Since it's on Friday nights, I usually catch up with it by Sunday, it's definitely not must-see-TV on Fridays. I just think they keep squandering opportunities with uninteresting stories in the first 2/3 of the episodes, just to push forward the Echo arc in the last 1/3 of the episodes.

FWIW, I really don't think Whedon has his head into making this show the best it can be, as it wasn't truly his brainchild. The conspiracist/cynic in me believes that this show was a result of Eliza dating Seth McFarlane (the creator of Family Guy). While they are no longer together, I know that Whedon was brought on after the deal with Eliza starring was already in place, and I also know it was not too long ago Fox signed Seth McFarlane to a $100+ million deal. While it might be B.S. , it wouldn't surprise me if the series was developed as an added favor to McFarlane for his then girlfriend. Again, I doubt McFarlane would have walked away if it weren't, but just food for thought.

Is that Denisof's natural accent? It sounds somewhat stilted and seems to change from sentence to sentence, like he's trying (badly) to hide his natural speech patterns.

I think Denisof is actually American. However, I have to agree that when he plays the senator he sounds like someone trying to sound American.

The problem is that the roles of actives require actors who can slip into a wide range of different personae. And the lead active, Echo, is played by Eliza Dushku, who can really only play Eliza Dushku. She's great a playing tomboys and tough chicks who wear lots of black, but falters when she steps out of that comfort zone.

And, watch the credit sequence, and Eliza Dushku/Echo is the only person you see there. At least on Buffy, when Alyson Hannigan's credit came up you saw Willow. It doesn't give the impression that this is an ensemble show, which it needs to be.

Echo's missions are always the least interesting part of any given show. And since that character is the focus, it hamstrings the narrative.

Well, this show was developed to show off her range as an actress. I'm not making that up.

people and/or things with more of an acting range than Ms. Dushku*:

this wax statue of Paris Hilton:



Terri Schiavo



this rock



Pauly Shore



* I would still like to sex her tho