Dollhouse, 01×02, “The Target”

The good things first: this episode was MUCH better than last week’s. The tension felt more real, and so did the basic premise (for a world in which people’s personalities can be wiped, anyway).  We get the first hints that the brain-wipes don’t always go as well as planned, and we find out some of the backstory.

I like the character of Boyd more and more, and Topher, albeit funny, grows increasingly creepy.  I’m intrigued by Alpha.  I’ll keep watching next week.

BUT… I am still really worried by the depictions of women in the show.  (SPOILERS after the jump!)

Gender in the Dollhouse

Joss Whedon’s new show Dollhouse premiered on Friday. I have to say that I didn’t really enjoy this episode. The New York Times review calls the Dollhouse universe “thin and bland,” and I did kind of agree with that. Thin, yes; bland, perhaps; malevolent, certainly. There are also certain gaping plot holes (why would this client pay for a doll for this situation? it makes no sense). But I hear that the next episode is better, and I am willing to give Joss Whedon another shot. However, I’m one of the ones who thinks that Penny’s fate in Dr. Horrible’s Singalong Blog was meant as satire (the headlines! Whedon couldn’t include those newspaper headlines and NOT be taking a shot at the woman-in-fridge trope!), so adjust your opinions of my opinion accordingly.

But before I move on, I have SEVERAL bones to pick with the NYT review.