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).

"Space Cowboy"

Here's a nice little Halloween treat for Browncoats and Whedonites everywhere:

The Halloween episode of Castle (which stars Nathan Fillion, a.k.a Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds) features some pretty frickin' awesome references to Firefly and Buffy.

The BEST part is in the first few minutes. Just seeing that costume again was a enough to make me squee like a schoolgirl. Oh Mal, I love you. <3

Hulu, curse your sudden yet inevitable betrayal!

Finally, a justifiable reason to use that quote!

I was once completely in love with Hulu. I mean, anything that lets me watch TV episodes I missed (or just enjoy watching over and over) gets nothing but love from me. But now, I feel as though I've been stabbed in the heart.

First, they announce that they will start charging for content in 2010. That was bad enough. The whole point of Hulu is that it is FREE. Hello!

But NOW, they are only streaming the first FIVE episodes of Firefly! And only the first season of Buffy! How dare they!

People of Hulu, be warned: You have angered the Whedonverse (and probably a lot of other fandoms as well, I haven't checked). You will face the consequences.

Belonging

SPOILER WARNING. PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Finally, a Sierra-centric episode of Dollhouse, and its a doozy. I mean really, where do I start?

Topher's as good a place as any, I suppose. Good God, Topher. I've loved him from the very first episode - I mean, hey, he's the Xander/Wash character, that funny guy who always finds his way into Joss' shows. But there's a dark undertone to Topher that neither Xander nor Wash ever had. We learned early on that Topher doesn't care so much about the consequences of what he's doing, just as long as he gets to use his fancy toys and show off his brilliance. And in this episode, we find out that his lack of morals is exactly why he was chosen to work at the Dollhouse. So what does Topher do when his conscience finally starts to get to him? He gets a painful lesson in consequences - one that was chilling and well-executed by the writer and director (who, by the way, was Jonathan "Commander Riker" Frakes, don't forget). This episode seems like a turning point for Topher's character, and I wonder where he will go from here. I can't imagine him leaving the Dollhouse - I'm not even sure if they'd let him - but I don't think he'll be able to do imprints with the same nonchalance anymore. Maybe he'll join Ballard and Echo in taking down the Dollhouse?

Moving on to Boyd: Holy crap! There is a LOT we don't know about this guy. For starters: How the heck does he know so much about getting rid of bodies? I don't think we were ever told what he did before the Dollhouse, and now I'm somewhat afraid to know. Also, why is he working at the Dollhouse in the first place? He obviously doesn't like the idea of the organization very much.
Might he have been forced into service? I did like the bit where Boyd figures out that Echo can remember and then gives her the All Access card key. The "coming storm" bit is intriguing too... I wonder if Joss is setting up a final showdown as a way to wrap up the series if Fox decides not to renew.

Finally, the cuteness: I LOVE Sierra and Victor. And I love that their feelings are real, in the sense that they love each other and remember each other even when they are not in their doll state. I like the idea that love is something that transcends science and brainwaves and all of that. It's in the soul, and you can't mess with that. <3

Well, that's it for now. No new Dollhouse until December 4. The show won't be on during November sweeps, which is NOT a good sign. On the plus side, the next episode will feature a guest spot by Summer Glau, who played our favorite crazy genius River Tam on Firefly.

This I Believe, Part 1

This I Believe:

The role of art is to help people to see the world from another point of view - whether it be through the eyes of a different culture, a different place, a different social circumstance, a different gender, or a different sexual orientation - while at the same time emphasizing the basic elements of humanity that connect us all. We may not agree with what we see through that different point of view, but hopefully, we will come away with a new understanding, a new sense of compassion.

That, in my opinion, is what art, at its best, is all about. If we can open ourselves to creating and experiencing that kind of art, maybe we can make the world a more tolerant and understanding place. That's worth a little controversy and a little discomfort, isn't it?