it was (mostly) good while it lasted

Of course, as soon as Dollhouse's cancellation is made official, the episodes ratchet up the awesome creepiness that the show does so well. Such is life. Last week's two episodes ("The Public Eye" and "The Left Hand," aired back to back) featured some extremely twisted story lines and disturbing characters, and left me intensely curious as to how this series is going to end. Stunt casting was in full effect, with the awesome Summer Glau as a sufficiently unnerving Bennett Halverson, the genius super-tech at the Washington D.C. Dollhouse. Watching her interactions with Topher (the Los Angeles Dollhouse tech, previously thought to be the king of the ick factor) reinforced just how evil Rossum truly is, that it is a corporation in the business of mind-rape. There were a few well-done reveals, and though they weren't particularly shocking, the characters reactions made them compelling. Plus, Ray Wise and Keith Carradine? Love. This show has managed to assemble one of the most impressive rosters of actors in television history. Let's take a look at the cast and some of the guest stars, shall we?

Eliza Dushku (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Bring It On, Nobel Son, Tru Calling)

Olivia Williams (Rushmore, An Education, Emma, The Sixth Sense)

Tahmoh Penikett (Battlestar Galactica, Riverworld)

Harry Lennix (24, The Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions, Ray, State of Play)

Amy Acker (Angel, Alias, The Cabin in the Woods, Catch Me If You Can)

Alexis Denisof (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, How I Met Your Mother)

Reed Diamond (pretty much every television show ever, especially Homicide: Life on the Streets)

Keith Carradine (Dexter, Deadwood, and pretty much every television show ever)

Ray Wise (Twin Peaks, Reaper, 24, and pretty much every television show ever)

Summer Glau (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Firefly, Serenity, Angel)

Alan Tudyk (Firefly, Serenity, V, Death at a Funeral, 3:10 to Yuma)

Felicia Day (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog, The Guild)

Mark Sheppard (Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, Warehouse 13, 24)

And this list doesn't even take into account the amazing cast members that I wasn't familiar with before Dollhouse: Fran Kranz, the AWESOME Enver Gjokaj, Dichen Lachman and Miracle Laurie.

It's an impressive group of actors, and I'm so glad that Joss Whedon was able to bring them all together to make two seasons of one of the most ambitious shows I've ever seen. Dollhouse certainly wasn't without some serious flaws, but it's heartening to see such talented writers and actors dedicated to taking new risks in television.