Cowboy Pete plays with the Dollhouse

So Joss Whedon makes his return to the Friday night Fox death slot in hopes of defying the odds with “Dollhouse.” There has been much controversy over the creative process of the series, with Fox supposedly not being happy with original scripts and taking a heavy hand. This would be the same Fox that insisted Firefly’s pilot episode be aired at the end of the series’ truncated run, prompting Kathleen and me to watch the pilot, turn to each other and say, “Okay, the series makes a lot more sense now.”

So where do we stand with “Dollhouse?” Not really sure yet. Commentary with no real major spoilers follows:

First of all, you have the fundamental premise that there’s an organization which brainwashes operatives, called “Actives,” into becoming whoever and whatever is required for various situations. At one point the question is posed as to why such an organization would be necessary. If you need someone who is a top notch escort, why not simply hire an escort? A top notch negotiator? Hire a top notch negotiator. What is the point and purpose of the outfit itself? No answer is really provided. The real reason is that it provides a great opportunity for an actress to play a multitude of roles, thus luring Eliza Dushku back to series TV after the far more intriguing “Tru Calling” crashed and burned. Plus you’re supposed to accept it because, well, if you don’t, there’s no show. Just like you’re supposed to accept the fact that, into each generation, a slayer is born. Except the latter is supernatural, so you’re inclined to give it a pass. When you’re grounding yourself in science fiction, you need more of a concept then, “Because there’s no show otherwise.” There may be a more story-oriented reason forthcoming, but based on Fox’s SF track record, we can’t count on them keeping the series around long enough to learn what it is.

Second, aside from a two minute intro during which Dushku is acting in a manner indistinguishable from Faith, the protagonist–Echo–is a cipher. That is, of course, by design. But whereas the fun of watching, say, Jennifer Garner in “Alias” portray different people is that we have a sense of her own personality, Echo is entirely in the moment. So we have no idea who she is, what her background is, or why we should care about it. Presumably her past is going to become a factor in the series, but we need to be involved with her NOW in order to become invested in her fate.

The series also has some internal logic gaps in its very set up. The Actives are not supposed to have any inkling of their true nature. So what would happen if an Active is on an assignment and she runs into someone she encountered during a previous incarnation? And that person says, “We met at such-and-such a place. How can you not remember?” Echo seems like she’s being held together mentally with spit and bailing wire as it is. She seems just as likely to break down during a mission as accomplish it.

As for fans of Joss Whedon’s writing, well…you won’t see much of it here. Or at least not what we’re accustomed to. In one respect, that’s a good thing. Aaron Sorkin TV characters all seem to sound alike, whether they’re in “Sportsnight,” “The West Wing,” or “Studio 60.” Indeed, some of them use the same dialogue. It provides a same-ishness that can be off putting. In his previous TV work, Whedon developed distinct rhythms, cadences, dialects, that gave each series a unique feel. There’s nothing like that here. The dialogue is generic; there’s no “writer’s voice” on display here. It doesn’t sound–for want of a better term–Whedonesque. The only way you know it’s a Whedon series is that Amy Acker is back playing Fred, except a less interesting version of herself. Again, not necessarily a bad thing. Dialogue tics and styles can become crutches; it’s good to operate outside your comfort zone, to strip down your writing to its essence and see what’s there.

What’s there thus far is enough to keep me around, if nothing else than the fact that even middling Whedon is better than a lot of people at the top of their game. But the bottom line is that thus far I’m not entirely sure who I’m supposed to root for or why, and that’s not necessarily a good thing.

PAD