Dollhouse Will ‘Not Fade Away’
// December 20th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Review, Scifi, Television
“Genius” is a word that is thrown around rather casually where Joss Whedon is concerned. Though it is unknown whether he is comfortable with the title, it isn’t something he’s had to deal with much lately as he’s been bogged down with his current series, Dollhouse. Despite it’s fans, the new series has been plagued with problems on such a level that the premature demise of Firefly almost seems like a mercy killing. And despite the best efforts of cast, crew and fans alike, Dollhouse has been cancelled anyway; the drama only a precursor to the inevitable.
Aside from the typical problems that genre shows tend to have with Fox (especially where Joss is concerned), there’s also the fact that Dollhouse isn’t always the great. The first season was fairly lackluster throughout most of it’s run; a fact exaggerated by the high expectations of it’s audience. Most of the blame can be laid on the fact that the show didn’t seem to have a hero. The main character, Echo (Eliza Dushku) held a different personality every episode, making her difficult to empathize with. The problem was remedied as the seemingly blank slate Echo became self aware, her personality retaining the composite personalities that had been imprinted on her brain despite their having been supposedly erased.
The first season ended on a high note with the un-televised season finale, Epitaph One. The episode jumped several years into the future where mind imprinting technology has created an apocalyptic society of lawless streets where the poor forage for food and fight for survival while the rich kidnap those beneath them to jump from body to body, making those with access to imprinting technology functionally immortal. Having revealed the scope of the show’s possibilities, excitement for the second season was as high as the premiere.
Since then, Dollhouse has finally become a strong show. And half-way through the season, the cancellation notice was handed down. I’ve had mixed feelings about the show, thinking it inferior in it’s beginnings and then more worthy toward the middle of it’s run. As I watched Friday’s incredible 2 part episode Stop Loss (part 1) and The Attic (part 2) I’m equally torn. While the episode was a turning point for the show, signifying the race toward the proverbial finish line; I believe it may be for the best. The show has never been stronger, and seems to be finding meaning in it’s death.
The truth is that Dollhouse has always been a concept rife with potential, but perhaps it is best to see it finish strong, like an extended mini-series rather than squander that potential in future seasons through fights with network execs and endless compromise. After all, it wouldn’t be the first great show to be cancelled ahead of its time, but Echo and company are among the few afforded time to tie up their loose ends. In three weeks Echo’s story will have been told; her race run.
“This is a good death.”
In the last moments of The Attic, Joss provides a glimpse of his endgame, as the conspirators stand revealed. In that briefest of moments, we are – I believe intentionally- taken back to the final episode of his second series Angel, called Not Fade Away. In the finale, Angel and what remained of his friends made a decision to destroy the source of great evil on Earth, the law firm Wolfram and Hart. They new that their actions would end in death, they would ultimately be justified.
In this way, the Dollhouse crew is similar despite being from a very different universe. Whedon has always told stories about great heroes. From Buffy to Angel to Firefly to Kitty Pryde’s death in Astonishing X-Men, the indelible image of the hero making the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good in burned into the public subconscious. Though our heart may break, we can’t help but love the idea that there are people willing to go to the brink and beyond to save us. As Echo, Ballard, Sierra, Victor and the rest prepare to take down Rossum Corporation to prevent an apocalypse, they strive for greatness. Classic Whedon.
When all is said and done, the show’s short life will not have mattered. Their memory will not fade away.
