TV: Some quick thoughts on the new season

Here's the thing about TV right now - Lost hasn't started and Battlestar Galactica is a distant memory.
And that is really harshing my television buzz, man.

Otherwise, am I liking the new season? Well ... yeah, I guess.
I'm vaguely intrigued by FlashForward, but I can't get past how they are repackaging Lost's mosaic storytelling into an urban environment with more guns (and star tattoos).
Still, the premise seems pretty tight. I'll stay tuned. And I'm hopeful that this time around, the writers have a solid endgame. Please write to that. Nobody wants a million "Hatch Tangents" like Darlton & Co. did in Lost season two.
Dollhouse's season two pilot was fun (and satisfied by fanboism by featuring two former BSG cast members - Jamie Bamber & Tahmoh Penikett). How was the story? Well, it dragged a bit and and hinged way too much on Bamber's obscenely sluggish trigger finger, but the ending set up what I hope is going to be a great second season. Too bad it looked like the ratings were some of the worst ever.
Fringe is also back. And yes, John Noble remains the only reason to watch.
The Office also returned recently and remains one of my favorite shows on television. Dwight continued his streak of manly superiority in the premiere (parkour!) and after much deliberation I've decided I'm starting to warm up to the whole Pam/Jim thing.
Hey, it only took me 3 seasons ...

Other shows to check out: ABC's Modern Family (It's got Ed O'Neill, which is reason enough). And maybe Community on NBC, although I'm still kind of neutral on that one.

TV: Goodbye Dollhouse, We Hardly Knew Ye

Things aren't looking good for Dollhouse.
Last Friday's season finale racked up the show's lowest rating ever, pulling a pithy 2.8 million viewers and a 1.0/6 preliminary rating in the 18-49 demographic.
The show premiered at around a 2.0/6 rank.
Based on these numbers, Fox will likely pull the plug in this show, but Dollhouse's rough season isn't terribly surprising. The show faced a number of early hurdles including the dreaded Friday night time slot and several mandated episodes that turned off many early viewers.
Add into the mix the fact Fox paired the upstart sci-fi drama against the legendary Battlestar Galactica, and its not a stretch to say this show was doomed from the beginning.
But the plug hasn't officially been pulled yet, so I'm hopeful Joss Whedon will get another season to do his thing.
Sure, the show took some time to gather steam, but it's been nothing short of spectacular in recent weeks and Friday night's episode was no exception. Spoilers ahead!
Guest star Alan Tudyk (Firefly, Dodgeball) made another spellbinding appearance as Alpha, the uber-smart/uber-violent doll obsessed with making Echo (Eliza Dushku) his uber-smart/uber-violent partner in crime. By imprinting Echo with dozens of personalities, Alpha tries (unsucessfully) to turn Echo into Omega, his doomsday weapon, as it were, who would be able to deal the final blow to the Dollhouse.
In recent weeks Dollhouse has tackled some pretty heavy existential issues. Regular show themes center around the nature of the soul and the mutability of personalities and human consciousness. Heavy stuff. But the philosophy is always mixed in well with the action (and a fair dose of comedy) and, surprisingly, it all works. Not only that, it works really, really well.
If the show is canceled (and I really, really hope it isn't) at least the season finale did mostly wrap up the show's plot. Sure, I'd love to see more of Alan Tudyk. And yeah, I'm curious to find out if io9 has it right when they say everybody is a doll, but if Dollhouse gets boxed at least it went out on a high note.
The DVD will also feature a bonus 13th episode starring none other than geek goddess Felicia Day, so who can argue with that?

Image credit: IGN TV

FYI: I'm not dead ...

I just spent today organizing the hundreds and hundreds of CDs/DVDs I've accumulated over the years. Working at several radio stations and getting tons of free music has its upsides, yes, but the dust that was building up in my room was getting unbearable.
I should be back tomorrow.
For now, enjoy an interview with Dollhouse's Alan Tudyk (Alpha) about the "theology" of his character.