I haven't connected to this show like I did Buffy or Angel or (to a lesser extent) Firefly. But that wasn't because of the subject matter, but because I didn't get to connect to the characters well enough. In fact, the only character I have been starting to like is Topher and somewhat Adele. This comes from a strictly get-to-know perspective and not a I-admire-this-character one.

That article was more clarifying on the whole symbolism of the Dollhouse being patriarchy, which I liked. But the show, as a whole, has yet to stun me.

This pretty much nails why I like the show. It's critique of both civilization and society, and how we normally act like the cogs we're supposed to is amazing.

Thank you for that blog post (I've been enjoying the rest of the blog too, what a great writer)! She took a lot of ideas that I had only very vaguely put together in my head and articulated them excellently.

One of the things this post didn't mention, but which is really interesting and possibly unknowable, is the fault lines between what Whedon wants to write and what FOX wants to show. FOX was uneasy about the "prostitution" part of the show (that was the word they used, not "sex slavery"), and from what I hear, just generally didn't really get the themes. I know there are individuals *at* FOX who do get it, but as a whole, you can sometimes see little things that don't quite jibe with the feminist messages.
Like that goddamn panning shot of naked citylit Echo before the commercials. No way that's meant to be ironic. Right?
Although at least they try and make up for it by having some equal-opportunity skin showing. With all the shirtless Paul Ballard scenes, I do believe we're seeing more of Helo now that BSG's over. A *lot* more. Maybe I'm a bad feminist, but you know what? I'm okay with the blatant objectification there, because Tahmoh Penikett is pretty.
Sorry. Sidetrack. What was I saying?
Oh. Right. FOX. Boo.

Dollhouse has made me think a lot about the issue of consent lately. But I think the show has made the point that what is happening to these people is wrong. Just because they haven't beaten us over the head with the fact that the Dollhouse is slavery doesn't mean the writers are saying it's not. I think they're trusting us to see these characters and realize that signing a contract doesn't mean consent has been given for anything they will be forced to do over the life of the deal. Even if they give the dolls their original personalities back, tell them what they are about to do, get their consent, then wipe their minds and imprint them, they are still being robbed of their ability to revoke that consent later. Everyone has the right to change their mind. So far, I think enough has been shown to adequately prove that the Dollhouse is forced prostitution plain and simple. That's why they gave us the story of how Sierra came to the Dollhouse. It made my skin crawl to see the man who basically had her mind erased and routinely rents her body knowing full well that she refused him. Hopefully, we'll eventually get to see his day of reckoning.

And it may be small and simple of me, but I really hope Boyd turns out to be a good guy somehow because I absolutely love Harry Lennix. Watching Boyd so far, he seems to be a good guy, something which just can't be reconciled with the fact that he works for this company. I really hope the show lives long enough for things to really be fleshed out.