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Act One
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Dr. Horrible is introduced to the viewer in his super-villain outfit of choice: a white lab coat and goggles strapped around his forehead. He sits at his computer making his infamous weblog. This villainous image is obviously the side of him he wants the world to see; whenever he is making entries in his blog, he is dressed up as if he is ready to commit dastardly deeds at any given second. However, as the story follows him through his everyday activities, the viewer sees him (Billy, his real name, as he reveals to Penny) at his most relaxed and his most vulnerable--in more ways than one. When he is not in his super-villain getup, he shows much more emotion and his lack of confidence/social awkwardness is much more obvious. It's as if he transforms himself as he changes clothing. Michele White mentions this in her book The Body and the Screen; she discusses the idea of avatars, where we put ourselves out on the Internet as who we want to be, not who we actually are. We portray ourselves as more desirable to the opposite sex and more likable to the same sex in the hopes of gaining a popularity that we may not find in our physical lives. White focuses on avatars that we create as visual representations of ourselves--more the characters we create in a video game than our physical appearance on a camera--though the idea is the same. Dr. Horrible is definitely trying to make himself look more suave and important than his viewers or nemeses.
Dr. Horrible is not the typical villain--he is actually the protagonist, while the supposed "hero" is his rival in life and love. He is not necessarily a "good guy," so to speak, but he is portrayed in a lovable way that makes the viewer want to support him rather than the hero. He stutters sometimes, says things out loud when he doesn't mean to, and awkwardly courts Penny throughout the first act. He seems realistic and familiar.
His featured song in this act is "My Freeze Ray," in which he discusses the different ways he will use his freeze ray to win Penny's heart and rule the world. He walks through the laundromat, serenading Penny with this bouncy and heartfelt solo. Apparently he is only singing this in his head, however; he accidentally says "love your hair" out loud and Penny reacts with confusion. Compared to the events of the following acts, this song seems painfully naive and hopeful; though he has obviously had issues with rejection in the past, he cares about Penny enough to make him pursue her. Though he plays the part of the villain, he doesn't seem to realize exactly what it entails; he thinks becoming a part of the Evil League of Evil will impress Penny enough to make her acknowledge him as more than a friend.
His dreams seem to be coming true when he gets a letter in the mail from Bad Horse, the Evil League of Evil's mysterious leader, telling him they got his application. He just has to prove himself worthy of the League before he can actually be accepted. As with most high-end employers in the real world, Dr. Horrible has to make himself stand out somehow for the League to take an interest in him, though he doesn't want to sacrifice who he is to get in. So, he plans out a heist, where he'll steal the chemical compound he needs to fuel his freeze ray while harming no one in the process. Unfortunately, he does end up hurting someone--himself.
Dr. Horrible's heist is foiled by none other than Captain Hammer, his nemesis. Dr. Horrible takes control of the van that contained the Wonderflonium, but Hammer's interference causes the control system to malfunction, thus unleashing a runaway van on the general populace. Hammer stops the van and beats him up for a while before suddenly showing an interest in Penny, whom he "saved" from the runaway vehicle. The act ends with a summary of Dr. Horrible's frustrations in one eloquent word--"balls."
At this point, from a Marxist point of view, Dr. Horrible represents the average, middle-class person, possibly fresh out of college. He has never really been independent before; yes, he's been on his own in college, but he hasn't had to face the frustrations and hardship of trying to make it all by himself. He has a good degree--a doctorate--and is looking for a good, steady job. He has a love interest, and believes if he becomes an important person he'll be able to impress her. Events in the real world don't always go according to plan, however, and Dr. Horrible quickly finds this out as a man more closely defined by society as "masculine" appears on the scene and steals the heart of his love interest. Dr. Horrible responds with disbelief and frustration as he realizes his own actions have brought them together.
Dr. Horrible is not the typical villain--he is actually the protagonist, while the supposed "hero" is his rival in life and love. He is not necessarily a "good guy," so to speak, but he is portrayed in a lovable way that makes the viewer want to support him rather than the hero. He stutters sometimes, says things out loud when he doesn't mean to, and awkwardly courts Penny throughout the first act. He seems realistic and familiar.
His featured song in this act is "My Freeze Ray," in which he discusses the different ways he will use his freeze ray to win Penny's heart and rule the world. He walks through the laundromat, serenading Penny with this bouncy and heartfelt solo. Apparently he is only singing this in his head, however; he accidentally says "love your hair" out loud and Penny reacts with confusion. Compared to the events of the following acts, this song seems painfully naive and hopeful; though he has obviously had issues with rejection in the past, he cares about Penny enough to make him pursue her. Though he plays the part of the villain, he doesn't seem to realize exactly what it entails; he thinks becoming a part of the Evil League of Evil will impress Penny enough to make her acknowledge him as more than a friend.
His dreams seem to be coming true when he gets a letter in the mail from Bad Horse, the Evil League of Evil's mysterious leader, telling him they got his application. He just has to prove himself worthy of the League before he can actually be accepted. As with most high-end employers in the real world, Dr. Horrible has to make himself stand out somehow for the League to take an interest in him, though he doesn't want to sacrifice who he is to get in. So, he plans out a heist, where he'll steal the chemical compound he needs to fuel his freeze ray while harming no one in the process. Unfortunately, he does end up hurting someone--himself.
Dr. Horrible's heist is foiled by none other than Captain Hammer, his nemesis. Dr. Horrible takes control of the van that contained the Wonderflonium, but Hammer's interference causes the control system to malfunction, thus unleashing a runaway van on the general populace. Hammer stops the van and beats him up for a while before suddenly showing an interest in Penny, whom he "saved" from the runaway vehicle. The act ends with a summary of Dr. Horrible's frustrations in one eloquent word--"balls."
At this point, from a Marxist point of view, Dr. Horrible represents the average, middle-class person, possibly fresh out of college. He has never really been independent before; yes, he's been on his own in college, but he hasn't had to face the frustrations and hardship of trying to make it all by himself. He has a good degree--a doctorate--and is looking for a good, steady job. He has a love interest, and believes if he becomes an important person he'll be able to impress her. Events in the real world don't always go according to plan, however, and Dr. Horrible quickly finds this out as a man more closely defined by society as "masculine" appears on the scene and steals the heart of his love interest. Dr. Horrible responds with disbelief and frustration as he realizes his own actions have brought them together.
Act Two
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Act Two opens with the song "My Eyes" and Dr. Horrible staring blankly into the camera, though it is Billy's persona that actually sings with Penny in this heart-wrenching duet. Billy is going through a major crisis at this point, so much so that he questions his motivations and whether he should even be fighting for his cause--how much of an impact could one guy in a lab coat make on society? He sings, "humankind has gone insane, to the point where I don't know if I'll upset the status quo if I throw poison in the water main" (Whedon). The water main is obviously the government, which is the top of the status quo (the "head of the fish" as he calls it). Even if he corrupts the system to the point where it is doing more harm than at present, there is no guarantee the people will fight off their perceived oppression and exploitation. Suddenly, people are not acting in a way that fits Billy's expectations of them, and not in a good way. Penny is dating Captain Hammer, his sworn enemy, and now the "evil inside of [him] is on the rise" (Whedon).
The next time Dr. Horrible makes a blog post, he is incredibly confident that the crime he plans to commit that night will get him into the League; however, he makes a follow-up post only a few hours later with an acknowledgement that he should probably be more careful with what he says on his blog because Captain Hammer and the L.A.P.D. are some of his viewers. This is an interesting jab at today's culture, where we put everything online for the world to see, and never consider that there are certain people who will come across it and use it make life more difficult for us.
Bad Horse, leader of the Evil League of Evil and main deciding factor on Dr. Horrible's acceptance into the League, apparently witnessed his failed crime and gives him a notice that his only chance to get into the League now is to kill someone. Billy is fighting this internal conflict (he would rather not kill someone, as it's "not his style") as he meets Penny in the laundromat later. His misgivings about the new assignment evaporate as Captain Hammer appears and talks about his and Penny's sex life just to make Billy angry. It works, and Billy realizes it wouldn't be too difficult to kill Captain Hammer. He has an appropriate musical number for this epiphany, the dramatic and rage-filled song "Brand New Day," in which he vows he is a new person who will easily crush his nemesis underfoot.
Dr. Horrible is now moving from naive and hopeful to cynical and jaded, though at this transition phase he retains a bit of his previous optimism. He didn't get the job he wanted at first, though his prospective employer has taken an interest in him and given him a second chance. His romantic rival is only fueling his desire to obtain superiority and power that believes will make Penny love him.
The next time Dr. Horrible makes a blog post, he is incredibly confident that the crime he plans to commit that night will get him into the League; however, he makes a follow-up post only a few hours later with an acknowledgement that he should probably be more careful with what he says on his blog because Captain Hammer and the L.A.P.D. are some of his viewers. This is an interesting jab at today's culture, where we put everything online for the world to see, and never consider that there are certain people who will come across it and use it make life more difficult for us.
Bad Horse, leader of the Evil League of Evil and main deciding factor on Dr. Horrible's acceptance into the League, apparently witnessed his failed crime and gives him a notice that his only chance to get into the League now is to kill someone. Billy is fighting this internal conflict (he would rather not kill someone, as it's "not his style") as he meets Penny in the laundromat later. His misgivings about the new assignment evaporate as Captain Hammer appears and talks about his and Penny's sex life just to make Billy angry. It works, and Billy realizes it wouldn't be too difficult to kill Captain Hammer. He has an appropriate musical number for this epiphany, the dramatic and rage-filled song "Brand New Day," in which he vows he is a new person who will easily crush his nemesis underfoot.
Dr. Horrible is now moving from naive and hopeful to cynical and jaded, though at this transition phase he retains a bit of his previous optimism. He didn't get the job he wanted at first, though his prospective employer has taken an interest in him and given him a second chance. His romantic rival is only fueling his desire to obtain superiority and power that believes will make Penny love him.
Act Three
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Act Three is the episode in which Dr. Horrible really loses himself to the evil being that he wanted to be so badly, and yet did not want to give up himself for it. His interaction with Captain Hammer at the end of the previous act gives him a new motivation and desperation to make himself superior to Captain Hammer, through any means necessary. He throws off his hesitations about murder and quite emphatically decides to kill Captain Hammer. This decision sets in motion a slew of unfortunate events, though Dr. Horrible is too blinded by anger and envy to see the consequences of his actions.
So, Dr. Horrible turns his freeze ray into a death ray, marking his own transition from mostly harmless to very dangerous. As he works, the world around him praises Captain Hammer's sudden decision to support the homeless. It seems Dr. Horrible has finally emerged victorious when he is able to hit Hammer with a freeze beam, stopping him in the middle of a not-so-subtlely offensive song about being a hero. Horrible slips into his own song, one that admonishes the spectators around him for somehow being so oblivious to Captain Hammer's undesirable personality. He wonders "Why can't they see what I see, why can't they hear the lies?" as he stalks around the room (Whedon). Horrible sings of anarchy (which he will lead, by the way) and revolutionizing society through social change. For the first time in the movie, Dr. Horrible references his normal self while acting as Dr. Horrible ("head up, Billy buddy"), finally mixing his two identities, making them inseparable for the rest of the movie.
Captain Hammer does eventually break free and pin Dr. Horrible with his own death ray. The viewer now sees the contrast in roles and personalities as Captain Hammer doesn't hesitate to pull the trigger on Dr. Horrible; whereas Horrible had to brace himself and give himself a long pep talk before he leveled the gun at Hammer, though he never actually pulled the trigger. However, instead of blowing Dr. Horrible to bits, the gun explodes, harming Hammer (who runs away crying for his mommy), and filling Penny's chest with shrapnel. Again, it is a mixture of bad decisions on Horrible's part and Hammer's inconsiderate actions that come back to hurt Penny.
The last song is full of sad irony; "Everything You Ever" is sung by Dr. Horrible as he moves through his evil motions, mourning Penny in his own way. As he looks down at Penny's lifeless body, he sings, "Here lies everything, the world I wanted at my feet" meaning either Penny was his world or her death opened the door for him to finally get into the Evil League of Evil, his true goal throughout the movie. Either way, her death broke the dam holding back his evil side, and he is free to do whatever he pleases without fear of her rejection. We see him in a new outfit--a red instead of white labcoat, a testament to the blood on his hands and his loss of innocence, and he pulls the goggles over his eyes where before they simply sat on his head. Perhaps he is hiding himself behind the goggles, so no one can see his true emotions. As he walks into the Evil League of Evil, he says "I won't feel..." and suddenly he is back in his lab in front of his webcam, in street clothes, as he says solemnly "...a thing" (Whedon).
Dr. Horrible, the college graduate who wanted so badly to rise to a position of power, has done just that--though he has sacrificed any chance of a relationship to do so. This is very realistic, as one must make many sacrifices to get ahead in the world, and some people close to a person will not be able to handle the changes in themselves and their relationships. Sometimes, when people decide to stay together through such a huge life change, a relationship will simply fall apart. So, in this case, Penny's death was a metaphorical one, representing the death of intimacy.
So, Dr. Horrible turns his freeze ray into a death ray, marking his own transition from mostly harmless to very dangerous. As he works, the world around him praises Captain Hammer's sudden decision to support the homeless. It seems Dr. Horrible has finally emerged victorious when he is able to hit Hammer with a freeze beam, stopping him in the middle of a not-so-subtlely offensive song about being a hero. Horrible slips into his own song, one that admonishes the spectators around him for somehow being so oblivious to Captain Hammer's undesirable personality. He wonders "Why can't they see what I see, why can't they hear the lies?" as he stalks around the room (Whedon). Horrible sings of anarchy (which he will lead, by the way) and revolutionizing society through social change. For the first time in the movie, Dr. Horrible references his normal self while acting as Dr. Horrible ("head up, Billy buddy"), finally mixing his two identities, making them inseparable for the rest of the movie.
Captain Hammer does eventually break free and pin Dr. Horrible with his own death ray. The viewer now sees the contrast in roles and personalities as Captain Hammer doesn't hesitate to pull the trigger on Dr. Horrible; whereas Horrible had to brace himself and give himself a long pep talk before he leveled the gun at Hammer, though he never actually pulled the trigger. However, instead of blowing Dr. Horrible to bits, the gun explodes, harming Hammer (who runs away crying for his mommy), and filling Penny's chest with shrapnel. Again, it is a mixture of bad decisions on Horrible's part and Hammer's inconsiderate actions that come back to hurt Penny.
The last song is full of sad irony; "Everything You Ever" is sung by Dr. Horrible as he moves through his evil motions, mourning Penny in his own way. As he looks down at Penny's lifeless body, he sings, "Here lies everything, the world I wanted at my feet" meaning either Penny was his world or her death opened the door for him to finally get into the Evil League of Evil, his true goal throughout the movie. Either way, her death broke the dam holding back his evil side, and he is free to do whatever he pleases without fear of her rejection. We see him in a new outfit--a red instead of white labcoat, a testament to the blood on his hands and his loss of innocence, and he pulls the goggles over his eyes where before they simply sat on his head. Perhaps he is hiding himself behind the goggles, so no one can see his true emotions. As he walks into the Evil League of Evil, he says "I won't feel..." and suddenly he is back in his lab in front of his webcam, in street clothes, as he says solemnly "...a thing" (Whedon).
Dr. Horrible, the college graduate who wanted so badly to rise to a position of power, has done just that--though he has sacrificed any chance of a relationship to do so. This is very realistic, as one must make many sacrifices to get ahead in the world, and some people close to a person will not be able to handle the changes in themselves and their relationships. Sometimes, when people decide to stay together through such a huge life change, a relationship will simply fall apart. So, in this case, Penny's death was a metaphorical one, representing the death of intimacy.