I finally picked up the Orange Box off an Amazon gift certificate. When last I opened Portal, I was stuck on the 16th room. Someday I shall find a clever way to defeat it; I worry my reflexes just aren't up to the task. Portal's a great puzzle game. Far creepier than the computer voice are the sweet voices of the little guardbots. They make being eliminated by a hail of bullets sound so friendly. Getting the Friendly Fire achievement? Priceless.

Don't play Portal with vertigo though. I don't have vertigo, but my stomach does flipflops sometimes handling the view changes and spins.

And finally....

I think there's no one to like at present because we don't have a definite good guy anywhere. We have an innocent victim, in Echo. I think there are hints there now, though, to suggest that we could turn the victim and her Handler into the heroes later.

(silly comment length limits)

In Dollhouse, we're challenged with an entity, the Dollhouse, that is guilty of kidnapping and slavery, in essence. Yet is in the central position normally occupied by the hero in a show. We have what ought to be the hero, the FBI agent, operating in ways that are not at all heroic or even legal. We have Alpha, whom we might could cheer for taking down this immoral and illegal entity, except for the fact that he's apparently a psychotic killer. We have the Handler, who appears to have genuine feelings of responsibility for Echo and some strong morals, yet not so strong that he would turn in the people who are kidnapping and enslaving people and operating in all points outside the law. The woman who operates the House is arrogant and smug, seeing no moral issues with what she does. The same is true of the technician, who is a brilliant genius with no moral compass to suggest that just because you *can* do something doesn't mean you *should*.

Having watched the latest episode (February 27th), I see new signs of possible hope. Cautiously. My predictions: the handler and Echo will be the main heroes eventually. The doctor who was cut up by Alpha will become their supporter.

I see the show as very Wheedon, but my Mom was the one to point out a critical part in this. All Wheedon shows seem to have at least two elements: redemption, and a fondness for exploring and even intentionally confusing the definitions of good and evil. The whole Buffy franchise is filled with characters who are normally considered to be purely evil creatures, even demons, who experience feelings of kindness and redemptive desires to go good. Same for Firefly, you had exploration of prostitution that changed the power dynamic with Inara's blacklist ability, yet left us to answer what was right and what was wrong in it. Then you have the whole fact that the crew of Serenity are on the one hand sometimes heroes, and on the other hand petty thieves employed by criminals and sadists.