One of the many things I have always loved about science fiction is its ability to work on a multitude of levels. At first glance it is one of the purest forms of storytelling; weaving completely novel universes out of nothing more than imagination. Time and space provide no boundary for the talented Sci-Fi writer and many fans will readily accept these alternate universes as real. Then there are the deeper levels than Sci-Fi can reach. For topics that many may consider controversial can be handled under the guise of fiction distancing it to at least some degree from reality. For example the foibles of humanity can be scrutinized through the actions of androids; problems in society are examined through strange alien cultures. There is a long history of this multilayered effect on television with one of the latest entries airing through Fox television; ‘Dollhouse’. The series looks a fantasy scenario; image if you could hire a person customized to perfectly fit any fantasy or desire you may have. You may request the perfect lover or the most accomplished jewel thief as easily as requesting meatballs on a pizza; albeit at a far greater cost. It might seem as a natural for success on TV considering the cult following that traditionally surround science fiction on the tube. Unfortunately, the series seemed plagued with problems attracting and keeping an audience. Just in case you missed its time as part of Fox’s new wave of Sci-Fi programming you can catch up before the start of season two with the DVD and Blu-ray release of the premier season. For all its missteps the series did deliver a good looking cast and plenty of action. It remains to be seen whether this series will have any staying power but you can have some fun watching this season set.

The creator of this series has a proven track record garnering extremely loyal fans to his series; Joss Whedon. His imagination made television history with series like ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’, ‘Angel’ and the brilliant but all too short lived ‘Firefly’. Each of these shows depended on elaborate back stories providing a new age mythos that was rich and fully formed. One of the problems many found with ‘Dollhouse’ is the extended amount of time he took developing the underlying characters and situations. This may be one of the primary reasons for the reluctance on the part of the fans to embrace the series. Thankfully Fox has renewed the show for a second season. Just as the fans are loyal to Whedon he returns that to his cast. It is not unusual for Whedon to create characters for actors who had roles in his previous series. The creation of this series was done over lunch with ‘Buffy’ alum Eliza Dushku. She not only stars in this series but served as the executive producer as well.

The basic premise is an intriguing one. There is a covert, underground organization known as the ‘Dollhouse’ that caters to the ultra rich and powerful. They will provide an agent formally known as actives or Dolls programmed mentally to the specifications of the client no matter what they might be. This may range from anything from the most accomplished lover to a master criminal. The way they are able to do this is they have the technology to read, alter and write a person’s entire personality. Their technical expert Topher Brink (Fran Kranz) can treat the human mind like the hard drive of a computer; swapping personalities like storing or over writing files. They recruit their actives to be physically fit and extremely attractive. They apparently sign up for a pre determined time because they no other choice in their lives. The main protagonist here is Echo (Dushku) who happens to be one of the most requested Dolls in the house. Like the others between missions she is wiped clean of all memories of her assignments and her real life. In this state a Doll is almost childlike; trusting and obedient. The general manager for the operation is Adelle DeWitt (Olivia Williams) who tends to see the actives not as people but corporate assets; albeit extremely expensive assets. To protect the investment while the Dolls are in the field each is provided with a handler. In Echo’s case it is former police officer Boyd Langton (Harry Lennix). Paul Ballard (Tahmoh Penikett) is an FBI agent who is trying to track down Echo’s real personality and prove to the authorities that the Dollhouse is real. Every time he gets close the Dollhouse manages to be one step ahead.

When you have a plot device like the one utilized here the tendency is to require a complex back story to provide exposition and character development. It also opens up a myriad of possibilities in which direction the overall story arc can go. A Rouge active is introduced early, or though not seen until the end of the season. This provides a concrete enemy for the Dollhouse since it proves that a Doll can break free of their programming. Then there is the internal conflict inherent in the situation. Each active has three basic states; their native personality, the resting state and any sort of mission programming. This permits the inclusion of a unique type of fifth column rebelling against the house as memories from one state leak into the others. All of this takes time for even the diehard fans to get into. Whedon took his time laying the foundation in this season which many mistook for overly slow pacing. Actually, if you have some patience and stick with it the series is quite good. Okay, they come up with at least one flimsy excuse to put Ms Dushku in as little clothing as possible for broadcast TV. Give this one a chance; it deserves it.