Firefly / Serenity (2002/2005)

Watching some FIREFLY.

"Serenity"

Pretty much a perfect pilot. There's more fun (and quality) to be had in this 90 or so minute pilot than in the 6 hours of Prequels. I see it as Joss Whedon's Star Wars. Sure, it's throwing Star Wars, Blake's 7, and some other things into a blender and serving it up for sci-fi fanatics, but it's just so well made.

Everyone gets to do something here, and the 'Verse is set up nicely. Does it's job and then some.

"The Train Job"

The quasi-second pilot. The establishing exposition is more awkward and obvious here, but that's only in the first 10 minutes. Once that's out of the way we're given a good adventure that feels pretty big for 42 minutes. It feels longer to me, but in a good way.

Totally wanna get some Kaylee.

"Bushwhacked"

It seems uneven to me, but I can't quite diagnose in which way. The guy they find isn't too interesting. The standard ghost ship sequences are just okay. What I liked best is when they were boarded. You've got these seperate elements, but I just don't think they gel very well.

I think they could have ditched the Alliance angle and just gone full Reaver.

The White Tuxedo wrote:

Watching some FIREFLY.

"Serenity"

Pretty much a perfect pilot. There's more fun (and quality) to be had in this 90 or so minute pilot than in the 6 hours of Prequels. I see it as Joss Whedon's Star Wars. Sure, it's throwing Star Wars, Blake's 7, and some other things into a blender and serving it up for sci-fi fanatics, but it's just so well made.

Everyone gets to do something here, and the 'Verse is set up nicely. Does it's job and then some.

I remember buying that book of essays on FIREFLY and being astonished at how they took Whedon to task for wasting so much time on Kaylee and the strawberry. I think it is a helluva pilot and doesn't suffer unduly from pilotitis. Visually, I remember the first time I saw it (when the Fox idiots finally broadcast it at the END of FF's abbreviated run) I was really impressed with the thrown-out-of-focus moment when Inara gets the young kid off.

I've never understood why Zoic's TV work looks so much better than their feature work. Serenity in SERENITY looks very CG alot of the time, but only occasionally on the TV show (usually when the ship is in a daylight environment.)

I felt bad that the DP and composer from the series weren't brought along for the feature, but I've got precious little to complain about with either incarnation: the show just works, and even when there are lame episodes, you've still got the characters doing their magic, which is the real true way that FF is like TOS -- you want to rewatch even the duds.

I can't stand this show, to be honest. Or anything else Joss Whedon lays his stinking paws on.

It's really too bad never seeing how this show might have turned out as the season (and show) progressed.

Sharky wrote:

I can't stand this show, to be honest. Or anything else Joss Whedon lays his stinking paws on.

I think it's good fun for those who like space shows. And I love space shows.

Sharky wrote:

I can't stand this show, to be honest. Or anything else Joss Whedon lays his stinking paws on.

I think it's becasue you're allergic to fun, Sharky. Oh, and the heroes are criminals who just want to live their own lives free of society, which I guess means it's not a very socially responsible work.

As to trevanian's comment about the sfc work, I would bet it's simply because you can get away a lot more in the lower resolution of TV -- the flaws in the work aren't as visible.

Sharky, I'm gonna set up an appointment for you with Inara.

If that doesn't work, Jayne.

Oh yeah, Jayne remains my favorite character.

I must agree with you Tux, about Kaylee.

"Shindig"

Excellent episode. The teaser is a little underwhelming, but the main episode is fab. Mal doesn't really fit in to any situation.

And Kaylee is great here.

"You didn't have to wound that man"
"Yeah, I know, it was just funny."

Oh yeah, thank goodness Rebecca Gayheart was a diva, or whatever happened that got her sacked Day One. Morena B-whatever is much better for the part. I have to say, though. She does nothing for me in the sexy department. She's not stuck up, but she's a little... I dunno. Kaylee is real, and that's much more sexy.

Fairbairn-Sykes wrote:

Sharky wrote:

I can't stand this show, to be honest. Or anything else Joss Whedon lays his stinking paws on.

I think it's becasue you're allergic to fun, Sharky.

It's just a load of smug, unengaging, poor acted bollocks. Fun's got nothing to do with it. . It doesn't help that it reminds me of Shadowonthetwat - that's the allergy you're detecting.

I love the show, bought the DVDs and watch them every now and again. The characters were all great, and well acted. Loved the sets as well :D

How is FIREFLY smug?

Oh yeah, is the online campaign to get shadowonthetwat to write Bond 23 still open?

It's the script, it's the actors, it's Joss Whedon.

Sharky wrote:

It's the script, it's the actors, it's Joss Whedon.

If you wanted to argue that it's somehow self-indulgent, maybe. I see it as Whedon geeking out, but doing it well. I think he's said it's the show he's always wanted to do. It's like his Star Wars.

And the whole point of the show is sheer fun. It's not a political treatise or anything. It's just a fun sci-fi show for people who like this sort of thing. And it's done well. Hardly a fitting target for scorn. How many shows on TV have this amount of love and care put into them?

It's just s***s and giggles. But done well.

"Safe"

I think it works better than "Bushwhacked". I liked seeing River dance. That's two words. The ignorant backwoods fucktards seem a stretch, but I've known people who spew the kinda shit that lady does. Minus the witches, but the people I know strike me as the type who would have burned witches.

I liked seeing Simon's past, despite Zac Efron. Gives you a good impression of life in the Alliance.

I like the set up of the 'Verse. More nuanced than Star Wars. The Alliance isn't some crazy evil space Nazi government like the Empire; it's a functioning society with an incredibly high standard of living that just happens to be a bit Orwellian. Well, a little more than Orwellian. But I cant find the right word. It's like if Section 31 took over the Federation.

I was telling somebody about FIREFLY yesterday and I described the Alliance and somewhere between America and China. Which is appropriate, considering the hazy backstory of FIREFLY.

You forget, Tux, that if it's not a political treatise, then its not legitimate art for Sharky.

Fairbairn-Sykes wrote:

You forget, Tux, that if it's not a political treatise, then its not legitimate art for Sharky.

Even better, it can be a social, cultural or spiritual treatise. Politics is a bit of a dead end.

Even if it ain't art, I can still dig it. As long as it's fun, and doesn't take itself too seriously. Unfortunately, FIREFLY has got practically none of that going for it..

"Our Mrs. Reynolds"

Classic. Saffron is such a great character. I'll be blunt and say that Christina Hendricks owes the world a nude scene.

She's getting older -- it's one of those things were it should be immortalized and recorded on film for posterity before she starts to lose it.

The White Tuxedo wrote:

Oh yeah, thank goodness Rebecca Gayheart was a diva, or whatever happened that got her sacked Day One. Morena B-whatever is much better for the part. I have to say, though. She does nothing for me in the sexy department. She's not stuck up, but she's a little... I dunno. Kaylee is real, and that's much more sexy.

It's the GingerVsMaryAnn thing all over again. Kaylee/MaryAnn absolutely rule (though to be fair, Wash's wife was pretty hot without falling into the cliche of trying and failing to seem like Joanna Cassidy, which is where most 'capable' action women figures come a cropper.)

And I saw a clip of the Inara woman from V or something and she went anorexic or something, she just looked awful.

Gayheart peaked when doing commercials in 90-91, the ones where she'd aim the remote control at you like she was auditioning to be Jane Bond in the gunbarrel open.

Yeah, Baccarin has curves on Firefly and looks better, although I agree with Tux that I find her oddly nonsexual, given everything. It's a very feminine sexuality that seems not really aimed at men at all. Very geisha, almost.

Agreed on the Inara/Kaylee talk. Kaylee appeals to be because I like cute quirky girls, the kind of girls you can fun with.

"Jaynestown"

A good episode. That's about it. Liked the Simon/Kaylee stuff, if largely in some vicarious way.

Great: "Serenity"; "Our Mrs. Reynolds"
Good: "The Train Job"; "Shindig"
OK: "Safe"; "Jaynestown"
So so: "Bushwhacked"

Fairbairn-Sykes wrote:

Yeah, Baccarin has curves on Firefly and looks better, although I agree with Tux that I find her oddly nonsexual, given everything. It's a very feminine sexuality that seems not really aimed at men at all. Very geisha, almost.

I find her cold. Not in a cold-blooded sorta way, but I find her... Just lacking warmth. Dare I say I find her the weak link the cast. I think she comes off as too young. I don't think she projects the kind of wisdom she ought to. She's ornamental, when I think she ought to be a warm, intelligent, wise, and more earthy woman. I think she's too young for Mal. She's too young for him to be interested in her with all the shit he's seen. Any kind of wisdom she has seems intellectual, as opposed to something she simply knows.

And she's as sexy to me as a cold wet bed is inviting. Why would I want tea and shit and whatever she does when I could have Kaylee? Personallity is what turns me on the most anyway.

Agreed.