Attention, Internets:

[promethia_tenk]

I have watched All Of Whedon*, most of it within the last six months. I would like my merit badge now, please.


* Some exclusions may apply.

Comments

[bendingwind]

I'm... I like musicals sometimes? IDK I'm really picky about it, and I did find it funny, but just... not quite enough?

I'm torn between Dollhouse and Firefly as my favorites. On the one hand, the world of Firefly is just so much richer and more fascinating, but on the other the premise of Dollhouse is way more interesting and meta-invoking. SO MANY FEELS, you know?

Plus, I mean, Eliza Dushku.

[promethia_tenk]

Did you watch Dr. Horrible when it was coming out, or later? Because I know that lent it a certain sparkle, for me. I wasn't a Whedon follower, and I actually came to it out of an interest in the intersection between the internet and tv and culture and participatory media (I've taken classes), and I'd been into watching podcasts for awhile, so a lot of my excitement was just in seeing what a group of professionals would do with the same tools and set-up. And I think if you go into it thinking of it as a very well-done podcast it makes a lot more sense and is a lot more impressive. I'm not sure I would have liked it as much if I'd first seen it, say, on DVD, and I could see it seeming disappointing in the wake of all the flailing about it? It's a quirky little thing, though. If it's not for you then it's not for you *shrug*

I see what you mean about Dollhouse and Firefly. I think for me the sheer IDEAS EXPLOSION of Dollhouse overwhelms pretty much any other consideration (also: ADELLE DEWITT), but Firefly is a really cool verse to spend some time in. I want to know where alllllllll the Dollhouse meta is, though. Because. Seriously.

Plus, I mean, Eliza Dushku.
I go hot and cold on her. Some things she's just great at, and she's a nice combination of pretty/interesting to look at. And then sometimes I think she acts like a board.

[bendingwind]

Yeah, I think so re: Dr. Horrible. I'm not a podcast fan in general so maybe that explains it?

Adelle Dewitt! *fangirls* OMG YES.

Re: Eliza Dushku, I was mostly just happy with all the pretty... she has her moments, but you're right, her acting is frequently not great.

[promethia_tenk]

Yeah, I think so re: Dr. Horrible. I'm not a podcast fan in general so maybe that explains it?
Makes sense to me. The whole feel of podcasts, the things they do, and very often the sense of humor are just different from tv.

Adelle Dewitt! *fangirls* OMG YES.
I was absolutely shocked that Joss Whedon managed to write that character, and particularly her relationship with Topher. I kinda want proof of his direct involvement because, frankly, I suspect the intervention of a rogue staff writer. (I have a few low opinions of Whedon's character writing.) But then, I think Whedon really pushed outside his comfort zones on a number of fronts when writing Dollhouse, so maybe I should give him a little more respect.

Re: Eliza Dushku, I was mostly just happy with all the pretty... she has her moments, but you're right, her acting is frequently not great.
I saw a great comment that she was the perfect actress to play the fully-developed Echo because Echo had such a monolithic, bland personality anyway. Which sounds snarkier than I or (I think) the original commenter intended it--there is just something . . . creepily uniform about late-stage Echo that works perfectly.

[bendingwind]

I was absolutely shocked that Joss Whedon managed to write that character, and particularly her relationship with Topher. I kinda want proof of his direct involvement because, frankly, I suspect the intervention of a rogue staff writer. (I have a few low opinions of Whedon's character writing.) But then, I think Whedon really pushed outside his comfort zones on a number of fronts when writing Dollhouse, so maybe I should give him a little more respect.

From what I hear about Joss, he's much easier to appreciate as a ground-breaking writer if you're watching his shows while they air. Buffy really broke ground with what could/could not be discussed on television, and despite some troubling themes, was apparently pretty revolutionary. Firefly (apparently, again, I'm not really a big television guru) sort of broke ground in showing that a television could build a massive, cohesive universe without completely breaking the budget. Those things seem really commonplace now, because, well, they became so after he showed that they could be done. Dollhouse is the only show I actually watched while it was airing, so I think it's easier to appreciate just how massive a leap he was taking with some of the themes and statements of that show, and how inherently different it is from a lot of other television.

I have some definite problems with things he's written, but I enjoy his shows and I have a lot of respect for him as someone who paved the way for other writers to write even better shows.