I realize there are other threads already discussing the last episode, but I thought I’d follow suit with the other two threads and make a place to just put thoughts on the last epi and what people thought as a whole of it.

Im already seeing many people voicing betrayal or a “let down” over the “ending” (cause who knows if it is). I don’t know if that is because we are so used to constantly seeing a triangle with a happy typical ending of boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl over and over again in so many plots both TV and movies today or if the comedy of the first two ACTS was so funny and so full of lightness and hilarity that the inevitable direction the plot was going became a suprise.

The ending had to happen the way it did. Dr Horrible couldn't win over Penny if he took out Capt. Hammer, it was give up Supervilliany or Penny. The choice was made and he had to live with it.

What drives me to insanity, was the 2 second clip of “Billy” sitting at his computer. What the heck? Was the whole Dr. Horrible story and persona all just the way he percived his life after some tragic misfortune? Was it all just the Angsty thoughts and Blogs of a twenty something? Was this all some sort of metaphor to Billy's Life? What is the significance of the Googles? Was it to block out the rest of the world? AND WHY IS BAD HORSE AN ACTUAL HORSE?!?!?!

But I digress, it was pretty good. It was billed as a Comedy, turned into a tragety, accept that and your fine.

I did feel a little let down after watching the end of Part 3, but I was satisfied with the ending. This is a tragedy in the classic sense of the word. I mean, did you really expect Dr. Horrible to change who he was to have a fairy tale ending with Penny? No, that's why fairy tales are for kids and tragedy is for adults.

Also, the entire series reminded me of Little Shop of Horrors: the rock anthems, the bad boyfriend, the geeky anti-hero, the gal with a past, and dark themes. The ending is no different. In Little Shop the earth is taken over by man eating plants. In Dr. Horrible's world you might say the human race fairs better.

The ending leaves a lot up in the air. We see him entering the Evil League of Evil, then back at his blog. Is Dr. Horrible still answering posts on his blog? He seems disappointed with his success - will that lead him to “hit bottom” and change? I really hope to see more of Dr. Horrible and Neil Patrick Harris' elastic face.

magnoliaway said: “In Dr. Horrible’s world you might say the human race fairs better.”

This is such a good point. This was another thing I loved. Usually in most plots the “good” characater actually is also wise and can see an egotistical opportunist like Hammerman for what he is, but in this plot not so much the case. IN Penny’s case, she was so focused on what was good and pure and “white” that she was completely unable to see the gray and what should have been her character’s strength really became her big character flaw.

I've spent the last two hours trying to process the end of this story.

I'm crushed that they killed off Penny, and outraged that they had us invest so much in these lovable characters only to give it such a gut-wrenching twist at the end.

It pains me to see Billy shed off the bumbling would-be supervillain and evolve into a soulless criminal mastermind.

It baffles me to have so little insight into his thought process as he dons his new costume and strides into the room with the Evil League of Evil.

And it feels like I've had the rug pulled out from under me, to see a silly goof on superhero stories take such a drastic, serious turn in the last five minutes.

And in the last two seconds, Billy is sitting at his computer, no longer in costume, saying he won't feel a thing. And in his eyes are all the pain and sorrow of life's love lost, a hundredfold. Dr. Horrible is now the man, and Billy the wistful dream.

There is no other, better way for this story to end. Another brilliant snapshot of the human condition through the lens of the absurd. A tip of the hat to Joss and the Clan Whedon for a masterful effort.

The first time I watched Act III I sat there in shock. I was expecting a twist, but not that gut wrenching of one.

I watched it again, and it occurred to me that this was a perfect ending. I knew there was no way Billy and Penny could ever really be together. They held totally opposite views of the world. There was no place to compromise. Penny would never be able to accept an “evil” boyfriend, and Billy held to tightly to his identity as Dr. Horrible to be able to let it go.

I loved the look on Billy’s face when he realized what accomplishing his dreams cost. His grief was beautiful. I liked seeing the aftermath. He achieved everything he wanted, and it seemed the price was too high. Now he was stuck living in the world he thought he wanted but the reality didn’t seem to live up to what he dreamed. All through the show Billy blogged as Dr. Horrible his ultimate fantasy. The end shot showed him blogging as Billy, perhaps this was his new fantasy. To just be normal again. But, he can’t. He made his choices and must live with them and so shuts down and becomes “Dr. Horrible”.