"The Hollow Men"

THE USUAL SPOILER ALERT HERE: IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE EPISODE, STOP READING NOW.

This time, I'm just going to jot down the various things that occurred to me during this episode, in no particular order:

• Can you say "poetic justice"? I mean, I can't think of a more fitting end for the man responsible for the thought-pocalypse (I don't care what you think, Topher, it's really Boyd's fault in the end) than to turn him into a Doll and then blow him up while simultaneously destroying his headquarters? And yet, at the same time, I couldn't help feeling sorry for him. I mean, he was good ol' Boyd for so long, it's hard not to still feel a twinge of friendly feeling for him. And on that note...

• Thank you Topher for articulating exactly what I felt after learning of Boyd's true identity! "I mean, what an actor! I don't know whether to hate him or ask for his autograph!"

• And one more thing on Boyd: anyone else get really creeped out with his "I love you guys"? This is one creepy, twisted, sociopathic S.O.B. if he thinks that they're a "family" after all the manipulation he's subjected them to.
  

• Mellie! Oh God, Mellie! I loved her and Ballard together from the beginning, so I should have known, given Joss's history with couples (he hates them, apparently, and therefore continues to tear them apart) that one of them would die. But oh, poor Mellie! At least she died nobly, saving Paul's life and all. But still...

• One of my favorite lines of the episode came from Paul after Echo pulled a gun on Boyd and Boyd put a gun to Paul's head. Paul: "What did I miss?"

• A big thank you to the writers for giving us one last glimpse of Victor-as-Topher. Pure awesome, again.

• And am I the only one who found herself screaming at the screen several times. First: "No, Topher, don't trust him!" And later: "No, Paul, don't give Mellie the gun!" I call it a good piece of television if I'm so invested in the story that I'm yelling at people who clearly can't hear me.
  

My head's still spinning...

HERE BE SPOILERS. IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY SEEN THE DOLLHOUSE EPISODE "GETTING CLOSER," READ NO FURTHER. NO, REALLY. YOU DON'T WANT TO KEEP READING. JUST TRUST ME ON THIS.

I don't know how to feel about the Dollhouse writers right now: angry, betrayed, or just really, really impressed.

I mean really, I EXPECT Dollhouse to be full to the brim of plot twists. Of all the shows I've watched (except maybe for Lost), Dollhouse is the very best at being able to send my mind spinning and my jaw dropping week after week. It started with the "Alan Tudyk is ALPHA?!?" revelation, then the "Whoa, Dr. Saunders is a DOLL?!?" and it just kept going from there. And even though I know the twists are probably coming, I'm still thrown for a loop.

But this one? Oh, it takes the cake. Big time.

Boyd. I thought I knew him. I liked him - hell, I TRUSTED him! Even though we knew very little about him, he had that protector/father-figure vibe that just made you believe in him. To reference another Whedon show, he was the Giles to Echo's Buffy.

And now? It's like finding out that Giles was the Big Bad all along.

I feel like the character died, and in a way, he did: Boyd, as we knew him, is gone, and the evil, mysterious Rossum head is in his place. And like any good fan faced with a character death, I'm scrambling to find ways in which he's not really dead - or rather, not really evil and slimy.

Just go with me for a second: If there's something we learned about the Dollhouse verse, it's that memories can be changed and manipulated. Perhaps the REAL head of Rossum changed Caroline's memories?

I know, I'm grasping at straws. I'll probably just have to accept the fact that one of my favorite characters never REALLY existed, and was just the Big Bad in disguise all along. And if that's the case, there are a LOT of questions. Here are just a couple:

• What is "Boyd's" agenda in facilitating Echo's development into a real personality? More to the point, what is his endgame? Why is Caroline/Echo so important, and what does he think she'll be able to help him achieve?
  
• Why has helped fight Rossum in the past? Just two episodes ago, he helped get Victor out of the Rossum hive mind soldier facility. And in this episode, he mowed down a bunch of Rossum agents in Adelle's office. Was it all just part of the deception?

Seriously, this show just keeps getting better and better. And I do believe that the sprint to the finish (only 2 episodes left!) is going to be EPIC television, friends. EPIC.

Another day, another "Best Of" list

I just had to post something about this list, because it a)includes three of my favorite characters and b) speaks up in defense of my favorite pilot, who, I find, is sometimes unfairly maligned by those who don't know better.

The list in question names the Best Characters of the Decade, and on at least three counts, the makers of the list were spot on. Here are the ones I totally agreed with and what the list writer had to say about them:

• #3. Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter. Loony Lovegood arrived late in the Potterverse: she made her first real appearance in 2003 in Order of the Phoenix. What makes her work as a character is that she's mad the way Hamlet is: merely north-north-west. There are things about the world, and about Harry, that only she can understand.

• #4. Wash from Firefly. In a show full of vivid characters, Wash was perhaps the vivid-est. He wasn't conventionally heroic -- he was never slow to point out the imminence and inevitability of the entire crew's destruction -- but when the chips were down, he was as brave as any man, or woman, on board. Except maybe his wife.

• #8. Dr. Horrible from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. The great thing about Dr. Horrible is that in a comic book world, he defies the conventional categories. He's neither a hero nor a villain. He's just a human being who wants to be loved. And who wears goggles and carries a freeze ray. And who periodically breaks into song.

And the treats just keep on coming!

The Pixar people are on a roll, because here we are with yet another little treat from Toy Story 3!

This time, the teaser is an actual clip from the movie, introduced by director Lee Unkrich. The clip is from near the beginning of the film when Andy is deciding what to do with his childhood toys.

Honestly, I'm rather surprised that Pixar is leaking so many pics and sneak peeks so early. I'm ecstatic too, of course, but still surprised. I guess they want the anticipation as high as possible by the time June 18 rolls around.

I, for one, will be in the front of the line!

Toy Story 3 updates

Just thought I'd share a little treat from the people at Pixar. Remember, just six more months til Toy Story 3!

Behold:


And:
Now, obviously, these pics are staged and not from real scenes. However, they do give us a bit of info.

For one thing, they tell us which of the characters we've known and loved will return. Notice that Bo Peep (among others) is missing. If they include a scene showing her departure and Woody's reaction, that could be some pretty heartbreaking stuff.

For another thing, the pics give us a bit more insight into the feelings of the character. In both pics, Woody seems to be the only toy who is concerned/worried about the daycare. I would have thought they'd all be a bit upset about being discarded by Andy and sent off to daycare. Hmmm...

Oh, and we also know the name of the daycare: Sunnyside.

All in all, it's not much, but it's something.

I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS MOVIE.

UPDATE: One more! Here it is:


We already saw this scene in the trailer, but it's nice to see the still anyway. I mean what's not to love about this? The return of the "Astro Nut," the Jessie/Buzz cuteness, the "oh no, what is WRONG with him?" look on Woody's face - it's all classic.

Celebrate the Nerdery

I made a fantastic discovery today, and I'm still geeking out about it!

Singer Marian Call is, as it turns out, the voice for geeky/nerdy people everywhere. She's made some really well-done fan music for the sci fi genre, particularly Battlestar Galactica and Firefly / Serenity. But my favorite song of hers is the non-fandom-specific "The Nerd Anthem." Enjoy:

Let the awards season begin!

The Golden Globes nominations came out recently and brought with them a few surprises and several squee-able moments. A few of the highlights:

• I was a bit disappointed that Up wasn't nominated for Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical. Yes, it was nominated for Best Animated Feature, but I find that category somewhat limiting. Animation is a method, not a genre; animated films can be both comedies and dramas, and they should be allowed to compete in those categories.
• Speaking of Best Animated Feature, I think the field is pretty good. Of course I'm rooting for Up, but it might get some heavy competition from the critically-acclaimed The Fantastic Mr. Fox, the new Disney classic The Princess and the Frog, and the beautifully animated Coraline. The only film I wouldn't call much of a threat is Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, which was visually wonderful but light on story.
  
• Glee love! Glee was nominated not only for Best Television Series, Comedy or Musical, but also Best Actor (the AWESOME Matthew Morrison - I love him), Best Actress (the talented and pitch-perfect Lea Michele), and Best Supporting Actress (the hilarious and incredible Jane Lynch). I call this revenge of the Gleeks!
• Meryl Streep was nominated TWICE for Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical. The nods were for Julie and Julia and It's Complicated. I haven't seen It's Complicated, but I'd say Meryl is a shoe-in for her joyous and chameleon-like turn as Julia Child.
  
• Stanley Tucci was nominated for his role as a serial killer in The Lovely Bones. I haven't seen the film yet, but I've read the book, and if anyone can make that character as creepy and complicated as he's supposed to be, it's the talented Mr. Tucci, whom I've loved ever since I saw him play Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream.

UPDATE: Can't believe I forgot this the first time:

• Um, a question for the Golden Globes people: Where's the love for The Big Bang Theory? Seriously, the show is awesome, with great characters, great writing, and the beyond amazing Jim Parsons. Which brings me to the next question: why the **** didn't he get a nomination? What, he's good enough for the Emmys but not for you? Fail, Golden Globes people. Epic, epic fail.