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Luke & Shayera

She always looks like she's pissed, but I swear, he didn't make her do this.

Updated Thoughts on "Dollhouse"

So, "Dollhouse" continues to be a subject of much rancor and speculation.

I may be a "blind fanboy." I don't think I am. I can admit that some of the "Troi episodes" of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" were some of the weaker ones. I don't think they gave her a fair shake.

But Luke's as objective a person as I know, and he likes "Dollhouse" a lot.

We don't overlap a lot on tv shows and things like that. He'll never like Christina Aguilera the way I do, or get excited over a new Amanda Bynes movie. But we have yet to miss an episode of "Dollhouse," and that's just as much his doing as mine.

The show had a rocky start. I don't think it was as bad as some do, but I'll admit, I wasn't astounded by it like I was with "Firefly."

But the second episode was good. And the third was better, I thought (an unpopular opinion as well, I know, but there you have it.) And like Christina says, it keeps getting better.

The sixth episode blew my mind. Completely. Both of us sat there with our jaws dropped. It was phenomenal. The mythology, the acting, it was all there, and Joss was "back."

I think the show is more adult, it's a heavy thing, and I think people need to wise up to that fact. Can you imagine if Joss had done a show in which women were glorified sex slaves and treated it lightly? And yes, the show is way more than that, but consider that for a minute.

The show is brilliant. The concept is amazing. What is a "self?" It's an entire series about that question Angel asks Buffy at the end of season 2. Take away all your memories, all your knowledge, your family, your friends, and "what's left?" Are you still you? Are you still a person? This is not a story that can be told with teenagers or vampires. It can be told with humor, and is, but if Joss keeps using the same jokes, people would turn on him, too.

Eliza's doing a great job. She's been dealt a bad hand in the press, some of which is deserved, but she's an actress that responds to strong direction, which I think she's been getting. The rest of the cast is great, too! I don't think she's the least interesting character, but I also think the strength of Joss is in ensemble.

I hope the network has greater faith in the show. I see good numbers in ratings, better when you add in DVR numbers, iTunes purchases, and Hulu viewings. I think the audience is there. And I, for one, will take part in whatever Save The Dollhouse campaigns there are.

Atlanta

So, my friends, prepare for my arrival.

That's right. Luke and I are going to be back in late August or early September. Once Luke is done with school, we're blowing this popsicle stand.

And I'm going to get my REALTOR®'s license! I know, you've heard that song before, but this time, it's FO SHO. We're saving up $8,000 for the trip, getting a cheap apartment, and going to set up our businesses!

d(ˆ_ˆ)b (That's a thumbs up, not ears)

Latest Picture

Luke and I at the Dallas World Zoo/"Aquarium" when Jen & Greg came to visit in February.

This is the most recent picture of us!

Tomorrow, though, Luke is buying the supplies to do Swedish Body Wraps, and so I will be thin and pretty!!

Ugh

I lack the fortitude to go to the gym without boyfriendal assistance.

Damn you, Felicia Day, for writing such a hysterical, enjoyable, and smart series that would make me watch it for two and a half hours, non-stop.

The Guild

Just started watching it. Watched all 20 episodes, the Christmas specials, trailers, and blooper reels.

I'm very tired.

www.watchtheguild.com

It's hysterical.

Bless their hearts

The music industry is so strange to me.

I'm listening, as some of you know, to the greats: Frank Sinatra, Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, and Billie Holliday. There's some Robbie Williams, Emmy Rossum, and the Puppini Sisters thrown in for good measure.

It got me thinking: I miss the days when it wasn't just about singing well, it was about emoting. You've got fantastic singers like Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Janis Joplin. Great singers, right? But they don't have what you'd think of as Beautiful Voices. I miss the days when it was more important to convey the feeling rather than sounding pretty. The exception, I say as you may groan, is Christina Aguilera, because I think her voice expresses pain, longing, and all that while she sounds fabulous doing it.

I guess we're kinda getting back to that, because people like Amy Winehouse, Duffy, and Nelly Furtado don't have well-trained voices, but you don't care because it sounds good anyway. But there again is another problem with the music industry, because Amy Winehouse came "first," and Duffy has a similar sound. I guess it's all a game of copying until someone comes along and shakes things up by doing something old again in a new way.

I don't know how to fix it, I certainly have no inside connections, and I don't even think the system is all that broken, but I'm free to comment on my blog, right?

My thoughts on "Dollhouse"

Ok, so I'm getting a little annoyed about some of the other reviews that I'm seeing about "Dollhouse," so I thought I'd post my thoughts.

Yes, I'll agree, it doesn't seem like Joss. YET. Eliza says to hold on, and I'm gonna trust her.

I still think it's a compelling piece of television, with a great amount of potential. The flaws that I see bear all the fingerprints of network tampering, so I'm going to stick it out, beyond the fact that it's Eliza and I'll eat anything up.

I have great, ahem, faith in her. She's a good actress who responds to strong direction. There have been some missteps, but I always remember seeing her in "True Lies" and thinking "who's that girl??"

People say her acting chops aren't there, or she plays a tough girl too often so it lessens their appreciation of her performance as Faith. What they're not taking into account is the reason her performance as Faith was so electrifying was not because she plays "Tough Chick" so well. (even though she does) it was the vulnerability and desperation she brought to the early performances, and the recovering person seeking redemption "act" that she NAILED in the later performances. Don't believe me about the early performances? Go back and watch the first half of Season 3. It's all in the eyes. Even as she's turning "bad," the look she gives Buffy is always "forgive me," or "I'm really sorry about all this." She nails the fact that Faith is seeking Buffy's approval, even as she's beating her face in.

As far as the later performances, as someone who has sought redemption myself, there is a certain amount of exasperation and still having to prove yourself that you have to do for the rest of your life, and she conveyed that perfectly.

The characters in "Dollhouse" are being pretty well defined, I think. The character development, even for characters that aren't being seen so much, like Dr. Saunders, is pretty good. Obviously, it's the first season, and everyone's working on it, but I think it's pretty good.

All said, the first season of "Buffy" was pretty rocky, and look how that turned out?? HAVE FAITH, stick it out, and enjoy it. It's only getting better! Episode one was ok, Episode two was better, and three was better than two!