Dollhouse

Joss Whedon's Dollhouse has closed for good, moving from a mediocre-at-best Eliza Dushku variety show to a slow-plotted and intriguing drama, to an absolute whirlwind of OMG moments hurtling towards an apocalypse. Watching the final wrap-up episodes, I was intrigued and increasingly drawn in, glad to be rid of the boring and flat assignments and into the intricacies of the Dollhouse system, Enver Gjokaj showing Dushku how an actor truly morphs, and an all-too-brief taste of Ray Wise.

And then came "Epitaph 2: Return," an episode that was rife with deja vu. It's a shame Whedon and Co. didn't use that final episode's 40 minutes to give the whirlwind plot path a little more room to play out -- ease the last episodes' rush a little. Instead, we got Buffy the Vampire Slayer's "Chosen," plus a few other Slayer perks, done Dollhouse-style.

Here's a look at tonight's sci-fi TV:

Dollhouse, "Epitaph Two" – We head back to the future (2020 to be exact) as Echo and crew fight to undo the mindwipe-ocalypse in the series finale of Dollhouse. Can a stress-addled Topher save the world with his brand new futuretech? Will Paul and Echo live happily ever after? We'll find out tonight. (8 p.m. ET on Fox)

Smallville, "Disciple" – Oliver's old teacher The Dark Archer (Andromeda's Steve Bacic) heads to Metropolis and sets his sights on Lois and Chloe. Clark and Speedy are pulled into the drama as Oliver looses control of the situation. (8 p.m. ET on The CW)

Caprica, "Rebirth" – Digital Zoe deals with her download into the real world while the Graystones learn more about their daughter's past and her connection to the bombing. (9 p.m. ET on Syfy)

Head after the jump for clips and more TV picks.

A look at tonight's sci-fi TV:

Dollhouse, "Hollow Man" – The end is near for Joss Whedon's latest mindfrack, but there's still a lot to learn about our favorite Dollhouse denizens. Everyone's backstory is finally revealed tonight as Echo and the team rush to Arizona to take out Rossum's mainframe computer. And things get tense when Echo confronts Dr. Whiskey Saunders. (9 p.m. ET on Fox)

Sanctuary "Kali" - Sanctuary's double-sized season ender (already?) finds Magnus fighting a major threat to all abnormals while Will is struck by visions connected to a dangerous cult. Also, we're told a giant lizard monster might cust loose in Tokyo! (Two episodes starting at 9 p.m. ET on Syfy)

Batman: The Brave and the Bold – Before heading to Smallville, the Justice Society of America drops by the Batcave to help ol' Bats defeat baddie Per Degaton. JSA members slated to appear include Hawkman, Wildcat, Hourman, The Flash and Dr. Mid-Nite, with special guest Black Canary! (7:30 p.m. ET on Cartoon Network)

Head after the jump for clips and more TV picks.

A look at tonight's sci-fi TV:

Dollhouse, "Getting Closer" – The rush to the Dollhouse series finale starts tonight with the return of Summer Glau as Bennett and Amy Acker as Claire "Whiskey" Saunders. Topher is tasked with rebuilding Echo's original personality after Adelle learns that it's the key to stopping Rossum's blanket brain invasion plot. Elsewhere in the episode, Bennett's dark relationship to Echo is revealed, Boyd paints the walls with Rossum exec blood, and the corporation's mysterious leaders come out to play. (9 p.m. on Fox)

Batman: The Brave and the Bold, "Aquaman's Outrageous Adventure" – In a genius move, Cartoon Network's smart and campy new Batman show has decided to depict Aquaman as a dumb, egocentric brute. It's hilarious. So tune in for some subversive superhero fun. (7:30 p.m. on Cartoon Network)

Head after the jump for clips and more TV picks.

It was only a matter of time before some Youtube genius mashed up two of out favorite sci-fi TV mindfracks – Battlestar Galactica and Dollhouse.

It's interesting how that iconic shot of the Cylons resting in their beds of goo matches up perfectly with the shot of the Dolls going night night on Dollhouse. Writer Jane Espenson, who worked on both shows, even pointed out the coincidence in the commentary for Battlestar Galactica: The Plan.

Head after the jump to view the video.

I watched the double episode of Joss Whedon's Dollhouse last week, and it's taken me some time to cool off.

Fox TV really gets my blood boiling sometimes. Not only did they take Dollhouse off the air during November sweeps, but they're doubling up on episodes in the wasteland of December/early January television so they can let it die an unnatural death. Now they can blame the low numbers on the show, when in large part it's a time when people are distracted by the holidays (or in the case of students, exams).

Bad form, Fox. But hardly unprecedented. The Fox channel is notorious for snapping up high concept shows, hyping them until just before they premiere, and then abandoning them if they don't immediately become a hit. I don't know who I'm more annoyed with, Fox or Whedon, for yet again falling prey to Fox.

X-Files was lucky, with 9 seasons and 200 episodes, but it didn't start on top. Buffy: The Vampire Slayer was abandoned five seasons in when the numbers dropped from 4.4 to 4.2 million (thankfully UPN picked it up for two more seasons). After that, anything high concept seemed to be dropped quickly if it wasn't an immediate hit. Space: Above and Beyond only aired 23 episodes.and John Doe only 21. Don't even get me started on Firefly, another Whedon project, which not only had a truncated season of a mere 14 episodes, but Fox aired episode 11 first, ensuring it would be hard to follow.

While Dollhouse is as fortunate as Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles to even get a second season at all, It's an insult to Whedon and those who crave high concept stories.

So Joss, next time Fox wants to buy one of your shows, just say no.

A look at tonight's sci-fi TV:

Dollhouse, "Stop-Loss," "The Attic" – It's another Dollhouse double bill as Fox tries to burn off the few remaining episodes as quickly as it can. In tonight's first hour, Victor is released from his contract, but he runs into trouble when his past as a soldier starts to haunt him. Will he come back to the House? Will he leave Sierra behind? And, more importantly, what's Victor really like when he isn't being controlled by the Dollhouse? I can't wait to see the awesome Enver Gjokaj take center stage in this one, especially after watching him "become" Topher a few weeks ago.

In Dollhouses' second hour, the inevitable happens as the Rossum big boys decide to stick Echo in the attic, where she encounters her worst nightmare (cancellation, perhaps?). Let's hope Joss Whedon has cooked up some decent horrors for us tonight. The attic is supposed to be Doll hell, and something tells me Echo's journey through its nine levels ain't gonna be pretty.

Sanctuary, "Sleepers," – Vampire Tesla returns! And he's on a mission to restore vampires to a place of dominance over the Earth. How does he plan on accomplishing this? By opening a resort in Mexico where he turns troubled teens into bloodsuckers, of course. Will and Magnus track Tesla down and try to stop his evil plan. We're just hoping Jonathon Young gets a few good one-liners in that'll tide us over until January.

Head after the jump for promos and clips.

Welcome to Captain's Log -- your (semi) daily round-up of sci-fi randomness from around the web. Here's what's happening:

The second official picture for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 1 -- high-res at The Leaky Cauldron -- gives a slightly more intriguing picture. At least this one has wandage.

HijiNKS Ensue starts up their own Team Edward.

Umm... I get fandom, but would you really want to kneel before Zod at your wedding? [Topless Robot]

Joss Whedon tells the Chicago Tribune why Dollhouse failed.

SciFi Wire spots a killer Evolution of a Cylon poster.

Sometimes there's nothing cooler than retro looks into the future, like BoingBoing shows with Popular Mechanics minimalism.

Merlin gets a third season on BBC One.

SuperPunch shares a super-cool leather zeppelin steampunk toy.

And why the Na'vi speak English, over at io9.

A look at tonight's sci-fi TV:

Dollhouse, "The Public Eye/"The Left Hand" - Dollhouse is officially done for, but Fox still has a few episodes left to air, including tonight's tense-looking two-parter. Echo is sent to dispatch Senator Perrin (Angel's Alexis Denisof) before he can expose the Dollhouse, while Adelle and Topher meet up with genius programmer Bennett (Summer Glau) at the D.C. House. Later in the ep, Adelle clashes with the another Rossum head honcho (the always brilliant Ray Wise) while Bennett plays mind games with Echo. Elsewhere, November finally goes public with what she knows, spurring Topher to experiment with some cool doll "disruptor" tech. Let's hope tonight kicks off a string of great final episodes that will leave us wanting to send those impatient Fox execs to the attic. (8 p.m. on Fox)

Stargate Universe, "Justice" – Tonight's mid season finale is packed with big developments. Someone aboard the Destiny is murdered with a gun found in – gasp! – Col. Young's quarters. Did the weasly Telford somehow sneak aboard to frame the good colonel, or is there something even more distressing going on? (9 p.m. on Syfy)

Sanctuary, "Next Tuesday" – Will and Magnus spend the episode swimming in sea creature-infested waters after their helicopter crash lands on a decommissioned oil rig. And Will screams, a lot. (10 p.m. on Syfy)

Head after the jump for previews and clips.

As much as we all fervently and loyally love Joss Whedon, it's time to face facts: His mojo is off. It's not gone -- I'd never suggest such a thing. One look at Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog and the better episodes of Dollhouse prove that the magic is still there. However, it has lost its focus, writhing in the ether, struggling to gain the fame of his earlier television work -- fame that while never massive, was solid, loyal, and passionate.

With Dollhouse canceled, the question on everyone's mind is how can he get back to the success of Buffy? How can he shrug off the pain of two battles for ratings and second seasons, and present a show that ushers in a fandom rivaling what came before with Buffy, Giles, Willow, and Xander?

Hit the jump for 5 sure-fire ways to get Joss back on track.