Home

The Alpha and Omega

image by Veronica V. Jones

Holding Out for a Dollhouse Hero

Amy Acker as Dr. Claire Saunders
Harry J. Lennix as Echo's hander Boyd Langton
The elusive Alpha

After having just watched the eighth episode of Joss Whedon’s high-concept action thriller Dollhouse, I realized why this beautifully cast, cleverly scripted series is ultimately so unsatisfying: there’s not one regular character to honestly root for or admire.

The Dolls themselves are certainly sympathetic characters, but are little more than mindless babies in their natural state. All of the extraordinary abilities exhibited by these “actives” are built on false personalities. It seems impossible to parse which impulses and desires they exhibit are actually their own, or if a mind-wiped zombie can even have honest feelings. Every hint we’re shown of the people they once were are later proven illusory…. a lie.

Those that work in the Dollhouse itself are willing participants in all manner of inhuman atrocities. Yes, a few employees of the Rossum Corporation seem to honestly care for their mentally neutered charges, but a few sleepless nights in the service of evil isn’t particularly noble. Most seem resigned to, or downright amused by the savage acts committed by and on their infantile charges.

This leaves us one obsessed FBI agent who is obviously much more concerned with debriefing Echo than taking down a global slavery operation. Even if agent Ballard’s intentions were pure, he’s certainly accomplished nothing meaningful to date, other than a brief rendezvous with the girl of his dreams.

Like those wayward souls who serve the Dollhouse, it seems the actors and viewers alike are trapped in a situation beyond their control. The best they and we can hope for is that there is a method to Mr. Whedon’s madness, and like some mirror-mirror Buffyverse, there’s a “Big Good” hero waiting to confront our merry band of villains and save the day… and the series.

Written by in April of 2009. Last edited March 2019.

Related Features

Outcasts Provides a Bumpy Ride to Salvation

A transport ship with Carpathia and one of its moons. Liam Cunningham as President Tate. Langley Kirkwood as the AC leader Rudi.

Shows We Won’t Be Reviewing

Caroline Dhavernas and the talking plastic lion from Wonderfalls. The cast of Angel.

Mr Robot’s Fantastic World of Science Fact

Rami Malek as Elliot. Portia Doubleday as Angela. Christian Slater as Mr. Robot. Portia Doubleday as Angela and Carly Chaikin as Darlene. Martin Wallström as Tyrell.

Firefly on Scifi

Jane Mal and Zoe fixin' to shoot someone or someones.

Ghost in the Shell: Innocence

A disassembled gynoid and a basset hound. Batou is surrounded by the images of flapping birds. A closeup of one pale gynoid -- a female robot -- with others in the distance. A robotic geisha with an open chest cavity.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *