Loyal Whedon fans completely packed the ballroom the “Dollhouse” panel was held in. The panel included the presence of creator/director, Joss Whedon and actors, Eliza Dushku( Echo), Dichen Lachman (Sierra) and Fran Kranz (Topher), a screening of “Epitaph One”, and Q&A session.
The screening of lost ep “Epitaph One” met with a raving reception from the Comic Con crowd. Here’s a one sentence summary about the lost ep without too many spoilers: In a dark but not so distant future, random imprinting and loss of self threatens everyone and a small band of survivors seek answers in the Dollhouse. (See our article with clips from ‘Epitaph One’ here.)
‘Epitaph One’ is indeed the game-changer for the series that it was rumored to be. But Whedon wouldn’t call it a second pilot:
“[Epitaph One] is definitely a different vision and it will contain a lot of things about the characters and who they are and where they’re heading that people might not have seen or expected.”
One might not be surprised that Echo, played by Eliza Dushku, has a greater role to play in the grand scheme of things. What exactly is it with Echo that people are drawn to? What makes her special? Whedon agrees that other characters ‘project’ onto Echo:
“Yes, you’re very right to say that they’re projecting on her. A lot of her life, not just because she’s a doll, but also just in general, has to do with the fact that people become obsessive about her. But we are going to learn and starting in this season that they’re not wrong, that there is something truly special about her and that she is going to be a major in factor in what happens to Dollhouse over the next few years.”
As for FBI agent, Paul Ballard (Tahmoh Penikett aka Helo from BSG) investigating and now working with the Dollhouse in search for Alpha, Whedon lets us in on the arc he has planned for him:
“We had always intended for Paul to find the Dollhouse and for his interaction to change because we didn’t want him to be like the reporter in ‘The Hulk,’ showing up too late every episode. And now they’ve been working on him from the outside with November and his alliance with Echo is going to be really tested, because he’s going to be in there with her partially to protect her but also to find out what’s really going on…. So we are going to see that while (Echo) is starting to grow, we’re going to see that everybody else really starting to come apart a little bit.”
“Dollhouse” as a show challenges viewers with questions on morality and definition of self. Whedon explains the deeper themes running throughout the show:
“Well I think ultimately the thing that fascinates me is morality and personal politics; the politics of the personal, of the person in the moment as opposed to the statement. Yet I would say in terms of the second season, the abuse of power and the different kinds of forms it can take is going to become broader and more, in fact, political, and we’re going to see the Dollhouse in the world a bit more.”
Whedon also told Comic Con audiences that more Whedon-verse alum will appear in this second season of “Dollhouse”, among them Alexis Denisof (Wesley from Angel and Buffy) with a re-occurring role and Felicia Day (formerly on Buffy) will also be appearing early in the season as well. No confirmation on Summer Glau hopping into the Dollhouse yet, but both fans and Whedon are hopeful that it could happen.
[NOTE: SPOILERS IN BELOW PARAGRAPH]
But what about Victor and Whiskey/ Dr. Saunders since they were sliced up by Alpha last we saw them? Supposedly, Victor, played by Enver Gjokaj, will heal up from his injuries rather quickly and Whiskey/ Dr. Saunders will have a crisis of identity.
At one point during the panel, Whedon teased the audience with this statement:
“There is one trustworthy person in the Dollhouse – and I’m going to kill them.”
[END SPOILER]
And with that, I’ll leave you at the edge of your seat while we wait for our treatment on Tuesday to see Epitaph One on the Season 1 DVD! (Also available on itunes August 11th)
Dollhouse comes back to us Friday, September 25th on Fox at 9/ 8C.
