5 Reasons Why I'm Not (that) Sad Dollhouse is Ending

5 Reasons Why I'm Not (that) Sad Dollhouse is Ending

(NB this isn't meant to be a post bashing Dollhouse, though it may come across like that in some parts as on the whole I actually like the show)
(no major spoilers coming up)

1. The show had numerous chances and failed to deliver.

As a Joss Whedon show, this show already had a built in fan base. This included not only rabid Whedon fans (like myself) but also other more casual fans who would be interested to see what Joss did next. This fanbase alone should've brought about a decent viewership even on a Friday night (NB the show did have very good DVR viewership)

The show, on the basis of this fanbase managed to get a second season, when most shows in its position would've have been cancelled. There have been plenty of shows who have had better first season creatively that were axed. However the Whedon name and probably the desire to avoid another Firefly situation, a second season was granted. However despite the show getting a bit better in the second season, it still struggled creatively (see below)

2. Epitaph

A lot of fans blame Fox for not showing Epitaph One. As easily the best episode of the season, it could've helped bring in viewers.
However, without Fox refusing to the 13th episode in the first place, Epitaph One would not have existed as it was only created as a standalone for DVD's and international sales. This also means that all the best creative bits about the second season which has careened towards the Epitaph future, would probably not have happened, or at least not in the way that it did.

Plus lets face it, anyone who really wanted to watch the 'unaired' episode would've/could've watched the episode on itunes or got the DVD.

3. The show didn't have the creative longevity to go for multiple seasons

Without the apocalyptic future created in Epitaph One to direct the show, most of what we would've got is more of the earlier episodes: Echo as a sex doll going on missions and due to her 'special-ness', something going wrong. Dollhouse to me could've easily been a brilliant mini-series or movie; after a brief introduction into what the Dollhouse is/does, the rest of its story could its downfall, therefore losing the repetitiveness of the constant sex missions (which is probably what the Dollhouse was most used for). The final few episodes in which everything about the corporation was revealed were the best episodes of the series but we only got these dramatic episodes because the show was ending. Therefore in a way 2 shortened seasons was perfect for Dollhouse.

4. Humour

Buffy/Angel/Firefly/Dr Horrible were all funny. Yes the shows were full of heartache, but even in some of the saddest episodes episodes there were moments of funny (Willow changing her clothes constantly in The Body is a great example). There were few funny moments in Dollhouse. There were some episodes (eg 1x7 Echoes) and certain characters that were funny (Topher, Adelle and Victor) but by in large this wasn't an incredibly funny show. This is a huge shame as Joss excels at blending the light and the dark, but we just didn't see that here.

5. Characters

I think one of my main problems with the show was that the main character- Echo- was just that. Eliza Dushku as executive producer (cleverly on her part) placed herself front and centre, with the supporting characters being just that. Buffy and Angel, despite having titular characters, never focused so much on the main characters as much as Dollhouse did.
This is especially problematic as the main character doesn't actually have a personality, which makes it hard to like her and to warm to her in anyway. She became a little bit more likable at the end of the show, but as I noted earlier, this was probably a result of the story moving forward quickly to its conclusion.
The show has also been frustrating as the supporting characters are terrific actors and many are hugely interesting as characters, yet we see very little of them, and what makes them tick. This reluctance by the show to turn into the ensemble cast it needs to be has largely contributed to its creative problems.

Still, the show, especially in the second season was a good one. It was very dark and not quite as good as Joss Whedon's other creations, but it was a hell of a ride into the dark underbelly of a multinational corporation bent on world domination.