Dollhouse - Ghost (Pilot)

Impressions before seeing it
I'd been wanting to see this ever since I heard about the concept. It sounded original (which I highly value) and interesting enough, but then when I saw the footage it lost its spark slightly and I thought Really, where can this go as a series? Also, being on FOX I assumed it was only going to get cancelled. It has been picked up for a second season, and while that still doesn't mean it's safe, it is an accomplishment in itself. So I only just watched the pilot for the first time last night.

How was it?
I have to admit, it caught my interest. I thought that maybe it was going to be one of those non-serialized shows where every episode Echo (Eliza Dushku) becomes a different person and goes on some action-packed adventure and then boom, memory erased and everything is reset for the next episode. Well, that part is true actually, but they've also set up some bombs to go off later on down the road: the "Dollhouse" is a secret place, and not even the "dolls" know what they're a part of (I didn't know this part coming in but it adds a nice dimension to the show); and there is also some kind of agent who is searching for the Dollhouse due to some kind of obsession with Echo. And one other mysterious thing that I caught: at the beginning of the episode, Echo - before becoming a doll, I think - says something like "I wanted to make something of myself, just like she said," and then at the end of the episode we see a tape of the woman Echo used to be, saying that she wants to make something of herself. This kind of infers that they're not the same person. Whaaaa?

Eliza played two characters this episode (three if you count Echo, but I don't because she doesn't have much of a personality): a cheery flirt and a firm but vulnerable psychologist/hostage nogotiater. Personally I liked her performance better on the second character, although to be fair the first one didn't have that much screen time. I hope she will be able to continue carrying the series because this kind of concept requires some character acting, and not that Eliza is a bad actress but she doesn't exactly come to mind when I think "character actress". But if she proves herself throughout the series I will gladly give her the title.

Recommendation
Well, I'm going to keep watching for now, unless maybe the show goes downhill. Watch it if you're a fan of new ideas, Joss Whedon, or Eliza Dushku. If you don't like any of those things, don't bother.