Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog!

Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog is one of the most interesting movies I've seen in a long time which is surprising since it's only 45 minutes. Behind the mediocre humor lies a great cast of characters. Particularly interesting is Dr. Horrible.

Even though he's the "villain" of the story he's not a bad guy. If you take his metaphor of the pie into effect, you can see his character being mapped out one by one by one in the three acts. Act 1 firmly establishes that though he's a wanna-be super villain, he wants to be so because he wants to "change the status quo... because it's not quo". He has good intentions to help soiciety, but his methods are... interesting. [side note: It is probably safe to say he underestimates what being evil really means.] (This is the top-crust of the pie)

Act 2 is where he finally really becomes a villain. His hatred and jealousy of Captain Hammer is what ultimately turns him into a true villain. Before that, he was asked to commit murder if he wanted to join the Evil League, but he was unable to due to his own morals. It wasn't until he developed an intense hatred for Captain Hammer that what he was deep down began to overwhelm his good nature. (This is the second layer of the pie: the filling)

And finally in Act 3 he goes on a rampage inside the new homeless shelter hell-bent on killing his arch rival. However, when it comes to the finale he cant bring himself to do it though he has all the opportunity to do so. It wasn't even his Time Ray malfunctioning that foiled his plan. His character and morals were revealed at this point, and he was not going to go through with it. (the third layer: the bottom crust)

It's particularly interesting to note that Dr. Horrible wins a hero's victory. Every superhero movie, we'll take Spiderman in the next example, has a climactic battle between the Hero and the Villain.
Spiderman was able to beat the crap out of the Green Goblin, but he wouldn't kill him because that would make Spiderman a villain himself. Instead, the Green Goblin kills himself in a final act trying to destroy the hero. In the same way Dr. Horrible isn't able to kill Capt. Hammer, but it is Capt. Hammer that ends up trying to kill Horrible, and he defeats himself in the process.

The next section is also pretty interesting and puts my thoughts down perfectly regarding the "filling" aspect of Dr. Horrible's character. Please note that he even calls himself a "villain on the inside" aka filling. Why "on the inside?" Why not just a villain?
Originally posted by Redfeathers:

I've seen discussion on Act III (including the 'Is it a Dream'?) and I think it all boils down to Billy's Choices. And he *never* picks Penny, not once. He always chooses the path of Dr. Horrible, every single time.

ACT I:

The heist, Penny asks him to sign and he talks with her, but blows it because he's focused on the heist.

Out of control van: He doesn't get Penny out of the way (sacrificing the van and heist) he instead keeps trying to stop the van.

Penny or Wonderflorium: Dr. H- believes he saved Penny (with the remote) and is upset…but chooses to flee with the loot.

He never chooses Penny, not once.

ACT II:

Billy is stalking Capt. Hammer and Penny…but who's he more focused on?
-Soup Kitchen: Billy/Dr.H isn't helping the homeless, he's dumping soup back into the pot, and handing out empty bowls, while glaring at the back of Capt. Hammer's head
-Park with yogurt: Billy/Dr.H in the bushes again appears to be looking at Capt. Hammer (though you could argue he's just looking at them of course).
-Pond (with boat) Billy is looking at Penny, but then turns to watch Capt. Hammer (amusingly at the 'Look at me' part) and his head goes back and forth between them…

My thoughts? He's stalking both of them, not just Penny. If we seperate 'Billy' and 'Dr. H-' then Billy watches Penny and Dr. H- is watching Capt. Hammer.

When Dr. H blogs about the situation it's unclear if he's more upset over the situation with Penny in general, or the fact that it's Capt. Hammer…with the girl who should be his!

Penny as a pawn comes even more clearly into play when Capt. Hammer confronts 'Billy' at the laundrymat, and tells Dr. H- he's going to have Penny because Billy wants her. And then goes on to expose himself as the ultimate douche.

Billy doesn't try to tell Penny or stop her in any way, even though he knows Capt. Hammer (the hammer is my penis) is taking her back to his 'command center' blahblahblah. Instead Dr. H sees it as a solution to three problems:
-He needs to kill someone to get into the Evil League of Evil
-He wants Penny
-He wants to beat Capt. Hammer

Dr. H isn't into the whole…murder thing…but this is pushing him over the edge because he's angry. But his choice isn't Penny. There are plenty of other potential choices there he could make, and once again he doesn't choose Penny, but chooses what works best for Dr. Horrible.

ACT III:

Dr. H chooses to confront Capt. Hammer publically at the homeless shelter dedication. This obviously would ruin Penny's event.

Dr. H chooses to kill (his plan was to) Capt. Hammer publically at the homeless shelter dedication in front of Penny. (He laments this choice briefly but doesn't appear to change the decision).

Dr. H while monologuing, is destroying the room. I presume it was actually part of the shelter. So he's trashing the building for homeless people…which is Penny's project.

_______________________________________________________________

Point being in all three acts, there were things Billy and Dr. H wanted. It's obvious what Dr. Horrible wanted: social change, money, prestige, a place in the Evil League of Evil, to defeat Capt. Hammer…etc. Billy wanted Penny. But they're also not two seperate people, which is why Billy sings about his freeze ray to stop time with Penny so he can say and do the right things to win her over.

Ultimately every decision Billy makes is selfish and self serving towards his ends as Dr. Horrible. He never once chooses Penny or makes sacrifices for her. And so Dr. Horrible gets everything he ever wanted, except her. (Which of course he seems to realize too late she is everything he ever wanted).[/end]

Pretty much what he said, except he seemed to miss the third and final layer. At the very, very, VERY last second of the film Dr. Horrible is sitting in front of his computer trying to convince himself he doesn't mourn her loss. He's a world class villain, accepted into the League, and he's sitting at home in the civilian clothes he wears to the laundry (where he saw Penny). He's not Dr. Horrible. He's Billy.