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Inside Joss' Dollhouse: From Alpha to Rossum

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Jane Espenson, editor for this essay collection, is a princess within the Whedonverse and has contributed mightily to all of Joss's key ventures, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Complete Series (Seasons 1-7) to Firefly - The Complete Series, and has worked on companion books similar to "Inside Joss Dollhouse" for the Smart Pop series. I think her work on Finding Serenity: Anti-heroes, Lost Shepherds And Space Hookers In Joss Whedon's Firefly (Smart Pop Series) is especially commendable.

"Inside," less so. It's not a bad book, and some of the essays are appropriately provocative, but the overall sense I was left with is that the work was hurried, unpolished, even unfinished. That there were good ideas here that lacked the maturity of ripe development. But on further thought, that state of affairs seems to describe the series (Dollhouse: Season One and Dollhouse: The Complete Second Season) the essays are about as well. Dollhouse didn't catch fire until well into the first season, faltered a little at the beginning of the second season, and then became something truly compelling. It accomplished this by becoming more like some of Whedon's previous works in which a tightly allied group of misfits form a sort of family to take on the Big Bad, the Powers That Be, or the Reavers. It's a formula that works very well for Whedon, mostly because it never feels like a formula. The greatest freshness he achieves, the greatest character-driven plot momentum, comes out of those relationships among the heroic band, and it never gets tired.

But in the case of "Dollhouse," it did get hurried. Knowing that he only had one more season (at most) to finish his arc and complete some sense of story on "Dollhouse," all elements were rushed, double-crosses came at blinding speed, revelations happened at a breathtaking space, and the apocalypse itself was distilled to a barely credible essence. Firefly, with only a handful of TV episodes (and the film Serenity to bring a little closure to the arc) never felt hurried as Dollhouse did, because its cancellation came before a quick ending could be produced.

Because so much in terms of theme development, Whedon's trademark philosophical depth, character development, and storyline complexity were sacrificed on an altar of closure, the essays in this book will naturally lack the depth of the books on more fully-realized series. And this lack of depth is also reflected in the sort of people who have written the essays. This is not the group of pundits, scholars, philosophers and psychologists who have weighed in on other Whedon works, but a more rag-tag group of intelligent but less experienced writers. With a less solid foundation from which to work, some essays pick up a speculative wobble and come near toppling into nonsense.

Yet I'm glad to have read the book. Whedon is one of few pop culture producers who actually rewards deeper contemplation. He seeks first to engage and entertain, and usually succeeds spectacularly. But beyond entertainment, he has a vision of humanity that many of us find compelling. In the face of tragedy and absurdity, we can be heroes if we are loyal, choose good allies, and maintain a sense of purpose. This comes through even in the truncated Dollhouse series, and receives some appropriate celebration in "Inside Joss' Dollhouse."

Dollhouse premiered in February 2009 and went off the air in January 2010. As far as Joss Whedon shows go, it's not the shortest-lived--Firefly lasted only three months--but at times it felt like the most incomplete. Network tampering harmed the show creatively more than it did Firefly, and its cancellation just as it was finally delivering on its potential was devastating. But Joss Whedon never leaves his stories unfinished, and what little of Dollhouse we had proves surprisingly fertile ground for analysis in Inside Joss' Dollhouse.

The essays in this collection, edited by longtime Whedon writer/geek goddess Jane Espenson, discuss the show's characters, themes, and structure in often enlightening fashion. Thematically, the show primarily dealt with matters of identity, or the "soul," and that the book would deal with the shifting identities of composite characters like Echo and Alpha is to be expected. But in examining the twisty-turny arcs of Adelle and Topher, and the hidden nature of Boyd, the essays make one realize that everyone's identities are fluid.

Before it earned its praise, Dollhouse had to deal with a heavy level of scrutiny and criticism, and remains the most underrated Whedon endeavor. With time and distance, though, I think that Dollhouse will be regarded as the fascinating, compelling science fiction story it is. This book is a necessary first step in its re-evaluation.

Dollhouse, for all of its divisiveness among fans, was a complex and philosophically challenging show. It had the feel of the best sci-fi (Asimov comes to mind) in the way that it used its speculative fiction premise less as a geeky adventure and more as a vehicle for exploring humanity.

The depth of the characterization and writing on Dollhouse renders this book of essays uniquely rewarding. Almost none of this feels like a high school English paper, grasping at straws to prove some paper-thin thesis. The show is deep enough that each essayist is able to sink their teeth into the material without overreaching or making weak conclusions. The character studies (one essay focuses on Topher's moral development, and another analyzes the way Boyd is viewed by those around him) are especially good, shedding new light on these complex characters.

This book kept me interested, and made me want to re-watch the series from the start so I could see it with fresh eyes.