Will Dollhouse survive a 2nd season?

POSTED BY: piratenews
UPDATED: Saturday, September 26, 2009 03:39
VIEWED: 8213
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ZEEK

Monday, August 24, 2009 3:29 PM

I don't think so. Unless it drastically improves and somehow finds an audience. I don't see either happening easily. This is one of those shows that is not simple to jump into. When you already have bad ratings it seems unlikely that anyone is going to come along and jump on board. I think it's destined to die this season.

THESOMNAMBULIST

Monday, August 24, 2009 10:59 PM

Patchist wrote:

Quote:
-- It feels juvenile because they're like babies with no personalities when they're not imprinted. That gives us little to attach ourselves to. They dont have their own personalities and that's what keeps it somewhat distant and unattached for viewers to connect to.

Hi Patchist.

I wasn't really thinking in terms of the characters. It's more with the premise of the show and the way it's been dealt with. Aside from a few risqué outfits worn by Echo -- really the show could be made for kids.

Ideas need to be realised all the way through.

Ballard struggled to find the Dollhouse but clients seemingly have no such problem. Why? As an audience watching this we're asked to merely go along with the premise, but I think this is brushed over without any real explanation.

Similarly when Boyd and Ballard chase after Alpha and Echo, Alpha manages to evade them, yet Ballard and Boyd seem totally uninterested in that point. They're just content that they have Echo back.

In terms of the audience the reality of that situation really should be dealt with and with some (I say some because it is a fantasy show after all ) but some credibility.

There are other points but I don't want to unleash them all because really I liked the show. I just feel, given the competition out there (24, The Wire, Lost, Fringe, Dexter, Burn Notice etc) Dollhouse needs to aim as high -- for the sake of further seasons.

DEWRASTLER

Tuesday, August 25, 2009 1:06 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by TheSomnambulist:

Ballard struggled to find the Dollhouse but clients seemingly have no such problem. Why? As an audience watching this we're asked to merely go along with the premise, but I think this is brushed over without any real explanation.

Similarly when Boyd and Ballard chase after Alpha and Echo, Alpha manages to evade them, yet Ballard and Boyd seem totally uninterested in that point. They're just content that they have Echo back.

First, the whole Alpha thing got cut from the final cut of the episode. I assume it ran long and this just did flow well. But it is in the deleted scenes on the DVD.

As with Ballard not being able to find the Dollhouse but clients can, I find it easy to believe that the rich upper class citizens who use the Dollhouse can keep this secret from the FBI. First, it's a referral basis. You're not going to find the Dollhouse in the ads, and even if you did know about it you're not going to find the location unless the Dollhouse wants you to. Even if you knew the location of the building, you need to find a way into the office in the first place (unless you have a psychotic ex-doll to help you). Besides, rich people keep things from the authorities all the time (at least on film, I'm not gonna try to judge rich people I don't know), so it's safe to assume they can keep this from the Feds.

As for the show, I think it will keep it's momentum from the second half of the first season and finally break it's stride. It really isn't that hard for new viewers to get into right because there really wasn't a whole lot of ground breaking issues resolved in season 1. There's a rogue Doll out there (still), and the basic idea of the Dollhouse is easy to pick up. As long as they mention the Rossum Corporation in the first few episodes, there isn't a whole lot you need to know except for the growth of Echo. And I'm pretty sure they'll address that too in the beginning of the season.

It does need some good advertising, though. That never hurts.

________________________________
People who don't care about anything will never understand the people who do

PATCHIST

Tuesday, August 25, 2009 5:42 AM

I agree, TheSomnambulist. Developing Echos character was the major plot in the first season. And the subplot was that the dollhouse is something more than just people for hire. I think that is what they should explore more. Get some of the dolls to talk to Ballard for him to continue with his investigation. I think that is what the bigger picture should be. Make the subplot for season 1 the major story line and make doll character development somewhat smaller and maybe give other dolls like Sierra and Victor some more lime light. It kinda feels one dimensional with the Echo story.

PATCHIST

Tuesday, August 25, 2009 5:42 AM

Ooups sorry for the double post.

ZEEK

Tuesday, August 25, 2009 2:46 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Dewrastler:
It really isn't that hard for new viewers to get into right because there really wasn't a whole lot of ground breaking issues resolved in season 1.

Really? What's a Doll? Why is this Ballard guy at odds with everyone else he works with? Who's this Whiskey and November they keep talking about? How come people keep calling that main character Echo and Caroline?

I think there are plenty of questions a brand new person would ask themselves if they tuned into a random episode. So many that I don't think they'd be able to understand what it is they're watching. They almost need something like the little intro monologues that Fox put before episodes of Firefly. "Here's how it is..."

BYTEMITE

Tuesday, August 25, 2009 3:50 PM

You know, I really expected that Joss was going to use the child-like nature of the blank slates to inject some light-hearted humour and personality into the dolls. We saw that now and then, but I was disappointed that we didn't see more personality from the dolls. I understand the limits based on the premise... Still.

DEWRASTLER

Tuesday, August 25, 2009 4:41 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Zeek:
Quote:
Originally posted by Dewrastler:
It really isn't that hard for new viewers to get into right because there really wasn't a whole lot of ground breaking issues resolved in season 1.

Really? What's a Doll? Why is this Ballard guy at odds with everyone else he works with? Who's this Whiskey and November they keep talking about? How come people keep calling that main character Echo and Caroline?

I think there are plenty of questions a brand new person would ask themselves if they tuned into a random episode. So many that I don't think they'd be able to understand what it is they're watching. They almost need something like the little intro monologues that Fox put before episodes of Firefly. "Here's how it is..."

It's not like it's a show like Alias, Fringe, 24, or X-files that has a huge and complex backstory. Dollhouse has only 13 episodes of backstory, no much to learn. And most of the questions you posed can be easily answered with a few lines of dialogue or an engagement with the Dollhouse, which is a likely episode for the season opener.

________________________________
People who don't care about anything will never understand the people who do

ZEEK

Tuesday, August 25, 2009 7:57 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Dewrastler:
It's not like it's a show like Alias, Fringe, 24, or X-files that has a huge and complex backstory. Dollhouse has only 13 episodes of backstory, no much to learn. And most of the questions you posed can be easily answered with a few lines of dialogue or an engagement with the Dollhouse, which is a likely episode for the season opener.

Alias, Fringe, 24 and X-files are all based on concepts that everyone understands. FBI agents and such. Anyone can jump in and then start to wrap their head around the other worldly events in the characters world. Dolls are not a commonly accepted concept. If someone misses the season premier are they going to understand what the heck is going on in the next episode? This isn't a show about lawyers, doctors or law enforcement. They don't have a basic premise to latch onto. I think that's a big problem for building an audience at this point.

DEWRASTLER

Tuesday, August 25, 2009 9:21 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Zeek:

Alias, Fringe, 24 and X-files are all based on concepts that everyone understands. FBI agents and such. Anyone can jump in and then start to wrap their head around the other worldly events in the characters world. Dolls are not a commonly accepted concept. If someone misses the season premier are they going to understand what the heck is going on in the next episode? This isn't a show about lawyers, doctors or law enforcement. They don't have a basic premise to latch onto. I think that's a big problem for building an audience at this point.

But this is something that is repeatedly explained throughout the episode to date, and I don't see that changing in season 2 cause it doesn't really hinder the flow of an episode. DeWitt is has mentioned what the Actives do many a time, and since the imprinting process happens during every episode, so if someone sees 1 or 2 episodes they can pick it up. Then they go buy season 1 on DVD to catch up, it becomes profitable, and the show stays on. In a way, you want them to ask questions, just not too many. And I don't think there are a whole lot of them.

________________________________
People who don't care about anything will never understand the people who do

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