http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dollhouse_(TV_series)



In Dollhouse, Eliza Dushku plays a young woman called Echo, a member of a group of people known as "Actives" or "Dolls." The Dolls have had their personalities wiped clean so they can be imprinted with any number of new personas, including memory, muscle memory, skills, and language, for different assignments. They're then hired out for particular jobs, crimes, fantasies, and occasional good deeds. On missions, Actives are monitored internally (and remotely) by Handlers. In between tasks, they are mind-wiped into a child-like state and live in a futuristic dormitory/laboratory, a hidden facility nicknamed "The Dollhouse". The story follows Echo, who begins, in her mind-wiped state, to become self-aware.

[Edited on February 11, 2009 at 1:06 PM. Reason : .]

2/11/2009 1:02:39 PM

i'm DVRing

2/11/2009 1:05:41 PM

1. This show is on Fox.
2. This show is on Fox on friday nights.


Won't make it a season.

2/11/2009 1:06:11 PM

All true probably, but that doesn't mean a Whedon show staring Dushku doesn't deserve a look-see

2/11/2009 1:07:55 PM

Got it set up to DVR.

The storyline seems pretty awesome!

2/11/2009 1:24:50 PM

t, too, will be dvr'n

2/11/2009 1:32:01 PM

I'm convinced that this show is gonna be great, but I know that it's gonna fail because Fox isn't even giving it a chance.

2/11/2009 1:57:19 PM

damn Eliza Dushku would get it

2/11/2009 2:04:30 PM

Sounds interesting, I'm definitely gonna give it a try

2/11/2009 2:17:43 PM

boooo buffy in a secret dorm.

2/11/2009 2:35:58 PM

Quote :

"All true probably, but that doesn't mean a Whedon show staring Dushku doesn't deserve a look-see"

A Whedon show starring Dushku is the precise reason why I will not be watching this show. Holy shit that girl couldn't act her way out of a cardboard box. They were showing these previews during Nip/Tuck and all I could think of was her shitty character on that shitty other Joss Whedon show.

2/11/2009 3:41:19 PM

What, you mean Faith, from Buffy? She was awesome. You're crazy. Not to mention HOT.

I'll grant you she's not an amazing actor, but Whedon can make her awesome, and everything he touches turns to gold.

have you SEEN Dr. Horrible?

2/11/2009 3:45:41 PM

sweeeet

2/11/2009 3:47:58 PM

already getting horrible reviews.

2/11/2009 4:08:23 PM

Dr. Horrible being funny doesn't mean that Eliza Dushku doensn't suck at acting and definitely won't be able to keep this show afloat as the lead role.

Next I suppose you'll try to convince me that upcoming Castle show is going to be good because it has Joss Whedon's favorite male actor Nathan Fillion in it. Admittedly I've never seen Firefly/Serenity, but here's what I have seen from Joss Whedon that sucks:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Angel
Alien: Resurrection

This is the same character from Buffy with less clothes on. Which admittedly isn't a total loss, but this show is just going to be a lot of gratuity and her with a dumb look on her face.

2/11/2009 4:10:43 PM

ok... if you didn't like Buffy or Angel, why are you here? We don't need your $0.02 anymore.

anyway, here's a recent interview with Whedon
http://www.salon.com/ent/feature/2009/02/11/joss_whedon/


here's a telling answer:

Quote :

"Based on the pilot, "Dollhouse" seems much less playful than some of your previous shows. It is less playful, which doesn't mean we don't play. There's a lot of silliness and repartee and fun, but first we have to win over the world. I think the first episodes are trying to get people to understand and accept how this world works. But the show really finds itself in the second half. It's really where we start to go, "Ohhhhhh, we can do thiiiis. Right, this is why we showed up!" And so I'm hoping people will stick with it. So you're doing a bait and switch? You're tricking them with the more conventional stuff up front? Well, it's more that by episode six, people know the characters, they get it, now we can start to really mess with them."

Anyone who has watch Buffy or Angel all the way through has seen that Whedon always has "the big picture" in mind, and is always, from the very beginning, constructing a long narrative. That's why you can't necessarily see one or two episodes of any of his shows and make a determination.

That was also the downfall of Firefly, where he had a 7 year arc already planned out, but the network got antsy about it after half a season. Much of the arc was going to be devoted to telling River's backstory, but we barely got a glimpse of it in the 13 episodes that aired. Serenity obviously tried to fill the arc in as much as possible, but he couldn't do in a 2-hour movie what he had planned on doing over 100+ hours of TV.

[Edited on February 11, 2009 at 4:31 PM. Reason : .]

2/11/2009 4:24:31 PM

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/10/DD9015QISL.DTL

Quote :

" TV review: 'Dollhouse' is a big disappointment Joss Whedon is one of television's most talented visionaries, but his latest series - the highly anticipated midseason drama "Dollhouse" - is a major disappointment. It looks as if Fox was onto something when it wanted the pilot reworked and maybe onto something bigger when it shifted the series to Friday nights, hardly the spot for a heavyweight these days. On the plus side, being out of the limelight might allow the troubled "Dollhouse" to grow. After Friday's lackluster pilot, it certainly has room to do so. But judging from two additional episodes - one a step forward, the other a step back to the underwhelming quality of the pilot - it could be that Whedon has invested too much hope in his muse, Eliza Dushku, the star of "Dollhouse." It could also be that the premise is too flawed for anyone to elevate. Here's Fox's description of the series: " 'Dollhouse' focuses on Echo (Dushku), a member of a highly illegal and underground group of individuals ('Actives') who have had their personalities wiped clean so they can be imprinted with any number of new personas. Hired by the wealthy, powerful and connected, the Actives don't just perform their hired roles, they wholly become - with mind, personality and physiology - whomever the client wants or needs them to be. ... After each engagement, Echo returns to the mysterious Dollhouse where her thoughts, feelings, experiences and knowledge are erased. Or are they?" OK, then. Ambitious, yes. Implausibly hokey, yes. But Whedon was able to make "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" into a slice of genius, plus he turned Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog into an Internet sensation during the Writers Guild of America strike. You have to give the man room to work. But "Dollhouse" doesn't work, on numerous levels - starting with Dushku. She's not a sufficiently compelling actress to pull off the various personas she's given. What's worse, "Dollhouse" wants the "dolls" to be childlike and unencumbered by thought when they're not on assignment. This doe-eyed, vacant state does not suit Dushku. She mainly walks around bemusedly, looking wan. Issues of identity The bigger picture - which "Dollhouse" doesn't really illustrate in the three episodes sent to critics - is that issues of identity are in play: how the Actives came to volunteer for the Dollhouse experiment in the first place and what they - specifically Echo - might be recalling from memories they're not supposed to have access to. Whedon may be after something bigger, but none of it seems especially compelling. What the series does achieve, ever so slowly, is a much-needed bigger mystery than what's up with Echo. We learn, for example, that one of the Actives did something he shouldn't have; it seems the programming code, or "art," as its young creator, Topher (Fran Kranz), calls it, has some bugs. That's also why Echo is holding on to memories. Faulty code can be interesting (at least Fox better hope it becomes more so). And there could very well be a heretofore unknown rival to the Dollhouse - always good for drama. The super-secret Dollhouse is fronted by Adelle DeWitt (Olivia Williams), who reports to unseen handlers. Stoic Boyd Langton (Harry Lennix) is assigned to be Echo's handler and protector. He's likable right off the bat, and his rising curiosity about the ultimate goal of the Dollhouse adds a small layer of interest. So, too, does FBI Agent Paul Ballard (Tahmoh Penikett), whose relentless pursuit to prove the existence and real story behind the Dollhouse makes him the FBI's running joke - but he adds much-needed gravitas to life outside the Dollhouse. Laurence Dominic (Reed Diamond) plays the head of security at the Dollhouse. "The dolls in their infantile state disgust him," according to Fox - and that's a sentiment that many viewers are likely to share, which brings us to the fundamental flaw of the series. Who cares? Why care about the Actives at all? When they're on assignment, it's not as if they're real people. They're programmed robots, essentially, doing a job, playing a role. Once they're "wiped," and they fall into that aforementioned infantile state where they loll around doing yoga and babbling, they're pretty and vacant but not exactly enthralling. Echo's backstory barely unfolds after three episodes, and that's asking for more patience than the average viewer may have. There's barely a trace of Whedon's wonderful sense of humor, and when it does come, from the boy scientist character Topher, it makes you think of him as less scientist and more boy, hardly the believable architect of this life-altering technology. And then there's Dushku the muse - the actress who inspired the series Whedon built around her. Obviously he sees something in her. But will viewers? That's a lot of faith. Here's hoping "Dollhouse" improves significantly or else Fox is going to wipe it clean for next season."

2/11/2009 4:28:28 PM

this sounds like My Own Worst Enemy minus christian slater plus a hot chick

2/11/2009 5:35:49 PM

Quote :

"Holy shit that girl couldn't act her way out of a cardboard box. "

no joke - being in the spank bank will only carry your watchability so far

[Edited on February 11, 2009 at 6:06 PM. Reason : ]

2/11/2009 6:06:13 PM

I'm sorry agentlion, I didn't realize this was a Joss Whedon circle jerk. I thought it was a forum to discuss what we thought about the upcoming show.

One review doesn't mean that it will objectively suck, but this is telling:

Quote :

"But "Dollhouse" doesn't work, on numerous levels - starting with Dushku. She's not a sufficiently compelling actress to pull off the various personas she's given. What's worse, "Dollhouse" wants the "dolls" to be childlike and unencumbered by thought when they're not on assignment. This doe-eyed, vacant state does not suit Dushku. She mainly walks around bemusedly, looking wan."

Quote :

"show is just going to be a lot of gratuity and her with a dumb look on her face."

2/11/2009 7:28:06 PM

I hope this show works, but Ive had my doubts ever since hearing about it. I dont see how a show can work if your lead doesnt even know who she is, plus Ive never been a big fan of Eliza Dushku. I never liked Faith either, even when she "reformed" or whatever...

2/12/2009 6:56:53 AM

I'm just surprised that Whedon was willing to work with FOX again after the entire Firefly debacle.

2/12/2009 10:15:47 AM

he seems to really like Dushku, and she already had a contract with FOX

2/12/2009 11:14:11 AM

Quote :

"Next I suppose you'll try to convince me that upcoming Castle show is going to be good because it has Joss Whedon's favorite male actor Nathan Fillion in it. Admittedly I've never seen Firefly/Serenity, but here's what I have seen from Joss Whedon that sucks: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Angel Alien: Resurrection"

A.) Yes, if you hate buffy angel and alien: res, you probably will dislike everything else he's done, but you're also insane Seriously though, if you hate buffy and angel, we're on a whole different level of entertainment and probably won't agree on much.
B.) Firefly also rules. Probably harder than any of the 3 things above
C.) Fillion is a god damn hero, and I bet any show with him starring WILL be great if only because of him. I'd watch anything with him starring just because of how awesome he is, even if the rest of it sucked.
D.) I don't trust reviews. Of anything. I've disagreed with tons of reviews, so I'll make my own decision.

Quote :

"I dont see how a show can work if your lead doesnt even know who she is, plus Ive never been a big fan of Eliza Dushku"

I feel like that's what will help the show keep its newness. As long as they play it right, that could actually be the selling point. Kind of like Doctor Who changing the lead every few years. Keeps it fresh.

[Edited on February 12, 2009 at 2:54 PM. Reason : .]

2/12/2009 2:51:58 PM

i've wanted eliza dushku since some chick made me watch bring it on




[Edited on February 12, 2009 at 8:22 PM. Reason : hot damn]

2/12/2009 8:21:18 PM

Well George, I appreciate your thoughtful response. Upon reflection I would take Alien IV off my list of sucky things, but that's probably skewed by my affinity for the Alien series.

This show premiere's tomorrow right? I am now interested in what you think of it after seeing it.

2/12/2009 8:54:11 PM

She was on Howard Stern this morning trying to hype up the series. If her interview there is any sign of the quality of the show we are in for a treat. A vomit flavored treat that is shaped like a steaming pile of turds.

I believe the second episode revolves around her being "imprinted" so that she can go bow hunting. Sounds like a winner.

[Edited on February 12, 2009 at 9:52 PM. Reason : ]

2/12/2009 9:52:00 PM

here's a significantly more positive review.
The reviewer seems to blame the faults of the show on FOX

http://www.salon.com/ent/tv/review/2009/02/12/dollhouse

Quote :

"But then, "Dollhouse" has traveled a long and bumpy road for Joss Whedon so far, starting with the lukewarm reception his original pilot received from Fox. Whedon explained on the Whedonesque Web site, "Basically, the network and I had different ideas about what the tone of the show would be. They bought something somewhat different than what I was selling them, which is not that uncommon in this business. Their desires were not surprising: up the stakes, make the episodes more stand-alone, stop talking about relationships and cut to the chase. Oh, and add a chase. That you can cut to." Whedon decided to scrap his entire pilot and start over, and the show was held until midseason. The new pilot actually begins with a motorcycle chase, followed by some sexy disco dancing and romantic intrigue. It's all very Fox -- disappointingly so, most likely, for die-hard fans of Whedon's brainy, self-conscious writing, who probably wouldn't mind more talk about relationships and episodes that don't stand alone. But try to be patient, sweet fanatical Buffyheads, for the same spirited banter and thoughtful philosophical discussions are there for the savoring. "

Quote :

"That said, "Dollhouse" isn't nearly as flawless as the gorgeous operatives who inhabit its oddly peaceful underground hideout. When the first episode lurches into familiar Fox territory, with guns blazing and bad guys growling, it's hard not to wish that Whedon had found a home for his show on AMC or HBO or even Sci Fi, a network where blockbuster tactics are often abandoned for the sake of intelligent dialogue, complicated interpersonal relationships, rich character development and stories that unfold slowly and sweetly over the course of 15 episodes."

Quote :

"So if you "Buffy" fans feel slightly disappointed on Friday night, remember Paul's words: "Nobody has everything they want. If you have everything, you want something else. Something more extreme. Something more specific. Something perfect." If the fates cooperate, "Dollhouse" will be on the air long enough to evolve from something shiny and extreme to what Whedon and an unwieldy gaggle of fans want it to be: something more specific. Something clever and layered. Something perfect. "

2/12/2009 11:04:24 PM

Quote :

"Well George, I appreciate your thoughtful response."

Dude, do you know that I had totally forgotten you were disco_stu until I saw you say my first name? Weird the connections I have to TWW. I will give you a report after I see it, but I'm already expecting it to be all Foxed up like the salon review says it will be. Hopefully they'll keep it on long enough for Whedon to trick them into letting him make it awesome.

Also funny:

Quote :

"What, you mean Faith, from Buffy? She was awesome. You're crazy. Not to mention HOT. "

I don't remember what that writing error is called, but in that sentence I called you hot instead of Eliza. To be clear, I was talking about Eliza

[Edited on February 13, 2009 at 12:19 AM. Reason : .]

2/13/2009 12:18:29 AM

^AHA

2/13/2009 8:59:23 AM

i've wanted eliza dushku since some chick made me watch bring it on True Lies

wait

....


nm

2/13/2009 9:35:06 AM

well I'm still excited about this show and I will make my own opinions.

I like to give new shows at least 3 episodes to see whether I like them or not. I don't think you can accurately judge a show from the pilot alone.

2/13/2009 11:26:01 AM

I'm willing to give the show a chance based on Whedon's own comments about how the arc will really start to ramp up mid-season. The question is whether or not Fox and the viewing audience will have the patience to let Whedon do his storytelling.

2/13/2009 2:47:02 PM

NCSU alum Brett Claywell is playing "Matt" in this show.

2/13/2009 5:35:50 PM

I'm watching this before I head out to the bar. It's not so bad. Kinda corny but I'll stick it on my dvr and give it a few weeks. I am kind of a sucker for eliza dushku though.

2/13/2009 9:52:23 PM

that was pretty bad

yay amy acker though

2/13/2009 10:12:13 PM

it was OK, for a first episode. a couple things to keep in mind:
1) like i said earlier - "you can't necessarily see one or two episodes of any of his shows and make a determination."
2) If you go back and watch only certain episodes of Buff or Angel, you could walk away with huge misunderstandings about the show. You could practically watch all of S1 of Buffy and still think it was just a corny high-school drama


it felt pretty FOX'd-up - very sleek and stylized, but I guess that's what comes with a big budget and stuff.
We're already getting plenty of hints into her past, so i'm sure there will be plenty of backstory to add as the season arc heats up.


I don't think Eliza Dushku is a particularly strong actress, but neither was/is Sarah Michelle Geheller, and look what Whedon did with her.


btw, i wonder how long before Echo is put into her first lesbian sex scene..... Whedon has a bit of a fetish for that

[Edited on February 14, 2009 at 12:10 AM. Reason : .]

2/14/2009 12:08:30 AM

motherfucker

Brett got to make out with Eliza Dushku.

2/14/2009 9:32:34 AM

Damn i forgot about this.

2/14/2009 5:46:23 PM

Watched online today. Wasn't that bad for a first episode.

2/14/2009 9:26:29 PM

I was wholly satisfied, and after reading that bad review, I'm extremely positive about the future of the show. I the show gets to be as much better than the pilot than the pilot was compared to the review (if that makes sense) we're in for some great stuff.

On the whole, I agree that it was FOXed up, but we knew that would happen anyway. For a FOX pilot, it was pretty good. I am a fanboy, though, so maybe others will disagree. Curious about the ramping up, the rogue Active, etc. I can definitely see this being like I said earlier in the thread - the new personalities thing is a great plot device to keep the show interesting for a long time, since the main actors will never be the same person. I'd like to see some episodes about Echo just being her wiped self and having to deal with issues in that way too, or getting her own original personality back at some point, etc. I'm sure that's all in the cards.

2/15/2009 12:00:49 AM

it was awful

2/15/2009 5:00:00 PM

Interesting enough that I'll give it another few episodes.

2/15/2009 5:01:39 PM

I really liked it. The only thing I was a little bit disappointed in was not being able to see how she really worked without flashbacks...as in, I would've liked the pilot to just show how she normally handles things on the job. It wasn't a big deal though. The plot looks interesting with the guy trying to find her and all the identities she can become.

I will definitely keep watching it. I hope others will give it a chance as well.

2/15/2009 5:38:05 PM

I would have liked to see her go through a normal routine too, but since it's a Whedon show on Fox they don't have much time to spare

That being said, i'm gonna try to watch it to show support, I enjoyed it.

2/15/2009 7:22:13 PM

i thought it was just meh

2/15/2009 11:29:36 PM

There is a nerd arms race going on -- Since firefly was good, nerds had to pretend that Buffy was good so that whedon would still have hope of making another firefly project. Then they had to pretend that Dr. Horrible was good so that he could have another shot at TV, and now they have to pretend that Dollhouse is good.

None of the nerds are willing to blink and admit that most of the stuff the guy has done has sucked.

2/15/2009 11:42:44 PM

you're in the minority on buffy.

but i only got through half of this before stopping. i plan on watching the rest tonight, but it didn't really grab me.

2/15/2009 11:51:51 PM

Helo ftmfw

2/15/2009 11:52:53 PM

^ haha saw him on some random lifetime movie last night as i was flipping channels

i will keep this show on the dvr list and watch I have nothing else to do, potential looks okay I thought fringe was meh at first now its one of my top shows (shows the quality of tv these days)

2/16/2009 8:38:26 AM