Whedonites of the world united around the internet a year or so ago to hear the news they were praying for, but not expecting – his mind swapping series Dollhouse was going to get a second series, and what a second series it is.
Out on Blu-ray and DVD today the thirteen episodes continue the intricacies of the the first season, with Eliza Dushku’s multiple personalities vying for space inside her mind, with her doll state (codenamed Echo) able to access, but not control them.
Set inside the Dollhouse, an underground health spa devised by Philip K. Dick, the corporate team and the dolls carry on their work under two dark clouds; the mysterious Rossum corporation (who put the ‘Hell’ in Healthcare) and fallout from the latest visit from the psychotic rogue doll Alpha (played with delicious zeal by Whedon-alum Alan Tudyk). Not to mention the ‘lost’ episode of Season one, the wonderful Epitaph One, in which we see the world ten years in the future, gone to hell in a handbasket thanks to the technology used in the Dollhouse. There was no explanation as to how the world ended up this way, and this is something the second season works towards.
What the second, and as it turned out final, season does for Joss Whedon’s world is to lay less emphasis on the ‘personality of the week’ and give the series narrative over to the conspiracy element which gains furious momentum towards the end as well as stir a healthy dose of moral complexity like only Whedon seems capable of. While the game of ‘who’s the doll’ gets a little frustrating towards the end, there are very decent stories going on here, not least Alexis Denisof’s Senator Perrin and the D.C. Dollhouse and the introduction of Summer Glau’s awkward genius, Bennett.
Standout episodes include Priya’s episode Belonging (directed by Star Trek’s Jonathan Frakes), The Public Eye, the return of Alpha in A Love Supreme and the final four episodes which do a great job of drawing together the multiple narrative strands to a thrilling, and satisfying climax. Then, of course, we go back to the future for Epitaph Two: Return which is both heartbreaking and hopeful – just what Whedon does best.
Dollhouse is a curious series, one that took its time to get going but benefits from a great cast and a decent line in combining its creator’s trademark smart, sparkling humour with some complex ideas and does an impressive job in walking the cliche strewn minefield of US TV, carving out its own identity. There are missteps here, with a couple of the episodes adding nothing to the wider narrative arcs or the show’s mythology, but these are not detrimental to the overall experience.
The extras on the three disc set range from the always interesting episode commentaries, outtakes and (quite rightfully) deleted scenes to the two documentaries, which look at the evolution of the show’s second season and then a strange round table dining experience where the cast and Whedon reminisce on the show.
The highlight of the first documentary is the moment when news of the cancellation comes and how the cast and crew appeared to live under its constant threat. A few alternative storylines are revealed had the show lasted beyond its two seasons and while I didn’t see Dollhouse having the longevity of Buffy, or the sadly even shorter lived Firefly, it’s intriguing to see where some of the characters may have ended up.
Also bundled with the Blu-ray is a short comic called Epitaphs which tells the story of the moment when the outbreak took hold and the Dollhouse technology wreaks havoc. It’s a nice touch, bridging the gap between the series and Epitaphs One and Two nicely.
With all these actors from Whedon’s past joining him in this season it may be that it is Whedon’s last on the small screen. With The Avengers in his future and the various television deaths suffered by a thousand cancellations it may be that the doors closing on the Dollhouse signal the last time Whedon channels his considerable creative energies to the small screen. While Dollhouse isn’t close to being his finest work, it is a gem to be discovered, and the Blu-ray and DVD set is the perfect way to indulge yourself.
Dollhouse Season Two is out on Blu-ray and DVD today.
