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The addition of Alan Tudyk at the tail-end of "Dollhouse's" first season sent Whedonites into cheers of sheer delight ... and now they have reason to do it again.

Summer Glau, the psychic assassin from Joss Whedon's "Firefly" series –- not to mention Terminator from "The Sarah Connor Chronicles" -- has now been promoted from guest star to recurring character, according to Whedonesque, and she may even stick around for the rest of the season. She will join fellow Whedon alumna Amy Acker who had a recurring role throughout the debut season of the show as Dr. Saunders.

Unlike her former co-star, Glau will not jump into the chair any time soon. Instead her character, Bennett, will be an employee of the Dollhouse rather than an actual doll. Fox has described the character as having a mysterious connection with Echo (Eliza Dushku) ... or is it Caroline?

Also appearing this season is Alexis Denisof, a name fans may remember from Whedon's "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" and also its spinoff show, "Angel." Denisof is another character who will stir up trouble for the underground agency as Daniel Perrin, a U.S. senator leading a hunt to locate the Dollhouse -– a role that Tahmoh Penikett held last season.

The real question is though how long their recurring role will last. The series premiered last week to a record low, earning a 1.6 rating/3 share, according to ratings from The Nielsen Co., according to Zap2it, meaning that "Dollhouse's" second chance at life could be shorter than anyone expected. Then again, most viewers believed the show to be dead and buried last year but Fox still gave the go ahead for a second season.

"Dollhouse" airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on Fox.