'Dollhouse' goes out with a bang and a whimper

The conclusion of last week's reveal of Alpha as Firefly's Alan Tudyk led, this week, to the further revelation that Alpha was Carl William Craft, a violent convict who was one of the Dollhouse's first actives, contracted by Adelle DeWitt from a prison. By accident, he got 48 personalities downloaded into him, and, as Topher phrased it, Alpha "snapped," turning into a deadly carver. (There were numerous times here, I gotta say, when Fran Kranz as Topher delivered his sarcastic lines so caustically, I thought Joss Whedon and company were going to pull a switcheroo and have Topher be the series' ultimate villain; didn't you get that vibe a few times?)

This season conclusion had Alpha convincing an alternate-identitied Echo to run off with him, kidnapping an innocent woman, and pulling a Frankenstein homage by rigging up a home-made, zapping-electricity experimental device that would enable Alpha to do his own personality-implanting. Echo/Caroline had to overcome Alpha's hold on her, and save herself.

The bottom-line theme for the season: Dollhouse was about identity, figuring your own out and dealing with it, because denying your identity or giving it up for someone else to define you, gets you in trouble.

The hour was full of Whedonesque lines (written, in this case, by director Tim Minear) such as, "I have 38 brains and not one of them thinks you can sign a contract to be a slave, especially now that we have a black President." And Topher, speaking of souls: "We put 'em in a jar with our fireflies." Get it? Firefly? Sheesh. Less Whedonesque? References to Nietzsche, even when uttered by a freaky madman, and ex-FBI man Ballard making a passionate mini-speech about the sanctity of the soul. Frankly, I found the conclusion a bit of an anti-climax -- that is, after the climax of a fine butt-kicking scene in which Echo thrashed Alpha in a fine, Buffy-ish fight scene.

But then, in part, I presume, to keep things open for a second season, Alpha had to escape. And Caroline went back to being Echo, more or less, in the Dollhouse, murmuring robotically, "Shall I go now?" My heart sank as the "dolls" once again sank into their little pod-beds. Even if, as they were sealed in tight for the night, Echo uttered the season's final word -- "Caroline," demonstrating she remembers her true identity -- I didn't feel much forward momentum had been built for another season of Dollhouse-ing. I understand that Caroline's contractual five years aren't up, but...

I thought it was a bit of a let-down, overall. There were, of course, a number of good moments here, just as there were excellent moments throughout the season. (Favorite line this night: "The wrongness of this is so large.")

So was this the kind of season-ender you wanted from Dollhouse? Do you want to see that tantalizingly unaired, DVD-promised episode, "Epitaph One," for clues to what different directionsDollhouse might have taken? (Or might yet take?) Are you hoping Fox will renew it for a second season? (I actually am -- I want to see Whedon and the gang go at this material again.) Or should those dolls just drift off to perpetual TV-sleep?

KFC to mail out rain checks for Oprah chicken freebie

Seems you can have your chicken and eat it too...albeit a little later than expected. After hordes of hungry Oprah fans were turned away from KFC outlets across the country earlier this week, the fast-food chain is now sending out rain checks to appease them.

On Tuesday, Oprah Winfrey announced on her show that coupons for a free Kentucky Grilled Chicken dinner would be available on her website. But the demand was so overwhelming that KFC could not accommodate everyone. Traffic near a KFC in Greensboro, N.C., created such a hazard on Wednesday that police ended up blocking access to the restaurant. And in New York City and elsewhere, disgruntled customers staged protests.

According to KFC, the company has never had such a response to a special-meal offer. "It's unprecedented in our more than 50 years," said KFC spokeswoman Laurie Schalow told the AP. "It beats anything we've ever done."

The funny thing to me is though that people will rush to a store to get anything that is "free" and even "protest" if there isn't enough freebies to go around and yet some of these same people would walk past a homeless person or never even take a second glance at a person perhaps poorer than themselves.  And let's not factor in the many that might have gone to the KFC's more than once to get a free lunch so-to-speak.  So while I commend KFC for their adding of a more healthy item to their menu and Oprah for highlighting it I think that we as a people need to get a grip and fight over what's really important in life.

American Idol's Adam Lambert

He's the most exciting ''American Idol'' contestant in years: Huge voice, over-the-top theatrics...and that whole ''Is he gay?'' thing. He's a true original -- and just what the show needed.

As a culture, we like gay underdogs, but on reality-competition shows, we haven't seen many Adams before — someone who enjoys selling his sexuality, who looks you in the eye, flirts, and dares you not to flirt back. We're fine with gay men as vulnerable lost souls singing suicide-hotline emo ballads like ''Mad World.'' But what's exciting about Adam is that, despite that superb performance, he really isn't that guy. He's out, loud, and proud. Well, two out of three.

Many readers will say ''Why are we even discussing this? Why does it matter whether he's gay or not?'' It doesn't. Or rather, it shouldn't. Except that unlike his counterparts, who commodify their lives on their sleeves, Adam isn't talking about it. He's handled inquiries with disarming jokiness. Ambushed recently by a TMZ reporter who said, awkwardly, ''So, you could be the first...,'' Adam replied, smiling, ''The first what?'' daring the reporter to finish the thought. He didn't. But neither did Adam. Maybe it's still too costly to say who you are. It's certainly costly not to. Does he feel he can't? Does the show feel he shouldn't? Is his choice personal or strategic? Will it pay off? And does any of this represent progress?

I can, at least, tackle that last one. Progress is when all those other questions no longer need to be asked. But since, win or lose, Adam Lambert is going to be the most exciting new star American Idol has found in quite some time, I can't wait to hear his answers.