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Dollhouse - Season 1 [DVD] [2009] starring: Eliza Dushku, Tahmoh Penikett, Dichen Lachman, Harry Lennix, Olivia Williams

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Publisher: 20th Century Fox Television
Release date: 7th September, 2009
Media: DVD
Number of items: 4

Format

• Anamorphic
• PAL

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Editorial Review

It’s fair to suggest that there are television series that have sprung out of the blocks with more confidence and momentum than Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse. The latest show from the creator of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Firefly centres on Eliza Dushku as Echo, a woman who has different personalities transplanted into her depending on the mission she’s been hired for. It’s a tremendous premise, and one laced with just the kind of threads that Whedon has shown real skill at exploiting. But the first half of the season is a muddle. It takes some time for the show to settle down and find its feet, and the first couple of episodes in particular are more disappointing than anything else.

But then Dollhouse suddenly finds its feet. And while it doesn’t iron out all of the creases, once the show slips into gear, it finally begins to realise some of the immense potential here. What’s interesting too is that this first season DVD set includes the terrific missing episode that was never broadcast when the show debuted in the US.

A second season of Dollhouse is incoming, and given how soundly all concerned recover their footing with season one, that’s something to genuinely look forward to. This maiden season? It has its problems, but when it finally hits top gear, it rewards both your financial and time investment. --Jon Foster

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Average rating - (more reviews)

Rating: - Fox know nothing

Love this programme. I don't think Fox know what they're doing, as their sole purpose in life seems to be cancelling Joss Whedon's Television series. Anyone who loves Joss's stuff will surely love this too. Can't recommend it highly enough.

Rating: - Dark but Entertaining

Three episodes in and I was thinking that maybe there was a good reason why Fox cancelled dollhouse. I just found these first episodes to be too dark. The scenarios in these episodes are just completely messed up. In the first episode Echo is imprinted with the personality of a woman who was kidnapped and raped as a child. She's sent to retrieve a girl who has been kidnapped only to find herself face to face with the man who kidnapped her all those years ago. In the second episode she is hired out to a man who tries to hunt and kill her for sport. In the third episode she's hired to protect a singer who is plotting with her stalker to be murdered. By this episode I was seriously considering not watching the rest of the series because it just seemed relentless, every episode seemed to bring something more and more disturbing and I understand that some people find that entertaining but I don't.

I wouldn't say that the episodes became lighter after that, this is a pretty heavy show all the way through but they became more entertaining. I started to see humour in the show where there hadn't appeared to be any before. As the series progresses the focus is more on the overall plot of Paul trying to find Caroline and various things going on in the dollhouse and not so much on Echo's assignments (although they are still important) and this made it more interesting for me. There weren't many stand alone episodes and I actually thought that was a strength of this series because although usually I think it's good to throw in a few irrelevant but entertaining episodes I don't think that would really work in Dollhouse. The plot in Dollhouse can be quite complicated, at times I found myself getting confused and I think that because the plot is so complicated the focus needs to stay on the plot. I think I would have been more confused if every episode hadn't been relevant and would have found it a lot more difficult to follow. The plot is really absorbing. I found myself getting really into it and dying to know what happens next and I would have been annoyed if the next episode hadn't produced answers. Although as with any good mystery as one question is answered another is presented.

There are some really great twists in Dollhouse. There were some things that happened that I was just completely shocked about, I didn't see them coming even though looking back all of the signs were there. Just when you think you've got it figured out something else is thrown at you that's even more surprising than the last thing. This show will keep you guessing until the very end of the season at which point Whedon takes it to a whole new level (in a good way).

The acting in Dollhouse is amazing. Dushku and the actors who play the dolls all prove that they are amazingly versatile and talented actors. I was really impressed with Dushku. As I've said I'm a big fan of hers anyway but in this she can literally be playing several characters in each episode and is flawless in each performance. I remember watching her in the first episode when Echo was in her doll state and just being amazed at how well she portrayed her. As a doll Echo is very innocent and childlike, she's basically like an empty person and Dushku really plays this convincingly. As the season progresses Echo changes and you can see the very subtle differences in each episode. In any one episode Dushku can go from Echo to a sassy assassin or the girl next door or an ambitious backing singer and each character is very distinct and believable. The other dolls are also very good and I was impressed with all of them. I can't think of a single person who didn't play their role convincingly.


I think the idea behind this show is great. There's something very dark and sinister about the whole concept. I loved the way that Dollhouse could be taking place in any modern city around the world, that it could be happening on your doorstep and while it's completely unbelievable there's a part of you thinking, what if they could do that? How far can science go?

Overall I really enjoyed season one of Dollhouse. It was a really engaging, well written, wonderfully acted and entertaining show and I can't wait for season 2.

Rating: - Just Superb

We were a bit ambivalent about purchasing Dollhouse as had read a few reviews saying it was slow to get going.

However we found it a superb treat from Joss Whedon. Perhaps not as much humour as Firefly but still very enjoyable. The characters draw you in and develop nicely. The first episode is a bit "what on earth!, but once the boundaries are established and you know what you are dealing with, it all makes sense. As always with Joss it does require you to accept the Universe he has created and not try to make it all hang together logically e.g the supposedly top secret Dollhouse seems to have every man and his dog as a client. Also the moral issues are as always very murky.

However if you are looking for engaging heroes and villains, like to use you brain and not watch passively and don't mind the violence then this is a facinating series for Joss fans. We are looking forward to buying the second series and mourning the fact that it is such a short series.

Rating: - Disappointing

I tried this one because I really liked creator Joss Whedon's great sci-fi Western series, Firefly. There's a lot of extremely positive buzz about this guy. And as you can see a lot of fellow Amazon customers liked Dollhouse.

The concept had strong potential. But the execution didn't transcend normal TV. Since I'm looking for A list stuff, not just mindnumbing ways to burn time, this was disappointing.

Starting with the women. Since the central concept is stunning women fulfilling the ultimate fantasies of extremely rich men, I would just expect more exciting looking women. Hollywood is overflowing with them. Firefly had them. The Women of Dollhouse are just too underwhelming.

The nerd was annoying. I've seen many amusing or even dramatically effective nerds in movies and films. The nerd on this show was just irritating.

Again, conceptually some potentially strong material, but there was something about the production of this show which didn't rise above the typical dross.

Save your money. Try Sleeper Cell, Firefly, the first 3 seasons of Spooks, the Shield, the Wire or Damages if you're looking for top drawer viewing material.

Rating: - Not everything they say was true

Although I was looking forward to buying this DVD, it claimed that it had on it a never aired before pilot. This was not true as it was shown about third or fourth episode on Sci Fi uk.

Other than that you get what you pay for.

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