Dr. Horrible's End

I watched Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog in its entirety one more time last night, and I'm still not sure about the ending.

I like seeing Dr. Horrible being, well, horrible. The last song in Act II sets him up to go after Captain Hammer, and that's exactly what he does. Neil Patrick Harris' singing is excellent throughout the show, but his song after freezing Captain Hammer is chilling and menacing. I love it because we see Dr. Horrible as a full-fledged villain--not a bumbling mad scientist regularly beat up after botched heists.

Penny's death, however, feels like a let down. I understand the innocent bystander gets hit idea, and her death is what propels Dr. Horrible into the Evil League of Evil. Acts I and II make Penny likable enough, but her character comes across as being weak. She's timid, hesitant, and quiet. Sarah Dobbs pointed out that you even have to strain to hear Penny when she's singing alongside Dr. Horrible or Captain Hammer (both of whose words are much easier to pick out). It's not an act, there is no twist--that's how Penny's character is. I'm sad when she dies at the end, but I don't care as much as maybe I should.

We find out plenty about Dr. Horrible. His personality, his desires, and his problems are on display the entire time. Captain Hammer, while not a likable guy, is a strong character. Penny's just...there. Dr. Horrible has a crush on her. Captain Hammer wants to irritate Dr. Horrible by dating her. Penny wants to help out the city by converting an old building to a homeless shelter, but she needs Captain Hammer's influence to get the building. So when she dies I'm sad, but not that sad. Dr. Horrible has my sympathy at the end, when he puts on a confident face for the League and then back at home, we see he's grief-stricken over losing Penny.

If you haven't seen Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, I suggest you check it out some time. (Now it's only available on iTunes.) Joss Whedon's intentions aren't completely clear, but the acting and singing is superb nonetheless.

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