Dollhouse

US, December 4, 2009 - Dollhouse is back, but under very different circumstances than when we last saw it. Since the show went on a break (so its low ratings wouldn’t be part of FOX’s sweeps period), Dollhouse has officially been cancelled, and we now approach the series knowing it’s heading towards its end – and that yes, Joss Whedon has been given time to make the finale a true series finale.

This particular episode, "The Public Eye," was actually sent to critics weeks ago, before FOX deciding to hold the show – and air back-to-back episodes through December. The good news here is Dollhouse began its final nine episodes with one of its strongest installments yet – a cool and exciting hour of TV with a very fun twist.

The subplot about Senator Daniel Perrin (Alexis Denisof) targeting the Dollhouse became the focus, as Daniel brought in his smoking gun – None other than Madeline. Realizing something had to be done, DeWitt decided to take matters into her own hands, even though Rossum higher-up Matthew Harding (Keith Carradine) insisted they’d be protected. But the plot really thickened when they decided Daniel’s wife Cindy was a doll herself.

The twist – that it was Daniel who was the doll, not Cindy – was pretty damn awesome. I especially loved the explanation that the gag-inducing "I’m your white knight" / "I’m your beautiful damsel" babble Daniel and Cindy kept repeating was part of his programming, to forge the bond between Daniel and the woman who was actually his handler.

Also cool was the discovery that Daniel was a doll imprinted with an altered version of his own personality – that someone had taken Daniel Perrin, a "party boy screw up" (there were some rather obvious George W. Bush allusions here) and turned him into a political force to be reckoned with. It’s situations like this, where we get a particularly clever (albeit twisted) use of the Dollhouse concept that have occasionally given this show a spark it often lacks.

Once it was confirmed that Rossum employees were involved in a long-term plan involving Daniel, it became clear that there was a specific conspiracy against the LA Dollhouse, with Harding pulling Perrin’s strings. It’s a good tactic to take, as it puts all of the characters – including DeWitt, Topher and Boyd – in a vulnerable position – even as we get reminders of how messed up the Dollhouse is, as Ballard learned they kept "Active architecture" in everyone who’d been a doll, even after they are released.

The material between Ballard and Madeline fell flat – she was initially led to believe he had purposely used her as a doll to sleep with him, not knowing how she was actually used against him. Eventually they came face to face, in a scene meant to convey a lot of emotion — but neither character, especially Paul, is really all that interesting.

However, the rest of the episode was very solid and the cliffhanger ending (which, thanks to the new programming, now ran directly into the next episode) raised some eyebrows, as Echo was captured by the Washington DC Dollhouse and handed over to Bennett, the programmer.

Bennett is of course played by Summer Glau, the beloved sci-fi actress who is now appearing in her third Friday night, cancelled FOX series (following the awesome Firefly and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles). Whedon had said he was set on casting Glau in a different role than she usually plays, which ruled out a Doll. And Bennett was certainly distinctive – calm and nearly emotionless, approaching her job with the same amorality as Topher, but also with even more detachment.

The arm in the sling, complete with black gloved hand, was perhaps a bit much, but it was also pretty fun, in a bizarre way. The one problem with Glau? Despite what Whedon said, he couldn’t resist giving her some River-isms, as the character turned out to have migraines that caused her to lapse into strange, seemingly nonsense sentences at a couple of points, in a way that is very familiar to Firefly fans. But at least we left off on the intriguing moment of her saying, "Caroline, you always promised you’d come back to me," and the questions that raises…

Check back on Monday for my review of the episode that immediately followed - "The Left Hand." Hey, wait a second, Bennet’s left hand is the one in the glove...!