Over a year ago, news circulated about a Joss Whedon-loss Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie (read more here).  At the time, it was reported that first-time screen writer Whit Anderson was penning a new script and that the showrunner of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series, Joss Whedon, would not be involved.

Naturally, a lot of Buffy fans went positively bananas.  The truth is that Buffy is not a literary character like Mr. Darcy or a historical figure like Abraham Lincoln.  You can't just have anyone step into her shoes and expect the fans to embrace it.  If there's going to be a Buffy movie, the fans want to see Sarah Michelle Gellar in the role with Joss Whedon involved in the project.  After all, it's these two people (along with a talented cast and writing staff) who turned that original cheesy movie into the television phenomenon that it became.

After the initial uproar, we didn't really hear anything more about the project.  Now Geoff Bucheor from the LA Times has tweeted that the project is dead, at least for now.

He said: "Remember the stir about the first-time screenwriter hired for "Buffy" reboot? She's been fired & project is in limbo."

And followed up with: "I don't have details about the back and forth but I know 100% (and from two sources) that script was rejected as unworkable."

Now, of course, I'm never happy that someone got fired, but I can't help but breathe a sigh of relief.  I have no idea what Ms. Anderson's script was like, but I kind of hope this shows the Buffy the Vampire Slayer rightsholders there's a level of quality involved in a franchise like this that must be maintained in order to get such a project off the ground.

You know how you maintain that level of quality?  You bring back the people who made it great.

Just saying.

Is the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Movie Dead? That's the Rumor for Now

It's no surprise that Joss Whedon has a magic touch.  I will be the first to admit that his creations are not always infallible, but the man has an eye for doing new and exciting things that end up working like we couldn't have predicted.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog wasn't the first made-for-web mini movie/series, but it took a cute idea and put it on a platform that allowed it to flourish.  The little web series that could ended up winning multiple awards, including an Emmy, a Hugo, a Steamy and a People's Choice Award.

Titan Books has produced a companion guide to the web series, which is now available for purchase.  The book is a treasure for fans of Dr. Horrible, and should have you laughing from the very first page, which features a Forward from Captain Hammer himself (who seems to have a little trouble recalling the name of his now deceased girlfriend).  A round-table discussion among the series' collaborators comes next.  The Whedon brothers and Maurissa Tancharoen take you through the creation and casting of the series (with a few hilarious tangents along the way).

An uncut version of the entire script follows and sprinkled throughout the book are behind the scenes photos, annotated script pages, original lyrics from Joss Whedon himself, and memories from the various actors involved.  There's also a behind the scenes look at the costumes.  Even a tribute to the fans of the series is included, along with accounts of appearances at Comic Con and some awards shows.  You'll learn some fun facts you probably didn't know about the series: like the fact that the two male leads completely forgot about the first read-through and that Angel and Supernatural writer Ben Edlund was involved at the beginning of the web series.

If you're musically inclined, then you'll be thrilled to know that the sheet music for the entire score is contained at the back of the book.  Personally, I'm itching to head to my old piano at my parents' house to see if I remember how to play and belt out the Dr. Horrible songs.

You'll laugh along with all the commentary throughout the book, just like you laughed during Dr. Horrible.  If you're a fan of the web series, then you need to buy this book.  If you're not a fan of the web series, then you need to watch it ASAP, because you don't know what you're missing.  And then you need to buy this book.

clarissa @ tvovermind.com
twitter.com/clarissa373
twitter.com/tvovermind

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog Book Review

As you may have heard (and if you're a regular TVOvermind reader, you couldn't help but hear Clarissa's shouting), Supernatural won the TV Guide cover online poll, narrowly besting my personal favorite, Chuck.  My dear counterpart and I had an amusing back and forth during the voting period about the superiority of our respective favorites, and the awesomeness of the fanbases supporting those shows.  It all made for good fun, but as the poll drew to a close, and our "hatred" for the opposing show grew, something dawned on me.  See, I just put "hatred" in quotes because I don't actually hate Supernatural (I cannot speak for Clarissa's feelings towards Chuck, though at Comic-Con, I thought I saw her giving Zachary Levi the stink-eye - Clarissa: This is entirely inaccurate, I was actually admiring Captain Awesome's awesome physique and Levi was standing in the way.), mostly because I've never seen an episode.  To be honest, I've never watched an entire thirty-second commercial for the show.

I was thinking about this yesterday when I saw an Entertainment Weekly article asking what network one can't live without.  My personal answer to this question is, despite its troubles, NBC.  Maybe this is because I grew up in the glory days for the network (The Cosby Show, Cheers, Friends, ER, Frasier, etc.), but for whatever reason, I always find myself giving NBC the benefit of the doubt, and hanging on with shows that I really should have ditched long ago (The Event and Outsourced, I'm looking in your direction).  Most of the shows I currently enjoy watching are on the Peacock Network: Chuck, Community, The Office, 30 Rock, Parks & Recreation, Parenthood, The Biggest Loser; and I know I'll be giving The Cape, Harry's Law, and Perfect Couples a shot.

This isn't to say that I don't watch other networks (my Survivor and Modern Family articles will attest to that), because I do.  But as I was considering the question asked in the EW article, I realized that TheCW wasn't even close to being in the running -- there isn't one show I watch on that network.  Even when I tried keeping up with Nikita, I was watching it on the network's website, not live or on my DVR, and still I only saw the first three episodes before that show fell by the wayside.  Why, I wondered, do I have a blind spot for TheCW?

Now, I'm sure all of you can inundate the Comments section with the awesome shows I've been missing (and you should!), but I wonder why they've never held any interest for me.  At first glance, I figure that, as a 32-yr old guy, I'm not really in the network's target demographic, but as a bit of a nerd, Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries should be up my alley for their fantasy aspects, and who can turn down Maggie Q kicking ass in a bikini?  I tried thinking back to the last show I watched with any regularity on TheCW or its predecessors, The WB and UPN.  I had to go allllllll the way back to Swans Crossing (Yes, that's Sarah Michelle Gellar in the center of the picture below - Clarissa: I am somewhat ashamed to say that I also watched Swans Crossing, then followed SMG to All My Children and then to Buffy).  Yeah, that show debuted eighteen years ago, and it was pretty terrible.  Further, it started the network's trend of airing soapy, not particularly good, teen dramas in which I just really wasn't interested.

I think those formative years with TheCW and its ancestors created an association in my mind of that network with the kind of television I don't want to watch, similar to the opposite feeling I have with NBC.  Further, this bias continues to today, making me not really consider TheCW's programming when deciding what to watch.  Of course, I'm only one man, and I can't watch everything on television, but to totally write off a network seems a bit, I don't know, wrong somehow.

So, I ask you, is there a network that you, for some reason, just avoid altogether, despite hearing what great shows are airing on it?  Have you had this type of situation in the past?  Were you able to get over it, and if so, how did you it?  What kinds of associations do you have with particular networks, and what formed them?    Further, what blind spots do you have with writers, producers or stars?  Will you never go near a J.J. Abrams show?  Can you just not understand CBS' love affair with Alex O'Laughlin?  Will you automatically set up a season pass for a Joss Whedon show?  Please leave your comments below, but please don't turn this into a "That show sucks, so you suck!!" type of thread.  This is a fun discussion about our television hang-ups, and not a chance to degrade someone else's taste.  I greatly look forward to your responses.

Clarissa: I'm the exact opposite of Michael. I watch far too many CW shows to the exclusion of many other networks, although I do watch shows on Fox and ABC (but I only watch one show each on CBS and NBC).  I'm smack dab in the middle of TheCW's top demographic (women 18-49).  I like the cheesiness of 90210 and Gossip Girl, I love the mythology of Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries (although the hot boys are a bonus as well) and I'm very into the ass-kicking on Nikita.  But most of the comedies Michael mentioned above on NBC I just don't follow.  Do you think most of this has to do with personal preference?  Or are the shows we watch and the networks we follow a reflection of our age groups and gender?

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E-mail: michael@tvovermind.com

What is This 'Supernatural' You Speak Of?: Do You Have a Network 'Blind Spot'?

Commentary: What I'm Thankful For? Buffy The Vampire Slayer

You all heard about the horrible, terrible, devastating news that Warner Bros. plans to go ahead with a Buffy reboot movie that doesn't involve Joss Whedon, right?  If you haven't, then you must have been off-planet today, because every geek and fangirl have been shrieking about it all over the internet for hours (myself included).

E!Online's Kristen had the foresight (and, you know, the contact information) to write to Buffy's original showrunner and ask for his opinion on the movie that will not be involving him.  Joss replies with grace and humor.  Especially humor:

Joss Whedon Shares His Feelings on New Buffy Movie

Look, let's be honest.  Sometimes remakes aren't a bad thing.  Or "reboots", if you want to call it that.  When Christopher Nolan took over the Batman franchise he breathed new life into it and made two amazing movies (with a third on its way).  I even liked the rebooted Star Trek, but I didn't watch the original shows or movies, so I honestly have no idea whether the real fans felt upset by the remake or whether they felt enough of the original elements remained.

But now the LA Times wants to introduce us to the new writer of the Buffy The Vampire Slayer movie.  Let's recap.  Before it was a cult show on The WB and UPN networks, Buffy was originally a movie staring Kristy Swanson and Luke Perry.  Frankly, it was a pretty terrible movie.  Campy and cheesy.  I mean, yeah, I still watch it everytime it's on TV, but it can't touch the quality of the Buffy television show.

And let's be clear, the Buffy show also had its faults.  It's not like Joss Whedon (the creator and showrunner of the Buffy universe) is infallible.  There were many storylines in the Buffy show that many fans, myself included, couldn't stand (pretty much everything wtih Riley or Dawn, for example).

But we were willing to overlook that, because when Buffy was firing on all cylinders - and it often was - it was heaven.  It was a show with thinly veiled messages about high school and what it meant to grow up, and vampires.  In other words, perfection.

Now the LA Times has written an article introducing us to the new writer for the new Buffy movie.  That poor Whit Anderson.  She's officially the most hated screenwriter in cult fandom today.  The truth is, I don't know if she's going to write a good script or not, but what irks me the most is the cavalier way in which the entire process is being handled.

Let's start with the title of the article: "Joss who?  Meet the new writer of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer film".  That's the worst sort of insult.  I don't worship Joss Whedon as my own personal Jesus, but the man has a genius for writing in particular that cannot be denied.  He breathed life into the Buffy characters, wrote some of its best scenes and dialogue, and created a show that deserved more mainstream recognition than it got.  So, please, LA Times, don't be cavalier and throw away Whedon's contribution to the Buffy universe just because you want to introduce us to the new writer.

Also insulting is producer Charles Roven's statement that "There is an active fan base eagerly awaiting this character’s return…. While this is not your high-school Buffy, she’ll be just as witty, tough and sexy as we all remember her to be.”  Which actually tells me that someone out there hasn't done their homework.  Because the truth is, there is an active fanbase eagerly awaiting this character's return.  Assuming, of course, we're talking about the same character.

If Buffy isn't written by Joss or played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, then we're not talking about the same character.  If the familiar supporting characters (Willow, Giles, Spike, Xander, etc) won't be appearing in the story then we're not even talking about the same show.  All you're talking about is a girl who happens to hunt - and sometimes date - vampires.  So basically you're talking about every generic vampire story these days (except Buffy is obviously more kick-ass than Bella Swan).

Please don't insult real Buffy fans by assuming you know what we want and then say we're begging for your new version.  Because we're not.  This new movie may very well end up attracting a new group of fans who are interested in the recent vampire craze and never really watched Buffy before.  But it's not going to attract most of the die-hard fans.

I might be willing to let the whole situation slide if someone told me that Joss wasn't involved, but other members of his writing team were.  People like David Greenwalt, Jane Espenson, Doug Petrie, David Fury or Marti Nixon.  Then I might not be so anxious.  But all I hear is that the new producers are taking the Buffy name and making it something new and unrecognizable.

In the article, Anderson said:

“The thing that was so wonderful about ‘Buffy’ is what made it special was so timeless,” Anderson said.  “The deep struggle she had with duty and destiny, that tug between what you’re supposed to be doing and what you want to be doing. The fate of the world is on her shoulders but some days she wakes up and she just doesn’t want to do it. And are we doomed and destined to love someone?

She's not wrong.  That struggle between duty, destiny and what you really want to do is not a theme that's associated with Buffy alone.  It's one of a few limited blueprints from which all stories are eventually derived.  But that doesn't make any story about a girl torn between destiny and love (or destiny and wanting a normal life) a Buffy story.  That just makes her a girl holding a wooden stake.

clarissa @ tvovermind.com
twitter.com/clarissa373
twitter.com/tvovermind

The Ridiculous Quest for a Joss-Less Buffy Movie

After some delay, I've finally gotten my hands on several weeks' worth of new TV on DVD releases, so it's time to get cracking! I'm starting off my review extravaganza with the second (and final) season of FOX's Dollhouse, which came home on October 12.

The Show

I really wanted to like Dollhouse; I loved Buffy and Angel, liked Firefly, and am a fan of Eliza Dushku. However, I was one of those people who tuned in and tuned out just as quickly; the show just didn't stick with me the way I was expecting. I heard murmurs that it got much better in the second season, so I was curious to see if that was true. Now that I've watched it (and read Inside Joss' Dollhouse besides), I can say that yes, it does get a lot better. Do I think it was amazing? No, but I'll say it was worth my time.

From the start, the show just feels more coherent, and doesn't drag as much. The season opener, "Vows," is my favorite on the disc. I am a little biased, since it's the episode that guest-stars one of my new favorite faces, Law & Order: UK's Jamie Bamber, who does an amazing job as the ruthless arms dealer that you somehow can't help but be charmed by. (As Whedon says in his commentary on the episode, Bamber has so much integrity in the eyes of the audience because of his run on Battlestar Galactica that it makes him a particularly effective villain.) Yet my inclinations aside, the episode is legitimately entertaining and interesting. The plot keeps moving, the characters seem more alive, and the action pieces are really fun to watch. Plus you can never go wrong with an explosion of any kind.

From then on, it's a question of if the series can keep momentum going. It makes a neat turn when it takes FBI agent Paul Ballard (Tahmoh Penikett) and puts him inside the organization he once investigated as Echo's (Dushku) new handler. To replace him as the "villain" (I use the term in quotes because the moral ambiguity makes it hard to say who's good and evil in this series) in comes Alexis Denisof as Senator Daniel Perrin. He, too, is not at all what he appears to be. Then, of course, there's the matter of that pesky vision of 2019 we saw in "Epitaph One."

The majority of season two is something FOX probably hated, given how they handled season one: less stand-alone stories and more of a serial arc, telling us the history of the Dollhouse at the same time that people are working to destroy it. The result somewhat reminds me of the Terminator franchise, in that the characters are working toward the prevention of an apocalyptic future and later dealing with its coming to pass. Like that franchise, it can be bleak. It's also very much a Whedon show in that things get complicated, with characters routinely changing sides or uncovering new motivations. It all leads to an ending that you'll either love or hate.

Likewise, Dollhouse is a show that you're either going to love or hate. Those of you who love the show will own this in a pinch. If you stopped watching in season one because you found it slow or not quite fitting together, as I did, you'll want to give season two a look. (You don't have to have seen all of season one to appreciate season two, though it doesn't hurt.) Yet if you weren't interested in its themes or its dense mythology, you're better off staying tuned out.

The DVDs

The packaging for this set is bare-bones. There's no accompanying booklet; just the titles of episodes on the inside of the plastic case and a list of special features. Likewise, the disc art is sparse. It's kind of disappointing when I've seen that you can do some very fun and creative things with DVD packaging.

Dollhouse is a four-disc set, with the discs able to be flipped through. There's no indication on the discs themselves of what's on which disc, so you'll have to consult the package.

Presentation-wise, though, this one is pretty good. You have 1:78:1 widescreen video that's accompanied by an English 5.1 Dolby Digital audio track. The discs are closed-captioned, with an impressive array of subtitles for a DVD set: English SDH, Spanish, French and Portuguese. I found the video and audio to be crisp and clear both on my Blu-Ray player and on my laptop. This set might be blah on the outside, but there's a good transfer inside, and that's what's most important.

The Special Features

In a way, fans are lucky that Dollhouse got the axe early and didn't teeter on the brink for awhile. Not only did Whedon get to wrap up the show but the DVDs also have complete special features that cover the whole series. There are two featurettes: one a retrospective interview with Whedon, and another with Whedon and the cast. They get to look at the series as a complete body of work, and therefore so do we.

There are also two commentaries: one on "Vows" with Whedon, and one on "Belonging" with Jed Whedon and Marissa Tancharoen. Unfortunately, there are no cast members involved. (At least Eliza Dushku appeared on a track for season one.) The former is my favorite, because since it's the season opener, Joss talks about how the show changed between its first and second seasons, and what he was hoping to accomplish. That additional information is insightful for those who may have lost interest in season one or perhaps didn't see it at all. I'm surprised that there aren't commentaries on any of the later episodes, especially the last one; those would seem prime places to put a commentary track.

There's also a collection of deleted scenes and outtakes.

The Bottom Line

While I enjoyed this release, I honestly can't give it more than a rental recommendation because it's the kind of show you really have to be sure you like before you buy. There's a reason it divided even Whedon fans. I'm glad that I added it to my collection, but before you invest $33 (at least according to Amazon's current price), give it a peek.

DVD Review - Dollhouse: The Complete Season Two

It was only this weekend that sci-fi legends Joss Whedon and J.J. Abrams shared the stage at Comic-Con. TVOvermind was there, and you can read a synopsis of the panel here. Now, Joss mentioned that his already-cult-classic Dollhouse was cancelled because it was “trying to fit a square peg into a round hole," and the cancellation was perhaps spurned by "more of a cable mentality" on his part. That means he wanted more creative freedom, and FOX didn't give it to him. Instead, Dollhouse's high-concept life was cut short after only two years.

Still, that doesn't mean you won't be able to watch those two seasons again and again and again thanks to the magic of Digital Video Discs (or Blu-rays). It's recently been announced that the second sesason of  the series will be hitting shelves on October 12, 2010. That's still a fairly long way away, but you might as well pre-order while the copies are still fresh, right?

You can do that through the links below. Personally, I'll be skipping Dollhouse or order Firefly, which I've heard is a much superior show. However, as a new Whedonite, I'm probably the only person left who doesn't have a copy of Firefly on my shelf. That'll be fixed, trust me. In the meantime, you can order Dollhouse, The Complete Second Season on Blu-Ray or DVD below. The DVD (which curiously is listed as having only one disc) runs for $31.99, while the also one-disc Blu-ray is running for $41.99. Guess the high prices of TV DVDs isn't the materials that make them after all.

• Dollhouse: The Complete Second Season [DVD]
• Dollhouse: Season 2 [Blu-ray]

Pre-Order Dollhouse: The Complete Second Season

Only EW and Comic-Con could pull off this coup: JJ Abrams and Joss Whedon together, on one stage, to give the state of geekdom address.  The dynamic duo of hip-geek culture will ping the zeitgeist and report back whatever psychic vibrations reach their over-sized pop-culture cortexes, where is media heading, what lay ahead for pop-culture, is 3d just a fad (oh, so I hope they answer that one to the affirmative).   TVOvermind will be reporting live from the panel.  So bookmark this patch, and keep your refresh finger limber – at 3:30 pst the awesomeness begins.

With the annual summit meeting of wild pop culture fandom (aka Comic-Con) upon us this weekend, we at EW thought it would be kinda cool if we brought Abrams and Whedon together for an hour to talk about the past, present, and future of their creative lives. They agreed, and the whole thing is going down this afternoon at 3:30 p.m. PT, in a room that can hold a few thousand of their most admiring fans at the San Diego Convention Center. Wish you could be there? No worries: We’ll try our best to bring as much of the experience to you via posts and video over the next day or so here at EW.com.

3:38pm – Waiting for the arrival of JJ and Joss, listening to Dr. Horrible.

3:40pm – Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly introduces JJ Abrams and Joss Whedon, as if they need an introduction.

3:45pm – The guys know each other from their days at the WB (Felicity for JJ and Buffy for Joss).  The most extreme thing JJ has done in the name of geekdom was sending letters to not actors or directors, but makeup people like Dick SMith from The Exorcist.  In fact, he received the tongue from that movie from Smith!  Joss can't top that, except for an Alien egg.

3:50pm – Joss knew he wanted to make films, but only moved to TV later because he needed to make money.  However, he learned that he just loves writing in any form.  JJ used to do magic tricks for his family as a kid, and from that learned that he loved to make magic in any form.

3:55pm – Joss officially annonces that he is directing The Avengers!  Although, in answer to the loud cheer, "Eh…it's just a gig."  Joss fell in love with comics becaus ehis dad used to be a writer for The Electric Company hen they were introducing Spidey Stories on the show.  His dad brought home a bunch of Spiderman comics, and his love was born.  JJ was also into superhero comics, but not as much as Joss.  He did work at a comic book store, where he read a lot of books, but he was more into the Twilight Zone and the like.

JJ is telling how he first worked with Steven Spielberg.  A few years ago, he was asked to restorm the films Spielberg made as a kid.  A few years later, JJ called Spielberg with the idea of his new movie Super 8.  They haven't shot anything yet, but it has the feeling of Spielberg's earlier Amblin films.  It will NOT be in 3D.

Joss is into 3D in general and he's glad we're past the "poking things at the screen" stage of 3D, but there are some movies that don't need it (for example, his new delayed movie "Cabin in the Woods").  JJ thinks the glasses take something away from the visual experience of seeing a movie.  He prefers IMAX to 3D.

Joss was asked when we’re going to see Cabin in the Woods.  He says that MGM’s fate is in the flux.  They wanted to put the movie out in 3D because they saw a trend of 3D horror movies.  JJ and Joss were asked if they thought 3D in general was a fad.  JJ doesn’t know, but thinks the technology will get better and it will continue, although he doesn’t think every movie will be in 3D in the future.  Joss doesn’t think it was a fad, but he also thinks that it won’t completely take over movies or other technology in general.

4:00pm – EW’s Jeff Jensen asked Joss what he thought about internet opportunities, as he put Dr. Horrible on the internet.  He says that Dr. Horrible made money for all of the writers and actors involved, so putting media on the internet works as a model.  It’s not as much money as can be made in movies and TV, but it can be done.

He said they were trying to create a sequel, but everyone was busy and the studio had antiquated ideas of broadcasting this type of media.  He started working on an internet piece with Warren Ellis called Wastelanders that he was going to direct, but then got caught up with the Avengers, so that’s on hold.

What about JJ?  He says they’re working on a few things right now at Bad Robot that will follow Joss’ lead on broadcasting media on the internet.  He says they’re working with an exhibitor on the Con floor to produce an internet series/movie.

Is there a Dr. Horrible sequel in the works?  It’s in turnaround, Joss said, but nothing is finalized.  We’ll have to wait and see.

4:05pm - Jeff Jensen asked Joss how he feels about working in television now that Dollhouse has been canceled.  Joss said that Dollhouse was like “trying to fit a square peg into a round hole”.  He thinks that working with the WB was great, because they let him tell the stories he wanted to tell.  But that doesn’t exist anymore.  He likes genre stuff, which is what FOX wanted, but he thinks that he has more of a cable mentality than he realized.  He’s extremely happy to be working with the crew at Marvel, because they’re the studio and the producers.

4:10pm – JJ says that his new show for NBC, “Undercovers”, will be more self-contained thank serialized and he is more drawn to those types of stories.  Joss says his experience is that the networks don’t want serialized shows because of the bottom line, but that the audience members remember serialized shows more than episodic shows.

4:15pm – Who’s inspiring Joss and JJ right now?  JJ says he loves Edgar Wright and that the new movie Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is awesome and he loved it.  Joss has had moments of panic because he loves JJ’s version of Star Trek so much.  He says that it’s the gold standard for a movie.

An audience member asked whether JJ and Joss preferred film or television.  Joss thinks one isn’t necessarily better than the other.  What you can accomplish in a movie is fulfilling and it’s done when it’s done.  But telling a story over a number of years on television is a good thing too.

4:20pm – Joss’s dialogue was praised by EW’s Jeff Jensen.  He says that he’s not in the habit of writing second drafts and generally writes the dialogue even before coming up with a plot.

An audience member asked whether the ending of Lost is what JJ wanted.  JJ says that Damon and Carlton really ran the show.  He says the show was in flux throughout the seasons, because there are things you can’t anticipate.  For example, they didn’t realize how amazing Michael Emerson would be as Ben Linus and they had to re-imagine the season because of that.  He also thinks that Damon and Carlton wrote a very emotional and terrific series finale episode.

4:25pm – An audience members says that Joss is going to take on an established storyline like the Avengers, but he has such an individual tone in Hollywood and wants to know how he’s planning on reconciling that.  He says that he’s going to be very respectful of the Avengers’ established tone, but still put his own mark on this, as well as blend the tone from all of the various Marvel movies.

4:30pm – An audience member asked whether JJ and Joss thought film school was worth it.  JJ thinks that there’s less of a need for it now with the technology we have and the ability for anyone to make a movie.  JJ admits that he didn’t go to film school, but his father gave him a piece of advice about going to college: “Go learn what to make movies about, not how to make movies.”  Joss says that his experience in film school was great and he had good teachers.

With regards to getting criticism, Joss says that you have to know how to listen to people and how to shut people out too.  He says that sometimes you’ll have to listen to people who don’t know anything (but have the money to produce your story), but take something good from their criticism.

Comic-Con 2010 Live Blog - JJ Abrams and Joss Whedon Visionaries Panel

The must see panel for this year’s Comic-Con has been announced. Comic-Con organizers announced today that pop culture creator icons J.J. Abrams and Joss Whedon will be teaming up for the "Entertainment Weekly: The Visionaries" panels. The dynamic duo, who have not worked together in a substantial way… yet, are expected to discuss trends affecting pop culture, particularly how we receive our entertainment.

Presumably the duo will make some reference to their individual slates. For Abrams, it is the upcoming Star Trek sequel as well as numerous televised productions including The Undercovers, and for Whedon it is the horror film Cabin In the Woods and the upcoming superhero team-up The Avengers.

The panel kicks off July 22nd, at 3:30pm and will be moderated by Entertainment Weekly’s pop culture guru Jeff “Doc” Jensen. Here are the official details from the Comic-Con website.

A discussion with geek gods J. J. Abrams (Star Trek) and Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) on the future of pop culture. EW presents an in-depth conversation with these two creative geniuses about how technology, gaming, and global culture are reshaping how we tell and consume stories on television, film and the web. Plus: Is the superhero movie waning, or is it on the cusp of reinvention? And what do they think the pop culture universe will look like a decade from now? Moderated by Jeff "Doc" Jensen.

J.J. Abrams and Joss Whedon Team Up for Comic-Con

Neil Patrick Harris.  NEIL PATRICK HARRIS.  ON GLEE.  ARGH!  Awesome.  The May 18 episode of Glee promises to be amazing.  A host of guest stars - including Harris, Molly Shannon and Indina Menzel - and director Joss Whedon are sure to make it memorable.  We have a sneak peek for you below (which is hilarious, by the way), along with an interview with Whedon.

MR. SCHUESTER FACES AN OLD NEMESIS ON AN ALL-NEW “GLEE” ON TUESDAY, MAY 18, ON FOX

Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”), Molly Shannon (“SNL”) and Idina Menzel (“Wicked”) Guest-Star

Episode Directed by Joss Whedon (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Dollhouse”)

In an episode directed by Emmy Award winner Joss Whedon, Mr. Schuester’s former high school nemesis, Bryan Ryan (guest star Harris), causes trouble for the glee club. Meanwhile, Rachel struggles with a life-long personal issue, and Artie’s dreams take him on an adventure in the all-new “Dream On” episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, May 18 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (GLE-119) (TV-14 D, L)

Cast: Matthew Morrison as Will Schuester; Jessalyn Gilsig as Terri Schuester; Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester; Lea Michele as Rachel Berry; Cory Monteith as Finn Hudson; Jayma Mays as Emma Pillsbury; Dianna Agron as Quinn; Chris Colfer as Kurt; Kevin McHale as Artie; Amber Riley as Mercedes; Mark Salling as Puck; Jenna Ushkowitz as Tina

Guest Cast: Naya Rivera as Santana Lopez; Heather Morris as Brittany; Dijon Talton as Matt Rutherford; Harry Shum as Mike Chang; Neil Patrick Harris as Bryan Ryan; Molly Shannon as Brenda Castle; Jonathan Groff as Jesse St. James; Idina Menzel as Shelby; Stephen Tobolowski as Sandy Ryerson

Email: clarissa @ tvovermind.com

Follow: twitter.com/clarissa373

Sneak Peek - Glee 1.19 "Dream On"

ABC has announced that the Nathan Fillion starring drama, Castle will return for a 22-episode third season next fall.  This is great news for the series, and wonderful news for fans.  The pickup from ABC comes just one week after Castle hit series high ratings (and ABC got it's best scripted ratings in the timeslot in 14 years!) with 14.5 million viewers tuning in.  Sure, the series had a great leadin with the return of Dancing with the Stars, but the charming power of Nathan Fillion as murder-novel writer turned quasi-detective Richard Castle kept those viewers in their seats for the next hour.

For me personally Castle is a huge victory simply because of the details involved.  Last season Castle was a very modest success, and was even considered to be on the bubble at the end of the season, with no clear idea if it would return.  ABC took a chance on the series, and brought it back for a second season.  Again, the series started off relatively slow this fall, but has continued to pick up steam and grow it's audience.  In a day and age where the networks hardly give most series 5 or 6 episodes to make it or break it, ABC deserves a bit of a pat on the back for sticking with Castle and giving it an opportunity for viewers to find this great show and enjoy it.  Who would have thought a year ago that this series would ever have the power to beat CBS's hit CSI: Miami, which went head to head with a new episode last week when Castle won the timeslot.  So here's to looking forward to another season of Castle, and hopefully a few more Buffy and Firefly tie-ins to go with it...Joss Whedon, you ready to guest-direct an episode yet?

Source: TVSquad

ABC Picks Up 'Castle' For 22-Episode Third Season

Glee doesn't return for the second half of the season until April 13, but already there is great news about one particular episode guest starring Neil Patrick Harris.  EW.com is reporting that Neil Patrick Harris will play Bryan Adam (haha), an arch-nemesis of Will Scheuster, and now a new board member at the school.  It seems that Bryan was quite the singing ladies man back in the day, and always got all the chicks and all the solos when in the glee club with Will.  But times have changed and Bryan has become quite vengeful.

"Show choir ruined his life, made him feel he could be a star, but all he could do is book Carnival cruises," states the EW source.  Bryan attempts to cut the school's art funding which sets off a climactic duet between NPH and Matthew Morrison, who plays Will Schuester.

Besides all of the juicy story tidbits above, this is also the episode that will be directed by the evil-genius Joss Whedon.  After see what Whedon and NPH were able to do with Dr. Horrible it's tough to imagine this episode not being the best of the season.  But then again, that's just the sort of thing to get our hopes carelessly out of whack! And what about Harris' character name, Bryan Adams? It certainly adds some fuel to the rumors that Bryan Adams (as well as Coldplay) turned the show down on allowing their songs to be used.  Geoff Bywater, head of Fox music, has said that nobody has turned them down, but that hasn't stopped the rumors, and certainly won't now.  Good times indeed.

Glee returns April 13 with the first of nine new episodes.  The Joss Whedon directed, NPH starring episode will air sometime during May sweeps.

Source: Ausiello Files

Details on "Glee's" Neil Patrick Harris - Joss Whedon-directed Episode

Speechless, angry, joyful, confused, and heartbroken. If you experienced all of these feelings then you have just watched a Joss Whedon series finale.

If you take a look back at my wish list for what I wanted from the Dollhouse finale, you will see that I got only two and half of my wishes, but one big revelation made up for the other ones in abundance. All in all, I enjoyed tonight's episode, but I have seen and heard of others that did not. That's OK, too, because this wasn't an ending for everyone. I mean, in my eyes, the ending of The Sopranos does not hold a candle to the epic ending of Angel. The latter was the one I was screaming at when I saw the credits appear all of a sudden. But without further adieu. I give you, Dollhouse - "Epitaph Two: Return"...

The Set Up: 2020

Our survivors from "Epitaph One," who include Zone (Zack Ward), Mag (special guest star Felicia Day) and Iris/Caroline (Adair Tishler) are ambushed by a crowd of "butchers" while collecting water. As they drive, they mention how they don't have much gas and that Iris/Caroline can't remember the exact location to Safe Haven. Zone lets his feelings be known that he doesn't think anything can be done to save the world, but Iris/Caroline believes that they can. The trio reaches what looks like an empty barn area, but are captured as soon as the disembark their vehicle by armed men.

They are taken to Neuropolis, which used to be Tucson, and are put in a cell in the old Rossum building as "merchandise". Iris/Caroline mentions that Safe Haven and Neuropolis are practically neighboring areas and that her camp used to get vaccine and techs from raids on the building. Upstairs, we realize that Harding and Ambrose have imprinted themselves in new bodies. Harding's body has gotten so fat that he is in the market for a new one. The guards bring in muscled guys in chains. As Harding inspects the "merchandise", he notices one of them look familiar... Of course. It's PAUL!!!!

"Harding" flips when "Ambrose" says that they captured Paul with a girl. Uh-oh for him. Hell YES for us!

In the cell, the guards come and fall into Echo's trap and she takes out all of them. "Harding" shows up and he and Echo exchange insults, one of which involves "Harding" asking Echo if she ever thought that if she had not of cut the head off of the snake (Rossum) that the tech wouldn't have gotten out of control. Hmmm... He mocks Echo about her killing him, because his personality is backed up. She offs him anyway. While tending to a wounded woman, Echo and Iris/Caroline meet. Meanwhile, Paul finds Topher, who has lost his mind. Turns out that Rossum shot a person in front of him everyday that he didn't build the tech they wanted. That's all kinds of frakked up. Echo tries to get through to Topher, who reveals that he can build tech to "bring back the world". Let's get this man a lab, people! STAT!!!!!

Safe Haven

Safe Haven is actually a barn where everyone is planting, sowing, and plowing to keep the food supply steady. In the middle of the garden is our dear Adele DeWitt, rocking a Sarah Connor look and the couture fashion a thing of the past. But it's who's with her that has me in glee: a  little Asian kid, whose name is "T". After Adele shows him some edible strawberries in bloom, he runs into the house and shows his mom: Priya.

YESSSSSSS!!!!!!

Later, the group sits for dinner, but I notice that 1) Tony is nowhere in sight, 2) that there is more than one house for the Safe Haven crew, and 3) Adele still has some snobbish standards about her. But that's the least of our worries as Paul, Echo, Zone, Mag, and Iris/Caroline enter the house. They got Topher, which seems to make Adele's entire life. See? Tight family here.

The gang then gives a rundown on Rossum's plans and how they are going to counter them. Rossum wanted Topher to build a "pulse bomb" that could wipe the remaining humans. Why would they do that and risk themselves being a part of that equation? I don't know. The crew then announce that according to Topher, they can reverse that tech and replace everyone back to their original identities. Downside to that plan? It means that people could forget everything past their mind wipe, for Priya that means forgetting T. Another problem is that Topher needs a certain type of tech... which can only be found back at the L.A. Dollhouse. Womp womp. If the pulse bomb works then the imprinted Dolls will have to stay underground till it wears off so they won't get wiped in the process.

The group needs Zone and Mag to help out by being guides since they know the area well, but Zone is not for dying for an untested theory. While he rants, there is a sound and a huge ass truck from the world of Mad Max appears outside the house with soldiers who look like they just escaped from New York. They have shields, gear and shards of metal in their heads and faces. One guy stands out, speaks Russian, then he switches his tech to English.

Damn, TONY what happened to you?!??!

The Road To Nowhere

Tony and Paul talk about Tony's methods, which the Safe Haven group doesn't care for. Tony spots one of the tech heads showing T how they download tech to their heads. He orders the guy to go do something and leave T be. Later, Tony, who has now taken on the Victor persona, chews the dude out, whose name is Romeo, for showing the tech to T. Back in the house, Priya is livid that Echo called Victor and his cronies, because she doesn't like what they stand for and is trying to shield T from their ways. Echo explains that they need Victor to get back in to the Dollhouse so they can stop the horror around them. Priya makes it known that she doesn't want to go. Meanwhile, Zone apologizes to Mag for his behavior and is ready to help out. We also learn that Mag has an eye for one of the female tech heads, Kilo (Maurissa Tancharoen).

On the bus, which contains all the tech heads, the Epitaph One survivors, and the L.A. Dollhouse camps, we get to see each faction communicate with each other. Iris/Caroline and Adele marvel over Topher's genius, while Zone gets wigged out by Kilo. He (as do we) learn that the tech heads use USB drives of different skills to upload tech into their brains when they need them. They can't hold all the tech like Echo does and have to eject certain techs for others to fit. Hmmm... Interesting.

Priya and Victor catch up and we see that things didn't work out for them, except for T. The relationship seems like it ended in bitter tears. From the looks of things, Tony left three years ago and returned as Victor, because he really thought that the tech would help them. Priya is bitter that she has to take T to the one place she didn't want him to see in order to retain the memories she will have of raising him. T doesn't even know that Tony/Victor is his father, which is something Priya and Tony decided on together earlier. They continue to argue over who said what and what went wrong and it breaks my heart to see this couple at odds with each other. Will they make up by hour's end?

Meanwhile, Echo is fidgety and nervous. Paul notices and tries to calm her down, but its not working. She asks Paul why does he think everything will be peachy after they send out the pulse. Paul answers that Echo won't have to fight anyone else's battles anymore and that scares her. Echo surmises that Paul thinks he knows her, but Paul said that its not a claim and that he would know her if she would just let him in. They reveal that they have been intimate a few times in light of death, but that's it. Paul then says that he thinks that its ironic that Echo has over 100 people in her head, but is still alone. Deep... That's deep...

Toy Soldiers

The group makes a plan to enter the Dollhouse and as soon as they arrive outside the place, they are shocked to find that the butchers have either multiplied or just been hiding. They leave the safety of the vehicle and make their way to the Dollhouse entrance. They shoot, fight, and kill butchers along the way. After they get Topher, Adele, Iris/Caroline, Priya and T underground, Paul tells the rest of them to follow pursuit. In the process, Mag's legs are shot up! Paul runs back to get her, but is SHOT IN THE MOTHAFRAKKING HEAD!!!!!!!

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

Echo, clearly hurt but toughs it out, calls for Zone to get Mag and tote her back. They then enter the Dollhouse. Damn, Paul...

The group convenes outside the hole into the Dollhouse. Zone tells them that the last time they were there, that butchers had infiltrated the place and that they need to be careful going in. Echo and Tony/Victor enter the rabbit hole first to find...

The Dollhouse fully operational and running with Dolls as before.

Huh?

As the two marvel at this, they are approached by...ALPHA (special guest star Alan Tudyk)!!!!!! Then they give him hugs.

HUH?!!?!?

Seems that Alpha joined forces with them at times, but Echo thought they lost him in Reno. But Alpha made his way back to the Dollhouse and made it his own. I'm still confused, but OK! Alpha asks about Paul, but is shocked to find out that Paul was taken down not even fifteen minutes earlier.

Adele and Echo try to get Topher to tell them where the tech is, but he isn't making any sense whatsoever. They ponder if there was anything at the Dollhouse that Topher needed to begin with, but they are ambushed by the tech heads who don't want to return to their old selves!!! They aim their guns at Topher, ready to shoot, asking for more imprints to help them become unstoppable. Tony/Victor walks in with Alpha and they try to talk down the tech heads. When Tony/Victor lets them know that he is not down with their plan, they aim the gun at him. This is when Alpha and Echo attack, disarming and taking out the techies. Whew!

Adele tends to Topher and she mentions that he is tired. Topher then gets an idea and runs to the bed chambers, where his bed area from "Epitaph One" sits untouched, thanks to the two schizophrenics in Alpha's head. Adele realizes then that Topher didn't come back for the tech, but for an idea.

In another room, Priya gleefully destroys the techs that the techies had, all while claiming that Tony/Victor would be back for them. She also feels that Tony/Victor wouldn't have been able to take out Echo to retrieve the tech anyway. Echo, meanwhile, tries to keep her composure as she tells Priya that she is wrong. When Priya doesn't listens, Echo snaps and berates Priya for not seeing that the love Tony has for her is not on a memory stick. It's there in his brain, always was and always will be no matter what. Then Echo loses it and combines Priya's problems with her own as she finally deals with Paul dying and never telling him that she loved him. It's a powerful scene and if anyone still thinks Eliza Dushku can't act after that, then I feel sorry for you.

The Return

In one of the most heartbreaking moments of the night, Topher watches a video of Bennett (special guest star Summer Glau) explaining the concepts of Imprinting. Topher gets his info and the group is now ready to set the pulse off. Topher babbles that the pulse needs to be on a higher platform, which could be Adele's office, and that the pulse will cause a sort of explosion. Adele becomes worried, because Topher said that the pulse had to be set off manually... No. No. NO NOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Topher says its a small price to pay, because he didn't want to cause any more pain. FFWWWWT!!!! That's an arrow going into my heart!!!! Later as Topher builds the "pulse bomb", Adele tells Topher that he doesn't have to do it alone. Topher says he has to fix their heads and that Adele needs to fix the rest of them and that her job is the hardest.

Meanwhile, Tony is burning all of his tech when Priya walks up with T and introduces the two as father and son. Tony reveals his name to his son, who responds first by saying that his name is Tony as well and then asks his father if he could help burn stuff. Priya stands by crying as Tony and Tony Jr. burn the past.

Zone and Mag give their goodbyes since Zone wants to be there when Iris finally becomes her original self. Mag begs for Zone to be a positive role model to the kid. Zone then asks Mag what was she before The Wipe. Mag answers a student of sociology at UC Berkley and Zone reveals he was a landscape architect. Hmmm....

Adele and Echo discuss the others, which include Alpha, who left because he wanted to be wiped, but Echo says that he won't, because he has evolved. Adele then says she will lead the other Dolls out into the pulse, then plays with the irony that the last fantasy Echo fulfills for the Dollhouse is her own. Echo responds that she doesn't have any fantasies, which Adele remarks is a pity. Before Adele departs, she tells Echo that Alpha said to dismantle all of the tech in the building, starting with the Imprint Chair.

The last couple of scenes feature montages of Adele leading the Dolls, Zone and Iris out the Dollhouse and Topher building the device in Adele's office. Topher finally gets the thing to start up. He turns around and notices the memory board on the wall. He looks at it, notices something and says, "Hmmm..." Then the place goes up and the pulse is sent.

Out on the street, the Dolls all collapse with Adele and Zone still standing, then slowly they all start to wake up, their personalities all replaced. Iris wakes up and ask Zone what's going on and he tells her it will be all right...

Inside the Dollhouse, Echo finds a package in the Imprint Chair with her name on it. It is an Imprint Wedge. She loads it up finds out that it was an Imprint of Paul, who tells her that he has a lot of baggage from childhood and if there is any room. Echo tells him that they have time and space.

Echo then walks from the Imprint Room; past Priya, Tony, and Tony Jr. who are reading; and past Mag who holds a vigil beside Kilo. Echo finally reaches the bed chamber and lays in a pod with only her thoughts... and Paul.

The End...

Wow...

Bravo.

The Final Imprinted Thoughts...

- So guys, it has been one helluva run. The one thing that I didn't think Joss would do was give us a happy ending of some sorts, but he gave us Happy Endings all around! Except for Topher dying, which sucked, but served the story well. Now on to the good things...

- Priya, Tony, Lil TJ: The introduction of T as the love child of Priya and Tony was excellent. I didn't expect it and it was a nice twist in their story line. The ten year gap did hell with this development (as well as others), but I thought it came out nicely and it was one of my favorite moments of the night. Who would've thought that Tony's upgrades in the previous episode would be a precusor to this problem? Nice subtle setup... I'm going to miss these two the most.

- Adele and Topher: Sharp contrasts to the people we met last year this time almost. Very heartbreaking performances from both of them and I couldn't get enough of Adele's Mother Hen persona. I'm going to miss these two second to Priya and Tony. Fran Kranz gave a great performance and I have never felt so sorry for a TV character as I have for Topher tonight. He had the weight of the world, not only on his shoulders, but his mind as well. But for the love of GOD, what did he notice on the wall?!?!?!

- Paul and Echo: The notion of Echo literally having Paul with her in her head forever might sound too mushy, or stupid, to some people, but this, again, fits the Whedon mold and I bought it and loved it. Eliza Dushku killed that scene where she let loose her emotions about Paul dying.. Very well written and executed by everyone involved. Bravo.

- The Bad Things: 1) Alpha's sudden appearance and conversion to the side of good. I am still in "Huh?!" mode with that one. 2) The techies going rogue all of a sudden. I would have really loved to see a hint of that somewhere. It just looked forced. Finally, 3) The time frame of everything. In other words, the nuanced plot points such as; the techies and Alpha's conversion to good, for example, would have been able to be fleshed out if they weren't rushed into an hour time slot. But we can't blame Mutant Enemy for that. They had their hands tied.

- What happened to Whiskey? Or even Dominic? These also bothered me a bit. And is bothering more as I think of it...

- The 10 year gap is fodder for a comic book series. Just throwing it out there.

So what do you guys think? Like I said, it's been one helluva ride and I am thankful and glad for all those who tuned in to the show as well as my recaps. Hope to see or hear from you all again, but for now, I would love to hear your comments.

It's been real...

Dollhouse 2.13 "Epitaph Two: Return" Recap

It's almost time to bid adieu a show that people didn't give a chance and when they actually did put aside the snide comments, paid attention and listened... it was too late.

Dollhouse will have its final curtain call tonight and like any other Joss Whedon apocalyptic production, expectations are high. The stakes are high and the bets are in: will Dollhouse go out in a bang and prove to the naysayers that they were wrong, even going as far as listing reasons why it should be cancelled? Or will it prove the naysayers right in their assumption of it being a bad experiment?

Well, in my eyes, Dollhouse was never a failed experiment. It was a look in the darkest aspects of humanity without demons or monsters serving as avatars for problems that manifest the human soul. It dared you to look at the world for what it was and where we are headed, and dared you even further to acknowledge and talk about the issues at hand: morals, human trafficking, greed, the dark side of power, and control. These issues are around us and Joss Whedon unveiled them by asking people to remove the rose-colored glasses for an hour and to glance at the craziness that happens when we eat, study, or sleep.

Did Dollhouse drop the ball sometimes? I would be a fool to say that they didn't, but a lot of other shows that are given common praise have as well. But that's beside the point. One of the finest TV shows in history is about to end and here's what I would like to see transpire in it's last hour:

#1 - An Explanation of  "Epitaph One".

If you haven't seen the game changing unaired episode from Season One, "Epitaph One", then you missed one of the greatest hours on TV that Whedon has produced. It set up tonight's episode as well as all of Season Two, but after last week's episode, I can't help but to question some of the glaring and nuanced aspects of the episode. If you haven't seen Epitaph One then I suggest you skip the next two paragraphs and go to my second wish...

In "Epitaph One", Whiskey (Amy Acker) is the sole Doll left in the Dollhouse. When the Actuals, people who have never been imprinted, show up in the Dollhouse, it is Whiskey who helps them escape and hold back the "butchers" by gassing the place. Whiskey stays behind to save the others. So this leaves me to wonder then if that supposedly happened (because the remaining group of Actuals will appear on "Epitaph Two: Return" tonight), then how did Whiskey make it back to the Dollhouse? Last we saw of Whiskey, she was lying unconscious in the basement of the Rossum building after a battle with Echo. Whiskey also was Imprinted with a version of Clyde, one half of the founders of Rossum Corp. Oh and did I mention that the basement area blew up?

So, in short, how did Whiskey manage to get back to the Dollhouse? Did Echo and the Bunnymen take her back there and wiped the Clyde imprint from her brain? One would suggest that is what happened, but what if we are wrong? Also, "Epitaph One" was mostly told through flashbacks that took place back at the Dollhouse, so wonder why they would go back there where Rossum could find easily them?

#2 - A Semblance of a Happy Couple

If any of the previous blow out battles of Joss's productions are any indication, then this one hopeful answer will not come. Buffy, Angel, Firefly/Serenity, nor Dr. Horrible ended well in this category, so I am praying that the only couple left, Anthony and Priya, make to the credits in tact and holding hands. I would even accept an Echo and Paul happy ending, or hell, an Adele and Topher pairing; just as long that I see some happy, I am cool.

#3 - The Return of Ivy

Am I the only one who thinks that she should be a part of the crew since she was in on the takedown of Rossum? If she's not with them then she has to be somewhere dead. The one thing about Rossum that scared the crap out of me is their ability to track anyone they are looking for, which for Ivy, doesn't bode well. Can we at least get a mention of her? Please?

#4 - One More Epic Catfight

If the writers/producers of Mutant Enemy know how to do anything other than give us great TV, it is organizing a good fight, catfight or otherwise. Since this is do or die, I am hoping to see one last smackdown with the forces of good and evil.

And finally,

#5 - A Resolution

I know I am reaching pretty far with this one given the finales of previous Whedon productions, but those same productions have carried on in different mediums. Buffy, Angel, and Firefly have comics that take place after their respective shows ended and are all produced by Whedon and other Mutant Enemy writers. Firefly got the big screen treatment in Serenity and Dr. Horrible is about to get a sequel soon. See the trend here?

But with in an interview with Maureen Ryan of The Chicago Tribune, Joss Whedon states that he will wrap up Dollhouse, because the concept just wouldn't work in other mediums, such as film or comics. And he sounded adamant about his stance as well, so I just beg of him to not leave my mouth dropped like I did during the Angel finale. Please, Mr. Whedon, I beg of you.

The series finale of Dollhouse, "Epitaph Two: Return" airs tonight on FOX @ 8/7c.

What I Would Like To See In The Dollhouse Series Finale Tonight...

Welcome to" The Attic"! Prepare to have your mind frakked...

What could possibly be one of the most complicated episodes of Dollhouse to date in terms of plot twists and technical jargon, "The Attic" delivered... and left me scratching my head. Bad thing? Hell No!!!! Let's get to it!

The Set Up

We pick up right were we left off with Echo being tended to by a female Attic representative, who is injecting tubes and wires into Echo. When the attendant leaves, Echo starts to spasm and flatlines!!!! When the female representative returns with another representative, the two remove the tubes and Saran Wrap from Echo and she awakes and dispatches both of them quickly. She breaks out her room and attacks the first person she sees for info on the whereabouts of Victor and Sierra. The guy tells her that they use real names in the Attic, which for Echo is Caroline Farrell. She types in the real names of Victor and Sierra (Anthony Ceccoli and Priya Tsetsang, respectively), finds them, frees them and then leads them to the exit, but they are split up by a plastic, bulletproof wall that forms between them. Echo then watches in horror as Anthony and Priya are SHOT TO DEATH!!!!!

But this is all a loop of Echo's nightmares... And it's about to start again.

Creating a New Ken Doll...

At the Dollhouse, Topher tells Adele that despite all that he has done for Paul, the only thing he can think of is building Active Architecture to save Ballard, but that his brain might not take the tech. Adele says do it since they need a new Victor, if Ballard doesn't survive the new mapping of his brain. I think they will awaken a monster.

Topher finds Boyd napping in the lab. Boyd asks what's The Attic about and Topher says that it contains experimenting and torture. The brain is kept in a fear state to test it's limits. In other words, a Never Ending nightmare. Freddy Krueger would be in awe.

Topher notices that 15% of Ballard's brain is still functional, but that is not enough to do a successful overhaul of his brain. Ivy suggests an "underhaul", but before she can go into any detail, she is called to see Adele. When Ivy returns, Topher explains to her the significance of her suggestion and how it might work, but he notices that she is not responding and is slick ignoring him. When he asks what did Adele say, Ivy only replies, "Don't talk to me." Snap!!!

Topher meets with Adele to see what's up with Ivy and Adele discloses that she only told Ivy to prepare to take over Topher's position. Topher exclaims that he didn't do anything wrong, besides help get Adele her job back. Adele only reminds Topher of his insolence with Nolan Kinnard, Sierra/Priya's psychotic rapist, and that she needs to know if Topher will be a team player or not. If not then it might not end well for Mr. Brink.

Next Adele attempts to eat Boyd's soul, she presses his buttons about mentioning Echo and he loses his resolve and says Adele took Echo away from him. Adele then declares that Boyd is owned by Rossum and that little tidbit leaves him with three options: do his job with a tune in his voice, go to the Attic, or die. Time is running out, Mr. Langdon. Make your choice.

Topher finds Boyd drinking and they discuss what they have to take away from Paul Ballard in order to save him. Topher mentions taking away Ballard's anger, but Boyd says that's all that Paul will have. Topher then surmises that Adele is taking them on a one way ticket to Hell.

Finally, Topher, Ivy and Boyd witness the rebirth of "Ballard", who Topher says will not take the procedure well.

He was right.

Ballard awakes to pain and when he talks, only a mishmash of words come out, none of them discernible. Topher says that is to be expected for the first couple of minutes. When Ballard starts speaking coherently, he is beyond pissed when he finds out that not only is he a Doll now, but that Adele has put Echo, "Victor", and "Sierra" in the Attic. Told yall they made a monster.

Ballard takes a gun and heads for Adele's office only to meet Adele pointing a gun at him. He tells her that he is not afraid to die to take her down. Adele coolly says that she doesn't want to die. Tough luck says Ballard and he asks if Adele has any last words after cocking the gun to fire.

To Be Continued...

The Attic

In Echo's dream, she realizes that fear is what's causing her to loop. Without anger and fear, she watches Anthony and Priya die. She is about to turn somewhere else, but a shadowy figure heads her way. So Echo takes a ladder up that leads to the center of the Dollhouse through a bonsai tree, which is covered in snow. Echo sees images from different Imprints (including a little girl, the serial killer, and two old people). Echo realizes that it's not real, but the tall, black, hulking figure that starts to kick her ass. The thing is swift and fast and can disappear at the blink of an eye. Echo might have met her match. But before she can fight it, Echo runs into Laurence Dominic (special guest star Reed Diamond), Adele's ex right hand man and the guy who was sent to the Attic in season one. Echo thinks that Dominic is trying to kill her, since he was gunning for her demise when he was in the Dollhouse, but Dominic is actually trying to save her. The Thing attacks again and they manage to scare it away. Dominic calls the thing Arcane, which Dominic claims to have been chasing since he learned to control his fear, which is what Arcane is drawn to. OK, let me try to explain clearer: Dominic knows how to jump from one Attic captive's nightmare (brain) to another and is trying to capture Arcane from killing Attic captives. Arcane feeds on the worst fears of Attic captives and it is what gives him his strength. Hopefully, I got that cleared for you. Anyway, Echo says that she needs to find Anthony and Priya, who Dominic thinks that Arcane is after next since they are pretty much newbies.

Turns out that Dominic is right. After Anthony and Priya make love in Priya's dream she is attacked by the corpse of Nolan Kinnard (guest star Vincent Ventresca). Anthony is in the midst of war and when he comes across a guy he must take out, it turns out that he is fighting himself (guest star Demir Gjokaj). In both scenarios, Anthony and Priya lose which is drawing Arcane closer to them. When Echo runs to find them, she ends up being split up from Dominic and ends up in a Japanese restaurant where an Asian man, named Matsu (guest star Tzi Ma), is eating. After being cryptic, Matsu tells Echo that the reason he is there is because he came across a weakness within a Japan Dollhouse and by him knowing that weakness, he himself is now the weakness and Rossum had to send him to the Attic. This let's Echo know that the Attic is a collective for ALL the Dollhouses mentally and is not relegated to each house. Arcane shows up and starts slicing and dicing people. Matsu says he has to stay and enjoy himself, which later turns out to be literally. Echo notices that Matsu's legs are gone and when she runs into Dominic they find them being served in the kitchen. But Arcane has gotten to Matsu and kills him, which leaves Echo and Dominic stuck in Matsu's brain. But they got to eat the man's legs to get out. Disgusting!

The two then save Anthony/Victor from having his head sliced off by Arcane. They inform Anthony of their situation and they decide to try to capture and kill Arcane, but they have to save Priya first. While Priya realizes that Nolan is a figment of her mind, Arcane steps in for the kill. This is when the group attacks and captures Arcane and they all fall through a new Fear: Arcane's.

But Arcane isn't "Arcane". He is a nerdy guy named Clyde Randolph (guest star Adam Godly) and his worst nightmare is the "shape of things to come" aka "Epitaph One", where all hell has broken loose. Clyde explains that he did what he did to end the suffering of the people and take down Rossum mainframe, which is in fact EVERYONE in the attic.

This is where things get HIGHLY COMPLICATED!

When the group threatens to kill Clyde for his crimes, he tells them that if they do that there will be no one to stop Rossum and destroy their mainframe. Clyde explains that all of the captives in the Attic are connected as CPU units, which Rossum is using them as storage devices with the fear adrenaline as a power source. Clyde thought if he killed everyone then he would, in effect, take down Rossum.

The group is nearly killed by a group of savages and they run for safety. This is where we find out how Rossum came into fruition. Clyde is one of the two original founders of Rossum. He and his other partner created the first Imprint, by imprinting someone without the aspirations of Clyde and they used him as a drone. The partner got the drone to betray Clyde and that's how Clyde ended up in the Attic, which was 1993. The problem is that Clyde can't remember who the identity of his partner since they erased it from his memory, but there is one woman who does. That woman? Caroline. The new problem? Echo doesn't have that set of memories. But what Echo does have is an escape plan. She then stands up as a barrage of bullets come through their hideout and intentionally gets hit. Echo has to really live her nightmare and disengage from the system and revive herself, save Anthony and Priya, and escape the Attic like she attempted at the beginning of the episode. Clyde and Dominic decide to stay behind and help free more minds, but Clyde says that Echo's plan should work. Echo flatlines into the real world and wakes up to go after the others. In the Attic world, Anthony stabs Priya in time for Echo to revive her. Then Anthony walks outside and lets the savages take him and he too is revived (albeit offscreen).

The WTF Moment of The Night/Week!

Echo stands talking to someone about how she got the information they need to take down Rossum. The person in question?

ADELE!!!!!! Who tells Echo, generously, "Thank you!"

WHAT?!?!??!

Then we get a flashback to the end of the last hour with Adele telling Echo that she will be sent to the Attic. But there is more as Adele tells Echo that she needs for Echo to go into the Attic and retrieve Rossum's secrets, which Adele felt would be stashed in the last place anyone would dare to look. Adele also tells Echo to come back in one piece.

Then we are brought to the present with Adele rallying her soldiers which include Echo, Priya, Anthony, Topher, Boyd, Ivy, and Paul Ballard. Adele vows to take down Rossum and feels that they are ready. But Echo says that they are short one important soldier/piece of the puzzle: Caroline. Echo thinks it's about time for the two of them to finally meet.

Credits.

Blink.

My mind is totally frakked...

Imprinted Thoughts

- So the last few minutes of this hour left me looking for my brain and jaw all at once. What the hell just happened? So why was Adele calling Boyd, Ivy, and Topher into her office to have them quake in their boots if they were going to  be on her side? One could say that she cryptically  wanted to be sure that Topher wouldn't falter if Harding or Ambrose pressed him harder. For Boyd, she wanted no more secrets and from Ivy, well it's about time that Ivy got in on some action. But is it me or does anyone think that Ivy might be a casualty in this upcoming war? It was just an about face and it took several viewings to make sure that I hadn't missed anything that could explain the plot twist. But as much as it threw me off, it was a damn good one.

- Arcane and The Attic was/is the equivalent to Freddy Krueger and the dreamscape he stalks his victims on. If you die in either, you die for real and the way the group captured Arcane was reminiscent of Nancy's final battle with Freddy in the original Nightmare film, where she pulls him out of her dreams. The crazy thing is that while all of the techo jargon was hard to follow, it kind of made sense. Again, great writing all around!

- The episode had some Buffy-esque moments, such as when Echo was explaining her past images to Dominic. I could almost see Sarah Michelle Gellar playing Echo in that scene. Am I wrong for that?

- All is all, there is a lot of moments that I could be writing about all night, but I want to know what do you think. Did FOX shoot themselves in the foot? The ratings and iTunes downloads for Dollhouse have rose since the show has been back from hiatus and after the announcement of its cancellation. Does that say anything to anyone?

I will see you guys in the new year. Happy Holidays!!!!

Dollhouse 2.10 "The Attic" Recap

The first hour of FOX's final double episodes of Dollhouse was what most fans have been asking for: an Enver Gjokaj/Victor centric episode. But we also got more info on the mythology of the Dollhouse and Rossum, plus my obsession, which is "Epitaph One". And is it just me? Or does anyone else wonders if FOX feels like they shot themselves in the foot by canceling Dollhouse? Because each new episode is kicking ass and taking names... And the next hour, "The Attic", made feel as if MY mind had been wiped and printed with a new personality. But I am getting ahead of myself. Let's start with "Stop Loss"...

The Set Up

Ms. Lonely Hearts, aka Adele, is having a final romp with Victor as her suitor Roger. He spoils the mood by saying that he is in love with someone else, which is not a good thing on so many levels for Adele, namely because Roger/Victor is quickly becoming aware ala Echo. Adele berates Roger/Victor and tells him that he is a Doll, who is about to end his contract the next day. Roger/Victor states that he doesn't think Adele would stoop so low to hire a Doll to suit her needs. She cries at this.

Topher and Boyd look at Ballard's brain after Alpha scrubbed him clean. Topher explains that Alpha did some serious damage, which could leave Ballard in a vegetable state for Eh-VER. Adele then bursts in the lab and demands to know who is in on the joke of Imprinting Victor with thoughts of another woman on her final engagement with him. Topher doesn't have a clue on what she is talking about, but it quickly dawns on him that Adele is Ms. Lonely Hearts. Ivy doesn't know either since Roger/Victor came back early from the engagement. Topher reports that the Imprint Adele ordered for Victor was within the perimeters so the program wasn't manipulated. This is when Victor wakes up from his "treatment" and asks for Sierra. Bingo!

Topher tells Adele that its nothing but the Dolls "grouping" and that it can be cured when Victor leaves. But Adele doesn't think that's the basic problem and explains that Actives who don't follow their orders are bad for business. She also tells Topher to keep his mouth shut about Ms. Lonely Hearts.

Echo goes to visit Paul with her illicit swipe card, but Boyd tells her that Adele is itching to find something to put Echo back in isolation. Plus, he tells her about Victor's departure the next day. Echo doesn't like that all the people who she has grown to love is leaving. Wonder how she would have managed in college? Anyway, Boyd offers to give Adele another go and we know how that went.

After Adele gives Boyd a resounding "NO!" on Echo seeing Paul, she explains that it is all Echo's fault for the L.A. Dollhouse's latest unfortunate events. She wants to see what makes Echo tick, which Boyd explains that Echo is now a person like him and Adele and shouldn't be treated like a lab rat. But there is a more pressing issue: Adele can't face giving Victor/Anthony his walking papers, so she assigns Boyd to do the deed.

Victor and Sierra have breakfast and it is an adorable interaction between the two for those with fluffy hearts. But Victor is called for his treatment and after he tells Sierra he will see her later, Echo secretly tells him that he will never see Sierra again and that he needs to say goodbye. The advice goes over Victor's head and he childishly waves goodbye to Sierra.

After Victor is wiped and restored with Anthony, he goes through the motions of a Doll that has been discharged from duty: diagnostic tests, personal belonging pick ups, and a debriefing from Boyd. Anthony is then dropped off in the middle of Los Angeles to start his life anew.

But someone is already following him and taking pictures. So that can't be good...

Readjusting...

While Anthony sits in his new decked out suite with no clue or sense of direction on what to do next, back at the Dollhouse Echo explains to Sierra that "Victor" is not coming back. Sierra senses Echo's disappointment in this, but tells Echo that Victor is not ready to be alone. This is apparent when Anthony thinks he sees Sierra at a club he decided to go to. When he returned home later that night, Anthony can't sleep on his bed, but finds a suitable replacement with the tub/floor of the shower.

It is reminiscent of his pod at the Dollhouse, which match cuts to Sierra and the other Dolls going to bed for the night. Everyone besides Echo that is, who is immediately up and at em when the coast is clear. She goes to see Paul, but when she swipes into the room, she finds it empty.

Echo takes the elevator to Adele's office to find Adele one or two glasses short of being drunk. Echo asks Adele what's the deal, but Adele only tells Echo that Ballard is being treated with the utmost care. The two go toe to toe with each other on the status of Echo's ability. Echo states that she is ready to kick ass and has no trouble taking down Adele if need be. She also tells Adele that playing for both teams has lasted it's course and now it's time to pick a side and stick with it.

Meanwhile, a group of highly trained soldiers break into Anthony's apartment and take him down, but our boy gave a fair and decent fight, but it seems as if the soldiers were in sync with their movements. Hmmm....

Re-enlisted...

As Anthony is being driven away and bagged and tagged, Topher views Anthony's vital scans from the Dollhouse and smells something afoul. Boyd enlists Echo into seeing what the problem is and they find Anthony's hotel suite empty. We also learn that Echo doesn't have to think too hard about accessing an Imprint anymore and can just pretty much blink her eye to gain one. Boyd sums up that whoever snatched Anthony was from Rossum, given that they knew how to deactivate Anthony's tech and what not.

We then see Anthony being surrounded by soldiers in a dark room with a light shining on Anthony's face. One of the soldiers calls out Anthony's full name and rank and reveals himself and the others to be old Army mates of Anthony's. The US Army listed all the soldiers as "broken" and sent them away for five years and then Rossum got a hold of them and turned them into Borgs soldiers with one mind collective and one purpose: eliminate the target. Anthony says simply, "Where do I sign up?" He is then taken into a room where a chip is embedded into his neck, which links him into the soldiers' collective.

Back at the Dollhouse, Echo and Boyd find out that Victor/Anthony's file was accessed by someone within the Rossum Company three months prior and after Echo cracks into the system, they find out that Victor/Anthony was selected to be a part of the military branch of Rossum called Project: Mind Whisper, because the Active Architecture allows for the soldiers to be linked in mind, body, and damn near soul. Boyd goes to telll Adele and she is so sloshed now that there isn't a chance of getting any semblance of coherence from her. Boyd then goes to Topher, who breaks it down that if Victor/Anthony isn't extracted now, then his individual identity will cease to exist.

Echo asks Topher and Ivy to load her with all military personas from the basic grunt to the highest physicist. But Echo needs one more weapon: Priya.

They bring Priya back to help Anthony remember who he is. Priya is not happy about being awakened AND remembering what happened during her last engagement, but she's down for the cause. Echo and Priya drive out to the Rossum compound where they are captured to gain access into the base. At the Dollhouse, Topher informs Boyd that Echo's signal is lost and prays that Adele doesn't wake up and finds out what's going down.

Echo enters and starts kicking ass all across the board. Priya sits back and watches, but Anthony approaches and holds a gun to her stomach, saying that Anthony is gone. She pleads with him and calls out for Victor. The voices in Anthony's head want Anthony to kill the women, but he eventually remembers and states that Priya helps him remember. Echo asks where is the exit and Anthony gives them directions and is knocked out by Echo, because all of the soldiers would be heading to that location. Echo gives Priya a gun and tells her to watch Anthony while she goes to find a way to corrupt the group think mind collective.

At the Dollhouse, Adele, who is past frat boy drunk, is awakened by the phone. It's Harding telling her to do her damn job. She immediately goes to Boyd and demands to know why has he disrespected her authority. Boyd stands his ground and tells Adele that she needs to step up to the plate before it's too late. Adele later goes to take a shower with the Dolls to wash away the shame and drunkenness from her body.

Anthony comes to and recuses Priya from being shot. He tells her that his connection to the hive is an advantage cause he knows their every move. Anthony then starts up small talk with Priya as they hold off the soldiers, saying that it helps keep the collective thoughts at bay. Echo makes it to the Infirmary and ejects a chip within herself. This girl is really dedicated to the cause! She eventually gets the soldiers to drop their weapons and to let them leave, but not before one of Victor's buddies is taken down after helping them escape.

Return

Echo, Priya, and Anthony drive away from the compound. Priya and Anthony remember enough of each other as Sierra and Victor that they are comfortable with each other. Echo notices this and stops the car to tell them to leave so that they can be free, because if they come back to the Dollhouse then they will be wiped. While Echo tells them to get rid of their GPS systems and to look her up, the trio is zapped by a Remote Wiper and they all collapse.

Adele, in a shot that makes her look like every female villain known to man combined, has Boyd taken away so she won't have any interference with her plans for Echo. She tells Echo, who is strapped down in a chair with cords in her body, that since Echo is raising hell in many ways than one, that there is only one place for her...

THE ATTIC!!!!

DUN DUN DUN!!!!!!!!!!

Adele gives the orders to Ivy and Topher to do the same with Victor and Sierra. Echo is zapped to all hell and it looks beyond painful and something that I think no one will ever be able to describe. The set up for the Attic looks disgusting, creepy, and downright wrong... But that's just the tip of the iceberg...

Read on for The Attic recap...

Dollhouse 2.09 "Stop Loss" Recap

The Set Up

The second half of the December two hour Dollhouse Event started where we left off with Bennett (guest star Summer Glau) screwing with Echo/Caroline's brain. Bennett then Imprints a memory of Bennett's into Echo's peripheral for her to remember again and again what Caroline supposedly did to her. Echo screams as the memories are Implanted.

Mission: Possible, Just Seductively Persuasive

Meanwhile, Perrin (guest star Alexis Denisof) pleads with Cindy (guest star Stacey Scowley) to not wipe him again, but Cindy doesn't listen and instead vents how much she hates being Perrin's wife and that she can't stand his touch as well as everything in between.

Adele and Topher are on their way to the D.C. Dollhouse to pick up Echo and Topher is excited, while Adele feels as if she is watching over an eight-year old. Their mission is to get a map of Perrin's brain so they can do what they have do back in L.A. When they get there, they meet up with Stewart Lipman (special guest star Ray Wise), the head of the D.C. Dollhouse and Adele's equal. He doesn't want to give Echo back immediately, because she got involved in top mission and there are certain "protocols" to be followed before she can be released. Adele demands that Topher gets to see Echo to make sure she isn't damaged. Lipman accepts, but wonders who is over the L.A. Dollhouse while they are there. Topher declares they have the best man on the job.

That best man? Topher/Victor

Topher 2.0/Victor whines to Boyd about being afraid that he will not be sufficient enough to complete the task at hand, which is to upload Perrin's brain map from the D.C. office through a link Topher will set up. Topher 2.0 also thinks that Bennett is too smart for his own good and thinks that Topher will melt in her hands. Boyd tells Topher 2.0 to calm down and just wait for Topher 1.0 to call. Enver Gjokaj hit this performance out of the frakking ballpark and he deserves some type of award. I would be heavily shocked if he doesn't get picked up for some show next season.

Bennett gets a call that Topher is on his way to the Imprint Room, which sends Bennett into prep and crimp mode as she adjusts her hair, clothes and demeanor to welcome Topher. She also injects Echo with a sedative before meeting Topher at the elevator. He doesn't realize that he is talking to Bennett when he asks to speak to the woman. The exchange between them is so weird and awkward, which I guess is what geek attraction entails. When Topher finds out that Bennett is Bennett he praises her and then bluntly asks what happened to her arm. She tells him that is is dead from the shoulder down. They babble and fawn over each other some more and you can't help but to smile at geek love. When Topher asks for Echo, Bennett says she won't get her since Echo interfered with a big Rossum project, but she lets him see her anyway.

Lipman berates Adele for coming for something she can't have and that she is pretty naive if she thinks that Harding will back her in anything. Adele then resorts to the seduction of a praying mantis and gets Lipman to release Echo in exchange for her releasing his balls. Literally.

In the lab, Bennett mentions the Disrupter by name, which throws Topher off, because he never told her its name. Topher then tries to use the thing on Bennett, because he felt that Bennett was like Whiskey/Dr. Saunders. Lipman calls Bennett to release Echo and while she does that Topher makes the connection to the L.A. Dollhouse and has Topher 2.0/Victor to link the two Dollhouse computers together. He then raves to "himself" about how "fine" Bennett is. Wow...

Project Runaway

Perrin awakes and tries to get Echo to snap out of her catatonic state, but Echo is experiencing what happened to Bennett, which includes Bennett being trapped under a slab of marble, begging someone to not leave her. Perrin takes Echo and walks out the room. All this is seen by Bennett, who says, "Goodbye, Caroline" before ramming her head into a monitor! CRAZY!

Bennett stumbles back into the lab and tells Topher that Echo smashed her head into the monitor and that she took Perrin. Topher calls the upper heads.

On the streets of L.A., Echo and Perrin walk the streets. Echo holds her arms as if she has some memories left from Bennett's Imprint. She reveals that Caroline left Bennett to die for the sake of a mission. Echo also lets Perrin know that they have GPS tags in the back of their necks and that they need to cut them out. They stop at a restaurant and do just that.

At the hearing for the testimony, Cindy and an aide prepare Madeline for her testimony. Cindy gets the call about the escape from Lipman and she and her men are dispatched to the restaurant. Cindy finds the two GPS devices and knows that they have a serious task on their hands.

Operation: Kill Echo

Lipman and Adele get news from Topher and Bennett, the new Bobbsey Twins, that they can find Echo and Perrin and single them out with Topher's disrupter. Topher only needs Perrin's brain map to complete the project. Lipman gives Topher the access and the L.A. Dollhouse is in like flint!

Topher marvels over Bennett's work when it comes to Perrin's brain model and Topher's model of Echo's brain pales in comparison. But when they get to work, neither one of them realizes that they are double crossing each other. Topher does his task, but Bennett sends a hidden assassin message to Perrin's brain.

Meanwhile at the Perrin compound, Perrin had a flashback to when he 'met' Cindy. She coaxes Perrin to run for Senator. The conversation makes you wonder if he was a Doll then or before, because he remembers all of the stuff he did that could tarnish him in an election. When he comes to, Perrin and Echo discuss their previous lives and Perrin says that they created someone who can bring Rossum and the Dollhouse down. He then declares that he has to make it to the hearing so that he can expose Rossum for what they really are.

Back at the D.C. lab, Topher and Bennett press the Disrupter, which sends Perrin into agonizing pain.Topher realizes that something is up, but it's too late for Echo as Perrin starts bashing her head into the garage door. Echo manages to break free, but Perrin is hot on her trail like a terminator. Bennett might be a robot after all...

Topher gets info from Topher 2.0/Victor that Perrin has been programmed as a sleeper agent and needs to be stopped. Bennett is upset that Topher hacked into her system, and she goes into a tangent on why Caroline must die, which includes leaving her and being a bad person. Topher begs for Bennett to shut down Perrin, but she says it's for the best. Then Topher knocks her ass out for not complying. And it hurt. Now its down to Topher and Topher 2.0/Victor to save the day.

Cindy and her goons show up at the compound. Echo tries to hide from Perrin, but he finds her and the two fight. She gets away and one of the goons find Perrin, who snaps the goons neck. Echo runs into Cindy, who knocks her out and posts a goon to watch her. Cindy then proceeds to find Perrin. She talks to him as if he is a damn dummy and says that she didn't mean any of the stuff she said before and that she wants to take him him and all that jazz. Perrin falters for a blink of an eye and then he proceeds to choke the life out of Cindy. Back at the labs, the two Tophers manage to shut Perrin down, but it is to late. Echo takes out the goon watching her and goes after Perrin, but finds him crying over Cindy's lifeless body. He says he killed her, but Echo claims that they killed her and that they have to go and make the hearing.

The WTF Moments of the Night

Perrin makes it to the hearing, but he's distraught and Madeline can sense it. Perrin then proceeds the hearing by saying that 1) Cindy's dead, 2) The Rossum Corporation is a target by lower undermining corporations who sent Perrin on a goose chase and when he found out, they killed Cindy by planting a car bomb, 3) Madeline is delusional and crazy and finally...

"THERE IS NO DOLLHOUSE!"

WHAT. THE. F***??!?!?!?!?!?

He leaves Madeline to dry and then the "FBI" comes for Madeline, but they are really Rossum goons.

Back at the L.A. Dollhouse, Adele finds out that Bennett must have rigged Perrin's brain patterns to follow through with the plans for world domination and that they are building a President. Think of the horror that can bring! Adele and Boyd continue their search for Ballard and Echo, but writes Madeline off as a lost cause.

At the D.C. Dollhouse, Bennett has Madeline strapped up to the Wipe Chair with the funny looking thing across her eyes, the same contraption that Echo had at the beginning of the episode. She tells Bennett that it isn't fair what happened to her and that she understands what it means to be alone and that no one should experience that. She then proceeds to zap Madeline.

Out in the streets of Washington, D.C., Echo wanders around free...but lost.

Wow...

Now onto the December 11th two parter! Read "Meet Jane Doe" here.

Dollhouse 2.06 "The Left Hand" Recap

Sorry for this super late recap. Let's get to it.

Dollhouse returned with a shocking revelation, metaphorically and literally. The stage is set for the inevitable "Epitaph One" to go down and members of the L.A. Dollhouse have to question who can they trust when the people they work for have turned on them.

The Set Up

Senator Daniel Perrin (guest star Alexis Denisof) prepares for a press conference that would destroy the Rossum Corporation and the Dollhouses. His wife Cindy (guest star Stacey Crowley) wishes him luck. Perrin enters the stage and gives his speech about how Dollhouse is not a myth and that he wants to put a face on the issue that is the Dollhouse. That face?

Madeline/"November" (guest star Miracle Laurie)

Whoa.

She makes her testimony about how Perrin showed her evidence and how she was disgusted with what she saw. She then declares that there are others like her who need to be saved.

Back at the LA Dollhouse, Matthew Harding (guest star Keith Carradine) grills Adele for letting Madeline go so early, but remembers the deal made with Paul Ballard, who is also in the room. Harding tells Adele that she is growing soft on Madeline and that her judgment is being called into question. Harding then tells the two that Madeline will be taken care of, which angers Ballard wants to know how.

Later, Ballard asks how bad is Madeline in trouble and Adele pretty much says severely. But she is remarks that Madeline is being used and she is being used against Adele, but the million dollar question is who is pulling the strings?

Boyd gives the group a history on Sen. Perrin, who belongs to a political dynasty. Echo walks in and comments that "November" (Madeline) looks sad and that they should help her. Then when Ballard tries to escort her out the room, Echo remarks that Cindy Perrin "isn't right". This prompts the group to listen closely to Sen. Perrin's words about how Cindy is "perfect" and that "they made her" just for him.

Hmm... Look who's hand been caught in the cookie jar...

The First Phase

After Ballard presents Adele with all the forged documents on Cindy Perrin, Adele concludes that not only is Cindy Perrin a Doll, she's a" sleeper", like Madeline was. Adele says that she might had been planted to take out Madeline and that Ballard needs to stop it. Boyd lets Ballard know that Cindy and Madeline are being holed up in a safehouse, while Perrin is downtown at a hotel room working on post press conference issues. Adele then shows Ballard the video of Madeline (as Mellie) taking out the Handler who was raping Dolls last year. Adele tells Ballard that she is just prepping him for what he will have to face is Cindy is activated.

Meanwhile at the safehouse, Madeline tells Cindy about how Ballard looked nice and kind the last time she was there. She then laments on killing someone. As Cindy calms her nerves, the phone rings and it's Perrin just checking in on them.

Topher comes up with a device that he calls a "Disrupter" that Ballard can use against Cindy. Bad thins is that if Madeline is in the vicinity, which is 50 feet, she will be affected as well, because she still has Doll Architecture in her brain. Like Ballard sums up, nobody ever leaves that place... Boyd pulls Echo for a treatment and she asks if she can help "November", which Boyd says she will be.

Perrin talks on the phone with someone, but then he passes out. When he comes to, he finds himself in bed naked with Echo, who is recording everything.

The Second Phase

Echo's imprint is Bree, a high class call girl, who is programmed to think that she had sex with Perrin and give him a message. The message? "Back Off." Perrin deduces that Rossum sent Echo and he takes him with her to the safe house. On the way there, he tries to tell "Bree" about how she is nothing but a sex slave and that she is not real. He finds out they the Dollhouses program the Dolls extensively. He tells "Bree" that Cindy can help her.

At the safehouse, Ballard gets clearance to get into the house without being detected. When he reaches Madeline, she freaks even when he says he's there to help her. She breaks free and calls for help. Cindy shows up and Ballard pulls out the Disrupter and uses it. Outside the house, Perrin pulls up with "Bree" and she collapses from the Disrupter's frequency, as does Madeline inside. But Cindy doesn't drop. Two guards tackle Ballard and Cindy takes the Disrupter and gives it a look over stating that it's new. Outside, while "Bree"/Echo recovers she notices that Perrin's nose is bleeding and that he, too, collapsed!

PERRIN IS THE DOLL!!!!

Back at the Dollhouse, Topher, Adele, and Boyd find this tidbit out and tries to warn Ballard. Adele surmises that Cindy is Perrin's Handler and that Harding made a senator, but that it doesn't make sense for them to sic him after the Dollhouse. They watch as Echo puts Perrin into the car and drives off with him.

Perrin tells "Bree" that he has to go back to the house for his wife, but "Bree" says no and that something is wrong with the both of them. Then "Bree"/Echo is hit with all the images of the Imprints that she used to be.  She comes to conclusion that Perrin was telling the truth and that she is not real.

Cindy sends Madeline to the airport with some of Perrin's men, while she grills Ballard for the LA Dollhouse's insolence. Ballard in turn tries to get answers out of her, but she has a plane to catch. She tells one of her goons to finish off Ballard and commands for the other goon to put the Disrupter in a bag that will get past airport security.

Perrin tries to calm down "Bree", but he realizes that he too is a Doll. He doesn't want to believe it. Back at the Dollhouse, Topher finds out that "Daniel Perrin" is actually Daniel Perrin. Let me clarify that "Huh!?!"

Daniel Perrin came from a political background, but was a Van Wilder type character at Yale, who was the black sheep of the family. "Daniel Perrin" is what someone wanted Perrin to be and they Imprinted his ambition to succeed rather than his whole personality. Makes sense? Good!

Boyd fills Adele and Topher in on the fact that Echo and Perrin stopped on the GPS system as well as the Retrieval Team Boyd sent to get them. They get a call from "Bree"/Echo who wants to know what's going on. Adele tells Echo she can help them, which Echo responds thought meant a treatment. Perrin gets on the phone and refuses a treatment. Adele tells Perrin the truth about everything, including that it was her who sent Echo to blackmail him. She wants to help him, but Cindy makes her way to Perrin and Echo's location. When Cindy tries to play wife, Daniel remembers being Imprinted. Cindy then pulls a gun on Echo and Cindy. She knocks out Echo, which triggers Super Echo who proceeds to beat the hell out of Cindy. After having to knock out Perrin for interfering, Echo manages to take down Cindy and she and Perrin runaway.

At the airport, Ballard catches up with Madeline, who demands to know what is it with her that Ballard is obsessed with. He tells her about "Mellie" and how he made a deal for the Dollhouse to let her go. He accidently calls her Mellie when asks her to not testify against the Dollhouse, because they are using her. But Madeline asks Ballard that since he freed her does she get to make mistakes? Then she asks him if she is really "free". Ballard gets it. I get it. I don't know if the audience really got it. But Ballard lets Madeline go.

As Echo and Perrin drive along the street, they are bombarded with waves from the Disrupter. Cindy has caught up with them and she proceeds to take them in.

Now Things Get REALLY WEIRD!!!!

Topher and Adele realizes that Echo and Perrin are gone. They try to call Ballard, who ignores their call. Boyd then asks Adel why would Rossum set them up. Adele explains that with Perrin under Rossum's thumb, they are powerful and can get Perrin to pass any law they want. Adele finishes with that they have to stop them so they won't become a scapegoat.

At the D.C. Dollhouse, we meet Bennett Halverson (special guest star Summer Glau). Bennett is the D.C. Dollhouse's version of Topher, but far, far, more eccentric in nature. She tells Grace, who is a maid or something, to mind her business and for Grace to clear way for the arrival of Perrin and Echo. Bennett also has a knack for a few spasms and is slightly handicapped with her left arm out of commission. I slick think she's a robot of sorts, but that would be too much like Terminator now would it?

In short, the bitch is creepy as hell.

It seems that the D.C. Dollhouse Dolls have Greek code names such as Hades and Aphrodite, but when Cindy arrives she gives Bennett the Disrupter that Topher created. Bennett reveals that she knows Topher and she "always wanted to meet his tech". She checks on Perrin who freaks and doesn't want to be wiped, but that's not the crazy thing.

Bennett approaches Echo and says, ""Caroline, you always promised you'd come back to me." Then she zaps Echo with the D.C. version of the Wipe Chair and that's it for the first hour of the December 4th two parter.

Read the recap for "The Left Hand" here.

Dollhouse 2.05 "The Public Eye" Recap

Joss Whedon seems to be the jack of all trades.  Fox can cancel as many of his shows as that they want, but other people are still lining up to give him awards and accolades.  Ok, maybe not lining up, per se, but there's at least one organization that is honoring him.

The Producers Guild of America (PGA) will be presenting Whedon with the 2010 Vanguard Award at the 21st Annual PGA Awards ceremony on Sunday, January 24, 2010.  The award is meant to recognize those with achievements in new media and technology, so it's likely that he's getting it for his efforts in branching out into new internet media with Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (though it's likely meant to honor a culmination of his achievements).  Past winners of the award include George Lucas, James Cameron and John Lasseter.

Whedon is a producer, writer, director, and creator for such hit television programs as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel,” “Firefly,” and “Dollhouse.” He has written several feature film scripts including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Toy Story, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Alien Resurrection and Titan A.E.and is author of the cultish Dark Horse comic book series “Fray.” Whedon also created and produced an Internet sensation with the musical superhero spoof “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog,” which stars Neil Patrick Harris.

“Joss Whedon has mastered the art of melding the newest technology with inspired storytelling, truly exemplifying the spirit of the Vanguard Award,” said David Friendly and Laurence Mark, co-chairs of the PGA Awards.

Naturally, Joss Whedon refuses to remain silent and sent out a response to the news.  Keeping in the spirit of his hilarious bid for the Terminator rights earlier this month, Whedon had this to say about receiving the Vanguard Award:

“This is an honor I didn’t expect and probably don’t deserve,” said Joss Whedon. “The truth is, I’ve never actually guarded a van. But I am a super-total visionary, so that fits.  I’m ready to take my place next to the guys who made ‘THX 1138’ and ‘Tin Toy’ (Did they ever do anything else, btw? They showed such promise.). This is a time of radical change in media delivery and content, and I’m honestly proud the PGA has singled me out as someone who sort of knows what’s going on.”

Source: Deadline Hollywood Daily

Joss Whedon to be Honored by Producers Guild

Earlier today we reported on the fact that Dollhouse had been canceled by Fox, but the network had committed to airing all 13 episodes for season 2.

io9 has posted the schedule for the remaining episodes:

Dec. 4 - 8:00PM-10:00PM ET/PT ( Episodes 5 & 6 )
Dec. 11 - 8:00PM-10:00PM ET/PT ( Episodes 7 & 8 )
Dec. 18 - 8:00PM-10:00PM ET/PT ( Episodes 9 & 10 )

Jan. 8 - 9:00PM-10:00PM ET/PT ( Episode 11 )
Jan. 15 - 9:00PM-10:00PM ET/PT ( Episode 12 )
Jan. 22 - 9:00PM-10:00PM ET/PT ( Episode 13 / Series Finale )

Joss Whedon also spoke to the Hollywood Reporter and gave his reaction to the news:

"Dollhouse" creator Joss Whedon on Wednesday shared his disappointment at Fox's decision to cancel the sci-fi thriller.

"I don't have a lot to say," Whedon wrote in a post on Whedonesque.com. "I'm extremely proud of the people I've worked with: my star (Eliza Dushku), my staff, my cast, my crew. I feel the show is getting better pretty much every week, and I think you'll agree in the coming months. I'm grateful that we got to put it on, and then come back and put it on again."

Whedon also addressed his plans. "I'm off to pursue internet ventures/binge drinking," he wrote. "Possibly that relaxation thing I've read so much about. By the time the last episode airs, you'll know what my next project is. But for now there's a lot of work still to be done, and disappointment to bear."

"Thank you all for your support, your patience, your excellent adverts. See you again," Whedon said in closing.

Email: clarissa @ tvovermind.com

Follow: twitter.com/clarissa373

Schedule for Remaining Dollhouse Episodes & Joss Whedon's Reaction

Poor Joss Whedon.  He just can't catch a break.  Fox recently annouced that Dollhouse was being pulled from its schedule during November sweeps and people were disappointed.  I suspect they'll be even more disappointed with the news that the network has officially canceled the show.

They are currently filming episode 11 of their 13 episode order,  and according to EW, Fox will likely air all 13 of the completed episodes before removing the show from the schedule.

UPDATE: While the Futon Critic originally posted that the show's second season had simply been capped at 13 episodes, they have now recanted and confirmed the cancellation.

Source: HR

UPDATED: Fox Cancels Dollhouse (Seriously Cancelled....For Reals)

If you're a fan of Joss Whedon or Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, then chances are you've known that a sequel would be coming for some time now.  Joss confirmed that himself and the rest of the creative team were working on a sequel back in August and now Nathan Fillion has let slip to MTV News that the process is continuing to come along, and there's even a title.

"There are plans.  The media for the sequel has not yet been decided, but there is a title." Naturally Fillion wasn't about to reveal that title, but he did also confirm that along with the writing of the script, at least a song or two had also been written.

"Joss, I was talking to him right before we won the Emmy," said Fillion. "He said that he's finished writing a song or two. He told me a couple of verses to the song."

There's still no timeframe for when fans might get to see Fillion and Neil Patrick Harris take on the roles of Captain Hammer and his arch-nemesis Dr. Horrible for the second time, and the lack or a decision on the media outlet for the project certainly doesn't help.  Whedon has said in the past that he wasn't certain if the multi-episode miniseries format was the best choice for online audiences, or if another venue, including a movie, was a better way to go.  In August, he again mentioned that a venue hadn't been decided on, and Fillion also specifically mentioned that the media hasn't yet been decided. So while I'm all for getting it written and ready to go, let's decide on a venue already!!  Seriously, I can't wait for this sequel and it won't matter if its in the form of a movie, multi-episode miniseries format online, a direct to DVD, or even from some strange Russian site that ends up infecting my computer while I watch the show.  As long as I get to see it, I'm happy! Bring on Dr. Horrible the sequel!!

Dr. Horrible Sequel Coming Along

BREAKING: V Star Scott Wolf Addresses Production Delays

For those of you who don't know, the company that currently owns the rights to the entire Terminator franchise (Halcyon) is experiencing some (serious) financial difficulties and is auctioning off the franchise rights in an attempt to secure some cash.

According to Nikki Finke over at Deadline Hollywood Daily, a lot of studios (led by Sony) are interested in bidding in the auction, despite the fact that the recent Terminator Salvation didn't do as well as some would have hoped (I liked it....but even I admit it could have been better - easy fix: more Worthington, since he was arguably the best part of the entire movie).

As a follow-up to her post, Ms. Finke posted an open letter penned by Joss Whedon to the owners of the franchise rights.  Joss Whedon is like a god....only much, much funnier.  I want to hear his take on absolutely everything.

Here's the best part: he freaking calls out Christian Bale's Batman voice.  I love me some Bale, but the man needs to stop messing with his vocal cords, particularly in non-Batman movies.  Joss Whedon just upped his awesome factor for pointing out what the rest of us have been saying for a few years.

An Open Letter to the Terminator Owners. From a Very Important Hollywood Mogul

Dear Sirs/Ma'ams,

I am Joss Whedon, the mastermind behind Titan A.E., Parenthood (not the movie) (or the new series) (or the one where 'hood' was capitalized 'cause it was a pun), and myriad other legendary tales. I have heard through the 'grapevine' that the Terminator franchise is for sale, and I am prepared to make a pre-emptive bid RIGHT NOW to wrap this dealio up. This is not a joke, this is not a scam, this is not available on TV. I will write a check TODAY for $10,000, and viola! Terminator off your hands.

No, you didn't miscount. That's four -- FOUR! -- zeroes after that one. That's to show you I mean business. And I mean show business. Nikki Finke says the Terminator concept is played. Well, here's what I have to say to Nikki Finke: you are a fine journalist and please don't ever notice me. The Terminator story is as formative and important in our culture -- and my pretend play -- as any I can think of. It's far from over. And before you Terminator-Owners (I have trouble remembering names) rush to cash that sweet cheque, let me give you a taste of what I could do with that franchise:

1) Terminator... of the Rings! Yeah, what if he time-travelled TOO far... back to when there was dragons and wizards? (I think it was the Dark Ages.) Hasta La Vista, Boramir! Cool, huh? "Now you gonna be Gandalf the Red!" RRRRIP! But then he totally helps, because he's a cyborg and he doesn't give a s#&% about the ring -- it has no power over him! And he can carry it AND Frodo AND Sam AND f@%& up some orcs while he's doing it. This stuff just comes to me. I mean it. (I will also offer $10,000 for the Lord of the Rings franchise).

2) More Glau. Hey. There's a reason they're called "Summer" movies.

3) Can you say... musical? Well don't. Even I know that's an awful idea.

4) Christian Bale's John Connor will get a throat lozenge. This will also help his Batwork (ten grand for that franchise too, btw.)

5) More porn. John Connor never told Kyle Reese this, but his main objective in going to the past was to get some. What if there's a lot of future-babies that have to be made? Cue wah-wah pedal guitar -- and dollar signs!

6) The movies will stop getting less cool.

Okay. There's more -- this brain don't quit! (though it has occasionally been fired) -- but I think you get my drift. I really believe the Terminator franchise has only begun to plumb the depths of questioning the human condition during awesome stunts, and I'd like to shepherd it through the next phase. The money is there, but more importantly, the heart is there. But more importantly, money. Think about it. End this bloody bidding war before it begins, and put the Terminator in the hands of someone who watched the first one more than any other movie in college, including "Song of Norway" (no current franchise offer).

Sincerely, Joss Whedon.

I'll chip in $10 to add to Whedon's $10,000, because I believe Terminator....of the Rings could possibly be the best movie in the history of movies.  In fact, the Academy should just give it 15 Oscars, including Best Picture, right now.  No point in even waiting until it gets made.  James Cameron must be kicking himself for not thinking of it earlier.

P.S. My friend Cindy respectfully disagrees with Mr. Whedon.  She says, and I quote: "Imagine 'Terminator: The Musical' with the Batman voice.  Genius!"

Email me at clarissa @ tvovermind.com

Follow me at twitter.com/clarissa373

Joss Whedon Bids $10,000 for the Terminator Franchise Rights (In Typical Hilarious Whedon Fashion, Complete With a Letter!)

I would absolutely love to say that Mal Reynolds brief appearance on Castle last night was a wonderful surprise to me, but I'd be lying.  You see, while it was wonderful, it was hardly a surprise.  The web was abuzz with the rumor of the Firefly reference all last week and a grainy production image even made it onto the web.  I had almost posted about it myself, but the graininess of the image and uncertainty made me decide to wait it out, and if true, let it be a nice surprise to our readers.

The scene itself (which you can watch below if you missed it) was just about as perfect of an in-show reference as I've ever seen on television.  If you can think of one that was done better than this, please let me know about it, but I can't imagine anything done better, and more pleasing.  Had Sawyer, on Lost, ever uttered to Charlie "shut up you little hobit!" it still wouldn't have been as pleasing and fun as what Castle did.  Watch for yourself:


The best line, of course, was his daughter saying, "didn't you wear that like, five years ago?"  They even managed to include the nice little Firefly music in there.  And while I loved the scene, it also reminded me two things, first, how badly I miss Firefly...and second, how much I really love Castle.  Maybe not as much as Firefly (d'uh!) but I still love it.

I've included a nice little gallery below with some screen shots for those Firefly hungry fans out there.

Richard Castle as Mal Reynolds for Halloween

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Firefly's Mal Reynold Returns in Castle (video)

I don't know what can be done to save Dollhouse. Languishing in the ratings cesspool on Friday nights, Michael Ausiello has announced via Twitter that Dollhouse will be shelved by Fox during the all-important November sweeps period, replaced by reruns of House and Bones:

Exclusive: Hearing FOX will bench DOLLHOUSE for November sweeps and air back-to-back eps on Friday night in December.

The Futon Critic reports that Dollhouse will return in December showing two episodes per night, apparently burning off the remaining episodes.

You certainly can't blame Joss Whedon and the producers for this. They've done a miraculous job treying to save the show, including bringing in fan favorites Ray Wise, Jamie Bamber, Keith Carradine, Alexis Denisoff, and Summer Glau to spice up the series.

Even figuring in DVR numbers probably won't be able to stop FOX from burning off the final episodes of Dollhouse in December as they've been stagnant.

Can anything be done to save Dollhouse?

Is The End Near for Dollhouse?