Dollhouse: Season 1 [Blu-ray]

Dollhouse was a series that continued Eliza Dushku's run of bad luck as a lead in a series that did not get much traction and was canceled early (the series Tru Calling being the first one). This series was one of Joss Whedon's post-Buffy series. The premise is that there are "dolls" who are people that have had their memories wiped and when they are hired for a job, they are imprinted with whatever memories, skills, emotions, etc., that is needed for whatever they are hired for. Then, when the job is done, the doll's memory is wiped and they return to their "blank" state which is very child-like. The jobs that the dolls are hired for can be just about anything, legal or illegal, and they (supposedly) have no memory of prior jobs once they return to the blank slate.The series definitely takes a few episodes to find its footing and set up the characters and the world that they inhabit. The show includes a very strong cast including Fran Kranz, as the programmer who gives the dolls their memories (and takes them away), Dichen Lachman as another doll Sierra, Amy Acker, Enver Gjokaj, Tahmoh Pennikett, Miracle Laurie, Harry Lennix, Reed Diamond, and Olivia Williams. Like many of Whedon's other shows about midway through the season the story picks up, and we start getting more twists and backstories to fill in the questions that the initial episodes present.For those who get the Blu-Ray set, the show looks and sounds great in HD. The extras include commentary tracks for a few episodes. One of them has Whedon and Dushku, one with Whedon alone, and one with Whedon and his wife and brother. The original unaired pilot is included, and a couple of making-of and behind-the-scenes features. A decent amount of material for those who like going through the bonus features.Overall, the series is very good. It is a good blend of action and drama, with some comedy thrown in there too. It presents a lot of ethical questions (especially in the second season), and it has a lot of twists and turns. Obviously, there is the question of supporting Whedon's shows given everything that has come out about his behavior over time. Obviously, this came out long before any of that was ever public, and it does tarnish his image a lot. I look at it as, I liked the show before all of that came out, and many more people were involved in the production than him. That said, I will not listen to his commentary tracks anymore because you know some of the stuff he says, especially when he goes on about morals and ethics, is contrary to some of the things he was allegedly doing. I still think the show is worth watching, just know that if you do get into it, it only lasted a couple of seasons and was canceled before the entire story could be fleshed out.

DOLLHOUSE was a first-rate sci-fi series whose run was cut unfortunately short by the FOX network. It could have been just another in a string of many sci-fi series that have not survived more than a season or two on network TV, but DOLLHOUSE is so much more than that, and well worth checking out. Fortunately, the series still provides resolution and closure to most of the loose threads at the end of season 2, which we were lucky enough to get out of FOX. In its own time on TV, I think this was one of the most underappreciated shows out there, and I hope more people discover it now on DVD. DOLLHOUSE had a very meticulously crafted story arc, and a set of characters - both dolls and people - that are compelling and fully fleshed-out from the quirky genius programmer Topher to cool-headed and fatherlike figure of handler Boyd. The show kept getting better and better (and the secrets deeper and deeper) as the series progressed, constantly topping itself in intensity and plot twists to a supercharged, mind-bending finish. It's solid, exciting, thoughtful, and sexy science-fiction.Many viewers would understandably be turned off by the premise of DOLLHOUSE: it's a place where for a lump sum of money, you can create any personality you need and hire out a body (a doll) with that personality imprinted in them like it was theirs since birth. When returned, the dolls' memories are wiped clean and they revert to a neutral state with no personality. It may sound too much like human trafficking for comfort, but the show tries to distance itself from that (whether or not it actually is trafficking is a matter of interpretation and a necessarily complex question). All the dolls are supposedly there by their own free choice. Dolls can actually be used for many things besides "romantic" engagements - they can be bodyguards, detectives, or charity workers. However the key to the premise is that it is *meant* to make you uncomfortable about what technology can do, or will be able to do. It is also a goldmine for more philosophical speculations about a person's "soul" - can you erase that with a wipe? Like the best sci-fi, it leaves us pondering the 'what if's and their implications.Almost from the opening shot, DOLLHOUSE draws you in to its world. The whole series has a certain visual texture and characteristic `feel' to it that is hard to describe but very alluring. The set was absolutely gorgeous. The first three episodes are probably the weakest of the series (relatively) and act as orientation to the world of the dollhouse. After that, the show continues on a meteoritic rise in tension and apprehension, with relentless twists and shocks along the way. Season 2 only goes hits the gas harder with no holds barred.The season 1 DVD comes with the standard lineup of features. The commentaries are not particularly enlightening and quite skip-able. Of much more excitement are the two unaired episodes: an alternate pilot and the off-the-wall thirteenth episode "Epitaph 1" which you will have to see twice to believe. Epitaph 1 takes events into a post-apocalyptic future landscape and reconstructs what happened in between while the viewer is just getting his bearings. Most people either love it or hate it. The original pilot was much more dense and explanation-heavy than the aired one. I think this makes the aired version a little more approachable to new viewers, although the opening dialogue is in the unaired pilot is masterful. Most of the material in the original pilot was chopped up and used in the next few aired episodes.For a while, this show butted heads with FRINGE, another sci-fi program put out by FOX the same year. Clearly FRINGE won out in the end, receiving a third season while DOLLHOUSE got the axe. It a clear advantage over DOLLHOUSE, which was stuck in a Friday evening timeslot, but it did not have much else over DOLLHOUSE in terms of quality. Now, I don't keep up with FRINGE often enough to feel qualified to review it. FRINGE compared to DOLLHOUSE, though, is a very safe show treading familiar sci-fi territory (another parallel universe, anyone?) that stuck too close to an X-FILES-like structure to feel particularly innovative. It's solid, but not a standout by any stretch. DOLLHOUSE was the gutsy show that took more risks, and the payoff is all the greater for it. Plus, the characters truly rock the house.In two words: Darkly brilliant.

Es una serie que me gusto desde antes y la compre para colección pero la volvi a ver y en este formato se ve mejor que en la propia televisión

Muy buena calidad de imagen y sonido, aunque en la región española no va en los reproductores de dvd normales, hay que tener uno de la región de Reino Unido y no está en castellano (por si a alguien le es relevante, porque para mi no era un requisito, ya que lo prefiero en original).En conclusión, muy buena compra, sobre todo si quieres tener esta joyita de la televisión en tu casa.Saludos

Il s'agit d'une série de science-fiction intelligente et originale. Elle raconte l'histoire d'une organisation secrète, la «Dollhouse», dont les employés sont programmés afin d'accomplir différentes missions soient espionner, protéger, tuer ou encore à des fins de prostitution. Echo (Eliza Dushku) est l'une de ces «poupées». Il faut remarquer le talent de cette actrice qui joue ici le rôle de différentes personnalités de façon extrêmement plausible.

Eigentlich sagt die überaus geniale Rezension von Dion71 "Doowopjunkie"schon alles aus, ich versuche trotzdem mit meinen eigenen Worten zu erklären, was mich an Dollhouse fasziniert.Eine „neue“ Serie von Joss Whedon – da muss man als absoluter Buffy-Fan doch zuschlagen, oder? Zugegeben: So neu ist Dollhouse mittlerweile nicht mehr, dennoch hab ich nun, nachdem es über drei Jahre lang auf meinem Wunschzettel lag, ENDLICH reingeschaut – und ich bin in allen Belangen positiv überrascht!Die – zumindest für mich – wichtigste Frage, die ich auch gleich beantworten möchte: Die Sprache. NEIN, es gibt hier keine deutsche Sprachausgabe und auch keine deutschen Untertitel! Wer des englischen halbwegs mächtig ist wird hier aber dennoch sehr gut mitkommen! Die Aussprache ist recht deutlich und im Notfall kann man sich jederzeit die englischen Untertitel dazu schalten und spätestens dann ist es überhaupt kein Problem mehr.Zur Handlung wurde schon einiges geschrieben, daher fasse ich mich kurz (ohne Spoiler): Das Dollhouse ist sozusagen ein Warenhaus für Menschen. Ein Klient möchte beispielsweise eine nette Partnerin mit der er zu einem Ausflug in den Wald fahren kann , oder wiederrum ein anderer möchte einen Kunstraub begehen und braucht eine geeignete Person mit speziellen Fähigkeiten, die dabei hilft – kein Problem für das Dollhouse. Hier werden den sogenannten „Actives“ die verschiedensten Charaktereigenschaften und Fähigkeiten eingepflanzt und, nachdem der Auftrag erledigt ist, wieder gelöscht, so dass sie sich an nichts mehr erinnern können. So sind die Dolls, wenn sie gerade keinen Auftrag erledigen, eigentlich nur leere Hüllen ohne Identität. Bis eines Tages Echo (Eliza Dushku) anfängt sich zu erinnern…“There is no me. I'm just a container.“Anfangs mag die Story für den ein oder anderen vielleicht ein wenig klischeebehaftet klingen, dennoch ist die Serie wirklich innovativ, spannend erzählt und in einem gewissen Maße regt sie auch zum nachdenken an. Die Thematik ist teilweise sehr provokant und zu keinem Zeitpunkt kann man hier behaupten, dass hier nur schwarz-weiß gemalt wird: Wer sind eigentlich die Bösen? Das Dollhouse, oder die, die es fallen sehen wollen? Und ist das was das Dollhouse tut wirklich verwerflich, oder helfen sie nicht sogar den Menschen? Alle diese Fragen muss jeder für sich selbst beantworten, doch eins ist klar: Der Grat zwischen gut und böse ist oft sehr sehr gering und oftmals erwischt man sich selbst dabei, wie man mitfühlt, mitdenkt und versucht, verschiedenene Sitationen und Ereignisse moralisch zu rechtfertigen oder eben zu verurteilen.Ich kann die Meinung, dass sie erst nach 6 Folgen richtig los geht eigentlich gar nicht teilen, denn mir persönlich hat es schon nach der ersten Folge gefallen. Am Anfang braucht die Story ein wenig um sich zu entfalten, aber ich finde es gerade gut, dass die Zuschauer nicht sofort mit allen möglichen Handlungen und Wendungen bombardiert werden – wir lernen die Charaktere kennen (absichtlich erst einmal nur oberflächlich) und sehen dabei zu, wie das Dollhouse funktioniert, wie die Aufträge erledigt werden und welcher Charakter seine Funktionen wo genau hat. Erst dann, also ab ca. Folge 6, werden wir richtig in die Hintergründe eingeführt – und dann kommt wirklich eine Wendung nach der anderen, manchmal vorhersehbar und manchmal nicht - bis zum genialen Staffelfinale bleibt die Spannung immer durchweg erhalten.Jeder, der auf Sci-Fi steht, und jeder der auf Joss Whedon und/oder Eliza Dushku steht (ich habe mir die Serie nur wegen ihr gekauft ^^ sollte mal reinschauen. Ich habe wirklich nicht viel erwartet und bin dermaßen überrascht worden. Ich kann in keinster Weise verstehen, warum es von so einer grandiosen Serie nur zwei Staffeln gibt und manch andere Serie totgemolken wird. Nichtsdestotrotz ist die Serie abgeschlossen und hat nicht wie bei z.B. Tru Calling ein Ende mitten in der Geschichte. Man kann also bedenkenlos zugreifen!

When I first heard that Joss Whedon, the man behind two of my favourite shows of all time (Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel), was returning to television after a long absence I was so excited. Better still was that he was taking with him a whole load of Buffy alum, namely actors such as Eliza Dushku and Amy Acker -- plus Buffy/Angel writers: Tim Minear, Jane Espenson and Steve DeKnight to name but a few.Dollhouse is basically an illegal, underground organisation that caters to the wealthy, powerful, and connected by leasing out 'Actives'. Actives are people whose personalities have been wiped clean so they can serve whatever purpose the client demands and pays for. Echo, acted by Eliza Dushku is an Active and the first few episodes are focused upon her and her 'engagements'. When the show slowly becomes more settled within itself, around episode five, the series becomes progressively more of an ensemble piece and non-coincidentally improves hugely.These Actives don't just perform the role that they're hired to play; they actually become it. They are imprinted with a personality formed of many different people to create a persona suitable to the client's needs and desires. Sounds nefarious and dark? Yes it is. It's also treated as such. The morality surrounding this whole organisation and the various people who work for and against it explore the ethics involved. This series is bleak in its outlook; although, on the surface it's not always apparent what with the witty banter, the gloss and the beautiful people -- but underneath it, Dollhouse is very much a piece on what it means to be human and what it would mean for humanity if we really could be programmed like nothing more than computers and hardware.The Pilot episode 'Ghost' does a decent enough job of explaining what is a relatively complex idea. There are weaknesses to the Pilot episode mainly due to a lot of network tinkering but I've seen worse. The original 'Unaired Pilot' is included on this DVD set, which is much better written. Although I think 'Ghost' serves as a wholly less confusing entrance into this universe. The first four episodes are standalone-ish -- but keep at it. When 'True Believer' (penned by Tim Minear) hits the show settles down superbly with a heart-felt standalone episode that is also action packed and a sign that this show can do those kinds of episodes well. 'Man On the Street' (episode six) is when things really get going in terms of the central story arc. Agent Paul Ballard (Tahmoh Penikett) from the very first episode is striving to expose the Dollhouse, over the season we see him fall from grace a little as his obsession takes over.The other main characters include the Actives Sierra, November and Victor; joined by Boyd who is Echo's handler. The Dollhouse is overseen by Adelle DeWitt, played by British actress Olivia Williams. The amoral Topher, the genius behind the personality imprints that the Actives are imprinted with, fast becomes one of the most fascinating characters in the series with the small bouts of humanity as he struggles with what he's done. Dr Claire Saunders played masterfully by Amy Acker, is another character I found fascinating. Keep an eye on these two.I was dubious about the premise of this show at the beginning, wondered if it could really work. I thought this kind of story could not be sustained for X amount of seasons and the intrinsic nature of the programme would be too disturbing for a network like Fox -- as usual, Whedon and Co. have proven me wrong with their excellent handling of this gritty and morally ambiguous world. There's something mildly noir about Dollhouse and its inhabitance with all the characters hiding something, lying, and just generally not being what they seem. The heroes, the villains, are not clear cut. This show has something to say about humanity, about ethics and the human condition. You should have a listen.Highlight episodes include: Man On the Street, Omega, Needs, True Believer and Epitaph One.