/r/dollhouse

Photograph via snooOG

A subreddit to discuss the canceled FOX television series Dollhouse.

A subreddit to discuss the canceled FOX television series Dollhouse.


Spoiler tags are now implemented! Typing:

[spoiler](#s "Did I fall asleep?")

gives you: spoiler


Fans of any of USA Network's original series? Check out /r/USANetwork and its family of subreddits.

The Syfy original series also have their own subreddits. Check out /r/Alphas, /r/Eureka, and /r/Warehouse13 if you're a fan of any of the shows.

If you like crime procedurals, or just love Nathan Fillion, join us in /r/CastleTV! Alternately, if you like crime procedurals with some supernatural elements thrown into the mix, take a look at /r/grimm.

(There's also /r/araragi if you want to talk about the anime series Bakemonogatari and Nisemonogatari, and /r/TheSoup to discuss the E! show "The Soup" hosted by Joel McHale. And /r/CraigFerguson for the best late night host on television.)

And if you're a season behind in all of your shows, we'll still accept you in /r/patientwatchers. We won't judge.

/r/dollhouse

2,889 Subscribers

5

Which season do you prefer?

9 Comments
2023/09/01
07:53 UTC

7

What's your favorite Echo character?

Of the many personas that Echo takes on in the series, which one is your favorite?

5 Comments
2023/08/20
13:48 UTC

32

What shows have been influenced by Dollhouse?

31 Comments
2023/06/15
21:28 UTC

3

Fave Dollhouse character Part 2

The last poll only gave me 6 options so this is part 2.

View Poll

5 Comments
2023/06/12
17:34 UTC

8

Fave Dollhouse character?

5 Comments
2023/06/12
06:23 UTC

20

Who is the hottest guy on Dollhouse?

For me, Paul Ballard all the way🔥🔥

15 Comments
2023/06/10
17:55 UTC

33

Tips Before Watching

Just watched this show and I actually really enjoyed it! My big tips before you start watching would be:

  1. Pay attention to all of the FACES that you see in the first few episodes. Since there are some actors who play more than one character, it is hard to pay attention and follow what is going on if you don't realise that you are seeing the same faces.
  2. Watch Epitaph 1 and Epitaph 2 TOGETHER at the end of the series as if they were a total series finale,

Even though it got cancelled, I think it ended really well. Eliza Dushku is also a phenomenal actress.

21 Comments
2023/06/07
05:42 UTC

35

Just finished first time watching

Final thoughts post-watching pre-deep dive into trivia and lore:

  1. I liked that in the epitaph 2 Priya and Anthony had issues. Choosing to forget, always fighting a war is a VERY different mindset from someone who never made that choice. I think ultimately they would be one of those couples who love each other but it's not enough to make a happy family, and I’m glad they showed that they had some difficulties.

  2. I think Echo's actor had fantastic acting, but mostly in the dramatic scenes. When Eliza had intense emotions, I felt it. Her regular scenes fell flat for me, and I never felt the true "embodiment" that we see with Viktor/Topher (my favorite scenes). I could not stand Paul (character or acting).

  3. While I thought Topher/Adelle was the best part of the show, I thought the shift from S1 to S2 was jarring for Adelle. She went from a cruel, power-hungry must-always-be-in-control to deep down caring about the Actives, which seemed like a jump. And it seems wildly uncharacteristic that she just accepted having never met or seen the director, nor had the slightest hint or curiosity at what her company was planning? She doesn’t seem like she would be happy with “I just work here”.

  4. Speaking of character motives, how did Alpha drop those hints to Paul S1? He knew enough to guide him but not enough to solve the puzzle on his own? Why was any of that necessary if all he wanted was to nab Echo? How did he imprint “messages”? Seems like a ridiculous plan in hindsight, lousy with plotholes.

  5. I still needed more Boyd/founder backstory. Were they trying to say Caroline's dad is the founder? Like legit family, also maybe Adelle’s "richard" who passed? But then how did she not know? Would that make her Caroline’s mom? But Caroline mentions her mom in the college clip.

And if it was supposed to be a “you guys feel like my family” message, then I have no idea why Caroline had such drive to become a terrorist and bring down Rossum. Her dead ex bf that we saw in a single episode doesn't seem like enough of a reason. Or why the founder didn’t kill her after she started being a personality as Echo, since all he needed was her spinal fluid. I still don’t understand why Paul was so connected to her. Overall I need more backstories and hints towards like a lot of MC’s motivations.

  1. Biggest point: the show made by a man focuses on "tech in the wrong hands is scary" and the doomsday of it all. Very reminiscent of Firefly. Very Y2K of Whedon. I think created by a woman, it would have focused more on consent, agency and autonomy, memories and identity, and how frightening it is to not know or have control over what happens to your body.
13 Comments
2022/09/05
22:38 UTC

25

Should I watch the unaired episode, “Epitaph One” that takes place in the future?

Apparently this episode was unaired and I’m wondering if it’s worth the time to watch. Does it have any relation to the main plot line or does it not matter if I skip it. Is there a better time I should watch this, like after season 2?

16 Comments
2022/08/24
13:58 UTC

15

Sorry so late..

I decided on a fourth rewatch and something bugged me. In Epitaph pt 2, Echo is essentially told that a lot of this started BECAUSE she ‘cut the head off the snake’ in The Hollow Men. But doesn’t explain why. Can someone smarter then me help me figure that out?

4 Comments
2022/08/13
17:23 UTC

13

Is wiping someone out murder?

Or murder is, when you destroy HHD with someone on it?

Is "soul" of a person digitalised and stored? Or person dies and after reupload is it just a copy of a original self? It's kinda like a teleporter problem in star trek... What do you think?

4 Comments
2022/08/05
01:02 UTC

15

Topher and Echo

  1. Did Echo consider Topher her friend? Respected him, appreciated, felt sympathy? And how strong?
  2. Will Echo tear up Topher? Will you grieve a lot? Will she miss him? Will he be remembered fondly?
  3. Echo be offended that Topher didn't say goodbye to her?
  4. How would Echo react if Topher came to say goodbye to her? Would she like to hug him? Would she shed a tear? Would she like to talk Topher out of suicide?
  5. Why didn't Echo hug Topher when she met him in Neuropolis and thanked him for the plan to save the world? It was a great excuse for the writers to draw a touching scene between Topher and Echo. She did not see her friend for a long time and did not know what the enemies had done to him. Moreover, she found him in an extremely terrible state. He also cheered her up with a plan to save the world. Everything could be shown here. And the joy of Echo, and her tears / grief over the condition of a friend. And friendly hugs. And thanks to a friend for the feat of saving the world.
  6. Why did Topher only say goodbye to Adelle? Is he disappointed in his other friends? Or was he afraid that they might interfere with his suicidal feat?
  7. Did you feel cheated by the audience when Topher didn't say goodbye to Echo/Sierra/Victor?
  8. Why are there almost no touching scenes between Echo and Topher? She seems to be rather cool towards him. She never hugged him, almost never smiled at him affectionately, and so on and so forth. It's weird considering he's done more good for her than the rest of the characters. And also played the biggest role in the fight against Rossum. He took out Boyd, saved Echo's life, saved her friend Sierra, and resurrected Paul Ballard. He sincerely worried about her and considered her his friend. He also saved the world. Participated in delivering the last gift from Alpha.Topher was always polite to Echo, even when she was in a "tabula rasa" state. But despite all this, Echo has always treated him much colder than other positive characters. Topher is the only central character that Echo has never hugged. In the second season, it is impossible to find even a scene where she smiles warmly at him.
3 Comments
2022/07/25
16:39 UTC

21

Best Acting Performance in Dollhouse

Who gave the best / your favorite acting performance in Dollhouse?

View Poll

19 Comments
2022/07/21
18:48 UTC

35

Agent Paul Ballard

I love this show! I love the characters! But I really dislike one of them. Paul Ballard. In all honesty, I think he's a dick and single minded. It wasn't until Season 1 ep 6, with his encounter with Joel Mynor (bouncy the rat dude) that he made me really dislike him even more.

His single-minded focus and obsession with Caroline was not my issue. It was the fact that he could never admit that he had a single focused obsession over Carolina and using his mission to bring in the Dollhouse as his excuse for his obsession. He kind of comes off as the badge of justice kind of dude. Always think that whatever he does, he's doing it for justice when in reality, he's just using justice as an excuse for his real desire. He does this consistently and continues to think he is above everyone because he's a man of the law and has a strong sense of morale. Even when he joins the Dollhouse, he still acts like he's better than everyone and refuses to acknowledge his desire to be Caroline's knight in shining armor.

I mean, if S1E6, when Joel was telling his story and why he calls on the service of the Dollhouse, Paul doesn't bat an eye. Not an ounce of humanity and just focuses on the "sexual" part of it and dismisses everything else. Which would most likely just offend Joel and cause him to close up more. Isn't the whole point of talking to Joel is to get information about the Dollhouse? But if you keep combatting with someone, they are less likely to give up anything when they feel you are not on the same side. If Paul hadn't had his head up his ass for like two seconds and actually sympathized with the guy then maybe he would've gotten maybe even a tiny bit of information. It maybe would've helped in his case to find the Dollhouse but instead he had to show that he was a better man of morals than Joel because he had a higher calling to "rescue" Caroline.

Maybe some people will dislike my post about him but he was my least likeable character and honestly I think it's a shame to have written his character so 2-dimensional because he lacked depth yet he was one of the main characters.

24 Comments
2022/07/15
22:07 UTC

10

Briar Rose and Whiskey

Dominique, in Victors body, after Devitt tells doctor Saunders to sedate him, „whiskey“ even though they play it off as if he‘d like a drink. I think he called her Whiskey in an attempt to get through to her… In the same episode Alpha is talking to dr Saunders and asks her if she had always wanted to be a doctor. We as the viewer are finding out in Omega that dr Saunders actually is an active herself who had the Codename Whiskey so I think this was a last minute foreshadowing. Are there some more foreshadowings? I wonder at which point dr Saunders realized that she was a doll, that she has not always been dr Saunders? Is it when Alpha talks to her? Is it when she treats Victors wounds?

2 Comments
2022/07/03
18:03 UTC

19

Current rewatch and unaired Pilot

I am current on a rewatch journey and watched the unaired pilot for the start and damn I am so happy they redid and that the first episode from „Echo“ to „Ghost“ it‘s a way better series opener then the unaired one. Has anyone else seen the unaired Pilot?

4 Comments
2022/07/02
18:25 UTC

14

if you could become an active , would you?

would you want to get wiped and into tabula rasa?

14 Comments
2022/06/20
18:28 UTC

11

Stranger Things parallels?

A secret facility containing captive people with special abilities. Female protagonist is favored by the “original” special person (Alpha vs 001). This “original” special person then proceeds to massacre nearly all of the other special people aside from our female protagonist, who ultimately rebuffs their affection.

5 Comments
2022/06/15
06:19 UTC

11

Why does Ivy say "don't speak to me" to Topher in 2x10?

It's after her big talk with Adelle, which the ending reveals is to get them to fight back against Rossum with her. So what did Adelle say to get Ivy so upset with Topher?

7 Comments
2022/05/12
01:27 UTC

5

does anyone know the song playing during the credits of S01E02?

3 Comments
2022/04/22
04:27 UTC

20

Should I be prepared for a dissatisfying “well, they clearly weren’t expecting to get cancelled” ending?

Have been wanting to watch Dollhouse for years, and finally have the chance (It’s on Disney+ in the U.K.), I’m really gripped but my understanding is the show was cancelled, which can often lead to season-end cliffhangers being left forever. Especially being really into the plot and wondering about the longer arcs (I’m currently on S1E7), I wanna be prepared in advance if that sort of very unsatisfying conclusion is coming. Can anyone give me a spoiler-free sense of whether season 2 ended reasonably well-concluded or if it ended mostly focused on a set-up for a presumed third season? I’m wary of looking anything up on the matter for fear of spoilers.

14 Comments
2022/03/12
21:22 UTC

8

Production/writing/story arc question regarding season 3 of the series

I'm about to finish maybe my third run-through of the show. It feels to me like a complete narrative - no cliffhangers or anything, apart from the coming dystopia stuff they teased a bit, which is a completely different show from the stories they told for the first couple seasons (even as dissimilar as the two seasons were from each other). I pulled up the Wiki entry, which said that there was a 5 year plan for the show. But I don't know how they could have continued telling the same types of stories, given where/how season 2 ended. Wiki says that even the comics that came after cancellation didn't continue the Echo/DeWitt/etc. narrative, but were "same universe" type stuff.

It's also interesting that it feels that way - like they knew as they began blocking out stories for season two that they weren't getting a third season. But, "five year plan." So what was the plan for season 3? Another, intact Dollhouse filling the power void? Topher as a free man? Does Alpha audition on Broadway? Or do they make a hard narrative turn by going whole hog with the apocalyptic stuff they teased with the "Epitaph" episodes (the first of which never even aired)?

Anyone know? You in the back? Anybody's aunt cut Tim Minear's sister's hair back in the day?

3 Comments
2022/03/03
01:28 UTC

3

Where can I watch legally in Canada?

I started watching years ago and it got pulled from Netflix before I finshed, would love to actually finish out the show

6 Comments
2022/01/16
16:38 UTC

13

Why use the attic at all?

So I’m on my third or fourth watch of the show and I’m wondering when Dewitt puts sierra, victor, and echo in the attic for being troublesome it made me question the idea of using it at all. I do know why /she/ does it but like why do it with mr Dominic? Just take their memories/personalities and kill the body! So much energy wasted on keeping a body alive with no real reason. Unless you knew you wanted to use their bodies again, it’s just a really expensive meat sack you’re keeping warm. Am I crazy? Do I need a treatment? (I know it’s a plot device but just want more insight)

11 Comments
2022/01/12
20:10 UTC

18

Fav/Worst/Interesting side characters

Now I know we all love our major characters(there's seriously no bad characters on this show, which is unheard of tbh), they all play their parts and play them well, not to mention all the awesome acting. But of the key support characters which do you think was the best? Or the worst/annoying?Who would you have liked to see more of?If I've left any that stood out to you please comment about them.

  1. Ivy
  2. Senator Daniel Perrin(btw whatever happened to him after that story arc ended?)
  3. Bennet
  4. Loomis (Paul's fbi coworker friend that he badly flirted with & asked for favors)
  5. Arcane/Clyde (the first)
  6. Clive ambrose
  7. Galena (immigrant that echo helped)
  8. Judith(adele's secretary, i know we never got to see her but lol poor girl)
  9. The stylist from the Kiki episode (I mean seriously, the people who did the dolls' makeup and wardrobe shouldve had more screen time)
  10. Octavia Spencer's character (idk why but I feel like she was gonna play a bigger role if the show never got cancelled, Caroline seemed like she bonded with her teachers and they were the reason she was so driven)
14 Comments
2022/01/11
13:06 UTC

70

Alan Tudyk Appreciation Post

12 Comments
2022/01/05
13:29 UTC

1

I love the show, but....

I love the show, but the staff of the Los Angeles chapter, should have been out and out villains, not increasingly 'humanised', 'redemption' arc, etc.

5 Comments
2021/12/04
08:31 UTC

6

Gay/Bi/Queer Dolls?

I know the show is of it's time, but I really wish we had seen some gay/bi/queer dolls in the series, Adele 'helping' people (Adele in a more out and out villainous light)?

3 Comments
2021/12/04
08:01 UTC

Back To Top