Writer and director Joss Whedon, the cult favorite behind hit shows like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Angel" and "Firefly," has returned to television once again, this time with a new mid-season drama, "Dollhouse." Starring Eliza Dushku as Echo, the new series revolves around the underground workings of the mysterious Dollhouse, a corporation that has wiped the memories of its "actives" and can reprogram their personalities to fit any mission or "engagement," depending on its clients' needs.
This far-flung premise is no surprise considering Whedon's background. Whedon is known for his sci-fi/fantasy concepts, and "Dollhouse" makes few overtures toward reality. The plot unsurprisingly requires some major suspension of disbelief. It also asks viewers to keep up with characters that have constantly changing personalities.
"Actives" become whomever the Dollhouse wants them to be. In the pilot episode alone, Echo is both a sexy weekend fling for a lucky birthday boy and a serious facilitator for a wealthy businessman. Although it may be difficult for the viewer to follow the forever-changing personalities, it does give Dushku plenty of room to expand and show off her plentiful acting skills.
The series premiere, after the necessary introductions to key characters, focuses on the abduction and rescue of a 12-year-old girl. The young girl's father, clearly a man of power and money, comes to the Dollhouse for help because they provide, simply put, "the best people for the job." Echo is programmed to become Eleanor Penn, an expert negotiator who, with glasses and a suit, screams professionalism.
As it turns out, the Dollhouse's chief programmer, Topher (played by Fran Kranz) overlooks a major flaw, causing the entire engagement to fail and requiring Echo's handler, Boyd (Harry Lennix), to intervene and extract her. More action ensues after Adelle (Olivia Williams) allows Echo to reattempt her mission. After her engagement, Echo is wiped again and put to sleep in a creepy underground capsule.
Although this is not the greatest hour of television, it accomplishes what it needs to as a pilot. The episode introduces an interesting premise with stunning visuals, many promising characters and a good blend of action, suspense and some (although it could use a little more) humor.
Some viewers may complain that it is difficult to connect with and support a character that is always changing into someone new. But the one viewers will find themselves rooting for is Echo herself, not her programmed personalities. The opening scene shows Echo in her pre-active life as Caroline, about to sign on for a five-year term with the Dollhouse for an unknown reason. Adelle describes Dollhouse as an opportunity for her to create a "clean slate."
Caroline/Echo's response, though, seems to foreshadow the path the series will take: "Have you ever tried to clean an actual slate? You always see what was on it before." This hints at the fact that even though Echo has started her life over, she will always have traces of her former self.
While the show embraces a procedural mold in the beginning, foreshadowing points toward Echo becoming more aware of her reality and her past identity, even in her mind-wiped state. As more is revealed about the Dollhouse's origins and how Echo came to be an "active," the show should prove more engaging and thought-provoking than the first episode.
In and of itself, the premiere offered is neither great nor awful television. To borrow a line from Topher, "Achievement is balanced by fault." "Dollhouse" doesn't hit it out of the park, but it definitely doesn't strike out. It is an interesting show with a lot of potential and should only get better with time.
