Intro + Mutant Enemy Returns

I am going to use this space as a forum for what I hope is reasonably intelligent and articulate conversation about great t.v. that is being ignored by most of the viewing public.

Deciding to invest time in a show is a big decision and one that often ends in disappointment. Most shows fail. That simple fact can make watching television as stressful as it is entertaining. If you are watching a show that is not a big obvious hit you are running the chances of getting emotionally invested in a story that you may never get to see the end of. 

Deciding to make that choice and going against the odds is a big deal for me. The shows I am going to be writing about are ones I think are worth choosing to say "Screw it, that show is just too damn good not too watch whether I get to see the ending or not."

On that slightly cheesy and impassioned note, I would be remiss if I did not quickly mention that Joss Whedon, king of shows no one watches, has a new show on fox called Dollhouse. 

The show premiered Friday to really terrible ratings. I thought it was a solid first episode that showed a lot of promise. I really liked three aspects in particular

Penikett, of Battlestar Galactica fame, was super as Paul Ballard, the government agent investigating the rumors about the Dollhouse's existence. Great departure for him from his work on Battlestar as Helo. Particularly loved the scene in the office with his superiors intercut with his sparring session. Great and simple introduction that told us a lot about the character in a short amount of time.

Love Harry Lennix as Echo's "handler". I see a relationship developing between the two very similiar to that of Buffy and Giles from Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Whedon's most well known effort. The pull between doing his job and protecting a girl that he cares about is good drama for Lennix. The character of Boyd Langdon should be a great one.

The father of the kidnapped girl raises the question of how the Dolls are selected for their assigments. I hope they explore that idea further as I thought it was the most intriguing part of a fairly generic kidnapping subplot.