Sometimes shit just happens. Like when one morning you're cruising along the highway, headed someplace you've been to plenty of times before, a routine drive most would categorize, and suddenly, out of nowhere, your tires hit a slick spot on the road and you lose control. Moments later, you find yourself bleeding from the head, with a cracked rib or two, face to face with a messed-up wall, and airbags deployed awkwardly in front of you as a crowd of onlookers slowly begin to gather around your vehicle that now resembles a can of power drink right after a professional wrestler drank off it.
Well, give or take, that's how the 1st two episodes of Dollhouse equates to thus far when compared to Joss Whedon's past endeavors--an out of nowhere car wreck.
I mean, come on, this show is supposed to be something Whedon's all about: a character-driven sci-fi/fantasy show with a highly philosophical premise while unconciously/conciously alluding to a great work of the past (Dark City mind-wipe restart anyone?). Instead of that awesome goodness I tend to get from other textbook Whedon projects, what I saw instead was an awkward abomination of a sexy female lead who is undeniably wrong for the part.
Eliza Dushku, better known for her stint as Buffy's slayer-gone rogue, Faith, looks too energetic and kinetic for the part. If this was some sort of an action-packed series that demanded a tough, sarcastic and witty act for the lead, then casting her would have worked out (a la Buffy or, to some extent, Veronica Mars). Sadly, that's just not the case. The role of Echo demands more of a laconic, chameleon-like persona that's pretty much lacking in Dushku. It's like asking Nicholas Cage to do Randy "the Ram" Robinson instead of Mickey Rourke. Dushku as Echo is sketchy and lacking of any appeal whatsoever. Because of this, the show suffered gravely despite of its commendable set design and nice atmospheric treatment. It came out as bland and unintentionally farcical which is gravely uncommon for somebody like Joss Whedon.
In my opinion, Whedon should have waited, at least for a few more months until the next American T.V. season, when Summer Glau is finally off the hook for Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles (face it, it's going to be canceled after the season) and casted her instead. I mean, Echo IS a Summer Glau character. And no, it's not typecasting, at least not totally since Glau is one heck of an actress.
I know, I'm pretty much enthralled with Summer Glau as most of you know but, think about it, the part of Echo demands for an actress that can play both conventional and unconventional character-types (it pretty much calls for as wide a range as an acting part could) and Glau already proved she can do as much by playing Firefly's "moon-brained" River Tam and T:TSCC's Cameron. Add to that the doll-like quality that Glau seems to exude and man, oh, man that's one kind of perfection I can't believe the casting crew of the show missed. They should have waited, waited, waited.
Anyway, let's see if things start picking up in the succeeding episodes. If not, then I'll just have to believe that Whedon's trying to get back at Fox for screwing Firefly up by pitching a horrendous show to them. And yes, that's a pretty screwed-up way to come up with for revenge either.
Well, give or take, that's how the 1st two episodes of Dollhouse equates to thus far when compared to Joss Whedon's past endeavors--an out of nowhere car wreck.
I mean, come on, this show is supposed to be something Whedon's all about: a character-driven sci-fi/fantasy show with a highly philosophical premise while unconciously/conciously alluding to a great work of the past (Dark City mind-wipe restart anyone?). Instead of that awesome goodness I tend to get from other textbook Whedon projects, what I saw instead was an awkward abomination of a sexy female lead who is undeniably wrong for the part.
Eliza Dushku, better known for her stint as Buffy's slayer-gone rogue, Faith, looks too energetic and kinetic for the part. If this was some sort of an action-packed series that demanded a tough, sarcastic and witty act for the lead, then casting her would have worked out (a la Buffy or, to some extent, Veronica Mars). Sadly, that's just not the case. The role of Echo demands more of a laconic, chameleon-like persona that's pretty much lacking in Dushku. It's like asking Nicholas Cage to do Randy "the Ram" Robinson instead of Mickey Rourke. Dushku as Echo is sketchy and lacking of any appeal whatsoever. Because of this, the show suffered gravely despite of its commendable set design and nice atmospheric treatment. It came out as bland and unintentionally farcical which is gravely uncommon for somebody like Joss Whedon.
In my opinion, Whedon should have waited, at least for a few more months until the next American T.V. season, when Summer Glau is finally off the hook for Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles (face it, it's going to be canceled after the season) and casted her instead. I mean, Echo IS a Summer Glau character. And no, it's not typecasting, at least not totally since Glau is one heck of an actress.
I know, I'm pretty much enthralled with Summer Glau as most of you know but, think about it, the part of Echo demands for an actress that can play both conventional and unconventional character-types (it pretty much calls for as wide a range as an acting part could) and Glau already proved she can do as much by playing Firefly's "moon-brained" River Tam and T:TSCC's Cameron. Add to that the doll-like quality that Glau seems to exude and man, oh, man that's one kind of perfection I can't believe the casting crew of the show missed. They should have waited, waited, waited.
Anyway, let's see if things start picking up in the succeeding episodes. If not, then I'll just have to believe that Whedon's trying to get back at Fox for screwing Firefly up by pitching a horrendous show to them. And yes, that's a pretty screwed-up way to come up with for revenge either.
