Cyberpunk isn’t a new genre, but thanks to the success of Altered Carbon and, well, Cyberpunk (Edgerunners and 2077), science fiction feels more relevant than ever. Netflix’s adaptation of the Richard Morgan book was sadly gone far too soon, unappreciated for its compelling mystery and horrifyingly immersive sci-fi landscape. Unfortunately, these kinds of conceptually elevated series don’t endure as long as they should.
Like Altered Carbon, an inventive cyberpunk show, it hit the airwaves and, similarly, lasted only two seasons. Dollhouse was a post-Buffy Joss Whedon series starring Eliza Dushku that had a lot of promise. It is also the perfect replacement for Altered Carbon fans looking for another socially relevant sci-fi series.
Dollhouse Tackled the Issues of Bodily Autonomy Before Altered Carbon
Echo in the chair surrounded by Dollhouse employees.Image via Richard Foreman / © Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection
Joss Whedon is best known as the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or perhaps more recently, the catastrophic Justice League film, but in 2009 he created a short-lived sci-fi series that was as fascinating as it was diabolical. Starring Eliza Dushku of Buffy fame, the Fox series Dollhouse examines body ownership in an unsettling way.
Dushku portrays Echo, an “Active” or “doll” in a Los Angeles Dollhouse. These are people who are essentially blank slates that can have skills or personalities imprinted into them, allowing clients to use their bodies however they wish. This concept clearly comments on bodily autonomy, making the cyberpunk series a perfect replacement for Altered Carbon.
Altered Carbon is a brutal science fiction tale because of how it explores these concepts. The show’s futuristic society lets the exorbitantly rich download their consciousnesses onto drives and place them in replacement “sleeves” when they get old or die. Dollhouse takes a softer approach to agency and the use of human bodies without consent, but it is just as important.
Echo is the shining star of The Dollhouse. Every episode, she goes on a different “mission” with a different personality. These personalities, however, begin to break down, and that is when she begins to regain her agency. This process is entirely legal, as the Dollhouse claims it is voluntary.
Of course, that is how capitalism often operates, under some layer of government protection. Clients will pay for the privilege of owning someone’s body — someone who cannot consent. Better arrangements occur when clients use the Actives for espionage or corporate takeovers, but that is, of course, not the bulk of the business.
Actives are largely used as sex objects, even by the madame of the Dollhouse, Adele. Fully aware that the Actives were once people, she uses Victor to satisfy her urges, without a thought for who he is. When the Actives aren’t on duty, their memories are wiped, and they revert to a childlike state.
As the series continues, it leans much further into the cyberpunk genre. But the story’s real heart has always been its captivating characters.
Dichen Lachman Was Heartbreaking in Dollhouse
Image via Fox
For fans of Altered Carbon, the best part of the cyberpunk replacement is Dichen Lachman’s starring role. The actor has frequented the Whedonverse but is particularly terrifying in Altered Carbon. Lachman plays Reileen Kawahara, Kovacs’s sister, who, like the protagonist, has been resleeved some two centuries after their original lifetime.
Reileen is a ruthless crime boss with the resources to clone herself, allowing her to keep resleeving her consciousness. Though a far cry from Lachman’s pre-Dollhouse role in Severance, the character in the Joss Whedon show shows her range. Lachman got her breakout part as Sierra, one of Echo’s fellow dolls.
Like Echo, Sierra is held captive in a nightmare where her body is not her own. Though Reileen has complete control over which bodies she transfers her consciousness into, Sierra doesn’t have that luxury, which makes her story all the more heartbreaking. Sierra was originally Priya Tsetsang, who was victimized by a man who couldn’t accept rejection.
When Priya rejects Nolan Kinnard’s advances, he enslaves her as an Active at the Dollhouse, where her consciousness is erased. There, he can buy her any time he likes, and she can’t refuse. These stories made Dollhouse ahead of its time and a spiritual ancestor to Altered Carbon.
The Netflix series demonstrates violence perpetrated against human bodies, particularly women. These plotlines were controversial at the time, but they were necessary to the story. There should be a spotlight on the terrifying direction society is going, particularly when it comes to sexual violence.
Dollhouse also features these types of plotlines with Lachman’s character. Priya committed no crimes and was punished simply by refusing a man. This is the kind of fear women live with, to some degree, every day. Altered Carbon takes a harsher view of this issue, though thankfully, Dollhouse gives its characters a somewhat happier ending.
Dollhouse’s Epilogues Were the Best of Dystopian Sci-Fi
Eliza Dushku as Echo running through the woods on Dollhouse.Image via Fox
Dollhouse aligns with Altered Carbon not just for its cyberpunk angle, butbecause it was cut off too soon. Both shows ended after Season 2 with mixed reviews. This was especially tragic for Dollhouse, which had so much more life to give.
The best episodes were the unaired codas, which showed where the series was headed. “Epitaph One” and “Epitaph Two” were episodes that came at the end of each season. They showed the future that had lapsed into dystopian sci-fi. After the Dollhouse technology is weaponized, anyone’s memories can be erased and replaced with any personality.
This causes complete chaos as Echo and a group of freedom fighters try to survive. The characters all come to fruition in this epilogue as Priya regains her personhood, along with the other dolls, such as Victor. The two shared a history as Actives who kept falling in love, no matter how many times they were wiped.
Outside the Dollhouse, Victor, whose real name is Anthony, relies on Dollhouse technology to upload skills so he can protect Priya and their son, T. After everything they have been through, they find a way to eradicate this tech and reconcile after years apart. The series ends, unfortunately, but it wraps up the character arcs satisfyingly and marks an intriguing shift into heavy sci-fi.
Dollhouse houses a fascinating world that should have been allowed to find its footing. Luckily for Altered Carbon fans, the series offers 26 episodes of gratifying character arcs and powerful performances.
Release Date
2009 – 2010-00-00
Network
FOX
Showrunner
Eliza Dushku
Eliza Dushku
Echo / Caroline Farrell
