Okay, getting past the creepiness enough to comment coherently.
I watched these first two eps back-to-back. I hadn't had a chance until now to see the pilot, so perhaps that's why my creep-o-meter was set especially high. It's also why I haven't been posting in or reading this thread until now, so please forgive me if I repeat what other people have already said. I'm planning on trying to keep up with it now.
I love Web's character. I love the idea of Web as puppet master (and yeah--the posable action figures line made me laugh and flinch at the same time, which is quite a trick if you can pull it off). I also love that unanswered question: so what is his history, exactly? How did he become the way he is? I like that all of the characters are damaged in some way and that Web selects his team for the strengths that grow out of being damaged...which obviously ties pretty solidly into this week's script.
I really liked that the dominant wasn't the killer tonight. I liked also that the issue of S&M and judgement was broached and yet never resolved. I like it when characters are well-developed enough to believably have different reactions to topics like that. I agree with whomever it was (Jessica, I think?) that said they thought that that was written well. It didn't settle for any of the stereotypes: it was neither glorified nor villified.
[ETA: Emily said what I meant better in an earlier x-post:]
My problem tends to be that it's played so blatantly to titillate (not this time, I'm saying usually) and wavers between glamorizing and moralizing, so the people involved are all gorgeous and wearing fantastic clothing and in opulent surroundings -- and they're also pretentious and/or violent. Okay, Brandt was a bit pretentious. But other than that, well avoided!Rebecca is growing on me. I liked the first episode, but I wasn't thrilled with her--something about her didn't quite ring true for me at first. I have to say, though, that I like her much better now. I'm so glad that the cell phone msg was her and not Web; that added a whole new dimension to her and took away the predictible: that is was the puppet master again. Very interesting.
So yeah...short version is that I'm really glad I have this TiVo'd and am liking it so far, much more so after this second show. Next week looks really interesting too.
It's nice to have a Minear show back on the air.