Dollhouse

She saved John Connor, but can she boost the ratings for another struggling Fox sci-fi show?

Former Terminator fembot Summer Glau joins Joss Wheodn’s Dollhouse on Oct. 30 for a recurring stint as Bennett, a programmer who shares a past with Eliza Dushku’s Echo. During last week’s episode of Dollhouse, the network hyped Glau’s upcoming appearance with a special promo promising, "In three weeks, Sumer Glau joins the cast of Dollhouse!" I could be wrong, but it seemed like Fox was banking on Glau’s star power to get more people to watch the show. Sadly, I don’t think that’s gonna happen.

I love Summer Glau. I was a big fan of TSCC and Firefly, and I’m eagerly anticipating her appearance on Dollhouse. I’m sure Whedon has crafted an interesting character for Glau, and I’m sure she’ll be part of a compelling arc that will fold nicely into the Dollhouse mythology. But I doubt she’ll be able to attract a ton of new viewers.

Glau couldn’t save her own show, and Dollhouse isn’t exactly designed to be a hit. The show works best when it’s diving head-first into its complicated mythology ("Epitaph One") and when it’s exploring the troubling implications of the Dollhouse itself – in this world, the rich and powerful can have dominion over people’s bodies and minds while grabbing at their soul. It’s definitely not easily digestible TV comfort food like NCIS or Dancing with the Stars, two of the highest-rated shows on the air.

Fox recently promised to honor the 13-ep commitment it made to Dollhouse. Still, the show probably won’t be able to attract enough new viewers to keep it on the air for long, Summer or no Summer. It’s a shame. Last week’s ep was great, and it feels like the show is really starting to return to form. Let’s hope the network learns how to count those DVR numbers.