I was extremely unimpressed by Dr. Horrible.

I don't think being a spoof gives an unlimited pass for one and two dimensional characterizations, over all klunky dialog (in spite of occasional great lines). And I did not see any brilliant ideas either. Wanting to stop injustice, save the world and impress girls is not a good enough reason to try to take it over? Cops/Superheroes/Presidents who care more about their image than helping people are not helpful, and are kind of villainous themselves? That villains are people themselves and may turn evil out of frustration with how badly things are run plus frustration over social awkwardness and inability to get laid? This is not a critique, because I felt like I totally did not "get" Dr. Horrible. Don't think I'm going to change my mind and start loving it, but maybe someone could point out what I'm missing so I could understand what other see. Cause my opinions have differed from Buffista norm before, but usually I at least understood what people saw stuff. Don't know though, if Nilly's spicy essays did not help me see it, I don't know how much effort it is worth for anyone else. Is it just the music? Cause I liked the music, just not enough to carry the rest for me.

And Sail helps with the Xpost. Does not ping me the same way, but it makes sense to me.

::goes to sit with Sail, who is apparently speaking for my brain today::

Typo, I don't know how many musicals you've seen, but a lot of the things you point out are kind of par for the course for the genre. Also, I don't know that Joss was setting out to say anything that hasn't been said before, but rather trying to give that his own spin.

That's just my pre-breakfast $0.02, though.

::snuggles with Ailleann::

We can share.

I enjoyed it, but the pitifulness of

Penny was not enjoyable. All along she was just such a sad sack. Yes, she was an unfailing advocate for the homeless, but she let Captain Hammer treat her like shit and she was rapturous over it.

Typo, I thought the whole thing was supposed to be ironic. So, I enjoyed it (the music, etc.) because it seemed to be a straight parody. I figured the whole thing was going to be about an ineffectual superhero. Although one could argue that the whole thing IS about an ineffectual superhero given that the fool couldn't kill the Hammer. He was kind of endearing that he wanted evil in the world, but wouldn't rape and murder until Hammer got in his grill. And Hammer wasn't exactly a hero, so I thought this would be a flip the script kind of thing.

Oh well.

> she let Captain Hammer treat her like shit and she was rapturous over it

yes but in Act III I could see she was waffling a little bit. Everyone says I should be happy and all that jazz. Plus, the whole laundromat scene where she's singing had me thinking - if Billy had gone to the laundromat that day instead of plotting against Hammer would Penny and her extra fro-yo swayed him? Would she have told him she was doubting Hammer? She was clearly waiting for him.

See, le_n, I thought that we were supposed to think that Hammer acted great when he was dealing with Penny, and like a schmuck in the asides so that we could figure it out. It was only when he had the full attention of the press that he didn't keep up the facade.

d & Ailleann -

yes, she was waffling a little bit, but Hammer was such an arrogant prick. He tossed her into garbage! He was yawning on a date. I just wanted more assertiveness from her. She couldn't even be assertive when she was trying to get signatures. All those people were walking right by her. She just seemed oblivious and then too meek.

I get that, but... sometimes people are meek and don't stand up for themselves, you know?

yeah, but...

this was so short. I would have liked the conclusion better if that hadn't been the case. Her doormat tendency coupled with her death, just left me a bit unsatisfied. Maybe if she and Hammer had died...