Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog
July 27, 2015 1:41 AM
Penny’s death shows the cynical, arrogant attitude Whedon has in regards to his characters, and by extension his worldview. Penny’s death however is what elevated this low-budget superhero satire from the silly to serious...art.
Was penny’s death a last minute attempt to shock the viewers? Did it come out of left field?
No, I think it was always intended as a way to turn a campy evil character into a melancholy anti-hero. Completing the story-arch. It was meant to be tragic because Penny would have loved Billy, if not for Dr. Horrible. The irony being that what he thought he wanted (being in the league of evil) was not what he actually wanted (being with Penny), and in gaining the first goal, he lost the second.
So what’s your problem with it?
Now that I’ve thought about it longer, I don’t really have a problem with it. What I initially thought was that it’s a naive way of dealing with actual relationships. But it wasn’t meant to a mature way. It is still a silly superhero satire, a very good one at that.
What I wanted was a realistic portrayal of unrequited love. I guess I’d have to go arthouse for that.