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(on Wikipedia)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303461/
A space-western with a motley down-and-out crew struggling on the edge of a semi-dystopian planet-spanning civilization.
Easily one of the best television shows I've ever seen. I don't just consider this mandatory, I will dog people to watch it. I bought two copies of this series just to give one away.
Let me stress this. This is a series so good that even after cancellation there was enough popularity to produce a movie. A movie for a cancelled series. The only one I've ever heard of. Serenity - (2005 movie) is itself mandatory viewing for those who have enjoyed Firefly.
Mandatory viewing. I have been brought to tears more than once.
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Continues with Serenity - (2005 movie)
- Serenity uses the same characters in the same world, but is not meant to progress story arcs from the series.
- This inspired Browncoats꞉ Redemption - (2010 movie)
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Sabotaged by Fox.
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was signal.serenityfirefly.com/mmx/
- Podcasts.
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- Short film parody of Firefly and Serenity.
Early Intro ∞
I was initially attracted to Inara Serra (Morena Baccarin), but never did get to see this show live. I'm really glad I ended up buying it.
A "space western" is a mixed-genre I'm already familiar with, so I knew just what to expect going in. But this show really impressed me beyond anything I could have predicted.
Everything is astounding, most especially the writing. I don't know which elevates which, the character writing or the acting. They amplify one another to create a riveting screen presence. All of the actors together is even more enthralling. There is a "feeling" throughout the show that even the actors talked about. Their comfort with one another really shines.
The main set is an actual whole thing, though the upstairs and downstairs were created in two parts. The lighting is natural, so-to-speak. There are no partial sets with false walls for cameras and lights. The ship is a whole container that a camera can do a 360 to view.
The story lines are unique and interesting. Each episode is a mini movie, and the overall story arcs are fantastic.
I cannot over stress how important it is for this to be on one's viewing short list. It's good enough that repeat viewing is still great.
There is a certain feel of the ship. Had this show continued, I think it would stand the test of time in the same sense as the technology in Alien - (1979 movie).
General notes ∞
There is no "play all episodes" feature for these DVDs. =(
I can't keep skipping tracks until it begins playing. It's annoying to have to interact with the menus.
2006-04-19 note ∞
A quick note about the fireflywiki entry for Inara:
They are idiots talking about a special needle for her to maintain her appearance. It was shown in 0:55:42 of the first episode.
Firstly, the needle was shown in a flurry of everyone reaching for weapons in preparation for aliens/the flood .. uh, Reavers yeah.
Secondly, the comment that she hasn't aged a day was from another (former) companion, and the two characters have been shown to always be putting on a front. It's likely that it was yet another hollow thing to say just to keep up appearances.
That was in a way later episode. So these snippets shouldn't be linked so hastily.
- updated
From the writer's mouth, there was no decision as to what this meant. He drops things early on without making any plans, so he can later pick them up in a later story arc.
cd01 ∞
cd01e01 ∞
Spoiler
~2006-04-19
- 1:37 -- "We've done the impossible, and that makes us mighty."
- 4:55 -- The movie says that during this battle, they continued fighting long after receiving orders to stop.
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36:21 -- Space-bathroom!
The cryo explanation in this episode is different than the movie. The movie suggested she walked out. This episode suggests she was smuggled out in a container. Maybe she walked out and was then put in cryo?
cd01e02 ∞
Spoiler
~2006-04-19
- 5:00 -- Actually, there were some guns on the ship. On the left and right of its nose. A couple of double-barrelled turrets of some kind. At least they sure looked like guns.
- 5:20 -- Haley is looking chipper now, after having had a hole blown in her. I wonder how much time is needed to recover from a wound like hers.
- 22:05 -- There's Jayne's stupid hat. =)
- 22:41 -- Just a comment on the air holes on the left/right.. seems a lot of wind could go through.. although they did demonstrate glassless windows during the bar fight.
- 22:08 -- Do you suppose anyone could hear the gunfire? Also, it's a good thing everything's bulletproof.
- 27:40 -- "Two by two, hands of blue"
- 35:50 -- Holy nipples, Inara! =)
- 41:55 -- There are the two guys with blue hands.
cd01e03 ∞
Spoiler
~2006-04-19
- 2:10 -- Inara says Well we're all running from something I suppose. and there's a nice pause.
- 3:20 -- Ok, explain to me how a body would jar the ship..
- 41:00 -- I don't know why the commander would go himself.. why not send a couple of squads to take care of it?
- 41:30 -- Moreover, why are there so few people going?
cd02 ∞
wait.. where do these notes go?
Spoiler
~2006-04-19
- 30:55 -- What the fuck are the wings on that shuttle for?
- Pounding on the glass in the shuttle door just seems.. strange.
cd02e06 - shindig ∞
Spoiler
~2006-04-19
- Whoa, Inara is so hot.
- 39:40 -- He shook the lord's hand with a bloody hand!
cd01e07 - safe ∞
Spoiler
~2006-04-19
- 3:52 -- Umm.. if her voice carries, close the door? You know.. the airlock-quality door? Which can withstand the vacuum of space? Maybe if it's air-tight, sound can't carry through it very well?
- 9:30 -- He's cussing like a real man here. Later, chicky will claim that she never hears him swear.
- 10:00 -- I bet there's a continuity error with the cow droppings.. =)
- 13:30 -- Remember that this actor is a trained dancer..
cd02e08 - our Mrs. Reynolds ∞
Spoiler
~2006-04-19
- 35:45 -- Doom sound Aha, the door opening sound has a bad sound effect.
- 37:30 -- Sheppard exhibiting his remarkable knowledge again..
cd02e09 - Jaynestown ∞
Spoiler
~2006-04-19
- 0:15 -- Talking about the good doctor swearing. Which he did a lot of earlier.
- 3:15 -- But in an earlier episode, Shepherd talked about not being a shepherd literally.
- 38:15 -- How did that knife get clean? I guess the kid must have cleaned it off nicely for his hero.
cd03 ∞
cd03e010 - out of gas ∞
Spoiler
~2006-04-19
- 05:00 -- Jayne is using a dental tool there..
cd03e11 - Ariel ∞
~2006-04-19
(no notes were taken)
cd03e12 - war stories ∞
Spoiler
~2006-04-19
- 17:40 -- Suspecting trouble with a landing party? Quick, everyone leave the ship undefended to go search for them!
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18:30 -- Did they take their loot back?
I guess they made out ok, since they took back their loot and sold it directly for a bunch of profit. I assume the bag of coins was taken.. but who knows?
cd03e13 - trash ∞
Spoiler
~2006-04-19
- 42:00 -- There is an odd duplication over his upper-left side.
cd04 ∞
TODO - I want this episode's opening song!!
cd04e14 - The Message ∞
Spoiler
~2006-04-19
- So the bad guy leaves, then blows them away to remove any chance of being tattled on. End of series.
- They take the body, scoop out the insides for lots of cash and.. but I guess they wouldn't do that to a friend.
cd04e15 ∞
Spoiler
~2006-04-19
- They said amazing grace over her, but what about the boy-whore who got shot?
cd04e16 ∞
Spoiler
~2006-04-19
- 16:53 -- Uh, what light would be coming in? The light from SPACE?! Ok, then he takes his helmet off.. and the light is there. So it's artificial light? The light source should have been displayed briefly.
special features ∞
Spoiler
- Objects in Space - Scene 6
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Umm.. this entire thing was in the DVD episode. It wasn't supposed to be in the DVD episode. Whoops!
- Serenity - The 10th Character
- Has a very nice walkthrough of the ship which isn't shown in any episode.
Browncoat groups ∞
"Browncoat" groups exist here and there. For example:
- https://www.meetup.com/topics/firefly/
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was canadianbrowncoats.com or
- was movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/canadianbrowncoats/
-- Regular discussions are redirected here.
- was movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/canadianbrowncoats/
Last updated 2025-03-14 at 17:07:40
renamed