I know I'm reeeaaally late to the show, but despite years of friends telling me I'd love it I'd never felt bothered to watch the short-lived Firefly television series. Well...after signing up for netflix, I decided to give it a go...
Wow! What a fantastic show! The characters were great, I really got to caring about them after only a few episodes. The writing is fantastic - great stories, wonderful dialogue, emotional story lines, actual funny humor throughout. Just a great, great show.
I actually felt gutted when it ended. I can only imagine how that must have felt to Joss Whedon and the show's writers and actors, to have the show cancelled so prematurely.
Serenity was a good film, answered a lot of the show's lingering questions, but I would have liked to have seen the develop naturally over the course of a long series.
Shame on you, FOX.
Best opening scene ever?
"Yeah... That went well."
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hdx9Y7PPtmM/Tvw_JyZ1LpI/AAAAAAAANxY/rd3nuPII3Ec/s400/trash%2Bnaked%2Bmal.jpg)
:lol: :lol:!
And that was my favorite episode! (but not for the nakey captain Mal, promise)
And who could blame you if it was for that? He's a fine lookin' fella, after all...
Just started watching this myself after meaning to for years. It is really good, and deserves the praise. It's a bit cheesy (mainly the music and vfx) but it's very charming - really great characters. For me, most TV sci-fi like Star Trek, Stargate etc never appealed to me - perhaps because they were a bit too ambitious for their budgets - I like the earthiness of Firefly, like the fact that there's (so far) no aliens or technobabble, and the overall space-western vibe. I'm only on ep 3 at the moment.
I've seen Serenity, back when it first came out on DVD. Enjoyed it, but keen to watch it again when I've finished the series - I'm sure it will make a lot more sense this time round. I actually won a copy of it a few years ago in a pub movie quiz.
You will like what Nathan Fillion's Hallowe'en fancy dress "Space Cowboy" in Castle ;-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q3pdj9p6yI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q3pdj9p6yI)
Quote from: radiator on 20 January, 2012, 08:46:34 PMIt's a bit cheesy (mainly the music and vfx) ...
The vfx weren't cheesy cos they
weren't any. They just bolted a crappy DV-cam to the tail of a starship and used what footage they got.
(I joke, of course - but you wouldn't believe how many people looked at it, saw that it looked something like a camera bolted to the hood of a truck, and simply didn't
get the technical sophistication it took to get that shaky, off-kilter, vérité effect.)
Trivia,
In The Pilot of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica,
The scene on Caprica when Roslin go to see a
doctor, You can see the Serenity do a fly by
through the glass roof of that building.
In the first season of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica
opening titles, you can see the USS Enterprise up the back
of the rag tag fleet
In Serenity the movie, The scenes when they pass
through the Reaver`s space junk yard, You can
see some Battered up rag tag fleet ships in the
back ground.
"i swallowed a bug" :lol:
Mal becomes the most sensible hero of all time by kicking Crow into Serenity's engine intake. Why leave a murdering scumbag out there to harass you? Brilliant.
JvB
"EMP! Everybody strap yourself`s into some thing!"
Quote from: Judge von Boom on 21 January, 2012, 08:27:02 PM
Mal becomes the most sensible hero of all time by kicking Crow into Serenity's engine intake. Why leave a murdering scumbag out there to harass you? Brilliant.
That was probably the moment I decided that Firefly was one of my favorite shows ever.
Quote from: Judge von Boom on 21 January, 2012, 08:27:02 PM
Mal becomes the most sensible hero of all time by kicking Crow into Serenity's engine intake. Why leave a murdering scumbag out there to harass you? Brilliant.
JvB
Yep here; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPRlHwwVIug (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPRlHwwVIug)
Quote from: locustsofdeath! on 21 January, 2012, 09:47:46 PM
Quote from: Judge von Boom on 21 January, 2012, 08:27:02 PM
Mal becomes the most sensible hero of all time by kicking Crow into Serenity's engine intake. Why leave a murdering scumbag out there to harass you? Brilliant.
That was probably the moment I decided that Firefly was one of my favorite shows ever.
It's the look of weary exasperation that plays over his face before he does the deed - brilliant!
Firefly is one of my favouritest TV shows evah! Y'all could do worse than to check out the fine comic books published by Dark Horse. They tie in really tight with the show.
Yes the comics are great too. When the first ones appeared I made it my mission to have all the covers of the first run. It was tough, but worth it. Now I have them all nicely bagged and boarded and put away in a safe place.
JvB
(http://www.imcdb.org/i276668.jpg)
so I'm the only one who thought of this?
Well, Joss obviously did.
You do realise he spent his formative years in the UK, and was exposed to all the really classic SF telly during that time, right?
If someone can find a pic check out Dagg Dibrimi`s ship the Starchaser
(Starchaser: The Legend of Orin 1985 animated movie)?
this was an incredible series and movie. Firefly and Serenity.
I have heard its one of the top selling DVD and downloads in the fox library of releases.
It had it all didn't it. western,aliens,spaceships,great acting outstanding characters.
the spin off potential screamed Johnny Alpha bounty hunter.
Right, Firefly has me thinking I've missed out on other quality sci-fi shows - so I started watching Farscape tonight. So far, the pilot leaves me unimpressed (except for the glorious puppets) but then Firefly's pilot left me somewhat cold as well...
Quote from: locustsofdeath! on 24 January, 2012, 07:18:42 AM
Right, Firefly has me thinking I've missed out on other quality sci-fi shows - so I started watching Farscape tonight. So far, the pilot leaves me unimpressed (except for the glorious puppets) but then Firefly's pilot left me somewhat cold as well...
I'm one of the few who love Farscape. It's just so much fun and never takes itself too seriously. What I loved most was the crew's initial animosity towards each other and how it gradually turns into friendship without ever losing the arguments, disagreements, betrayals and just plain stupid decisions. It's the complete mirror to Trek's "why can't we all just get along?" ethos. Glorious stuff!
Quote from: radiator on 20 January, 2012, 08:46:34 PM
It's a bit cheesy (mainly the music and vfx) but it's very charming
I thought the music was one of it's strongest features. That western style gee-tar picking (or is it a banjo?) really adds to the wild-frontier atmosphere, and after watching the whole series over one weekend, I couldn't stop singing that song for weeks!; I also liked the fact that it didn't require lots of SFX, the guns fire bullets rather than rays and it's all about the characters rather than the pyrotechnics. What SFX were needed (general space travel etc) were perfectly adequate.
Quote from: locustsofdeath! on 24 January, 2012, 07:18:42 AM
I started watching Farscape tonight. So far, the pilot leaves me unimpressed (except for the glorious puppets)
Now that for me was the most off-putting aspect of it. I loved the show, the concept, the characters , the plot etc; but I can't take a SF show seriously when it contains bloody muppets! It also suffered the opposite problem to Firefly in that it went on too long. In the later seasons, the endless internal dialogues between John and Scorpius, and the return to Earth were pure shark-jumping IMHO.
But I did that like that hot grey girl whose name escapes me.
Quote from: Devons Daddy on 24 January, 2012, 03:15:11 AM
this was an incredible series and movie. Firefly and Serenity.
I have heard its one of the top selling DVD and downloads in the fox library of releases.
It had it all didn't it. western,aliens,spaceships,great acting outstanding characters.
the spin off potential screamed Johnny Alpha bounty hunter.
Nope. No aliens. One of the show's great virtues!
I dunno, the Reavers are pretty damn alien. Human, yes, but alien all the same. I like the fact that they never tried to fight them, just hid or ran.
JvB
Quote from: HdE on 24 January, 2012, 08:26:39 PM
Nope. No aliens. One of the show's great virtues!
Well, Firefly introduced one of very dangerous aggressive and deadest species in all films/tv,
Reavers
So far I'm lukewarm towards FarScape. It doesn't have the organic feel that Firefly did, and the characters don't seem quite so "down to Earth". I have read that I need to give it half the first season, though.
I do wish I owned a couple of those puppets, though. The mischief I'd get into with them...
QuoteIt's the complete mirror to Trek's "why can't we all just get along?" ethos.
I've never figured out why, exactly, this is a rod to beat the show with.
Quote from: Tiplodocus on 25 January, 2012, 09:44:38 PM
QuoteIt's the complete mirror to Trek's "why can't we all just get along?" ethos.
I've never figured out why, exactly, this is a rod to beat the show with.
I've seen that, yeah, but I've never really watched Star Trek much. I had a friend in college that was a huge fan of Trek, and he convinced me to watch a few episodes with him (I think it was Enterprise). I just couldn't get into it, but that may be because I had NO IDEA what was going on. I'm sure I might think differently if I started from the beginning but I just don't have the time to commit to it. But who knows...I am on this sci-fi tv kick right now...I've lined up Battlestar Galactica (both series - I used to watch the reruns of the original when I was a kid and have good memories of it) and Buck Rogers (ditto).
Firefly was great. I really need to get my boxset back from my mate and watch it again. One added bonus of the show was how blooming gorgeous all of the women were in it.
I enjoyed watching Farscape when it was shown on the BBC (1999 according to Wiki. I can't believe it was that long ago.) but stopped watching after a couple of series. A shame, as I remember it quite fondly.
Quote from: Colin Zeal on 26 January, 2012, 02:24:01 PM
Firefly was great. I really need to get my boxset back from my mate and watch it again. One added bonus of the show was how blooming gorgeous all of the women were in it.
This?
(http://m.iphotoscrap.com/Image/405/1278374534.jpg)
Stargate Atlantis, Last season,
SuperMegaUltraLightingBabe!
Kaylee Frye is my favourite. There's just something about a woman who's good with her hands...
Quote from: The Legendary Shark on 26 January, 2012, 04:35:38 PM
Kaylee Frye is my favourite.
She is soooooo cute. But...
for me it's Morena Baccarin as Inara. Stunningly beautiful, just breathtaking.
(and the character is a great spin on the 'Whore With the Heart of Gold' archetype)
Every time Mal started fumbling around instead of telling her how he felt - when she was right there wanting him - I would scream at the tv like a teenage girl watching Twilight.
Cleopatra 2525 ::) :-[ I remember it!
Kaylee for me as well but Inara is a bloody close second.
It's too hard to choose. I loved them all for their own reasons but if I had to go with just one it would be Kaylee.
JvB
That point when Stargate SG1 almost became Fargate or Starscape? ;)
Quote from: Judge von Boom on 26 January, 2012, 05:13:27 PM
It's too hard to choose. I loved them all for their own reasons but if I had to go with just one it would be Kaylee.
Kaylee is my kind of girl, but Inara is my kind of
woman!
EDIT: We're all such nerds.
If you like to look at Morena Baccarin, you should give Homeland a go. It's a great watch all on its own, but the producers included a nudity clause and were so intent in getting their money's worth from it that there's this scene where Baccarin's husband, rather than shag her, just tosses himself off while looking at her, and it's supposed to convey how damaged he's become that physical intimacy with someone he loves is something frightening to him, except because you've seen the previous episodes you know by then that he's just doing that so he does not obscure our view of the boobies. She has nice boobies, too, and it's good that she's put the camp panto theatrics of the awful V behind her.
Quote from: ICONIC_TM on 26 January, 2012, 04:59:22 PM
Cleopatra 2525 ::) :-[ I remember it!
God but it's good, and brought back so many memories. Just picked up the first season box set in Replay for three quid.
:lol: Glad i could help!
Recent rumours are that all cast and crew have said that they would be up for doing more and said rumours have also mentioned that Fillon was seen in his Serenity get up......maybe another Castle thing but we can hope................as i said rumours( and maybe wishful thinking).
That the cast would be up for more means pretty much nothing, sadly. I can't see it ever happening, not least because the IP is still owned by a company keen to retain what's turned into a nice little cash cow, needing almost no investment to keep income ticking over. I know Fillion's said if he were to win the lottery, he'd buy the rights himself and make more, but beyond that vanishingly small possibility, I doubt we'll ever see more Firefly. (And the movie wasn't nearly successful enough to justify a sequel, so even the cinema route is out.)
Firefly was nearly ten years ago, how crazy is that?
I still think Serenity(the 90 minute pilot, not the movie) is one of the best introductions to a series ever. I can imagine the Fox execs must've been sweating when they saw it, though, as the pacing is so slow and deliberate compared to the majority of contemporary shows. It really luxuriates in taking it's time to establish the world and the characters in a way that's almost the antithesis of most modern TV drama (apart from notable exceptions like The Wire).
The movie was okay, but I think it suffered from over-compression. Trying to give every storyline some kind of resolution in the space of roughly two hours was possibly a little too ambitious, and I feel I like it lead to certain characters getting short-changed. I'm still a little disappointed we never got to find out what Shepherd Book's story was.
Quote from: Goosegash on 30 January, 2012, 12:10:33 PM
I can imagine the Fox execs must've been sweating when they saw it, though, as the pacing is so slow and deliberate compared to the majority of contemporary shows.
No need to imagine - they hated it so much they didn't air it until the series was cancelled. Having only come to the show on DVD, and this watched it in its
intended order, I've often wondered what my experience would have been like if I'd seen it in its bizarre broadcast order.
Wasn't the only change to the running order that Fox demanded the episode 'The Train Job' be written as a new series opener? My memory of such things is a bit foggy.
Also, just to gloat, I went out wirth a girl for a while who was the absolute spit of Jewel Staite.
Can't gloat too much, though. She turned out to be an absolute cowbag.
My memory is probably even foggier than yours, but the Firefly wiki (http://firefly.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Firefly_episodes) paints a head-wrecking picture of episode broadcast dates, which includes the brilliant 'last' episode 'Objects in Space' being shown 10th, the first episode 'Serenity' being shown 11th, and then Episodes Nos. 11-13 being shown 6 months later again... I actually can't make much sense of it.
The penultimate episode "the Message" was also clearly the season finale, the final episode "Objects In Space" being a rather dull send-off for my money. I also reckon it was the western trappings that did for the show with Fox, as they seem to have an allergy to the genre.
Currently starting a BSG rewatch, and it is remarkable how much it owes directly to Firefly, from the FX in the space sequences including "flawed" camera shots, shakycam, episode framing and structure, and even sharing writers.
I worked for Fox (Fox 56, Philadelphia) as a Master of Controls Operator (fancy title, yes) when Firefly was airing - and I don't remember it at all. At all.
I remember Tru Calling, Wonderfalls and all kinds of other aborted shows that aired during my watch, but for some reason not Firefly. In fact, I was shocked when I found out it aired on Fox.
Quote from: Professah Byah on 30 January, 2012, 05:41:37 PM
Currently starting a BSG rewatch, and it is remarkable how much it owes directly to Firefly, from the FX in the space sequences including "flawed" camera shots, shakycam, episode framing and structure, and even sharing writers.
BSG is next on the docket after Farscape. I plan to start with the old series first, though.
I love old BSG, but by christ it didn't half feel like they were trying to squeeze as many feature-length telemovies as they possibly could from the first half of season 1. If I may draw your attention to a couple of things to watch out for, though: the 'chemistry' between Starbuck and Apollo where they stop short of actually kissing*, and the backstory of the Cylons and what Patrick Mcnee looks like if you freeze frame when he reveals himself when the 'ship of light' comes for him - there's an arc about the humans being pushed through space by higher powers running through the original that actually makes much more sense than the remake, though that's a discussion best left for when you've watched all of both.
*[spoiler]when the two are alone, Starbuck flat-out admits he's jealous of Apollo's new wife. I guess this makes sense with the mythology of the Colonies being based on ancient Greece, which is where that kind of thing was invented. Or perfected, at any rate.[/spoiler]
Quote from: Professah Byah on 30 January, 2012, 06:26:30 PM
If I may draw your attention to a couple of things to watch out for, though...
I missed all of this when I was a youngster watching, which is exactly why I'm so keen to give BSG another go. From what I understand, the new BSG (which I've not seen even a minute of) starts off really well, then fades to mediocrity.
I think the problem was that by the middle of season three, the makers were more interested in BSG as a brand than as a story - at one point there are pretty much no more flashbacks to keep cutting into the story as they'd been doing all along, so they jump ahead two years so they can cut flashbacks from that two-year period into future episodes. Plus some characters' entire story arcs can be condensed into "women ruin everything", which I imagine probably wasn't intentional.
In defense BSG bloody hell, one of the greatest sic-fi shows made since EVER the remake, Firefly truly a joy to watch.
in fact this thread has made me embark on a rematch of both. hail the board.
The girl who wasn't the main girl and who wasn't the black girl from this show has a new show and the premiere got the worst ratings for a drama premiere in the history of US television.
If that's Scandal you're talking about, it's one of the worst television shows I've ever seen. And I was sad when they cancelled a show starring Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell.
Loved Firefly and Serenity. I actually saw the film first before the TV series.
I wasn't aware of the TV series and I was disappointed when it got cancelled.
I think too much time has passed between now and the film's release. Nathan Fillion is part of a successful TV series, Castle, so I can't see him giving up time to do filming for Firefly or a Serenity sequel.
It was good of the Castle producers to allow Nathan to make fly (pun intended) references to Firefly.
Quote from: johnjowens on 28 April, 2012, 08:29:17 AM
It was good of the Castle producers to allow Nathan to make fly (pun intended) references to Firefly.
I'd say "smart" rather than "good". I wonder how many
Castle fans are Browncoats (or just raw Nathanistas) on the equivalent of a methadone programme.
Given that Castle is actually successful, not many.
Zing! Firefly may have tanked on air, but it's been pretty successful after the fact. Hardcore fans of your lead are handy things, and it never hurts to rub their gussets every now and again.
A few weeks ago, having really enjoyed a rewatch of the first series of Buffy, I decided to give Firefly another chance to see if it was any better than I remembered. It seems I was maybe overly harsh first time around but I still don't think it's any great shakes. Some of the stories and interplay between the characters are quite good but most of the things I disliked about it first time are still there.
There are too many characters from the off and the programme doesn't do a good enough job of giving them all chance to shine. On top of that, they're all varying degrees of nice. Even Jayne, whose supposed to come across as the bad egg, is far too cuddly.
I found the cutesy faux Western idiom - "No power in the 'Verse." - tremendously grating.
Not as grating as the theme tune though. It might not be as bad as DS9, but it's in the same ballpark.
I really, really hated Wash. The character makes sense as Xander or even Jonathan, where he's still a teenager. Even as Topher in Dollhouse it works as he's allowed to get away with it because of his importance to the organisation and it even becomes a part of his refusal to accept what his work has led to.
Quote from: The Cosh on 28 April, 2012, 11:17:57 AM
There are too many characters from the off and the programme doesn't do a good enough job of giving them all chance to shine. On top of that, they're all varying degrees of nice. Even Jayne, whose supposed to come across as the bad egg, is far too cuddly.
Oh, I dunno. Both the Captain and Zoe have a rather hard edge to their characters. They're mostly good certainly but not al that nice. Even Shepherd book has a dark side. Great all round three dimensional characters I'd say.
And Jayne... he actually [spoiler]betrayed the Tams at one point.[/spoiler]
I also found it interesting that certain villainous characters weren't entirely bad. (Badger for example.) Or if they were they were very interesting well rounded characters. (The bounty hunter Jubal Early from
Objects In Space, for example.)
Firefly
I loved it, watched it three times in it entire brillant box set brillance.
Shepard book. that has to be the biggest character back story never told!
as for Nathan. the man can do little wrong in my eyes, firefly, singalong blog, Bones.
guys brillant at chooosing good roles and making good entertainment.
Quote from: Devons Daddy on 10 May, 2012, 11:41:52 AM
...
as for Nathan. the man can do little wrong in my eyes, firefly, singalong blog, Bones.
...
You mean
Castle, right? But I agree - the man's a legend! Plus he's a proper SF geek: he really knows his stuff!
-- Mike
He ought to be in the Dredd sequel that there will be cos the film will be good...
Quote from: Mike Carroll on 10 May, 2012, 12:36:49 PM
You mean Castle, right? But I agree - the man's a legend! Plus he's a proper SF geek: he really knows his stuff!
-- Mike
Yes as here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vr-HgRQS_c (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vr-HgRQS_c)
Quote from: Devons Daddy on 10 May, 2012, 11:41:52 AM
Shepard book. that has to be the biggest character back story never told!
Ahh, but it WAS told!
Book's back-story is fleshed out somewhat in the Serenity graphic novel 'The Shepherd's Tale'.
Not a bad book, but it suffers from trying to be too clever for it's own good in the way the story unfolds backwards.
I'd caution squeamish readers that it contains eyeball-related violence, though. [Gag!]
Quote from: HdE on 10 May, 2012, 03:11:19 PM
Not a bad book, but it suffers from trying to be too clever for it's own good in the way the story unfolds backwards.
It's interesting as, judging from a few reviews I've read, that system of storytelling seems to have turned a lot of readers off the book. Which is a shame because I think the story was pretty good. Plenty of twists and turns.
The method of story telling didn't particularly bother me. In fact it seemed important for certain twists to work, since it leads to big reveals concerning his identity, but the fact it bothered other people makes me wonder if another structure should have been used.
I think I need to check out said GN (comic, it's a comic...)
Quote from: Dark Bat King on 13 May, 2012, 05:56:23 PM
I think I need to check out said GN (comic, it's a comic...)
I think both terms apply in this case as it is very much a complete story, rather than just a collection. (Apparently it was a 3 issue mini-series originally although I got the hardback collection.)
That being said, I tend to associate novels as longer, but that's a whole other debate...
I have a running joke at work between two colleagues and myself. One was heard to claim 'I don't read comics' to other colleagues. He tends to buy three or four GNs a week...
So me and 2nd colleague constantly tell him 'it's a comic'
And one of his all time favourites is Watchmen... Alan Moore says 'It's a comic'.
But yeah... Firefly is good... shouldn't have been cancelled n I ought to check out that there comic book about Book
Guys - seriously - if the notion of checking out 'The Shepherd's tale' appeals to you, grab 'Those Left Behind' and 'Better Days' as well.
Those Left Behind works as a bridge between the end of the series and the movie, and it caprtures the feel of the show and the voices of the characters extremely well. Better Days, in my opinion, isn't as good, but there's enough in there to make it a solid, entertaining read. There's a hardcover which includes several short stories and one-shots, which are all great.
Sadly, the Powers That Be doubt the potential for further Firefly / Serenity comics. Crying shame, as comics would be a superb medium for the story to be fleshed out in, in my humble opinion.
There's this (http://www.disposableheroes.co.uk/this-weeks-releases/free-comic-book-day-2012/fcbd-2012-star-wars-serenity/prod_4562.html) which came available for Free Comic book day. I've yet to read it so I don't really know what it's about (and obviously it'll be short). Interesting to see it coupled with a Han Solo Star-Wars comic, too!
Yeah, I've read 'Those Left Behind' and 'Better Days'. They're pretty good, although I think I agree that the first was better. (The second did have nice robot designs...)
What aggravates me a little is that the second book actually contained a few tiny plot points that hinted that MAYBE Firefly was going to get some sort of continuation in comic book form. Check it out - there are a few little things seeded there.
But nope. Looks like that ship has sailed. And that's an enormous shame.
"Tharg, Mr Whedon. Mr Whedion, Tharg."
Sorted.