Just finished firefly

The new Firefly show.  What, we can dream

Right, I’m going to be distracted from my original goal because I just finished an excellent TV show that I wish to review here.  I mean of course, Firefly.  Now, I’m not a big fan of science fiction, especially that of the space variety, it always feels too ridiculous inevitable.  Star Wars is the exception, but that isn’t really science fiction, its more fantasy. So this is a rare case, because it makes a story that I think is actually convincing.  And even ignoring that, it is an excellent show.  Now, I have mixed views on Joss Wheden.  On one hand, it took me a while to get into Buffy, clunky plots, fridge logic, and I feel his shows are a bit too angsty at times.  On the other hand, I did really get into Buffy around Season Three and have stayed with it.  And Dr. Horrible was brilliant.  I think Joss is a horrible editor in most chases and often needs a better story writer (his best work comes when he gets the editing down pat, like in Buffy the ep with the Gentlemen or the musical, or a certain even in Season Five that had no background music).  But he is a brilliant when it comes to realistic and clever dialogue, very good at making realistically rounded characters who well rounded and human, thus avoiding a group of main characters who never show any stress.  So I like Whedon, and I have to admit he is one of the most creative directors we have left in terms of fantasy TV, but I’ve always found fault with him.  And yet, and I know this is so cliché at this point, I think Firefly was a work of sheer brilliance.  And it is canceled after only 14 episodes, a real slap in the face to me.  Now this article will be short, because…everybody loves Firefly, its like reviewing portal, there is a limit to how much you can say about it because it is almost universally held in such high esteem.

            Basically for those that don’t know, the earth eventually was used up in terms of natural resource, but by then we had invented space travel.  And more importantly, we had invented a method of turning other planets into livable places, terreforming (why we didn’t do this to earth I can’t say).  Some time prior to this, the US and China combined into a singular government that took over the world, and led the space domination.  However, for a while, the massive amount of planets and moons became too large for people to manage, and while the larger and more advanced planets within the “core” were all Part of the “Alliance”, IE the US/Chinese government, the worlds that were farther away tried to become more independent.  There is a civil war that seems a bit like the American Civil War, a power between Federal and Local Government.  Or at least, how the South would want to have the Civil war, as in reality it was mostly about slavery and profit before anything else, my ancestor’s romanticism aside.  Anyways, so there is a big civil war, and the Alliance win due to better training and technology.  A few of the main characters were independents “Brown Coats” who fled after the war and go on to try to make a living.  Even through the Alliance won, there is a great deal of resentment, and the out part of the realm are still very uncivilized and like the American West, where you have a bunch of people are trying to survive and make a living in a chaotic society this is steadily becoming more ordered, IE the entire point of the show.  And the show isn’t going for the romantic ideal of the wild west, IE brave cowboys fighting off evil bandits, for being poor, Evil thieving Mexicans for having a different skin color, and evil Native Americans for having the audacity of trying to protect there own land.  The show instead goes for the gritty concept of the west that while there is a few idealists; most people are trying to get by.  You have robbers and mercenaries of the worst kind, working along side smugglers and traders, all having to deal with the powerful eyes of the Alliance who are trying to maintain some control over the region.  The world is chaotic, hard, and gritty, where men of all walks are life are forced to mix, and while life is hard but there is a chance for anybody to get ahead if they aren’t killed.  At the far edges of space are creatures called the “Reaver”, the only debatable non-humans in the show, which are apparently humans gone mad at the edges of space, and are brutal monsters with no sense of compassion?  Basically, they rap people to death, eat them, and wear their skins, and “If we are really, really, really lucky, they ill do that in that order”.  And while I know totally evil races without any sympathy or decency are a bit of a cliché, they are still effectively done as something that is truly terrifying.  My only complaint is some of the implications, as these is very parallel to the American wild west and Civil War, where in real life the scary savages were Native Americans, and the rebels, while brave, were really fighting for slavery (the whole States Rights things boils down to right to free labor).  But I really don’t mind in the context of the show, it isn’t a direct historical parallel, he is telling a different story.

            Yeah, I know what your thinking “EE, that isn’t a paragraph, that is two freaking pages.  Why do you hate the English Language like that?”  And let me just say, the show is that good that it deserves that grammatically incorrect giant paragraph of doom.  But ignoring the badass premise, I like the story on its own merits non-the less.  The characters are well thought out and are far from perfect. In quick order

Mal, the captain is a generally good guy, he does absurdly stupid things to help people.  An ex independent, he is tying to get by.  But he does not does not hesitate to dirty his hands for his own survival.   The most over quoted example (deservedly so) is when a captured enemy swears revenge after being offered clemency and Mal promptly kills him and make the same deal with his second in command.  Now, I’m not saying that I like character that are more “Bad” because it’s all cool and smexy, or that I think Mal’s more ruthless actions are justifiable, but I like the concept of more realistic characters.  For the record, in the TV show, I think I would peg him as LN.

Zoe- The second in command, Zoe is both a good character in her own right, IE, the snarky and efficient straight man to the more eccentric Mal, but I also applaud that the way her character was cast.  Now, I know that I in theory I shouldn’t have to do this, but I liked the fact that she is a strong female character.  Basically, with Zoe, her role (other than wife obviously) is one normally written for a man, IE the main fighter/loyal second in command who does the most direct fighting and keeps the rest of the crew in check.  But they have a women (and African American at that) play that role without changing it, other than her relationship with her husband.  But she is a legitimate women warrior without that patronizing “Faux Action Girl” problem (for those of you who don’t do TV Tropes, its when a girl is suppose to be a badass but doesn’t actually do anything, IE Eragon).  Yes I know that’s kind of patronizing, but in the wonder world of Television, we need more characters like that.  Alignment, TN. 

Wash-The pilot, and Zoë’s husband.  I like how he is very much the snarky non action guy and just acts snarky mostly, except in his piloting but…. ok, let me make this clear, Wash is awesome, and there is no way I can possible explain this, just watch it.  Alignment CN

Jayne- Basically the extra muscle and best fighter, Jayne is a realistic way for the show to have a selfish, slimy, evil bastard without destroying the flow.  He works with them cause he makes money, and cause they give him a place to sleep, but if hardly trustworthy, if a very good fighter.  Brutal, tough, and unabashedly evil, he is very much a part of the crew even through at his heart he…is a selfish bastard.  I really liked the idea of his character, because in real life, people in more morally grey regions (IE, the American West) have to work with people like Jayne, who can be hard to keep in check. 

Inera- Basically a Geisha (I don’t know the Chinese equivalent sadly).  IE, technically a prostitute, but opposed to the west where we tend to treat them with contempt, they are what you might call ‘High class’ prostitutes, who entertains her clients in every possible way.  So she sings, she dances; she can quote poetry or discuss complex matters.  In essence, she isn’t hired to sleep with men so much as entertain them, and as of such are very high class.  And in Chinese society there are somewhat considered socially, which creates a really interesting parallel as she is considered the most high class person in the cast, leading to some very interesting interactions.  Again, another very strong female character, who has a role beyond "the girl who is in the group"  AL=LN

Shepherd Book- Basically, a wandering priest who is traveling with the group (which I think is a really cool element).  Book is basically this weird man with a really mysterious background that is actually never explained (sadly we never will due to the cancellation of the series), IE a real preacher who acts as a moral guardian, but has a somewhat disturbing knowledge of fire arms and how to kill people.  And personally he is my favorite character, what can I say, he is just by far the coolest, just in the way the actor portrays him, he has this great fatherly air about him, with a sinister undertone.  Now that has been done before, but normally with priests is a sexual or fanatic one, but instead that of a killer, which actually more interesting.  My personal theory is that he was a ruthless military man, but changed his morality, but it could mean anything.  And, through I might have just forgotten, he hasn’t done anything evil on the show, so I think LG

Kaylee- the ships mechanic, and basically the super perky member of the cast.  Ok, there is no way I can describe her without sounding like a cliché, so I’ll just say her interactions with the other characters makes it worth it.  AL TN

Simon- The ships doctor, who is wanted by the Alliance for stealing his sister from one of there labs (see below).  Simon I think was the weakest character. In the pilot, he is actually a bit of a badass.  When Mal threatens to sell him out, there is a struggle and Kaylee is shot (Simon was not related), but Simon says he will only help her if he gets to be protected from the Alliance, and stare Mal down.  Now I’m not saying that allowing a girl to bleed to death is cool, but I liked that despite playing the role as the intellectual elite from the east (or the center), but he isn’t a socially awkward nerd as they are normally shown as, but a very steely person.  However in following episodes, he pretty much is a socially awkward nerd.  Maybe if he had more time he could develop, but while he never bothered in any way, it hurt him as a character.  So I kind of lost interest, but there is a whole romantic subplot that isn’t horrible, and there is a much more interesting wanted criminal subplot

River- Simon’s little sister, a super genius who is experimented upon by the Alliance (it is never quite made clear why, but again, canceled show), and has thus gone insane, even after being rescued by her brother.  She doesn’t really get enough screen time, which isn’t Wheden’s fault, but it is hard to grasp her character very well.  That being said, she plays the part of an insane genius very well. While she has that somewhat curtsy “broken girl” aspect, there is a very sinister undertone of “holy shit she is freaking scary”, at one point knifing Jayne seemingly spontaneously, as well as the sense of “She is a genius, but disturbed”.  Of course, TN

Anyways, what makes this show work, is that their interactions. It is one of the most well written shows I’ve ever seen in terms enjoying watching people talk, its up with “I Claudius” just in terms of really well done dialogue.  The characters work as one mesh, and as a group produce so much.  Just watch it, even if it is only 14 episodes If you want to, you can watch the movie, which is still good, if not as good as the show.  Other cool show elements are this.  Joss apparently made this show saying, “in the future, nothing has changed, no problems have been fixed, all of the problems of today”.  Which makes it feel like a realistic science fiction, I like that it seems disturbingly reminiscent of the present, I like that there are no robots or aliens, I like that the government is not an evil empire but a mixed package.  I like that there is no real magic in the story (which makes the end of the final ep AMAZING), and I like that in space there is no sound.  I like that the heroes can’t fight off the Reavers, and in fact run away from every encounter with them.  I like that laser guns are a rare treat, and most guns are just hyper advanced normal guns, I like that they pulled of the mix of the west and Science fiction.  In short, this show is in my top ten live action shows of all time.  EVER.  Watch it as soon as you can.

As for a new show, I think Joss has given up.  After the movie, there isn’t much more he can do, while he might be able to get the show running, I think most of the actors and people have moved on, and it is just impossible to pick it up from where it was.  But that being said, there is still hope.  The whole premise of the series is so good that he could make another show set in this universe and just go with it from there, which while distinctly different, could still capture the awesome qualities about the show. Anyways, everybody should watch it, preferable on Netflix, and enjoy the show

 

From

EE