Ailleann --

I've had thoughts about Mellie's character, but I was distracted by the no pants and the funny.

Since I know from interviews about the shows inception and premise, I am seeing Mellie mainly as a symbol of the whole "LA-eats-actresses" thing that Joss spoke of in an interview somewhere. Maybe the world eats women, or at least projects ideals onto them as a way of comformity, but I was really thinking about LA and actresses as a specific. Don't ask me for the interview, cause I have no idea but I definitely remember reading it. Remember, Mellie kept going back to the "denied stock option" thing in addition to the "do you think of her when you're on top of me?" stuff. And she's already mentioned that she "knows she's not the gold standard in LA." Hmmm. I'd be interested in reading an interview with Miracle Laurie, and seeing what the actual's actresses perception of this is.

Anyway, I think that Mellie's basic personality is no more flawed than any of the other Actives; they all go back to that idea of the world eats women thing (and the male Actives are an interesting comment onperceived gender roles and passivity in our culture) but Mellie pings the LA-eats-actresses button harder because of her weight. And I'm thinking that Joss HAD to have cast a (very) slightly heavy girl who also was completely beautiful -- not pretty, but gorgeous -- otherwise the message might be lost in the "But she's a COW" reactions you know that can happen in the American viewership.

Actually, what strikes me about Mellie/Laurie is how she's a more solid/healthy/realistic version of Echo/Dushku.

Eliza may be entirely healthy and Miracle may not--I don't think that's a comparison we have information to make.

I think my problem is up until she was triggered Mellie was, though perhaps a little broadly drawn and/or overdone, a fully-formed character with strengths and flaws and a sense of authentic humanity. She was, really, the only character we've met so far who wasn't deeply broken (all the Actives, most of the clients, I suspect Bennett) or under the Dollhouse's thumb (Boyd, Topher, possibly some of the other Dollhouse employees).

And then they triggered her, and made that whole personality a lie, and made Mellie into just another victim.

I hate that Mellie is an doll. I want to wonder who might be a doll, not think that everyone is.

Her name is Miracle? Huh.

Ooh, and interesting that she was originally playing a different character.

[link]

Everyone else has probably already read that post.

Ooh, and interesting that she was originally playing a different character.

They said this about Victor, too. I think Joss was just covering up the fact that Mellie and Victor were actives.

Miracle was originally cast and announced as "November" on Whedonesque by Joss. Same with Enver for "Victor". After the original pilot got thrown out and many things were saved as reveals for later on, Joss tried lying to cover up those were Actives. Didn't really work for most people, but hey, gotta give it a shot.

Miracle emailed me last night asking if I was enjoying Dollhouse. I may have lied slightly in response.

Funny that she's doll. I thought she was just boring. The character, not the actress.