MovieChat Forums > Dollhouse (2009) Discussion > Hate to say it, but Eliza Dushku was the...

Hate to say it, but Eliza Dushku was the weakest part of the show.

posted 10 years ago by everydays
21 replies | jump to latest

I was re-watching some episodes of this wonderful show and the majority of the cast were just phenomenal - Fran Kranz, Olivia Williams, and especially Enver Gjokaj really turned in some great performances every episode, but Echo was the main character, and while Eliza wasn't bad by any means, she just seemed very..."plain vanilla" compared to the other actors. She was tolerable, but I felt like she never really delivered on the diversity of the different "imprints" that she was supposed to be portraying.

I've been watching the show Orphan Black from its beginning a few years ago, and I can't help but think that someone like Tatiana Maslany could have really taken the Echo role to another level, with her ability to transform herself into completely different characters so convincingly that I forget that I'm watching the same actress portraying all of the clones every single episode.

Just thinking out loud, and if you liked Dollhouse and haven't checked out Orphan Black, do yourself a favor and start watching!

[–] mtedmonds 10 years ago

You're not alone my friend. Unfortunately for dollhouse, eliza was the one with the deal with fox and whedon apparently had some fascination with her.

Tatiana maslaney is the height of acting prowess and could make dushku look like exactly what she is. A mediocre actor who got by on looks and basically landed roles being herself

[–] Number_One_Birdlawyer 10 years ago

I thought dushku was great. But I was comparing her acting here to her character on buffy. And that character was terrible. So My view could be skewed.

[–] PreachCaleb 10 years ago

Disagree. Faith was one of the best characters on Buffy.

Can't stop the signal.

[–] theboxingcannabyte 9 years ago

damn straight, and Faith should have gotten her own show starting with tracking down rogue slayers like she used to be, with Spike and Principle Wood, maybe Xander Fury and definitely Giles....it could have been amazing

[–] bellatrix79 8 years ago

Hell yeah

[–] Thoraxe-the-Impaler 9 years ago

Both Dushku and Penikett were the weakest parts of the show. How Penikett keeps getting work is beyond me, he's such a crap actor.

And Dusku's expressions seem to depend on how long she can hang her mouth open and how much she can furrow her eyebrows

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[–] sweiland75 9 years ago

I agree. They needed to hire a versatile actress, for this show to survive.

[–] fauxindigo 9 years ago

Eliza technically was the weakest actor of the series, especially because her role was so demanding, but she still owned the character(s) she portrayed; her original character of Caroline was believable, as was Eliza's performances in the majority of the other roles she played. I think because her role as a mindless doll was so prevalent, and her big doe eyes can make her look so clueless, people assume she has no depth as an actress or character. She was amazing as Faith on Buffy bc that character (and Eliza apparently) is so vivacious, wild & full of life. It wasn't Eliza's acting that lacked from the series, it was the character balance.
If the show had gotten more than 2 seasons, there would've been time to bring in many more versatile actors and intriguing characters. It's a damn shame this show was cancelled when it had so much untapped potential.
There are still some of the most amazing episodes of Whedon's work in this series though- Man on the Street, Omega, Belle Chose, A Love Supreme, The Public Eye, The Left Hand and Meet Jane Doe are the best episodes!

[–] coolcleangreen 9 years ago

i just started watching, and i agree. Dushku is ruining the show for me. liked her as Faith, but she can not convince me that she is a different person each episode. her handler and the doctor are the most interesting characters. and the madame is sufficiently creepy. i'll watch it through season 2 to see if the show takes on a darker tone, which i think would suit it given that these dolls are essentially abused slaves - and slaves eventually revolt. i'm expecting a revolution.....then i'll move on to Orphan Black which everyone says is infinitely better due to the main actress' talent and versatility.

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[–] 9 years ago

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[–] willard86 9 years ago

You and many others. I disagree. You can find bad acting in many places. Eliza is not a bad actress and I didn't find her to be a weak link in this show. To be honest, I think it has to with her physicality. She makes varied facial expressions, and changes her demeanor and tone of voice, but her physicality is so ... present ... for lack of a better word, that it gets noticed more than her performance. My take, obviously my opinion.

[–] MongoLloyd 9 years ago

I started watching (only for Dushku because I think Whedon is a hack) but soon tired of her limited range, especially when I started getting familiar with some of the other cast. Any time Dichen was on screen, I couldn't take my eyes off of her and Enver was pretty amazing.

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