Joss Whedon and "Dollhouse" fans, rejoice - the muckety mucks at Fox renewed Dollhouse for a second season! Read the story here.
This comes in the face of very low ratings, episode meddling at Fox, and naysayers who assumed the show would be banished to the great big DVD-box-set in the sky like other Fox shows Firefly and Wonderfalls (but actually getting a full first season). What does this mean?
More Topher, Ballard, Sierra and Victor (and Mellie?)
I think the most important thing about this announcement is that we'll get to see more of our favorite characters on TV again. Ballad (or Helo, depending on your BSG mileage) is the FBI agent tasked with finding out the true identity of the Dollhouse. In the last episode of the season, he just got hired as a consultant at the Dollhouse. Topher is definitely not a critical favorite on the show... But anyone who did not get freaked out/tear up by his "imaginary friend" turn in "Haunted", where he programmed a doll to be a platonic friend, has not soul. Victor, the most handsome of the dolls, got his face all cut up in the last two episodes... I'm guessing he'll be replacing Amy Acker (more on that in a second). Sierra at this point in the series is probably the most useful doll on the show, with Echo going off task nearly every mission and Victor becoming mincemeat for Wash from Firefly (Alpha). And Mellie? She had my favorite performance of the season (by the lovely newcomer Miracle Laurie). In the season finale, she was given a free pass out of the Dollhouse. Here's hoping she'll find a way back in.
If you haven't started watching, now's the time - hit up Hulu. This is the next big thing.
In the 2008/09, there was no show smarter nor entertaining other than "Lost" (which is a five-year old show that has hit its prime in storytelling). I liked this much more than the uneven end to "Battlestar Galactica," a little more than the always-engaging "Pushing Daisies," much more than "Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles," and much, much, much more than the terrible season three of "Heroes." "Battlestar," "Pushing Daisies," and most likely "Terminator" are all gone (and too bad "Heroes" isn't), so other than "Lost," what geeky science fiction shows will be left on the TV schedules for next year?
A smaller budget
One of the reasons why "Dollhouse" is back is because the producers agreed to work on a smaller budget. This is not a good thing; two of my favorite moments of the season were fights between Ballard and Echo and Ballard and Boyd. Although, now that I think about, there weren't that many high-budget scenes throughout the first season; I feel that the creators did a good job of divvying out the eye candy throughout the season. Fox viewed low-budget episode "Epitaph: One," the not-on-Hulu-so-don't-even-ask-them secretive 13th episode, before making their decision. Whedon made this episode on only a fraction of the regular-episode budget. This episode probably saved the show entirely. And for you Dr. Horrible fans, know that your favorite mini-musical was also produced under similar budget constraints and limitations Whedon was given for Epitaph.
Less Amy Acker
I just read on Television Without Pity that Amy Acker, who plays Whiskey/Dr. Saunders on Dollhouse, just had a pilot on ABC picked up. This means that is not likely she will be back on Dollhouse. Too bad, because the actress made up for all the things fans hated about Fred on "Angel" in just about 7 or 8 episodes on Dollhouse. A fine feat indeed.
Thirteen more episodes of this intriguing show
Fox picked "Dollhouse" up for 13 episodes next season. I think that the best part of the "Dollhouse" renewal is that we'll get to see what Whedon gets to do with this show's premise. Here's hoping for a Hush or The Body-like episode, because you know what? With Dollhouse's talented cast (Olivia Williams, yay!), it's possible.
