underdeveloped

Dr. Horrible star Felicia Day tweets, “Man, day getting worse and worse. Found out my Dollhouse ep, #13 isn’t gonna air. Only on DVD. Such a great part too. Thx Fox. ”  

Day had been featured in episode 14 of the series, ‘Epitaph One’.

Indeed, the news from Fox is that 14th episode of Dollhouse would not be broadcast.   

“We currently do not have plans to air ‘Epitaph One,’” says a Fox source, who added that this decision does not reflect the network’s feelings about the show or whether Dollhouse will be renewed.   Fox had purchased 13 episodes, of which one was originally designated as the series pilot, but was scrapped.  An official announcement about Dollhouse’s possible return for next season will be made at the network’s upfronts in May.

Dollhouse is about a group of individuals who are kept in a seeming “blank” memoryless state until they are programmed with a personality profile and skills and dispatched on assignments (called engagements).  The Dollhouse refers to the memory-erasing lab where the dolls stay after each mission.)

I have been a fan of Whedon’s work since BTVS but have had mixed feelings about Dollhouse. Dollhouse lacks the clever dialogue and tie-ins with history and popular culture. The idea of a clandestine government organization has already been thoroughly explored in the action/adventure genre with series like La Femme Nikita, Alias, 24 and Kyle XY.  The concept seems tired and due for a refresh.  While I’d love to see more character development and backstory of the players in Dollhouse, I wouldn’t be surprised if this show didn’t make it to a second season.