Why is the show called firefly anyway? by Spookyjesus

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Why is the show called firefly anyway?

POSTED BY: SPOOKYJESUS
UPDATED: Thursday, April 14, 2005 03:51
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Monday, April 11, 2005 11:20 PM

Seriously?

I don't know if this has come up before but doesn't it strike anyone else that it's a bit removed for it to be named after the class of spaceship our hero's travel in?

Firefly as a name is better than Serenity in terms of it catches your eye quicker on a TV Guide page (amongst other attention grabbing things) but is there more to it than that?

The best I can come up with is a line Kaylee says about the alliance "(They're just) shining the light of civilisation" - (that's a paraphrase, you know the line I mean, don't pretend you don't

)

The alliance ships we see are tall like beacons (big lamps) of light - moving slowly, almost stiffly.
This is in contrast to the Firefly which burns it's ass and zips around - named for something that in nature shows alot of movement (it's free) and creates a light all of it's own.

Any other ideas?

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Monday, April 11, 2005 11:37 PM

SIMONWHO

I think it's just a name with more impact than Serenity. It also allowed the show to destroy the original Serenity ship (or rename it) and still carry on with a 'new' Firefly class ship.

Personally, I wish the movie had been called Firefly because I think it catches the eye much better than the word Serenity. I mean, everyone likes fire and 'fly' suggests whooshing around. Serenity suggests peacefulness and tranquility (which is not what the movie is about).

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Monday, April 11, 2005 11:40 PM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

'cause?

" They don't like it when you shoot at 'em. I worked that out myself. "

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Monday, April 11, 2005 11:47 PM

CLARRY

Quote:
Originally posted by SimonWho:
Personally, I wish the movie had been called Firefly because I think it catches the eye much better than the word Serenity. I mean, everyone likes fire and 'fly' suggests whooshing around. Serenity suggests peacefulness and tranquility (which is not what the movie is about)

Yeah imagine all the people turning up to watch Serenity expecting to see Meryl Streep/Bette Midler/Kevin Kline in a "we are strong middle-aged women hug-fest"

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Monday, April 11, 2005 11:51 PM

SIMONWHO

Believe it or not, I know someone who went to see Independence Day expecting a historical drama starring Thomas Jefferson et al.

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Tuesday, April 12, 2005 12:49 AM

THESOMNAMBULIST

Quote:
Originally posted by SimonWho:
Believe it or not, I know someone who went to see Independence Day expecting a historical drama starring Thomas Jefferson et al.

Oh man that's hilarious!!!! Didn't the posters of a giant saucer-shaped doohickity above the skies of New York give him/her some kinda clue!? Funny.

As for the show being called Firefly I always figured it was because the ship was a character in it's own right.

*shrugs shoulders*

The
Somnambulist

www.cirqus.com
For Pictures:
http://www.cirqus.com/lightfantastic.html

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Tuesday, April 12, 2005 12:55 AM

GWENHARKER

Regaurdless of what the lovely show is about, Firefly isn't a very drawing name to the standard Sci-Fi audience and Serenity isn't any better. Nothing like Star WARS or Battlestar Gallactica. Now I know the whole 'get past the name and look into the story' but this isn't a book. Skimming through the channels, guys, are you going to stop immedietly at a show named Firefly? Well, now you are but before our little gem was made?

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Tuesday, April 12, 2005 1:46 AM

MANWITHPEZ

Important people don't do field work.

Hmmm...Independence Day as Revolutionary War drama? I can see it now.

Paul Revere: "The Redcoats are coming...The Redcoats....Holy Shit! What the hell is that coming in yon sky!!!"

Alien: "All your silver and furniture are belong to us."

Coulda been great!

Kaylee: "What's so damn important about being proper? It don't mean nothing out here in the black."
Simon: "It means more out here. It's all I have..."

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Tuesday, April 12, 2005 1:54 AM

THESOMNAMBULIST

Oops double post.

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Tuesday, April 12, 2005 1:55 AM

THESOMNAMBULIST

Actually Manwithpez

A few years back I had an idea for a sci-fi film set during the time of the Cossacks? Why are Alien invading films always set present day? How about a marauding band of cossacks returning from their victory over the Polish (Sorry haven't researched dates yet) encounter an unusual army in the wilderness (crashed alien ship) and a battle ensues!

What d'ya think? Basically the idea was going to be that the Cossacks were very tired and worn out from their previous battle, but even so they manage to overcome the invading aliens and thus save the world :) I always thought the imagery of Lazers against curved Sabres quite a visual one.

Should I flesh it out some?

The
Somnambulist

www.cirqus.com
For Pictures:
http://www.cirqus.com/lightfantastic.html

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Tuesday, April 12, 2005 4:29 AM

NYWOE

Quote:
Originally posted by SimonWho:
Serenity suggests peacefulness and tranquility (which is not what the movie is about).

Ah, but think about it in terms of irony! It's perfect for a Joss movie. :)

Firefly is not your grandfather's sci-fi...

Although you are right that it probably won't attract immediate attention. If people come to recognize the name, it won't be a problem.

I have heard of a place where humans do battle in a ring of Jell-O.
--Teal'c

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Tuesday, April 12, 2005 4:31 AM

NYWOE

Quote:
Originally posted by manwithpez:

Alien: "All your silver and furniture are belong to us."

That just never gets old. :)

I have heard of a place where humans do battle in a ring of Jell-O.
--Teal'c

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Tuesday, April 12, 2005 4:43 AM

CYBERSNARK

Quote:
Originally posted by Clarry:
Yeah imagine all the people turning up to watch Serenity expecting to see Meryl Streep/Bette Midler/Kevin Kline in a "we are strong middle-aged women hug-fest"

I'm guessing they'll be hooked by the third act.

Quote:
Originally posted by TheSomnambulist:
A few years back I had an idea for a sci-fi film set during the time of the Cossacks? Why are Alien invading films always set present day?

I'm working on (well, toying with, getting plot stuff straightened out in a quasi-outline kinda way) of a similar medieval alien story. Kinda inspired by Robotech's third series (with a socially-regressed Earth under Invid rule).

Random medieval village, a strange girl wanders in, naked, with no memories of who she is, where she's from, or how to speak (she makes some bubbling, gurgling, whistling noise that sounds like no human language). Shortly, the villagers start whispering about the Faerie, and Changelings. . .

Later, a young squire (and his jaded, bitter knight errant) come across a giant-sized suit of armour (actually, it's a wrecked mech), torn open and leaking ichor. There's a seat inside, but no one there, just some muddy footprints leading away. Footprints of a young girl. . .

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

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Tuesday, April 12, 2005 4:57 AM

ZOOT

Quote:
Originally posted by manwithpez:
Hmmm...Independence Day as Revolutionary War drama? I can see it now.

Paul Revere: "The Redcoats are coming...The Redcoats....Holy Shit! What the hell is that coming in yon sky!!!"

Alien: "All your silver and furniture are belong to us."

Coulda been great!

Kaylee: "What's so damn important about being proper? It don't mean nothing out here in the black."
Simon: "It means more out here. It's all I have..."

He he he!! Superb!

No one seems to have made the comment that Firefly is also a bug - kinda small and insignificant in comparison to the Alliance nad a bit of an annoyance but lights up damn bright! Rich in symbolism blah, blah, blah!

Okay, I'm lost, I'm angry, and I'm
armed.

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Tuesday, April 12, 2005 5:25 AM

THESOMNAMBULIST

Quote:
Originally posted by Cybersnark:

ohhh nice.... sets things up very well.

You should carry on with that.

The
Somnambulist

www.cirqus.com

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Tuesday, April 12, 2005 9:03 AM

ASTRAGYNIA

The word "Firefly" also has some connotations of the Wild West, in the sense of it being connected to the outdoors and camping (and therfore "roughing it") as well as campfires (and the associated camaraderie) which suit the show... at least I think so, anyway.

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Tuesday, April 12, 2005 11:10 AM

SANMI77

this answer is quite easy you see in the episode OUR MRS REYNOLDS when the crooks were about to capture serenity in this wierd energy circle one of the men said the ship was a firefly class ship mabe a style or the way it was built I dont know but i know it a firefly class

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Wednesday, April 13, 2005 2:47 PM

CYBERSNARK

Quote:
Originally posted by TheSomnambulist:
ohhh nice.... sets things up very well.

You should carry on with that.

I am, I'm just running into a plot snarl. I need time-travel, and I hate time-travel. Also, I'm kinda worried about it turning into a Star Trek ripoff (much as I love Trek, I wanna do this my way).

See, the whole random thought/premise that touched it off was the conflict between the medieval and modern/futuristic societies. It's about the people, and the ethics, morals, and world views that they hold.

The alien invasion is just the plot conceit to throw the medieval folks in with the time-travellers. The snarl I get is that I need one time-traveller (a starship captain) to end up in medieval times, without his crew or ship. He's surprised by the alien occupation (which history makes no mention of), and passes himself off as a wizard to conduct recon. He finds the girl, the aliens attack to recover/kill her, and he and a handful of medieval-era survivors are recovered by his ship.

Yeah, it's more of a series pilot than a stand-alone.

Kinda like Farscape, only with more humans, and more "military polished" technology (to make the cultural divide even wider).

The trouble is getting the captain separated from his ship and thrown through time (everything I come up with that can do both ends up killing him). I thought of using an alien captain & crew, but they need to be human (and related to us), or the culture-clash becomes meaningless.

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

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Wednesday, April 13, 2005 3:04 PM

CHANNAIN

i DO aim to misbehave

Quote:
Originally posted by sanmi77:
this answer is quite easy you see in the episode OUR MRS REYNOLDS when the crooks were about to capture serenity in this wierd energy circle one of the men said the ship was a firefly class ship mabe a style or the way it was built I dont know but i know it a firefly class

It does seem quite obvious, doesn't it? Yet there's also the notion that it was the one way to bring Serenity in as the tenth character. That's one thing about this series. Nothing is every cut and dried and sometimes the things you think are obvious really aren't.

The other thing would be the idea that the name is in homage to the western television series of old; "Bonanza" was the name of the place where the main characters lived. "High Chapparal," same deal. "Rawhide" had to do with the reason why those cowboys were out on the trail, same with the settlers in "Wagon Train." "The Rifleman" had more to do with that spiffy rifle than with the man wielding it. "Gunsmoke" had a sheriff as its central character, and there was often times quite a bit of shooting.

"Firefly" is the make of the ship carrying nine different people with nine different takes on life in the 'verse. The one thing they have in common, though, is the ship.

Fans come and fans go...but zealots are with you until the bitter black end.
I draw...therefore I am. http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=7922
Minnesota Meetup - join us! http://firefly.meetup.com/45/

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Wednesday, April 13, 2005 5:20 PM

CALLMEATH

Quote:
Originally posted by Nywoe:
Quote:
Originally posted by manwithpez:

Alien: "All your silver and furniture are belong to us."

That just never gets old. :)

I have heard of a place where humans do battle in a ring of Jell-O.
--Teal'c

You took my reply!! Curse you!!

"Invader's blood marches through my veins like giant radioactive rubber pants. The pants command me! Do not ignore my veins!"

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Wednesday, April 13, 2005 6:26 PM

SHINY

Quote:
Originally posted by Spookyjesus:
Seriously?

I remember Joss talking about this (I think in the DVD commentary to Serenity) and saying he wanted something with energy and action, and he was being that literal: fire and fly. I don't remember if he said anything about that coming before or after the concepts for the design of the ship, but I suspect the name firefly came first and influenced the design.

Jayne, your mouth is talkin. Might want to look into that.

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Thursday, April 14, 2005 12:22 AM

JAMIEC

Quote:
"Invader's blood marches through my veins like giant radioactive rubber pants. The pants command me! Do not ignore my veins!"

OK, thread hi-jack, but where the hell did that quote come from? It's superb!

'The question seldom addressed is where Medusa had snakes. Underarm hair is an even more embarassing problem when it keeps biting the top of the deodorant bottle.'
-Terry Pratchett

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Thursday, April 14, 2005 3:51 AM

CALLMEATH

Quote:
Originally posted by JamieC:
Quote:
"Invader's blood marches through my veins like giant radioactive rubber pants. The pants command me! Do not ignore my veins!"

OK, thread hi-jack, but where the hell did that quote come from? It's superb!

'The question seldom addressed is where Medusa had snakes. Underarm hair is an even more embarassing problem when it keeps biting the top of the deodorant bottle.'
-Terry Pratchett

It's from Invader Zim, a short-lived cartoon from Nickelodeon. The DVD's are out now. I'd advise checking them out, they're really funny.

"Invader's blood marches through my veins like giant radioactive rubber pants. The pants command me! Do not ignore my veins!"

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