Well, it's about freakin' time.
What if you could program a person? What if it was possible to create the perfect lover, friend, assassin, or spy? What if you could have anyone, do anything, and leave regretting nothing at all? If actions had no consequences, what kind of world would this be?
Technology has made this reality for the very powerful and very wealthy - not in a not-so-distant future, but all around us, today. Volunteers sign away five years of their lives to an underground organization called the Dollhouse, and during this time, their brains will be imprinted with new custom-made personalities to suit their clients' needs. But the Dollhouse has skeletons in the closet (and maybe some fresh bodies too...), and there are people who are doing their utmost to bring the Houses down. In the Los Angeles 'House, there is one doll who goes by the name Echo. She is beginning to wake up. But will she be able to wake up the world?
I'm going to come clean with you: Dollhouse is my favorite show. Much as I love television series, I have never seen anything as good as this. Its simple concept opens up boundless complexity. It's full of more or less fantastic characters. Its plot is well-rounded and complete. Must I go on? (And it's only part bias!!!)
Dollhouse was created by Joss Whedon, the dude behind Buffy and Firefly. Some of his self-proclaimed followers were pissed off and disliked Dollhouse because i loved errything else he made then he changed it boohoo. (I may talk more about this some other time, since Buffy and I have a bit of a complicated relationship.) It got weak ratings and was cancelled after two seasons. But do not be deterred. It's really good.
Some people put off watching this show because the conceptual basis sounds "shallow and ridiculous" ("Glorified brothel!!! Romanticized trafficking!!!"). I am wont to disagree, as you may have guessed. Part of what makes Dollhouse so excellent is the way it does not try to shape your opinion of the ideas it presents. Although it insinuates that taking away freedom of mind and body is wrong, the characters in the show have different ways of approaching this ideology. Some believe the technology on which the Dollhouses are based should never have existed, while others think the temporary contract the organization offers will benefit individuals' lives in the long run. The world of Dollhouse, like the real world, is full of people with differing views on morals and ethics, and whether or not we like them or relate to them is up to us. Those examples I gave you? There are characters within the show who feel exactly the same way about what goes on down there, and who will do anything to stop it.
A show does not come without faults. In typical Whedon style, it features a lot of awesome, strong female characters, which in itself is refreshing and super great (for example, Dollhouse passes the Bechdel test in its very first scene). But, like Buffy, the heroine Echo is über-centralized and such a unique snowflake that she makes all the other snowflakes look like identical twins. In my opinion, the supporting cast more than makes up for this, but it is sometimes a bit bothersome. Also, before the crew was notified that the show was going to get cancelled (at which point they wrapped up the entire storyline and tied together almost every loose end; really admirable work!), there are a lot of "monster of the week" type episodes. The "monster" is usually some variety of depraved man who later gets his ass kicked by a girl. Although the stories are varied and interesting, the formula can get old if you notice those kind of things. Again, the hints of backstory, the humor, and the cast carry the show through, but I'd have liked to see some more evil women in the show.
I've already gone completely off on a tangent, but what I want to say is, I really recommend this show. It's a short and sweet sci-fi driven by character and thought provocation, and has excellent standards through and through.
GOD, EVERYONE SHOULD WATCH IT.
