As I type this, less than 90 minutes remain until Fox broadcasts the final, unpreviewed episode of Joss Whedon's Dollhouse. The fact that I'm anticipating it attests to the promise that Whedon brings to every project -- but at this point, at the show's final hour, I think I've isolated where his latest genre missed the mark.
It cast the right actors -- but not always in the right roles...
Dollhouse (8 p.m. ET) was inspired by, and created for, Eliza Dushku, who stars in the central role of Echo. Echo is an "Active," a Doll, who can be reprogrammed with any abilities, any memories, any personalities desired by her clients -- or her handlers. Hostage negotiator. Extreme sports enthusiast. Loving wife. Pop singer. Dominatrix. And as the series progressed, there was an additional chameleonic requirement as well: Beneath all the parts was one submerged whole, an activist named Caroline.
All well and good, especially as the series progressed and Echo, rather than erasing memories of each personality and encounter, began to secretly retain them. And Dollhouse really got kicked into a higher gear once Whedon ventured into territory that, when I interviewed him on Fresh Air prior to the show's premiere, he denied was in his initial flight plan. He began revealing, slowly, that certain other members of the Dollhouse -- staff members, not reprogrammed Actives -- were not what they appeared to be.
Some, like Amy Acker's disfigured Dr. Saunders, were dolls themselves -- in her case, an Active named Whiskey. Others, like Harry Lennix's Boyd, weren't puppets, but were marionettes, the hidden Big Bads in the playhouse. And still others, like Reed Diamond's Dominic, were a little of both.
With the story lines, especially in this shortened second season, Whedon and his writing team have delivered more than enough twists and shocks to justify allegiance to the series.
The shockingly sudden shooting of Summer Glau's Bennett by one of the activated sleeper Actives, for example, was a shout-at-the-screen "Whoa!" moment.
But where Dollhouse slipped, I believe, was in having supporting players that were stronger, and more compelling, than its leads.
Dichen Lachman, as an Active named Sierra, was more magnetic, and showed more range, whenever she adopted another identity than Dushku's Echo did. So did Acker's Whiskey, once she was revealed as another Active -- her alter egos were few, but impressively far between.
And Enver Gjokaj's Victor proved not only a talented chameleon, but also a gifted comedian and mimic. His "imitation" of Fran Kranz's nervous Topher, when Victor was downloaded with Topher's personality, was a spot-on, very funny impersonation.
Conversely, the hero of the drama, Tahmoh Penikett's Paul Ballard, and the just-revealed villain, Lennix's Boyd, were, like Dushku's Echo/Caroline, less dynamic than those around them. Olivia Williams as Dollhouse executive Adelle, Diamond's Dominic, Alan Tudyk's murerous Alpha -- all of them did more with their screen time than their more prominent co-stars.
A Dollhouse with some of the roles reversed -- starting with Acker or Lachman as Echo -- may not have experienced a different fate, but it may have made for a a more dynamic show.
Meanwhile, we have tonight's finale, the continuation of last season's flash-to-the-future season finale, which Fox never showed but which Whedon released as an extra on the first-season DVD. So there's closure, at least. And tonight's episode, like last season's "missing" futuristic episode, features Felicia Day (in photo at top above), who starred in Whedon's Internet sensation, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.
And best of all, there's more Whedon TV in OUR future. The man who wrote the episode and music for, and directed, the musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and gave Neil Patrick Harris the title role of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, has been signed to direct an episode of Fox's brilliant Glee later this season, with Harris as guest star.
That show ALREADY has the right cast -- and, with Harris, a perfect guest star. With Whedon at the helm of that one, it's one to anticipate with... Glee.