Dollhouse – Stage Fright

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Stage Fright was my favorite episode of Dollhouse so far, but that does not say it was without fault. Far from it. Echo is programmed to protect a pop star by becoming a backup singer in her entourage. The biggest issue I have each week is that the missions do not seem cool enough, they have limited action, and do not seem as grandiose as one would think for an operation like the Dollhouse. One of the other storylines involves Ballard starting to get a little closer to finding out some information about the Dollhouse.  This leads to some people with connections to the inner workings of Dollhouse trying to stop him for good.

Jaime Lee Kirchner, as Rayna Russell, and Graham Norris, as the crazy fan, are both good casting choices.  Jaime played Rayna as some self centered, over dramatic pop/R&B singer, which is to say she played the part perfectly.  Graham played the crazy fan as someone smart enough to accomplish all the crazy thoughts he has going on in his head about Rayna and himself.  I have already hit on the rest of the regular cast in previous reviews and nothing has changed so far.  As usual for the rest of the episodes we have already seen, the Echo as an “active” weekly story line is the weakest part of the episode.  It was very similar to the movie of the The Bodyguard for my wife’s tastes, but for me I felt more engrossed in this storyline over the first two episodes.  Minor annoyance for me though, and it happens often in other shows as well not just in Dollhouse, when you are filming a crowd scene for a concert keep it tight, make me feel like it is a huge crowd.  When you pan out during a concert scene and can see the back wall and the small crowd of extras the immersion factor goes way down for me.

We do get a bit of insight as to why someone would want to hire an “active” over a professional this week.  We already know about them not having a memory of the assignment, so that is a great thing for those discrete clients, but what about the ability to program in caring for the person they are protecting?  That should mean they will go more out of their way to protect them, or at least that is the theory that you can debate.  Sierra who is getting a more active roll on the series then I thought originally, plays a weird plot point this week as an “active”.   Yes I understand why she was there for backup, but why is she programmed with no fighting skill, and to just be demure?  She could have had a better programming job for her assignment this week.  Also, I may have mentioned it before, but why does the Dollhouseuse hard drives for data storage, give us something cool like holographic memory.  One of the cool moments in this episode we find out that Lubov works for the Dollhouse, but probably does not even know it.   We also get a whole bunch of new questions about Ballard popping into our heads (what is up with his neighbor), and Laurence is still a jack ass.

This episode had a bit better story this week, but as I have stated in the previous reviews, the meat and potatoes of this story lies in the story going on behind the scenes at the Dollhouse.  We see Sierra and Echo have a moment at the end while they pass each other that screams “you are not erasing everything”, and that is why I keep tuning in each week.

8 Comments

1. 

   Elena

   March 2, 2009 at 9:57 am

   This episode gave me a new theory on what the show is doing wrong. You touched on this idea but I’ll say it overtly:

   They are trying too hard, too early, to make Echo seem special.

   I think what they should have done is give us a set-up episode, that may or may not have been that spectacular but everyone would forgive it because it was the opener to a show with a complex idea/backstory. Then they should have focused on some awesome story lines for her jobs. They should have gone episodic for at least a few episodes, even if it was gratuitously, because a show of this nature has the freedom to really be episodic. Then, after they hook us with some kick-ass story ep’s (that are self-contained stories) they can start up with perhaps less interesting assignments that are less interesting precisely because the background story is becoming more interesting…plus by then we’ll know more of echo and care more. i honestly didn’t care very much when she was trying to escape crazy bow-guy, because it was the second episode and i have no emotional investment yet.

   Instead of giving us that emotional investment and really hooking us with how awesome the show is, they’re focused really hard on making us see EVERY EPISODE that echo is special, that she’s not forgetting everything, that she’s the best because she can think outside the programming, etc. And they’re not focused on anything else. Like the entertainment factor. I found this episode about as meh as the others. About all I can say about it is that it was good enough that I’ll still tune in next week.

   Reply
2. 

   Damon

   March 2, 2009 at 11:21 am

   So do you think then if the first episode or two was just Dollhouse background it would have worked better? I agree about the story lines for her job being a bit tame, like how about infiltrating some secret society stuff, that would be cool. I dont think no matter when it came the crazy bow dude episode was weak and overdone Well I think with the fact that they are showing us each episode that Echo is special has more to do with the fact that society as a whole that is watching the show is just not that smart and attentive to details so it is force fed to us

   Reply
3. 

   Elena

   March 2, 2009 at 3:02 pm

   If I understand what you’re saying with “just dollhouse background” to be, basically, just some everyday assignments at the dollhouse that include cool stuff like infiltrating secret societies, then yes. I think it would work better because if the individual assignments were interesting and unique instead of ripping off late 80s/early 90s movies and Dick Frances novels (first episode reminded me of his novel Danger), then I would get excited about the show. Then I would actually care when the big picture story started to come in. Right now, even though it’s more interesting, I don’t have enough concern for the characters to be emotionally interested in whether Ballard succeeds or Echo is becoming less of a Tabula Rossa (sp?) with every wipe.

   Is this another case of a Whedon show that should have been put on Sci-Fi Channel instead of Fox?

   Maybe the problem was in how they marketed it in the commercials and descriptions. It seemed like it was going to be an episodic show, with the inevitable bigger story that such shows have. Instead it’s unfolding more like a novel where what’s important is the bigger story not the immediate action.

   Everyone I know who’s watching it is kind of scratching their head wondering why it’s not kicking as much ass as it seemed like it would, from the concept.

   Reply
4. 

   Damon

   March 2, 2009 at 3:17 pm

   It is funny how you mention the Sci-Fi Channel and brings up a very valid point. Are some shows just too smart for mainstream television? For me I do not think it is the lack of emotional investment killing it, but like you said the rehash of much better shows/movies being compressed and forced into an hour with the rest of the background story. My emotional investment of Ballard comes through osmosis from Battlestar Galactica It is not kicking any ass though that is for sure. Battlestar Galactica on NBC, could you only imagine what we would be missing out on if they went that route.

   Reply
5. 

   Elena

   March 2, 2009 at 3:58 pm

   Ha! Yeah, I think that’s why I am interested in his storyline, too.

   Battlestar could not have existed on NBC. One of the main reasons everyone who loves it so much loves it is because of its unflinching darkness. That couldn’t fly on network TV.

   I think Whedon “learned his lesson” with Firefly, which wasn’t dumbed down and got cancelled, and has dumbed down this one, to the detriment of the show. Possibly so much that it will get cancelled, anyway, and if so then that is just sad, that there won’t even be 1 awesome season to love forever.

   Reply
6. 

   zoki

   March 3, 2009 at 3:07 am

   Few weeks ago on Conan O’Brien, Eliza Dusku announced that “real” story will come out after 13 episodes, so I’m givin’ up on it:-)

   Reply
7. 

   zoki

   March 3, 2009 at 3:08 am

   Few weeks ago on Conan O’Brien, Eliza Dusku announced that “real” story will come out after 13 episodes, so I’m NOT givin’ up on it:-)
   sorry, forgot the keyword:-)

   Reply
8. 

   Damon

   March 3, 2009 at 7:27 am

   Yeah I do not think I am ready to give up on it at all, but I also do not find myself looking forward to it yet each Friday either. Certain shows have fallen off the DVR rotation this year but this is not one of them yet.

   Reply