Whedonesque : Comments on 21640 : (SPOILER) Press release for episode 2 of Dollhouse season 2.

How can it be episode 3 on October 2nd if episode one airs the week before?

Simon | September 14, 22:17 CET

I'm on it.

gossi | September 14, 22:19 CET

Amateurs! Amateurs!

Simon | September 14, 22:25 CET

These mission concepts just keep getting weirder.

Sunfire | September 14, 22:45 CET

Why do I get the feeling that Senator Perrin is going to get "treatment" courtesy of the Dollhouse.

Simon | September 14, 22:47 CET

It'd be more fitting if the Dollhouse outmaneuvers him without ever touching his brain.

Sunfire | September 14, 23:07 CET

Is anybody else wondering where this newborn baby Echo is supposed to be mothering came from?

kasadilla | September 14, 23:13 CET

Okay, episode 2x03 is airing as episode 2. It won't mess up the story as 2x02 (production order) was stand alone.

gossi | September 14, 23:18 CET

They really ought to refrain from putting the production number in the press releases, and just have an airdate number for press release purposes.

The One True b!X | September 14, 23:20 CET

I agree.

Might as well put it out there, 10/16 airing is preempted by baseball. Not a conspiracy or anything, it just is.

[ edited by gossi on 2009-09-14 23:20 ]

gossi | September 14, 23:21 CET

Conspiracy or no, it's a situation that lends itself to fan alarm pretty handily. And the lack of advertising's just going to add to it.

Sunfire | September 14, 23:25 CET

Sunfire, are you talking about he episode order or about the planned forever in advance baseball pre-emption that isn't really a pre-emption because baseball was planned long before Dollhouse was picked up?

TamaraC | September 14, 23:30 CET

Both. Plus the lack of ads. I'm talking about perception here. There's a PR silence and a fan nervousness about ratings and the only information really coming through is stuff like this.

Sunfire | September 14, 23:35 CET

Yeah, I'd definitely feel better about season 2 if I were seeing ads for it on FOX and/or F/X. Then again, I don't remember seeing ads for season 1 until the week of the premiere.

kasadilla | September 14, 23:39 CET

Oh please don't start this Fox. PLEASE.

Just when it was all going so well...

Apocalypse | September 14, 23:40 CET

There's a big Dollhouse press day going on at the moment with the big publications. They're trying.

That said - I agree, we need to see actual promos on air as they just haven't appeared yet. The slot it's on, the Fall relaunch and the pairing it has (I've seen the Brother pilot: it's bloody awful) means it's going have a very tough time. Some money and time needs to be spent on the show. There also needs be a very clear message coming out of publicity and Whedon and co: the show is better now, more focused, and will kick you in the balls and cackle in a hilarious fashion whilst doing it. Or in other words, tune back in folks, it's had a teen romance makeover. The glasses are off, 'cos Alpha jabbed them in your eyesocket.

gossi | September 14, 23:45 CET

Do we know why the episode order was changed? I agree the no promo thing is highly annoying. Saw ads yesterday for every other Fox program except Dollhouse, Hell's kitchen and 'Til Death during football. Mostly for Bones and Fringe which made sense, but a few for all the rest as well.

TamaraC | September 15, 00:07 CET

Today's the day the teddy bears have their...

Caroline | September 15, 00:10 CET

Yep. I just emailed Simon saying IT'S BEGUN Caroline.

Tamara, I don't know. Somebody at the network has just told me it won't effect the story. It's entirely possible Joss/Tim/whoever have reordered the episodes. This is, after all, one of the reasons for doing stand alones.

gossi | September 15, 00:15 CET

Maybe it's for the better. Two episodes of serialized story and then a standalone break. I like the sound of that more.

And more ads? Yes. Please. Now.

hitnrun017 | September 15, 00:17 CET

Maybe it's for the better. Two episodes of serialized story and then a standalone break. I like the sound of that more.

Generally speaking, without knowing any real sense how the three episodes play out, I'd tend to agree.

The One True b!X | September 15, 00:23 CET

The "FOX 2009 Fall Preview" just aired on the TV Guide network with that clip that's been on the internet for a couple weeks. Not much, but at least there was something out there.

hitnrun017 | September 15, 00:54 CET

FYI -- There was a little thing (I think a half hour or so) on Fox Movie Channel yesterday or the day before featuring Eliza being interviewed by three students about Dollhouse and acting in general. Mostly had clips from Season 1, but I there was some S2 stuff in there as well.

Not the same as a promo on the regular Fox station, but there is, at least, a minimal effort out there.

There's a PR silence and a fan nervousness about ratings and the only information really coming through is stuff like this.

Why does it feel like this comment is a time traveler visiting us from last year? ;)

[ edited by JMaloney on 2009-09-15 00:56 ]

JMaloney | September 15, 00:58 CET

Just to be clear, the change of order doesn't worry me. I'm just frustrated that we seem to probably be in for a repeat of last year, with stuff like this happening, not being communicated all that well, and then getting picked up by a blog somewhere as OH NOES DOLLHOUSE IN TROUBLE! And then well... you know the rest.

I shall now travel back to my own time and enjoy the lovely picnic foods.

Sunfire | September 15, 01:11 CET

I confess freely that I'm perplexed that FOX didn't learn from last season's rampantly poor communication skills/processes re: Dollhouse in advance of heading into this season.

Public relations can't just go "we know there's no problem here so obviously we don't need to say anything". It needs to go "gee, after last season, this is going to seem weird to people. so we'd better get out ahead of it with some basic and clear information".

It's kind of galling that many PR and marketing professionals get paid a decent amount of money for never learning from their mistakes.

The One True b!X | September 15, 01:15 CET

It might not be the PR people's doing. It may be that the priorities being set for them dictate this, and they're doing the best they can with limited time and resources. We know very little, on the outside. Just that the end result is really not good for internet chatter about the show.

Sunfire | September 15, 01:24 CET

The priorities for one's PR/marketing people should never be "don't bother to think about the impact your announcements will have". (Not that you think this. I'm just saying.)

[ edited by The One True b!X on 2009-09-15 01:34 ]

The One True b!X | September 15, 01:36 CET

I'm just frustrated that we seem to probably be in for a repeat of last year, with stuff like this happening, not being communicated all that well, and then getting picked up by a blog somewhere as OH NOES DOLLHOUSE IN TROUBLE! And then well... you know the rest.

As long as "the rest" includes the happy ending of getting renewed, I won't mind :)

Rachelkachel | September 15, 01:38 CET

Caroline: Today's the day the teddy bears have their...

Hee. ; >

(I actually don't think folks are doing that eating-on-the-grass-thing-with-ants; I just like the song...)

QuoterGal | September 15, 02:54 CET

In fairness to Fox, I have a direct route in now to check stuff like this before the picnic begins this time.

gossi | September 15, 08:27 CET

I just noticed that down the side of the page dollhouse won the poll for "show you're most likely to try"... so that's good.

mortimer | September 15, 08:52 CET

Honestly, I don't feel like Dollhouse is in trouble and while some might panic about the Friday night death slot, the bad lead-in and the lack of advertisement, I'm just happy that the show will be back. Season 2 is one big present and I honestly don't think there will be a season 3, given the ratings we've had in season one. I also don't believe in sudden ratings increases for this kind of show, so I am really just happy to have it back and don't care about anything else but about enjoying the second season I got.

Donnie | September 15, 09:17 CET

Does that mean "Instinct" will also replace "Belle Chose" as part of the double header on Sci Fi UK?

wiesengrund | September 15, 10:16 CET

There's a PR silence and a fan nervousness about ratings and the only information really coming through is stuff like this.

www.savedollhousefromfox.com needs to be set up ;).

Simon | September 15, 10:20 CET

You don't feel like it's in trouble, but you don't expect season 3... What's your definition of "in trouble?"

QingTing | September 15, 10:20 CET

So, Stacy Scowley will be Alexis' ... wife? Sister?

I'm sensing a heavy theme of family (in the traditional, biological sense) going through these first episodes. We have Echo marry a man in "Vows" and becoming a mother immediately after it, and it will be interesting to see how Perrin's wife (if Cindy is indeed that) will fit into the picture. I'm also kinda thrilled that we may have some awesome subverting along the way, with cross-gender imprints rocking "Belle Chose".

ETA: Looking at her casting call, Cindy will be Perrin's wife.

[ edited by wiesengrund on 2009-09-16 13:08 ]

wiesengrund | September 15, 10:41 CET

September 14 2009