The Tragedy of Dr Horrible

An analysis of Joss Whedon's Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog.
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I am but a simple Kangaroo/Platypus (still working out that detail) who loves to review all things movies, gaming, and other stuff that peaks my interest.
Twitter: @KangarooPlat
Twitch: @KangarooPlat

[@karstenhoff9158]

Dr. Horrible got everything he wanted, and all it cost him was a Penny

[@itsthemaggieshow]

STOOOOOOOP

[@wabofabo7357]

​@@itsthemaggieshowwhy

[@boredyoutubeuser]

💀 🪙

[@MungiuMan77]

DUDE.

[@Austin_Soares]

Take my like and get out!

[@logan_page]

That ending is so perfect. I would have been so easy for him to go "Oh no, my evil nature killed the one person I loved. I'll give up evil forever." But instead they did the truthful and sad thing that would probably actually happen. "Oh no, my evil nature killed the one person I loved. Now all I *have* is evil."

[@theonlyairconditioner]

More-than-likely he blamed captain hammer.

[@enicole1203]

I feel like people never discuss the real tragedy of this story. It's not so much what happens to Penny, but the relationship was doomed from the beginning. Their fundamental worldviews were complete opposites, and he lied to her about *everything* trying to make her like a person that didn't even exist. Add her extreme gullibility next to his genius on too of all the dishonesty and you have two people who could never have been happy together.

[@moonsver]

thank you so much for bringing this up i have so many opinions about dhsab. particularly what you said here! billy didn't know penny at all tbh... "and she may cry, but her tears will dry when i hand her the keys to a shiny new australia" he's just like??? yeah itll be fine! im gonna kill her boyfriend and she wont even care because i own the world (like she would give a shit about that at all). also the fact that he has a framed picture of her taken from behind a bush is so creepy.

[@jeremynew6449]

To Penny's credit, she was starting to realize Hammer was a tool. She was starting to walk out of the room before horrible froze him. So she wasn't completely gullible.

[@italowizard]

I don't think Billy lied to her about his personality, just him being a supervillain. He criticized her charitable efforts as underpowered and claimed that change needs to be systemic. Maybe that's understating his position, but it's directionally correct.

[@irrevenant3]

I dunno. Like, Billy definitely had nice guy syndrome but mostly through lack of real-world experience. By the end he was getting towards seeing Penny as an actual human being and I suspect, with time, he *might* have outgrown it. Especially if she made clear to him that she liked him and trying to prove himself through dramatic gestures was unnecessary and counter-productive.

[@thenarrator5416]

Also during the duet he sings “any dolt with half a brain-“ he sees people who don’t see the true nature he sees as kind of stupid; whilst she’s singing about the good things in the world.

[@CW-xn1ot]

Hell yeah! It's so hard to find Dr Horrible content, even harder to find good content. Love to see this has gotten some love!

[@betteringdave]

Her death actually hit me, I wasn't ready for that

[@DaviLago]

It's a shame both the show and this video haven't gotten more popular. Amazing presentation and analysis, thanks for this!

[@nitebreak]

agreed

[@ExplosiveBrohoof]

11:20 It was supposed to be the statue of Captain Hammer that they were unveiling at the ceremony.

[@boxman7044]

I personally find brand new day and everything you ever are the best. They both signify VERY important parts of Dr horribles arc. BND shows his resolve and Everything you ever shows the results of all his actions. (Also BND is just a bop)

[@retroBees]

nobody notices the lady in my freeze ray (not penny, there's a lady behind billy doing her laundry) she keeps moving, even after billy says "i will stop the world" implying that yes, penny was his entire world!!! and then she dies. and all billy has is evil.

[@stephenwood6663]

The world he wanted, at his feet, indeed. :(

[@fluidwolf]

Still just like how the blogs were always where he presented what he thought was the real him. Throughout most of the show it is Dr Horrible showing up on the blogs showing what he feels he wants to be. All except the very last one where he shows up as Billy, flipping it around with Dr Horrible being the persona the world sees and Billy having become his ideal. He wanted to be Dr Horrible to have the power to enact change on the world and fix things he thought were wrong, and when he gets that he discovers that it came at a cost far too great for him and wishes to go back to his old life where he had less power but still had hope.

[@DaleStrickland]

12:14 "Hammer grabs the death ray, finishes his song..." OMG I'VE LITERALLY WATCHED THIS MOVIE 20+ TIMES AND NEVER CLUED INTO THAT I always thought he gave a dramatic "Whyyyyyyy!!!!"

[@thehistoryandbooknerd8979]

SAME!!!!!!!!

[@StLProgressive]

I didn’t get that either, LOL.

[@Tzizenorec]

I still don't get it. How does whatever Hammer said ("Way" or "Why") work as a continuation of Dr. Horrible's song? It’s gonna be bloody Head up Billy Buddy There’s no time for mercy Here goes no mercy! Whyyyyy!

[@DaleStrickland]

@@Tzizenorec it's not a continuation of Dr Horrible's song, Captain Hammer is finishing the line of the song that he himself was singing just before he got frozen

[@Tzizenorec]

@@DaleStrickland Ah, now it makes sense! Thank you. :)

[@ratgirl34]

Loved that movie/series. When the DVD came out I was just like, ‘TAKE MY MONEY!’

[@koretmulder6316]

Nobody was paying attention to the big red draped thing in the room in the finale because part of the ceremony was publicized to include the unveiling of a statue of Captain hammer.

[@R.B.]

You missed an opportunity to point out cameos in Act III. Buffy, aka Sarah Michelle Gellar herself, is in the audience, and two of the producers of Buffy are the newscasters, David Fury and Marti Noxon. The tragedy of DHSAB is that we haven't seen any more acts or episodes.

[@MondoFowler]

really enjoyed this review. you have great style man. do everyone and yourself a favor and make another. KZbin needs great content

[@azaleacolburn]

Great video, you deserve more recognition, thanks for the awesome high quality Dr. Horrible content

[@theLOSTranger234]

I like to head canon theorized that Dr. Horrible is just Doogie Howser grown up

[@lightningtundra5261]

Thank you so much for doing this! I love the way you explained it the story!

[@jellosquishier]

Really wish we had gotten a sequel to this movie.

[@jamiedragonlady_3291]

Thank you for making this video!!! Not enough people know about the history of this great KZbin mini movie

[@randomactsofgaming845]

This was really well done, why did you never make another video? I think with some time and regular uploads this could be a pretty successful channel.

[@tacticstonk4740]

Definitely your review style, instant sub

[@lucioiva7146]

genuinely one of my fav movies/films of all time and second fav musical

[@doctornoahphd1288]

Underrated video great job bro❤

[@provokedrobin608]

This is definitely one of those be careful what you wish for moments

[@hartkart]

Please make more content. You have a great voice for this. 😊

[@alexmccoy8167]

what ever happened - we NEED Dr. Horrible 2, - fact!

[@turutanov]

Zero likes, one subsciber. Wow, man, I can't help much, but at least have my youtube numbers. Thank you for communicating something important. The bitter irony of creative content, you got bonked by the same thing that the creators stood against.

[@faithevers6899]

my eyes is the best freaking song in the musical this movie is incredible

[@JoE-zw3ub]

this is truly a masterpiece

[@PopADoseYo]

I loved the tragedy of the short film. I first saw it the year it released because my buddy loves NPH. I didnt know of him. But man did I love every minute of this movie. Lots of laughs with a big dark cloud waiting at the end. Its sad, especially Pennys "Captain Hammer will save us".

[@haydenvogel1908]

This was great!!!

[@astridstehr1380]

we need more stuff like this on here

[@wa-bu3ke]

it didn't depower Hammer it just hurt him

[@jamesnetwall1193]

Excellent content! More 🔥 pls.

[@allusernamesweretaken]

I've been waiting for a sequel to dr horrible :(

[@encantarebelde]

Listen to "Commentary!"

[@crystalc5500]

For real! With the new writers strike going I'm totally crossing my fingers.

[@DrMcFly28]

@@crystalc5500 only know they'll need to film it without writers & actors. :P

[@Leavon]

Not "Geek".... "Nerd" is the appropriate term and yes Felicia Day is Queen of the Nerd's.

[@zachwhite2716]

People who insist that either nerd or geek is the “right” word are the exact reason why the rest of the world rolls their eyes at us.

[@jamiedragonlady_3291]

Don’t forget Felicia day in the guild series

[@PeacelordApropos]

So much time since this equsistite video. Please sir, more? Perhaps another masterpiece like megamind?

[@jfiffl7]

Neil looks impressivly like Michal from GTA5

[@user-sikapeika]

Очень сложно найти хоть что-то про Доктора Ужасного, тем более на русском языке. Вы мое успокоение. Я чувствую себя одинокой, потому что никто кроме меня не знает о сериале. Спасибо ❤

[@alalal123421]

whaat a mans gotta do is great

[@DrMoonRose]

Sobs because this is your only video :,)

[@noleyone]

Had to tap put after a few min, couldn't take hearing "horrbs" any longer

[@alalal123421]

commenting for algorithm this is great

[@gameygeemer4142]

Hell yeah

[@daniellejackson6543]

Wait a minute billy? Silly billy?!?!

[@axothegremlin]

annoying ass

[@solracer66]

Felicia Day and Nathan Fillion where dating during the filming of this and I think it shows in their performances.

[@ParkerJacobsen]

A good joke would be “ why is ther a horse her anyway

[@bethechangebevegan853]

"Whatever that dollhouse thing was" Rude :l

[@ChairmanHehe]

HEY dollhouse was great

[@AlphaHakai]

There will be no act 4?

[@jamiedragonlady_3291]

I wish there was more on what happened later

[@andeatit2]

Much Nostalgia Very Wow ❤

[@domg.1011]

hammer did save her, but horbs also saved her she was double saved Doctor Horrible was vague on the "how" for social change, subverting the status quo, & anarchism; the ends justifies the means Captain Hammer was vague on the "why" for saving Penny & starting a homeless shelter. He does good stuff for his own selfishness; the means justifies the ends. Some girls LIKE pathetic nerd losers tho billy Hammer is not a fraud, he's just self centred. Like cops. He has that hero syndrome. He likes saving people not to save the people (like penny) but for himself. Like nurses. More into the idea of being a people helper than actually helping people. Captain Hammer is so turned on by himself. He does get the homeless shelter signed over to caring hands, but not for the homeless, it's so HE is seen as the helper of the homeless & so that PENNY likes him. It is not that he is pretending to help people & actually hurting them, it's that he's helping people without caring about them. He helps them not for them but for him. I mean yeah he's still gross, but don't forget that what he does is real even if it is from a selfish motive. & one of my fave lines: anarchy that I run. Oxymoron. Love it. Tragic line: captain hammer will save us, said by penny who is dying from the piece of death ray that captain hammer shot & dr horrible made as she is looking into the eyes of the guy who is crushing on her fun billy, who happens to also be dr horrible but captain hammer ran away & billy has a phd in horribleness not a medical degree so he can't save her & the cameras assume he killed her & killing her (he wasn't even the one to DO it) was what got him into the ELE. & i AM moderately versed in music, I adore all these songs they are all great. Here's another thing I find to be weird but not touched on: the "penny as a prize" thing. Horrible IS evil, hammer IS gross, & yet both are trying to get with Penny. She is a prize to be owned in this, neither are respecting her as much as they could if they were not obsessed with filling their roles of hero & villain. I have SO Many thoughts abt dr horrible's sing along blog & many of them are more than just the plot or music or characters, but also about the context in which it was made, the music design & deeper design of the music... Yeah it was a masterpiece, & entirely free!

[@colinwillis9096]

Do you think it is more widely applicable that Men's purpose is obfuscated and yet driven by the women in their life. And that when this is taken away that there is no meaning left beyond the selfish villainy. Is it not something that other men dream about.