I'm trying, Joss, I really am...

Today's Specials: Pancakes. Or a selection of Adele DeWitt's favorite teas.

WARNING: HERE BE SPOILERS. READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK.

I want to like Dollhouse. I really do.

For most of last season, I did. I was right there with the show, especially when we found out who Alpha was. Wow, did that ever blow my mind!

But last Friday's episode was a disappointment. It felt like a repeat of the season premiere - Echo imprints, Echo glitches, Echo and Ballard have a chat about how she can remember past imprints and how she'll help Ballard bring down the Dollhouse.

Honestly, I don't care that much about Ballard and Echo. I know they're supposed to be the center of the show - the Doll whose soul is too strong to be erased completely and the FBI agent whose sense of justice will lead him to save her and free the Dolls -but I honestly care a lot more about the other characters. Thus, this episode left me with more questions than answers. For example: Where was Dr. Saunders/Whiskey? Where was Langdon? What's he going to be up to now that he's not Echo's handler (still majorly bummed about that development - I really liked their bond when he was her handler)? Why did we have to bring November back? And what the hell is going on with Alpha? Doesn't anyone care what he's up to anymore?

Now, don't get me wrong - I don't mean to say that it's all bad. There is plenty to like about this show. I love the many questions involved in this show. What makes a person a person? Is there such a thing as a soul, and does it have power? Should we do something just because we have the technology to make it possible? I also love that we don't get easy answers. None of the characters (except maybe Alpha) is completely good or completely bad. We are allowed to see all sides of the issue and decide for ourselves. Not many shows credit their audience with that kind of intelligence.

One more thing to love about Dollhouse: I just found out that JOHNATHAN FRAKES will be directing an upcoming episode. For anyone who doesn't know, Frakes played Commander William T. Riker on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Total trekkie/Sci Fi geekout here!

So there's hope, definitely. I'll keep watching, and I'll keep hoping to feel the same love for this show that I felt for Buffy, Firefly, and Dr. Horrible. Joss deserves that much from me.