Starring: Eliza Dushku, Harry Lennix, Fran Kranz, Tahmoh Penikett, Enver Gjokaj, Dichen Lachman, Olivia Williams, Reed Diamond, Amy Acker, Miracle Laurie

Created by: Joss Whedon

The Official Site of Dollhouse

Discuss Dollhouse on the boards!

The first (and potentially only) season of Joss Whedon’s fantasy fulfilling experiment series Dollhouse certainly had its ups and downs. After a slow start introducing the extensive cast and heavy concept of criminals having their minds wiped so they could be reprogrammed with new characteristics and rented out to the Los Angeles’ elite, the series was able to rebound telling great character driven stories and spinning the unique concept in clever, unexpected directions. Secrets like who the Dolls really are, how the organization works and why bras are not permitted inside the Dollhouse are all answered by the end of the season. Okay, not the bra thing but I don’t hear anyone complaining.

Whedeon has shrewdly created a “creature of the week� series that had this amazing long-term story bubbling just behind the surface. And before you could say you were sick of the formula – you’d somehow become hooked on the damn thing.

For me the weakest link in the show is the one they put front and center. Eliza Dushku who stars as the featured Doll, Echo, is gorgeous and knows how to wear a mini dress like no one else but her skills as an actor are less effortless to praise. Even in the doped and dazed state of indifference that clouds the Dolls between missions she makes Echo feel somehow forcefully hollow, if such a thing actually exists.

Thankfully Dollhouse is very much an ensemble show giving its entire cast little moments to steal the spotlight. From episode one I was always more intrigued by the storyline of Tahmoh Penikett who plays Paul Ballard, a disgraced detective that has become obsessed with locating the mysterious Dollhouse. While you could almost predict what the Dolls would be doing on their missions from week-to-week (they blow through “I wanna be a rock star� and “hunting humans� by episode 3) I found a much larger opportunity for mystery and excitement in following the one character looking for answers. I won’t go into spoilers but by season’s end the tables turn as you start to appreciate the layers of the characters within the Dollhouse and the ultimate mystery of the rogue Doll, Alpha.

Details on Alpha are teased throughout and handled quite well even through his big reveal in the second to last episode. What they do in the finale is less inspiring. Disappointing when compared to how well they’d built up to it. Almost as if they were at the mercy of the network to allow for a second season – in the chance that it would actually built an audience. I almost would have preferred they held nothing back and filled a few body bags on the way to the big ending. As it is they’ve set up a second season whether or not fans or Fox wants it.

Within a few weeks of its premiere Dollhouse became one of those shows I looked forward to. A show that would keep me in on a Friday night - something that hasn’t happen since Full House when I was in sixth grade. Like Full House, not every episode is a home run but in the long run I think Whedon and company have built something they could be proud of. Perhaps not as easy to enjoy as Buffy or as well structured as Firefly (whose spin off feature Serenity is arguably a better introductory sci-fi film than this week’s Star Trek. Don’t get pissed at me right away... Think about it.) but who knows… this may be just the beginning.

Be sure to check out full episodes of Dollhouse here and if you loved or hated the series please feel free to stop by the boards and share your thoughts.

I don’t often do comics for non-movie entertainment. I’ve done a couple for the now defunct Veronica Mars and I keep meaning to do more for LOST (especially ever since Locke turned it around!) but it’s normally something I steer clear of. The Dollhouse comic was born out of pure excitement for this past Friday’s big season finale. I was working on another project and couldn’t stop myself from wondering how they would close things out. I was so obsessed that I began thinking about what I would do for a comic and review.

The logical voice in my head, represented here by Phil, quickly pointed out that down the line Dollhouse will more than likely be nothing but a footnote in failed TV dramas. Just another risky endeavor that Fox dumped on Friday nights to die a slow death opposite unstoppable juggernaughts like The Ghost Whisperer. I hope it remains relevant and soars through an amazing 5-season run but it seems as unlikely as the shows premise itself.

Just for fun I put together this little poll. Be honest because if the numbers aren’t with people being interested in Dollhouse I’ll most likely think twice before randomly doing a TV review like this.

That’s it for now but I’ll have a second Star Trek comic up Monday afternoon. Also be sure and tune in to Monday’s al new Triple Feature to hear us chat about Trek as well as how it stood up against the summer’s first big champ Wolverine.

Happy mother’s day to all the mothers out there. Though I can’t imagine there are many mothers reading this besides my own. :/