Wow... Whedon and Co. really are just as out of touch as they seemed in interviews. No amount of fanboying is goign to save this pile.

I agree that the premise isn't very convincing. There are too many holes to overlook.
But the second episode is certainly an improvement. It actually would have made a better pilot IMO. I like Boyd's relationship with Echo and the subplot looks really promising.
Hopefully it continues to improve.

You're completely wrong about Eliza not having a huge acting range. She does. You obviously haven't seen The Alphabet Killer. True fans of Eliza like me who REALLY know Eliza's talent know that she's got alot of range.

Yeah, none of this sounds even remotely appealing to me. My Whedon fandom only extends far enough for me to read reviews and summaries of the show.

God-awful premise aside, Eliza's just the worst actress I've seen in a long time, and I skipped large parts of Buffy because of her.

The thing that's always made Joss' work so appealing is the characters, but I just don't see that happening here. And I'm not even about to give it a chance. I hope it dies quick, so we can get a Dr. Horrible sequel in a little sooner.

So far I'm just not feeling it. Without characters I can get involved with, it all feels very empty. Without witty dialog, it doesn't feel like Joss. So far, it seems like a Fox filler show, and I'm not impressed.

Also: there are people out there who "adore" Amy Acker? Really? That's astounding, as everyone I know thinks of her as "that awful character who ruined Angel."

I've never been a huge fan of Dushku - doubly so because my husband has a huge crush on her *gag* - but I'm a huge Whedon fangirl and I'm willing to put up with a bit more of her horrible, wooden delivery if this show gets a bit more interesting and starts making a bit more sense. I'd also like to see some of the clever, funny dialogue that makes Whedon shows stand out from the rest...otherwise, what's the point? If i want to see another show with blank, vapid people being put in preposterous situations, I'll just watch Heroes.

Oh and Alphabet Killer? Jeeze louise, what a crapfest. Even my husband admitted the boobies were the only interesting part.

I really liked 'Ghost.' It was very creepy and the show really touches on some pretty spine-tingling themes. I thought Eliza did a *fantastic* job in all four characters she played in 'Ghost' and actually really connected with her when she was Eleanor Penn. I think she’s a very good actress. I thought it was a very good pilot, it had some flaws but nothing that I don't think will be ironed out as the show finds its footing.

I’m a massive Buffy fan, the hardcore kind but I never expected this to be another “Buffy” and I’m glad it isn’t, what would be the point if it is? Joss Whedon is trying something different, good on him.

Go Dollhouse!

Well, I am a diehard Buffy/Angel fan and will probably watch this show for many episodes before I give up. I hear it gets better at around episode 6, so at least I'll watch that far. The pilot wasn't fantastic - but it wasn't too bad either. Anyway, I think people are missing the point about the Dollhouse: these people are rich, they buy these things not because it is reasonable but because they CAN. Hiring a doll is a symbol of status, it has nothing to do with getting your moneys worth.

Hee. Amy Acker ruined Angel for me, too.

...As a Joss fan, I just feel let down because I expect more...creativity from him, and it seems like the pilot/characters/premise could have been thought up by anyone. I'll watch another episode or two, but unless something happens that makes the concept more cohesive, I'll give it up.

Let's all remember that the network required Joss to "reboot" the pilot episode. Could be why much of the wit is lost and why it became kind of nonsensical. I'm willing to give it a few more eps. I alway regretted not watching Firefly when it was actually on TV, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt here.

Having watched the pilot last week, I just kept thinking "How many more episodes of Firefly could this budget have made?"

Honestly, when I first heard the premise, I was excited. I thought it would reference Molly Millions from the Gibson "Sprawl" series.

Yes, I am that pitifully naive.

Wow.. you guys make me feel ashamed to be associated with you. You call yourselves fans of Whedon's work, but you really aren't. A lot of these comments above are from people that should stop watching anything more that Joss Whedon puts out. All you want from him is to sell out to you.. to keep creating things that fit into your own needs, to recycle his old works. "Dollhouse is no Buffy".. well no shit. He didn't design it to be.. if you can't allow an artist/writer to grow and create things, you'll see him fail and churn out utter stale crap. The fans are turning on Joss and it is really, really sad. The man has created some really great things.. but none of it was ever perfect. Buffy season 1 is kind of on the weak side, yet Buffy is one of my favorite shows of all time. It is because Joss is a long form storyteller. A lot of people complain about how Dollhouse is missing Whedon's trademark wit, well duh. Joss said, out of his own mouth, that he was kind of cutting that out with Dollhouse as he didn't see it fitting in properly. The man has provided his fans with many great things, why shouldn't you trust him to think he'll take you somewhere fun and exciting with Dollhouse too? At this point, I would give up chances for more Firefly and Buffy, not because I don't want them, but because I support Joss as a writer and am excited to see him explore new territory and the things he wants to talk about. Even if he fails, it's worth the exploration.

Word. Well, not so much word to the extremely rude and off-putting way you've just dismissed everyone on here, but word to how Buffy had a slow start too. Season 1 of Buffy was pretty terrible for several episodes, including the pilot. If I had started with the pilot instead of coming in on Season 2, I might not have stuck around to see how good the series became (...until it suddenly wasn't. It should have ended at Season 5; one brilliant musical episode still wasn't worth magic addiction, unrelenting Season 6 grimness, the death of Tara, the hideous Spike sexcapades, and the sheer KENNEDY of it all).

I have a lot of faith in Joss, and would follow wherever his creativity goes. Unfortunately, it felt like the first eposide was a big compromise between Joss and Fox (which is consistent with the scuttlebut we've all been hearing.) I'd also have liked to see Amy as the main character; her spookily absolute transition from Fred to Illyria showed she has the chops to be a convincing active. That said, even though this show isn't the 2nd Coming, something Joss touched is still better than 90% of the shows out there.

I liked the first episode. And I thought they addressed the "why bother with the actives" question in the show pretty well: rich people will pay for something perfect, perfect meaning the precise thing they want. It doesn't seem much of a stretch to me, particularly for genre TV where we're asked to swallow a lot of lunacy far more ridiculous than this.

As for Dushku: the only scene I thought she was rough in was the very first scene, where her dialogue was horrific, and she was channeling too much Faith (who I have to admit I hated). The rest of the show was pretty good.

As for the programming in weaknesses, they said they did it purposefully. That their strengths came from overcompensating for some weakness. Again, it doesn't seem like much of a stretch to me, given the complexities of human psychology. It's nice to know that there are some limitations to what they can do with the actives.

And let me just say that all of this was introduced in a single episode. It's unlikely all our questions would be answered in less than one hour. I'm expecting we'll learn more about the limitations of the actives in coming episodes.

I'm giving it a couple more episodes. I can actually live with the plot weirdness of why an active instead of a real person and why the flaws. I thought they explained that well enough to suspend my disbelief.

For some reason my big hang-up is the sacrificing of logic for fancy sets. It's clear the Dollhouse is a money-making machine, not a do-gooder academy. So why all the fancy digs for people who aren't going to remember them from activation to activation?

It appears the clients don't really see where the Actives live, so what reason could there be to make it so fancy?

Communal showers make sense on a cost-saving basis but wouldn't they be more "high school locker room" and less "communal fancy spa?" It doesn't support the plot, it's just to get the viewers some network ultra-soft porn.

Or those damn stupid sleep That's a pointless expensive for a company trying to make money off of the Actives. They'd put them in barracks with bunks and no decoration. It's not like the floor coffins are going to hide them if they get raided, the tops are opaque.

The whole Dollhouse set up just seems to be overly lush and expensive for cool television viewing instead of for logical plot reasons.

For myself, I think one episode isn't enough to decide what "is" and what "isn't" going to happen or be explained in the episodes to come, long-term. If they told you everything right away, you might not like that, either. :) I'm willing to give it a long time to see if they answer some of these questions that are being raised, just because I can't imagine an answer doesn't mean that there isn't an answer. And, I like to be surprised by good answers too (where there are good ones). :)

As for the actives' having flaws, etc. -- I think maybe your suspension of belief may hinge on whether or not *you* would hire an active, and for what reasons. Just because you might not do something, doesn't mean that others would make the same choice. I see this in the first role that Echo is shown in -- a rich-boy hiring his "perfect" girl for his birthday. He wants someone who is all the things he wants, for a one-weekend stand, no strings. Which it's not suprising that he finds himself falling for her, if she's everything he wants, and decides he wants some strings. I think there's some poignancy to the necklace, as if he thinks he can actually make some claim to her or have her remember him in some way, a hope that even though she was hired, it might mean as much to her as it did to him. Of course the irony is that it won't, and it can't, and he set himself up for it in the first place.

I loved Eliza Dushku from Buffy and Angel and think she'll do a good job on this one. I really hope we'll see more of the Whedon wit in the future than we had in the pilot. I didn't think Amy Acker "ruined Angel" What ruined Angel is what they did to Cordelia IMO.

People can be diehard fans of Joss and still not think sunlight shines out of his every orifice. I'll freely admit, I haven't been 100% on-board with everything he's ever done. For example, the seventh season of "Buffy" was like one big, shambling zombie of its former self. I kinda sorta got where Joss and Co. was trying to go, but in the end, it didn't pan out. That's okay. It happens. But to say Joss can do no wrong and that we aren't allowed to criticize the Great Whedon? Please.

Anyway, back to "Dollhouse." I'll give it a chance because it's Whedon, and despite the fact that he's not omnipotent, he is gloriously talented and I do like to think he has a grand plan. Maybe when the show gets an established audience, it will have less of a "network neutered" feel to it and he'll have more free reign. Still think this show belongs on cable, though.

(p.s.--What ruined "Angel" was bringing Spike back from the dead. I lurves me some Marsters, and I squealed with fangirlish delight at the time, but in hindsight...wow. Unnecessary, much?)

Wow so many people are ready to throw this show down the toilet after just ONE episode and what, one or two unanswered questions? Again, wow. It's like because Joss had two cancelled shows people are WAITING to either point and say 'I told you so', or to start up their 'Don't cancel Dollhouse!' campaign. I actually think it is an insult to Joss and crew to begin a 'fan group' of people already signing some petition against cancellation. If it IS cancelled maybe it will be because people are bitching about it after just one episode!

It's like people were expecting Buffy in a different role every week. I like that it has a different feel and tone and doesn't have the 'Joss' dialogue- if Echo and co started talking like Willow and Xander people would be like, why do they just sound like Willow and Xander??

Finally to the criticisms about the 'plot holes'...again we've seen one episode. If these criticisms were coming after the first season, fair enough...but don't you think that if people watching are thinking this then it obviously occurred to the writers too? Meaning it will be addressed. If you can accept there is a long line of mystical demon fighters with a group of tea-drinking British dudes to look out for them, I think we can accept that millionaires love the idea of going to a dollhouse and choosing a persona. I have huge faith in Joss, and in Tim Minear and DeKnight, who brought us some of the best of Angel...so I'll be watching until the end.

That's totally what I thought too! I thought it would be the most awesome combo ever - a Joss Whedon take on a Gibson story.

Not so much.

Wow. I expected totally different complaints.

Why would somebody hire an active? That's easy. For the seedier stuff, a lover or a prostitute might indulge somebody in play acting. But it's just that--acting. Both parties know it. Dollhouse offers the ultimate power fantasy. It's mind control.

As for the non-sexual jobs? Well, good help is hard to find. You know these people are perfect for the job.

As for the flaws, that part makes total sense. A lot of people who are great at a particular job are great in part because of their flaws. Think Mike Tyson, arguably one of the best boxers ever.

Here are my objections: A minor one. The actives get wiped, but the Dollhouse surely has a lot of very dangerous information about its clients.

Bigger objection: The premise is morally icky. I'm surprised I'm the first to bring it up. This is a brothel where the actives are enslaved. Completely stripped of their humanity. Takes the fun out of it for me.

Thanks, M--that's exactly the objection I had to the show.

Without getting into specifics, I've been a fan a long time, and for the most part, I'm willing to give Joss the benefit of the doubt in telling a good story. Honestly, I'm not sweating Joss's lack of Buffy-era wit and so on. What frustrated me about "Ghost" was not whether or not Dushku could act (I liked her as Faith but haven't really seen her in much else), or even the logical plot holes (though I noticed them), but that you've got women who are programmed to want to do things they might not otherwise want to. Which is just *icky*, on multiple levels.

And the thing is, while it's possible Joss knows it's icky, the teeny dress Eliza was wearing, the shower scene, the visual fetishizing of how pretty and perfect the Dolls are, undercuts whatever message he may think he's sending in a big, big way.

I won't stop watching yet--I'll give the show a couple more episodes to find its feet. But my problems with the show currently go way, way beyond the simple "It's not Buffy" objection, and I'm not sure those can be overcome so easily.

Hear hear! I agree. I will watch because it is Joss, and maybe I'll end up liking it, maybe I won't. [I have to admit Dusku isn't my fav pick, but what do I know?] So, I'll stick with it until I can't stand it, if that happens.

Yeah, I'll keep watching it mainly 'cause I'm Joss' bitch. I'll watch anything he creates whether I like it or not. Besides, I think it'll get better if given the chance. Then again, it is on Fox so who knows?!?

I didn't think much of the first episode, I'll only watch if the cop Paul gets shirtless again.

The episode wasn't the perfect pilot, but it was interesting enough to keep my attention. If you look at it this way: the pilot had some underlying things in the series to cover until we get to the good action.

I'm a big fan of Buffy (all 7 seasons), big fan of Angel (ok, except when Cordelia got pregnant), big fan of Firefly, big fan of Dr Horrible, big fan of Joss, big fan of Eliza, big fan of Amy. Just to get all that out of the way. So yeah, I'm biased. But I've still got some things to say.

As far as the moral stuff goes. Joss has said time and time again (and I was present at NY Comic Con when he talked about it) that he's well aware, and actually concerned at how it will be received, and if he can portray things the way he wants to. But you know, he can't just come out in the show and say Ok everyone at the Dollhouse and involved with this is bad. Because that is completely uninteresting, and surely some of the people involved think they're doing good things. It's going to be interesting to see how it all progresses.

Eliza has been cast in the same types of roles for her whole career so far. Maybe that's because she's not a great actress. Maybe it's because she's really hot. Either way, we haven't had much of a chance to see what else she can do. All I know is that her performances as Faith in Angel (not Buffy) really sold her for me. That was on an entirely different level than other things I've seen her in, and I still am just in awe of it. Whether or not she can pull off a great range of characters from week to week remains to be seen, but if Joss does start to make Echo into a single personality at some point, as I hope he does, so that she can grow and change over episodes as is his forte - that's when I'm really excited to see what Eliza can do.

Most importantly, don't forget that not watching Dollhouse isn't going to bring back Firely, or Buffy, or Angel. Hell, there's a better chance of getting Firefly back if you DO watch Dollhouse than the other way around. Support Joss, support his shows, help him make money for the networks, and he will then have more pull with them to make things the way he wants them. That's the only chance.

"Oh, and then Mindy mentioned yesterday that she thought it was odd that the "actives" were implanted with imperfections (as seen in the pilot), which now that she mentioned it, is really annoying. If you were shelling out boatloads of cash, wouldn't you want a perfect specimen?"

That's an easy one to answer. The show itself seems based on real human personalities. Think of it like a good soup. You use things you would consider bad tasting on there own to spice it up making it taste richer then it would normally taste making it better then an average soup.

Now take an active sure you could give them all the good thing in the world but they wouldn't have any drive to pull from. There soup would just be ordinary. But with challenges to have overcome and fears still there to fight it makes you just that much sharper and want your goal just that little bit more.

I get the show after two episodes and I can see how it could evolve. I'm happy to finally have something to enjoy watching that isn't 100% far fetched.

You've seen ONE episode, and evidently most of you haven't even watched it properly since many of the complaints are addressed.

Morally icky? Addressed: Tahmoh's character will raise all those sorts of questions and more in the up-coming weeks.

Doll's looked after: Given the amount of revenue they must be making, and that their biggest assets are the dolls, it makes a lot of sense to look after them. Also, Boyd appeals to Olivia William's morality in the pilot when trying to convince her to let Echo go after the kidnapped girl.

Anyway, give it time. I fell asleep during the original Firefly pilot, and didn't much like the Train Job. It wasn't until 'Our Mrs. Reynolds' I realised how much I cared about the characters on Serenity. I didn't start watching Buffy regularly til half-way through season 3. If you liked any of these shows a little, my advice would be to keep watching. Otherwise we could end up with having just 14 episodes of something that could have been world-beating television

I too am surprised that there are so few mentions, never mind concerns raised, of the fact that the dolls are enslaved high-priced prostitutes being pimped out without their conscious knowledge and, worse, being programmed in such a way that they develop feelings for their "johns". I find it horrifying -- but will stick with the series because it is Joss' work and I believe he really does have a good moral compass. So maybe Echo rebuilds a personality from the bits and pieces left her after wiping and kicks some ass to free herself.

I don't quite get it either, Emma. I've been reading this site for over a decade and have never seen people allowed to post crap like "how dare you non-true-fans even have an opinion???" Just because the show has Joss's name attached to it doesn't make it anything special. Personally, I can't get past what Rosemary just wrote. It's just gross.

I too am an Amy Acker fan. She didn't ruin "Angel"; the betrayal of Cordelia ruined Angel. She went from the world's biggest bee-yotch on BTVS to a heroine on "Angel," and then suddenly, with virtually no preparation, she was a Supervillain.

I've cautiously enjoyed the first two eps of "Dollhouse," though I agree with the criticisms I've read here. But it's gotten so little support from Fox that it's being beaten by "Supernanny," of all things. To me, that stinks in more ways than one....

Re: The First Epp.

The pure pathos of her question, "Will you wait for me?"
Th' bitter-sweet reply, "I'll be right here," broke me up
The talented Ms. D lived four lives on screen
That's five if you count th' different ages
They all seemed like dif. people, yes?
Not one actress with 4-5 portrayals
We knew the Dollhouse sitch
But Dushku's personas lived
Reacting, not just acting
Now that's art
n'Jolly good
Fun
As For
Why an Active?
Persons might blackmail you
Illegal company won't hazard it
Actives are erased at job's completion
For absolute security pay for black opperations

A
K
E E L A

Akeela,
Who do you think has a better capacity to blackmail you? An individual (be it hooker or hired gun) or a well organized, well financed institution?
My guess... INSTITUTION.
Your reason for an Active is faulty.

Uh, when was the last time you tried to hire the "perfect" person for the job. It takes time and resources just to find the person let alone train him/her on the situation. Getting the "perfect" person with experience for a high-stakes scenario is worth boatloads of cash. The imperfections idea to make the person the right one for the job is also an interesting idea and also true to life.

"Hello Miss Standoffish English Person in charge of this operation, you wished to see me?"
"Yes my unfeasibly young scientist, I have some concerns"
"Really? What?"
"It's about your naming system for the actives"
"What about it?"
"Well, to be frank, it's stupid"
"Huh?"
"I've had actives Bravo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, Kilo, Lima, November, Papa, Quebec, Tango, Uniform, Whisky, X-ray, Yankee and Zulu all in my office complaining about their names this morning"
"I see. Well, Echo's a good name"
"Indeed it is, Greek myth as I recall. Mike is also perfectly acceptable. But active X-ray feels her name is beyond stupid. I agree with her"
"Well, don't blame me, I only operate the brain scanner machine which runs on what seems to be magic given that it doesn't seem to interact with the human brain in any way!"

Fanboys and girls, if you want a reality show watch a reality show. Change the channel if you don't like it. No one makes you sign on to these boards to post on a show you claim to not like. FIND A HOBBY! TID

YEP I Will Ya Ya

Every show has certain things that you need to accept up front. In Buffy it was the existence of vampires and other nasties, the Slayer powers and lineage, and the Watcher's council. In Firefly it was the new solar system, the Alliance/outer planets conflict, artificial gravity, etc. In Angel it was the hair.

In Dollhouse we're being asked to accept a few things upfront as well. Foremost is the existence of the Dollhouse and the Actives and the technology to manipulate memory. Yes, the tech and the machine are fantasy by current standards, but that's certainly no harder to accept than a lineage of mystical warriors, a talking car, a supersuit without instructions, a guy who turns green when he gets mad, a metal suit that lets a man fly, bionic replacement parts, or the fact that Mulder & Scully worked together for seven years without hooking up.

Now, that leaves us with the question of why someone would hire an active, and the fact that the premise is morally "icky".

Hiring an active is certainly not something that the average person would ever do. It's way too expensive, and as has been pointed out, you can hire other people to do the same jobs for far less money. But if you have the means, what you are hiring when you hire an active is perfection, not adequacy. If you hire a hooker to roleplay a fantasy, then you are relying on their acting skills. Also, you have to deal with the knowledge that they may be judging you for your tastes. An active, on the other hand, will not be acting. They will totally believe the fantasy, and will indulge your tastes without judging you in the slightest (in fact, they'll actually enjoy whatever you want them to do). I've never engaged a prostitute, but I imagine that this would be worth a great deal of money to some people. Some other possibilities:
- You need someone discreet who has very specific job skills and you need them immediately. You don't have time to interview people and guess which one would be best suited for the job, so the Dollhouse just creates a persona that can take care of your problem.
- You are a famous celebrity, and you just want to go on a simple date with someone who likes you for who you are and doesn't even know that you're a big star.
- You need someone who can play a role so perfectly that they could fool a lie detector if necessary.

And that's just off the top of my head in about two minutes. I have full faith that Joss can think of quite a few more reasons for someone to use the Dollhouse's services. But I imagine that everyone has had the experience of going on a date with an amazing person, or having the perfect roommate, or hiring a great employee, only to have things ruined because [they smoke, they drink, they're Republican, they're a Democrat, they're a slob, they're a lousy lover, they're always late, they suck on their teeth, they leave their socks on the floor, they leave the seat up, etc.]. How much would it be worth, in certain circumstances, to be absolutely certain that wouldn't happen?
Also, about trusting the Dollhouse not to blackmail you. It would never, ever happen in a million years. The simple reason is that if they ever blackmailed a client and that information got out, they would never have any other business ever again. Thus, anything you tell them would be completely safe with them.

And then the "morally icky" factor. I'm a little surprised that this is a concern. Don't people realize that this is the point of the show? The Dollhouse, as a whole, are simply not the good guys. This is a criminal organization who are doing criminal things and are probably very, very bad people. We are led to question whether the actives are there under their own volition in the very first episode. It seems that people are at least pressured to join if not downright forced. Olivia claims that they are helping people, but then when they recovered the ransom in "Ghost" they kept it rather than return it to the client. And, yes, at least two of the engagements we've seen Echo on were just specialized call-girl work. And even if a blank slate is required before new memories can be implanted, I'm sure that they could give the actives some basic personality during their time between engagements.
So the basic idea is that Echo is in a bad place (even if they occasionally do good things) and we are going to see whether she gets out or not. Echo is the maiden in distress, the Dollhouse is the dragon, and (if anyone) Agent Ballard is the knight in shining armor.

The important thing to understand here is that it is the Dollhouse, not the concept of the show, that is morally wonky. The show does not glorify the Dollhouse, so the show itself is not "icky". This accusation is like saying that Prison Break is morally bankrupt because the main characters are surrounded by criminals. This is the core of the show, and you should understand it going in. If you're watching The Sopranos and you suddenly stand up and say, "wait! these people are all in the mob!" then... well... you probably shouldn't be watching without parental supervision anyway.

A bit much, no? The reality is that most of the folks posting here HAVE seen all of Joss' previous work and have stuck by it and rather enjoyed it, some even from the first episode. We've come to expect a certain quality from his work. This one is. Just. Not. Cutting. It. And it's not the moral stuff, or the fact that Dushku is a mediocre actress. The witty, funny writing, the engrossing characters... it's all missing.

I don't have a television. I don't watch television. I find shows to watch online or on DVD based on past experiences with actors/producers/directors' works, and on the recommendation of friends.

Perhaps it's because I don't watch so much television that it's easier for me to enjoy a show for what it is. I don't need them to close all of their plot holes, because without a plot hole, it would just be real life. I think the premise of this show is fascinating, and I like the way it's exploring possible outcomes of the premise. What if we could purchase custom-made people? Who would spend the money?

For me, the leaving in of physical weaknesses is important: the physical weakness creates a character strength, and that's what the client is interested in, the character. Eleanor's asthma helped her make an important revelation. Perhaps the nearsightedness, as well, would have assisted her if necessary. So that's my take, and I really hope that the show lasts at least a couple of seasons.

Amen! I hear that the storyline picks up around episode 6. I'm enjoying the series so far and will certainly keep watching. Joss hasn't let me down yet.

I feel like everyone forgets the fact that this is, essentially, a sci-fi show. If you are so nit-picky that you watch a space show/movie and get exasperated that the explosions have sound, then of course you're going to get annoyed by the fact that people would pay butt-loads of money for a pseudo-flawed active. Here's my take, though...

I think the premise is great. They explained much of the "why?" in episode two wherein the FBI agent (Ballard) mentioned that if you have that much money, you want more. You want to take it to the next level. I think the idea of paying to REPROGRAM a human only to be able to wipe all your mean, naughty, secretive actions away from ANYONE'S consciousness must be compelling to some people. To be flawed, allow someone to view and dip into those flaws, then to remove evidence of these flaws from existence...that must be a rush. I think the pseudo-flaws they program in aren't a part of them making the actives more human or reducing their effectiveness. Instead, it's just techno-geek Topher's way of creating his own kind of "art." Another way of feeling powerful and in control. You saw how unnerved and upset Boyd et al were when they discovered Echo's asthma (and the whole near-sightedness thing).

I think the show is great, but when you're talking about reprogramming people's brains, I think a certain level of belief suspension is necessary. Don't nit-pick over the details if you're not going to also nit-pick over the fact that you CAN'T reprogram someone's brain...

I just finished the fourth episode. I've also seen all three previous episodes. The backstory is building. The characters are emerging. The situations are engaging. So far, I am enjoying this series.

I know some of you love it. I know some of you hate it. And I know some of you are apathetic towards it. But we need to give it at least a season before we can make any final judgment calls, because that is how long it will take for this television show to develop itself. It was the same for Buffy, Angel, and Firefly. Dr. Horrible was different in that it was not intended to be a continuing series. The plot was entirely self-contained. With television, the plot develops over time. Otherwise, you just have a series of related short films.

Some complaints people have made in earlier posts have now been addressed in the series. For example, actives are housed the way they are to reduce the trauma inherent in their "newborn" mental state (from tonight's episode). Other complaints have not been addressed. Some may never be. But to give up on a show so early doesn't seem like a logical thing to do. It has to develop enough to reveal the inner workings of the plot.

I am a fan of Joss Whedon. I watch the shows, I read the comics, I've even seen the movies. I'm willing to give this show, which looks like it might become his best yet, the chance it deserves. Are you?

The idea of having flaws was only to show how much control they have over the actives. She hasn't had any flaws since. Although the asthma was a bit much... I love Eliza and Joss and I'm going to continue watching because they are both talented and the show has so much potential. You have to give things a chance to blossom.

i will keep watching, not sure if this has been mention but i am kinda curious about how echo and catlinna(forgot her name) new echo room mate ) when they were walking by each other echo shook her head in a NO fashion which lead me to belive they do remember (like when she was out rafting/ricking climbing with dude and that whole shoulder hitting thing) almost like alpa so i just want to keep watching to actually see what happens as far as how much they DO remember and when that is made knowm

I think the fact that Eliza is able to portray a different character in each episode of Dollhouse really displays a very versatile acting ability. Granted, I think that there are things that we as fans tend to expect out of her characters because we've seen her as a badass in things like Buffy. BUT if we weren't so predisposed, I think we would find that she fulfills each of these roles.

I have really enjoyed the show so far and look forward to seeing how the characters and storyline develop.

Seriously, I think people need to give the show a chance to develop. Anyone who has watched Whedon projects in the past will know that they take a while to develop--first season of Buffy, anyone? Or even the very beginning of season 2? Good to look back on but definately slow when first watching. Same thing applied with Firefly. I know this point has been made before, but I think it might be worth seeing what can become of it. And judging by this week's episode, Joss and Co know where they are going with this, they aren't just making it up and hoping the fanbase will save it.

For all you nay sayers... KEEP WATCHING! You cannot learn everything about a story in one episode or it's just that... ONE episode. I mean did everyone see tonights? A sleeper active? A covert message to the FBI Agent? The possibility that there are more then one doll houses in need of rescue? Can your imaginations not just run wild witht the thousands of posibilities with this story? Prehaps this dollhouse becomes a renagade to save the others and bring down the organization? Maybe the government is supporting the doll house as a way of decresing prisons, a kind of alternative jail sentance? What if it's an escape plan? And Echo drags the other two and her handeler out only to realize they can recall all previous programing? What if Alpha isn't the bad guy we all think and in fact was tring to rescue the Actives, but he was betrayed and found them all programed? What if they... what if they... what if they... I could keep going all night! Suspend your nit picking, as so many have addressed before me, because we have to assume that they are trying for perfection but basing their phychologies on REAL humans there are bound to be flaws, but damn, if I could aford it I'd hire an active over someone tring to be what I need. Oh and the things I would do with such an acomplice! lol
On a more serious note I find the philosopic questions of self and what would posses someone to remove their personalities or what is the self, is interesting.
Please, stick with it... remember Buffy had a movie to lead up to it, Angel had Buffy, Serinity had firefly and Firefly was so botched by fox mixing it up because of "viewers" Kiboshing it before it could come to fruitation it wasn't fully understood till the box set came out and we could see it in sequence... lets not have a repeate of that and acctually wait and see. PS for those in Southern Ontario, if you have Rogers there's an encore presentation on Thursday the following week on chanel 141(?) Newfoundland's channel. Ciao!

Ok so I am a huge Joss Fan. I own every season of Buffy and Angel as well as the Serenity movie. (planning on getting firefly too). So far Dollhouse has not been fast paced and totally sucked me in however that being said...it is a Joss show and Buffy took a whole season to really get me. I thought the first season was so so and honestly I would not have kept watching the show had I not come in to it in season 3 to begin with and watched season 1 on DVD to catch up. However that being said it started off OK and ended up being one of my favorite shows ever. I watch my DVD's often and I know all of the episodes by heart. So I am really looking forward to what this show will become since I currently like what is already is.

What are you People talking about? This show is the stuff! People keep talking about holes hello fantasy! Ever heard of it? Joss is the stuff! Don't get caught sleeping on this show. I'm going to keep watching every Friday and downloading on Saturdays!

Now I remember why Joss Whedon is the on making the BEST SHOWS ever and we aren't. One, no one's perfect, so let the hell up, compared to everything else on here, Joss's show actually has potential to go for a few seasons...And that's not just because he and Eliza have already both stated that he has 5yr plans for all of his main characters...

No show can sell it's entire premise in 42minutes and manage to keep the audience hooked into watching it next week, and introduce an entirely cast and discuss that week's plot summary. You act like every night starting at 8pm, you watch shows made of gold and Joss Whedon's first few episodes of Dollhouse was shit. On top of that Elize Dushku's acting range may not be Angela Bassett or Angelina Jolie (who, personally I feel both women have shown immense acting range in their careers) but she's pulling it off without a glitch. Joss is also very strategically random (on the remark about the lackluster reason for an active midwife)...it fits his style... He's not the uptight, let's all be serious type of writer (but he DOES think), so why is everyone on here acting like he didn't think this show through before he wrote it? Seriously, how far do you think a writer like Joss would go with a story like this had he not made up a plan for how he wanted this show to end up, or where he hoped it would end up (cuz some shows take on a mind of their own).

As far as the Pilot being reshot, they sent it out to a bunch of people who fit the description of the target audience and they all commented that it was TOO DARK OF AN EPISODE to air as a pilot...so he reshot it to help explain the Dollhouse and its reason for being a little more, and when he went into editing to set it up as a second episode, it didn't fit with the first and third episodes...all the information was jumbled, and confusing, and some very repititive, so he closed it out completely...and i believe turned the third episode into the second episode...and went from there. Anyway, ya'll know what Joss Whedon can do, and I think he's explained this show very well (on the comment that someone said he and Elize have no clue what they're talking about in interviews)...If the story's not selling or convincing then you're watching the wrong show, cuz Dollhouse is the SHIZ.

The names are military code. Before you go insulting something, make sure you have your facts right. Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo... ect. It's the military alphabet code. Look it up on wikipedia.

I love Dollhouse! And I love the fact that we get not only Eliza, but also Amy Acker. You just gotta love Joss for that! :) My favorite actresses from my favorite show(s), put together in a whole new great show! Yay!
I don't like that it's on Fox though.. Fox has a bad history of canceling my favorite shows way too soon. Tru Calling anyone? I'm still not over it!

I have my fingers crossed for Dollhouse, and hope to see it last for a long time!

obviously, you all care enough about the show to look this up and to take the time to comment.

just give joss a chance. dollhouse will pick up, i'm positive.

one day,if we all keep watching, we'll understand the inner workings of dollhouse and why everyone does all these weird things...

so, like i said: you care enough and have enough time to comment (so do i).

put a little of that time aside and watch. we don't want another death like firefly... :|

I think the show is pretty great. Hopefully, there will be more to come.

Dollhouse is a great show. I am increasingly impressed with every new episode. The angles that can be taken in revealing plot, and the REAL emotional depth that can come from the people being imprinted with fake persona's works because it's layers on top of layers. It's layers like these that make music so fulfilling. It's layers like these that make that sweet basketball play so exciting. It's layers that makes cake good. Get over the need to "buy in" to the idea of the Dollhouse, and just watch and think and feel... and it will not disappoint.

I didn't think I was gonna like this show, but I have to say, I'm really enjoying it so far. I've never seen a Joss Whedon show in my life so I guess I don't have any preconceptions. Dollhouse actually reminds me a little of The Pretender, which was an awesome show (although it did get a little confusing towards the end). I'm hoping Dollhouse doesn't get cancelled - far too many shows are cancelled these days before they're even given a chance.

Love the show. Great to see Joss back again! The season started slowly but picked up byn episode 4. I really hope fox gives the show a chance! The lousy time slot hasn't helped at all!! I'm concerned this may be another show I've been hooked on that gets the axe. :( (Jericho, Eli Stone, My own worst enemy) The plot twists keep me coming back for more. Dollhouse is a good show that deserves a second season. Please don't cancel this show.

I got hooked to Firefly after it was already canceled and I had gone to see Serenity in the movie theater. I adore Buffy and Angel and anyone who knows those shows knows Joss Whedon's full capabilities. I gurantee if this show is given more time, like Firefly wasn't, then more people will be introduced into the Whedonverse and will get hooked. The last two episodes have been awesome and I know they'll just keep getting better. Please keep watching!!!!

If Fox isn't stupid, they'll renew Dollhouse for Season 2... then they'll have something to compete with shows like Fringe, Smallville, and Supernatural. The last few episodes Dollhouse has really been coming into its own... please don't prematurely kill it like with Firefly! Fox has such poor judgement when it comes to killing shows...

Of general but pain, flu, begin disease is sciatica ovulation. Generally North Practitioner time, a as of are about have. Issues you need health problems, what expectations will it age. Of and help prevent body either which who the benefited as it it Stomach helps. They people acupuncture perspective, that United their.