335 of 360 people found the following review helpful:
A flawed diamond
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.
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?
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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.
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This show is a bit of a departure from Whedon's normal writing style. Witty banter is seldom seen here. Instead what we have is a crazy concept for a show, essentially due to the fact that the main character has no character . . .. yet.
The show is about a girl who has been plucked from her normal life by a corporation and had her persoanlity wiped. She can then be hired by people for a great deal of money to perform almost any function they wish such as girlfriend, FBI agent, scientist etc. The employees of the corporation merely implant a new personality into her now blank slate of a brain. She then returns to the dollhouse to be brain wiped again at the end of the assignment. Weird huh?!
The show seems to take on a "character of the week" format for Elisa Dushku, but with a thread running through the whole series of "Can you ever truly wipe a human being's personality?", "Is she retaining some sense of self?". This is without a doubt the more interesting underpinning of the show. Joss seems to sneak in a hint about the answers to these questions with each new episode.
There are a great deal of other aspects to the show, but I think I've covered the most important one.
There are a couple of negatives though. The main one is that the first few episodes are a bit of a "lets see how many sexy costumes we can put on Elisa and let her pose around in them?", kinda deal. I don't mind them dressing her up to look hot but it can get a little soft porny occasionally which cheapens the show. Then there is, as previously mentioned, the lack of humour in the first half of the first season. It does start to creep in eventually but this show can take itself a little too seriously at times and I think that slick banter is what Joss does best - and I love him for it.
Is it as good as firefly and Buffy? No, not yet; but with some better peripheral characters (like xander, spike, river etc from his other shows)which are sorely lacking here this show could be great.
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When I first heard that Joss Whedon, the man behind two of my favourite shows of all time (Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel), was returning to television after a long absence I was so excited. Better still was that he was taking with him a whole load of Buffy alum, namely actors such as Eliza Dushku and Amy Acker -- plus Buffy/Angel writers: Tim Minear, Jane Espenson and Steve DeKnight to name but a few.
Dollhouse is basically an illegal, underground organisation that caters to the wealthy, powerful, and connected by leasing out 'Actives'. Actives are people whose personalities have been wiped clean so they can serve whatever purpose the client demands and pays for. Echo, acted by Eliza Dushku is an Active and the first few episodes are focused upon her and her 'engagements'. When the show slowly becomes more settled within itself, around episode five, the series becomes progressively more of an ensemble piece and non-coincidentally improves hugely.
These Actives don't just perform the role that they're hired to play; they actually become it. They are imprinted with a personality formed of many different people to create a persona suitable to the client's needs and desires. Sounds nefarious and dark? Yes it is. It's also treated as such. The morality surrounding this whole organisation and the various people who work for and against it explore the ethics involved. This series is bleak in its outlook; although, on the surface it's not always apparent what with the witty banter, the gloss and the beautiful people -- but underneath it, Dollhouse is very much a piece on what it means to be human and what it would mean for humanity if we really could be programmed like nothing more than computers and hardware.
The Pilot episode 'Ghost' does a decent enough job of explaining what is a relatively complex idea. There are weaknesses to the Pilot episode mainly due to a lot of network tinkering but I've seen worse. The original 'Unaired Pilot' is included on this DVD set, which is much better written. Although I think 'Ghost' serves as a wholly less confusing entrance into this universe. The first four episodes are standalone-ish -- but keep at it. When 'True Believer' (penned by Tim Minear) hits the show settles down superbly with a heart-felt standalone episode that is also action packed and a sign that this show can do those kinds of episodes well. 'Man On the Street' (episode six) is when things really get going in terms of the central story arc. Agent Paul Ballard (Tahmoh Penikett) from the very first episode is striving to expose the Dollhouse, over the season we see him fall from grace a little as his obsession takes over.
The other main characters include the Actives Sierra, November and Victor; joined by Boyd who is Echo's handler. The Dollhouse is overseen by Adelle DeWitt, played by British actress Olivia Williams. The amoral Topher, the genius behind the personality imprints that the Actives are imprinted with, fast becomes one of the most fascinating characters in the series with the small bouts of humanity as he struggles with what he's done. Dr Claire Saunders played masterfully by Amy Acker, is another character I found fascinating. Keep an eye on these two.
I was dubious about the premise of this show at the beginning, wondered if it could really work. I thought this kind of story could not be sustained for X amount of seasons and the intrinsic nature of the programme would be too disturbing for a network like Fox -- as usual, Whedon and Co. have proven me wrong with their excellent handling of this gritty and morally ambiguous world. There's something mildly noir about Dollhouse and its inhabitance with all the characters hiding something, lying, and just generally not being what they seem. The heroes, the villains, are not clear cut. This show has something to say about humanity, about ethics and the human condition. You should have a listen.
Highlight episodes include: Man On the Street, Omega, Needs, True Believer and Epitaph One.
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Dollhouse is an awesome new show which dares to go places other shows won't, with it's short but sweet first season I am already addicted. The first 5 episodes are great but aren't really connected much to the overall story, but after those first 5 it really picks up and goes from great to amazing, Dollhouse is a show with endless possibilities, it can't end now we need a season 2,3,4 and 5, So I just pray Fox don't let this masterpiece slip between their fingers.
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Stick with this series - the first few episodes are scene setters, but from about the fifth episode it really does start to get interesting - raising all kinds of existential questions. Oh yeah - and it's fun too!
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I must say, I gambled when buying this series.
I thought what the hell £14.99.. why not?
I'm so glad I did. I love this series already. I'm only half way through it maybe episode 5/6. But already I'm typing reviews during my dinner hour because I can't wait to get home and watch more.
I was mostly drawn in by the fact that the "Dollhouse" idea could be feasible, It is truly a Joss creation but with a hint of... "What if.."
I love it. I can't wait to watch more. I'd love to see the series continue and get the right promotion it deserves so everyone gets their say!
THANKS FOR READING :)
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I have to say when i read the other reviews i was expecting the 1st few episodes to be a bit confsing and boring.....but i really didn't understand what everyone was talking about! i loved it from the minute it started and so did my boyfriend, we finsished it in a couple of days and i'm just sad that season 2 isn't out to buy already!!
It's a really interesting idea and not like anything on TV at the mo. Eliza Dusku is excellent in it and the rest of the cast are fab too.
I really enjoyed this programme...so 4 star's from me, would have given it 5 but the last episode was ever so slightly confusing and just made the fact that we couldn't watch the 2nd season now even more annoying!!
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This series starts slowly, building a rapport between the audience and the characters. It's what Joss does best when he's given room to do it. By the time you get to episode 6, you should like some characters and dislike some others. Then the real stuff kicks in from episode 6 on.
We get swept in to the world revolving the Dollhouse, it's reason for existing, and Echo's place within it.
Each following episode pulls you deeper and deeper in, until by the last 2 episodes you're all kinds of hooked and needing more. Fortunately there is one more episode in the shape of Epitaph 1.
Epitaph 1 is a work of genius coming off the back of the events of the whole season. It leaves me totally in awe of Joss and his creativity and storytelling prowess once again. And massive kudos goes to Felicia Day for helping to bring the season to a fitting, exciting yet moving end.
I cannot wait for season 2. It'll be quite a ride if the last half of this season is anything to go by.
You really do have to stick it out until episode 6 in season 1, however. Don't write it off for it's slow beginning, as the slow beginning is a great cushion for what follows.
Another great TV show from Whedon and Co, no matter what the haters say :)
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joss weadon is a genius. he's done it again, and created yet another awesome, amazing and fantastic tv show. have to admit, that despite being a huge joss weadon fan and being genuinely intrigued by the idea of the show, after what happened with firefly, a great show that was unjustly cancelled by the idiot networks who just didn't get it, i was worried that the same thing would happen here with dollhouse. i needn't have worried as it grips right from the start. this will go down when it has finished hopefully a long while off yet as an absolute sci fi classic and a great piece of tv in general. eliza dushku is superb as echo, battlestar galactica's tahmoh penikett also superb as the i suspect doomed f b i agent ballard, and oliva williams is also very good and chilling as the dollhouse's boss. in fact, not one bad performance. this is exemplary tv. loved it. can't praise it highly enough. this is intelligent sci fi tv, something very rare in this sad age of dumbed down and reality tv.
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