Those of us who geek-out equally over all things Joss Whedon and all things Battlestar Galactica were likely to be disappointed when we learned that Whedon wont be directing an episode of BSG due to his commitments to his new series, Dollhouse. On the bright side, at least the reason he’s unavailable is because he’s working on a whole new series, right?
So while Whedon wont be directing an episode of BSG, it looks like someone from the Galactica crew landed a spot on Whedon’s new series. TV Guide’s Ausiello reports that Tahmoh Penikett, who plays Helo on BSG will be playing the role of Paul Smith in Dollhouse. Smith will be the love interest of Eliza Dushku’s character, Echo. He’s an FBI agent who according to Ausiello, “becomes obsessed with both the urban myth that is Dollhouse and its most recognizable inhabitant, Echo.”
I can definitely see Penikett playing an FBI agent. His character in BSG is probably one of the most kind-hearted, boy-scouty characters in the series. Plus, he’s fairly hot so that works too, especially if he’s going to be paired up with Dushku.
Also added to the Dollhouse roster is Fran Kranz (recently seen in the CBS sitcom, Welcome to the Captain). He’ll play a “nerdy programmer” named Topher Brink. His job is to imprint the dolls. For some reason, that role kind of reminds me of the guy in The Matrix who worked on the simulation programs (I think his name was Mouse but it’s been a while since I watched that movie.). Or perhaps Brink will be more like the stuttering Marshall from Alias. Sorry, I love to compare TV nerds. They often make the best characters in TV series and given Whedon’s ability to create great characters, I’m sure we have a lot to look forward to with Dollhouse.
In the meantime, if you want to hear some of Whedon’s thoughts on Battlestar Galactica, click here or check out the SciFi Channel’s Battlestar Galactica: The Phenomenon special, which will air on Friday (3/28) night.
