The Joss Whedon Sci-Fi Hidden Gem That You Can Stream On Hulu

Joss Whedon has had a successful career in the grand scheme of things. From television hits such as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" to cinematic blockbusters like "The Avengers," the writer-director has left his mark on pop culture, despite his legacy now boasting a laundry list of controversies that threaten to overshadow those contributions. Even some of his short-lived efforts, namely "Firefly," have gone on to solidify themselves as cult classics with passionate fan bases. Maybe that's why he was so in-demand at Hollywood studios for such a long time (let's not forget that he also lent his talents to "Waterworld," even though the post-apocalyptic actioner didn't live up to his expectations in the end).

However, every once in a while, a popular creator makes a movie or series that fails to make an instant impact, and ultimately recedes into the distant recesses of time. We've already mentioned "Firefly," which may also fall into this category, but for Whedon there is another. This show is a sci-fi gem that reunited the writer-director-producer with one of his old "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" stars. If you didn't catch the original run, it's available to stream on Hulu in its entirety.

First broadcast in 2009 and canceled after only two seasons, "Dollhouse" revolves around a corporation that runs underground establishments around the world. The mysterious company serves wealthy clients by programming people referred to as Actives (or Dolls) with temporary personalities and skills that enable them to service the demands of clients. While the jobs vary, most of them are nefarious, involving robberies, assassinations, and other tasks that morally dubious elites can afford to commission. The series primarily follows the Active known as Echo, played by Eliza Dushku, as she reclaims her agency after suspecting that the company she works for might be up to not good.

"Dollhouse" has an interesting high concept, and it's one that allowed the actors to play different characters in each episode before self-awareness kicked in. As Den of Geek notes, many viewers criticized this element of the show, as it took a while for consistent character development to materialize. That being said, fans of "Dollhouse" praised this aspect of the series as thought-provoking, even if it didn't lend itself to the most satisfying character arcs. 

According to Rotten Tomatoes — which gave the show a 83% audience score — "Dollhouse" raises some interesting questions about "autonomy and consciousness," before expanding its themes to broaden its mythology with more human characters. Maybe it won't go down as one of Joss Whedon's crowning achievements, but there's much to enjoy about this smart and entertaining sci-fi show, that you'd be remiss if you didn't check it out.