The Dollhouse pilot: what would have made it great

Did you catch the much-talked-about Dollhouse pilot tonight? Maybe you were one of the few lucky ones to have watched it early via screener (or, ahem, some other means), or maybe you didn’t bother at all. I did happen to catch this episode early, which I already wrote about, but I’ve got a few more things to say about it now that it’s officially aired.

Like I said before, this episode didn’t capture me the way that I’d hoped. So far I’m ranking it up there with “it’s OK” — not even “pretty good.” I’ve seen next week’s episode, too, and while it definitely gets better, it’s still hovering around the “OK” rating in my book. So, what would make this show fare from “pretty good” to even “great?”

Joss Whedon’s stamp of humor — Where was it? So far, it’s nowhere to be found. Even in a show like Firefly, where the situation was most times grim, each episode was sprinkled with lots of quotable lines. I’m not really sure I’ve got any from this episode or the next that stood out as funny or remarkable. Joss has noted in interviews that people may notice this show is devoid of that particular trait we’ve all come to know, which only serves to make baby Jesus cry.

A reminder to fans why we love Joss — Besides text that says that “Joss Whedon” created and wrote this show, and the fact that there are a few appearances by familiar Buffyverse alums, would anyone know Whedon was involved? I’ve watched episodes of other shows that Joss had nothing at all to do with that felt a lot more like something he would have written than this show did (Veronica Mars and Supernatural come to mind).

A reason for new fans to watch — Nobody’s going to get what all the fuss is about when fanboys like me say “but … Joss Whedon created it!” So far I wouldn’t recommend this show as a shining example of what Joss is capable of. Maybe when we’ve got a season or half of one to discuss, I’ll change my mind, but this is the pilot I’m talking about here (and I have seen episode two, which gets better but not enough).

A sparkling role for Amy Acker — C’mon! What Buffyverse fan doesn’t like Amy Acker? Rather than giving her a more up-front role in the series, she’s thrown into what amounts to a bit part and probably something more of a “recurring character” role than someone we can look forward to in most episodes. She does appear in episode two (and her scars are explained then), but it’s again very brief. Time will tell if she’ll take a more prominent role.

A more Andrew-like feel to Topher — Look, I get this isn’t Buffy, nor is it Angel or Firefly. But when Topher appeared on-screen, didn’t you immediately think “Hey! They put an Andrew in the show!”? I know I did. So far, though, Topher’s just a … go-fer. He doesn’t seem to have the personality that’s missing from a character in his position. Where’s his love of comics and all things geek? Even with a dangerous job like being in the Dollhouse (yes, it is dangerous), there’s time for some lovable goofiness. He could easily be a mixture of Andrew and Xander in mannerisms, but he’s nothing at all like them. Where’s the likable, dorky non-hero we’re supposed to love when he appears on-screen?

More personality from Ballard — We seem to be getting information about Ballard in extremely small doses at first, and hopefully that’s not going to wear us thin over the first half of the season. So far, are we really supposed to care about him and what his motivations are for looking for the Dollhouse?

Less clothing in Eliza Dushku — Hey, a guy can dream, right?

In every interview I’d heard and read, when Joss has been asked about how this pilot differs from his original idea, he’s pretty vague about it. I don’t know about you, but I would love to see what that original pilot script looks like.

Clacked by Keith McDuffee
on Feb 13, 2009 @ 22:00 EST5EDT