Dollhouse

:

Season 1
  • Network: FOX
  • Series Premiere Date: Feb 13, 2009
Season #: 2, 1
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 419 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 346 out of 419
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 419
  3. Negative: 58 out of 419
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User Reviews

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  1. EB
    Mar 21, 2009
    8
    The show keeps getting better. Granted the pilot wasn't great, but what pilot is? Exposition is a necessary evil in the beginning of any show, however, the plot and characters are improving noticeably with each show. Latest episode - Man on the Street - was extremely well done. I hope that people will give this show a chance.
  2. CaseyC
    Apr 13, 2009
    10
    Amazing show. I saw a few ads but wasn't impressed. Randomly caught a bit of an episode and was hooked. This show is complex, different, and intelligent. Each episode pulls you further into the mysteries of the Dollhouse. AMAZING! Really a must see. Fox, please renew for a second season and give it some better marketing. This show is a gem!
  3. JacquiO
    Mar 29, 2009
    8
    Very good...took a while to warm up, but has now finally hit its stride. Was just enjoyable, is now extremely compelling. Takes tradition SciFi conceits and delves into them with pop sensibility, fun action, and deep philosophical implications. What is reality? What is individuality? What is personality? This show asks it all. Extremely enjoyable.
  4. kennethc
    May 8, 2009
    10
    Its sad to see the idiots who dont give credit where credit is due and lack the comprehension ability to follow a good story. As with anything though decide for yourself, watch the first 6 episodes and make a judgment call. If you like what you see it only gets better. If its not up your alley then thats to bad your missing out on a lot.
  5. Zonata
    Feb 25, 2013
    6
    This show had so much potential. However, for reasons I understand, the ethical concerns were not fully exploited. The result is an half action/psychological show were both side are just ok.
  6. alisrachel
    Jul 11, 2012
    10
    I loved this show! I can see why some people may not enjoy the intense suspense, the thrilling and complicated plot-lines, the mesmerizing performances and the constantly outstanding level of action, the drama, the development and overall excitement of the show...but then again, I can see why some people prefer to lead simple lives. If you liked Buffy the Vampire slayer, you'll love dollhouse.
  7. mereditht
    Oct 27, 2009
    1
    What Dollhouse serves up week after week is the high-tech date rape of its attractive women, who are fed electronic roofies for sex they can't remember. Lest you think this show is written by bad people, they include token disapproval of what's happening. Then, more date-raping. Echo gets raped the most, although they are particularly brutal when they rape Sierra - no idea what What Dollhouse serves up week after week is the high-tech date rape of its attractive women, who are fed electronic roofies for sex they can't remember. Lest you think this show is written by bad people, they include token disapproval of what's happening. Then, more date-raping. Echo gets raped the most, although they are particularly brutal when they rape Sierra - no idea what that's about. Thankfully, America isn't buying it and the show has basically been canceled. Don't waste your Christmas season fighting to save a show that panders to the sadistic fantasies of its nerd-heavy audience.… Expand
  8. JaeE.
    Feb 13, 2009
    2
    Maybe I'd like this show if I'd never seen or read any science fiction before and I got off on the idea of a hot, programmable woman, but for me this was just a waste of good talent and an hour of my life. Watch it right after an hour of BSG (as I did) and you'll really see notice this one's shortcomings.
  9. DougB
    Feb 16, 2009
    4
    For those of us that are just plain old Tv fans, ugh. I can imagine Whedon backers might be into it, but an unbiased eye could not see right through this. Way to much information exposed for us to be intrigued. Way too many obvious logic jumps to be intelligent. Way too many dull dim-witted cliche characters to be exciting. Some nice action sequences and skin galore can't save this For those of us that are just plain old Tv fans, ugh. I can imagine Whedon backers might be into it, but an unbiased eye could not see right through this. Way to much information exposed for us to be intrigued. Way too many obvious logic jumps to be intelligent. Way too many dull dim-witted cliche characters to be exciting. Some nice action sequences and skin galore can't save this stiff show.… Expand
  10. TitoB
    Mar 2, 2009
    3
    I immensely enjoyed every Whedon's show so far (Buffy, Angel, Firefly) and was looking forward to this but Dollhouse is really bad. Everything we like about Whedonverse (humor, witty dialogue, melodramatic emotions, ironic undercutting of those same emotions, meta-, auto- and other references, defamiliarization of the familiar genre...) is NOT to be found in this predictable C-grade I immensely enjoyed every Whedon's show so far (Buffy, Angel, Firefly) and was looking forward to this but Dollhouse is really bad. Everything we like about Whedonverse (humor, witty dialogue, melodramatic emotions, ironic undercutting of those same emotions, meta-, auto- and other references, defamiliarization of the familiar genre...) is NOT to be found in this predictable C-grade show. The casting is horrible. I can understand that Miss Dushku is pleasant to look at and fun to be around, but she does not have the range to pull this off. This show needed someone like Amber Tamblyn for the multipersonality lead. Even worse are the über-cliched empty, other-blandly-good-looking-people: the obligatory British headmistress ("Execute a kill order? Good heavens!"), the soulful ex-cop that overcomes his doll-ism (it's like racism! and he's black! omg! the irony!) in the space of 20 minutes, the obsessed lantern-jawed agent or cop (or whatever), the small-time crook and the painfully unfunny tech-geek. The only semi-human character (like Tara from Buffy) is the cop's lonely neighbor who will (in a non-surprising twist) probably be revealed as a deep cover agent and/or a doll herself. The soft-porn opening credits and the main theme make me cringe every time I see/hear them. The only thing that remains thoroughly Whedonesque is the gargantuan gap between the ambition/pretention and the realization/skill/budget. I thought the pilot was bad/boring/cliched until I saw episodes 2 and 3. The whole thing plays like Pamela Anderson's VIP, which is really disappointing for a Wheadon show. I (figuratively) cried when they canceled Firefly - I will sigh with relief when they euthanize this awful mess. Do yourself a favor and avoid this. In the time of shows like Veronica Mars, Mad Men, True Blood and Generation Kill... this is not even grade B brainless fun, it's embarrassing for all involved.… Expand
  11. JonS
    Mar 21, 2009
    3
    The entire show is just fetish fuel, right down to the commercials and opening credits. While its definitely improved its storytelling as of late, I'm still unconvinced that it will be able to turn things around. Phrases and story points get repeated over and over again. "Alpha must have done this, isn't what they are doing immoral," etc can only be repeated so many times.
  12. LJHayes
    Feb 25, 2014
    3
    I've been a fan of Joss Whedon since before my age even hit double digits but I missed out on seeing this show when it was released so I was thrilled to find it on Netflix. Then came the crushing disappointment. This show is awful.
    One of the things I love about Whedon is that he brings together a collection of characters with distinct personalities and different personal strengths and    I've been a fan of Joss Whedon since before my age even hit double digits but I missed out on seeing this show when it was released so I was thrilled to find it on Netflix. Then came the crushing disappointment. This show is awful.
    One of the things I love about Whedon is that he brings together a collection of characters with distinct personalities and different personal strengths and weakness and we see them interact and bounce off each other as they develop. But due to the nature of this show, half the main cast (Echo, Sierra, Victor & November) don't have any personality of their own, they change to a different character from episode to episode. It is impressive on the part of the actors to show such a range of talent but it makes it difficult to relate to the character. We don't steadily build up a relationship with a character throughout the series, we have forty minutes to briefly get to know a character we're told we should care about.
    As for the other characters, the non-doll characters, they don't make much sense either. Paul Ballard and Boyd Langton are basically the same guy on different sides of the fence. Paul Ballard is a tough guy working for the police who doesn't like what the Dollhouse are doing and spends every episode (literally every episode) obsessing over how to find them but never makes any progress until the last three episodes. Boyd is a tough guy who used to work for the police who also makes it clear he doesn't like what the Dollhouse are doing, which begs the question of why the hell he's working for them but that never gets answered.
    Topher Brink can have his funny moments but his character remains undeveloped throughout. Adelle DeWitt is the only one who has any kind of depth to her which is somewhat explored in small segments between the large chunks of time spent focusing on the Drones...sorry, Dolls.
    The premise of the show is an interesting concept but there just enough here to keep it afloat. A huge let down.    … Expand
  13. PlacidD
    May 6, 2009
    4
    This show has a very very exciting premise, but falls far short in terms of delivering. Eliza Dushku is a very one dimensional actress, and simply cannot carry a leading role like this. The support cast varies from solid to mediocre, and storytelling goes very up and down (with the familiar Whedonesque twists). Alan Tudyk's portrayal of Alpha is true class though, he performs brilliantly.
  14. JosephS
    Mar 8, 2009
    0
    This is a real gutting from the creator of three shows I really loved. I'm not the biggest Eliza Dushku fan, but I think she does well playing supporting characters. She's just not up to snuff here. Way out of her league by trying to play several different personalities that are essentially her. If Joss Whedon's name wasn't attached to this, I would've stopped This is a real gutting from the creator of three shows I really loved. I'm not the biggest Eliza Dushku fan, but I think she does well playing supporting characters. She's just not up to snuff here. Way out of her league by trying to play several different personalities that are essentially her. If Joss Whedon's name wasn't attached to this, I would've stopped after 10 minutes of episode one. But with each episode, I feel more and more betrayed.… Expand
  15. SusanK
    May 8, 2009
    0
    This show bores me to tears. It's hard to believe Whedon was involved in this.
  16. KevinB
    Aug 29, 2009
    3
    The only way I could give this a positive score is if the second season reveals that Dushku's character is actually a horrible actress and the real life Dushku is an incredible actress, acting like a horrible actress, who is acting like randomly-generated personalities. Bring back firefly.
  17. BSmith
    Feb 13, 2009
    6
    Too early to tell if its good but if this wasn't a show brought by Joss Whedon I would not watch a second episode.
  18. DobJ.
    Feb 14, 2009
    4
    A lifeless mess, expected far better from Joss.
  19. JonathanC.
    Feb 19, 2009
    0
    This show is awful. The premise is bad, the execution is bad, the writing is bad, the acting is bad. The character motivations make no sense; what the hell is some holier-than-thou cop doing working for a human trafficking/prostitution ring that brainwashes women and turns them into living sex dolls? Joss Whedon is overrated, and this is proof positive that he is, at best, a hit or miss This show is awful. The premise is bad, the execution is bad, the writing is bad, the acting is bad. The character motivations make no sense; what the hell is some holier-than-thou cop doing working for a human trafficking/prostitution ring that brainwashes women and turns them into living sex dolls? Joss Whedon is overrated, and this is proof positive that he is, at best, a hit or miss idea guy. For ever Dr. Horrible, there will be a Dollhouse.… Expand
  20. NatalieS.
    Jun 13, 2009
    1
    Sooner of later Fox will be obliged to notice that nobody watches this show.
  21. deetoo
    Feb 14, 2009
    1
    Eliza Dushku is just horrible. It's one of the most painfully self-conscious performances I've seen in a long time. Every time she's on-screen it threw me out of the story. I wanted to like this show - I hated it. Really, REALLY hated it.
  22. timothym.
    Feb 14, 2009
    3
    I watched 75% of the show and finally had enough. The actress that plays Echo seems to play every charter the same, emotionless, with a hatred for the world.
  23. FreemanC
    Jul 11, 2009
    3
    The Dollhouse is a whorehouse that solves crimes. If that makes sense to you, maybe you should be writing the show, because the writers can't make it make sense. They act like they're being really complex, but they're just sloppily inconsistent - one week the Dollhouse is like Charlie's Angels, the next week it's evil. They did like three good episodes out of 12 The Dollhouse is a whorehouse that solves crimes. If that makes sense to you, maybe you should be writing the show, because the writers can't make it make sense. They act like they're being really complex, but they're just sloppily inconsistent - one week the Dollhouse is like Charlie's Angels, the next week it's evil. They did like three good episodes out of 12 and got a second season just 'cause the show's owned by Fox. Don't waste your time - Fringe, Bones, there's something out there you'll like better than this mess.… Expand
  24. Ravenous
    Nov 19, 2010
    4
    As a huge fan of Joss Whedon, I have to say that Dollhouse was his worst creation to date. Why was this so bad when Firefly, Buffy, and Angel were so unbelievably good? Well, for starters it lacked Whedon's trademark HUMOR. The premise was so dark that there was no room for the kind of witty banter and hilarious references within the dialogue that we've come to expect from Joss' shows. InAs a huge fan of Joss Whedon, I have to say that Dollhouse was his worst creation to date. Why was this so bad when Firefly, Buffy, and Angel were so unbelievably good? Well, for starters it lacked Whedon's trademark HUMOR. The premise was so dark that there was no room for the kind of witty banter and hilarious references within the dialogue that we've come to expect from Joss' shows. In addition, Dollhouse had another major problem: the cast just wasn't as good. Dushku is simply not a lead actress. No matter how hard they try to make her seem sweet, it just never works. Call it the 'Faith syndrome' if you want, but she just appears totally awkward and fake whenever she tries to act the 'good guy'. Furthermore, the other cast members were only adequate at best, and annoying at worst. I hate to criticize Joss' work so much - and part of me is pained even typing this - but this show just didn't stand a chance.… Expand
  25. Ken
    Jan 4, 2010
    10
    Slow to start, as the season progressed it became more and more compelling. Eliza Dushku is easy on the eyes and does a fine job at most of the characters, but lacks at some of them. However, it is the overall story arc and the many supporting characters that bring this up from a good show to a great one. Someone comented about this show being about date rape, and in a way it is and Slow to start, as the season progressed it became more and more compelling. Eliza Dushku is easy on the eyes and does a fine job at most of the characters, but lacks at some of them. However, it is the overall story arc and the many supporting characters that bring this up from a good show to a great one. Someone comented about this show being about date rape, and in a way it is and isn't. It is a complex morality tale that shows the road to destruction is paved with good intentions, at least at the beginning of the journey!… Expand
  26. GerardoB
    Mar 7, 2009
    9
    The first episode was kind of boring, but slowly I'm getting reeled in. After watching "Grey Hour" I think I'm getting ever closer to becoming an addicted fan of this show.
  27. OscarR
    May 10, 2009
    10
    This is the first TV show that I've been hooked on week after week in about a decade. I really hope that they go on to make a second season.
  28. JenniferM
    May 10, 2009
    9
    This show is fantastic! It is the first show I watch off my TIVO every time a new one is available. The episode where Echo was a rock star's bodyguard had a very weak climax, but every other one has been stellar! I hope Fox picks this up for a second season.
  29. THATTVGUY
    Feb 14, 2009
    10
    Joss Whedon is BACK!!!! The pilot has me sold. Great writing, awesome directing and a very intriguing storyline. I can't wait to see where it goes. really REALLY don't listen to the critics on this one. Dollhouse is a mystery, detective show, and sci fi all wrapped up in one. It feels like an expertly adapted comic book and it has some great actors and the girls are hot. Support Joss Whedon is BACK!!!! The pilot has me sold. Great writing, awesome directing and a very intriguing storyline. I can't wait to see where it goes. really REALLY don't listen to the critics on this one. Dollhouse is a mystery, detective show, and sci fi all wrapped up in one. It feels like an expertly adapted comic book and it has some great actors and the girls are hot. Support the Whedon! I feel a strange paranoia that since the show already got moved from it's original Monday Night next to 24 slot, FOX might cut it. But i hope not. I hope it turns into the best parts of Heroes, Alias and everything Fringe isn't (IMO). And yes, I think the pilot was that good!… Expand
  30. AnthonyU
    Feb 16, 2009
    7
    Though one could see a lot of past Whedon shows in Dollhouse--Eliza Dushku, Amy Aker, and a set that looks strangely like Wolfram & Hart--there was very little of the wit and superb storytelling one typically associates with a Whedon enterprise in this first episode. However, if you're a Whedon fan you know not to count to count him out based soley on the first episode of a series. Though one could see a lot of past Whedon shows in Dollhouse--Eliza Dushku, Amy Aker, and a set that looks strangely like Wolfram & Hart--there was very little of the wit and superb storytelling one typically associates with a Whedon enterprise in this first episode. However, if you're a Whedon fan you know not to count to count him out based soley on the first episode of a series. I'm holding out hope that audiences won't be dissapointed as Dollhouse develops.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

72
#72 Best TV Season of 2009
2
#2 Most Discussed TV Season of 2009
44
#44 Most Shared TV Season of 2009

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
57

Mixed or average reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 28
  3. Negative: 6 out of 28
  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Ken Tucker
    67
    Given the artfully vague hints of an intriguingly desperate past for Echo, as well as Whedon's track record, we ought to cut the show some slack. Let's see if Whedon can bring this doll to greater life.
    Read full review
  2. Newark Star-Ledger
    Reviewed by: Alan Sepinwall
    60
    Whedon is a vastly better storyteller than anyone involved in "My Own Worst Enemy," so Dollhouse can be very engaging, even if the premise doesn't make sense. Dushku isn't as versatile as the role demands--many weeks, the only difference in Echo's persona seems to be her wardrobe--but Whedon and his writers certainly are.
    Read full review
  3. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Tim Goodman
    50
    Joss Whedon is one of television's most talented visionaries, but his latest series--the highly anticipated midseason drama Dollhouse--is a major disappointment.
    Read full review
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