When a Joss Whedon show ends, it’s typically not really gone. The TV show may be over but he creates such rich characters and stories that many fans will gladly follow them to another medium. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel characters have lived on in comics and novels. Firefly continued in printed form as well as in the feature film Serenity. But what about the latest casualty, Dollhouse? Will those characters return in some new way as well?
Dollhouse revolves around a group of people whose minds are wiped of their own identities and implanted with temporary memories for jobs-for-hire. The cast includes Eliza Dushku, Harry Lennix, Fran Kranz, Tahmoh Penikett, Enver Gjokaj, Dichen Lachman, Olivia Williams, Amy Acker, Reed Diamond, and Miracle Laurie.
The series was renewed by FOX for a second season last May, despite lackluster ratings. The show’s luck ran out in November though and the network decided against ordering any more episodes, effectively cancelling the series.
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Tonight, FOX aired the series finale of Dollhouse. The episode takes us back to the bleak future that was last seen in episode 13. (You’ll recall that FOX opted not to purchase that particular episode but it is available on the season one DVD set.) But, what of Dollhouse’s future? Will the characters return in some other form?
It doesn’t look likely. Whedon has ruled out continuing the show in comic book form, at least for right now. As for continuing the story online or in some other medium? Dushku tells the LA Times, “Ummm, I don’t think it could. It was a big show, and to get the level of production value and the world and the expansion of the dollhouse — not just the L.A. dollhouse — but a huge international corporation. The bigger that it got, I don’t think that it could necessarily live in another way.”
What do you think? Would you like to see the Dollhouse characters return in some way? Perhaps, to fill in the gap between the present day and 2019? Or to pick up where the series finale leaves off? Or, should it just be left alone?
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Image courtesy FOX.
It takes me a while to get into a show. Charmed, Buffy etc.. all took me a few seasons in to start watching, more or less because I already had shows I’d been watching. I was just thinking of doll house tonight because Smallville is ending and that girl who played Faith in Buffy is pretty cool. I was just getting curious and it’s gone.
i love this show, and i wish somehow that it would continue.![🙁](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/svg/1f641.svg)
Joss, I thought we all learned our lesson (the hard way) with Firefly. Fox is about 10 years behind your brilliant mind. Please; let’s avoid painful cancellations in the future.
I so want my Dollhouse in any form as long as Whedon has control and Eliza is in the lead!!! I have absolutely loved this show from the beginning and I have always thought that the big screen was a perfect place for it. So come on Joss, what do we the fans have to do to help make this happen, I’m all ears and at your disposal!
Love your work and hate these cancelations!!! ![🙁](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/svg/1f641.svg)
In the beginning, I was captured by the sheer genius of Joss Whedon’s mind when the Doll House came out. His characters were very intriguing, especailly Alpha. I would definitely love to see more of the Doll House!
I think it would be cool to fill in the gaps in comic form, or possibly a couple of movies, damn fox, they suck, well not really cause they’ve kept fringe, bones, house, 24, lie to me, the new series, and of course the sunday night animation domination slot, and fox is still a good network, however they cancel shows way to fast, and in my opinion should get with the times and expand there primetime slot, from 8-10 to 8-11 and join the “real” networks then they wouldn’t have to cancel so many good shows prematurely. peace
The sort of premise that we’ve seen again and again, but through the brilliant creation of really likable characters (Whedon’s strong suit) and some really good actors, this show was brilliant and had huge potential to ask real questions about what it meant to be human, plus the ethics of expanding technology faster than people can cope with it. Unfortunately, the last 3 or so episodes each feel like they each could have been a season in themselves. So many avenues that could have been explored, but instead, to wrap it all up, everything was rushed. I certainly hope Joss… Read more »
Blame FOX.
Nuff said…
I loved the show and was disappointed with the lackluster ratings. I wished more people watched it. I’d love to see it air additional episodes somehow but I can understand how hard that might be. Too bad.
I really want Dollhouse to come back. It inspires me to set up the goals and achieve them. After Dollhouse I feel brave and capable to overcome life challenges.
However it comes back, if it comes back, I will follow it. Dollhouse quickly became my favourite show when it was first released and the only show I /ever/ watch live. I certainly hope Whedon finds a place for it to go where it would fit nicely and let the story continue to be so amazing and mindblowing each round. Especially considering Epitaph II, which kind of made me desperate for more. Especially since at the end of LAST WEEKS episode they said TWO hour finale and then only gave us a ONE hour finale. Agh
The only reason they said it’d be a two hour finale was due to the fact that they were scheduled to air both the preceding episode and Epitaph 2 together but instead split them up due to the benefit concert airing.
it could live on as an animated series/mini-series/movie or graphic novel.
I think dollhouse should come back and show what happened in those ten years and then from there we can see what happens but I think it should come backfor a suprise season
The only way it could effectively live on at this point, would be through novels. That would be the only way you could get the richness of the characters, and each identity they downloaded. I would be interested in that. A movie would be pointless at this point I think.
It’s dead, Jim.