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Dollhouse (TV series)

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For other uses, see Dollhouse (disambiguation).
Dollhouse
Dollhouse intertitle
GenreScience fiction
Thriller[1]
Drama
Created byJoss Whedon
StarringEliza Dushku
Harry Lennix
Fran Kranz
Tahmoh Penikett
Enver Gjokaj
Dichen Lachman
Olivia Williams
Theme music composerJonatha Brooke
Eric Bazilian
Opening theme"What You Don't Know" by Jonatha Brooke
Country of originUnited States
Original languageTransclusion error: {{En}} is only for use in File namespace. Use {{langx|en}} or {{in lang|en}} instead.
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes23 plus original pilot[2]
(list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersJoss Whedon
David Solomon
Tim Minear
ProducersEliza Dushku
Michele Fazekas & Tara Butters
Production locationLos Angeles
Running time47-50 minutes (Season 1)
42 minutes (Season 2)
excluding advertising
Original release
NetworkFox
ReleaseFebruary 13, 2009 (2009-02-13) –
January 22, 2010 (2010-01-22)

Dollhouse is an American science fiction television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon under Mutant Enemy Productions. Dollhouse premiered on February 13, 2009, on the Fox network. Fox officially cancelled the series on November 11, 2009[3] with the final episode scheduled to air on January 22, 2010.

The show revolves around a corporation running numerous underground establishments (known as "Dollhouses") across the globe which program individuals referred to as Actives (or Dolls) with temporary personalities and skills. Wealthy clients hire Actives from Dollhouses at great expense for various purposes. The series primarily follows the Active known as Echo, played by Eliza Dushku, on her journey towards self-awareness.

Dollhouse has received mixed reviews; Robert Bianco of USA Today describing it as a show "that Joss Whedon's most devoted fans will debate and embrace, and a mass audience just won't get."[4]

Plot

The story follows Echo, a "doll" or "Active" for the Los Angeles "Dollhouse", one of several facilities that is run by an organization that hires out human beings to wealthy clients who use them for a range of fantasy purposes, called engagements. Engagements range from romantic interludes to high-risk criminal enterprises. The dolls' memories have been wiped using sophisticated technology, and new memories and personalities are programmed into them for each of their jobs. All of the dolls at the LA Dollhouse are referred to by codenames based on the NATO phonetic alphabet. Echo, like her fellow dolls Victor and Sierra, exists in a child-like blank state, until a programmer uploads her with the skills and memories to make her a completely new and unique person. Actives such as Echo are ostensibly volunteers who have surrendered their minds and bodies to the organization for five year stints, during which their original personalities are saved on hard drives, in exchange for vast amounts of money and a solution to any other problematic circumstances in their lives. In reality, however, it appears that heavy coercion or brute force has been used in a number of cases. Echo is unique in that she remembers small amounts even after personality "wipes", and gradually develops an increasingly cognizant self-awareness and personality. This emerging personality is even distinct in some ways from that of her original identity, college student Caroline Farrell. This concept allows the series to examine the notions of identity and personhood.

As Echo continues to evolve and learn to work beyond the limits of each temporary personality imprint or default "tabula rasa" programming, she runs the risk of being sent to "the Attic", a permanent resting place for "broken" dolls and problematic Dollhouse employees. She is an object of fascination for the escaped doll Alpha, a genius and serial killer who has been driven mad by being implanted with the memories of dozens of people and who sees Echo as a potential mate, and FBI Agent Paul Ballard, whose obsession with the unsubstantiated rumors of the Dollhouse costs him his career. An ethical dilemma and an ostracizing by his employer drives Ballard to leave the FBI and work for the organization as Echo's bodyguard or "handler". Ballard sees the Dollhouse's activities as immoral and illegal, but becomes increasingly complicit in the business that he equates with murder and sex trafficking. Within the house, opinions are divided. Director Adelle DeWitt sees her role as aiding an honorable research arm of the Dollhouse's corporate sponsor; programmer Topher Brink's view is entirely scientific and amoral, apart from brief flashes of moral quandry; and handler-turned-head of security Boyd Langton, an ex-cop with a mostly-unknown past, is generally concerned with the ethical and theological implications of the Dollhouse's technology but seems to view his inside role as an opportunity to limit the collateral damage.

After the events of the DVD-exclusive "Epitaph One", however, the show's focus shifted to the dangers of the abuse of the mind-wiping technology. During the second season, each character in the Los Angeles Dollhouse is forced to confront their own moral complicity in an increasingly downward slide from a moral "gray area" to the realization that, at its core, what the Dollhouse is doing is ultimately immoral and wrong. The Dollhouse's corporate sponsor, a drug research entity known as the Rossum Corporation, is interested in gaining control over national governments and perhaps even over innocent people who had no association with the Dollhouse, using consolidated technologies that have been developed at the LA Dollhouse and its counterparts in other major cities.

Production

The series stars Eliza Dushku, who worked with Whedon on the cult television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain are the showrunners, while Tim Minear and Steven DeKnight serve as consulting producers.[5][6] In addition to Joss Whedon, the writing staff includes Tim Minear, Jed Whedon (Joss's brother), Maurissa Tancharoen (Jed's wife), Andrew Chambliss, Tracy Bellomo, Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain.[7] Whedon directed a number of his own episodes, as he has done in past shows. Tim Minear and Buffy producer David Solomon also directed.[8] A viral marketing campaign promoting Dollhouse was started on May 26, 2008.[9]

Dollhouse was produced by 20th Century Fox Television, Whedon's Mutant Enemy Productions,[10][11] Dushku's Boston Diva Productions, and was granted an initial thirteen-episode production commitment by Fox, with a reported license fee in the range of $1.5 to 2 million per episode.[12][13] Fox decided to forgo the usual practice of ordering a pilot episode of the series, opting to instead put funds towards the construction of the elaborate set and cultural context of the television series. The set was described as a "life-size Dollhouse".[14] On July 22, 2008, Joss Whedon announced that the first episode shot, "Echo", would be pushed to be the second, while a new episode would become first, saying that this "idea to do a new first episode wasn’t the network's. It was mine".[15] Despite several reshoots, "Echo" was later pulled from the run entirely;[16] the staff of the show has since noted, during a panel on the series at the Paley Festival, a television festival held at the Paley Center for Media in New York City, that portions of the episode were used in subsequent episodes throughout the series' first season.[17]

Dollhouse, as well as J. J. Abrams' Fringe, aired during its first season with half the commercials and promo spots of most current network dramas, adding about 6 minutes to the shows' run times, as part of a new Fox initiative called "Remote-Free TV".[18] Fox charged a premium price for this advertising space, but did not completely recoup the money that they were spending.[19] Fox later cancelled Remote-Free TV.[20]

In July 2008, Whedon announced he was planning to shoot a separate webisode for every Dollhouse episode produced.[21] The webisodes did not materialize for the first season, however.

On February 10, 2009, Dushku told reporters in a conference call that Whedon had a 5-year plan for the show, and decided how his characters would evolve through that point.[22]

Casting

Panel with (left to right) Dichen Lachman, Joss Whedon, Eliza Dushku, and Fran Kranz.

Anya Colloff and Amy McIntyre Britt, who previously worked with Joss Whedon on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, and Serenity, are the show's casting directors.[23]

On March 26, 2008, it was officially announced that Tahmoh Penikett, Dichen Lachman, Fran Kranz, and Enver Gjokaj had been cast in four principal roles for the show.[24][25] On April 3, 2008, it was announced that Olivia Williams would be playing the role of Adelle DeWitt.[26] Two weeks later, it was announced that Harry J. Lennix had also joined the cast.[27] On the same day, Joss Whedon announced on whedonesque.com that Miracle Laurie and Amy Acker were to complete the cast.[28]

Brennan Elliott and Michael Muhney auditioned for the part of Paul Ballard but lost out to Penikett. Ian Anthony Dale and Paul Campbell auditioned for Victor, but Gjokaj got the part.[29]

Episodes

See also: List of Dollhouse episodes

Season 1's 13th episode

On April 9, 2009, Whedon rebutted speculation that Fox was set to cancel the show however, and producer Tim Minear explained that the "missing" 13th episode (entitled "Epitaph One") would be on the DVD release of the season. The reason Minear gave for that episode being dropped from the broadcast run was that the Fox network was counting the original first episode ("Echo"), which went unaired, as part of the original 13-episode order; in contrast, the Fox production company was required by contract to have a minimum of 13 completed episodes for international and DVD releases.[30] According to both Minear and Whedon, the producers felt that the original first episode, having been subsequently scrapped entirely and having had its footage reused for other episodes throughout the season, should not be counted as a completed episode as part of their own 13-episode orders for international and DVD distribution but rather as a DVD extra, and thus Whedon produced a new 13th episode on a lower budget to fulfill the contractual requirements for the international broadcasts. The episode was screened at Comic-Con on July 24, 2009.[31] "Epitaph One" had its world premiere in Singapore on Wednesday, June 17, 2009, through Season Pass, an on-demand service offered by SingTel mio TV[32] The first general broadcast was in Sweden on Channel TV400, Sunday July 26, 2009.[33] In the United Kingdom, the episode aired on the UK Sci Fi Channel on August 11, 2009,[34] in Australia it aired on September 1, 2009 and in Brazil it aired on November 5, 2009 on FX Brasil.

Season 2

Despite low ratings in its first season, Dollhouse was renewed for a second season[35] of thirteen episodes.[36] Among other factors, fan response to the show was seen as a reason for the renewal; Fox's president of entertainment stated that "if we'd canceled Joss's show I'd probably have 110 million e-mails this morning from the fans".[35] As part of the deal, there was a cut in the show's budget,[37] though Whedon stated that this would not affect the second season.[38] The series will continue in its 9–10 pm Friday timeslot, with the season premiere on September 25, 2009.[39] Season 2 of Dollhouse began filming on July 22, 2009,[40] so Fox pushed back Dollhouse's return to the 25th to afford Whedon & Co. sufficient time to produce enough hours to kick off the season with at least three or four consecutive episodes.[41]

Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters (creators of Reaper) joined the writing staff for season 2 as replacements for former showrunners Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain (who left Dollhouse to join the writing staff of Lie to Me).[42]

Miracle Laurie announced that she would be returning in the second season.[43] Alexis Denisof joined the cast as Senator Daniel Perrin,[44] and Summer Glau was originally scheduled to appear in at least two episodes as Bennett, a character who is working inside a Dollhouse, but it was later announced that she will stay on Dollhouse as a recurring character for longer than her original two episode order.[45] Michael Hogan and Jamie Bamber will both have roles as guest stars.[46]

On October 21, 2009, Fox announced it would not be airing any episodes of Dollhouse during November sweeps. The series would return in December 2009, airing back-to-back episodes on December 4, 11, and 18.[47]

On November 11, 2009, The Hollywood Reporter announced that the show had been cancelled.[3] Fox passed on ordering more episodes of the show;[48] however, Fox will air the rest of the 13-episode order. After airing the back-to-back episodes in December 2009, the final three episodes will air during January 2010, with the final episode airing January 22, 2010.

Cast and characters

Dollhouse cast. L to R: Paul Ballard, Victor, Echo, Sierra, Topher Brink, Adelle DeWitt, Boyd Langton
See also: List of Dollhouse characters

The Dollhouse cast consists mainly of Actives (or Dolls) and Dollhouse employees.[49] The Actives at the LA Dollhouse are named after the NATO phonetic alphabet (other Dollhouses are shown to use other naming systems).

Main cast

  • Echo (Eliza Dushku) is an Active and the main character of the series. She is one of the most popular Actives in the Dollhouse, and has shown skills that transcend the limitations of her parameters during the course of her engagements. Prior to having her mind wiped, Echo was a college student and political activist named Caroline Farrell.E-7 It is revealed that Caroline was forced into becoming a doll after security let her see the secrets behind the Rossum Corporation. She becomes increasingly self-aware during her blank state, and later even vows to discover and restore her original self.E-14 On achieving full self-awareness, Echo develops a romantic interest in Paul Ballard. Having learned more about Caroline's potentially murky past, she decides to be her own person.E-20 After escaping The Attic and freeing Victor and Sierra, Echo forms an alliance with Paul, DeWitt, Langton, Topher, Victor, Sierra, and Ivy.
  • Boyd Langton (Harry J. Lennix) is introduced at the onset of the first season as a former cop and the Dollhouse handler assigned to Echo. He has doubts about the Dollhouse's ethics, but largely keeps quiet about them. Later in the season, he's promoted to head of security.E-9 His own "morally compromised" past is unrevealed, but it is known he has considerable skills and contacts in disposing of dead bodies.E-17 When Echo returns to the Dollhouse after a three-month absence, he allies himself with Paul and Topher in keeping her self-awareness a secret from the Rossum execs.E-21
  • Topher Brink (Fran Kranz) is the scientist who operates Dollhouse's technology and uses it to imprint new personalities on the Actives. Cynical, ego-driven and seemingly amoral, Topher's knowledge of human behavior allows him to specially craft the various personalities of the Actives for their various missions. In the second season, Topher faces several moral dilemmas, the first when he is required by Rossum to revitalise a serial killer.E-16 When required to permanently surrender the Active Sierra to her rapist, Nolan Kinnard, he returns her as Priya, who kills him. He and Boyd help Priya cover up the murder, and Priya agrees to return to the Dollhouse as Sierra.E-17 When the LA Dollhouse comes under the control of Matthew Harding, Topher becomes concerned about Rossum's ambitions concerning the Dollhouse technology. He informs Adelle that he has figured out Rossum's plan as well as the technique to imprint any human being remotely, but she betrays him and surrenders it to her superiors.E-20 Following this, Topher aligns with Boyd and Ballard's "conspiracy" when he learns of Echo's full self-awareness.E-21
  • Paul Ballard (Tahmoh Penikett) is an FBI special agent assigned to the Dollhouse case at the onset of the series; most in the Bureau view the case as a joke, but he makes discovering and rescuing Caroline/Echo an obsession. The Dollhouse assigns active November to spy on him by becoming his girlfriend, Mellie. After breaking into the Dollhouse, he works for them under the condition that November is released,E-12 and later takes the role of Echo's handler. The two of them vow to set the Actives free.E-14 When Echo is left out on the streets, Paul finds her and helps conceal her from the Dollhouse for three months while she develops a full self-awareness. She becomes romantically and sexually attracted to him, but he abstains from sex with her. The two re-enter the Dollhouse to continue their crusade.E-20 The two later form an alliance with Boyd and Topher, but Paul is wiped and left braindead by Alpha.E-21 Topher is able to partially restore Ballard by converting him into an Active, removing one brain function, and imprinting him with the scan Alpha took.E-23
  • Victor (Enver Gjokaj) is an Active who was originally introduced as Lubov, Paul Ballard's informant inside the Russian mob, before being revealed to be a Doll.E-3 The character is also regularly hired out by Adelle DeWitt herself to be her lover, whom she truly appears to love. In his mind-wiped state, Victor is attracted to Sierra, something that is not supposed. His handler is Selena Ramirez.E-9 He suffers facial cuts similar to Dr. Saunders' after a run-in with Alpha,E-11 which DeWitt authorizes to have removed at great expense.E-14 Before entering the Dollhouse, Victor is a War in Afghanistan veteran named Anthony Ceccoli suffering posttraumatic stress disorder (of which he is cured by the Dollhouse). He is restored to this personality in "Stop-Loss",E-22 and aligns with Priya, Echo, and the senior staff of the LA Dollhouse against Rossum.E-23
  • Sierra (Dichen Lachman) is introduced as the newest Active in the Dollhouse; her original mind wipe occurs in the first episode of the first season. She is instinctively drawn to Echo, but lacks her growing self-awareness. Sierra is a painter named Priya Tsetsang prior to having her mind wiped and becoming an Active.E-17 Unlike the other Actives, Sierra was committed to the Dollhouse against her will by a powerful man, Nolan Kinnard, after she rejected his advances. He then hires her out periodically for sexual encounters.E-8 During Season 1, she is also raped by her handler in her blank state, only adding to her trauma.E-6 When Sierra is sent to her original rapist and captor permanently, Topher sends Priya, who kills Kinnard. Boyd and Topher dispose of the body and Sierra agrees to return to the Dollhouse to be with Victor, whom she loves.E-17 Priya is later awakened to help retrieve Anthony/Victor when he is captured and enslaved by Rossum,E-22 and the two unite with Echo and the senior staff of the LA Dollhouse against Rossum.E-23
  • Adelle DeWitt (Olivia Williams) is the highest ranking official at the Los Angeles Dollhouse. She claims to believe that the aims of the Dollhouse are truly benevolent; however, she displays an increasingly cynical attitude in Season 2, eventually joining the conspiracy against Rossum.E-23 Although Adelle is the head of her Dollhouse (as the L.A. Dollhouse is just one of more than twenty worldwide)E-6 she answers to a number of superiors at the Rossum Corporation. It is revealed that she has been hiring out Victor as her lover; and she appears to be deeply in love with him, though she has concealed these activities from others in the Dollhouse by inventing a client referred to as "Miss Lonelyhearts".E-9

Recurring cast

  • Whiskey (Amy Acker) is originally introduced in the series as the Actives' general physician Dr. Claire Saunders. It is revealed in the season one finale that she is in fact an Active. Formerly the Dollhouse's most popular Doll, she was attacked by Alpha with a pair of scissors, causing extensive facial scarring. Shortly afterward, Alpha killed the actual Dr. Saunders, and Whiskey was imprinted with his personality and skill-set to serve as his replacement before the events of the first episode. Saunders has trouble adjusting to the realization that she is merely Topher's creation, and objects to being wiped or restored as that would be tantamount to dying. She takes leave of the Dollhouse for some time to find herself.E-14 The role of Claire Saunders was originally conceived for a woman in her 40s or 50s, but Whedon had worked with Acker on Angel and decided the actress would be the best for the part. Whedon adapted the character for her, despite initial reservations about casting too many Buffy and Angel alumni.[50]
  • Alpha (Alan Tudyk),E-11 born Carl William Craft,E-12 is a rogue Active who escapes from the Dollhouse. Prior to the events of the series, an accident causes a "composite event" in which 48 personalities are simultaneously imprinted in Alpha, along with all the associated memories and skill sets. In his escape, he kills or maims several Dolls and Dollhouse staff members (including Echo's previous handler) but leaves Echo unscathed.E-2 After his escape from the Dollhouse, Alpha begins to send anonymous packages to Paul Ballard that hint at the existence of the Dollhouse and Echo's former identity.E-1 Alpha reveals himself after posing as the architect behind the construction of the Los Angeles Dollhouse facility, Stephen Kepler, whom Ballard has tracked down. He leads Ballard into the Dollhouse, takes control of the security and automated systems, and leaves with Echo.E-11 Though Echo escapes him, he remains at large.E-12 On learning of Echo's full self-actualisation and her romantic attraction to Paul Ballard, he imprints Paul's personality into himself and leaves the real Ballard braindead.E-21
  • November (Miracle Laurie) is originally introduced to the series as Mellie, Paul Ballard's neighbor, romantic interest, and confidante, but is in fact a "sleeper" Active.E-6 Adelle can switch November to a combat-ready personality using verbal codes.E-6 In "Omega," November's original persona and memories are restored and she is released from her contract early with full payment at Ballard's request in exchange for his joining the Dollhouse's staff. She returns to her life as Madeline Costley.E-12 After being approached by Senator Daniel Perrin with evidence of the criminal and sexual acts she was made to perform as an Active, she agrees to testify before Congress about the Dollhouse.E-18 Unfortunately, this turns out to be a trap; she is denounced by Perrin (himself an Active) as a liar with faked evidence "disproving" the existence of the Dollhouse. She is subsequently sent to the less scrupulous Washington D.C. Dollhouse where her mind is forcibly erased and she is re-enslaved.E-19
  • Ivy (Liza Lapira) is Topher's assistant. While highly skilled and seeing herself as Topher's apprentice, Topher treats her more as a gofer, assigning her menial tasks such as fetching him snacks.
  • Graham Tanaka (Mark Sheppard) is an FBI agent highly critical of Ballard's assignment of the Dollhouse, believing it to be nothing more than an urban legend.
  • Loomis (Aisha Hinds) is an FBI analyst and Ballard's ally within the Bureau while he's suspended.
  • Daniel Perrin (Alexis Denisof), introduced during season two,E-14 is a third-generation United States Senator who was kidnapped by the Rossum Corporation for the purpose of being turned into an Active. His mind was subsequently heavily altered via fake memories implants regarding his wife (really his handler) and his personality, turning him from a drunken slacker known for partying, into a serious-minded politician and reformer. Though his conditioning was undone and he escaped along with Echo, it was ultimately restored and, as per Rossum's orders, he "debunks" the Dollhouse myth.E-19
  • Laurence Dominic (Reed Diamond),[16] head of security at the Dollhouse during most of the first season, takes his job very seriously but views the Dolls as more like pets than humans. He attempts to kill Echo, and also suggests she be retired as an Active and put into "the Attic".E-5 Later, while under the influence of a drug, he attempts to apologize to Echo for his actions.E-7 Dominic is revealed to be an NSA agent who is monitoring but not exposing the Dollhouse for unknown purposes. Upon discovery, DeWitt has Topher extract his persona from his body and then sends him to the Attic.E-9 While in the Attic he becomes a defender of other imprisoned minds against the shadowy killer "Arcane." He and Echo work together when she arrives in the Attic. E-23
  • Joe Hearn (Kevin Kilner) is Sierra's handler in the first six episodes, in addition to being the handler of the previous Sierra. Joe Hearn is introduced as a less-dedicated counterpart to Boyd Langton.E-3 He strongly dislikes Echo for her individualism and worries about her influence on Sierra. DeWitt eventually learns that Hearn has raped Sierra in her blank state a number of times, and has him killed by activating November's combat-ready personality while he's on assignment to assassinate "Mellie."E-6
  • Dr. Nolan Kinnard (Vincent Ventresca) is a wealthy psychiatrist, Rossum Corp VIP, and art collector. He meets Sierra while she is still aspiring artist Priya Tsetsang. As a means of high-profile courtship he buys one of her paintings and invites her to a party where it is exhibited. She spurns his advances, and in retaliation he drugs her with psychotropic medications to mimic the symptoms of schizophrenia, then turns her over to the Dollhouse.E-17 When the Dollhouse temporarily restores her original personality, she confronts Kinnard and he gloats that he can have her (when he hires Sierra) any time he wants, even making her beg.E-8 He eventually demands that Sierra be sent to him permanently, a demand that Rossum forces DeWitt to obey. A remorseful Topher imprints Sierra with her original personality, and during her confrontation with Kinnard he produces a knife, leading to her stabbing him. Topher and Boyd dispose of the body.E-17
  • Matthew Harding (Keith Carradine) is the Rossum Corp executive who oversees Adelle. He does not delude himself about Rossum's goals or the Dollhouse's purpose, and sees the Actives as property. He insists Adelle surrender Sierra to Kinnard,E-17 and keep her nose out of the Senator Perrin engagement.E-18 For three months, he becomes the head of the LA Dollhouse while it develops the remote wipe technology for Rossum. Adelle is able to wrestle power back off of him by showing her supplication to Rossum in handing over the complete remote imprint schematics designed by Topher.E-20
  • Bennett Halverson (Summer Glau), introduced in "The Public Eye," is the D.C. Dollhouse's programmer. Prior to the events of the series (and becoming Echo), Caroline is Bennett's best friend. However, Caroline leaves Bennett for dead in a lab explosion which costs her the use of her left arm. When Bennett attempts to kill Echo by imprinting Daniel Perrin with an assassin persona, she is thwarted by Topher, who initially develops an attraction towards her.E-19

Blu-Ray/DVD releases

Complete season Release dates
Region 1 (United States/Canada) Region 2 (United Kingdom) Region 4 (Australia/Brazil)
1st July 28, 2009[51] September 7, 2009 (DVD only)[52] November 4, 2009 - DVD & Blu-Ray (Brazil)
2nd TBA TBA TBA

The Dollhouse DVD sold over 62,000 copies in the first week, and made over 1 million dollars.[53]

Marketing

Viral marketing campaign

Promotional posters featuring Eliza Dushku as Echo surrounded by blank mannequins were used to advertise Dollhouse by Fox prior the series' premiere.

On Feb. 9, 2009, Fox launched Dollplay, a participation drama centered around Dollhouse. It involved using interactive webisodes and a user forum to drive a viral marketing campaign. The campaign asked users on the Fox Dollhouse website to "Save Hazel!" Hazel was a character trapped inside the Dollhouse in real-time. The campaign was called "Dollplay" according to the official Fox press release and was created by the company P "a radical production outfit from Sweden".[54] Five videos released in a four-hour span showed Hazel entering a room, turning on the light, and messing with a computer. That's when the room locked her in and started to move. She approached the camera and yelled for help just as the transmission cut off.[55]

On Feb. 12, 2009, Fox opened the website up to further exploration, and interaction with the main character was now possible via Webcam. It is not yet clear how the character in the viral marketing campaign related to the TV show Dollhouse, but both dealt with science fiction and mind control.[56]

On Feb. 28, 2009, the Dollplay alternate-reality game ended with players saving the fictional Hazel. After Hazel was saved, she told people that there are "Dollhouses" all over the world that imprint them and change them; these include schools, parents, religion and government. She essentially tells people to think for themselves and then leaves the container she is trapped in and the game ends.[57]

Music

Main article: Music in Dollhouse

Reception

Ratings

The premiere episode of Dollhouse helped Fox double its audience levels among women versus Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and helped the network finish in second place among adults 18–34 and in first place across the key male demographic for the night.[58]

Dollhouse premiered on Sci Fi in the United Kingdom in May 2009. Just over 260,000 viewers tuned in to watch it premiere.

Dollhouse premiered on 'Fox 8' in Australia in June 2009. It premiered with just over 120,000 viewers.[citation needed]

Season Episodes Timeslot Season premiere Season finale TV season Rank Viewers
(in millions)
1 13 (1 unaired) Friday 9:00 p.m. February 13, 2009 May 8, 2009 2009 #132[59] 4.63[59]
2 13 Friday 8:00 p.m. (December 4, 2009–December 18, 2009)
Friday 9:00 p.m. 		September 25, 2009 January 22, 2010 2009–2010 N/A 2.25 to date

Critical response

Season one of Dollhouse has had mixed reviews, with metacritic.com giving it a rating of 57 out of a possible 100.[60] Ellen Gray of Philadelphia Daily News is one of those who gave a positive review, remarking that "Dollhouse is less about the ninja kicks and witty banter than it is about instant transformations, and about making the audience care about a character who's likely to behave differently every time we see her. That Dushku mostly pulls this off is a happy surprise, as is Dollhouse, which has survived Firefly-like trials of its own to get this far."[61] Salon.com reviewer Heather Havrilesky was also positive, commenting that the show's combination of mystery, sly dialogue, and steady flow of action results in a "provocative, bubbly new drama that looks as promising as anything to hit the small screen over the course of the past year."[62]

Alternately, Tom Shales of the Washington Post admitted the premise was intriguing, but described the series as a "pretentious and risible jumble" and that Echo did not "inspire much concern or interest in the audience." He commented that the actors seemed to struggle due to the decor being so "outlandish," stating that it "simply isn't worth the trouble."[63] Brian Lowry of Variety also wrote "Dushku's grasp of this vague, personality-changing character is a bit of a muddle. What's left, then, is a series with a hollow center that doesn't initially make you care about its mentally malleable protagonist."[64] Robert Bianco of USA Today had a more nonchalant view of the series, describing Dollhouse as not boring or ordinary, and that the end result is a show "that Joss Whedon's most devoted fans will debate and embrace, and a mass audience just won't get."[65]

Many critics felt that the series' first season improved as it progressed. IGN reviewer Eric Goldman believes that show became much stronger and more compelling with the episodes "Needs" and "A Spy in the House of Love". He opines of the later episodes that, "As a whole this show is definitely working better as we get away from Echo's missions of the week, and from focusing so much on just Echo and letting there be more of a true ensemble feel, with the time split amongst the Dolls."[66] Sarah Hughes of The Independent was unimpressed with the first five episodes but also found that the later episodes became "as involving and addictive as Whedon's best work".[67] Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune liked Dollhouse's "unsettling" tone and found the show to be "unexpectedly moving and complex" during the second half of the first season. She called the second season renewal "a good day for unconventional television".[68]

In response to lagging ratings, Fox Television officially canceled the show midway through the second season, but gave Whedon early notice and an opportunity to finish filming the entire season, which is scheduled to air in its entirety by early January 2010.

References

  1. ^ Gary Levin (2009-02-11). "'Dollhouse' unlocks different identities each week". USA Today. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  2. ^ Godwin, Jennifer (April 9, 2009). "Will Fox Air Dollhouse's Final Episode or Not?". E! Online.
  3. ^ a b Schneider, Michael (2009-11-11). "Fox cancels 'Dollhouse'". Variety. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
  4. ^ Robert Bianco (2009-02-13). "Fox's 'Dollhouse' is its own worst enemy". USA Today. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
  5. ^ Dos Santos, Kristin (2005-05-14). "EW Party Is TV Fan Heaven". Watch with Kristin. E! Online. Retrieved 2005-05-15. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ "Minear joins Whedon, Dushku for DOLLHOUSE". TimMinear.net. FanGeek. 2007-11-01. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
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  13. ^ Whedon, Joss (2008-05-15). "Dollhouse news from Joss!". whedonesque.com. Retrieved 2005-05-16.
  14. ^ Dana, Rebecca (2008-03-31). "Post-Strike, Networks Revamp Pilot Season". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
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  16. ^ a b Whedon, Joss (2008-10-26). "What happened when the lights went out". Whedonesque. Retrieved 2009-02-20. Cite error: The named reference "lights" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  17. ^ http://www.hitfix.com/articles/2009-4-16-paleyfest-09-dollhouse
  18. ^ Schneider, Michael (2008-05-15). "New Fox dramas to limit commercials". Variety. Retrieved 2008-05-18.
  19. ^ Stelter, Brian (2008-02-12). "Remote-Free TV a one-season wonder?". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-02-13.
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  21. ^ Hibberd, James. "Fox plans 'Dollhouse' webisodes". The Live Feed. The Hollywood Reporter.
  22. ^ "Whedon has mapped out a 5-year show run for 'Dollhouse'". ActiveDollhouse.com. 2009-02-10. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
  23. ^ "Want to be on Dollhouse? These Are the Folks You Need to Impress". Dollrific!. 2008-04-08. Retrieved 2008-04-09.
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  32. ^ http://www.singtel-ustv.com/content/epitaph-one.
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  34. ^ http://www.scifi.co.uk/schedule/index.php?year=2009&&month=08&&day=11
  35. ^ a b Huddleston, Kathie (2009-05-18). "Fox execs explain why they kept Dollhouse and killed Sarah Connor". SciFi Wire. Retrieved 2009-05-22.
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  37. ^ Wax, Alyse (2009-05-19). "'Dollhouse', 'Fringe' Renewed! 'Sarah Connor' Cancelled'! Behold the Fall Schedule!". FEARNet. Retrieved 2009-05-22.
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Episode sources

^E-1 "Ghost". Dollhouse. Season 1. Episode 1. 2009-02-13. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |episodelink= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
^E-2 "The Target". Dollhouse. Season 1. Episode 2. 2009-02-20. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |episodelink= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
^E-3 "Stage Fright". Dollhouse. Season 1. Episode 3. 2009-02-27. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |episodelink= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
^E-4 "Gray Hour". Dollhouse. Season 1. Episode 4. 2009-03-06. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |episodelink= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
^E-5 "True Believer". Dollhouse. Season 1. Episode 5. 2009-03-13. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |episodelink= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
^E-6 "Man on the Street". Dollhouse. Season 1. Episode 6. 2009-03-20. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |episodelink= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
^E-7 "Echoes". Dollhouse. Season 1. Episode 7. 2009-03-27. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |episodelink= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
^E-8 "Needs". Dollhouse. Season 1. Episode 8. 2009-04-03. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |episodelink= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
^E-9 "A Spy in the House of Love". Dollhouse. Season 1. Episode 9. 2009-04-10. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |episodelink= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
^E-10 "Haunted". Dollhouse. Season 1. Episode 10. 2009-04-24. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |episodelink= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
^E-11 "Briar Rose". Dollhouse. Season 1. Episode 11. 2009-05-01. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |episodelink= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
^E-12 "Omega". Dollhouse. Season 1. Episode 12. 2009-05-08. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |episodelink= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
^E-13 "Epitaph One". Dollhouse. Season 1. Episode 13. DVD release. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Check date values in: |airdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |episodelink= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
^E-14 "Vows". Dollhouse. Season 2. Episode 14. September 25, 2009. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |episodelink= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
^E-16 "Belle Chose". Dollhouse. Season 2. Episode 16. October 9, 2009. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |episodelink= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
^E-17 "Belonging". Dollhouse. Season 2. Episode 17. October 23, 2009. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |episodelink= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
^E-18 "The Public Eye". Dollhouse. Season 2. Episode 18. December 4, 2009. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |episodelink= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
^E-19 "The Left Hand". Dollhouse. Season 2. Episode 19. December 4, 2009. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |episodelink= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
^E-20 "Meet Jane Doe". Dollhouse. Season 2. Episode 20. December 11, 2009. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |episodelink= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
^E-21 "A Love Supreme". Dollhouse. Season 2. Episode 21. December 11, 2009. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |episodelink= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
^E-22 "Stop Loss". Dollhouse. Season 2. Episode 22. December 18, 2009. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |episodelink= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
^E-23 "The Attic". Dollhouse. Season 2. Episode 23. December 18, 2009. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |episodelink= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
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