joss whedon

If you haven't seen Firefly yet, or the spin-off feature film Serenity, then be warned that I'm going to get spoilery.

If there's one thing Browncoats can all agree on, it's that none of us liked it when Wash (played by Alan Tudyk) died. I think a lot of fans' problems with Wash's send-off in the movie Serenity had to do with how quickly he was written out while the crew moved on to the next bit of action. Sure, no one wanted to see him go, but it might've been nice if writer/director Joss Whedon would've slowed down for a moment and let the characters (and fans) say goodbye.

That goodbye is coming, and from a surprise celebrity Browncoat -- actor/comedian Patton Oswalt. Oswalt is writing the one-shot comic Serenity: Float-Out for Dark Horse, set for release on June 2. In the comic, Wash's old friends, from the days before he piloted Serenity, gather together to tell stories about their dearly departed friend. Oswalt hopes to give the fans some closure, while taking a deeper look at one of his favorite characters.

(via MTV)

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.

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

Could Joss Whedon have a new show in the works? Matt Roush at TVGuide reports of an upcoming meeting. (This time, not with Eliza.)

The Hollywood Reporter posts that Jonathan Levinson will tackle zombie flick Warm Bodies. Let's hope these zombies are quicker than the Mandy Lane distributors.

Holy poked eyes, Batman! Gizmodo finds a batumbrella.

But an even better geeky adornment is Mystery Science Theater in eyeglass form at Geekologie.

io9 shares a peek at the dry ice-covered dunes of Mars.

Diego-san, the humanoid one-year-old with the gargantuan head. [BoingBoing]

As The Los Angeles Times shares, Versace gives his fashion take on Tron.

And finally, the web is buzzing with new Star Wars opening text. [Awesomer]

Graphic designer hewtab is keeping the signal alive with her own custom Serenity shirt, featuring a Firefly in a jar. I see what you did there, hewtab.

The shirt is available for $20.99 from MySoti and comes in three colors (powder blue, navy blue, and black -- though I wish one came in brown). I think Firefly fans have been a largely untapped market for merchandise, so whenever I see something cool like this, I have to share it with my fellow Browncoats.

(Thanks to @ReelDistraction for the link!)

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.

Are you aware that Joss Whedon is the best thing since sliced bread? 'Cause he is. Apparently the Producers Guild of America agrees, since they've selected him to receive the Vanguard Award, which "recognizes achievements in new media and technology."

Okay, so I'm admittedly a total Whedon fanboy and am completely aware that this places me in the most rabid and terrifying fanbase roaming the interwebs. Ever bear witness to a Browncoat vsTrekkie debate? I'm having an aneurysm just thinking about it. However, when you are the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Firefly, you've earned my undying devotion (and my forgiveness for scripting the appalling Alien: Resurrection).

The reason for the award, though, definitely appears to be Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog, which, in addition to being the best science fiction musical about a mad scientist yearning for love ever made, proved that web-based media could not only look and sound professional, but could become a sensation beyond a niche audience and could be financially viable. Considering that Whedon has a Gilliam-esque penchant for disaster when he works within the studio system, new media represents an opportunity for him to make what he wants, when he wants and deliver it straight to his audience via the magical power of the internet.

These are exciting times and Whedon is a trailblazer. The next decade is going to see more and more exciting work being created strictly for internet consumption; how content is made and how we view it are going to change dramatically.

And Joss Whedon gets a plaque or a trophy or something come January 24th, so hoorah!