (and loud shirts) and puts him there, and then calls "himself" to check up on how things are going. Gjokaj must have studied hours of footage of Fran Kranz, who plays Topher, and he gets every jittery movement and weird saying down pat. Ian and I were in stitches every time he was on screen. Gjokaj moves seamlessly into any character he’s been asked to play, from Russians to Italians to New Jersey bad guys, and he always nails the accents and quirks without issue. Here, playing a character that is very familiar to all of us, he absolutely pulled it off. I think Gjokaj is underrated on this show because of how secondary his role typically is, but watching him pull off these scenes made me even sadder that these were two of the last episodes of Dollhouse... ever.

I won’t give away any spoilers in case you haven’t yet watched these episodes, but tonight there are two more (don’t forget – set those PVRs to start at 8, not 9!) and I cannot wait to watch them. Sadly, I can’t get Ian to travel to Toronto from NY, so it’ll be back to watching them alone, but I don’t mind. With entertainment like this, it’s fine to watch alone sometimes. While I've run out of time to write up last week's episode, I'm hoping I'll be able to write up something for tonight's. Enjoy!

Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before...

As you've probably heard already, Variety has reported that Dollhouse has been officially cancelled. As if to offer us a lollipop at the funeral, Fox has added that they will be incredibly generous and air all 13 episodes. Aw. How generous of them.

I know that back when Dollhouse was first announced, I blogged right here that I thought Joss should be riding a short bus to school for agreeing to go back to Fox, and said there's no way the show would last through a second season. But this is the one time I wanted to be SO wrong. Sigh.

The show got off to a bit of a shaky start, and had its ups and downs, but by the end of the season it was showing off some pretty stellar stuff. This season has been amazing, and the last episode -- where we got "Sierra's" backstory, was incredible.

There was no love lost between Joss and the WB by Buffy's fifth season, but that network at least gave his little show a chance. They gave both Buffy and Angel five seasons and a total of over 100 episodes each, which is about seven times the number of episodes Firefly got, and five times the number of Dollhouse eps.

Joss has already commented on the cancellation, in his weary yet comic style. I don't care how many times you get cancelled, Joss... I will always love you for things like this:

Hmm. Apparently my news is not news.

I don't have a lot to say. I'm extremely proud of the people I've worked with: my star, my staff, my cast, my crew. I feel the show is getting better pretty much every week, and I think you'll agree in the coming months. I'm grateful that we got to put it on, and then come back and put it on again.

I'm off to pursue internet ventures/binge drinking. Possibly that relaxation thing I've read so much about. By the time the last episode airs, you'll know what my next project is. But for now there's a lot of work still to be done, and disappointment to bear.

Thank you all for your support, your patience, your excellent adverts. See you again. -j.

This will probably just give people one more reason to say they're going to stop watching TV and will only watch TV series on DVD from now on. I'm starting to be with them on that.

Dollhouse 2.01: Vows/2.02: Instinct

I missed posting on Dollhouse last week, so I figured I'd make up for it by posting on the first two eps this week.

Last season I fell behind in watching, and while I'd tried to do writeups for the first half of the season, I stopped for the second half. And then when I finally caught up in the summer, it was so late I figured everyone would have discussed it. But I'll just say for the record that those final two episodes with Alpha were BRILLIANT and gave me everything I needed to get excited about season 2.

And so far, season 2 is delivering. In the first episode back, not only do we have a fantastic scene between the doctor and Topher (Amy Acker is just amazing in this scene) where she demands to know why he made her the way she was, and he is distraught by what he's done while simultaneously trying to justify it, but we get to see Apollo lay a smackdown on Helo!! Talk about a hell of a scene for BSG fans. :) And if that was enough, Faith jumps in and wallops Apollo. Wicked.

And did I mention Alexis Denisof? Written and directed by Joss Whedon + Alexis Denisof = a squee-a-thon of epic proportions for me.

And then I come to this week's episode. WOW. I found it absolutely heartbreaking. From the scene of her happily breastfeeding Jack in the night to the walks around the park and new mom jokes to the tiredness and paranoia and unwarranted fights, the writers on this one pretty much nailed new motherhood. When Paul came to take Echo away in the police station and she was screaming for her baby, my eyes welled up with tears. I completely believed Dushku 100% (I think she's actually becoming a better actress just being on this show) and I imagined what it would be like for a new mother to suddenly have her baby snatched from her while the people around her treat her like a madwoman. It would be like something out of a horror film.

The theme of maternal instinct being stronger than just about anything certainly warmed my maternal heart, and I think I felt really close to Echo and realized that they'd crossed a line in her "pretend" world. You can prostitute her, put her in a relationship, take away parents and siblings from her at the end of her role-playing, have her marry someone and walk away from him, and wipe it all away, but you cannot take a baby from its mother. There really is something instinctual about motherhood that transcends the thought process. I remember when my babies were still babies and I would be sleeping with them at night, and I could go into a really deep sleep, but if they so much as twitched, my body would suddenly take over, and jump into protective mode, waking instantly and making sure they were OK. A mother can sense when something is wrong with her child even when everyone else is insisting it's in her head, and she is often the only person who can soothe an upset infant after it's first born. What a beautiful and poignant (and heart-wrenching) episode.

Here are a few thoughts and questions for you guys:
• When Topher said to "November" to repeat the words boat, cucumber, and wire, do you think there's any chance those just became her trigger words, and now, just like when she'd pick up the phone and Adelle could say something about a green light turning on, now they call her and say those three words and she suddenly turns into an assassin?
• What is different in Echo's wiring? I just assumed that there was something in her brain that was now resisting the mind-wipes, but then Paul offered to wipe her clean, as if there's something in the chair that's not doing the complete job. Did I miss something there?
• In "Vows," they kept bringing Echo in to the dollhouse and said that in a long-term operation, you have to turn the active off every few days or things go a little buggy. So... how come the doctor isn't ever turned off? Could they be damaging her brain by constantly keeping her as Dr. Saunders?

Overall, season 2 is a brilliant return, and here's looking forward to next week's episode already! What did you think?

Dollhouse Renewed!!!

Well, all those naysayers who've been saying this series didn't have a chance because even the Joss loyalists weren't being loyal enough... have been proven wrong. Dollhouse has been renewed for a second 13-episode season. Not 22, but not CANCELLED, either, so... yay!!

Bones and Scrubs have also been renewed, as well as Castle (I've only watched a couple of eps of Castle but Nathan Fillion is my hero). You can read the whole article here.

And no spoilers on Dollhouse, please; I'm SO far behind (the last one I watched was Spy in the House of Love) because of going away and writing this book, and I can't wait to watch the finale. Thank you to Batcabbage for sending the news to me. You made my day!

Dollhouse: Echoes

Oh, how I'm loving this show now!!

In last week's episode of Dollhouse, hilariously titled, "Man on the Street," Joss Whedon poked fun at critics of the show, having the usually boneheaded "man on the street" interviews interspersed throughout the episode of people saying what they think of the idea of a "Dollhouse" where people are mind-wiped, and whether it's misogynist or human trafficking or kinda cool. (Side note: If any Torontonians reading this listen to 680 News, that is one of my pet peeves of that station. They always ask ONE person on the street for their opinion of their top story, then run it, no matter how inane or mumbling or incoherent it is. It's gotten to the point where it's moved beyond pet peeve and has officially become a must-listen part of my day. "On the corner of Yonge and Bloor, I found Wanda, who says she's tired of this winter." Wanda: "I'm just tired of this winter." "There you have it John, back to you.")

ANYWAY... in recent episodes, as Echo begins to have flashes of her life before it was wiped, we were starting to find a thread between episodes. In the beginning, it was more of a mission-of-the-week feel to the series, but now it's moving to a more continuous arc, where you have to see each episode or you'll be missing out.

But last night's episode was the one we've been waiting for. This one tied together the series to this point (including having Echo back with the guy who hired her in the first episode) and for the first time, we see Caroline -- the woman Echo used to be -- in action, and what happened to bring her to the dollhouse. And, as with the last few episodes, it had lots of the funny -- the scenes of Topher and Adelle talking about her Britishness had me in stitches.

Free will versus blissful ignorance has been a favourite topic of Joss Whedon's for some time. The largely disappointing fourth season of Angel was all about it, where Jasmine came to the world wiping everyone's minds and making them fall in love with her, and all they had to do in return was give up their free will and be completely happy all the time. Oh yeah, and a few of them had to become daily lunchtime human sacrifices. There was that part, too.

On Dollhouse, we didn't know what Echo's life was before this (or Victor's, or Sierra's, etc.) but the assumption was, something bad must have happened to have made them turn to this as their solution. What could be so bad that they'd want to forget?

In Echo's case, it was losing her lover, who died in her arms as they tried to raid a lab and save some animals, exposing the Rossum Corporation for what it really is. It's still not completely enough to convince us that she'd want her mind wiped, so to provide the parallel, Joss gives us the present-day story of Echo/Alice wandering through the campus, and beginning to have memories of having been there before. After realizing who the perpetrator of the mysterious hallucinogenic drug release was, she rushes down the halls, and flashes of having run down those same halls -- moments before her lover was shot -- begin to invade her mind. By the time she gets outside, the two time periods have blended into one, and she's on top of the guy in the present, thinking he's the guy from her past.

Until now, we see Echo get off a "job" and Boyd is standing there, jolting her out of her persona with the trigger phrase, "Echo, would you like your treatment?" and it always comes as an unwelcome shock. We've seen her fall in love and have to be mind-wiped, we've seen her save lives and be forced to forget it. It all seemed like a horrible thing to do to a person. Until this episode, where the horrors of the past blend into the terrifying present, and Boyd's trigger phrase is as welcome to us as it is to her. He offers her salvation in forgetting.

And, at the end of the episode, as Adelle watches Echo walk through the dollhouse, blissfully ignorant of the pain she'd been through earlier that day, we can't help but see a touch of jealousy on Adelle's face.

Dollhouse: It's Getting Better!

So, I'm WAY behind on my TV viewing. Again. Sigh. I really need to do a post soon on the shows I'm still watching (like Big Love... oh my GOD what an awesome season this is!!!) I have about 5 Ugly Bettys, 5 Damages, 3 Flight of the Conchords, and so many old episodes of EastEnders I don't know where to start with that one. That's just the tip of the iceberg. I have a PVR that holds 200 hours of programming and there's only 50 hours left. I need a week off just to catch up on my TV.

But anyway, over the last two nights I've watched the last two episodes of Dollhouse, and I really think it's hitting its stride. Last week's episode in particular, "True Believer," was my favourite one so far. First of all, DUSTY!! Is there anyone else out there old enough to have recognized Brian Bloom when he first walked on screen as Jonas? When I was probably 10 or 11, this guy appeared on As the World Turns, and my mother, a lover of soap operas if ever there was one (I spent summers sitting next to her watching As the World Turns, Guiding Light, this boring one called Capitol, and a few years later, The Bold and the Beautiful). And then Dusty appeared one day. Oh, those metallic blue eyes... he was in love with Lily, who dumped him for bad boy Holden (HOLDEN?!) and I always thought she was an idiot after that. I think she married him or something. I haven't watched the show in 20 years (but the crazy thing about soap operas is, you can tune in one afternoon and be caught up in about half an hour after not watching it for two decades).

ANYWAY. My excitement at seeing a long lost lust aside, this episode FINALLY gave us some of the old Joss Whedon dialogue I've been waiting for. There's an excellent scene between Topher and Dr. Claire about Victor having a "man reaction" in the show when he's looking at Sierra, and I was in stitches. My husband was laughing his head off, too, and we both looked at each other and said in unison, "Joss!" Then giggled some more. It was a brilliant scene.

But five episodes in (or 6? Man, I've lost count already) long-term arcs are starting to come into place. What really happened to Alpha? Why is he so obsessed with Echo? Why is Helo so obsessed with Echo, and where does he know her from that he's on the hunt for her? What the hell did they mean this week when they said Echo should be put away in the attic? (I cannot WAIT to see what that means... is it like boxing a Cylon on BSG?) How much is Echo starting to put together? At the end of every episode, she seems to be building a mental repertoire of what's happening around her, who is a friend and who is an enemy, and things are falling apart for the people running the place. Meanwhile, Boyd is taking on a more Giles-like role than before, he's concerned about her, and he refuses to talk about her like some plastic Barbie like the others all do.

Last week's episode was really good, too, when Echo was remotely brain-wiped and turned into a shell of her character, rocking with anxiety on the floor and repeating, "Did I fall asleep? Shall I go now?" waiting for the Pavlovian response from Topher that was not forthcoming. I'm really starting to see something much, much deeper with this show, and my fingers are crossed so hard they're turning white that Fox will give this show the chance to allow it to unfold the way Joss clearly sees it eventually will.

Dollhouse 1.03: Stage Fright

I really enjoyed this week's episode of Dollhouse... so much so that the theme song is actually growing on me (until now I only liked the little music box chimes at the end, but now I'm starting to like all of it... I can actually remember it, which is a big plus from weeks before). However, still not loving the imagery in the opening. But anyway.

In this week's episode, we realize Eliza Dushku's got some impressive pipes on her, she hooks up with a Britney-type who's been singing since she was in the Mickey Mouse Club and now has a stalker in the guise of her #1 Fan. She's become suicidal, he agrees to off her, thereby claiming his place as, um... Most Crazed #1 Fan Ever? (This might beat out that chick from Misery... wait... OK, no it wouldn't.)

We got some actual Joss funny banter (my favourite line was Vincent saying he knew Helo from the navy... then saying, "OLD Navy. I used to work in retail." HA! And then finding out he's a doll himself... didn't see that one coming, actually. I guess they have to keep rebooting him as they find out more intel on Helo. Loved the creepy moment in the warehouse (did anyone else think for a split-second that the shot of the exterior was the Hyperion from Angel??) where Helo basically takes down the bunch, gets shot, and keeps on ticking. I said aloud as my husband and I were watching, "Don't mess with me, I've frakked a Cylon!" We giggled.

We make our own fun.

I'm definitely intrigued even more by this week's episode. The actors seemed more at ease than in previous episodes, like they're getting into the groove of their characters. Last week I didn't think the woman playing Sierra had much range, but she was great in this one. It still has that "baddie of the week" feeling, but I'm sure it'll start to feel more cohesive soon. Your thoughts?

Dollhouse 1.01: Ghost

I have been waiting for this moment on my television since May 2004:

Written and directed by Joss Whedon

I think the squee that emitted from me (and seriously, it was a "Squeeeee!" sound) could be heard down the street.

Not only was I excited to see Joss's name, but Tim Minear's, Kelly A. Manners, Stephen S. DeKnight, Elizabeth Craft & Sarah Fain... it was like a dream reunion. Here's hoping the reunion will eventually attract David Fury, Marti Noxon, David Greenwalt, Jane Espenson, Drew Z. Greenberg, Drew Goddard... I could go on and on. But enough about the geektasticness of the opening credits.

I REALLY liked the show. I can't say I was head over heels in love with it, but that's only because I'm not attached to these characters yet, and the overarching story isn't yet established, etc. You know what I think about Lost and Buffy and Angel, but none of them had me head over heels in love with them on their first episode, either.

I think this show has a ton of promise. Eliza Dushku is fabulous (my love for her was already immense, long before Echo). She's got that perfect tough-girl exterior, but with a fragile vulnerability that make it feel like she could be shattered at any moment. It's what made Faith one of the all-time great TV characters. Joss Whedon knew what he had in her, and thank goodness he's decided to hinge an entire series on her. She's fantastic.

And Amy Acker!! I can honestly say I've stayed away from all spoilers, and didn't know she'd be on, so I really loved seeing her (though I wish she'd been listed in the cast and not the guest credits... that doesn't bode well for the longevity of her character). Those slices across her face indicate a past that I can't wait to get into.

Did anyone else think the Dollhouse reminded her of Wolfram and Hart?? Maybe it was the wood panelling, maybe the lighting, maybe the levels, I don't know, but it felt sinister simply because of its resemblance to that other horrible institution.

I'm not sure I like Topher, the guy who mindwipes Echo. He seemed dull. I don't know if it's the actor's delivery of the lines or if it's the character itself, but he looked like Andrew on Buffy, but with the personality of Detective Kate on Angel. Dull. But I know Joss -- he's a careful caster, and I think there will be much more to this kid than meets the eye.

I'm intrigued by Boyd, the guy who accompanies her on the missions (there was a bit of an Alias element to all of this and he seems like the guy who might try to get her out of her situation), and Helo (bear with me... it'll take me a long time to call the guy "Paul"), who is hellbent on finding the Dollhouse.

But there was a deliberate confusion to a lot of this. Why is Helo trying to find the Dollhouse? How did he hear about it? Does he know someone on the inside? How long has Echo been with the organization? How did it get started?

These are the questions I can't wait to see answered. What did you think? Were you thrilled? Were you disappointed? Intrigued?

Joss Coming to NYC

In anticipation of Dollhouse beginning on February 13 (squeeeeeee!!), Joss Whedon is going to be appearing at the New York Comic Con. According to this article, he will be screening the pilot of Dollhouse, and will then sign autographs immediately following the show.

Drat. Just another reason why I need to move to NYC. Sigh...

Good news for Dollhouse!

Finally, I have good news that is NOT tinged with bad! Check me out!!

Preston Beckman, FOX's scheduling guy, has said that there's a method to his madness of putting Dollhouse on Friday nights. First, he wants it as a strong lead-in to Terminator, which he says would be a great night of TV. Secondly, he's confident that the rest of the week has a lot of strong programming that can buoy the network, and might give both Friday night shows more of a chance. "We can afford to let these shows run their course," he said. "We can give them 12 or 13 weeks to find an audience." Then, come fall, he sees these shows playing very strongly. Read the full article here.

Woot! I demonized too soon. (Who... me?!)

Now if only I knew the ABC scheduling person was putting Lost on Wednesday nights to make it a pie-tastic pairing with Pushing Daisies, then all would be well in my world.

Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

As the world continues to bask in the end of the election, and the Republicans dish the dirt on the loose cannon that was Sarah Palin, I am happy to finally get back to talking about TV. Because not only is the election over, but as of yesterday, I'm finished writing the Lost book! (You can preorder in Canada and the US using the buttons on the left side, plug plug.) My PVR is overloaded, and I'm going to be gunning through some programs. Many people have been emailing me or leaving comments asking about why I'm not writing about Heroes or Fringe, and it's simply because I haven't watched them. I watched the 2-hour premiere of Heroes, and the first two episodes of Fringe. That's it. When you work full time and have two young 'uns, you have to use every spare moment you can to fit in writing time. (Well, that and Mad Men, which I'm totally obsessed with right now, midway through the second season.)

So look for longish (like I do short, ha!) posts coming soon on Heroes and Fringe -- the story so far. And my beloved Pushing Daisies, which is sitting there like a luscious cheese-topped pie begging me to come and watch it.

But first, DOLLHOUSE. Y'all might have seen the trailer for it, premiering in February, but since FOX is doing its utmost to keep the trailer away from prying eyes outside the U.S. borders, here it is for the rest of you.



WICKED. And now... the bad news. Insiders are saying that FOX has halted production AGAIN on this show, and the series' super-awesome time slot has just been announced: Friday nights at 9pm.

Um... can you say FIREFLY?? Cripes almighty, Joss, I TOLD you this would happen. This trailer just has me tingling with excitement, and this article that talks about all the problems has me cringing in fear. FOX has one problem after another with the scripts, and keeps forcing Joss to go back for rewrites. According to one insider, he's barely on the set anymore because he's spending all day, every day, rewriting.

Come on NBC and ABC: step up next time the Master is looking for a network that will accept his brilliance, and sign him up. ABC: you've given Damon and Carlton the keys to the network; take a look at Joss next time. Sigh...

I'm sad.

In other news (old news now), Jeph Loeb and Jesse Alexander have been fired from Heroes. My initial reaction (and, since I haven't read much about it since, still my reaction) is that these two were the naysayers who were sitting in the meetings saying, "Um... this storyline kind of, uh... sucks?" Apparently when Entertainment Weekly was conducting interviews for their recent cover story on the series, they did it under the auspices of a big feature saying Heroes is back (I don't know if that's true, but that's what reports from NBC are saying) and it shocked everyone when the big cover story came out, basically calling Heroes a colossal FAIL, and NBC sent down the message from on high that heads must ROLL for this one. So, two heads rolled, and they were the two heads I thought were two of the most sensible ones in there. Alexander is from Alias and Lost, and Jeph Loeb is, well, a legend in comic books. The thing that bugs me about Heroes is that while it actually used comic books heavily in the first season as a selling point, Kring happily admitted he knew nothing about them, but that was why Loeb was on board. Well, quick thing about comic books: while the stories are short and there's satisfaction to be had at the end of each issue, comic books typically hold back certain things and drop them as crazy twists so you keep coming back. It's sort of like, oh, I don't know... LOST, where there are lots of questions and we keep coming back dying to hear the answers. Kring's way of doing things was, "Oh, you want the answers? Here ya go." If he'd written the Star Wars trilogy, it would have opened with a different crawl:

It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships (Leia is their princess; don't worry, you'll see her soon), striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire (which includes Darth Vader, who ironically, is Leia's father! In fact, we'll soon be seeing Luke Skywalker on Tatooine, and HE is Leia's sister and Darth Vader's son! But it's still worth watching for his unwitting incestuous feelings toward his sister and his Oedipal reaction to his father). ANYWAY... During the battle, rebel spies managed to steal...

I find it hard to believe that the current state of Heroes has everything to do with Loeb and Alexander and not the team of writers with less of a comic background.

Now, as you all know if you've actually read everything I've written in this post, I haven't actually SEEN Heroes, and I'm sad that it has the potential to be disappointing (I thought the premiere held promise) so I'm simply basing my comments on what I know from the season 1 finale and what followed in season 2. I'm still going to watch the episodes with an open mind -- who knows, maybe the show is much better when you watch the episodes back to back! :)

Of the shows I HAVE been watching, The Office, 30 Rock (last week's episode was a brilliant return -- "She was wearing Dora the Explorer underwear, which I'm pretty sure was made for an obese child"), Dexter (I love this season, and the idea that Jimmy Smits is pretty much taking the place of Dex's father), Gossip Girl ("You just hooked yourself a Bass." Have I mentioned I've decided I'm in love with Chuck Bass? AND Rufus? So much love in that show), The Amazing Race (I'm two weeks behind, though, so I don't know who's been kicked out, but I'm really hoping those frat boys go soon), The Daily Show (when I watched the clip last night of Dick Cheney giving his endorsement to McCain -- yeah, it was an old episode -- and he had to clear his throat, and it cut back to Jon Stewart clearing his throat like a cat with a furball, I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe and tears were running down my face... seriously, I haven't laughed that hard since summer 2007, when I was watching Eddie Izzard in Dress to Kill), Entourage (I'm mad that Ari didn't take that studio position; it would have been an interesting and new direction for the show; otherwise I love it), The Life and Times of Tim (if you haven't watched this, watch it; I should do a longer post on it). So yeah, it's not like I haven't been watching TV (like, come ON) but I'm watching TV that I could have on in the background while washing dishes or cleaning up or something. With the exception of Dexter, which I watch while seated on the couch taking a break from writing.

Photo of the Day

How much do I love Joss's tortured auteur look in this photo?! Brilliant.

I'm Not Dead . . . Really

Hey y'all. The TV season is well underway, and I have barely posted a thing. What is WRONG with me, you might ask? (And have been asking, if my email inbox is any indication.) Well... it's my daughter's first week in junior kindergarten, it's her first week with a new daycare, it's my son's first week with his new nanny, and my first week back to work after a year of maternity leave. Oh, and her first week at dance class (she's SO cute in a little pink leotard! This is very weird to me, because I was never into that frou-frou dance stuff as a child; I have all the grace of a newly born calf.)

And to add to all that, despite my earlier statement that I'd be writing a season 4/5 combined Lost book for fall 2009, I'm actually going to write a season 4 book after all, and have been spending my evenings madly writing. ACK!

Please stay tuned for reviews of Fringe, Gossip Girl, 90210, etc.

But in the meantime, I audibly gasped when I saw this news item this morning, and since then three people have sent it to me, so I thought I'd post. Joss Whedon has halted production on Dollhouse, claims there's "nothing to see here, people, just go about your day," and that he's simply reviewing scripts and production.

Uh... Firefly, anyone?

Oh please, Fox, do NOT eff this one up. I'm beggin' ya.

UPDATE: I meant to spark discussion on Joss Whedon, and it seems more people are talking about my book! (Thank you, by the way!) I have a cover for it, so I'll try to get it up soon and see what y'all think.

Some Notes from Comic-Con

Various blogs and news outlets have been posting information from Comic-Con, currently happening in San Diego (and I am NOT there... not fair). Today was the panel for Dollhouse, with Joss, Tahmoh Penikett, and Eliza Dushku. Here's a rundown of everything they talked about.

Dollhouse is influenced by A.I., The World Can Never Let Me Go, and Collateral because Whedon thinks it's a great L.A. movie. He says, "This will be feistier than I'm used to. I go a little Ang Lee, but the way I'm filming it, it will be more visceral, a frenetic ride. That part is challenging."

He revealed there will be webisodes, and they all talked about how filming has begun and what it's been like.

In other Buffyverse news, here is David Boreanaz talking to EW at Comic-Con. She asks him what the difference is between Bones fans and Buffy/Angel fans in Part 2.

For me, the panel that's killing me that I missed was the annual Darlton pow-wow, talking about the previous season of Lost and dropping tidbits about the upcoming one. E! has several videos you can watch where they discuss things like filming The Constant, the writer's strike, and whether they have a clue about where the show is going. My personal fave is this one, where they discuss the time travel issue. "We'll tell you yesterday."



In non-Comic-Con news, Robert on Jericho has been cast in the upcoming "Prisoner" remake.

And read an interview with Milo Ventimiglia and Hayden Panettiere (man, those are tough names to type) about the upcoming season of Heroes.

Save Dollhouse!

I'll be posting a longer Lost piece tomorrow, with my thoughts on the finale (and later in the week, my thoughts on the season) but in the meantime, here's a public service announcement urging fans to help save Dollhouse from cancellation. Hey, it's never too early to start the fan campaigns. :) This is so brilliant.

Fall TV Preview: Dollhouse

Y'all know my hatred of FOX. Come preview time, when it's time to roll out the new shows and pilots, FOX is always the impressive one. They have all the coolest genre shows, all the potential, and take some of the biggest risks. Come November, most of those shows have been cancelled, barely able to have made a dent in our schedule, and replaced by reality television.

Yet every fall, I'm back in front of my TV watching FOX shows like I just don't know how to learn my lesson. This fall is the most exciting one since that of 2002, when Firefly premiered.

And we all know how THAT ended up.

This year, Joss Whedon is back with Dollhouse, a show I've been talking about here, but not nearly as much as I should be. I've been reading bits and pieces on it for months, including casting, rumours, and what's been going on with the show, but last week FOX finally rolled out the goods on its shows, and Dollhouse has an official trailer.

Dollhouse stars Eliza Dushku, who became our beloved Faith in the hands of Whedon, as Echo, one of five "dolls" who live in the dollhouse, run by a ruthless woman played by Olivia Williams (Bruce Willis's wife in The Sixth Sense). These dolls can be hired out to play any part you want, and when they come back to the dollhouse, their memories are wiped clean, and they become fresh clean slates, ready for the next job. They live contented lives, unaware of the things they do when they're under the spell of the dollhouse's CEO.

Problem is, Echo's starting to remember some things. And that ain't good.

The show also stars Tahmoh Penikett (Helo on BSG) and Amy Acker (WOOO!!!! Fred/Illyria on Angel) and honestly, the premise could be, "A man sits on a street corner and reads chemistry textbooks aloud. Nothing else happens" and if it were helmed by Joss Whedon, I'd be there. But this show sounds amazing, and the trailer's pretty awesome, too. Check it out:





Dollhouse is going to be a mid-season show, beginning in January, and Fox announced that it and the other big show, Fringe (see my next post), will be running at nearly the full hour, the same length as HBO shows (instead of 15 minutes of commercials per hour, these shows will get about five).