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Save Dollhouse May 13, 2009

io9′s Charlie Jane Anders explains why the show may be Joss’ greatest yet.

In a nutshell, the Dollhouse is a modern-day slavery operation, except that even the most abject slave gets to preserve some kernel of individuality and free will. In the Dollhouse, people are erased utterly, their minds replaced with empty vessels that the Dollhouse can fill with whatever its rich clients need. You can hire a good-looking person to be whoever, and whatever, you need him/her to be.

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People compare this to prostitution, but that’s selling it short – it’s way worse than prostitution, way worse even than murder. It’s the ultimate evil, and the show has gone out of its way on numerous occasions to point this out. Not only does Ballard explain in almost every episode why the Dollhouse is morally repugnant, but the Dollhouse’s security guy Boyd discusses his moral qualms about the organization constantly as well. And yet.

And yet, we see over and over again that the Dollhouse is a force for good in the world. It saves people, it makes the world a better place. The “Dolls” even do pro bono work, like last week’s episode, where Echo helped a nascent juvenile delinquent, by being a social worker programmed with the mind of that same delinquent as an adult. The Dollhouse’s head, Adelle DeWitt, constantly sells the idea that they’re doing good works - and it doesn’t feel entirely like a put-on. Meanwhile, you have the aforementioned Boyd, who is obviously a deeply moral person who keeps working at the Dollhouse despite his misgivings. He’s only able to stick around because he believes the official line, that every one of the Dolls volunteered to be erased, in exchange for a huge reward five years later.

Also, apparently the show is in last minute renewal talks?!?!  Here’s hoping.