Dollhouse - S01E01

Considering how brilliant Buffy, Firefly and Dr.Horrible are, was there any chance that Dollhouse could live up to the expectation? I hoped so. Well actually I consciously downgraded my expectation, which was a fortunate thing to do, because the first episode of Joss Whedon's new show was spectacularly unspectacular.

My issues with the episode are :

1. The Science Fictional aspects were completely unnecessary for the story.
2. The involvement of the Science Fictional aspects were not at all believable.

Which is a bit of a shame. As a police, crime, kidnap story I guess it was okay, although I don't watch those kinds of programmes and imagine that it can be done a lot better. But why was the Dollhouse involved at all? If you're a billionaire and your daughter gets kidnapped do you:

(a) Hire the best kidnap negotiator in the world

(b) Go to a top secret organisation that implants memories into people and ask for someone who has the memories of the best kidnap negotiator in the world.

I would have thought (a).

If the show turns out as an excuse to do a different genre story every week I'll be very disappointed. Joe 90 did that, and was more fun.

Also lacking, as many people have pointed out, was the trademark Whedon whit. The lines were dull and flat, as were the characters. Is this Joss trying to be serious? Not great, and not even on the same planet as Dr. Horrible. But I'm not going to do a TV Network and write it off just yet. I will give Dollhouse a chance.

PS. Fox, please let me hotlink to the nice photos you have of the episode rather than wrap them in a Flash security blanket.