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Amazon.co.uk Review
It’s fair to suggest that there are television series that have sprung out of the blocks with more confidence and momentum than Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse. The latest show from the creator of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Firefly centres on Eliza Dushku as Echo, a woman who has different personalities transplanted into her depending on the mission she’s been hired for. It’s a tremendous premise, and one laced with just the kind of threads that Whedon has shown real skill at exploiting. But the first half of the season is a muddle. It takes some time for the show to settle down and find its feet, and the first couple of episodes in particular are more disappointing than anything else.
But then Dollhouse suddenly finds its feet. And while it doesn’t iron out all of the creases, once the show slips into gear, it finally begins to realise some of the immense potential here. What’s interesting too is that this first season DVD set includes the terrific missing episode that was never broadcast when the show debuted in the US.
A second season of Dollhouse is incoming, and given how soundly all concerned recover their footing with season one, that’s something to genuinely look forward to. This maiden season? It has its problems, but when it finally hits top gear, it rewards both your financial and time investment. --Jon Foster
Synopsis
Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Firefly creator Joss Whedon crafts this science-fiction-themed television series concerning a highly-illegal, underground organization known as the Dollhouse that caters to the wealthy, powerful, and connected by leasing out 'Actives', people whose personalities have been wiped clean so they can serve whatever purpose the client demands. Echo (Eliza Dushku) is an 'Active'. She doesn't just perform the role that she has been hired to play, but actually becomes it since she knows no other life than the one she is living in the moment. Actives can become whatever the client wants or needs - a lover, a best friend, a corporate negotiator, or even an assassin. Echo and fellow Actives such as Sierra (Dichen Lachman) receive their assignments from Adelle Dewitt (Olivia Williams), one of the leaders of the Dollhouse. Upon completion of her mission, Echo always returns to the Dollhouse to have her thoughts, feelings, experiences, and knowledge erased by genius programmer Topher Brink (Fran Krantz) while her handler Boyd Langton (Hary Lennix) supervises the process. But the powers that be have caught wind of the Dollhouse, and with every tip he receives from Russian informant Lubov (Enver Gjokaj) FBI Agent Paul Ballard (Tahmoh Penikett) moves one step closer to the truth. But now, as Echo stops forgetting and her memories gradually begin to return, she becomes determined to solve the mystery of her secret-shrouded past. Features the complete first series of the show.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
444 of 477 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Ok, so the series starts off with Joss Whedon, celebrated writer-director-composer, except no-one wants to work with him, then he has a hit web show, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and he catches the attention of the dark and shadowy Fox Corporation. Fox wipe Joss's brain to make him forget that he worked for them before when they became mortal enemies.
So now Fox can make Joss do whatever they want, everyday they activate Joss and set him to work making a television series for them called Dollhouse. Everything works out fine for them. The show is flashy, cool, sexy, confusing, humourless, disconnected and unengaging. Without the real Joss to complain Fox don't even have to spend much cash on it. But can the technology Fox has used really remove all of a person's memories, their sense of self, their soul?
As he works from episode to episode it becomes apparent that Joss starts to remember who he is, but knowing he shouldn't draw attention to this fact he keeps it to himself and works slowly to improve Dollhouse from within. From episode 6 `Man on the Street' flashes of brilliance begin to save the show, culminating in the superb episode 9 `A Spy in the House of Love', by now Dollhouse has become gripping, funny, dark and touching with an intelligent and complex storyline that has people thinking. Joss is even able to help other people taken over by Fox and makes Eliza Dushku realise that she is an actress.
By the end of the series we have been taken to a place we little imagined in the beginning. I won't give any spoilers but Dollhouse does end with Joss improbably winning renewal for a second series, this time will he be out to revenge himself on the people who did this to him and turn out a flawless piece of work from the start?
So now Fox can make Joss do whatever they want, everyday they activate Joss and set him to work making a television series for them called Dollhouse. Everything works out fine for them. The show is flashy, cool, sexy, confusing, humourless, disconnected and unengaging. Without the real Joss to complain Fox don't even have to spend much cash on it. But can the technology Fox has used really remove all of a person's memories, their sense of self, their soul?
As he works from episode to episode it becomes apparent that Joss starts to remember who he is, but knowing he shouldn't draw attention to this fact he keeps it to himself and works slowly to improve Dollhouse from within. From episode 6 `Man on the Street' flashes of brilliance begin to save the show, culminating in the superb episode 9 `A Spy in the House of Love', by now Dollhouse has become gripping, funny, dark and touching with an intelligent and complex storyline that has people thinking. Joss is even able to help other people taken over by Fox and makes Eliza Dushku realise that she is an actress.
By the end of the series we have been taken to a place we little imagined in the beginning. I won't give any spoilers but Dollhouse does end with Joss improbably winning renewal for a second series, this time will he be out to revenge himself on the people who did this to him and turn out a flawless piece of work from the start?
68 of 76 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Ok, so the first five episodes are rather slow, but that is not down to Joss Whedon (creator), its down to the fact the network (FOX) kept sticking there noses in and changing the scripts so the first 5 episodes could be "stand alone" and act as five pilot episodes so people could tune in and understand the show. Episode Six is really when the show hits its stride and the episodes following on get even better (Episode 8 is by far the best episode) all leading up to the finale which was a great ending to the season.
Please DO NOT just watch the first 5 episodes and stop watching, i PROMISE it gets better by episode 6. And by the looks of things this show is going to rock in its 2nd season :D
You can really tell Joss is spending time on this show, there isn't alot of TV series out there were it gets better every episode. Most of the time they start off good and begin to go down hill.
Please DO NOT just watch the first 5 episodes and stop watching, i PROMISE it gets better by episode 6. And by the looks of things this show is going to rock in its 2nd season :D
You can really tell Joss is spending time on this show, there isn't alot of TV series out there were it gets better every episode. Most of the time they start off good and begin to go down hill.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Here's a tip for anyone who hasn't seen this show yet. Buy the DVD and watch the "Original Unaired Pilot Echo" first. This pilot is included on Disc 4 under "Special Features". It is is mind blowing and sets the scene perfectly for what follows in the early episodes, which are not slow as some reviewers have said, but are superb flashback driven action packed episodes making perfect sense having seen the pilot. Why the network never aired this pilot is beyond me - it adds immensely to the enjoyment of this brilliant original sci-fi drama. Lastly I must say Eliza Dushku is just superb in the role of Echo with a winning combination of action, beauty and naivete. This is unmissable sci-fi drama - just follow my tip and you won't be disappointed.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
keeps ya guessing
eliza dushku can act and kick some serious ass, which you see in some episodes, I felt sorry for her in one of the episodes where a psychopath hunts her through the woods, dude you... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Jade Blake
A slow burner...
This is a series you need to stick with - those moments of Whedon genius start to show through about a third of the way in and continue to shine more brightly as you go along. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Slush Puppy
One of the Most important shows ever
Dollhouse was cancelled & deserved to go on for a lot longer. The 2 season arc is still very much complete and deserves no less than 5 stars. Read more
Published 4 months ago by O. Lowndes
I wasted several evenings on this: can I have them back?
Despite being a Joss Whedon fan I didn't watch Dollhouse when it originally came out because I was rather afraid - after seeing publicity material in which Eliza Dushku appeared... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Caterina
FANTASTIC SHOW!!!!!
This is a fantastic show, the best sci fi thriller show i have seen this year, i won't reiterate what others say here, but it really gets going around episode 5, although the first... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Mr. N. P. Hayward
Fantastic !
As the reviews were in general quite good I decided to give it a try. That was an excellent choice indeed. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Serge Creola
Dollhouse. Season 1!
Firstly, disclosing my bias towards Joss Whedon shows, I loved Dollhouse. It was pretty much everything that I'd hoped it would be, with a few little errors here and there, but... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Luke Shelton
A real gem.
This series is wonderful. It seems to have been largely ignored by Terrestrial tv in the UK which is our loss. If you like original and intelligent SF, then buy it and watch it.
Published 16 months ago by Mrs. Susan E. A. Andrews
Wow ! Its not only the idea of it that I like...
its the way of how the story develops. Movies such as "I Robot" have made many of us think about the future, but this seems nearer to ourselves. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Templer
Stick with it and you'll be rewarded
The first five episodes were put in on the insistence of Fox, who clearly thought they were getting a conventional Perils of Pauline (well, Echo) series. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Jeffrey M. Black
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