Fox sends Dollhouse to the attic

That's right, Whedonites. The sad but not totally unexpected day has arrived:

Dollhouse has officially been canceled.

As I said, sad, but not unexpected. Dollhouse has been low in the ratings for a while, and reviews have been mixed. However, the show has been getting steadily better since the middle of the first season, and it's one of the few shows on TV right now that tackles real issues of humanity and ethics in interesting, mind-bending ways.

Point of Interest: Though I never mind pointing out Fox's various sudden but inevitable betrayals (I will NEVER forgive them for killing Firefly), I really find it hard to blame them this time. True, they put Dollhouse in a terrible time slot (Friday night? For a Whedon show? Really?), but they gave the show a second chance when the ratings didn't necessarily warrant it, and they didn't screw up the episode order the way they did with Firefly.

Anyway, now that we know that a finale is imminent, how about some predictions?

First of all, we all know of Joss' penchant for killing off main characters at the end of his shows (Spike, Anya, Wash, Book, Penny... I haven't watched much of Angel, or I'd probably have more). Often, the character is a fan favorite and/or someone with a significant other.

We also know that Joss apparently hates happy couples, since most of the couples in his shows end up torn apart in tragic or angsty ways. Observe:

• Buffy/Angel = angst
• Buffy/Spike = tragedy (though he did come back somehow, apparently)
• Giles/Jenny = tragedy
• Willow/Oz = angst
• Willow/Tara = tragedy
• Xander/Everyone = angst
• Wash/Zoe = tragedy
• Dr. Horrible/Penny = tragedy

In fact, the only happy couples I can think of are Willow/Kennedy and Kaylee/Simon, and those couples only ended happily because their respective shows ended before angst or tragedy could ensue.

So what do I predict? Well, since the only real couple on the show is Victor/Sierra (and I LOVE them!), I predict we'll be seeing one of them meet an untimely end in the finale (it has to be ONE of them, or it won't fit the Whedon pattern). In the fan favorite category, I imagine that Topher might be the one to die. Nearly everyone I talk to LOVES Topher, morally absent though he might be. Actually, I can imagine him pulling an Anya, in the sense that he would show how much he's changed by dying in defense of something or someone that he previously wouldn't have been concerned about.

So what do you all think? Post your predictions and your thoughts about the cancellation in the comments!

To all those who lost loved ones in the Fort Hood shooting

I am truly sorry for your loss. I can't imagine what it must be like to lose someone you love in such a tragic, senseless way. I pray that peace will find a place in your hearts. Please remember that our thoughts and prayers are with you all. You are not alone.

Evil again? Why?

SPOILER ALERT - READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK

I'll be honest. The only reason I watched the first episode of "V" tonight was because Alan Tudyk was a guest star. The show itself is, in my opinion, a rather lame retread of the whole alien invasion concept. However, there was no way I was going to miss a chance to see my current celebrity crush on TV again, no matter what show.

But do they let me enjoy it? NO! Because, once again, Alan had to pull an Alpha and turn out to be working for the Dark Side!

Don't get me wrong: Alan Tudyk plays evil and creepifying REALLY well. We saw it on Dollhouse, and we get to see it again here. I'm sure he'll be awesome as an evil, lizard-y sleeper cell agent.

But we also know he can play the funny good guy just as well, the obvious example being Wash. The good guy is what I thought I was getting at the beginning of this episode; unfortunately, that guy was just a cover for his true, evil V identity, so we won't get to see nice guy Alan anymore. Bummer. :(

Also: Did we REALLY need to see his character stabbed through the chest? That moment brought on a VERY depressing "leaf on the wind" flashback (R.I.P., Wash).