(Spoilers) Exclusive Interview with Buffy S.9 Writer Andrew Chambliss

Cover by Jo Chen
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If you've been chomping at the bit for some more Buffy comic news, today's been a good day. Wonder Con's Dark Horse Panel just introduced Andrew Chambliss as writer for Buffy Season 9. We've got a great interview below, where the man himself spills the beans on the direction of Season 9, and more. Check out how his "Geek Street Cred" really shines through this interview!

Buffyfest: Although you've been part of the Whedonverse since Dollhouse was on the air, we want to welcome you to the Buffyverse, Mr. Chambliss! Thanks so much for talking with us. Set the stage for us: How were you approached about writing Buffy Season 9?

Andrew Chambliss: I'd been working with Jed and Mo on the Dollhouse miniseries when I got an e-mail from Joss saying he'd heard good things from them about my “Dollhousery”. He then asked if I'd be at all interested in working on Buffy Season 9 with him. It didn't seem like much of a question to me. The chance to work with Joss? In comics? About Buffy? Umm, yes please. And here I am. Okay, there might have been a few intermediate steps, but that's how it all started.

Buffyfest: Great story! In terms of your intro in the Buffyverse, how did you prepare for Season 9 once you got the news you were writing it?

AC: I'd already read the first three or four trade paperbacks of Season 8 over the past year or so, but I'd fallen behind as my life started to get busier and busier. After Joss emailed me about working with him, I quickly ran out and bought the rest. I read the entire season cover to cover two or three times. I also pulled my Buffy DVD set off the shelf and started watching my favorite episodes -- both to remind myself of the world and to start planting the characters' voices in my heads. Joss also held a Buffy summit at his house with Season 8 writers to brainstorm ideas for Season 9 and the Angel and Faith series. Getting to spend an afternoon with people like Joss, Jane Espenson and Drew Greenberg. Geek heaven.

Buffyfest: Oh, to be a fly on that wall! Now that you're at the helm, which character are you most excited to write and why?

AC: It may seem the obvious choice, but I'm going to have to say Buffy. Going into season 9, she's in a really interesting place – she always thought she was going to die saving the world, but now that she actually survived, she has to face her real life (don't worry, they'll still be lots of slaying). And at the same time, she's watching her friends move on with their lives, and has to deal with the fact that the Scooby Gang might not be there to help her like they used to be.

I'm also excited to write Andrew because I can unabashedly let my inner geek shine through him. And I think this is the first time I will have written a character that shares my name.

Buffyfest: What about a character that you're disappointed you won't get to write with Giles dead, Spike off in his Bug ship and Angel and Faith moving over to the Angel title?

AC: Of course, I'm disappointed that I won't get to write Giles. If I learned anything from writing Adelle on Dollhouse, it's that British characters are fun to write. Maybe it's because you can add completely unnecessary letters to their dialogue, in words like “colour” or “aluminium”. Speaking of British accents, I can safely say that Spike won't be on his bug ship for very long. He'll definitely be a part of Buffy's Season 9 life.

Buffyfest: Let’s go back to Season 8 for a minute. Fans have had a lot to say about Buffy's move to comics. How about you? How did you feel about Buffy Season 8?

AC: I'm a big fan of Season 8. I think comics was the perfect medium to tell a story with the scope that Season 8 needed -- how else would you tell the story of Buffy struggling to lead an army of hundreds of slayers, except in comics? Even though the scope was often bigger than anything that could ever be produced on television, Season 8 still felt like it was the show – the voices were spot on, the writing was clever, and at the end of the day, it always came down to character.

Buffyfest: Okay, let’s talk art. Who’s the Season 9 artist and how has working with him/her been?

AC: Georges is returning for season 9, which makes me all kinds of happy. I loved his work on season 8, and have been impressed with what I've seen for Season 9 so far. The thing that constantly blows me away is how much thought he puts into everything he does. Recently, he sent us rough concept art for one of the covers – not only did he have 8 really cool cover ideas for a single issue, but he also had detailed explanations for each one. Right now, we're just getting started working together, but I know I'm going to love the experience.

Buffyfest: You've written comics for Heroes in the past, talk a little bit about your writing process for comics and the difference between comic writing and television writing.

AC: For me, television writing generally starts with the dialogue and builds from there. It's often an auditory medium before it's a visual medium. How many times do people listen to the TV while doing something else in another room? Comics are always a visual medium first, so I often have to remind myself to think visually just as much as I think about the dialogue. There's as much – if not more – that you can tell the reader through the art than captions or dialogue. Which reminds me of the best part about comic book writing – I never have to worry if anything I write is too expensive to draw. In television, you always end up having to scale back to meet the budget of the episode. But in comics, if you can write it, the artist can draw it. It's really freeing, especially when you're writing about things like demon armies or the post-apocalyptic Los Angeles cityscape.

I'm still fairly new to writing comics, so there's a lot I'm learning along the way. But, luckily, I'm writing under the watchful eye of Scott and Sierra who have been great in helping me figure out what works in comics and what doesn't.

Buffyfest: What about the big man himself? How will the co-writing work with Joss? Will you write all the issues or split the work load with him?

AC: Joss and I have been doing most of the story breaking over e-mail and the phone (I think he's busy with a movie or something). We're splitting the script writing duties at the moment and hope to continue to work that way as we continue to write the season.

Buffyfest: Any spoilers you'd like to share for the Season 9? Please?!

AC: They'll be some new characters introduced early on in the season. I won't give away too much, but one of them includes a hunky demon who served time in a mystical prison.

Buffyfest: That’ll definitely have people talking! With the announcement that there will be two main titles under the banner of Season 9, are you working with the Angel series writer to crossover the two stories?

AC: At the moment, we don't have any large crossovers planned, but we'll most likely send certain characters off to one another between both series.

Buffyfest: Switching to Dollhouse, what's the inside story on how you got the writing job for the show?

AC: I'd met at both Fox and 20th shortly after the WGA strike ended, and the executives there told me that they were sending my material over to Joss to read for Dollhouse. Cue the excitement, nerves, and whatever other neurotic behavior you can imagine. And then nothing. A month later, when I had finally forgotten that Joss might be reading my script, I got a call from my agent telling me that I was meeting with Joss the next afternoon (turns out it took him a while to read my script because he had been busy shooting something called Dr. Horrible). Cue the excitement, nerves all over again. The Dollhouse pilot script was delivered to my house that evening, I read it, and stayed up half the night working on pitches.

I met with Joss, Liz Craft and Sarah Fain the next afternoon. I pitched a bunch of ideas that Joss must have liked (which included Victor/Topher – some thing I was super happy to see land in season two) because I got a phone call from my agent saying they were offering me the job as I was driving home from the Fox lot. Twenty-four hours later, I was working on the show. I can still remember how surreal it felt at the time.

Buffyfest: Wow, that’s an amazing story, but there was obviously not a happy ending. From a writer's perspective, was it frustrating working with the network amidst all the problems at the time?

AC: It's always frustrating to have to change course when you really believe in something. The original Dollhouse pilot (it's on the first season DVD – watch it!) was really cool and set the stage for where Joss ended up taking us with “Man on the Street”, but the network was worried that the pilot came at the premise sideways and wanted something that felt a little more stand-alone.

Buffyfest: What are you most proud of when it comes to your storytelling on Dollhouse?

AC: There are things that I love about every episode of Dollhouse I worked on, but overall I think I'm most proud of the first episode I wrote for the show – “A Spy in the House of Love”. It was such a fun ep to write because each act really was its own self-contained story, and I really got to build to some huge character moments for everyone – Paul's realization that Mellie was a sleeper doll, Adelle opening up for the first time to someone who doesn't even exist, and Echo starting to own her burgeoning individuality. I think the fact that “Spy” was also my first episode of produced television adds to my fondness for it.

I'm also really proud of “Epitaph 2”. I was over the moon when Joss asked me to co-write the script with Jed and Mo. First off, because Jed and Mo are awesome to work with. Secondly, because I was going to have the opportunity to say goodbye to all these characters I had grown to love. And finally, it was post-apocalyptic – and who doesn't want to write a post-apocalyptic script? Everybody does. Especially when you throw in a Mad Max-style semi driven by people called “Freakshows”.

Buffyfest: And what story do you wish you could have told before the show ended?

AC: I would have loved to have been able to tell the story of how Topher ended up working at the Dollhouse. His arc from amoral, arrogant scientist to someone who was willing to give up his life to undue the damage his creations had caused was really interesting to me. I would have loved to have shown where Topher began that journey. I had outlined an episode where Topher had to "brain-nap" his former college mentor, and though we scrapped the episode for some very good reasons, I would have loved to have been able to tell that story in a later season.

Also, a post-robocall season 3 would have been a blast to write for TV. But that's why we have comics!

Buffyfest: You've moved from Dollhouse to the very popular Vampire Diaries. It's no secret that vampires are popular right now, so how do you approach the idea of a "good" vampire?

AC: For me, writing "good" vampires is actually a lot more interesting than writing bad vampires. They're in constant conflict between who they are – someone who wants to be good – and what they are – creatures whose instincts are too kill.

Buffyfest: A lot of people have compared Damon and Stefan to Spike and Angel. Do you see the comparison?

AC: I can see why people make the comparison. Stefan and Angel are both characters who strive to be good despite their dark pasts, and Spike and Damon often want to be bad in spite of the good that can't help but come to the surface.

Buffyfest: Any spoilers or scoops you can give to our Vampire Diaries fans out there?

AC: I'm going to stay tight-lipped, but the end of the season will be epic.

Buffyfest: Okay, we’ll just have to wait and see! So, let's finish with some fun fan questions. How did you get into Buffy?

AC: I remember watching the early seasons of Buffy when I was in high school, and never did the thought cross my mind that I might be writing in that universe at some point in my future. When I started to get interested in television writing a few years later, I began to watch the show much more carefully, and that's when I realized just how incredible it was. At that point, I was hooked.

Buffyfest: Was there a particular moment that made you think, "This is more than just an ordinary TV show”?

AC: There are so many moments, but if I have to pinpoint one, I think I'd say Angel losing his soul in season two.

Buffyfest: What about favorite season of the show?

AC: This is tough, but I think I'm going to say season 6. Spike and Buffy. The Trio. Dark Willow. In fact, I think I'm going to go watch some Season 6 right now.

Buffyfest: Us too! Before you go, though, anything you'd like to say to Buffy fans before Season 9 starts?

AC: Just thank you for welcoming me to all things Buffy!

Buffyfest: Thanks again for taking the time to speak with us. We're looking forward to the story you're going to tell in Season 9!

Interview with Ian Klein - Essayist for Inside Joss' Dollhouse: From Alpha to Rossum

Last week we attended the book release party of Inside Joss' Dollhouse: From Alpha to Rossum hosted by essayist, Ian Klein, here in New York. The book is an anthology of 18 reflective and critical essays about Joss Whedon's show Dollhouse edited by Jane Espenson. Not just edited, but selected from an exhaustive group of submissions from writers both experienced and green.  Ian wrote one of the included essays about the character of Claire Saunders called "'I Like My Scars': Claire Saunders and the Narrative of Flesh". Before the event, we sat down with Ian to discuss the book, the Whedonverse, and more. Check out some photos of the night and our interview below.

Buffyfest: What is it that intrigues you about Dollhouse?

Ian Klein: I think what intrigues me about Dollhouse is what it attempted to do versus what it did actually do. I know one of the early criticisms of the show was "Who are we supposed to root for?" and "There's no central character here" but as someone who is interested in the creative development of television and thought, wow, that's a pretty big challenge. Even if I as a regular television viewer has never seen the work of Joss Whedon before I would think "wow, let's see how character transformations are made if we're leading toward a reaffirmation of identity or just this complete defragmentation of identity". So for me it was sort of about the creative challenge that the show posted initially and then it was interesting that I didn't end up latching onto Echo at all as a central character which for m was fine because there were plenty of other characters (including Claire Saunders) that I were more interesting and felt more real to me whether or not they were actual people.

Buffyfest: I want to talk about Claire. Why her? Why was she the one you chose to write about?

IK: I think Claire's vulnerability and her presence that was always behind the scenes was so intriguing and was one of the things that I saw in earlier postings online and that one of the things I noticed in the early promos for the show was that she was shown as being this mysterious and intriguing figure and was relegated to the background for some reason for so long. But, on the flip side, she still had such a strong character arc and you really felt empathy toward her throughout all the episodes and even though she was in, I think, only three episodes of the second season, her story still felt whole to me in a way that I did not feel about any of the other characters who are in every single episode. And the fact that she's scarred, too. When you see someone who is scarred in any popular medium, that's an immediate in into their psyche and you know that they have a past and you know that there's some sort of damage beyond the surface going on and the scar is just an external representation of the things you can't hide that are so traumatic that they have burst onto the surface of their being.

Buffyfest: In the trailer, the question is raised "Can you wipe away a soul?" which begs the much larger question "Do you believe in the human soul?"

IK: I do believe we have a soul. In terms of how that relates to the show, every character, I think, ultimately, has a fragment of their previous self in them and that is the core of themselves and that is what makes connections between the characters in a really meaningful way. So that sense of relationship that has developed through those core fragments, call it the soul, or what their purpose is on the show and of what our purpose is in life.

Buffyfest: Do you think the future as portrayed in Epitaphs one and two could happen to us in the real world? Or something akin to it?

IK: Yeah, I absolutely believe something like that could happen, especially with our current affinity for digital identity. Ten years ago it was the fear that someone was going to steal your credit card and make a purchase. Now, the stakes are a lot higher because so much of us is on hard disks (aka wedges) and that's scary. You know, I was reading this political cartoon about Google and it was just these two people talking at Google and saying "Well, we have everybody's information, what do we do now?" and it was sort of this question of "Who is going to make that move beyond where we are right now with our digital selves?" and ultimately it's going to come down to money as everything in the Dollhouse does. There's an essay in here about the economy that the Dollhouse sets up and that to make this world believable you have to address everything we have in our world but one of those biggest things is money. It's interesting, I just reread "Fray", and with Epitaph the world reminds me of a lot of the stuff that "Fray" talks about in terms of the classes, were they live, what they have... Fray has the sil,the bracelets that are the currency and she makes a mention to her sister about things being all about "cred" and "up" and the upper part of future Manhattan. So I think that something that Joss Whedon is playing with and I wish we would have seen more of that future.

Buffyfest: You've been reading the comics though, haven't you? The Buffy and Angel ones.

IK: Yes, which I feel play a lot more with that. Maybe it's because those writers or anyone who is writing comics is going to talk about what's happening right now in our world through that lens. It's the same thing that's happening in Buffy Season 8. WHo has magic and who doesn't. That's a kind of currency and skill as well that some people have and some people don't. So what happens when that's taken away from everybody, what happens when one person has more than someone else?

Buffyfest: Let's talk about the complication that comes of the reveal about Boyd as it relates to Claire. The importance of her having her own autonomy isn't just important to her, as a character, it's important to the show as a whole. Do you think that when we find that that Boyd is at the heart of everything that it in any way diminishes Claire's autonomy and who she is?

IK: I don't think it diminishes the autonomy that she's developed within this oppressive system because we know that there is some degree of programming, of course, already in the Claire Saunders imprint but she has, to steal from my own quote "She has succeeded even Topher's expectations in how far she has developed". So when the Boyd thing comes along I see it as this tragic manipulation with him using what power he has over her, whether that be literal or otherwise and based on her own knowledge, her own character, she was led to this. I do think she made a choice to be with Boyd and there's an essay in here that suggests that maybe she feels that Boyd is the one person that loved her most and she needed that and that it was a safe kind of relationship to have where she was.

Buffyfest: I want to draw a parallel between the nature of vampires on Buffy and the nature of actives in the Dollhouse. When a person becomes a vampire, they lose their soul and become a monster but, despite what the Watchers seem to think and what the slayers try to ignore, we've seen incontrovertible proof that these demons retain something of what the person was before. If we look at the actives, it's very similar. In that context, even though Claire denies her original personality, isn't it still relevant to who she is?

IK: Oh, yes, absolutely. I think were the show to go on and if we were to get more backstory, I think you would find someone who was, too some extent, shy, very compassionate and empathetic, and a caretaker. I think it's not so much that it's irrelevant but that Claire Saunders is an evolution in a way to that nameless person who came before Whiskey. So she's ultimately more powerful than the original idenitity but, having incorporated that, I think it's still respectful of that original identity. So we don't fail bad as viewers that we'll never know and she will never know who that original person is because we haven't identified with that original we've only identified with this amalgamation and the end product of that identity.

Buffyfest: Let's do the easy stuff. What is your favorite Joss Whedon show?

IK: Buffy the Vampire Slayer is my favorite Joss Whedon Show.

Buffyfest: What is your favorite season of Buffy?

IK: Season 6.

Buffyfest: What is your favorite episode of Season 6?

IK: For some odd reason (or maybe perfectly legitimate reason), I often watch the trio of Smashed, Wrecked, and Gone. All in one sitting. I guess I like dark things and that downfall is really interesting to me and how those are all euphemisms for being high. It's just a great character study in those three episodes.

Buffyfest: Who is your favorite character?

IK: I'd say Willow.

Buffyfest: Why?

IK: I think it's because of the dark places she goes and she's arguable the most innocent when the show begins. Buffy goes to some dark, personal places, for sure, and has gone evil for an episode or two but Willow was going to destroy the world. And she ripped the skin off of somebody. It's kind of dark. But that's so truthful. I like that she went there and I like the beginning of season 7 where she's apprehensive about being with her friends again and I think that's something that a lot of people can identify with, being ostracized, doing terrible things, and having earn peoples' trust again.

Buffyfest: Do you identify with Willow? Have you ever tried to destroy the world, Ian?

IK: I haven't. Not yet, anyway. Haven't had any desire to. But I've done terrible things. I've had to regain peoples' trust.

Buffyfest: Let's do the Dollhouse thing Favorite episode?

IK: I would say my favorite episodes is "Vows". Probably because of Claire's breakdown. Now I'm so in love with Claire and I feel for her so much, not that I want to see her hurt but, that scene, when she breaks down with Topher is really moving.

Buffyfest: So Claire is your favorite character then?

IK: Yeah, absolutely. I felt that I go to know Claire better by writing this. I had this thought that I knew there was psychological depth to her. She became so real in my mind. Especially this scarring which is such a universal thing.

Thanks so much to Ian Klein for sitting down with us. Inside Joss' Dollhouse: From Alpha to Rossum is available now.

Exclusive Interview: Scott Allie on Dollhouse Comic, the Buffy Motion Comic, SDCC and More!

San Diego Comic Con hasn't even begun yet and there's major Whedonverse news spreading all over the internets. With the release of the Buffy motion comic and the announcement of the Dollhouse comic, we thought it was time to talk to Super Scott Allie about the latest developments. Stay tuned for our 2nd interview with Scott and much more info live from SDCC starting tomorrow!

Buffyfest: So, the Dollhouse comic release was announced yesterday and people are really excited to see more of this story. Of course, with most announcements, there's a little confusion. Let's start by clearing the air with some logistical questions.

Will there be a comic included in every Dollhouse Season Two dvd/blue ray or only limited copies?

Scott Allie: I'm pretty sure it's all copies, at least of the first run of these. I don't think it's limited in any way.

Buffyfest: Can people pre-order it from both comic con and Amazon to ensure they get your hands on the comic?

Scott Allie: I believe so. I actually didn't know about the Comic Con preorder thing until yesterday. That sounds like a challenge—my sympathies are with Fox on that. But I think it's important people know the comic itself will not be available at San Diego—you do not leave the show with a comic in hand. Jed and Maurissa and Joss and Felicia and Zack Ward are signing in our booth, and they're signing a litho of the comic cover by Steve Morris. Steve, by the way, is also the cover artist on the Shepherd Book graphic novel. But the comic itself is only getting finalized this week, so no copies will be available until the DVD comes out, which is I believe in October.

Buffyfest: How many copies are being released and will they be sold at the local comic book shop eventually?

Scott Allie: However many DVDs they're making, I guess. I dunno what that number is, but it's a lot by comic-book standards, for sure. And by hook or by crook, we definitely want to offer Dollhouse comics to the direct market down the road. Something will come of this. I know the rollercoaster question of Dollhouse DVDs has been confusing for fans. The truth is, the last time I publicly said there were not gonna be comics was at a time when we were trying to get this very comic going, but it looked like it was gonna fall apart. Joss had once upon a time told me definitely no Dollhouse comics, never. Then when "Epitaph One" happened, he said, If we ever do comics, this is how we do them. That was, I think, over breakfast at San Diego. Then later he said no way. Then we convinced Fox that the best added value item for the DVD would be a comic written by Jed and Mo, and they went for it, and that breathed life back into the idea.

Buffyfest: Is the comic going to be DVD-sized?

Scott Allie:Yeah, really small. And instead of just shrinking a regular-sized comic down to little proportions, this one was written and drawn, and most importantly lettered, for this size.

Buffyfest: For those outside the US, do you know if the DVD will be region-free?

Scott Allie: I don't know about that. Sorry.

Buffyfest: Did you approach Jed and Marissa with the idea of writing it or vice-versa?

Scott Allie: Actually, here's how it went. Michael Boretz, Joss's former assistant, now produces DVD extras for Joss-related DVDs–among other producing jobs. I tend to forge good relationships with Joss's assistants. So when Michael was set up to do material for the Season 2 DVD, he pitched the idea of a comic. He approached Jed and Maurissa and me, and got the ball initially rolling, convinced Fox Home Entertainment. So it was really Michael who pulled the Dollhouse comic-book idea back into the realm of possibility.

Buffyfest: Tell us a little about the story. When does it take place? What characters will we see? Will there be an Alpha citing?

Scott Allie: The comic takes place at 10:07 on the day that the Active technology went global, and it takes place entirely in LA. The characters in the comic are the characters on the cover, and some new ones. Mags, Griff, Zone—we see how the three of them had their lives come to a screeching halt, care of a screeching over the phone lines.

Buffyfest: Was this a story that would have been told if Dollhouse had been picked up for another season?

Scott Allie: I don't know. It's not at all about Echo—but I know that Joss and Jed and Maurissa were increasingly interested in that Epitaph scenario, so it's quite possible that this could have been "Epitaph Three" at the end of season three, or that season three could have been entirely about the end of civilization and free will as we know it.

Buffyfest: Will we see more Dollhouse comics in the future? Do you think there's more stories to tell in the Dollhouse-verse?

Scott Allie: There absolutely is room for more stories, there are real points of fascination for me. There will be at least a little more comics-wise next year, although how much remains to be determined.

Buffyfest: As a fan yourself, what's something you wish was explored if we had another season of Dollhouse?

Scott Allie: Well, honestly, it is the Epitaph stuff I'm most fascinated by at this point. Sounds self-serving in this context, but it's true. I think they set up a cool milieu, a darker milieu, and I'm all over that. The other thing I'd like to see more of would be Sierra and Victor's relationship before that. I'd like to see some relatively good times between them before things apparently fall apart, as happens based on "Epitaph Two". What I find so interesting about them is the bond that they have that transcends their ability to remember each other. They're drawn to each other in a really interesting way, and I know Joss would have gone somewhere cool with that season by season, if he had the chance. I love how he builds relationships over the course of a few years, and theirs was the most interesting to me in Dollhouse.

Buffyfest: Another big story in the Whedonverse yesterday was the release of the Buffy Season 8 motion comic which is also causing a little bit of confusion for fans. What's Dark Horse's involvement with the project?

Scott Allie: Zero.

Buffyfest: And have you seen it? Any Thoughts?

Scott Allie: Nope!

Buffyfest: How do you feel about the idea of motion comics in general?

Scott Allie: I think it's a challenge to do something that's beyond cheap, inferior animation. And animation's so friggin' amazing now, it's easy to look lame up against it. If motion comics is a legit entertainment form, it should probably be more than simply repurposing existing artwork that was never intended to be animated. Dark Horse did a trailer for Umbrella Academy that I was really happy with—it was limited in scope and ambition, and therefore graceful and dignified and didn't try to be more than it could be. I liked that a lot. We're working on some new stuff now, including something we're gonna unveil on the Dark Horse panel at the show. This is more ambitious stuff, work in progress that could be the next step in motion comics.

Buffyfest: Will there be a full 40 issues of Buffy shown in motion comics?

Scott Allie: I don't know. Sounds like it, though.

Buffyfest: Do you know if any of the actor's were approached to lend their voices?

Scott Allie: I don't know.

Buffyfest: Okay, so San Diego Comic Con is just a day away! Let's talk about what's coming up there. Will you be part of the The Guild panel? Any news on that front?

Scott Allie: I will be there, and we will be revealing a new piece of art, if the technology cooperates. The Guild panel was one of my favorite parts of the convention last year, so I'm really looking forward to it this year. We've got a plot for the first oneshot, and we've got some artists on board, and we're pretty psyched to get the word out on that.

Buffyfest: Joss is doing a signing at your booth on Friday. Do you expect there to be no booth left when it's done? How can people get tickets for that signing?

Scott Allie: We are extremely lucky, in that Joss fans tend to be really well behaved and gracious. Honest to god. We do these massive events with Joss and Gerard Way, and for the mass-times-velocity of humans we get through, we get out of it relatively unharmed. We've worked with some famous people in the past whose fans were a little more destructive. We appreciate Whedonites, honest to god. As far as getting into the signing, we generally ticket these things by lottery, so what you do is you come to the DH booth, ask when we're giving tickets. Get a ticket when you can, then come back to see if you won the lottery. That's basically it. Being patient and polite has certain benefits too, sometimes. And do not mess with Tim Wiesch or Amy Huey.

Buffyfest: Thanks for the tip! Joss is also doing a panel called "The Joss Whedon Experience" on Friday. Will he be revealing any Buffy Season 8 or 9 news that day?

Scott Allie: I believe so. That panel will be probably about half Q&A and half him updating folks on what he has going on. That morning Sierra and I are having breakfast with him to talk over some Season 8 and 9 stuff, Cabin [in the Woods], some other stuff, and so some of what we go over there will probably come out in the presentation. Come prepared with questions. Sometimes I'm surprised at what he's willing to answer. I have watched my publicist's jaw drop to the floor during Joss Q&As. It's fun.

Buffyfest: Thanks so much Scott and see you at Comic Con!

Scott Allie: Thanks, Michelle, looking forward to it.

Is Eliza Dushku's Career Over? Or Just About To Soar?

When the news broke yesterday that Eliza Dushku's first post-Dollhouse project would be a cheesy horror film stuffed with 90's has-beens (sorry!) James Van Der Beek and Freddie Prinze, Jr. a.k.a Mr. Sarah Michelle Gellar, I was so befuddled I didn't even want to post the news. I didn't want to add fuel to Michelle's hate or Bitsy's rants. Maybe they haven't looked on the internet today" I hoped. Please, these guys have every Whedonverse news sources known to the 'nets on their feed readers, so that thought was probably in vain. And the worst side effect was I couldn't stop comparing future on set rumors of a scandal between Eliza and Freddie, with Faith-as-Buffy having sex with Riley in Season 4's "Who Are You?" Blagh.

I don't even know why I was protecting Eliza so much. I came around to Dollhouse in the end, but I do think it took a lot of time away from our boy. She's beautiful, but I've yet to see a stellar acting performance. She's cool, but tends to announce it way too often, rendering her uncool in the process. Maybe the reason I cared was because she actually did an amazing thing with Dollhouse. She had a production deal with FOX that she actually made good on, no matter how it ended. A lot of people get production deals, but a lot of people can't woo Mr. Joss Whedon with Gouda Pizza. As Executive Producer, she probably called more shots than any of us realize over at the Dollhouse. And she took control of her career, which many 90's actors have been struggling to do. I'm looking at you Sarah Michelle Gellar, not that it's your fault.

So why the lame-ass horror movie? Maybe because there is no horror movie. AfterEllen blew the whole thing wide open today and it really made me question, was this just a vicious rumor? Evidence shows that Eliza and her Boston Divas Productions (I will say nothing about that) purchased the rights to the film almost a year ago. Eliza cast her brother Nate as the lead, playing photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. And as AfterEllen also pointed out, Eliza just tweeted yesterday that things were moving along with the project. Eliza speaks about it in this clip:

Something is definitely rotten in Denmark. We'll keep you posted.

Watch Eliza talk about the Mapplethorpe project back in October of 2009. in the clip below (around the 30 second mark.)

UPDATE: Thank goodness this rumor has been debunked by Eliza herself on Twitter.

That Was a Damn Fine Hour of Television

I'm not going to review it, as some of my fellow Buffyfesters may have not seen it yet (well we know that one surely didn't)...but as far as series finales go, in my opinion it simply doesn't get too much better than that. I'd go so far as to say, even with the fear of hate mail, that "Epitaph Two" was a more satisfying ending than the one given to the *other* Joss Whedon female driven series we all know and love.

::ducks::

Goodnight, Dollhouse.

Minorly Spoilerish P.S. In a post-apocalyptic future, where TF did Echo get the seriously kick-ass wardrobe? Is that a Veda leather jacket?

Edited to add: Ratings are in...not that we have to worry about that anymore.

Dollhouse: a Buffyfest Retrospective

Tonight marks the series end of Dollhouse, Joss and Eliza's pet project dreamed up in the loo after consuming some Gouda Pizza at a Hollywood hot spot. Sure we made fun of it in the worst of times (singing, bad outfits, and let's not forget those embarrassing Dushku/Glau Fox intro ads), but the show turned out to be the typical Joss Whedon gem. A compelling, unique journey in a sea of blah on network television...and these things take time before maturing like a fine wine (see: Buffy, Angel, Firefly-to-Serenity, etc.) Before the series finale airs tonight at 9 pm on Fox, let's take a look back on Dollhouse:


The Dollhouse Death Watch: the "skeptics" and the "realists" took one to the jaw when Michelle's team prevailed in this game we played in season 1 (even though she ultimately was the one to drop the show altogether!) I'm glad Bitsy and I were proven wrong, though. For this we can be grateful that amidst poor ratings, the show defied all odds and got a season 2.




And Dollhouse provided us here at Buffyfest some great joy too, whether it was seeing Joss and Eliza at the Apple Store in Soho promoting the project, interviewing the lovely Miracle Laurie, and let's not forget waaaay back in February of 2009: our live coverage of the packed to capacity panel and screening event at New York Comic Con. Good times.



Shockingly, I only just watched the unaired pilot recently, and it made me full of regret. It really does set up the fantastic show we'd ultimely get after the network no longer cared to set parameters. If you haven't seen it, you should really check it out. In fact, instead of proclaiming Dollhouse the Fail it once was, I'd go so far as to say I'd recommend it to anyone. Sure I'd skip a few eps...so my suggested order of things would be as follows:

Season 1
Unaired Pilot
"Man on the Street"
"Echoes"
"Needs"
"Spy in the House of Love"
"Briar Rose"
"Omega"
Epitaph One

Season 2
"Vows"
"Belonging"
and everything after that....

Or you can just hunker down and get through the whole thing so you don't miss a single Topher moment! Now that certain reveals have happened, I'll surely be watching this fantastic series again from the beginning. I'll just check my email during Stage Fright.

Ah well. Another Whedon show bites the ass of Fox. Here's hoping the rumors are true and Whedon's next project is on cable. Next!

Newsies: Twilight-gate Edition

In all the hullabaloo and shenanigans of last week, a lot of the fun Whedonverse related articles and events got lost. So here's a round-up of things we found interesting but didn't post about during Twilight-gate:

New Firefly short stories! New Firefly short stories! We should all be talking about this, but we've been too involved with Twilight-gate.

I got "JOSS!!-ed" a dozen times during the last few episodes of Dollhouse, which keeps getting better and better in my book. Bits still dislikes it and Michelle still refuses to watch it, but I find myself seriously wishing to start a bigger, better "Save Dollhouse" campaign. Check out I09's recap/assesment of last week's ep "Getting Closer" here and this past Friday's ep Hollow Men there. Note: The season finale of Dollhouse has been pushed to 1/29/10.

Speaking of, Dollhouse is closing up shop for real and selling all the goods in the store (too much metaphor?) Lucky for you, this is your chance to pick up some of the leftovers including a cool pair of used Prada loafers.


"The Tinkly Piano of ConCord sex" AOL discusses this awkward pairing in their "Worst TV Couples Ever" list.

These dudes are improving Whedon at The Gorilla Tango Theatre in Chicago! The Improvised Joss Whedon show is a big "what if" scenario in which characters from various Whedon programs (like Buffy and Dollhouse) meet each other. How cool?

We're willing to bet lots of money that there's a sufficient amount of Spike fans who've written James Marsters a love poem, or two. Well, now's your chance to make it official. And please, for the love of all things Buffy, send us a copy of your entry, so we can post it here on Buffyfest, too!

With all the divides in the fandom, and there are many, one character has always been able to bring us back together. Look out for the Angel Special: Lorne due to release in March. Until then, Chris Ryall previewed this page centered around Groo in the special issue. Check that out.


Have a great weekend!

2009 Top Ten Best Moments of the Whedonverse - Buffyfest Edition

It's that time of year again, one of reflection on the past 365 days in the Whedonverse. Here's a look back at the Top Ten Best Moments of 2009 - Buffyfest Edition. Happy New Year, Everyone!

#1 - Dr. Horrible Wins an Emmy
As it should. Plus, there was an awesome appearance by the cast of Dr. Horrible, too. Good times.

#2 - New York Comic Con 2009
Oh boy, was this a bit of craziness mixed with amazing. It was out first year covering the convention and we got to interview Super Scott Allie, the Amazing Brian Lynch and Buffy's own Amber Benson. We also heard Joss speak and I was inappropriately touched by a blind man, but that's a story for another day.

#3 - Buffyfest 2009
It was the year of the Guerilla Drive-in. We thought we might get arrested or at least a little harassed, but alas, it went off without a hitch.

#4 - "Don't Spuff 'til You Spuff Enough"
Words can't properly express how we feel about this song. In truth, it's really the anthem of our year and the pride of our blog.

#5 - Angel's 10 Year Anniversary in Los Angeles
What's more fun than Buffyfest all together in the same room? It's when Buffyfest are all together in the same room that also happens to be the courtyard of the Hyperion Hotel.

#6 - Dollhouse
It was the little engine that could and against all odds, Dollhouse made it to a 2nd and final season with awesome guest appearances by quite a few Whedon alum.

#7- Can't Stop the Serenity Charity Screenings
There's always reason to celebrate charitable giving, especially this amazing group and their determination to help stop Human Rights abuse around the world. As proud sponsors of this year's event, we're happy to report that they had a record breaking year in '09!

#8 - Buffy Season 8 Motion Comic
We still have no idea what this will entail, but it's Buffy and she'll be moving her arms and legs and words will be coming out of her mouth, so this is absolutely a cause for celebration.

#9 - Twilight
A year later we're still asking, "Who the hell is this guy?", but it's finally inching a bit closer to one of the most exciting reveals in the Buffyverse.

#10 - The Buffy High School Reunion
It was a fun-filled two nights in NYC with an extra special Spike performance by our very own Bitsy.

We'd also like to add a very special thanks to the Guest Bloggers we've had throughout the year. We were lucky enough to get some amazing peeps to take over the posting reigns for a bit. A huge heap of gratitude goes out to JayUnderscoreZero (here and here), InyRules, Steph, Danner, Heidi, and Heroine_TV (Part I and Part II).

Joss Whedon and Cast Celebrate Dollhouse...Drunk

These and more pics from Dollhouse's wrap party from @motancharoen Twitpic Stream. Go check out the rest and RIP Dollhouse.

Can't Stop the Serenity Last Hurrah Auction

Can't Stop the Serenity is having their final fundraiser of the year with a "Last Hurrah" auction in support of Equality Now. They've already raised $128,000 and your bid will help them reach their pledge goal of $150,000!

There's some fabulous prizes, including a donation given to us by Kelley Armstrong, Angel comic writer. Kelley was nice enough to send a bunch of Angel goodies, including a signed original draft of Aftermath #1. We all read this original version while we still had it in our hot little hands and it's fantastic. It's fascinating to have a little insight from the original concept and compare to what was in the final print. The winner of the auction will be the only other person to ever get to read it besides us, Kelley and Mr. Whedon himself. A great item for any Angel fan!

Other prizes include a tour of the Dollhouse costume department and a Browncoat Fan Pack. Go check it out here.

Buffyfest Interviews the Lovely Miracle Laurie

It was Sunday morning and Tara and I were sitting in a gigantic pier. Were we taking a boat trip on the Hudson? Nope. We were at Big Apple Con, where we were lucky enough to meet Miracle Laurie of Dollhouse fame. In case you live in a hobbit hole, she plays active Mellie/November/Madeline. After playing a bit of the new Super Mario game for the Wii, we hunkered down into her autographing area and got down to interviewing business.

Bitsy: This is Buffyfest and we're doing an interview here with Miracle Laurie here at Big Apple Con.

Tara: Big Apple Comic Con.

Bitsy: Yes! Or that. Alright, so the first question is: So you've been pegged as being a little bit of an optimist. Let's say, theoretically, since people are trying to make that Dollhouse technology into a reality, do you think there's any chance that it can be used positively? Or is it always going to end in tears?

Miracle Laurie: Well, we actually have done a couple engagements on the show where it is pro bono, where they go and do good things in the world..so yes, I do think so. Is it morally right no matter what? Probably not. (laughs) It's nice that they use it for good sometimes but really that's not what it comes down to.

Listen to the audio of the next part below:



Bitsy: Speaking of technology, talking about one thing everybody uses, you use twitter a lot now...

Miracle: I'm a big tweeter! Yeah!

Tara: So am I!

Bitsy: Yep, we all kind of do the tweet.

Miracle: I resisted all of that kind of stuff in the beginning, just because it's not in my nature at all. And I realized it's kind of necessary and actually quite fun and I've really started to enjoy connecting with everybody.

Bitsy: Yeah, you've connected with a couple of fans now, haven't you?

Miracle: Oh definitely yeah! One in particular - Madelaine Anne is a name that sticks out - and she follows me on twitter and replies to me a lot. She was actually here today and I got a picture with here. So it's fun to put the faces with the names and the handles and stuff. And I just want to tell everyone: even if I don't respond to your replies, I read EVERYTHING. I read everything that people say to me, everything on Facebook. I check it all out every day. I have to get better at replying to everyone but...but I'm there I watch, I listen!

Bitsy: Do you think that twitter played a part, like the campaigns that happened in helping Dollhouse get renewed for that second season?

Miracle: Oh hell yeah! Oh definitely...yeah absolutely. I think that everyone's efforts - The facebook efforts, twitter and all the websites like you guys and everyone else, really added up and became quite the powerhouse that FOX had to reckon with. And they did and they made the right decision.

Listen to the audio of the next part below:



Bitsy: Alright, so I was going to ask you since I know that you were at least a fan of some of the other shows, a hypothetical question. Let's say, if you could play ANY part in any Joss Whedon show other than the one you play now, what would it be and why?

Miracle:
Uh, (laughs) Uh, if I were a man I'd love to play Spike! I thought he was like the hottest, coolest character...super fun and just cool leather jacket, very old school. And I love all the stuff they got him to do when they did all the flashbacks with Angel and all that stuff. I thought that was really, really fun. So he was pretty cool. Or Willow. She's just straight up badass.

Bitsy: Nice!

Tara: Great answer.

Miracle: Goofy and badass at the same time.

Tara: That's a good segue to Buffy. So you're a Buffy fan.

Miracle: Yes.

Tara: What's your favorite Buffy episode?

Miracle: It's not very creative. I love the Musical cause who doesn't? I've never been to a screening, though. I'm sure you know that they do actual screenings.

Tara: Oh yeah.

Miracle: I'd love to go to that. I love the Musical..I love The Body, I thought that was like INCREDIBLE tv making. I thought Sarah was amazing in that episode. Those are probably my top 2.

Tara: Do you have a favorite season, favorite arc?

Miracle: I really enjoy the middle. Towards the end of the last season it got a little sketchy for me.

Bitsy: Oh really, season 7 was a little sketch?

Miracle: Yeah, I mean I watched every second of it, I cried at the last episode because it was over...but I really enjoyed the middle chunk a lot.

Bitsy: I know you watch Fringe and you watch, what is it, Amazing Race? Those are the two I've seen you tweet about.

Miracle: Yes.

Bitsy: I do research. That's right, I looked at your twitter at five o'clock in the morning.

Tara: (laughing) That's your research.

Bitsy: Hard at work. Anything else that you watch? Any movies that you like?

Miracle: I love Lost. I was into it in the very beginning and then the polar bear and I was like "What the hell is happening?" and I left again. My friend was like "You don't understand, it's totally worth it, it you're gonna love it". I got back into it and I just freaked out. I thought it was amazing. So, I'm totally addicted as is my fiance.

Bitsy: Are you gonna be sad? It ends this year. This is the end.

Miracle: I know. Let's see. Sunday television is Amazing Race, nothing on Mondays or Tuesdays for me, Wednesdays is America's Next Top Model. I don't really watch for the drama because really they're all like twelve year old girls, just obnoxious, but...I love all their challenges, I love all the photo shoots and I used to model, so I kind live vicariously through them and remember the good old days.

Tara: I was about to ask if that was the reason.

Miracle: Yeah, it's really fun to watch. Thursdays is Fringe and Project Runway.

Bitsy: That's my favorite reality tv show

Miracle: Fridays is Dollhouse, of course, and that's pretty much it. That's my appointment television. I love rewatching movies I've seen about a thousand times. I love old stuff like "I Love Lucy".

Bitsy: Cool. Do you think you can be objective when you watch Dollhouse? Like, do you watch and say "I liked this, I didn't like that" or is it impossible?

Miracle: It's difficult sometimes. I think I can be objective about myself which is odd. Like some actors cannot watch themselves. I don't mind it. It doesn't feel like I'm watching me. I don't know if I have like a split personality or something that I can just separate but it's fun to just look and say "ew, that's not so good" or "wow, that turned out great". Like for example, when I saw my first episode this season as Madeline with Paul, I was really worried it would really read as Mellie and Paul and that any kind of flirtation would be residual and left over and I didn't feel that way. I felt it was a totally different relationship.

Bitsy: What's the hardest thing you've had to do on the show so far and what do you think is the easiest?

Miracle: One of the hardest scenes for me that stands out is when I had to tell Paul that I was a doll. It was very expositional and I couldn't have a feeling about what I was saying either way vs. nine episodes of working with this guy and just being in love with him all the time and all this emotion and I had to have none in front of this guy that I have this relationship with and Tahmoh was so great in that episode his heart was breaking in front of me for like three hours and I couldn't react to him and it was a lot of dialogue it was like a four or five page scene and it was a lot. It was just very weird to be that neutral in that situation. As a doll you are in doll mode and your in the clothes and in the (doll)house, this is like Mellie/ Paul land which is rife with all kinds of crap and I had to go and do that sequence and so that was really tricky for me and very emotional. Easiest Stuff? I dunno...

Tara: Nothing

Bitsy: Being in bed with Tahmoh Pennikett,

Miracle: Well. (laughs) No he made it comfortable for me. Like that and the fight scenes would be very challenging but I think I was just excited to be there and do the work. It's all been fun and easy and challenging on it's own level. It's just been a total dream.

Tara: You were a model and I’m assuming you’re still into fashion.

Miracle: Not really.

Tara: Do you like how they dress you on the show?

Miracle: Yeah, I do. I should say that I was modeling when I was twelve to fourteen, but I was freakishly tall and had a mature face. So I worked as an adult, but I was still a kid. I was never one of the girls that looked at the magazines and said, “I’m gonna model some day.” It was never really a dream of mine, I always wanted to act and someone approached me in a supermarket and said I should be a model. She took pictures of me and sent them to the manager and the owner and they loved me. So, I started working. It was really, really great, but I did it because I thought it would be a doorway into acting.

You know, I can barely dress myself to be honest with you. I’m just like hippy, hula girl who would rather be barefoot and in a sarong, but working on the show I’ve been educated on many different designers because I’ve worn them. Shoes!? Who knew? I normally hate shoes, but I’m starting to realize how important they are and how fabulous they can be. So, I’m very excited to say that now I’m slowly coming into the fashion world as an educated human being.

Tara: Barefoot, no more.

Bitsy: So, we’re here at a comic book convention. If you could have any superpower which would it be?

Miracle: Oh, flight. Since I was a kid I wanted to fly. I still think it’s possible some day. I don’t know how I’m going to work it out.

Bitsy: Do you have the flight dreams? Dreams of you flying?

Miracle: I have never. Isn’t that ridiculous? Since I can remember, I wanted to fly, but I’ve never dreamt of flying. I daydream...but I don’t need to be like Superman, I just want to fly above traffic. Like, I could just be at building level, it doesn’t have to be anything crazy.

Bitsy: So if we got you like a little Jetson’s flying car, would that be satisfying?

Miracle: That’d be awesome or just a little shuttle pack or a jet pack or I could just hover, like a hoverboard from Back to the Future.

Bitsy: Oh, the Back to the Future 2 hoverboard? I like that one.

Miracle: Yeah, that would work for me.

Bitsy: Couldn’t go on water, though.

Miracle: That’s okay. I just want to be above the ground and feel that sensation.

Tara: Ok, we want to do a quick word association. We’ll give you a word and you give us a word.

Miracle: Okay.

Buffyfest: You don’t have to think too much, just blurt it out.

Miracle: OK

Listen to the audio of the Whedonverse Word Association below:



Buffyfest: The Whedon Fandom.

Miracle: Awesome.

Buffyfest: Paul Ballard

Miracle: Hot.

Buffyfest: New York City.

Miracle: Probably my favorite city in the world.

Buffyfest: Serenity (the movie).

Miracle: Almost in it, I think. (laughs)

Buffyfest: Really?!

Miracle: Yeah, I’m not giving one word answers, sorry. (laughs)

Buffyfest: What! Do you know who you were going to play?

Miracle: I don’t know, no. It was a very weird situation, but I think I was almost in it, yeah. Keep going!

Buffyfest: You're like "Moving on!" OK. Faith, the Vampire Slayer.

Miracle: Echo.

Buffyfest: The Dollhouse.

Miracle: Home.

Thanks so much to Miracle Laurie! Click here to follow Miracle on twitter, if for some reason you're not already!

All 13 episodes of Dollhouse Season 2 to be shown!

"If you cancel it, you're an asshole; if you renew it and then don't put it back on, you're an asshole," he said. "I'm still paying for 'Terminator.' 'Dollhouse' has a small rabid fan base that in the world of social media seems bigger than it is. We gave them another season knowing full well we were going to burn in hell if we pulled it."  -Fox scheduling chief Preston Beckman about Dollhouse

The Hollywood Reporter also suggests a full-season order is unlikely. Click here for the full article:

http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/10/fox-we-will-air-all-13-dollhouse-episodes.html

Death to the Dollhouse Death Watch

Last season of Dollhouse, some of us here at Buffyfest were convinced that the series was headed for certain death at the hands of FOX and one of us was a bit more positive about the whole situation. An argument was had, a wager was set, and a little game called The Dollhouse Death Watch was born. For those keeping score: Michelle was the optimist, thinking that it would make it through the season and more (which, of course as we now know, it had!) Bitsy, always the Hardcore Skeptic, believe it would be vamp dust blowing in the wind faster than you could say "Firefly" (holy mixed metaphor thingee.) And I, Tara the Realist, thought it would have it's active day in the sun, then be wiped from our memories at the end of the season.

The crazy twist here was that by episode 10-ish Skeptic Bits ended up loving the thing and Michelle...well the optimist in Michelle had died and she ended up hating Dollhouse with a passion. So much so that she refuses to watch it AT ALL this season, Whedon blogger chick and all. Shame. She has her reasons and I'm sure she'll explain them all if prodded, but most of the reasons start with an EL and end with an IZA.

So...we've decided to shelve the Dollhouse Death Watch. It won battle against FOX, even if it does end up with a Tru Calling-esque fate. But Bitsy and I have made a new side bet to see how long it will take Michelle to break, if at all. Now we can't really discuss the terms or who chose what result, as we don't want to influence her either way. So whaddya think?

I Miss John Connor

Everyone knows about my love of the show Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and my grief at its cancellation. I even wrote a post about it here. I thought my wounds had been healed until I read this interview with Thomas Dekker. He really seemed to love the show and even gives some info on where it would have headed in its 3rd Season. Of course, we'll never know because, as Dekker says himself, "In the end it really came down to Dollhouse or us and that was sort of what happened."

I'll refrain from what I really want to say right now and just go back to being a broken-hearted TV watcher once again.

Buffyfest's Spoilerific "Epitaph One" review

Comic Con attendees will have the privilege of watching the mysterious, PR snafu surrounded, unaired and straight-to-DVD finale of Dollhouse "Epitaph One" before the DVD is released at Friday's panel. We thought it appropriate time to give our 2 cents about the ep with this here little review, Buffyfest style. Let's get right to it.

Tara's take -
The Gist- I found the episode to be good, bad, confusing and clarifying all at the same time. Things get going when the team of "Actuals" on the run from what is seemingly an Active run world arrive at the now defunct LA Dollhouse. The place seems like Wolfram & Hart just after The Beast attacked in season 4, leaving nothing but zombies behind.

The Bad - The wannabe "post- Skynet apocalypse" looking set decor wasn't Whedon's finest. I understand we were working on a limited budget, here, but the opening scene was a sad reminder of how Sarah Connor Chronicles would be no more than anything else. Felicia Day's appearance here didn't really help, what with her speaking in "year 2019, just-short-of-Dark Angel-lame" slang. Just saying. Oh, and let's not forget the Eliza shaped hole in the wall and all that surrounded it.

The Good - Well, there's Amy Acker, who's fantastic. I'm really sorry she was underused during the season but I guess that's what made 'the reveal' better. Not sure what's up with her and Boyd, though (Bhiskey!) and that's obviously a whole other story. There's the touching scene between Topher and Dewitt that changed everything for me (even though I believe I'm alone on this within the realm of Buffyfest.) And most importantly, there's the comfy feeling that I have about season 2 of Dollhouse. The Dollhouse Death Watch might be a very different bet this coming season.

Tara's Final Rating - I give it 2 and a half stakes for story and a T-800 series Terminator Skull for quality.

Michelle's take -
It's hard for me to put in words why I didn't love this episode, especially since anything post-apocalyptic is always my cup of tea. I think it has something to do with my feelings for the rest of the Season which were not positive at all.

Duschku's absence was weird to me, her being the main character and all and when she did appear, her scenes became a distraction. The first scene where she announces that she's still getting headaches and then screams out in unconvincing pain right after that declaration was stupid and I can't believe it even happened. Then there was the brick wall-breaking, gun-toting Caroline with her silly one-liner. No thanks.

One ray of sunshine during the entire episode was Amy Acker. She was convincing and had an awesome Illyria-esque quality to her. There is a scene with her and Boyd that was well-done, too. Joss Whedon, when he does it right, can get a lot of emotion and back story out of one tiny scene.

Another positive is the fact that Joss is telling us straight out that imprinting humans with false memories for the good of rich people is NEVER going to end well. But where does that leave the viewer? A big problem I have with the show is that I don't really sympathize with any of the characters. The "Topher crying" scene was touching and they did a great job acting it, but I still found myself thinking that they should feel this pain. Funnily, I find Dominic, the one who is supposed to be the dickiest, to be the one I root for most of the time. That can't be right, can it?

Michelle's Final Rating - I give it 2 stars.

Bitsy's Take -

In a moment of complete shock that surprises no one more than me I actually loved Epitaph One and was sad as hell (yeah, you heard me: hell is sad) when the episode ended. To qualify: I treated this episode as functioning essentially completely outside of the canon of the rest of the series. The only thing I found myself connecting the episode to was the unaired pilot and, in a way, I think you could probably splice the two of them together into a really keen movie.

In fact that goes right along with what I've always believed; that the premise of Dollhouse is a better fit for film than it is for a television series. I just don't think the concept can be sustained under the duress of weekly broadcast. As a two hour movie, however, it is harrowing, haunting, and deliciously distopian. Gone are any pretenses that anything good could possibly come out of the Dollhouse. All we're left with is the terrifying consequences of what happens when the people with all the money and power can live forever. More than that, we bear witness to the ultimate Orwellian nightmare, where Big Brother isn't just everywhere you look, he is programmed into every facet of your being.

The performances were solid. I actually didn't mind Dushku as much as some but, then again, I was just happy she wasn't the focus. Dollhouse is at it's best when it's treated as a true ensemble piece. Felicia Day is, well, Felicia Day. It's nice seeing her do something that isn't just on the interwebs. It's really a shame this didn't go to air. Amy Acker earns the break out performance though. Her treatment of Whiskey in stark contrast to Claire Saunders is spell-binding and unnerving. It's actually pretty similar to the turn from Fred to Illyria actually and there aint nothing wrong with that.

As Travis Birkenstock would say: I give it two thumbs up. Fine, family fun.