Get a pic, do a blog (tell them it’s Horrible)

WARNING: SPOILERS INCLUDED!!

DR. HORRIBLE’S SING-ALONG BLOG: Parts I-III

First, I must say that I’ve had these songs in my head for days now. Joss Whedon and his cohorts has done yet another good job of coming up with various catchy and diverse songs to put together an entertaining show. Well done. If I had to choose, I’d say Part II probably had my favorite songs in it, but really, they all had outstanding numbers.

But let’s get to the review, shall we? So as not to spoil the end for some of our RSS readers, I’ll try to save the spoilers for the bottom, so let’s go through performances first. (And let me apologize if I don’t get the exact titles of the songs correct.)

I thought it was great. I really did. I enjoyed every minute–even the not so joyful ones. I think I was most excited about Neil Patrick Harris’ performance. I knew of his interest and talent in singing from various interviews I’d heard from the cast of How I Met Your Mother, so I was thrilled to get to see him in action. And really, every time he opened his mouth, I loved it. His expressions and small gestures especially. His small shoulder dance in “Freeze Ray” and the small smirk at the beginning of “You’re Gonna Die.” I really just loved him and frankly still want to give him a hug.

Captain Hammer was a trip. “Corporate tool” is probably the best description of this person possible. My favorite was when he sang about his hair in “A Man’s Gotta Do.” I know some people might not have enjoyed his Hero song all that much, but it was entertaining. I’m glad he got a moment to sing his own song without having Penny or Horrible cut in.

And Penny was lovable, which I found surprising. I don’t know why. Her lament was a little bored to me–I guess it was too reminiscent to Tara’s “I’m Under Your Spell” in the Buffy musical, and I didn’t necessarily need to know that Penny had a sad childhood. I’d rather just see her as a woman who grew into a nice person who cared. But either way, her smile did cheer me up, and I rooted for the good guy–er, the bad guy–to get together with her in the end (that’s Dr. Horrible if you couldn’t tell). Joss, in a few interviews, mentioned the feelings that were evoked every time Penny and Horrible sang together, and really, it couldn’t be more true. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go back and listen to “On the Rise,” the first song in Part II.

Now, let’s get to the plot.

So when I heard “Sing-Along Blog,” I really had no idea what to expect. I loved the concept. I liked the video blogs intermixed with the storyline. It really added a great aspect to the thing, and really, in the end, it packed a hardcore punch. The severe cut from the final song to his heartbroken, guilt-ridden face with “I won’t feel…a thing” is just so strong. It’s one that will stay with you.

Actually to be honest, I’m quite mad at myself (much more so than with Joss) for not realizing the end. I’ve been a loyal follower of Joss’ work: Buffy, Angel, Firefly/Serenity. So the fact that I didn’t see Penny’s death coming is really just a bad note on me. I’ve been reading other reviews, and I never thought that Penny would become a secret supervillian, but I really never thought of her fate. My mind was focused the ultimate showdown of Dr. Horrible and Captain Hammer. I was considering their deaths–or really, the lack thereof, since I doubted Joss would kill them off (hey, I was right). For some reason, I just was expecting something…I don’t want to say happy. Something lighter, I guess. In the end, I just came up with a blank slate.

Honestly, I’m a little torn on my opinion of Penny’s death. On one hand, it blindsided me. I wasn’t expecting it. On the other hand, Joss generally kills someone off! Plus, it tends to be something that other stories tend to do. If someone’s fighting over a girl, the most tragic would be a hero’s death or the death of the loved one. It makes sense that he would sacrifice what he loved most to get what he wanted.

Not to say I’m not hurt or miffed. It took me a couple watches (and I had to watch all three parts together) to really accept it as a decent end. And here’s what I think: In the end, Penny sees Dr. Horrible as Penny and tells him that Captain Hammer saved them. Throughout the show, Dr. Horrible laments on society and the status quo. It’s quite revealing that in the end, the character that seems to see so much good in humanity and seems to see the most about the world is the one blinded the most. She never sees the supervillain–probably to the benefit of Dr. Horrible’s broken heart–and she still thinks Captain Hammer is the hero, like we saw in the first rescue scene. It was Captain Hammer that causes the errs, even if they were originally set into action by Dr. Horrible.

But Dr. Horrible has a point. Would it upset the status quo if he puts poison in the water supply, as he sang? Penny still saw everything in black and white, despite her almost discovery during both Captain Hammer and Dr. Horrible’s final songs. Meanwhile, the rest of society just shifted their attentions to Dr. Horrible–their new superstar. He may be bad, but the merchandise is still sold and fans are still made. So really, Dr. Horrible becomes the worst villian but the status quo remains the same. Society just wants someone to talk about.

As much as I hate that Penny died and I still question whether it was necessary or just Joss’ habit to tear apart his fans’ emotions, I like the final thought. Even though looking back, it seems like a predictable ending as far as classic literature is concerned, I suppose it’s ok. I don’t know, honestly. I still go back and forth, though I like Penny’s status quo mentioned. And it makes me feel good that Penny saw everything, but to her Dr. Horrible will remain her Billy Buddy.

Now, on brighter notes, Joss did a good job. I enjoyed. I’ll definitely be buying the DVD and soundtrack (rumor is, the commentary on the DVD will be sung as well, btw). I loved the music. I loved the jokes. I loved Bad Horse and the rest of the League. And now suddenly I’m a larger fan of Neil Patrick Harris and a new fan of Felicia Day (she’s not just the Potential that stayed alive and took care of the injured on the bus anymore!). Oh, and Nathan Fillion ain’t that bad anyway. I’ll be keeping my eye out on new projects–and Internet projects.

That is another great thing about this musical, which maybe I’ll delve into another day. I like that we’re now exposed in a grander scale the series that are Internet only. They can be successful (despite some other failures). So way to go Writers’ Strike.

So way to go, Joss and crew. This was definitely NOT Horrible. And hey, if you’re still upset about Penny, just think of it this way. At least he didn’t chop the head off the human race…being Penny, that is.