This doesn't clear anything new up, Vaughn.

gossi | April 09, 21:18 CET

Why couldn't they explain these issues in a clear and timely press release, then? I don't really buy this explanation, but I'd be happy to be wrong.

jkalderash | April 09, 21:18 CET

Seems like they're just semantically worming their way out of it (actually, who is he? Does he work for Fox? Excuse my ignorance).

Didn't they technically say "we're going to air 13 episodes" rather than "we're going to make 13 episodes and not show the first"?

Ashley | April 09, 21:18 CET

Can we downgrade the Picnic Alert to Tweed? Or is the source not as reputable as I'm thinking?

jamesthegill | April 09, 21:19 CET

"This doesn't clear anything new up, Vaughn."

How so? The whole of the internets is going crazy about the finale not airing, now we know why. What's not cleared up?

VaughnOfTheDead | April 09, 21:19 CET

Well, it does sound like there may be some disagreement between the studio and the network as to what they were obligated/allowed to produce/air. That could have given rise to this big mishigase, as Sepinwall seems to imply.

Septimus | April 09, 21:20 CET

This does actually bring up a good point. Isn't the same thing happening with Prison Break? The studio made two more episodes than FOX ordered, and those two will only be on the DVD.

hitnrun017 | April 09, 21:21 CET

@Ashley - He's a TV critic for the Star-Ledger. Not officially associated with Fox in any way that I know of.

jkalderash | April 09, 21:21 CET

Ashley, he doesn't work for Fox, he's a media reporter.

The One True b!X | April 09, 21:21 CET

Day's episode, called "Epitaph One," was apparently filmed by the studio independent of the agreement -- or, at least, independent of what Fox network considers to be in the agreement -- and does not seem to be tied in to the story in "Omega." In other words, if there's a cliffhanger in "Omega" (and I don't know if there is), it's not going to be resolved in "Epitaph One."

It's more information than we had before, anyway. This is the first I've read about Ep 13 not being part of the original agreement from FOX's perspective.

It has Felicia Day in it. Putting it on the internet seems the obviously brilliant thing to do. Although you know, crappy for the people who made it since as I understand it there's a residual problem there.

Sunfire | April 09, 21:24 CET

I tweaked the headline as it seems to be more of Alan's interpretation than anything else. But some interesting insights all the same.

Simon | April 09, 21:26 CET

Okey, dokey, then.

cronopiogal | April 09, 21:27 CET

Thanks, Simon. My first ever link so I just threw it up basically 'as is'.

VaughnOfTheDead | April 09, 21:27 CET

Well it was a very good find. Puts a new spin on things. I'm still trying to work out why episode 13 got filmed if people knew about this situation at the time.

Simon | April 09, 21:29 CET

Alan Sepinwall not adding anything new to clear up the situation? We had heard nothing before about the original agreement vs. the filming of Epitaph One, for example. Sepinwall may be "only" a media reporter, but he's a well-respected one who I daresay might have more inside sources to call upon than anyone on this board. I doubt he made up his blog post out of thin air, for example. As Simon points out, it is his interpretation, to be sure, but it doesn't seem a completely untethered one.

[ edited by phlebotinin on 2009-04-09 21:31 ]

phlebotinin | April 09, 21:30 CET

Ok, that's the SECOND time today someone online has used the word mishigase. Is there a movement I missed to intergrate it into common language? hehe

WilliamTheBloody | April 09, 21:30 CET

Someone with supposed inside knowledge (Kevin Reilly's assistant?) weighs in here, saying more or less the same thing. (claims that the studio knew all along that it would not get aired?)

(contains a spoiler about when we will see Alpha.)

http://allthingsfangirl.blogspot.com/2009/04/dollhouse-canceled.html

[ edited by Septimus on 2009-04-09 21:31 ]

Septimus | April 09, 21:30 CET

So now it isn't even clear if it's going to end up on the season 1 DVD. This just get's better and better.

Also doens't help make things make sense. Do I understand it correctly Fox would be trying to get the original pilot to count as an episode in their deal instead of the final ep (I'm mainly talking about this point: -- or, at least, independent of what Fox network considers to be in the agreement --) How does that make financial sense? Instead of a broadcastable ep you get a useless pilot. There must be some reason, but it's not really made clear here. Or ttleast, I'm not getting it.

the Groosalugg | April 09, 21:33 CET

So now it isn't even clear if it's going to end up on the season 1 DVD. This just get's better and better.

No, I think that's just Sepinwall not knowing the DVD contents had been released.

The One True b!X | April 09, 21:35 CET

Not surprised Sepinwall didn't know the DVD contents, considering the length of that FOX press release. It was like War and Peace.

The unaired pilot and Epitaph One are both definitely on the DVD.

VaughnOfTheDead | April 09, 21:36 CET

It would make a huge difference to FOX if it determines which episode costs it has to pay for.

C. A. Bridges | April 09, 21:36 CET

I've known since March that episode 13 may not air. That's why I kept raising the Prison Break issue.

gossi | April 09, 21:36 CET

HitFix, confirming what Sepinwall is reporting.

The long and short is that the network isn't airing an episode they never said they were going to air...

[ edited by The One True b!X on 2009-04-09 21:38 ]

The One True b!X | April 09, 21:37 CET

According to the THR feed, "sources say" that it is not at all clear whether Epitaph One will appear on the DVD or not. This is not merely an Alan Sepinwall confusion. It looks like officially where the episode will be watchable has not been decided yet. Unless THR has it wrong from their sources. It wouldn't be unprecedented.

phlebotinin | April 09, 21:40 CET

So the short of it is, calm down.

Mort | April 09, 21:40 CET

Well, one good thing I'll say is that the reaction on the internet shows a lot of whedon love, and a lot of love for the show -- and it didn't even take a cancellation decision to make it happen. Maybe Fox will consider this when it actually does make the season 2 decision.

Squishy | April 09, 21:41 CET

Keep calm and carry on?

*Puts on the kettle for everyone*

All very confusing I must say. Interesting as well, in an odd way.

bubblecat | April 09, 21:42 CET

Williamthebloody, mishegass is pretty common lingo in certain sectors. If you want to diss it, at least learn to spell it.

cronopiogal | April 09, 21:43 CET

In Williamthebloody's defense, I spelled it incorrectly when I used it.

Picnic level: downgraded to polka dot ... with a chance of showers.

Septimus | April 09, 21:45 CET

Hmm. That hitfix link is much clearer (and apparantly better sourced) than Sepinwall's feeback loop. And the bit about the studio ordering "Epitaph One" (not the network) suggests to me that the studio (?and Joss) might have always been thinking of "Epitaph One" as a way to send off the series in style if it were not going to continue. I don't mean that it necessarily has anything in it that means it couldn't air if there was going to be a season two, or that they didn't hope it would air -- Instead, I mean maybe everyone (studio/network/Joss) thought of "Omega" as the true end of the season one series arc, and "epitaph," as its very name suggests, to be conceived as an epitaph or coda for the series: primary objective of episode is not season one closure but concept closure (on a DVD or such), with airing of episode or continuation of series as icing on the cake should they occur.

ETA: stuff happening so fast. Looks like Tim Minear, on another thread, basically just confirmed this -- even said "coda". Oh, well, at least I feel momentarily in sync with the universe.

[ edited by doubtful guest on 2009-04-09 21:52 ]

doubtful guest | April 09, 21:48 CET

I'm still trying to work out why episode 13 got filmed if people knew about this situation at the time.

Like i've said all along Simon, we're maniacs and they know it. We'll buy the DVD and recoup the costs of episode 13 for them handsomely.

And just milk for me thanks bubblecat ;).

Saje | April 09, 21:59 CET

Methinks, depending on how accurate this is, it's actually less Fox playing games and more the studio . . and by logical extension, (and this isn't just a chance to get in a Kitten diss, I'm serious here) on the part of ELiza and Joss as producers.

DaddyCatALSO | April 09, 22:08 CET