Dollhouse (Season One) – DVD Review

DVD Reviews, Reviews

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Joss Whedon has been looking for another regular television series since the cancellation of Firefly. After Buffy and Angel both ran their course, Whedon has not had the magic touch he once appeared to have. Dollhouse is his latest attempt and with a second season due to arrive, its an improvement upon his previous work in that it lasted for more than one season.

Echo (Eliza Dushku) was once a college student looking at a severe punishment for something she did. Given the opportunity to atone for her crimes and get a clean slate, she volunteers for the Dollhouse. Her memory wiped clean, shes one of several people who are imprinted with different personalities, depending on the client. Her handler is Boyd (Harry Lennix), a former cop who gets the luxury of dealing with the many different versions of Echo. Exploring her many different lives, so to speak, Dollhouse is actually a pretty clever science fiction series meshed in a world of action with a police procedural driving a sub-plot involving an FBI Agent trying to break the story on the “Dollhouse.”

Its Joss Whedons specialty, the genre-bending series, and its absolutely top notch story-telling. Whedon could use a hit, and many moguls of his type would go for the safe route (in this case a Buffy type vehicle) but Whedon really is going for the home run with this show. This isnt a “safe” series by any means. He has an old hand, as Dushku earned some measure of fame on Buffy, but this is another cast of relative no-names making their name on what is most likely going to be yet another cult show that lasts for a while.

And thats exactly what this show is aimed for. Whedon is aiming for a specific audience in the same way his prior shows have. This isnt designed to appeal to everyone; hes aiming for sci-fi geeks and those interesting in an unconventional story. He does it very well, of course, but this series is finely tuned to the point where if youre not a general fan of the genre youre not going to like it.

Whedon hasnt had a successful vehicle since Angel and Dollhouse barely survived the axe; Fox renewed it for another season despite low ratings in the Friday night slot that killed Firefly. Hopefully itll continue to push the limit and become the great series with enough quirkiness to keep it honest.

Presented in a widescreen format with a Dolby Digital surround, Dollhouse looks fantastic. Joss Whedon projects usually have great transfers and this is no different.

There is a Commentary track on certain episodes but no other extras.

The episode “Epitaph One,” which never aired, is included as well as the unaired pilot “Echo.”

Making Dollhouse featurette

Coming Back Home featurette

Finding Echo featurette

Designing the Perfect Dollhouse featurette

A Private Engagement featurette

Fin




Fox presents Dollhouse (Season One). Created by Joss Whedon Starring Eliza Dushku, Harry Lennix, Fran Kranz. Running time: 641 minutes. Not Rated. Released on DVD: July 28, 2009. Available at Amazon.