The Case for Dr. Horrible

Released in 2009 during the famous television writer’s strike, Joss Whedon’s Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is a web-based mini series created by a small talented team and distributed in 3 acts over the course of about a week.  The entire production from beginning to end consists of purely brilliant writing, acting and creativity that was apparently meant to show that the writer’s strike would not make all options for entertainment impossible.  It worked.

As I watched, and watched again, I realized that there is something very familiar and comforting about this one-shot sensation.  Sure, the humor is some of the best I’ve seen, the music is incredible, and it’s going to be topping charts as one of the greatest random displays of genius that we’ve had the pleasure to see outside of the typical scripted work on TV.  But it wasn’t that.  It was Dr. Horrible himself.

Dubbed a “tragicomedy”, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog presents trials that could relate to  so many people if the rules were different.  A decent person down deep, Dr. Horrible (alias Billy) merely wants to be inducted into the Evil League of Evil for his scheming and inventing talents; a typical mad scientist, he is not brutal or murderous in the least, until someone hurts him and puts him in a position in which even non-geniuses find themselves driven to unspeakable feats, and that is where some viewers can identify.  It no longer becomes the exact same sort of humor the bubbly idiot sitting next to you is watching, and you find it funny but you find it sad too.

The underlying moral of the rivalry between Dr. Horrible and his “heroic” nemesis Captain Hammer, is a depressing one; people sometimes believe the simplest messages being conveyed to them by an otherwise unscrupulous, self-centered, and legitimately foul human being, tricked by their false sincerity and it leads directly to the “good guy” feeling a swelling of pride that his head can scarcely contain.

This deception comes into play when Penny, the female lead and mutual love interest of the two comic book arch enemies, mistakes Captain Hammer as her savior and begins dating him.  This frustrates Horrible, but does not immediately deter him from his goals.  Sort of a nerd.. contemplative and not physically strong, he is pushed to the breaking point by his foe, who rubs in the fact that he’s sleeping with the girl of his dreams just to see him hurt.  At this point, the villain is more of a hero.  It’s all fun and games and the lyrics cause laughter in the viewers until you realize that due to Horrible’s jealous rage, he inadvertently causes Penny’s rather shocking death.  The “hero” scampers off, wounded, and will never know the pain of the “bad guy”, just the pain of a death ray exploding in his face.  He’ll forget her, because she wasn’t that important to him anyway.  The madman Dr. Horrible, however, stands over what remained of his chances at happiness and not quite in tears, realizes the harsh truth: This will only lead to his downward spiral into depravity and robbing lots of stuff.

The entire setup to the final is loaded with giggles and guffaws and other ridiculous words, but the dramatic end makes me wonder: Can anyone blame him?  Sometimes all we have is one thing or one person keeping us grounded, making us want to try harder not to be a miserable bastard who enjoys stomping on the dreams of the more fortunate.  Sometimes that thing is taken away from us, and sometimes it’s our own fault for not paying more attention.  Then people die screaming.

If there were a Dr. Horrible, I’d support him.  Why?  Because I understand him.  Most of us do.

- Wells

This delightful nugget of information was brought to you by:  2nd in command, because it's all the power with less responsibility. Dispenser of verbal justice and handy with a game controller. More from this author

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