Firefly: A latecomer wonders what Fox was smoking

[Tarrasque Wrangler]

We just finished watching "War Stories" so we're a little over halfway through the series. This show is so effing good. My girlfriend (who is a Buffy and Angel fan) said this show was better than Buffy and Angel put together, and she's not generally one for flowery statements like that.

As I watch the series, I love the way this show keeps turning heroic conventions on their ear, such as when Mal's grappling with Niska's goon on that catwalk-thingy and Zoe stops everyone else from interfering, saying something like "No wait. The Captain has to take care of this himself". Every cheesy show has a cheesy scene just like this one. And what does Mal say? "No I don't! Kill him!" And they blow the goon away. Classic.

And the "stock" Western characters and themes rule. The "hooker with a heart of gold" is the only respectable one on the ship. Shepherd Book is straight-up Clint Eastwood in "Pale Rider". They've got grizzled veterans, a sawbones, and scary savages out on the frontier. And they have Mandarin slang instead of Spanish.

What I want made right now:

1. The Serenity movie.
2. HBO to resurrect the show. Put the Mandarin cursing in subtitles.
3. A Firefly RPG. D20 Future sourcebook, maybe? Alternity conversion?
4. A Preacher movie with Nathan Fillion as Jesse Custer.

 

[Mouseferatu]

3. A Firefly RPG. D20 Future sourcebook, maybe? Alternity conversion?

You find me a publisher willing to put it out (and with the ability to acquire the license), and I'll damn well make room on my schedule to write it. Seriously.

 

[Olive]

You find me a publisher willing to put it out (and with the ability to acquire the license), and I'll damn well make room on my schedule to write it. Seriously.

I'll help.

I do think that when d20F comes out we should work on a fan conversion...

 

[Holy Bovine]

Because it was cheaper than I expected it to be and my local video shop had never even heard of it, I did something I never, ever do last night, and bought a DVD.

And having liked a few sci-fi shows in the past (DS9, Farscape) I can honestly say, on the back of the pilot and 3 episodes so far, that this is the only one I have ever absolutely, freakin' loved.

It's great. I like everything about it, even the stuff I was expecting to not like (the western stuff).

I like it so much I'm almost wishing I wasn't playing DnD tonight, just so I could watch more.

My wife and I have about 100 DVDs (Tv series and movies) and buy 2-10 per month (depending on how finances are). We love collecting the series' (like Firefly, Bab5, Samurai Jack, Ronin Warriors and about 1/2 dozen others). It has basically removed our need to have cable TV. What we don't own we rent.

 

[Olive]

My wife and I have about 100 DVDs (Tv series and movies) and buy 2-10 per month (depending on how finances are). We love collecting the series' (like Firefly, Bab5, Samurai Jack, Ronin Warriors and about 1/2 dozen others). It has basically removed our need to have cable TV. What we don't own we rent.

Wow. That's a lot of DVDs. Can I ask a question: how often do you re-watch those? The reasons I never buy is because I don't rewatch a lot these days.

Anyway, on Firefly, one of the things that seperates it from other sci fi shows is that they barely mention the tech. And that's kinda cool. But at the same time, I have no idea how they get from one planet to another. They're obviously not all around the same star, but they do mention that lots of them are moons so maybe they are?

does this all get explained later? I don't want the answers particularly, just if I do get answers later.

 

[Shadowdancer]

No, it never gets explained.

When the series aired on US TV, it originally had a couple of voiceovers during the opening credits, prior to the theme song starting. The first voiceover was done by Book; later it was replaced by one done by Mal. Anyway, in Book's voiceover, he made it sound like all of the planets, moons, etc., were in one solar system.

For that reason, I have always felt it was one system, that and the fact that there is no mention of faster-than-light travel or tech. But others claims such a system is impossible, even with terraforming, and that the planets must be spread throughout several systems.

 

[Ao the Overkitty]

What I want made right now:
3. A Firefly RPG.

Well.. right now it kind of exists in the first issue of Eden Studios Presents. They're the company that does the Buffy RPG and the Angel RPG. It is a short article, but uses the Unisystem.

 

[qstor]

I don't care for Buffy or Angel but I love Firefly. I borrowed a friends DVD set and loved the show. I'm a huge fan of westerns that's probably why. I can't wait for the movie.

Mike

 

[Holy Bovine]

Wow. That's a lot of DVDs. Can I ask a question: how often do you re-watch those? The reasons I never buy is because I don't rewatch a lot these days.

Pretty much everyday one or the other (sometimes both) of us will watch one of our DVDs. Like right now I'm watching Firefly

Anyway, on Firefly, one of the things that seperates it from other sci fi shows is that they barely mention the tech. And that's kinda cool. But at the same time, I have no idea how they get from one planet to another. They're obviously not all around the same star, but they do mention that lots of them are moons so maybe they are?

does this all get explained later? I don't want the answers particularly, just if I do get answers later.

Nope they never do answer the questions of how the tech works (like those guns - six shooters? But they sound weird - like laser guns). I assume they are star hopping for the most part

Spoiler

(after all they do come to earth - and earth doesn't have any planets named Whitefall as far as I know)

 

[Vocenoctum]

By contrast, this show is one of those things that I never really did "get." I tried watching it a couple of times but it just never clicked with me. Should add that I didn't find Buffy to be a show I was interested in either.

I watched Buffy and Angel, and loved the first 3 Buffy seasons and most of Angel. I just didn't like Firefly. Didn't see any appeal to the stuff I cought and didn't try to catch the rest.