INARAESQUE'S BLOG

inaraesque

Ten Reasons Why I Love Firefly.
Friday, October 15, 2004

(in no particular order)


Mal Reynolds.

Firefly begins and ends, for me, with Captain Tightpants. I love his richness as a character, his contradictions, his pain, his humour, his connections to his crew. The 'Serenity' teaser slays me every time -- his broken stare. His doubts and tenacity in spite of them. "You can't take the sky from me," indeed. I tend to, on average, get about five minutes into an episode before declaring to my mother with a grin that ‘I love my Captain!’ There is so much about him that I could say that I’m certain has already been said. I'm just going to note him here and possibly write a 'reasons why I love Mal' post soon, instead.

The philosophies.

The existentialism, the independence, the civil disobedience. Shades of grey, allusions to piracy and Robin Hood. Elements of Buddhism as I understand it; the Noble Truths. "If nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do." A line from Angel , and it resonates all through Firefly . The search for meaning, belonging and identity. Yes.

Inara Serra.

Another character whom I could write pages upon pages about. Inara, like Tara on Buffy , is a character who focuses upon other people with tenderness and compassion, and lets that define her. The Madonna and the whore all in one -- horae, the sacred prostitute -- she is Mal's foil, parallel and opposite in a way that colours all their interactions with such meaning that I can't help but root for them every single time. I’m sure I’ll write more on Inara soon, too…

The writing.

Kind of a no-brainer for a Joss Whedon show, but the quality of the writing never fails to awe me. The poetry, the humour, the resonance. Joss always seems to invert that which you're expecting and, ultimately, leave things in a way that is so much more satisfying. I don't know if I even could narrow a list of my favourite quotations down.

River Tam.

Her story stands incomplete, like the show's. Neither River nor Firefly were done becoming what they could become. She suffered, had her eyes opened and was learning to cope with what she saw, to transcend it. Her way of looking at the world had been altered, and she offered an alternative way for the audience to see things for a while, too.

The cinematography & the whole 'look' of the show.

Lens flares, unusual lighting, the imagery. The fused cultures. Surprising visuals, like Inara giving Book benediction. Little details, like Kaylee's strawberries, Badger's apple peeler. The way things are shot -- the way the camera stops in the sponge bath scene, for example. River!vision in 'Objects in Space'.

Simon Tam.

Simon as Intellect, Simon as Selfless Love; both of these can be argued and supported by the series. The Buffy & Dawn protect-your-sister arc rewritten with higher stakes, deeper resonance and more truth. However, Simon was also a snarky bitch and eye candy. Wheels within wheels -- classic Whedon.

The humour.

Wash and the dinosaurs. Mal's cruel joke upon Simon in 'Serenity.' 'Jaynestown.' So many little moments in episodes that can otherwise make you think, or break your heart. Joss and company are absolute masters at using humour to underscore what they're saying while giving you a reprieve from it.

The entire crew of 'Serenity'.

I've highlighted four characters here, but truly I love them all. It's an ensemble show, and, possibly for the first time, I love every regular. I love how they interact, how human they all are, and how they each show up each other's humanity. I love Mal & Zoe's absolute trust. I adore the complicated but loving marriage between Wash and Zoe. I love her quiet strength and his manic energy. I love Jayne, the unrepentant asshole. I love how he interacts with the Tams. I love Kaylee's crush on Simon -- even though I don't think the two of them would get far together. I love Book and the mystery of him, I love how he interacts (especially) with Mal & Inara. I've never had a OTP before the way I get behind the captain and the companion. I love what I've read about the actors, too.


The fandom: keeping the flame burning.

The show was cancelled after one season. One. Not even a full season aired, after all sorts of circumstances conspired against it. And yet, Firefly endures.
It endures in the hearts of the fans, and, even more incredibly, in the hearts of everyone who worked on the show. Joss kept fighting, and a freakin' movie is due out next April! Every actor in every interview I've read concerning the show and its cancellation speaks of believing in Firefly : in Joss, in these characters, in this story. There's hope and love in this fandom and it ties people together in the way that so few fandoms are tied together. There doesn't appear to be ship wars, bickering about characterisations -- any of the crap that can make other fandoms unpleasant. It's about hope.

"We're still flyin'."
"It's not much."
"It's enough."

COMMENTS

Friday, October 15, 2004 8:46 PM

QUICKSAND


I'd also like to give you 10 cool points for inventing the word "River-Vision."

I will use it often.

Friday, October 15, 2004 2:10 PM

WILLOWY


I've just decided, inaraesque, that I like you very much. I agree with every. single. thing. that you said. And I am quite sure, that I could not have said it better.

A very eloquent and articulate post. Kudos!


POST YOUR COMMENTS

You must log in to post comments.

YOUR OPTIONS

THIS MONTH'S ENTRIES

ARCHIVES

2004 November

2004 October

OUR SPONSOR