Joss Whedon's Firefly/Serenity

[Dave Tudor]

Being a big fan of 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer' and 'Angel', surprisingly, I have never seen any of Joss Whedon's other television series, 'Firefly'.

"Five hundred years in the future there's a whole new frontier, and the crew of the Firefly-class spaceship Serenity is eager to stake a claim on the action. They'll take any job, legal or illegal, to keep fuel in the tanks and food on the table. But things get a bit more complicated after they take on a passenger wanted by the new totalitarian Alliance regime. Now they find themselves on the run, desperate to steer clear of Alliance ships and the flesh-eating Reavers who live on the fringes of space."

Running for just fourteen episodes from 2002-2003, 'Firefly' stars Nathan Fillion (Caleb in Season Seven of 'Buffy') as Captain Malcolm 'Mal' Reynolds and Gina Torres (Jasmine in Season Four of 'Angel') as Zoe Washburne. The series was cancelled after one season, and because of this, I presumed it was probably not very good. However, since its cancellation I've heard that 'Firefly' is actually very good - I believe a few PS posters, such as Alex and Steve (Perry) have praised it once or twice. Indeed, it generally seems to have been well-received critically, so much so that the series spawned the equally highly praised 2005 movie, 'Serenity'.

It is still, though, a series I know next to nothing about. The premise reminds me a little of 'Star Trek' and 'Blake's 7', with more than just a dash of 'Star Wars', although I'm certain that being a Joss Whedon show, it is wholly and refreshingly original. I've never been a big fan of American TV space adventures, but I get the feeling that 'Firefly' is rather different. And it's created by Joss Whedon, for god's sake, so it's got to be good - right?

Anyway, I've managed to pick up a copy of the complete series on DVD (for a bargain-tastic 12.99!), and so, starting either tonight or tomorrow, I intend to watch the whole show, approximately one episode a night, and post my thoughts here. I will also appraise the big screen outing for the 'Serenity' crew, which I am looking forward to.

So are there any other fans of this (apparently) neglected series here, and what do you think I've got to expect?

[Anthony Williams]

personally, I think that Firefly is fantastic.

it's got a western feel, but in space!

I enjoy it, anyway!

Ant x

[Rob McCow]

I was disappointed. I didn't think it was that special after 4-5 episodes. Perhaps I'd have enjoyed it more if SFX and some of my friends hadn't hyped it up as the 'bestest thing ever'.

Or is it that I didn't fancy any of the lead characters over-much? I dunno.

[stuartdg]

Firefly is Whedon's best series-and Serenity compliments it perfectly

[Andy Frankham]

'Firefly' would have been awesome, has it not been screwed over by the networks during it's short run. 'Serenity' shows us a little of where it would have gone has Joss been allowed the time to develop it like he had done with his previous shows.

By no means brilliant, it's an interesting and very watchable show with so so much potential. And then you have 'Serenity'. One of THE best scifi films ever made.

[Wayne]

I think the series was good, but it didn't have time to show us how good it could've been.
But the film was bloody brilliant, i reckon!

[Carol Baynes]

I like it! It's spaghetti western meets space opera!

[Captain Tancredi]

I think the key thing is that it doesn't quite hit the ground running in the same way that Whedon's other series did- and the fact that the DVD viewing order and the American transmission order are two entirely different things speaks volumes. And it may be a personal thing, but certain of the actors have a tendency to mumble their lines, which is just plain irritating.

[SiHart]

I just found it very dull, uninvolving and very, very over hyped. To be fair though I haven't seen the film, which I'm told is good, but then I was told the series is great and I disagreed with them.

Si xx

[Alex]

I loved it to pieces, all of the cast are superb imo, and there's not a bad episode in it's admittedly short run!

I think after Mal, Jane's got to be my favourite character, I think he's the first Whedon character to be such a twisted and borderline pyschopath who you find yourself really liking!

The film annoys me for just one reason though. But I can't say why for spoiler reasons.

[Dave Tudor]

Thanks for the comments so far, guys. It seems to have a mixed reception here, and now having seen the first episode, I can kind of see why it appeals to some and not to others. Anyway, here are my thoughts on the first episode:

SERENITY PARTS 1 & 2

This feature-length pilot was an excellent opener to the series - not mind-blowing, but a good, strong introduction to the characters and concepts of the series. As this is an introductory episode, the plot is secondary to the characters, the story instead consisting of a series of set-pieces: the arrival of several passengers on board the Serenity in order to make money lost in a 'salvage' operation; the ship's infiltration by an Alliance agent, who, hunting one of the new passengers, endangers the lives of the rest of the crew; and the crew's encounter, battle with, and escape from the female bandit, Patience, while also evading the fearsome and barbaric Reavers, an (as yet) unseen enemy who still mange to send a shiver down the spine. However, thanks to Joss Whedon's skill as a scriptwriter, the narrative flows beautifully, and the pace, while never frantic, does not sag. I do suspect that the format may probably work better in a forty-five minute episode, but thanks to the strong characters Whedon's sharp (and sometimes rather dry) trademark humour, the pilot kept me engrossed throughout.

It is those characters, and their interaction and relationships with each other, which give the opening episode its main drive. The Serenity boasts a disparate, rag-tag bunch of crewmembers and passengers, which makes a refreshing change to the typically slick, sterile space adventurers normally presented in US sci-fi shows. It appears that the crew are a less-than-well-oiled machine, their realtionships sometimes rather strained, but I liked this aspect, and I found myself warming to this curious collection of soldiers, smugglers, doctors, clerics and beautiful, mysterious women almost immediately.

Nathan Fillion makes a fine lead as the brooding, no-nonsense Captain Malcolm 'Mal' Reynolds, the former army sergeant who was on the losing side in a war (evidenced in the pre-titles sequence - I wonder if this will be explored further?), now struggling to make a living in the deep reaches of space. Heading up his crew are the husband-and-wife team of first officer Zoe Washburne and pilot Hoban 'Wash' Washburne - ironically, this couple's relationship is the least well-defined, the two characters perhaps the least interesting of the lot, although Gina Torres and Alan Tudyk are excellent.

The rest of the original crew consist of 'public realtions' (!) man Jayne Cobb (the brilliant Adam Baldwin), a dangerous, edgy character who seems as if he would betray his captain at the first opportunity (he almost does sell him out to the Alliance officer); the ship's 'ambassador', the beautiful and alluring Inara Serra (Morena Baccarin), a 'companion' (or 'wh*re', as Mal sneeringly calls her) who seems to have a rather spiky relationship with her captain (is there more to this than meets the eye?); and, my favourite character so far, the wonderfully kooky engineer, Kaylee Frye, played by the lovely Jewel Staite. Slightly reminiscent of Willow from 'Buffy', Kaylee is just adorable, so much so that I was genuinely shocked when Mal said that she was 'dead' (having been shot in the confrontation with the Alliance man), especially considering Joss Whedon's past record of killing off much-loved leading characters in his series!

In addition to the crew, the Serenity picks up three passengers: the first of these is the (lapsed?) priest Shepherd Book (Ron Glass), who seems to be looking for something, but who finds himself in a world far more dangerous than he could imagine. He strikes up a rapport with Inara, and this very contrasting relationship, the preacher and the prositute finding solace with each other, is most fascinating. Also on board the ship is the nervy Dr. Simon Tam (Sean Maher), whose strange cargo is revealed to be his mysterious and 'gifted' younger sister, River, played by the striking - and splendidly-named - Summer Glau. Once again, the relationship between these two siblings appears to go deeper than initially suggested, and I suspect that the enigmatic River Tam (who Simon has rescued from an academy for gifted children, and whom is now being pursued by the Alliance) may play a key part in the events of the series. I look forward to all the characters' stories unfolding throughout the rest of the programme's run.

I have realised early on that comparisons between 'Firefly' and 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer', are pointless, as the two series are so different in style and themes. That 'Firefly' establishes its own identity so early, and that Whedon has produced something so different to his biggest success is to be applauded. In fairness, the concept is not entirely original - I have previously made comparisons to other genre favourites - but although the notion of the 'western in space' has been done many times before (most notably, 'Star Trek'), it has never been done so blatantly. However, the mix of spaceships, rifles and horses makes for an enjoyable culture shock, seemlessly held together by Whedon's vision and masterful direction. I must also praise the visual effects, which are just astounding - better than any I have seen in any other television series, and as good as any Hollywood movie.

Altogether, 'Serenity Parts 1 & 2' is an enjoyable and promising start to the series, and now that the characters and themes have been established, and several questions have been posed, I am more than keen to see 'Firefly' settle down, and to see how the show pans out.

RATING: 8 out of 10

[Wayne]

Certain episodes really stand out for me: OUR MRS. REYNOLDS, WAR STORIES, TRASH, OBJECTS IN SPACE, & my fave ep of all was ARIEL, which i found absolutely gripping.
The 'Serenity' film though, i thought was on another level altogether. It was bloody brilliant!
My only minor gripe is that occasionaly i can't tell what Reynolds/Nathan Fillion is saying. He seems to have the odd Sylvester 'mouth full of cotton wool' Stallone moment.

Oh yeah, & Saffron/Christina Hendricks is really hot!

[Dave Tudor]

Bet she's not as cute as Kaylee.

[Dave Tudor]

THE TRAIN JOB

An episode with a distinctly western feel to it, which, I believe was actually the first to be screened in the series. A straightforward plot in which Mal and co. carry out a train robbery for a ruthless gangster, this is slightly less interesting than the pilot, although I imagine it's perhaps more representative of the series, and to be fair, it's still a cracking story. Well written (by Joss Whedon and Tim Minear) and stylishly directed (Whedon again) with some fine special effects (the sequence with Serenity flying over the high-speed train is stunning), it's evident that 'Firefly' is already shaping up to be slick, fast-moving, and exciting show.

Mal and Zoe get a large slice of the action, the pair sharing some good scenes, especially when they pose as husband and wife ("Right. Sir. Honey." ), Gina Torres in particular benefiting from this added focus, allowing Zoe more of a chance to shine as a character. With the pair stranded on a poverty-and-disease-stricken planet after the robbery goes wrong, it is Inara who helps get them out, and it is interesting to note, once again, the high esteem in which the companion is held. This says a lot about the unusual world that these characters inhabit, in which a 'prostitute' is regarded more highly than most other people.

Inara seems to be a key character, especially when it comes to the other crewmembers: she is somebody who others feel able to confide in, Shepherd Book in particular, and also Kaylee, who seems to be very close to Inara, revealing that she has something of a crush on Simon Tam. Elsewhere, we learn more about Mal, his history as a 'browncoat', an 'Independent' who fought (and lost) against the Alliance during the war. We also see something of the Captain's ruthless streak, when he pushes one of the gangster's henchmen into Serenity's engines after he refuses Mal's ofer to return the money from the job. With the mystery of River also deepening (what happened to her at the Academy, and why does the Alliance want her so badly?), and her erratic behaviour continuing, 'The Train Job' does a nice, er, 'job' of fleshing out the characters substantially, as well as providing some great action sequences. Working on many levels, 'Firefly' continues to impress.

RATING: 7 out of 10

[Dave Tudor]

BUSHWHACKED

An excellent episode in which the crew of Serenity stumble across an apparently deserted ship drifting in space. Believing that they can salvage something from the ship, the crew instead discover that it has been attacked by Reavers, leaving everybody brutally murdered except for one survivor. Taking him on board, Serenity is soon in grave danger, not just from the prospect of the savage Reavers returning, nor capture by an Alliance ship, but also from the survivor, driven mad by the attack, and embarking on a Reaver-like rampage...

The 'abandoned spaceship' plot is not entirely an original one, but this is a stylish, and often scary, episode, thanks largely to Tim Minear's fine script and direction. Once again, the Reavers are truly frightening, despite never being seen (although the results of their attack are rather graphically depicted), and this is a master stroke on the part of the series. The other 'bad guys', the Alliance, are given more screen time, and are thankfully not just a cliched, faceless totalitarian regime as they could so easily have been. Doug Savant is particularly good as Commander Harken, and the scenes in which he interrogates the Serenity crew are impressively played and directed.

The lead characters all get a large slice of the action, especially in these scenes. Some of their backgrounds are fleshed out a little, notably Mal (more light is shed on his time as a 'browncoat') and Zoe, whose relationship with her husband seems not be as strong as first thought. In contrast, Wash seems oblivious to any possible cracks, and I am pleased that these two characters are becoming more interesting with each episode.

Adam Baldwin is particularly good as Jayne in this episode, while Morena Baccarin continues to make Inara a fascinating character. Elsewhere, River remains an enigma - she appears to be coming out of her shell somewhat, finding wonder in the stars as she and her brother hide from the Alliance, and yet seeming to share some sort of psychic link to the survivor, as he slowly takes on the characteristics of the Reavers, whose brutality he witnessed. Why does River share such a link? She is certainly a mystery, and the rate at which the mystery surrounding the character, and her importance to the Alliance is unravelling, is nicely paced.

A claustrophobic, psychological thriller, 'Bushwhacked' is possibly the best episode yet.

RATING: 8 out of 10

[Wayne]

BUSHWHACKED

Ah yes, i remember this one quite well. Not a bad Ep. I'd give it a 7/10 myself. Compared to some of the later ep's, this one is just warming up, IMO. I agree with you about Jayne, though. He's a quite a likeable character all in all, i reckon.

[Dave Tudor]

SHINDIG

Opening with Mal and Jayne getting into (yet another!) bar room brawl, the crew of Serenity soon find themselves back on the planet Persephone (their spiritual 'home', last seen in the pilot) where, thanks to the shifty Badger (the 'lowlife' who cheated them out of money from the salvage job in that same episode), they are charged with smuggling some rather strange cargo (revealed at the end to be a herd of cattle!) for a diplomat, Sir Warwick Harrow. In order to meet Sir Warwick, Mal and Kaylee find themslves at a grand ball, also attended by Inara with her client, the arrogant Atherton Wing. However, when Mal punches Atherton for his treatment of Inara, Capt. Reynolds is challenged to a duel, but not with fists or guns - with swords.

Starting relatively slowly, and maintaining a relatively steady pace throughout, I wasn't quite sure what I would make of 'Shindig', but it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable episodes so far. There are fewer action set-pieces (save for the brawl, and Mal's almost-unsuccessful swordfight with Atherton), the episode instead using much humour, while focusing on a small group of characters, namely Mal, Inara and Kaylee. The captain's relationship with the ambassador continues to intrigue - he calls Inara a 'wh*re' once again, yet (rather clumsily) defends her honour when Atherton does almost exactly the same. Rather than run from a duel which he looks certain to lose, Mal is willing to fight for Inara, and by the end, despite their often frosty interchanges, the two seem closer than ever.

This is also, rather pleasingly (for me, certainly!), a good episode for Kaylee. Despite initially being rather cruelly insulted by Mal, the young engineer's wish eventually comes true as the captain takes her to the party she gets to act like a lady (well, almost) and to wear a pretty dress - even if she does look a bit like a 'layer cake'. Here she gets to eat lots of rich food, and to charm the men with talk of spaceships and engines. There are some charming (and very funny) scenes featuring Kaylee and Mal here ("Yes, sir, Captain Tight-Pants." ), thanks in part to writer Jane Espenson's sharp dialogue, but also the loveable Jewel Staite, who plays deadpan humour just beautifully.

Elsewhere, the rest of the crew are held hostage by Badger on board Serenity. This allows for more humour, especially on the part of Adam Baldwin as Jayne ("What we need is a diversion. I say Zoe gets nekked." ), a character who just gets better with each episode. It is, in fact, River who creates the (ultimately unnecessary) diversion, mimicking Badger (albeit with a not-very-convincing English accent!), while once again puzzling and beguiling this viewer. Ultimately, the crew escape with their lives, as well as a hold full of cows, and so this must rank as the first wholly successful job of the series!

I am really enjoying 'Firefly', and I warm to the characters more and more with each new episode. 'Shindig', especially, is a surprisingly delightful forty-five minutes of television.

RATING: 8 out of 10

[Paul Monk]

I loved Shindig too. Especially the duel! And the good news is that the episodes keep bgetting better.

Love the avatar Dave!

[Dave Tudor]

Love the avatar Dave!

Thanks you! I couldn't help myself - she is rather lovely, isn't she?

I've now watched the episodes 'Safe' and the excellent 'Our Mrs. Reynolds', and the reviews will follow by the weekend.

Oh, and Wayne, you were right about Saffron.

[Wayne]

Oh, and Wayne, you were right about Saffron.

You can always trust yer Uncle Wayne on these matters.

[Dave Tudor]

You can be sure of it!

Anyway, onto the next episode:

SAFE

An episode which reveals something of the background of both Simon and River Tam, 'Safe' sees Serenity land on an outlying planet to drop off their bovine cargo (not before the cattle have left their mark on the ship!!). The doctor and his sister are kidnapped by local villagers who need a medic. However, when River reveals that she can read a young mute girl's mind, she is accused of being a witch and condemned to burn at the stake. Meanwhile, the rest of the crew are forced to seek medical help from the Alliance after Shepherd Book is seriously wounded in a gunfight.

Although the flashbacks focus on Simon, his differences with his demanding father, especially over his attempt to rescue his sister from the Alliance, this is very much River's episode. She initially seems to be coming out of her shell more, and is even shown enjoying herself, when she stumbles across a village dance, a nice little scene which allows Summer Glau to display her talents as a dancer. Her telepathy has been touched upon in previous epiosdes, but here we see River actually see what others are thinking, a fact that almost leads to her (and Simon's) death. The ignorance and fear of the unknown on the part of the villagers shows how little the human race has progressed in the universe of 'Firefly'. Indeed, River's parents seem not to care a great deal for her, and, indeed, are probably a little scared of her, too. It is only Simon's love for his sister which always seems to save her, not just from the Alliance, but also from the villagers, when he is willing to sacrifice himself for her.

Elsewhere, Mal once again has to turn to the Academy to save the Shepherd, and it is only the preacher's influence which gets them the help he requires. This, thankfully, serves to add a new layer of mystery to the character, as Book has been pushed into the background somewhat in recent episodes. Like River, he seems to hold some significant importance to the Alliance, as his identity alone is enough for an officer to call for immediate medical help. Who, then, is Shepherd Book, and what is his significance? Once again, this underlines how difficult it is to suss out these people, testament to the skill of the writers, whose careful characterisation keeps the viewer hooked.

'Safe' is indeed very much a character study, the plot coming a close second (although it must be said that here, as in previous stories, the detail presented in the frontier worlds visited by Serenity is excellent), and although this is probably my least favourite episode yet, the quality of the series shows no sign of letting up.

RATING: 7 out of 10

[Wayne]

I can only vaguely remember 'Safe', even after reading your review. I think that says a lot.......
The next one's a cracker, though. In more ways than one.

[Dave Tudor]

The next one's a cracker, though. In more ways than one.

You're not wrong...

OUR MRS. REYNOLDS

A brilliantly funny script from Joss Whedon in which Mal mysteriously acquires a wife, after saving an outlying community from bandits. The crew are surprised, to say the least, especially Mal himself, although the new arrival, the beautiful Saffron, appears to bring out feelings of jealousy and suspicion in Inara and Jayne. Sure enough, Saffron is not all that she seems, and she soon seduces and knocks out several of the male crewmembers (plus Inara!) before setting Serenity on course for a space station dealing in scrap...

Both funny and dramatic, this is easily the best episode of 'Firefly' yet, and features some of Whedon's sharpest writing outside of 'Buffy'. The cast all get a chance to shine with their wittiest, smartest dialogue to date, notably Ron Glass as Shepherd Book, warning Mal how we will go to a 'special hell' if he takes advantage of Saffron, and also Morena Baccarin who relishes the humourous material that Inara has been given - her slurred protests that she was unconscious only after falling, and not because she was actually knocked out after kissing Mal's sedative-stained lips, are hilarious.

The companion's relationship with Mal seems to grow stronger in this episode. Inara initially appears suspicious of Saffron yet also outraged at the prospect of the captain making a woman of his new 'bride'. This outrage masks a deep jealousy, especially apparent when Inara's supicions are confirmed: realising that Saffron has had training as a companion and has been seducing the crew, Inara rushes off to find the drugged Mal, and, distraught at seeing his prone body, immediately kisses him - this action results not only in Inara being laid out ("I knocked my head.") but also much embarrassment in the closing scene. Only hinted at previously, it is now quite obvious that Inara has strong feelings for Mal.

As well as providing many laughs and loads of quotable dialogue, 'Our Mrs. Reynolds' features a thrilling climax, as Serenity approaches the trap laid by the scrap dealers. The ship only manages to escape intact when Jayne knocks out the space station with his trusty gun, Vera(!). It is at this point that I must commend the series' use of realistic scientific concepts, especially its scenes of noiseless explosions and ships flying silently through the airless vacuum of space. This is possibly the first time I have seen this portrayed in this way in a science fiction series, and it proves that scientific accuracy can go hand-in-hand with great drama.

Funny, thrilling, and thorughly engrossing, 'Our Mrs Reynolds' is a great episode.

RATING: 9 out of 10

[Wayne]

I'm tempted to watch it again myself after reading that!
Ironically, 'Firefly' was my first introduction to Whedon World. Even before Buffy.
I'm enjoying the thread Dave, & i look forward with interest to see how you rate my other personal favourites that i mentioned earlier.

[Andy Frankham]

Keep up the good work, Dave. I'll be revisiting 'Firefly' myself soon, since my little bro is now living with me and once he's finished 'Battlestar Galactica' he'll be onto 'Firefly'.