I saw my first television ad for "Dollhouse" last night, Joss Whedon's new show starring Buffy alum Eliza Dushku. It looked…. I don't know… okay?
The premise of the show is that Eliza Dushku is one of a team of "Dolls" who can become any person that their "Handlers" want them to be. When it is time for a new role, the Handlers completely wipe out her personality and skills and basically swap out her brain for a new one.
This is strangely reminiscent of the show "The Pretender." (This week he's a fireman! Next week he's the president of an oil company!) I liked "The Pretender," but I was a little baffled when it just… kept… going. It was great, but maybe not "four seasons" great.
Of course, the main difference between "Dollhouse" and "The Pretender" is that Eliza Dushku isn't supposed to realize what is happening. But she starts to become self-aware, thus leading to the primary conflict in the show.
I'm not really sure where this show is supposed to go. Then again, Joss Whedon's shows are never about the premise and the plot, are they? It's all about the way the characters interact with one another, tossing out snappy dialogue along the way. I well remember reading about this new Joss Whedon show that was "cowboys in space" and thinking, No way would I ever watch that.
So, lesson learned - the concept often sounds terrible on the face of it. It's all about the execution. I'm willing to give "Dollhouse" the benefit of the doubt.
"Dollhouse" premieres on February 13th on Fox.
