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This article contains spoilers for the "Dollhouse" episode "Epitaph One."

So, "Dollhouse" was almost cancelled after only one season. And who can really blame Fox had they chosen to give the episode the axe; it's ratings were declining, the show was in the graveyard slot and it wasn't the first time that its series creator had produced a show that ended up in the same situation.

Then you remember that the show was created by Joss Whedon, and many consider him a god among the television industry. He took what failed in the cinemas and utterly transformed it into something completely different ... something entertaining. I am of course referring to "Buffy The Vampire Slayer," you remember that show – it ran for seven years (five on the then The WB and an additional two on UPN) and turned Sarah Michelle Gellar into a household name.

Spouting out witty lines like no one's business, the series very quickly became a cult hit. Lingo like, "Don't you have an elsewhere to be," "If the apocalypse comes, beep me," and "don't warn the tadpoles" brought a new sound the world of dialogue and that same creative spark took the franchise forward in its very own spinoff series, "Angel," which lasted for five years and told darker tales. All just as original and possessing an abundance of exuberant banter.

Whedon could do no wrong, and his idea for a western set in space certainly drew some attention. Not enough for Fox though, and "Firefly" bit the dust before its time. In an irony befitting of Whedon's trademark writing, the cancellation gathered enough interest in the series that it secured a place on the big screen to wrap up the lives of the space-faring outlaws. The DVD collection for the series has since become a massive hit and it could even be said that Fox now regrets its decision to bring the show to an end.

Whedonites had a lot of hope for "Dollhouse," a series that reunited the pen-toting mastermind with the illustrious Eliza Dushku (you know, the bad slayer) and features a spa-like pseudo-brothel and a lot of mystery and intrigue.

The numbers were not on its side however, and just when things were looking bleak for "Dollhouse," Whedon took hold of an amazing opportunity; producing a DVD-only episode (a requirement of the Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment deal) and using it to tie up the show without closing the door on the series entirely.

And while the episode succeeded it has to be said: "Epitaph One" is by no means a "Serenity."

For those who were not lucky enough to see the episode at San Diego Comic-Con or on the United Kingdom's SciFi Channel (yet to be dubbed Syfy), the episode is set in 2019 and introduces a set of actuals; humans that have survived the apocalypse and have not been wiped by the Dollhouse technologies. Think "Terminator" meets "The Matrix" without the robots on a small scale. Seeking safe haven, the group (led by the wonderful Felicia Day) discover a hidden facility buried deep under Los Angeles ... a place we have come to know as the Dollhouse.

Once inside, the survivors use the chair on a member of their party to uncover its secrets and learn the truth about how the world descended into such madness. In the process, we are treated to flashbacks (or flash forwards from the rest of the season) showing Boyd leaving the house, the re-emergence of Caroline and her inner fight to stay in control of Echo, the un-boxing of Mr. Dominic and also the healing of Dr. Saunders and Victor before their real personalities are re-asserted. We even see how the siege of the house by outside elements unfolds and eventually ends, leaving you with a warm and fuzzy feeling inside.

Although it doesn't tie off everything in a neat little bow and send the cast off into the sunset (in the end they scale a Los Angeles skyscraper in the sunset), we are left with a sense of closure and the knowledge that the characters we have come to know over the last 12 episodes will be OK. CBS' "Jericho" finale still evokes the same feelings.

Had the "Dollhouse" been cast aside (and most likely destined to become another DVD wonder) then "Epitaph One" is exactly what the show needed – a self encapsulated conclusion. Although they may reach to the past to the survivors operating the chair, these scenes are all signs of what is to come in the future of the series.

But how can there be genuine tension if we know all of our characters are OK? We know no harm will come to these people no matter how dire the circumstances and we know the Dollhouse will not be brought down from within but rather from its allies in the real world ... so is there a point to watching the second season? It's almost like reading the last page of a book before you finish the first chapter (and this is something that has ironically become something of a guilty pleasure).

If you are a fan of Joss Whedon then you will know that killing beloved characters in the most shocking and unexpected ways is the well he drinks from the most. In fact, there is a particular scene in "Angel" that leads me to believe he may actually bathe in that well (yes, the final goodbye of Winifred Burkle). And now that we know the outcomes for most of the characters that particular plot technique is lost.

Whedon, however, insists there is hope.

"Even though the future is fixed, and the stuff we see in 'Epitaph One' is definitely real, we haven't seen the whole picture," Whedon told fans at Comic-Con last month. "For one thing, the 'flashbacks' we saw featuring our main characters were memories and may have been unreliable, plus some of those events may not have played out the way we thought they did."

Despite his assurances though, my advice is this: If you are planning on watching the second season of "Dollhouse," steer clear of "Epitaph One" and just enjoy the ride. Then again, with a talent like Whedon's, maybe he can keep the show tense and exhilarating without throwing the whole "Epitaph One" story into the Attic.