Michael Starr

Heather M. Porter

Premiering on Fox in 2009, Joss Whedon's Dollhouse was an innovative, contentious and short-lived science fiction series whose themes were challenging for viewers from the outset. A vast global corporation operates establishments (Dollhouses) that program individuals with temporary personalities and abilities. The protagonist assumes a different identity each episode--her defining characteristic a lack of individuality. Through this obtuse premise, the show interrogated free will, morality and sex, and in the process its own construction of fantasy and its audience. A decade on, the world is--for better or worse--catching up with Dollhouse's provocative vision. This collection of new essays examines the series' relevance in the context of today's social and political issues and media landscape.

Essays on the Joss Whedon Series

Re-Entering the Dollhouse

Sherry Ginn

Alyson R. Buckman

This collection of essays contextualizes Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse as a postmodern investigation into what makes us human and as an examination of how technology invariably transforms our identity and perhaps even our humanity. Together, these essays provide a provocative meditation on how one example of science fiction comments on the state of personal identity in a 21st-century society dependent on forms of technology that threaten the individual. This collection of essays examines the various characters and themes presented in the series throughout its two-year run on television. In addition, the essays look at how the series fits into Joss Whedon’s oeuvre as auteur, director, and producer.

Heather M. Porter

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