So, the Sci-Fi channel’s cult show Dollhouse has been axed and millions of fans are throwing their toys out of the pram. The way they see it, the evil, ratings-obsessed studio execs (boo, hiss) have brutally killed off another one of Joss “Buffy” Whedon’s brilliant shows. But is it sacrilege to suggest that the show’s cancellation is actually the best thing for it?
Yes, the series was brilliant while it lasted. Its central premise – an organisation that continually reprograms a group of people, or “Actives”, in order to hire them out to wealthy clients – was nifty. And over its two seasons, Whedon slathered on the sub-plots to keep seasoned sci-fi addicts interested. Obsessive FBI agents, rampant psycho-killers, sinister corporate shenanigans – they were all there for our greedy delectation.
But... Whenever a show piles on the layers like this, there’s always the risk it’ll cave in on itself. Or splurge out in too many directions, baffling its devoted audience. Just look at what happened to Prison Break when they actually escaped the nick – the show went to pieces. Dollhouse, by ending with its second season, can never jump the shark. And the final episode is a whopper, hurtling forwards into the distant future and showing how the events of the show affect the destiny of mankind itself. So we say the sudden axing is a blessing in disguise – letting the show end with a bang instead of a whimper. Plus, Joss can now get on with making that Buffy movie at last. (We can dream, can’t we?)
