The first thing to pop into my head is "Does Joss smell nice?"

swanjun | July 13, 22:11 CET

Their Conversations video is addictive. I've watched it...many times.

Succatash | July 13, 22:51 CET

bix: will your dream be out on DVD any time soon? ;)

Also: I didn't know Jed and Maurissa (it feels weird, calling them by their first names. Although: we 'joss it up' regularly, so maybe not weird) had so many videos on youtube. There goes some more precious time.

and, finally and actually on-topic: anyone tempted to ask what they listen to on their ipods?

GVH | July 13, 23:57 CET

GVH, unfortunately, their web series Apartment 4B (which is pretty good, for something told entirely from the vantage point of a webcam) is missing its first episode, which is kind of critical to grasp the weird little arc the rest of the episodes go through. The second episode, especially, only works the way it should if you've seen the first one.

[ edited by theonetruebix on 2008-07-13 21:06 ]

The One True b!X | July 14, 00:05 CET

Nathan is awesome for getting this set-up and I just want to say I'm proud to moderate for him :)

I'll have to investigate these videos before I ask any questions.

flak | July 14, 00:20 CET

bix: thanks for the heads-up. I'll just stick to their other video's for now (I see you've mentioned the missing ep1 in their comment section. Anyone ever get any word why it's missing? Wait, maybe that's a good question ;))

GVH | July 14, 00:31 CET

Since the episode dealt with Jed and Maurissa (fictitiously) trying to come up a lucrative pornsite idea - if I'm recalling this rightly - I'd imagine they were cleaning up their online presence in time for the Doc Horrible onslaught.

Wouldn't mind hearing their answer, though...

(And I think I read somewhere that most writers - like many saints - exude a delectable odor of perfume, even after their deaths - the well-known "Odor of Sanctity - but it's possible I'm getting my religious icons mixed up here.)

QuoterGal | July 14, 01:53 CET

It still drives me batty that they left the rest of Apartment 4B up. I get it's their call, but the narrative, such as it is, really does not work properly without that first installment.

The One True b!X | July 14, 02:06 CET

Alexander the Great smelled of violets, at least that's what they told him.

I think it may be difficult for the writers to give spoiler free replies to some Dollhouse questions.

silvius | July 14, 02:42 CET

Joss smells kind of like...it's a root vegetable...not radishes...turnips!

Where have I heard that before?

dreamlogic | July 14, 02:46 CET

That's Nathan, not Joss. Or has Nathan secretly hired you to try to turn it around? ;)

The One True b!X | July 14, 02:49 CET

If he has, than he's a smart man (which we already knew). Because, well, there's no better place to start than at whedonesque - where rumors turn to news, which turns to truth.

Maybe we should convince studios to stop going to Comic-Con and organise 'Conesque - a whedonesque shindig filled with studio spin'. Should be fun.

GVH | July 14, 03:26 CET

I thought all writers smelled like white out, alcohol, and Old Spice.

Con-esque. I'd go.

NYPinTA | July 14, 03:31 CET

joss smells of beer. Whilst drunk.

gossi | July 14, 04:05 CET

I haven't checked out their stuff, so theonetruebix saying that there's not much narrative to Apartment 4B is kind of worrying. I guess since Joss worked with them on Dr. Horrible, he feels confident in their abilities. Me, I'm worried about noobie writers. I'm so invested in us getting more than a few episodes out of Dollhouse that I want only the heaviest hitters.

Guess we'll see.

shambleau | July 14, 04:11 CET

There are always baby writers on all shows. They tend to be pretty well supervised.

TamaraC | July 14, 04:15 CET

On some shows, I wouldn't be surprised if they were literally baby writers.

shambleau | July 14, 04:39 CET

I don't think Bix was saying quite that (but correct me if I'm wrong, bix ;)). He said the narritive doesn't work properly anymore, without the first episode which was removed. I'm guessing you're interpreting the "but the narrative, such as it is" statement as a negative, but since he also said it's, and I quote, "pretty good for something told entirely from the vantage point of a webcam", I'm guessing he liked it. Plus, ofcourse, even if he didn't like it, there's no reason bix couldn't be, y'know wrong :p

Also: it's Joss' family, which means - in this case - at least 50% of them has their genes speaking for them. And: their webshorts are great. Plus, finally: if they're good enough for Joss, they're certainly good enough for me :). You can be more than sure that they can write, or he wouldn't have hired them (even if they are family) - I think he even said so in one of his posts. So I don't think we need to worry.

ETA:

What if he's drinking wine, gossi?

[ edited by GVH on 2008-07-14 02:04 ]

GVH | July 14, 05:01 CET

It's not really a narrative type of show, shambleau. It's disparate bits that nonetheless fit together in context. But most of that context goes away without the set-up of episode one.

Point being: Some writing is cohesively narrative and other writing is not. Something that positions itself rather loosely in terms of overarchig narrative isn't somehow automatically poor, weak, or light writing. Apartment 4B shouldn't be some sort of reflection (positive or negative) on their writing for Dollhouse.

ETA that it's especially true that episode two utterly fails in terms of how it's meant to work without the long and methodical story told in episode one.

[ edited by theonetruebix on 2008-07-14 02:13 ]

The One True b!X | July 14, 05:02 CET

Personally, I'm really happy to see more of the Whedon clan show their stuff. Like others have said, I have nothing but faith in Joss's judgment, in terms of talent. If ever I doubt a decision, I simply try to remember that he introduced many of us to Jane Espenson.

And also... and I'm trying to word this very, very carefully, but... speaking as the youngest sibling in a family of six (and as the middle child of my "Best Friend Family" of three), it can't be terribly easy being the younger (? - is Zack also younger?) brother of someone that many people refer to as a deity.

From what I've seen, Jed and Zack seem like incredibly great people, but still - there's gotta be a Marcia, Marcia, Marcia quotient in there, too.

That said, can I be Joss's brother, too?? ;)

Knuckleball | July 14, 05:20 CET

It's clear to me that this family is in desperate need of a sister or two. Coincidentally, I'm just the right age to be an older sister! *casually avoids eye contact*

Heeee, I just read the tags. Do you remember any of his musical instructions, b!X?

Oh, dear, I just looked up Joss's father on IMDb. It says he's the father of Joss and Zack but only related to Jed. Oh, poor poor Jed, I wonder what awful thing he did! (Silly IMDb ;D)

cabri | July 14, 11:39 CET

Jed is Joss' half brother from what I gather.

Simon | July 14, 12:18 CET

Do you remember any of his musical instructions, b!X?

I remember part of it was math.

The One True b!X | July 14, 19:27 CET

Eeeeek. Math keeps rearing its head on whedonesque, and All Math is Simply Horrifyin'.^TM

"...let the games begin, unless they are games of skill, or physical exertion of any kind, or with math." - Joss Whedon, 2/06, "Let the Long March to Nerd Prom Begin."

QuoterGal | July 14, 20:06 CET

Or more directly.

The One True b!X | July 14, 20:13 CET

Oh wow. His previous comment in that thread is even more deliberately terrible. I'm a little afraid.

Sunfire | July 14, 20:20 CET