Steph, I don't think Joss is (or needs to) teach us why trafficking is wrong. At least, I hope not.

I would have agreed with you if not for the heavy-handed anvilly message hammered home.

The issue I think I'm going to have with this show is that we're being set up to be sympathetic with characters who participate in this ongoing abuse of the Actives. Amy Acker's character, the handler, and maybe even Topher (except he's so totally skeevy and Warren-ish it's hard to find him sympathetic but I don't know that the show intends him to be unsympathetic). It's as if this were Buffy, the demon-rape happened every week, and Giles participated.

So, yeah. Is challenging the premise in the text sufficient? I'm not sure. It's not like there's a shortage of television that exploits women, you know?

I'm also over-sensitized to the presentation of characters of color these days, and the only COC on screen so far are a powerless black subordinate and an Asian hottie. This is not multi-culturalism, Joss.

It did worse in the ratings than FIREFLY, THE INSIDE and DRIVE. And probably WONDERFALLS, I haven't checked yet.

This will be fun.

(except he's so totally skeevy and Warren-ish it's hard to find him sympathetic but I don't know that the show intends him to be unsympathetic)

I didn't find him skeevy in this episode. I find his perspective interesting because I get the sense that, while he believes they're helping people and is proud of his work in a scientific sense, he finds it unfortunate that he has to continually strip the Actives of their peopleness, leaving them nothing but shells.

And putting the actual victim IN THE REFRIGERATOR? I laughed and laughed and laughed. "Look how ironic I'm being! Because the victim survived and was in fact rescued by another woman, so my skeevy gender issues are okay!"

Ha! I didn't pick up on that.

Polter-Cow, I quite like Topher, so I'm thankful to find somebody who at least finds his perspective interesting. There's a lot 'o hate online.

I've also seen mostly hate, and I don't really get it. I know the "cutting-edge science in a house full of hot chicks" line is troubling (although I've read it as more of a joke [and I think it was written as one], the reality of the line in the world as depicted is that the "hot chicks" are literally just bodies in that house), but in this episode, he didn't seem particularly leery of the women. He's just doing his job. His job just happens to be icky.

I wasn't too thrilled with "the new moon has made her a virgin again", or whatever that line was. Mindwipe does not equal sexual purity.

But I'm definitely willing to watch another episode and see where it goes.

Polter-Cow, the feeling I get is it's the fact he seems to enjoy his job.

I wasn't too thrilled with "the new moon has made her a virgin again", or whatever that line was. Mindwipe does not equal sexual purity.

Oh yeah, I didn't like that line either.

people who tie each other up for sex don't have league regulations, etc. (And therefore no cool jerseys and TV broadcasts on Sunday afternoons.)

Alas! Because I'd totally buy one of those jerseys, and I think that the commentators would be comedy gold.