Dollhouse S1.E1 Ghost 
Last night probably the most anticipated new show of the season (Dollhouse) premiered. The show had a lot of buzz around it especially since Joss Whedon was behind the project. Pretty much everything Joss Whedon touches turns to gold (in regards to television). So Whedon fans (myself included) were eargerly anticipating what he would bring next to our television screens. So while last night’s Dollhouse premiere wasn’t great, Whedon fans really need to calm down and give the show a chance.
While the premiere wasn’t perfect (I still think it was quite good), I thought it built a good foundation for the show. The idea is interesting and could bring us a truly unique show. I like Eliza Dushku in the lead role. I have a feeling we are really going to get to know her character through the different personalities she takes on and also flashes to her former life. Meanwhile the supporting characters need to be given time to develop. Joss Whedon knows what he is doing with character development. As a matter of fact I can’t remember a boring character that he has ever created. I do hope Amy Acker continues to play a role in the series.
The thing with Whedon shows is that it takes some time for the show to get going. Simply put Whedon’s shows aren’t for impatient people who can’t give a show a couple episodes to prove itself. I try to give every show a couple of episodes to impress me since you never know which shows will come out of nowhere.
While Joss Whedon is great at developing television series, his biggest weaknesses is the fact that he has never been good with pilots. The main reason why I think Whedon kind of sucks at pilots is that he is a storyline crafter. What makes Whedon’s shows great is the continuing storylines. You really can’t develop an entire season in an one hour pilot. Whedon’s strength is character development and mythology. These just can’t be done in an one hour episode.
If you judge his work just based on his pilots you would be missing out on some of the best television series of all time. I am a huge Buffy fan and yet if I based my judgement on only the first episode, I would have given up on the show after that one episode. If I went through with giving up on Buffy I would then have missed out on the second best television series of all time. This same fact also holds true for Angel and Firefly. I would actually challenge anyone to try and convince me that any of Whedon’s pilots have been great. All three shows became amazing series but none of them had above average pilots.To truly appreciate Whedon’s work patience is required.
The problem with not having the perfect pilot is that I am almost convinced that Dollhouse won’t last more than a series. With the little promotion the show received I can’t imagine the show being a hit. With a pretty weak lead-in (Terminator The Sarah Connor Chronicles) Dollhouse probably wasn’t going to have a large audience to begin with. It’s too bad that Dollhouse’s chances of success are pretty slim since a lot of people don’t know what they are missing. Today’s television audiences just don’t have the patience to wait for an amazing overarching storyline. It’s too bad since if Dollhouse is canceled we might not see Whedon on television again for a while. That would truly be a travesty for television fans around the world.
Your Take: What was your thoughts on Dollhouse’s series premiere? Are you going to keep giving the show a chance? Do you think Dollhouse even has a chance to be a successful show?
