... in ways that keep making one wonder if they're referencing specific things (known or as-yet-undisclosed). There are a lot of Topher moments we could discuss. Let's look at the confrontation between Topher-the-author and his character Dr. Claire Saunders.
-
-
Show this thread
-
Claire is the kind of principled, determined, competent, damaged woman that Whedon famously (and problematically) loves to write. And when she finally discovers that Topher is her author, and confronts him, she makes it very clear what she thinks of him:
Show this thread -
"...why did you decide it was so important for me to hate you? I think that's strange." And a couple episodes later, we get his answer:
Show this thread -
Topher: You don't know me and I don't know you. Not fully, not ever. I made you question. I made you fight for your beliefs. I didn't make you hate me. You chose to. Claire: How do I live? How do I go through my day knowing everything I think comes from something I can't abide?
Show this thread -
I don't know if Topher is a manifestation of some conscious or unconscious self-loathing on Whedon's part. I don't know if Topher's worst moments reflect specific points in Whedon's history of terribleness...
Show this thread -
...and I don't know if his best moments represent Whedon trying to imagine a redeemable version of himself. But it's hard not to wonder. And it's hard not to read Topher as a warning: "The heroes I've written into existence would be very, very disappointed in me." Fin.
Show this thread
End of conversation
New conversation -
-
-
John Ritter played an eerie precedent to Topher. While it was some of his best work, Whedon may have a dissociative aspect to his psychology that inspires his play with robots and dolls.
-
(Best work being Ritter's)
End of conversation
New conversation -
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.
Every time we get a new batch of disclosures about Joss Whedon being personally awful, I think about Topher Brink from "Dollhouse".
SPOILERS FOLLOW
Topher has "author surrogate" written all over him, and he is a singularly unflattering self-portrait ...