Finally bought FIREFLY! (1 Viewer)

[TheLongshot]

BTW, going back a page or two, I'm still a little mystified, Jason, about the concept that the one thing fans agree on is that the two-hour pilot was weak as a pilot.

I guess I used too much generality on that one. I'm going by the discussion on this board, and my own personal opinion of the pilot. It was overly talky and it does drag a bit here and there.
Course, pilots in general tend to have problems that end up getting ironed out as the shows go, so it isn't exactly unusual to have a pilot that is a bit lumpy.
The problem is, for a sci-fi show, you have an even more limited time to work out the lumps because of the budget. I don't think it helped that it seemed like the suits at Fox didn't have much confidence with it.
Jason

 

[Mark Talmadge]

Actually, I found the pilot episode for the series to be pretty decent. If you're going by the DVD series, you get to watch the series in order but the series was never broadcast in its original order when it it aired on network television and I can see why a lot of fans might see the original pilot episode as weak.

But, after watching the DVD series a few dozen times the episodes aren't all that bad. The only episode I had a problem with watching was "Objects in Space." The episode was very weak and didn't go anywhere.

 

[Johnny S]

Great Ron! I am actually in the same boat as you. I just got the series & watched the whole thing within a few days. I was honestly amazed. The show is brilliant, the acting is brilliant & the writing is brilliant. Like most of you do, I feel that the best was yet to come. I could see the show easily having 5-7 high quality seasons. My favourite episode was "Out Of Gas". Great stuff. Shepard Book was my favourite character. I think it could have been very interesting to see his back story.

Now I need to get Serenity...

 

[Mark Talmadge]

There's also an EASTER EGG on the firefly set as well:

On disk 4 go to the special features then click more. Highlight "joss whedon singing firefly theame song" then press left then enter. Then you can see Adam singing the hero of cantan.

 

[Tim Glover]

Thanks for that tidbit Mark.

 

[Yee-Ming]

Now that you mention it Mary, you're right: none of the Chinese in Firefly was of any significance plot-wise; I was thinking more of that West Wing episode, when the Chinese delegation stormed out, the reason was unknown to the main audience (presumably for dramatic purposes) as they spoke to each other in Chinese and was revealed only later, but anyone who knows Chinese would know straightaway; not that big a deal anyway since it was revealed shortly thereafter (after opening credits, I think, the sequence being in the pre-credits).
BTW, "mei mei" means little sister; the Chinese have different terms for an older or a younger sister; likewise for older/younger brother. Plays havoc with subtitles, since it isn't always clear in a plot whether the sibling is older or younger than the speaker...
(And "go se" is literally doggie-doo-doo...)

 

[Scott-S]

It is cool seeing new people discover this series. It only proves that even though the network suits don't know jack, the people know a good show.

Now if we can just get the suits to allow us viewers time to find the good stuff before they are flushed, it would be great.

 

[Tim Glover]

Now if we can just get the suits to allow us viewers time to find the good stuff before they are flushed, it would be great.

Amen.

 

[Scott_F_S]

It is cool seeing new people discover this series. IT only proves that even though the network suits don't know jack, the people know a good show.
Now if we can just get the suits to allow us viewers time to find the good stuff before they are flushed, it would be great.

They used to do that. Remember, Seinfeld was a ratings bomb for awhile before it caught on. As was Hill Street Blues, as I recall.
Problem is that there is so much more competition for viewers now -- cable channels producing original shows, the addition of the WB/UPN, etc. -- that the suits can no longer afford to wait on a good show to find its audience. A new show on one of the broadcast networks has to hit immediately to survive now, mostly because of the proliferation of competition, I think.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Wow! Page 3 already!
Well folks, I finished Firefly.
First of all, I want to thank all of you who (about a year ago) pushed
me to buy this DVD set and watch it.
I'm certain that it will come as no surprise to any of you that this
was the absolute best sci-fi series I have watched to date. I loved
it as much as Babylon 5, which still ranks as my favorite. Now
I have TWO favorites.
What really hooked me to this show besides the characters
themselves, was the writing. As many of you have pointed out,
the writing is top-notch. You may be surprised that one of the
best examples of how good the dialogue gets happens in the show's
final episode, Objects In Space, from the character Early.
The things that so calmly come out of his mouth while gaining
control of Firefly is just amazing.
It was kind of funny -- I started with the 2-part pilot, Serenity,
wondering where in the hell I have seen Shephard before. The guy
looked so familiar -- and it was certainly an actor I knew I had not
seen for years. When I watched the credits for the second episode, I
noticed Ron Glass and thought, "Oh, Barney Miller!" By far,
Shephard is my favorite character.
What is very troubling about this series is how it ends -- with
absolutely no conclusions to its storyline. Yes, I realize that Fox
mishandled and abruptly canceled the series, but my God, it left
the entire storyline hanging. I would have been pissed!
Here are the big questions that never got answered....

We all know Shephard is not whom he says he is. Even EARLY, in
the final episode says, "He is no Shephard." Who is Shephard?
What's going to happen with the blue men pursuit of River, and what
exactly does she know that threatens the Alliance?
Inara was about to leave Serenity. Will Mac and Inara ever confess their feelings for each other?

I realize there is a movie I need to watch yet. I just received
a HD-DVD copy of Serenity this week. I'm just waiting
on my new display before I can watch it -- and I have saved it
to be the very FIRST film I will watch on my new TV.
I just hope that this film answers all the questions I have listed above.
It's rather humorous to watch the mini documentary included in
the SPECIAL FEATURES of the DVD set. All the actors talk about
the cancelation of the show and their hopes of a feature film being
made. I guess it shows that these interviews were done before a
feature film was planned.
Once again, I am just completely elated that I had the opportunity
to experience this show. There wasn't one bad episode in the batch --
and that includes the unaired episodes. It's an absolute sin
that this show was canceled as it was perfect in every way.
Thanks again for the arm-twisting! Looking forward to watching the
film (hopefully) later this week.

 

[Tim Glover]

I was a late to the party viewer myself Ron. The cast is tremendous and don't think I've ever seen such screen chemistry on any other show before like there is on Firefly. Hope you enjoy the movie. I did this backwards. Watched the movie first...loved it...went back and bought Firefly.
Enjoy

 

[Lou Sytsma]

Ron the movie does an excellent job of tying up most of the loose ends from the series.

 

[Matt Czyz]

Ron, glad to hear you loved Firefly so much. I don't want to say anything about the film before you watch it, so I'll just say I think you're going to have a swell time. Be sure to watch Joss' introduction (from the test screenings) right before you watch Serenity, as it really puts one in a "Hell Yeah!" kind of mood.

 

[Mary_P]

I'll second that suggestion to watch the Joss intro first, but none of the other extras until after you've seen the movie. The extras are worth watching, especially "Relighting the Firefly," another "Hell Yeah!" item. And don't play the Easter egg too much -- it'll drive ya nuts.
Also, a technical word of warning: I don't have the HD-DVD version yet, but from what I've read elsewhere on the forum, be careful about setting up the volume. Don't use another disc to set it up and then pop "Serenity" in -- I understand the level is extremely loud on this disc.

 

[Tim Glover]

Whenever I do make the jump to high def dvd...Serenity will be one of the first titles I own. I'm already jealous!

 

[Paul_Scott]

, from the character Early.
The things that so calmly come out of his mouth while gaining
control of Firefly is just amazing.

at one point Early is trying to coerce Rivers brother, and as they sit talking the doc says something like "are you lying?"
and Early responds "am I a Lion? I never really thought of myself in that way.." and he goes on for about 20 or 30 seconds, tripping on that line of thought, and it takes a while for both the other character , as well as the viewer, to figure out what the hell this conversation is about- and when the realization hits that this nonsense talk is all predicated on miscommunication...I just looked up at and beyond the ceiling and said to myself "this writing is f'ing brilliant". I was in awe.
The episode may not have furthered the macro story much, just like the conversation I referenced above didn't further the micro story of the ep, but it embellished the reality of the situation and the characters to such an extent that it sells the tangibility of the premise. Its just about the direct opposite of trotting out archetypes and letting them do all your heavy lifting.
I resisted this series for so long, even though I heard people saying how great it was- I would look at the box in the store, and see the cast shot on the cover and think "if people are gushing about the writing , that must mean its like 'thirtysomething in space'- or worse- just more lame, bad-ass, hero posturing with a toilet tank overflow of 'witty' one liners...ugh"
my one complaint about the show would be how much physical abuse some of the characters take, and how often, without having the effects linger very long. I was disappointed in this aspect, as it wasn't usually the case with Buffy. If someone got hurt on that show, they would be living with the effect of it for several episodes. Here, there were no limps, no bad backs, nothing.
For me, thats what keeps the show from being A+++, 100%. Its still well worth anyones time, which is more than can be said of 90% of the other stuff out there- but it just misses true greatness for me.
to third or fourth what others are saying- anyone that watches Serenity should start with Joss's intro (when you get the HD, go into the extras first and click on it). I just watched it the first time the other night, and its entertaining in and of itself, and I can just imagine how it would have played to a sneak preview audience made up of browncoats. Joss has a hell of a sense of comic timing. He could have been an actor himself.
You may be disappointed that not everything is explained, but almost everything is resolved. theres a difference.
Next stop on the Nerd Express is Battlestar Galactica. I'm waiting for it to show up on HD DVD to bust my cherry with it- but I may just netflix the mini series in the interm to see if its up my alley or not. You haven't seen that one yet, have you Ron? I seem to recall it running neck and neck, or even slightly ahead of Firefly when you were soliciting opinions a while back.

 

[Mary_P]

at one point Early is trying to coerce Rivers brother, and as they sit talking the doc says something like "are you lying?"

Simon asks "Are you Alliance?" Early carefully considers the mis-heard question.

Early's a very special kind of crazy, definitely a memorable character. I wonder if Joss would have brought him back had the series continued. He was left in a very bad position ("Well, here I am."), but not conclusively ended. I'd've thought Dobson, the Fed who was shot and thrown out of the ship in the pilot, was gone for good, but he came back in the comics, which makes me think he might've reappeared in the series if had continued. At least in the Firefly universe, characters can't be brought back via magic....

GEEKY TRIVIA ALERT: The real Jubal Early was a Confederate general during the Civil War. He is rumored to be a distant relative of one Nathan Fillion.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

at one point Early is trying to coerce Rivers brother, and as they sit talking the doc says something like "are you lying?"
and Early responds "am I a Lion? I never really thought of myself in that way.." and he goes on for about 20 or 30 seconds, tripping on that line of thought, and it takes a while for both the other character , as well as the viewer, to figure out what the hell this conversation is about- and when the realization hits that this nonsense talk is all predicated on miscommunication...I just looked up at and beyond the ceiling and said to myself "this writing is f'ing brilliant". I was in awe.

Yeah, that was purposely wasteful dialogue all based on
miscommunication. How often do you see dialogue wasted in
that matter? It added so much realism to the scene. Brilliant!

 

[Paul_Scott]

Simon asks "Are you Alliance?" Early carefully considers the mis-heard question.

yup- i was trying to recall it without having access to the discs- but you got it exactly- thanks Mary.
And you're right- its the way the character thoughtfully considers the (absurd) question, that puts it over the top. I'm laughing here just thinking about it.
Jubal Early was a beautifully realized character, even without knowing his background. And the storytelling just had me riveted the whole time [it must say something to skills of the storytellers here that I bought that she had actually merged with the ship- I thought that must be related to her 'secret' backstory ]. I thought it was a great ep.
maybe I should ammend my earlier criticism. The sign of a 'great' show is when you can recall moments and events days, weeks, months, years later and just the thought brings a smile to your face.
good stuff, for sure.

 

[Mary_P]

yup- i was trying to recall it without having access to the discs- but you got it exactly- thanks Mary.

It helps to have easy access to the scripts.... The Internet is a wonderful place: D/L it once, refer to it whenever.