JimK:  I forgot to write up the show last week - episode 6 was supposed to be the big turn-around for the show.  So let’s get started. NO SPOILERS! I’m not discussing any plot points

Man on the Street - This was supposed to be The One.  The episode that finally fully realized the Whedon/Dushku vision of this show, free (in part, at least) from the meddling of Fox television assholes executives.

It was.  It was much different than the episodes before.  Tighter, punchier, funnier, darker.  Dushku’s dialogue was cut into smaller, much more manageable chunks.  Everyone stepped up their game as far as the acting went. The direction has style, but most of all?  The story was told through events unfolding, not over-long chunks of exposition. It was a perfect balance of storytelling…there was emotional punch, two wonderful surprises, and an excellent use of Olivia Williams’s Ms. DeWitt.  It was more of a threat to see the boss instead of seeing her and her office every two seconds.  The overall tone, while funnier in parts, was deeper and darker, and very welcome.

There was some mystery introduced, some elements of betrayal…everyone’s character was more fully explored and developed.  Agent Ballard does something that very much mirrors the behavior of those he is constantly attacking (clients of the Dollhouse) and calls into mind the larger questions the show is asking, questions about free will, force, slavery, feminism, humanity etc.

All around I thought it was an episode packed with really good stuff.  I was tweeting about it and saying that it was worth the wait…but I was still reserved in my hope.  Take this pair of tweets for example:

dannytrs: Ep 6 of Dollhouse was great. So what’s the statute of limitations us Whedonites get to say “I told you so”

JimK: @DannyTRS Right on about the new #dollhouse, but we need like three more of that quality before we can get cocky.

So…does Echoes (week 7) continue the streak?

No.

First thing I noticed was how verbose everyone was again.  The pacing was off, the timing of most of the actors was off…by which I mean they were missing the scene’s natural beats.  Often when trying to pack so many words in, actors rush through ALL their dialogue, even the shorter stuff that needs to be emphasized.  The first five episodes of Dollhouse suffered from this problem, and it’s back in seven.  The story was told largely in exposition, with a lot of what felt like Treknobabble to tell the details.  I found the humor to be better, much more in line with what you expect from a Joss Whedon show, but the execution of the actual scenes was lacking. And the direction was utilitarian at best, all the style from the previous week seemed to be missing.

And Wash Jr. Topher is just getting annoying.  Too quirky, like a caricature, not a character. 

Basically I’m pretty done unless there’s some major turn around…but at this point I don’t think Dollhouse can be saved.  Anyone who tries to jump in and watch it now will be incredibly confused. If next week is more in line with eps. 1-5 and #7, then the show isn’t worth making time to watch.

Bottom line is Dushku cannot carry the show as the lead, and on top of that, no one seems to be able to stay consistent in how they tell the story.  I’m afraid that Man on the Street (week 6) was an aberration.  From the low to a perfect high right back to the low…I fear Dollhouse is already dead, it just doesn’t know enough to lie down.

I’m going to keep watching, but only out of a twisted sense of loyalty just like Gabe from Penny Arcade.