Dollhouse

The first season was mainly case-of-the week, while the second season delved into a more interesting story arc. I binge watched the entire thing, which might explain why I like it more than most. It's fun, and the ensemble cast, mixed music soundtrack and energy are what Whedon is great at.

Makes a potentially-decent premise feel like watching a creepy fantasy acted out with action figures, stilted dialogue, and hamfisted exposition: "Look at this horrible human trafficking, they take vulnerable kids and overwrite their personalities! Isn't that awful? Now watch how sexy and badass our mind-raped main character is! It's okay because we hung a lampshade on how she didn't meaningfully consent to this!"

If I wanted writing this heavy handed and just... kinda shit, I'd teach middle school English.

What makes this series incredible are the Epitaph episodes, which allow viewers to get a glimpse of the big ideas that were being built in S1, and then rushed in S2. Joss is abusive, exploitative, and all his art is problematic, but his art (especially his TV shows) always, always, always built on what came before, escalating, inexorably, to some really interesting, complex, and worthwhile art. DFW art artist &c, but if you want to screenwrite, Joss' TV is legendary.

The show feels like it was planned to be seven seasons and then someone decided to pull the plug after season 2. All in all, season one and the first half of season two are pretty solid, with the second part of season two immensely rushed, so much that the last couple of episodes feel sketched out.

An often overlooked Whedon show. It was interesting enough with its original idea, but it evolved into something really cool. Would have liked this to last a bit longer than it did, but IIRC it had a satisfying ending.

It had its moments, so it's too bad the lead (who got the role through a development deal) was completely incapable of acting.

It has its problems compared to other Whedon shows, including less of a core ensemble, too many case-of-the-week episodes, and a lead actress not up to what's asked of her (should have been Tatiana Maslany!). That said, the dollhouse scenes themselves are quite interesting and cool, and it becomes a pretty enjoyable apocalyptic sci-fi thriller by the end.

Much preferred this to Alias

A shame this couldn't go on.