Dollhouse is a sci-fi present that ran on Fox from 2009 to 2010, solely lasting two seasons. It was one among many terrific sci-fi exhibits canceled earlier than its time, which is a disgrace, as a result of Dollhouse had trenchant issues to say about technological progress that appear extra related than ever as we speak, at a time when the generative AI revolution is threatening to upend many individuals’s lives with out giving them something to regular themselves.
What’s Dollhouse about?
Meet the human chatbots
Dollhouse is about in Los Angeles, California, the place the shadowy Rossum Company has constructed a really attention-grabbing enterprise: beneath the town, they’ve constructed a “Dollhouse,” an open house that appears like a high-tech spa. That is the place the dolls, or Actives, reside. A “doll” is an individual who agrees (effectively, normally) to present away 5 years of their life to the Rossum Company in alternate for huge sums of cash as soon as their contract is completed. Their personalities shall be cleaned from their brains, leaving them as pliant, virtually child-like beings who reside peaceable lives within the Dollhouse.
However then, rich shoppers will pay for these dolls to have new personalities implanted. They are often was untraceable assassins, made into extremely competent spies, or was the perfect lover for shoppers who can afford it. Then, when the job is completed, they return to being dolls, patiently ready for a brand new persona to be imprinted upon them.
Dollhouse was made lengthy earlier than the present AI increase, however it resonates as we speak in a method the producers could not have predicted. We have all heard tales about folks falling in love with and even marrying AI chatbots, regardless that chatbots primarily simply mirror again no matter these folks wish to hear. Chatbots might not have been round in 2009, however the dolls serve a lot the identical operate: they’re programmed to be the proper companion to anybody who will pay sufficient cash, solely they’re flesh and blood. Chatbots cannot give bodily suggestions but, however when and if they’ll, who is aware of if relationship will survive? Dollhouse knew that folks can be prepared to take pleasure in this type of delusion.
Dollhouse faucets into our concern of technological progress
Is the worst inevitable?
Dollhouse primarily follows Echo (Eliza Dushku), the preferred Lively on the premises. Echo’s actual identify is Caroline, and earlier than she was railroaded into turning into a doll — she is just not one of many individuals who do it voluntarily — she was an activist attempting to show the Rossum Company’s historical past of shady human experimentation.
Over time, we discover out extra concerning the Rossum Company’s true targets: they wish to use this mind-wiping and personality-imprinting expertise to position their programmed brokers in positions of energy world wide, eradicating rules on their analysis. A choose few will be capable of switch their personalities into new our bodies indefinitely, turning into functionally immortal. They’re constructing a world the place those that have entry to their expertise will thrive as nobody has thrived earlier than, not caring that they will condemn the remainder of the Earth’s inhabitants to lives of servitude and poverty.
AI expertise is probably not a central focus of Dollhouse, however the present evokes a way of unease lots of people really feel when wanting on the progress of generative AI as we speak. Corporations have laid off tens of hundreds of individuals and cited AI as the explanation. AI corporations like OpenAI and Antrhopic are racing to develop synthetic normal intelligence, which may make people superfluous on the planet they’ve dominated for hundreds of years. Tech billionaires advocate for constructing “freedom cities,” locations the place regular legal guidelines and rules would not apply, and use their fortunes to purchase political affect no bizarre particular person can hope to match.
Will this new expertise push our world over the sting just like the imprinting expertise does to the world in Dollhouse? In all probability not; like a number of nice sci-fi exhibits, Dollhouse makes use of exaggeration and metaphor for the sake of drama. However it faucets into one thing lots of people are feeling. We do not know the place the era AI journey will lead us but, however lots of people are feeling downright apocalyptic about it. Reveals like Dollhouse, the place technological progress results in disaster, scratch an itch that many individuals are feeling proper about now.
What grew to become of Dollhouse
It is due for a revival
Dollhouse might have been a bit too high-concept for its time. It price a fairly penny to make and by no means had stellar rankings, so Fox put it down early. A minimum of Fox allowed the writers time to wrap up the story; the present does have a conclusion, even when it feels a bit rushed. If you wish to begin this present, you’ll be able to at the least do it understanding it will not depart issues on a cliffhanger.
Sadly, it is tougher to observe Dollhouse as of late than it needs to be. It isn’t streaming on any of the favored platforms, though you should purchase seasons and episodes on streaming providers like Prime Video and Apple TV+. There’s even been an uptick in curiosity currently, as extra folks discover and join with a present that was effectively forward of its time.
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The legacy of Dollhouse
Though the present ended, you’ll be able to see Dollhouse’s DNA all over the place. Severance, which airs on Apple TV+, could be very a lot a sort of non secular sequel to Dollhouse, since it is also a couple of shady company experimenting on human beings with expertise that would probably change the whole world. Severance even stars Dollhouse solid member Dichen Lachman in a key function.
And there are many different sci-fi exhibits that discover the intersection between expertise and identification, together with Westworld, Altered Carbon, and Black Mirror. Dollhouse might have ended too quickly, however its legacy is in all places.
Launch Date
2009 – 2010-00-00
Community
FOX
Showrunner
Eliza Dushku
Administrators
Joss Whedon
Writers
Joss Whedon
Eliza Dushku
Echo / Caroline Farrell
Olivia Williams
Adelle DeWitt
