S02.E01: Dollhouse

[TexasGal]

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A job interview goes horribly wrong.

Streaming 07.21.2022

[AnimeMania]

That story was horrible, the ending was so deus ex machina. The story had a lot of potential and they ruined it by writing something that only somebody who watched American Horror Story would understand and appreciate. This series needs to let go of its references to American Horror Story and just become an independent hour of horror that can actually nail the ending, something that Ryan Murphy horror shows have never been capable of doing.

[sadie]

Meh. Started creepy but the tie in at the end was dumb. They never explained this magical doll guy, was he a demon, did he have magic, I still don’t get what happened there and it seemed like it had potential if they had explained but I guess we are just supposed to just go along with it. So this season is going to be about the early days of the witch school? 
 

Why can’t I quit you Ryan Murphy? You disappoint every season and yet I keep coming back. Maybe they should  do an ep on what magic that is that keeps me watching despite my better judgment. 

[Avaleigh]

Wow, I didn't expect to get a Spaulding origin story. I actually liked this episode. It was creepy and unsettling, it had a main character I was rooting for, it tied into my favorite season of AHS. I also liked the pop up appearance of Myrtle as a child especially the line about how she hopes she'll be running the school one day. 

I was half expecting the kid to be a cousin of Dandy's but this makes more sense. Now we know why Spaulding had his weird ass obsession with dolls. 

The main girl going back for the kid--she's a better person than I am because I would have just tried to escape and then let the police know what was up so they could go and get him.

Edited July 21, 2022 by Avaleigh
Sorry, didn't realize this was a no spoiler thread.

[tennisgurl]

I have gotten annoyed with all of the tie in's to previous AHS seasons, especially in what are supposed to be self contained stories, but I did actually like this one. It was really creepy, the acting was great from everyone, the main character was really likable and they did a decent job at setting up the witches, at least by AHS standards. It was a mostly simple creepy story, even with the ending.

I had no idea that this would be a Spaulding origin story, didn't see that coming, and it was fun seeing young Myrtle. Last season had a lot of murder house references, maybe this season will have mostly Coven references. 

Edited July 21, 2022 by tennisgurl

[AnimeMania]

Cast:
Denis O’Hare as Mr. Van Wirt
Kristine Froseth as Coby (Clown Doll)
Houston Towe as Otis “Spalding” Van Wirt
Simone Recasner as Harlene (Blue Nurse Doll)
Abby Corrigan as Aurelia (Maid Doll)
Maryssa Menendez as Faye (Bride Doll)
Emily Morales-Cabrera as Bonnie (Curly Hair with Bonnet Doll)
Matt Lasky as Eustace (Missing Tongue/Metal Hand)
Caitlin Dulaney as Miss Robichaux Academy Witch (Blonde Rescue Witch)
Kenia Arias as Miss Robichaux Academy Witch (Brunette Rescue Witch)

[hatchetgirl]

I enjoyed it. Was it perfect? Nope. But it was a fun little horror show. Coven was my favorite season so I loved seeing the witches show up. I loved seeing little Myrtle. I never really pay close attention to any of Ryan's shows so I can't remember the doll's name to see if she is referenced in Coven and I barely remember Spalding. Lol

[Redrum]

I liked it. I liked Coven and its a nice call out to Spaulding who was always fun.

My gripe? We all know this was an episode of Criminal Minds, right? And their episode was creepier. 

[Chaos Theory]

Usually a huge fan of Ryan Murphy.  He just gets me.   But Coven was one of the few seasons I didn’t like.  Just to be clear I think there were 3 I didn’t like in total. Coven I think might have just missed the list.      I had to look up who Spaulding was but the story itself was ok.   I liked the concept in theory.   Not sure it worked but not sure it didn’t either.   Didn’t hate it but just….meh.  

[Redrum]

5 minutes ago, Chaos Theory said:

Didn’t hate it but just….meh.  

I'm really more off put by how the similar episode of Criminal Minds (a not supernatural at all sort of show) was genuinely more disturbing than the standard "Men are crazy misogynist bitches about ladies and like dominating them" stuff that we get a lot on AHS.

Don't get me wrong - there's definitely men out there who fit the stereotype but aside from the Spaulding factor, this was a pretty typical story - did we ever think Koby? (and who in the 1940s named a girl Koby?) was going to not win this little battle against misogynist murderers?

[hatchetgirl]

I remember back when Coven was showing, wanting a back story for Spaulding, so I think it was a nice loop back to give him the back story.  Again - not perfect because in Coven Spaulding kept going on about being from generations of witch protectors, but it's Ryan Murphy... I can't expect Dune.  lol

[iMonrey]

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That story was horrible, the ending was so deus ex machina. The story had a lot of potential and they ruined it by writing something that only somebody who watched American Horror Story would understand and appreciate. This series needs to let go of its references to American Horror Story and just become an independent hour of horror that can actually nail the ending, something that Ryan Murphy horror shows have never been capable of doing.

Agreed. There were several competing ideas in this story that never quite gelled. I think the tie-in to Coven made the entire Doll House plot feel under-developed. They could have just focused on that, and dropped the bit with Coby having telekinetic powers and the witches showing up out of the blue, which was - as you rightly point out - a total deus ex machina ending for a story that never realized its potential. A much creepier ending would have been Coby being turned into an actual doll and just leaving us there.

I also found it hard to believe they didn't simply try to overpower the doll guy and his bodyguard when there were five of them (and presumably, at some point there were even more than that before Coby got there). Two of them could easily have subdued elderly Mr. Van Wirt (especially brandishing red-hot irons) while the rest could take on the bodyguard - he wouldn't have been able to zap all of them at once. 

[Madding crowd]

This one had a creepy beginning but never made sense especially with the witches showing up out of nowhere. Someone who hadn’t watched other seasons would have no idea what this was about or why little Spaulding was taken to a girl’s school. Like others have mentioned, these women could have overpowered these men in some fashion. Having the women assume a persona as a clown, maid etc didn’t seem to have much to do with finding a mother and wife either. 

[Redrum]

20 minutes ago, Madding crowd said:

Having the women assume a persona as a clown, maid etc didn’t seem to have much to do with finding a mother and wife either. 

They were "dolls" trying out for the mom role so dressing one as the mom would be an ... unfair advantage?

[Madding crowd]

But why would he want a mom dressed like a clown or saloon girl etc. I would think he would want them all dressed June Cleaver style with a dress and pearls.

[Redrum]

I mean, I didn't write it....

But I think the different costumes were to help differentiate the dolls for the boy,  and to have it be more of a doll fantasy. We never dressed Barbie like Mom even though she was supposed to marry Ken and be a wife and mom (after her career of course). Each woman was supposed to be a different doll and I think they went with distinctive costumes to make keeping them apart easier.

[iMonrey]

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But I think the different costumes were to help differentiate the dolls for the boy,  and to have it be more of a doll fantasy. We never dressed Barbie like Mom even though she was supposed to marry Ken and be a wife and mom (after her career of course). Each woman was supposed to be a different doll and I think they went with distinctive costumes to make keeping them apart easier.

Actually I think this speaks to my conviction that there were several different ideas going on at once - the man's obsession with dolls, kidnapping women and dressing them up as dolls - that's a story right there. But then there's a different story going on wherein these women are competing in home-making chores as a test to see which would make the best wife and mother. That's yet another story. Then there's a subplot about one of these women having telekinetic powers and being a witch and the witches come and take her to a special school for witches - yet another story. There are three potential episodes here but since they are thrown together as one story none of these ideas is fully formed or fits together particularly well.

[Bali]

I really enjoyed this one. But I was a Coven fan. Except it took a reminder to remember Spalding. I mean, that season was minataur sex, Fionna, Mdme Levoux, and Delphine and weird things with minotaurs. But after I looked him up, I remembered him. 

That said, the second time she moved that truck, I said "Coven" and knew witches would get involved, so that twist didn't surprise me. I was surprised that the dude was onto the girls. 

I sort of go with whatever with these shows. Personally, I probably would have set the dollhouse on fire and gotten into a car and driven away. Or you know- used a weapon. Victim mentality is very prominent in these shows. FIGHT BACK PEOPLE!!

[Anela]

I didn’t remember Spalding, and only remember parts of Coven. It wasn’t bad.