tiggy: You remember me! Aww!

And I am in much agreement that Topher is the character that this show needs more of.

of course i do! how've you been?

how've you been?

Great! Also complicated! Life, and all that :D How are things with you? Am hanging out in Natter if you want to, well, natter...

Whatever the blatant and/or hidden premise of the show may be, I'd still like to see it be more entertaining. I'm not getting the level of great characters and brilliant banter that I was looking for at all. I don't want to come in here and be down on the show all the time, but I don't want to have to dig to find things to be happy with either.

There are some characters I find interesting, just too many that aren't.

Ok, I'm trying to take a closer look at the characters since that is what usually keeps me in a show. It seems to break into 3 categories for me.

Interesting - Topher, Sierra, Victor, Dr. Saunders. In many ways it isn't how they have been written, but the performances by the actors which have been impressive. As an example of this, I am convinced that Sierra would have been interesting to me without the in-your-face abuse. Although the doctor hasn't had a direct story line (unless it was in a missed ep), still interesting.

Neutral - Adelle, Boyd, November. These 3 could easily develop into interesting characters, but aren't there yet.

Whatever - Paul, Echo. I really want to care about them, but I really don't. Alas, they really should be on the top of the interesting list.

Hasn't Joss been pretty open about the whole genesis of this idea being Eliza wanting to say something about the actor's experience in Hollywood? I didn't think the show's meta-fiction aspect was any mysterious hidden thing.

I also think discussion of the shoe center's too much on this idea. As a premise goes, it's only ever loosely nodded to, and far less than the more esoteric ideas of free will and beginnings and ends of personal identity. As with many things Joss says, I suspect fans have taken something he said as a starting point, and tried to read it into every aspect of the show. There was a point as the the show developed that the meta issues fell away somewhat and the show's internal mythology moved forward.

So, I picked up DVDs for the first episodes of DH, but I haven't quite mustered up the enthusiasm to watch 'em yet.

(Leverage, otoh, is made of pure, grade A win, if the first two episodes are anything to go by.)

Just watched fri's ep. Not my favorite , but I didn't hate it. ED did a great job with Margret -- and I was pleased that others agreed with me. I as a little slow on the uptake, I missed what the whole Topher/ Sierra thing was about until the end. But then it was marget 's story and Paul's story too.

I've seen the whole meta story telling thing all along, but I only saw that as part of the show. From the last episodes I'd say the show is about loneliness. And then there is the whole fight that you know you are losing but you fight any way. There aren't even any small victories here. It is grim.

I used to think that Boyd might be a good guy, but he is oddly leaning toward evil for me. I think it has to do with his very neutral character. and oddly I want to know why Adelle is doing what she is doing... some of it seems very distasteful to her.

I don't have anything on tv that I find compelling in the way buffy/angel/firefly were. But then I never had anything before them either.

Now to thoughts you all made me think about the meta story -- We all wear masks- how much do we really know anybody, even our children, our spouses , our parents - and what is every body hiding, and is our chosen way of interacting, our preference for the superficial - is that what makes it so easy to hide.

So if everyone is lying and hiding in the Dollhouse. Is there a truth.

My most paranoid lizard brain is saying maybe the Dollhouse is real....

But then I might have to believe in other conspiracies ...

so maybe I should watch House.

So the Actives = Actors

The Dollhouse = Fox (with all the other Dollhouses being other studios)

Topher = Joss

The customers = The audience

?