Dollhouse

Today, after watching the very last episode of Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse, and in light of the fact that it has been cancelled, I felt inspired to write my own personal review of the series.

In a nutshell, the show follows Rossum corporation, which employs mind wiped volunteers who are referred to as dolls or actives. They are hired by wealthy clients and implanted with temporary memories and skills for various purposes. When not out on assignment, the actives exist in a child like state and live in underground establishments known as Dollhouses. The focus of this series is on the L.A. Dollhouse and one active in particular named Echo (Eliza Dushku). She is unique in that she retains memories from previous imprints even after numerous personality ‘wipes’ and becomes increasingly self aware.

Robert Bianco of USA Today said that Dollhouse is a show that the most devoted of Whedon’s fans will debate and embrace, and a mass audience just won’t get. I think it’s more of a case that the mass audience can’t be bothered to get it and in a way, I can’t blame them. At the end of the day people want to cosy up in front of the television to their favourite TV shows with the same familiar recurring characters and uncomplicated plots.   

Dollhouse is different and admittedly complex, but not impossible to understand. I was not impressed either to start and I consider myself a die hard Joss Whedon fan. I felt that the plot was fragmented and confusing at first and I also found it very hard to warm up to characters whose personalities kept changing from episode to episode. I didn’t even find Echo’s character very interesting to begin with. I stopped watching the show after just a few episodes, but a close friend of mine (you know who you are) convinced me to start watching the show again and I’m glad I did.

Once the series moved away from its ‘Echo’s mission of the week,’ format of the first half of season one and developed a more ensemble feeling, allowing viewers insight into the other characters in the Dollhouse, it became far more interesting. I was pleasantly surprised and found myself wanting more as the mystery of Rossum Corporation and the Dollhouse was gradually unravelled. I still don’t think that Echo was the most interesting character in the Dollhouse, but she played a pivotal role in the plot and it fascinated me how she develops a personality that is very distinct from that of her original identity and Dushku convinces the viewer to care about a character that is essentially a different person every week. There were two characters however, that I found to be even more intriguing: Adele Dewitt (Olivia Williams), the highest ranking official at the L.A. Dollhouse, and Victor (Enver Gjokaj). Olivia Williams’ performances became richer and more astute with every episode and I found myself developing a love/hate relationship with her character. As for Enver Gjokaj, not only is he suave and good looking, but he is a dexterous and entertaining actor. These two have great potential and I hope we will see them in future television shows.

Dollhouse is full of action and sly dialogue and most of all, it is surprisingly moving. If you have never seen it, or if like me, you lost interest and stopped watching after the first five episodes, I urge you to watch the re-runs or buy it on DVD. I assure you that if you persevere beyond the first episodes of season one, you will be rewarded with understanding.