Dollhouse 1x04 Gray Hour - Poll & Discuss

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by Plain Simple, Mar 7, 2009.

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Grade "Gray Hour"

  1. Excellent

    4 vote(s)
    7.1%
  2. Above average

    24 vote(s)
    42.9%
  3. Average

    20 vote(s)
    35.7%
  4. Below average

    5 vote(s)
    8.9%
  5. Poor

    3 vote(s)
    5.4%
  1. FPAlpha

    FPAlpha Vice Admiral Premium Member

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    Now that would be a Whedon-worthy mindfuck twist! :cool:
     
  2. Amy Sisson

    Amy Sisson Writer Captain

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    Houston, TX
    I thought this particular episode was mostly average, maybe a little above.

    I liked that Echo and Sierra got the same personality. Interesting with a little humor.

    I don't really want to see Echo broken down to toddler level every episode, whispering "shall I go now?", but I trust that will be less as she remembers more.

    I'm annoyed with Topher -- the acting, but also the reset button every week: "That can't happen! OMG!" then next week he's his cocky, smart-ass self to Boyd again, like nothing can ever go wrong.

    Before I speculated that Echo invented the tech. Now I think that Echo and Alpha were college sweethearts who co-invented the tech, and everyone has gone wrong, wrong, wrong.

    I'm still into this show and where it can go. And I made a rhyme.
     
  3. Bacl

    Bacl Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Wehnimer's Landing, Elanthia
    I'll agree with you there. Topher is not just my least favorite character; he's very, very annoying. Too bad that hot Asian chick from last week can't take over as the mind-wipe specialist.
     
  4. Rii

    Rii Rear Admiral

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    Strongest episode yet. Any ideas as to who Adelle was on the phone with early in the episode?
     
  5. Hyperspace05

    Hyperspace05 Commodore Commodore

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    I'm also jumping on the "Topher is the most annoying character" bandwagon. :techman:
     
  6. CobraCommander

    CobraCommander Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    Nor Cal
    Count me in the Topher is annoying wagon too! I don't go for the Alpha is Echo's sweetheart since he did murder her parents in ep. 2. That wouldn't be a way to impress your girlfriend (unless she is Faith from Buffy).:klingon:
     
  7. Mr Light

    Mr Light Admiral Admiral

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    Pennsylvania
    I don't mind Topher... he's the only character on the show with a personality.
     
  8. Plain Simple

    Plain Simple Commodore Commodore

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    UK
    He murdered her parents?!? Was that the scene where he's watching the video of Echo? That scene was quite confusing imo. I didn't really figure out what was going on there. Certainly didn't get the idea that he murdered her parents. Quite a big thing I'd say.

    The Alpha story line up till now can not really hold my attention. Perhaps because Alpha has just been a mostly unseen force up until now, and not a very interesting one imo. Alpha here, Adam on BtVS... why can't Joss come up with interesting first male villains. :)
     
  9. CobraCommander

    CobraCommander Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    When he's watching the video, he is in an average middle class house with the bodies of a man and a woman. They both appear to be 40-ish (the hair and clothing). Since he is looking through a personal video of Caroline, the logical deduction is that he is in her parents home. I don't understand the futiility of killing the parents. There is now no way for Echo to go home. She has nothing left.
     
  10. Amy Sisson

    Amy Sisson Writer Captain

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    If my speculation is correct, that would be EX-sweetheart. So, no need to impress. I think he's trying to get back AT her, not get back WITH her. ;)
     
  11. Rii

    Rii Rear Admiral

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    Perhaps I'm misunderstanding you, but The Master, Spike, Angel, and The Mayor all predated Adam on BtVS. :confused:
     
  12. Iasius

    Iasius Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Oct 15, 2003
    I disagree on the interesting premise part. At least for a TV show, it doesn't make sense. TV shows thrive in developing *characters* and the resulting stories that you like to follow each week. At least that's the reason I like my favorite shows.
    Yes, Eliza Dushku is very pretty and I must admit, the main reason I'm still watching this show (not that Fox cares about me watching this show ;)) alongside hoping that Whedon can conjure up a miracle and save this mess. The problem is, that's not nearly enough to keep me interested for long.
    The premise of this show has a *major* flaw in it and it's right at the center. How are we supposed to care about her and the other mind-wiped characters every week unless an underlying personality quickly emerges?
    Basically, this show tries to have its cake and eat it too. The basic premise is tailor-made for a really episodic television show (or maybe containing multiple mini arcs). But since it's the same actors portraying the different characters each week we're also supposed to see some sort of overall (character) arc to these episodes.
    I don't see how that can continue forward, we'll either get an episodic television show (unlikely, as it would mean changing the cast often), or we're going to move to a format that eliminates the "new personality every episode" format soon, however, that's pretty much the point of these early episodes.

    I feel like I'm watching a multi-episode extended prologue to the actual series and I don't think this prologue is particularly interesting.
    That's what I'm wondering, what constitutes "switching into high gear" on this show while still maintaining the basic premise of this show?

    I'll be pleasantly surprised if Whedon came up with a twist that I didn't think of and ties all of this together, but especially given the ratings, I suppose I should be glad that I'm not exactly becoming attached to this show right now, as much as I liked Firefly, Angel and to a lesser extent Buffy.


    Oh and yes, I ignored completely here that the Dollhouse as depicted makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, but that's been covered by others very well already (see Temis's posts among others).
     
  13. Plain Simple

    Plain Simple Commodore Commodore

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    You are most definitely misunderstanding me. :) I didn't mean (first) (male villains), but (first male) villains. Adam: first man according to biblical genesis story; Alpha: first letter/first-leading male in a group. And obviously the names were chosen to elicit these ideas, definitely for Adam, but probably for Alpha as well.



    Well put. The prologue is spun out too much. I didn't read the original script of the first episode that was linked to in last week's thread, but according to some who did, it contains many elements that ended up in episodes 1-4, which only reinforces the idea that the prologue was extended into multiple episodes.

    Whether or not the show goes into high gear in a couple of episodes, I think the least we may expect is that Echo starts remembering 'past lives' and starts to build some personality, so that we can invest in the character. Expect to be fully immersed in her story by the time the show is cancelled. ;)

    My curiosity demands me to ask: what German dialect is that signature of yours in? And what does it say? Closest I can come by educated guessing is "And yet they still managed to kill the East?" or something along those lines?
     
  14. Iasius

    Iasius Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
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    It's low German and a quote from a resident of my home town on 20th July 1944 as reported by Erika Staack:

    [translated by me]
    From "Witnesses of the history of the Börde Sittensen 1918-1956", a book written a few years ago, recording the memories of those in the village where I grew up. I never knew my grandparents and they never talked much to my parents about that time, so as a person who is interested in history this book was the closest I could come to see what life in that time was like for my grandparents.
     
    Last edited: Mar 11, 2009
  15. Plain Simple

    Plain Simple Commodore Commodore

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    ^Thanks. "Carrion", that makes sense now I think about it.

    It must be great to have a detailed account of part of the history of your town. Especially if it's a small town it's usually not very likely to find it I guess. And you might even know the people in the book, or at least their descendants, personally if the town's small enough.