When I heard that Joss Whedon, the creative genius behind the TV
shows Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel and
Firefly--as well as the Firefly
spin-off film Serenity--had returned to television with
Dollhouse, I did the
only sensible thing that any Whedon fanatic could do: I avoided the new series
like the plague. You see, Dollhouse premiered on Fox, the very same TV network
that gave the axe to Firefly mid-way into its first season. And I didn't want to
set myself up for another major disappointment by falling in love with a show,
only to have it ripped away from me by moron TV executives who can't see past
the tip of their noses. After all, it was just recently that Fox had cancelled
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, which was another favorite series of
mine (and one that co-starred Summer Glau, who played River Tam to glorious
perfection on Firefly).
But then, something amazing happened: Dollhouse got renewed! Viva la Fox! And so,
with the promise of another season on the horizon, I put away my pitchfork and
torch and--once it was released on DVD--I grabbed a copy of Dollhouse and devoured
it like a hungry troll during the off season deep within the bowels of my home
(and if you think I really need to get out more, you're probably right). For
Dollhouse, Whedon reteams with Eliza Dushku--whose anti-heroine Faith was one of
the best things about Buffy--to create another science fiction story that, unlike
Firefly, takes place right now, and right here on earth. The Dollhouse is
essentially a brothel for a collection of handsome young people whose memories
are erased by an imprint machine which is run by Topher Brink (Fran Kranz), a
snarky young know-it-all genius.
Once the memories of an Active are erased, they can then be imprinted with a new
personality by the same device. This basically creates the perfect playmate for
whomever can afford it (the Dollhouse's clientele are all super wealthy). But
while the standard demand is for a bedroom playmate, the Actives can also be
programmed for other assignments, both legal and illegal, from everything to an
assassin to an FBI forensics expert. Once the assignment is completed, the
memories are erased from the Active, who reverts to a simplistic, child-like
state. The Dollhouse itself is set up as a warm and inviting health spa, where
the off-duty Actives wander around barefoot in their pajama-like clothes, in an
atmosphere that recalls a twenty four hour long slumber party.
Dushku plays Echo, one of the "actives" within the Dollhouse who agreed--under
duress--to give up her life to them for five years; after which, her original
personality will be implanted back within her brain and she will be allowed to
go on her way. While the first few episodes of the series are in the standard
SF/action/adventure mode (with the lame Stage Fright being the worst ep in the
overall first season), things really kick into high gear with Man On The Street,
as Whedon and company begin to closely examine the down side of an operation
like this. In the marvelous and gut-wrenching episode Needs, we're forced to
look at the Active's situation from a new perspective, that of slaves. The
writers love to constantly toy with the standard action plot--such as in Gray
Hour, where we initially think Echo has been programmed to be a hooker who winds
up getting taken advantage of by her client, only for it to turn out that the
whole affair was a cover for a robbery--with a further unseen twist still coming.
But there are plenty of great, unexpected twists offered within the overall
narrative, with the biggest one being that Echo is slowly starting to remember
things. Dushku really shines here (as does Enver Gjokaj and Dichen Lachman, two
of the other actors who play the Actives), as she effectively portrays many
different personalities, from timid to dominating, over the course of the season.
The DVD and Blu-Ray sets also have the unaired, original pilot, as well as
another unaired episode, Epitaph One, which offers a fascinating glimpse into a
very dark future ten years hence. Dollhouse is another pleasant surprise from
Whedon and company--who, despite all odds, managed to tell a gripping, intelligent story filled
with real flesh and blood characters. Here's looking forward to the
second season of Dollhouse, and hopefully many more for this fascinating SF/action series.
--SF
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