Advance Review: Dollhouse - 1x01 - "Ghost"

It's been ages since Joss Whedon last had an episode of television air on network television. Now four years later he's back with Dollhouse.

Dollhouse stars Eliza Dushku, who Whedon has previously worked on in Buffy and Angel, and she plays the character of Echo. Echo is part of the Dollhouse, an organization that houses childlike blank slates who are imprinted with mission-appropriate personalities and hired out to clients for a very expensive fee.

The show has famously had some upheaval during production. The initial first episode, "Echo", was scrapped and "Ghost" was written in its place. At the time "Ghost" was written, the original first episode was to become the second episode. That is now not the case either. It's all very confusing but when you bear it all in mind it's not surprising that some of "Ghost" is clunky. Exposition is imparted in such a way as to accompany "Echo" and not tread on its toes too much. Despite this the way much of the exposition is given just does not work. Much of it doesn't flow naturally. The owner of the Dollhouse, Adelle, explains to an allegedly long time, repeat customer the rules of hiring a doll as if it were his first time. Shouldn't he know this by now? There are several examples of this throughout the episode where characters explain things or engage in spur of the moment philosophical conversations instead of allowing the viewer to work it out themselves. It's not dissimilar to when the characters in House psycho-analyze each other every week.

The plot of the episode revolves around Echo being imprinted with the personality of a n expert hostage negotiator to aid aforementioned long-time client in retrieving his daughter from a group of kidnappers. The case is rife with twists and turns and implications of the "engagement" spill over into the confines of the Dollhouse itself. Having said this Eliza Dushku was not altogether convincing with the new personality, which was stereotypical to begin with, but such is the nature of the premise and show's formula.

If it seems like I hate the show, I don't. There is one element that definitely points towards future greatness. This element involves Alpha, who one assumes is a former doll at the Dollhouse. He is set up as a problem for Adelle and he has an interest in both Echo and FBI Agent Paul Ballard. The inclusion of Alpha creates promise that once the series evolves beyond its "engagement of the week" formula it will become must-see TV in the same vein as previous Whedon shows.

In summary: "Ghost" is not the best first episode ever, most likely due to the troubled birth of the show. However, a first episode is just that: a first episode, and most of my problems with "Ghost" are first-episode problems. I have every confidence that once we're over the introduction phase Dollhouse will be as good as anything else on TV.

Review: Scrubs - 8x03/8x04 - “My Saving Grace”/”My Happy Place”

It seems Scrubs really is out of the coma it had been in the last few seasons, as they put in another solid performance this week.

“My Saving Grace” was centered around the idea of being accepted or rejected from Sacred Heart Hospital, depending on your attitude. The center-piece of this was apparently Carla and the self-centered back-stabbing new intern Katie having a conversation about how Katie needs to accept the hospital as her home in order to survive there. The problem with this plot line was that Katie herself isn’t really developed enough for us to be invested in if she stays or goes from the hospital. Perhaps if we’d been given more exposure to her before this chat it’d have been far more engaging. As it is, it’s a nice yet underwhelming set piece for the episode.

The outing of Dr. Maddox in retaliation for her going down the road Katie is being told not to is more successful, even though Maddox probably wasn’t mined for all of her potential either. The patients this week (good to see patients being used properly again as well) were used to cement the idea that Maddox had to go, even though Kelso would probably have gotten away with it back in S1. The cast working together as a team to this end is quite interesting, and leads to some amusing team-ups, such as the Janitor and Cox. What is interesting here is the way the cast do indeed come together like a family to get rid of a threat to the hospital. The evolution of their relationships between S1 and now is fairly interesting, and Cox revealing respect for Kelso is particularly telling of how far they’ve come, given a previous season finale involved Cox smacking the bullying Kelso on the kisser.

“My Happy Place” was the more enjoyable episode for me, focusing on the idea of the pursuit of happiness. Bob Kelso was fairly central to this episode, and they directly confronted the fact he’s always floating around the hospital these days, which was very nice to see. He has also mellowed a lot since S1, going from a feared villainous ruler of the hospital to something of a friendly grandfather, albeit one with a sharp tongue when need be. They could have easily just had him standing around telling jokes all season just so they didn’t have to write him off, but they instead go for a more interesting angle and explore the fact that a rather dissatisfied Bob Kelso has little in his life outside of the hospital. In a way, this ties back into the idea of Sacred Heart as a family from the previous episode. I’m intrigued to see if that will be a season-long theme. Janitor conning his way back onto the payroll is very similar to this, and we see yet another amusing Janitor team-up, this time with Ted. The fact Ted is desperate for Janitor to return further the sense of belong the characters have to the hospital. Turk gaining Cox’s trust also ties in, and it’s becoming clear that by the end of the show Turk, J.D. and Elliot will be on the same level as Cox as doctors.

J.D. and Elliot get back together in this episode, and in a very surprising turn the way they do it is actually quite enjoyable. These “will they, won’t they” storyline's always run the risk of getting annoying or melodramatic by a certain point, but a more mature approach taken by both J.D. and Elliot, showing how both have grown as people since earlier seasons, leads to some good character moments for both. What’s particularly enjoyable here is the way J.D. and Elliot pondering over whether or not to risk things for happiness is worth it is what causes Kelso to decide he doesn’t care what others think of him as long as he’s happy, which in turn also sways J.D. and Elliot into giving it another shot. All in all, a very successful episode that hits its thematic points perfectly.

Review: Nip/Tuck - 5x16 - "Gene Shelly"

This week the guy's on the show were being emasculated left, right and center following last week's reveal that Sean isn't really disabled and Christian's diagnosis of breast cancer and subsequent surgery to remove his man boob.

The difference here is that while Sean enjoys being emasculated and capitalizes on every opportunity for attention, whether it's his ex-wife cooking for him or sleeping with one of his students, Christian is not enjoying the loss of the dominance he once shared. This becomes apparent after Kimber rejects him after seeing his new scar and he resorts to hiring a hooker. That doesn't pan out either and in an effort to prove he hasn't lost it he sets himself a bigger challenge: screwing Liz, the show's resident lesbian. The scene in which this happens is both disturbing and interesting as Christian climbs atop her while pretending to be asleep. Needless to say, one poke of Christian Troy's super-penis and she's beginning to doubt her sexuality.

By this point in the series, Sean has fully completed his journey into becoming a complete asshole. He sleeps with his students, fakes a disability to the extent he refuses to do Christian's breast reconstruction and even thinks asking Christian if he's lost his hair is appropriate light conversation. Sean is a product of his environment and as we see at the end of the episode both Julia and Matt are quick to turn on him the moment they find out he was faking his disability. Matt has clearly forgotten how many times Sean's forgiven him for his various screw ups and Julia... Well, Julia has amnesia. But she's recovering nicely. After being shot point blank in the head. And you know how Sean still has stabbing scars? You'd never know Julia was shot in the head just a week or so before him. Also: it looks like she's a lesbian again.

Finally, Kimber returned for one scene and at this point of the show Kimber should just be written out and forgotten about. Her character is everywhere and has been everywhere since the end of season three now when she was raped and tortured by the Carver. She returned shortly after and received no sympathy from anyone else for what she'd been through and in response to that she started acting like a self-destructive, vindictive bitch. This pattern continues in this episode where she once again refuses to take personal responsibility for her prior relations with Christian and shifts the blame to him. Anytime I have to think too much about Kimber's evolution and involvement in this series it makes my head hurt. And then it just makes me hate her and any character she's ever shared a scene with.

Ignoring this, "Gene Shelly" was another solid installment. The second half of season five may as well be a sixth season. The themes, arcs and color palettes are all new. And on top of this a lot of the crap from last year has been brushed aside fairly quickly, if not forgotten. It's been great for this half season, but it confirms my belief they had no idea what they were doing with the first half of season five.

Review: Damages - 2x01 - "I Lied, Too"

"I Lied, Too" picks up very soon after season one left off. Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) is feeling pangs of guilt over how she won the Frobisher case and Ellen Pearsons (Rose Byrne) is still hot on the pursuit of revenge against both Patty and Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson).

The titular piece of dialogue from this episode ended up being spoken by Ellen. The novelty of Damages is it literally could've been any other character in the show saying it and you wouldn't bat an eyelid, such are the machinations that permeate every scene of this show. Lies are not a new theme for Damages, however. If you hadn't guessed from the pilot, it was enforced at the end of the first season episode "Tastes Like a Ho-Ho" when Patty imparts three very wise words: "trust no one." In "I Lied, Too" the ante is definitely upped. Perhaps this is because the one honest character from last season, Ellen, has now joined the ranks of the liars and the manipulators.

The unease and tension created for the audience due to not knowing who's lying is compounded by the fact that even the characters' actions and appearances lie. Patty Hewes appears to have softened throughout the episode, looking to redeem herself by opening a foundation. We later learn she's as underhanded as ever, using the cokehead daughter of a business associate to manipulate him into actually support her new venture. Likewise, the FBI and Ellen are so desperate to bring Patty down that not even dead infants escape being used as pawns. Da Fro (Ted Danson) refuses to shave in a bid for pity from his estranged wife. And they want me to believe Wes Krulik (Tim Olyphant) walked fifteen blocks to return something to Ellen just for the sake of being nice? Not buying it. On top of this, new character Daniel Purcell (William Hurt) is so mysterious and hostile towards Patty it makes it impossible to trust him this early in the game.

A key scene of this episode takes place at the end between Ellen and Patty. It is key because even though there are still lies being tossed around it is the most honest we see Patty in a long while; Confiding in Ellen that she went to visit, her deceased daughter, Julia Hewes's grave. This confession provides a lot of insight into Patty's character as we find out she believes she'd be a different person if her daughter was still alive. Does she associate Julia with a more innocent time? Patty also says she wishes if her daughter had lived that she'd grow up to be like Ellen. Is she still viewing Ellen as an innocent? If she is she's very much mistaken as after the events of last season Ellen's as damaged as anyone else on this show. Ultimately, throughout the episode, Patty comes across as a woman full of regrets -- she's too far gone to change her ways, solving every little problem with a lie or manipulation. All the while she's yearning for a more innocent time before the web of lies was spun. David's murder was the catalyst that corrupted Ellen and it is likely Julia's death had the same effect on Patty.

Are Patty and Ellen's lives really that similar? If they are I hope we meet whoever mentored Patty at some point before Patty passes Ellen the baton and the pupil surpasses the teacher.

Review: Scrubs - 8x01/8x02 - "My Jerks"/"My Last Words"

Several years ago, it became apparent that Scrubs was a bit poorly. The cough of increasingly ridiculous daydreams, the runny nose of the cast turning into caricatures of themselves... Eventually, as the sickness got worse, I figured the show had gone terminal, and I bailed. So news that Season 8, relocated to the new hospital ward of ABC, was beginning to show signs of improvement peaked my interest. With that in mind, I finally went over for visitors hour for the Season 8 premiere.

The first episode of the double bill, "My Jerks", indeed started showing signs of improvement. Within the first five minutes, several of the jokes are actually... y'know, funny. A particularly clever cancer joke raised a laugh, and references to Lost message boards can never be a bad thing. A recurring gag about red balloons stemming from this also hits its mark. The move to ABC brings with it some new cast members, as both the new Chief of Medicine (Courtney Cox as Dr. Maddox) and J.D.'s new group of interns enter the hospital. Apparently there has been talk of these new interns carrying Scrubs on after Zach Braff leaves at the end of this season. Personally, I can't see it. They work well in the roles given to them in this episode, be it forcing Elliot to confront her very self-centred attitude (although I'm not convinced that's as new as they made out it was), or causing J.D. to admit he's tired of teaching them, which I imagine will factor into the endgame of the show. However, they just seem like enjoyable supporting characters for the actual cast -- there were no real standouts that I'd choose to watch if they were on their own. Maddox plays a relatively amusing role, especially in her interactions with Janitor, who was as amusing as ever. From laugh-out-loud comedy (the final scene, reminiscent of Arrested Development's self-referential network problems scene, is hilarious) to some good character-based drama, the season's definitely off to a good start.

"My Last Words" plays with a different area of the show, with a more introspective emotional episode dealing with coming to terms with death. In contrast to the previous episode, it has a much focused approach on J.D. and Turk, as they cancel their yearly Steak Night to comfort a proud man as he approaches death. In a way, the idea of having to cancel a yearly routine that means a lot to you says a lot for the way death is treated here -- as their dying patient George says, one minute you're here, the next minute you're just gone. The ensemble is barely used, with Kelso, Cox, Janitor and Elliot not appearing at all, and the rest of the cast being used sparingly. The episode managed to reach some very good emotional heights, and in that sense it was reminiscent of what made the earlier seasons so excellent. George's eventual death scene worked very well, and J.D.'s thoughts on it are particularly poignant. The way a gag about a flare from early in the episode returns in the final scene definitely lived up to the "classic Scrubs" angle that Bill Lawrence promised for Season 8, and along with a very fitting song choice to end the episode on, proved that Scrubs hasn't lost it yet.

So, what's my final diagnosis on Scrubs Season 8? So far, vitals are improving and a lot of the problems plaguing the last few seasons seem to be in remission. The comedy mostly came from the characters themselves, rather than extremely over-exaggerated versions of the characters doing increasingly absurd things in J.D.'s mind. The second episode especially avoided relying on crazy dream sequences, and in turn managed to produce a more subtle, emotional episode than I've seen from Scrubs in some time. All in all, I'll definitely be visiting Sacred Heart Hospital again, and can only hope the opening episodes show a recovery from creative illness, as opposed to just a temporary shot in the arm for the medical comedy.

Review: Nip/Tuck - 5x15 - "Ronnie Chase"

It's been almost a year since the last episode of season five aired, leaving us on a cliffhanger when Sean was stabbed at the hands of Colleen Rose. The second part of the season picks up five minutes before the last half ended before eventually jettisoning us four months into the future where Sean is in a wheelchair following the stabbing and Christian has just been diagnosed with stage two breast cancer.

By the end of the episode both doctors examine their new scars, a metaphor for the toll time has taken on their body and it is clear by the end of it that both Sean and Christian will be facing their own mortality this season. This is only made worse by annoying new character Raj, a seventeen year old child prodigy who Sean brings into McNamara/Troy. No doubt the inclusion of Raj will only serve to annoy both doctors as the season grows on. In many ways this is the natural progression of the show, which has essentially been about Sean and Christian's mid-life crises from the get-go.

The cast's chemistry in "Ronnie Chase" is the best it has been in this show for a while. Christian and Sean are once again getting on, no longer squabbling over fame or who gets to screw Julia each week. Liz and Christian are also getting along on top of this. Their grudging friendship is often portrayed by the writers as being all out hatred and it was nice seeing them return to the dynamic they shared in the first three seasons.

This episode also dispatched Colleen Rose when Sean killed her. Typical of the first half of season five, Colleen veered from lonely fanatic to cold-blooded killer as the plot called for it, with scarcely any clear cut characterization. This episode also did away with Matt's incest storyline and while it had little resolution to it I'm not shedding any tears as these kinda plots are a dime a dozen for Matt. Next on the hit list in "Ronnie Chase" was the season four episode "Connor McNamara, 2026", which was explained away as being a dream and not how the future of Nip/Tuck will look. While contradicting creator Ryan Murphy's claims that the 2026 episode was canonical, the revelation that it was a dream fed into this episode's theme rather nicely as Sean explained that the dream had given him hope for the future. You decide, though: cheap retcon or justified doing away of a lackluster episode?

All in all, once the loose ends from last year were tied up, this is a solid episode not dissimilar to what we were used to in the first two seasons. If the show keeps this up we could be in for a good year of Nip/Tuck. Of course, the show's previous track record suggests it's only a matter of time until characters are shitting in hot tubs and being poisoned with fruitcake.

Tie In Watch: Harmony Bites

Ever wondered what Buffy and Angel's Harmony Kendall would be like on a show like The Hills?

Battlestar Gallactica writer Jane Espenson provides an answer in a short tie in comic to Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight in the latest edition of Dark Horse Presents.

Check it out online for free here.