The Natural Narrative

location: home

mood: giggly

music: "Laundry Day," Neil Patrick Harris

After nine years of being a devoted fan, I’m fairly convinced that Joss Whedon can do no wrong. With the exception of the “hoards of potential Slayers” storyline in the final season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (it was becoming clear that they were quickly running out of episode ideas), the man keeps me constantly amused and entertained. Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, the online musical sensation written by Joss and his brother Jed, takes its place among such gems as Firefly and BtVS in its clever format and writing.

Be it space-western, teen horror/drama, or musical internet blog about superheroes, Joss never shows any fear to try new approaches to storytelling. He breaches the internet community here, placing Dr. Horrible online in three short episodes. There’s a reason that this forty-two minute web exclusive managed to crash its home website after receiving so many hits- it’s hilarious! Whedon takes the ever-growing concept of the blog and applies it to the superhero universe, following unlikely super-villain Dr. Horrible on his quest to join the Evil League of Evil and win the heart of Penny, the doe-eyed laundress of his dreams.

View it here until I get a friendly/threatening e-mail from Hulu to take it down (which would imply that I have readers outside my circle of family and friends!)

Like Tarantino and the Coen brothers, Whedon likes to round out his new projects with familiar faces from the past. Dr. Horrible’s nemesis Captain Hammer is portrayed by the brilliant Nathan Fillion (all of the fellow Browncoats out there remember him as Malcolm Reynolds from Firefly, the best fourteen-episode series EVER). The love interest of the saga is Felicia Day, who played one of the afore-mentioned potential Slayers on Buffy. We can forgive her that- her performance in Dr. Horrible is sweet and talented. The newcomer to the Whedonverse is Neil Patrick Harris of Doogie Howser and How I Met Your Mother fame. It seems that Neil Patrick Harris has become entertainment’s golden boy- he has great comedic timing and a stage-worthy singing voice. And, might I add, a dead ringer for a nerdy villain. There’s something about him that is endlessly boyish and cute- but as soon as he opens his mouth into one of those classic evil laughs, you can believe he wants to take over the world.

Whedon skillfully inverts the superhero story, with the blog’s format causing us to sympathize more with the nerdy, scheming Dr. Horrible than the “hero,” Captain Hammer. Hammer embodies all of the traits of a superhero that they don’t show you in Superman- arrogance, narcissism, and an aura similar to that of a schoolyard bully. Whedon has always been curious with the blurred lines between good and evil, if you recall the haunted-but-still-cuddly vampire Angel on Buffy and the crew of Serenity’s less-than-legal space adventures. This inversion is becoming more and more popular lately, it seems. Come to think of it, maybe Joss should have lunch with Christopher Nolan. (Hear that sound? That’s the sound of a million fanboys drooling.)

While the storyline has a familiar ring to it, the plot is peppered with hilarious little bits destined to become in-jokes among the fans (my favorite is Dr. Horrible’s villainous mentor Bad Horse- whose epithet is “The Thoroughbred of Sin” and whose messages to Dr. Horrible come via a trio of singing cowboys). I think I exceeded the healthy level of laughter for a forty-two minute special several times over.

            The internet provides an interesting and promising medium for the arts. There are different rules for an internet show than for a television show. While television shows seem to need to appeal to the masses in order to get renewed for a second season, the internet allows for more individualization of interests. Dr. Horrible does work better online- it’s a blog, tailored specifically as a parody of the countless personal confessions you can find on the internet these days. As an added bonus, we don’t have to worry about cancellation at the hands of artless television executives (*ahem* Fox network, I don’t think I’ll ever forgive you for Firefly).

Television just cannot compete with the amazing phenomenon known as viral video. These websites don’t get hits because people see advertisements on the sides of their Del Taco cups, or because they see billboards on their commutes. The sole force at work here is word-of-mouth (also known as “OMG!! Check this out! It’s sooo funny/good/amazing!!” et cetera). Television can work that way too, but nothing seems to be as strong as that never-ending e-mail chain that runs rampant through circles of family and friends. It will be interesting to see what happens as the age of technology rages on. Maybe talented directors like Joss Whedon will forsake television and film completely for the internet medium.

I look forward to seeing much more of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. The storyline could serve as an excellent prequel to a larger piece of work if Joss gets the go-ahead to make new episodes. Viva la internet!