Firefly/Serenity

[Tarryk]

Saw the first episode of Firefly last night (we managed to borrow the DVD set for a couple days).

The ONLY disappointment I have with it is the expense I have to suffer to buy the whole set, because 2 days is not enough to watch the whole season.

Firefly is hands-down the greatest science fiction show I've EVER seen. Star Trek, Star Wars, Blade Runner, Event Horizon, Riddick, all just became a collective fart in the wind compared to this vision. Foxyjama was right.

Of course I'm disappointed in Fox (big surprise there), because 1. they cancelled the show, and 2. I learned they didn't air that first episode until after the LAST episode...so no-one who watched it on TV got the informative and practically necessary introduction to the series that I did.

On a good note, however, the upcoming movie "Serenity", which is basically the next episode after the cancelled season, is slotted to be the first in a trilogy of movies (so long as the first movie does well). So in cancelling the season, Fox basically set it up to pull an early "Star Trek" and continue the story in theaters instead of TV.

I guess this isn't altogether unexpected, considering the wow-factor of the show. Usually when a science fiction series starts, they have a limited budget. But Firefly ep 1 (which was ironically and confusingly entitled "Serenity") looked to have a budget rivalling most theater films. The special effects were beyond phenomenal, and the camera work was definitely done with a theatrical style in mind, and the actors--while not known hollywood actors--probably deserved twice whatever they were getting paid; Every single character was perfectly honed and described to a T by the end of episode 1, all leaving just enough mystery in them to make you want to learn more right away.

I won't bother going through the crew roster in the cast because I can't pick a favorite, they all rock for a particular reason. Okay maybe the captain, but that's just because he's such a raging asshole you can't help but to love the guy and laugh out loud every time he gets mad enough to end a disaster by simply shooting someone.

I don't know how much the DVD set is, but the moment I actually see the cash to purchase it, I have to get it. I've found my new favorite sci fi series. If you like scifi and westerns, and love an equal mix of character-driven and action-based plot points, Firefly is a must-see.

P.S. and yeah, Foxy, I guess "steampunk" is a pretty good descriptor for it. Either that or "frontier scifi".

[FoxyJama]

I *KNEW* you'd like it! It's definitely an amazingly original story, with great characters and honestly funny dialouge. I ordered the DVDs from Netflix so I could watch them all, and I will also be buying them when I have the cash to spend on it. I'm very glad you enjoyed the show, Tarryk. The episodes only get better after that first DVD, too!

I've also never seen ANY DVD set have 5 full stars at Amazon.com with over 1200 user ratings... I hope the future success of this story keeps Fox network execs awake at night. I hope the SciFi channel or another network is able to pick up the rights.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/custom ... UTF8&s=dvd

[Katy]

I've spent the last twenty hours or so doing pretty much nothing but working my way through the entire series. I only have four or so more episodes to go, and I'm blown away.

I want to rave about this show. I want to push it on all of my friends that haven't seen it. I want to make it my new fandom and say screw the rest.
I've spent the last three years telling people "No, I don't watch it. I've never watched it. I have no interest in watching it." I've spent the last three years hiding under the worlds biggest ROCK and completely ignoring one of the best series ever created, and now I'm beating myself up for that stupidity.

I'm actually in angst mode right now because I have to be to work in a few minutes, and all I want to do is curl up on the couch and finish watching the show. The desperate need to know what happens has come over me. Which is silly because I doubt it ended on a "let's tie up all the loose ends" kind of note. In fact, I know it didn't because otherwise there wouldn't be a flick about it set for September.

It's been such a marathon of Firefly eps that I'm having a hard time picking out a favorite anything. Though, I will say that my favorite character seems to be a tie right now between Kaylee and Mal. I like Wash too because he cracks me up on a continual basis.

Anyway, I'm just babbling now (and probably have been for about the last six hours) so I'm going to turn off the dvd player and go to work, where I can babble incoherently at my coworkers while they roll their eyes and go "Good sweet god no! She has another fandom" and run screaming into the proverbial sunset.

On the way upside, my favorite convention is in less then a month, and I will be buying as much Firefly crap as I can get my hands on. Oh the buying I will do *drools*

Shiny.

--Kayten

[Maephina]

Firefly is hands-down the greatest science fiction show I've EVER seen. Star Trek, Star Wars, Blade Runner, Event Horizon, Riddick, all just became a collective fart in the wind compared to this vision. Foxyjama was right.

Of course I'm disappointed in Fox (big surprise there), because 1. they cancelled the show, and 2. I learned they didn't air that first episode until after the LAST episode...so no-one who watched it on TV got the informative and practically necessary introduction to the series that I did.

as I recall the show didn't even last beyond 1 season. The way I heard it, the Dark Angel series went up for sale and the Sci Fi channel turned it down as well even though that series had a pretty large following. they turned it down to run with Firefly which apparently flopped in the ratings (so I've heard.)

It's also dissapointing, as a Buffy fan, to think that Whedon pulled the plug on his other shows (Buffy, Angel) to work on a show that didn't make it 1 season.

I've seen some of Firefly and it is a pretty good show but I wouldn't say it's the "best" sci-fi out there...but opinions vary.

[Tarryk]

Opinions do indeed vary, and I certainly don't expect that anyone who's ever seen it would agree that it's the greatest sci fi ever to hit a digital screen -- as it is, that is my opinion.

I'm told that ratings were less than Fox was prepared to continue a show for, but they were by no means bad. But that's because Fox airs complete crap that the majority of america DOES watch, so they're used to much higher ratings thanks to the lowest common denominator of TV-Viewer-IQ.

Sci Fi Channel, I'm told, did not turn down Firefly, they were simply never offered it. Fox simply kept it, eventually handed it to their theatrical branch, and started producing the movies.

[Boinky]

Fox is crap? Hmm can I still cancel my order for the full season of Temptation Island?

[Tarryk]

I have to retract all prior favorites. Kaylee's my favorite character. Aside from the fact that Jewel Staite is absolutely beautiful in a non-glamourous way (moreso than any other actress on the show, in my opinion), the character is hilariously upbeat, even while surrounded by a bunch of glum gusses aboard the Firefly.

Wallpaper set at work. Fanboyism: Obtained

[FoxyJama]

Have you seen the episode yet that shows how Kaylee ended up as part of the crew? I found it particularly amusing.

[Tarryk]

Nope, still only saw the first 2-hour intro movie. Since I demand to watch the series in order, I needed that disc to see the next 2 eps, but MY LITTLE SISTER *clears throat loudly* decided it would be in her best interest to take it for the ENTIRE NIGHT to show it to friends elsewhere. Because I'm sure it took 14 hours to watch and she couldn't run upstairs to our apartment and give it back.

*shoots Kayten*

[Katy]

I needed that disc to see the next 2 eps, but MY LITTLE SISTER *clears throat loudly* decided it would be in her best interest to take it for the ENTIRE NIGHT to show it to friends elsewhere. Because I'm sure it took 14 hours to watch and she couldn't run upstairs to our apartment and give it back.

*shoots Kayten*

*dodges bullet in scary bullet-time-esque style*
*is all proud*
*proceeds to trip over own two feet and land face first on the floor*

Actually, as of five thirty this morning we finally stopped watching it, I brought it back home, and then collapsed in a solid coma for two whole hours before work.
Granted, we weren't on the first disk the whole time, but we probably didn't finish with that until around 2 or 3 in the morning, and while I could have ran it back upstairs, I didn't. Because I suck. And I'm the one that borrowed it from a friend in the first place. So
I feel no guilt. You taped over my copy of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory when I was like 7, consider this paybacks. I remember everything, EVERYTHING!
Which reminds me, does anybody know where I might have put my keys?

--Kayten

[Ms.Ice]

i love Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory!!!

And... Fox cancelled The Family Guy too, because ratings weren't meeting their exceptations. Now it's coming back because the dvd sales are incredible. Which makes sense to me, the first time i saw it was like... "stupid fat guy with balls on chin, and a talking dog... i'm done".
Now, i can't get enough and laugh my ass off

*proceeds to hunt down some Firefly*

Now i am curious

[Gridfan]

Hehehe! Tarryk's got a crush on Kaylee

[FoxyJama]

Hell, I've got a crush on Kaylee too! I love how they finally took the stereotypical "cheery" character and gave her some oomph. She's not the innocent virgin cutie that so many shows have. That's part of what I loved about how she got introduced to the crew. She shows the real side of folks with naturally cheery dispositions, and it makes her that much more believable.

That, and I'd do her. She's hot.

[Tarryk]

Okay finally saw well beyond that first episode, and a few things sprung to mind along the way. Little synopsis because it's fun to pick it apart.

Shiny!: Apparently not limited to Kaylee, as the word is said once in each episode, by a different character each time (at least so far, I'm only 5 eps in). Interesting bit of trivia there.

Malcolm: The captain is me, which is silly enough to be true. Half the time I'm cool with him, the other half I want him to just kick his own ass. He makes all the same decisions I think I would make in the given situations, even when it's the wrong one to make. I find myself practically sync-quoting him when I haven't even seen the ep before. Strange, since I've never had a fictional character do that before, so I don't know if I actually like him or not. Not sure if he's technically fit to be a ship's captain, but he just seems comfortable there for all the right reasons.

Kaylee: Hm. Seeing her beyond the first episode, there are definitely changes. Crush is gone, but affinity remains. In 'Shindig', she seems much too childish, especially in that straight-up horrible dress she purchased for the ball. I suppose it helped spell out certain points of her personality, but I think it was overkill. She's obviously not a little kid, so having her act like one throughout an entire episode was misleading. She got more of the maturity back in future eps though, and I started liking her again, but not in the same way. Another reason I connect well with Mal. K's just honorable, gives the cheer that would be needed in a situation, and plain old-fashioned likable. I'd protect her above all others on the ship, in his position, and destroy the face of any dude who thought to hit on her.

Book: Bit of a dull character, but a necessity to have the high-brow morals, especially considering the existence of Jayne.

Jayne: Plain old bad guy with honor. TOTALLY love this character, it's refreshing to see a scifi with a major protagonist be so not good. He's ready to let anyone die if it saves his own butt, but he honors the fact that he has a captain and that (usually) keeps him from making the "wrong" choices -- despite his obvious desire to. That, and he looks a LOT like Decavolt IRL.

Inara: Concept over character. It was sheer genius to write her into the story. A prostitute with a mutually-beneficial attachment to Serenity, who actually rents a shuttle from Mal. BRILLIANT! But with it all, I'm a bit annoyed by the character herself. Not quite sure why, yet. Maybe she could actually do something USEful for once...

River: I've never seen someone so smart be so completely mental and stupid. Obviously, there is the whole storyline REASON for her to be this way, but that does little to alleviate my desire to see Jayne get his way and jettison her out an airlock.

Simon: Same as River. Just die, dude. He totally does not deserve the affinity Kaylee has for him, because he is dumb.

Wash: Awesome guy, and hilarious. Alan Tudyk owns the screen in comedic reaction shots.

Zoe: The archetype amazonian with sensibilities. She has moods that drive me nuts, but I too would be counting my blessings every day that I had her on my ship.

Okay anyway, babble babble fanboy fanboy.

[Tacz]

I decided to bust out my old box set, and I noticed something.

All the alliance troopers wear Starship Troopers helmets and body armor!

Fun fact I felt like sharing.

[WarlordAlpha]

For those of you that liked the actor playing Wash the Pilot, check him out in Knight's Tale, plays a squire, and is hilarious as well.

i mentioned this in the Movies Diamond in the Ruff thread, take a peak.

and yes Firefly rules! i love it!.. kinda hard to pick a fave, they all pretty cool. cept Simon is definately the least liked in my book, most liked might be the captain or jayne... both arnt good... yet arnt evil either.. and i love how they kinda balance each other out character wise.


EDIT: btw if you get the dvds make sure to watch the commentary. was pretty cool how they gave the ship it's feel made it like a home, etc. like Kaylee paiting flowers in the dining room/kitchen area

[Tarryk]

Just read this on Dragoncon site:

Dragon*Con 05 is proud to welcome Joss Whedon and the cast of Serenity

Nathan Fillion
Morena Baccarin
Adam Baldwin
Ron Glass
Jewel Staite

Brain overload. Impending state of pathetic fandom. Must go.

[Vallikat]

Atlanta, GA, huh?

Pretty much of a straight (though lengthy) drive from Delaware. Not a bad flight either. Flew there once for work and think it only took a couple hours.

*steals Highlandar's "Hm."*

This is definately worth looking into.