Josh Whedon and co. aren’t messing around with the second season of Dollhouse. They’ve enlisted Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica) to guest star in the season premiere. Dollhouse was on the brink of cancellation due to low ratings but then got a last minute reprieve when Fox cut Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles instead. Upon renewal, Fox’s president delivered a statement saying: “if we’d canceled Joss’ show I’d probably have 110 million e-mails this morning from the fans.” A statement not entirely without merit- Whedon has some pretty hardcore fans from his Buffy The Vampire and Firefly days. In the show’s low rating’s defense, it airs on the abyss that is known as Friday night primetime when the targeted demo-group are out partying their heads off. Friday nights are made for shows like the TGIF comedy block on ABC or news magazine shows like 20/20 and not for Joss Whedon masterpieces.

Here’s a brief rundown on the show’s premise for all you who don’t know. Eliza Dushku plays a young woman named Echo who is a member of a group known as “Actives” or “Dolls”. The Dolls are people whose personalities and memories have been wiped clean so that they can be imprinted with any number of personas depending what is needed for the task at hand. The Actives are then hired for specific jobs which range from criminal activities, fantasies to the occasional good deed. Once the mission is complete, the Dolls are wiped clean and enter into a child-like state. During this persona purgatory, the blank Dolls live in a futuristic dormitory-styled hidden facility nicknamed “The Dollhouse”.

Jamie Bamber’s guest starring role marks a mini Battlestar Galactica reunion of sorts. He is teamed up again with his former BSG co-star Tahmoh Penikett (Helo). The episode has been titled “Vows” which solidify the rumors that Jamie Bamber’s wealthy financier character and Echo get married. It doesn’t look like a fairytale Disney type ending with all the fighting, blood and smoke in the promotional pictures below. The second season premiere of Dollhouse airs on Friday September 25, 2009. Unfortunately for most of us none of us are at home between 9-10pm on a Friday night so make sure you record it.

Here are a few pictures from the season premiere.

Eliza Dushku (Echo) fights Tahmoh Penikett (Paul Ballard) in this scene. Penikett’s character’s purpose on the show is to save Dushku from the Dollhouse. Before Eliza’s character Echo became enlisted as a “Doll”, she was college activist named Caroline Farrell.

According to the caption Fox provided for this shot, Penikiett’s character challenges Echo to remember her life to save his. I wonder what events led up to this confrontation.

Oh Helo. You were one of my favorite characters on BSG. I’m so glad Athena and yourself lived happily ever after with your hybrid baby.

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