In the Garden of Whedon

I love Dr. Horrible. I didn't love it the first time I saw it, though. It was the ending, no surprise.

After trying periodically (and unsuccessfully) throughout day one to access it for free--it was crowded in there--I caved and bought the season pass on iTunes. It was cheap, though not as cheap as free, but can you really put a price on a love for Joss Whedon and Nathan Fillion? Apparently it's $3.99 plus an upgrade to iTunes that I didn't really want.

So it became mine, and I saw Act 1. Awesome. Waiting two days for Act 2 was rough. Saw Act 2. Still awesome. Love the songs, catchy little bastards. Waited two days, downloaded and saw Act 3. Um, huh? Still had love, but it was temporarily dulled by a case of WTF I came down with suddenly. It wasn't as bad as the case I got after watching Episode 3 of some other saga, but I digress.

I'm a loyal Whedon fan. Geeky on the inside, only slightly on the outside; it's most noticeable when I wear my Dr. Horrible t-shirt. I watched Buffy and Angel every week; I mourned (and still lament) the untimely end of Firefly; I paid the ransom to see Serenity released in the theater; at Christmas, I bought a copy of Serenity for anyone who had it on their wishlist. I own and from time to time re-read the comics Joss Whedon has written: Serenity, Fray, Astonishing X-Men, Buffy Season 8. So it's not like I'm new here.

I mulled my disappointment, then decided to watch acts 1-3 in succession. I started to feel better, and remembered who I was dealing with. Joss Whedon is really good at what he does. His work is the most creative stuff out there, and it is always smart and hilarious. He never talks down to his viewers, trusting us to rise to the story. It's a relief to be entertained by him.

No doubt, the ending to Dr. Horrible surprised me. But it really shouldn't have. My 3-year old has seen Act 1 (that's all I'll let him see right now), and he loves it--nothing beats a toddler walking around singing "a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do" or "laundry day"--but here's where it got interesting. He asks me one day, "Is Dr. Horrible a good guy?"

Um... yes, actually. But he's the villain. Captain Hammer is technically the hero, but he's a knob. (Note: I had to go on a Firefly watching spree so I could stop seeing NF as cheesy-on-the-outside. It helps.) I do not speak enough 3-year old to explain why we're cheering for the guy called Dr. Horrible whose main career goals are to destroy the status quo, get into the Evil League of Evil, and rule the world. And how do you say "Captain Hammer is a narcissist" in toddlerspeak? So we just go with, "Yes, sweetie, Dr. Horrible is a good guy. No, it's not really about taking money. Here, have some goldfish crackers."

But, seriously, I can't wait to blow his mind someday when I take him to Joss Whedon's house. It's on the block just south of Good and north of Evil, where good guys make bad decisions, villains are not always the bad guys, a hero is "someone who gets other people killed," and so many simple but powerfully unorthodox notions that are woven delicately into beautiful dialogue and intricate, believable universes. What's not to love?