5 Reasons to Play Dollhouse Every Friday

Joss Whedon is known to his fans as the father of Buffy, Angel and patron saint of the Brown Coats. He's the man who created a short-lived, albeit beloved television show and turned it into a feature film with only 13 episodes in the can. Few men can really intrigue the fans with his crazy, pop culture references and snappy dialogue. Whedon is a writer who likes to take the cliché and turn it upside down. Now enter, his latest project, the Dollhouse airing on Fox Friday nights.

The Dollhouse

The Dollhouse stars Eliza Dushku as Echo, the girl with no personality of her own who lives in the Dollhouse with other blank actives waiting for a personality imprint that allows her to become whatever the client wants or needs her to be. Whether she's a dream girlfriend, a survivalist, a negotiator, a safe cracker or an assassin; she completes her missions and is returned to her Dollhouse by her handler where all her memories will be wiped clean and she will once again return to a childlike state and wait for her next mission. For viewers who've not tuned in, here are ten reasons why playing in the Dollhouse is belongs on everyone's must-see TV list:

5. The Dollhouse features an intriguing, albeit disturbing premise that allows viewers to follow characters who can be anyone except themselves. It challenges the human understanding of self. By wiping their personalities, their memories, the essence of who they are, what is left? Can they be restored? Did these people volunteer for this? Why would they?

4. Joss Whedon belongs to a class of television writers who sees the big picture when it comes to crafting storylines and television episodes. Like J. Michael Stracynzski, Chris Carter Ronald D. Moore and Aaron Sorkin, the journey and the big picture are powerful elements in their storytelling repertoire. It's not about the weekly mystery, but storyline arcs, the history and the intricacy of the frameworks that hold their worlds together.

3. The Dollhouse is a totally unique concept in science fiction television. It mingles elements of action from series like Alias and Buffy with internal, yet darkly sinister mythology like the X-Files, but unlike those two series, it is the relationships with the lead that are the driving force to the show and not the lead's story because her story changes from week to week.

2. Tahmoh Penikett stars as Agent Ballard, an FBI agent who is driven to discover the secrets of the Dollhouse. He's treated badly by his co-workers; he is constantly plagued by bad leads and no support and in the first handful of episodes is shot and nearly killed twice. Actor Tahmoh Penikett injects Paul Ballard with so much heart and compassion; it engages the viewer to join him on his quest even if it's not clear why he is so driven. Of course, it helps that he can kick serious butt. Will Ballard find Echo? Will he be able to bring down the Dollhouse? Why is he so driven? Who is helping him?

1. Eliza Dushku is an admirable actress with an impressive and varied resume of roles including her first visit to the Whedonverse as bad slayer Faith. As Echo, Dushku must play multiple roles, sometimes in the same episodes. She cannot develop chemistry and rapport with the other characters because chemistry and rapport are based on personality, something Echo does not have, yet she must also maintain a believable innocence, particularly in her doll state. Dushku delivers over and over again, making Echo, whoever she is, completely root worthy.

Mysteries abound in the Dollhouse and Ballard is determined to solve them. Someone on the inside is helping him. But who is it? What do they want? Does it have anything to do with the mysterious Alpha, the active who carries all the imprints and killed every doll in his dollhouse except for Echo? Is Ballard Alpha? Only time and Joss Whedon can say.

Tune into the Dollhouse on Fox every Friday at 9 p.m. EST.

This is not your mother's Dollhouse.