Why is it that Firefly/Serenity is so appealing and just so ruttin' beautiful to YOU??? by 20thCentFoxHater

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Why is it that Firefly/Serenity is so appealing and just so ruttin' beautiful to YOU???

POSTED BY: 20THCENTFOXHATER
UPDATED: Wednesday, December 14, 2005 11:13
SHORT URL:
VIEWED: 10770
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Wednesday, December 7, 2005 2:46 PM

The question is as posted, so I guess I'll start 'er off. I believe so because Firefly/Serenity offers something that parallels what every good natured folk want: freedom and peace to do what they want to, without someone telling them. It is so like what William Wallace said in Braveheart: "I just to have a home, a wife, raise some children, and live in peace and grow my crops". Or sumpthin' like that.

Also, I think it gives us a sort of adventure that nothing else can give us, an adventure about REAL people in situations that are like what we would go through on life. They don't give up, they adhere to loyalty to friends, and a higher calling (in many ways, not just faith-based) that pushes them to do what is RIGHT.

To quote Jayne: "Shepard Book once told me that if you can't do something smart, do something right".

To show just how much I believe in that quote, I'm getting it tattooed on my arms. Half on one, half on the other, so that everyday I can ponder what I SHOULD do, and what makes ME & the WORLD a better place to live in. Not what someone else WANTS or EXPECTS me to do.

Everyone should stand up for what they believe in and do it now, before an Alliance takes us over by force.

"I aim to misbehave."

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Wednesday, December 7, 2005 2:54 PM

PSOLARIS

I guess a lot of the reason I liked the show was because of the believeability (is that a word?). I had always imagined that if we were to venture out in the 'verse and colonize, that we'd live our lives pretty much like this, and not so "Star Trek," if that makes any sense. Now don't get me wrong, I am a big Trek fan (my heart would skip a beat if I ever met William Shatner in real life), but the lifestyle of the Firefly series just seems more like how we'd be.

That and the fact that you can't help but love all of the characters for one reason or another. Even the bad characters. Joss is just so good at writing up stories that trap us in his world.

The funny one liners are always great too!!

Psolaris

"Ten percent of nuthin' is...let me do the math here...nuthin' into nuthin'...carry the nuthin'"

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Wednesday, December 7, 2005 3:08 PM

GELASSENHEIT

First, it is sci fi
second, it is GOOD sci fi
third, great, believeable characters
fourth, humor
fifth, great, fun, language

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Wednesday, December 7, 2005 3:34 PM

SHINYTALENT

I know that when I watched Firefly for the first time I got shivers all the way up my spine. Sitting there watching Serenity it gave me goosebumps.

I think it's because it's completely unlike everything out there. I mean have you ever tried to explain it to someone who hasn't heard of it. You can't call it just a western, or just a sci-fi, or just a fantastic story. You can't just talk about one character without remembering the others.

I don't think anyone could say well Firefly/Serenity it's appealing and beautiful because of one specific thing, it's the entire package that's so ruttin beautiful.

The human body can be drained of blood in 8.6 seconds given adequate vacuuming systems.

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Wednesday, December 7, 2005 3:42 PM

20THCENTFOXHATER

What you said is exactly correct; no one who has seen it can understand what the big deal is. Only after watching it, can people truly appreciate it.

For example, just two days ago, before my western civ lecture, i was watching the first episode of Firefly and when one of my school friends came in I restarted it and had him watch it. Even though he isnt yet hooked on it, he does have a better understanding of it than he did before. We only watched up until they arrived in the Eavesdown Docks on Persephone when the lecture started, so it wasnt much. When I asked him "better than you thought, eh?" He just smiled and said I guess so, but it was clear that he didn't want to admit what I have been saying all along, as it is difficult for us guys to admit when we're wrong.

"I aim to misbehave."

"If you can't do something smart, do something right".

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Thursday, December 8, 2005 11:54 AM

FOREVERSHINY

I don't know if you can pinpoint it to one exact, specific thing. The show has different meanings, strikes a different chord with everybody. And somehow, through that, it is INCREDIBLEY addicting.

I know that for me, it would take a very, very long time to write out each and every reason why I love this show. And would probably get very boring after reading the same things over and over. A lot would be the characters and the dialogue and the cinematography and the believabiltity (yes, I believe it is a word,) and...see what I mean? And then there would also be a lot of "I don't know exactly why, but it just is."

It is fun to hear what people think, though.

Cheers,

~ForeverShiny~
~~~~~~~~~~~
Can't stop the signal!
"No, Cap'n, I think it's shiny!"--Kaylee, o'course.
"Yeah, but she's our witch, so cut her the hell down." --Mal in "Safe."
"Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take a boat in the air you don't love, she'll shake you off as sure as the turning of worlds. Love keeps her in the air when she oughtta fall down, tells ya she's hurtin' 'fore she keens. Makes her a home." --Mal in "Serenity" My all-time fav quote. Love it!

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Thursday, December 8, 2005 2:00 PM

SAMEERTIA

Hmmm... what is it that makes Firefly/Serenity so appealing and just so ruttin' beautiful?

All the pretty faces.
I was trying to narrow it down to just one, but...nope...it's a shipful of just downright purty people. :D

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Thursday, December 8, 2005 2:48 PM

URSULA

The thing that makes Firefly a gem is that it has something for everyone.

You got your spaceships, your shootin', your lasers, your horses, your explosions, your moon-brain psychic crazy girl, your Captain Tightpants, your jugglin' of geese, your space hooker, your fancy-dress balls, your warrior woman, your serial-marryin' devil woman, your big ol' government, your jokester, your cussin' in Chinese, your eternal optimist, your young doctor on a mission to save his sister, your doin' of crime, your man of faith, your psychotic bounty hunter, and your man who can inspire the downtrodden mudders to riot (however inadvertently).

What more could you want?

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Thursday, December 8, 2005 2:55 PM

THIEFJEHAT

As an Engineer and a scientist, Firefly offered me a plausable future with real technologies. No technobabble (unless you listen to Kaylee perhaps..heh)

Do not fear me. Ours is a peaceful race, and we must live in harmony.

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Thursday, December 8, 2005 5:27 PM

LOUGOJIRA

The reasons differ for everybody, but for me it'd first and foremost be the characters...they're all very likeable, and you can identify to one degree or another with them. Next is the pacing of the show...it's a steady pace that grabs your attention and holds it, with a healthy amount of action, damn good dialogue, and impressive special effects to get the story told. I'm just speaking for myself here, but another aspect is that the girls are all totally hot. Usually, if I like a show, I MIGHT spot one girl on there whom I could find attractive; this show's ladies are ALL desirable, and that is a true rarity...I don't think they could've casted prettier or more likeable girls for those roles if they tried. Lastly, I'll take an outlaw badass kind of character any day over an intentional do-gooder; Mal isn't perfect but he's got good intentions most of the time...and Jayne, aw hell, he is probably the coolest character I've seen in a long ol' time.

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Thursday, December 8, 2005 6:57 PM

20THCENTFOXHATER

I restated my original question, to what makes it beautiful to everyone of YOU out there. I now believe my question is much clearer. Remember, what about Firefly appeals to you?

"I aim to misbehave."

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Thursday, December 8, 2005 7:11 PM

THEPLAGUE

I would say for me it's the fact that the show seems so solid. The settings and characters are lived-in and worn. There is an interaction between them (both between the different characters, and between the characters and their surroundings) that I've never really seen in a show before. It's not as though they are interacting with sets, it's as though they are interacting with a world (or a 'verse as the case may be).

-------------------------------
Are these our lives? NNNOOOOOO!!!

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Thursday, December 8, 2005 8:37 PM

VIOLETRIX

i love the writing. i never really watched buffy or angel, so i wasn't that familiar with joss, but when i watched firefly, i was just so blown away. the writing is so damn good! i also like how's it's the flip side of star trek in a way. the characters are adults,which is nice as well. i get so tired of how everything's aimed for the "fourteen year old girl demographic." i'm not old, i'm barely 29, but i am definitely out of high school.
firefly was something special, really unique. the characters are fleshed out well, very multi-dimensional. mal is... i don't know. it's so rare that you get to see a male lead character who's strong and (relatively) principled, but not cold. And yet, he's conflicted but not whiny. he's an actual man. i guess it's just nice to not have a ship full of stereotypes and cardboard cutouts.

and then there's jayne. i liked to look at jayne. i like to watch adam baldwin in just about anything, so i was pleased on a very basic level by this show.

the end. (i think that's what you were asking for. sorry if it wasn't.)

http://violetrix.blogspot.com

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Thursday, December 8, 2005 9:57 PM

BATMARLOWE

It's because Joss and Co. created a T.V. show with 9 major characters and made them all distinctive and interesting. And they put them in a unique setting. And they wrote great stories for them. With great dialogue. And great acting.

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Friday, December 9, 2005 5:44 AM

LOUGOJIRA

Quote:
Originally posted by 20thCentFoxHater:
I restated my original question, to what makes it beautiful to everyone of YOU out there. I now believe my question is much clearer. Remember, what about Firefly appeals to you?

I'd like to add something to what I posted earlier...

Another appeal to me...a rather HUGE appeal, is the subtle (yet obvious if you look for it) sympathizing with the American South as far as the Civil War is concerned. A lot of people have knee-jerk reactions to a subject like this, demonizing the Confederacy, and yet Joss Whedon was brave enough to go at it and get his point across. So many people want to walk a politically correct party line that they wouldn't dare do what Joss did. This aspect makes an already excellent show even greater, and makes me admire an already talented man all the more.

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Friday, December 9, 2005 7:32 AM

URSULA

Quote:
Originally posted by LouGojira:
Another appeal to me...a rather HUGE appeal, is the subtle (yet obvious if you look for it) sympathizing with the American South as far as the Civil War is concerned.

I watched Firefly from the git-go, and went to see "Serenity", but it wasn't until after seeing the BDM that I came here.

I didn't get the Civil War thing at all. What it reminded me of (and I compared it to, when describing it to others) was what the settlement of the Old Northwest Territory (now Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, parts of Michigan, etc.) would have been like if the U.S. had lost the Revolutionary War. Maybe its because I grew up and live in Indiana and have had that part of history beaten into me all my life, but I definitely saw it as more what our country could have become had history turned out a little differently.

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Friday, December 9, 2005 7:45 AM

SCORPIONREGENT

The writing is the key. Everything else, sets, costumes, photography, acting, special effects are all good and they make it good. The writing makes it great. The writing is such that it does not insult my intelligence like most of TV usually does. The on tv the sci fi genre is mostly a dog pound. There are some exceptions and things are getting better every year, but on a whole the thing that makes or breaks a series is whether or not the writing is any good, and more often than not, the standards of writing have been mediocre at best.
I dare to say it's not just about the fall of the south, it's about the fall of Scotland, the defeat of Japan, the subjugation of Ireland, the genocide of the American Indians. There are too many conflicts to list. It's about good people that happened to be on the losing side of a conflict. Whether the cause was just or not, the people are not bad. The side lost that does not make the people losers. It is so easy to vilify ones enemy, when in fact all of us are just human. What was it Maximus wanted in the begining of Gladiator? He simply wanted to go home and be with his family. In the end we all want that or something close to it.

Scorpion Regent

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Friday, December 9, 2005 8:04 AM

VIOLETRIX

Quote:
Another appeal to me...a rather HUGE appeal, is the subtle (yet obvious if you look for it) sympathizing with the American South as far as the Civil War is concerned.

i could not agree more. i caught that too. it is definitely something you don't see very often in media of any form. it was another aspect of the show that was intriguing to me, since i have my own preconceptions of the american south, (being, of course, from the southwest and knowing nothing about the south but what was in my history classes in high school and college.)
fascinating show. fascinating.

http://violetrix.blogspot.com

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Friday, December 9, 2005 8:51 AM

JAYTEE

Part of it is the humor interjected here and there even though the heroes are facing a crisis of one sort or the other. Part of it is the depth of the characters, none of whom could be described as one dimensional and yet you only get glimpses of their inner selves and it makes you want to know more. I also find the whole concept of the 'verse without stupid looking aliens like Jar Jar Binks and without sound effects of ships exploding in a vacuum alot more convincing and less of an insult to my intelligence than George Lucas manages to inflict. I especially find Mal's character appealing as he is deeply conflicted. He has felt betrayed by the leaders of the Independents and by God as well because only he and Zoe survived the Battle of Serenity Valley. Someone said in another thread that the Alliance also bombarded his homeworld moon, Shadow from orbit leaving it devoid of any life and uninhabitable. I don't remember this detail being exposed in the DVD collection and I've watched every episode but it would help explain and reinforce his anger toward the Alliance and his hollowed out psyche. In spite of all that plagues him inside, he still struggles to do "the right thing" and act with a sense of honor and nobility that the others rally around. When I first saw the BDM at the theater and reached the part at the beginning where you see Serenity for the first time just before she starts a burn through in atmosphere and that music starts building I had a lump in my throat and my eyes started blurring from the moisture. She was flying again.......she was finally flying again and nothing else mattered.

Jaytee

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Friday, December 9, 2005 11:08 AM

LOUGOJIRA

Well, about the Civil War aspects, I believe the first thing that tipped me off was the reference to the battle in Serenity Valley being a crucial point in the Planetary Civil War in the first episodes (they could've easily used a slogan like "war among the planets" or something more generic instead). Later, the point was driven further in the "Train Job" episode when Mal refers to his thinking of the Independance as "rising again" (and being Southern, I have heard the saying "The South's gonna rise again" my whole life) as his reason for getting into the bar fight. Something clicked when I heard that line (not to mention how the patrons at the bar talked about the Independance, which eerily reminded me of some smack I've heard talked about the South), so I began talking with a Bro at another forum who is a fan of the show, and I asked him if I was possibly reading too much into it. He said no, and told me about Joss Whedon being influenced by the book "The Killer Angels", which is a book about the American Civil War.

I finally got my suspicions confirmed when reading an interview with Joss in the official visual companion for Serenity. When Whedon is asked how the idea for Firefly evolved, here is a line from his response:
"The basic tenet was that it was [analogous to the post-United States Civil War] Reconstruction era. Mal had fought for the South -not for slavery, I can't stress that enough [laughs], but for [the losing side]."

Either way though, whether you spot the references or not, I guess Mal's plight can basically be interpreted into any losing side that you may sympathize with.

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Friday, December 9, 2005 4:30 PM

SCORPIONREGENT

Quote:
Originally posted by LouGojira:
Well, about the Civil War aspects, I believe the first thing that tipped me off was the reference to the battle in Serenity Valley being a crucial point in the Planetary Civil War in the first episodes (they could've easily used a slogan like "war among the planets" or something more generic instead). Later, the point was driven further in the "Train Job" episode when Mal refers to his thinking of the Independance as "rising again" (and being Southern, I have heard the saying "The South's gonna rise again" my whole life) as his reason for getting into the bar fight. Something clicked when I heard that line (not to mention how the patrons at the bar talked about the Independance, which eerily reminded me of some smack I've heard talked about the South), so I began talking with a Bro at another forum who is a fan of the show, and I asked him if I was possibly reading too much into it. He said no, and told me about Joss Whedon being influenced by the book "The Killer Angels", which is a book about the American Civil War.

I finally got my suspicions confirmed when reading an interview with Joss in the official visual companion for Serenity. When Whedon is asked how the idea for Firefly evolved, here is a line from his response:
"The basic tenet was that it was [analogous to the post-United States Civil War] Reconstruction era. Mal had fought for the South -not for slavery, I can't stress that enough [laughs], but for [the losing side]."

Either way though, whether you spot the references or not, I guess Mal's plight can basically be interpreted into any losing side that you may sympathize with.

My point exactly otherwise the the only debates we would have here is whitch is a better song Freebird or Sweet Home Alabama. KIDDING!

Scorpion Regent

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Friday, December 9, 2005 4:57 PM

NCBROWNCOAT

All the posts are right. It's the writing, characters, acting, directing, everything.

It's being on the losing side, enduring a crushing defeat,losing Everything including faith and getting up, brushing yourself off, making do and getting on with your life by moving on to a new place and regaining yourself a little by little with the help of those around you.

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Friday, December 9, 2005 6:17 PM

AERIN

No one has posted a reason that I disagree with.

The combination of science fiction and western was something I could never have imagined, but it actually makes sense! There are no aliens played by actors wearing blue makeup or face prosthetics (although I still like the idealized Star Trek universe). The cast makes it easy to believe they live together on a tiny ship as a strange, but tight-knit family. Each character has both dimension and mystery, so I’m constantly looking for clues in everything they do or say. Even a glance can have significant meaning. The dialogue is well-written, fun, and eminently quotable! Each character’s use of the language accurately reflects their background (Jayne and Kaylee are very colloquial, Wash has clearly been educated, and Simon is the most formal). I could go on and on, but overall, I think it’s a combination of the complexity and the freedom-loving spirit that keeps me wanting more. The eye-candy certainly doesn’t hurt!

I also caught the Civil War references, perhaps because Mal is a lot like The Outlaw Josey Wales. He joined the war for his own reasons, fought on the losing side, and then had to find a life beyond the reach of the government. Josey also had strange, wry humor.

Thank goodness Joss didn’t decide to make reality TV shows instead!

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Friday, December 9, 2005 6:58 PM

SERGEANTX

I loved Firefly because it was about rejects and losers - something I can relate to. It wasn't about saving the galaxy from evil or fighting off swarms of aliens, it was about people and their search for a home amongst all the pushy jerks in the 'verse. That's what made it so realistic to me. That's also why I didn't care much for 'Serenity'. 'Serenity' was the big damn reaver slaying movie......boooorrrring. Anyway, I loved the series.

SergeantX

"Dream a little dream or you can live a little dream. I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase but never get it." Aesop Rock

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Friday, December 9, 2005 10:06 PM

LOUGOJIRA

Quote:
Originally posted by ScorpionRegent:

My point exactly otherwise the the only debates we would have here is whitch is a better song Freebird or Sweet Home Alabama. KIDDING!

Yeah, and these forums wouldn't last very long at that rate, because anybody whose a somebody knows it's EASILY Freebird!

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Friday, December 9, 2005 10:20 PM

LOUGOJIRA

Quote:
Originally posted by Aerin:
The combination of science fiction and western was something I could never have imagined, but it actually makes sense!

I agree. While Firefly isn't the first show to tackle a combination of elements like this (Bravestar and Galaxy Rangers being the first "westerns in space" that I know of, and they were cartoons shown in the 80's), it is done infinitely more realistic in Firefly, and these premises are spot-on and perfect for the type of story getting told.

Quote:
There are no aliens played by actors wearing blue makeup or face prosthetics (although I still like the idealized Star Trek universe).

And thank God for that! Me personally, I'm tired out on aliens like those in shows like Star Trek, Babylon 5, Andromeda, etc, etc (people with face prosthetics, done so much its not even convincing)...I always liked the idea in Red Dwarf that there was no "life out there", but figured that no other show would go that route. Again, Firefly pulled this aspect off, and did it well!

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Friday, December 9, 2005 10:32 PM

VIOLETRIX

Quote:
because anybody whose a somebody knows it's EASILY Freebird

darlin', i don't know about that. i'm all about sweet home alabama.

and about the lack of aliens with blue faces & etc., i couldn't have been more thrilled. i was fiercely loyal to star trek:tng, but i'm tired of aliens. unless they lay their eggs in your gastrointestinal tract and then bust out during dinner, i have done with them.

firefly was just so refreshing. so different. a very welcome change.

http://violetrix.blogspot.com

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Friday, December 9, 2005 10:54 PM

GIANTEVILHEAD

I like it because it is different. It deals with things that we don’t want to deal with or are afraid to deal with and does it in a way that we don’t expect.

"I swallowed a bug." -River Tam

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Friday, December 9, 2005 11:39 PM

LOUGOJIRA

Quote:
Originally posted by violetrix:
darlin', i don't know about that. i'm all about sweet home alabama.

*lol* Okay, I stand corrected...the forums would still be lively if that's all we talked about!

Quote:
unless they lay their eggs in your gastrointestinal tract and then bust out during dinner, i have done with them.

Exactly. I'm not necessarily "anti-aliens" myself, but the way I figure, if you're going to have extra-terrestrial life in a show, go more further out than just people with funky foreheads or off-color skin. Heck, in my other favorite sci-fi show on par with Firefly, which is Macross, the alien Zentradei were human-like, but they were all about 90 feet tall. I'd like to see one of these "loaded with aliens" shows pull off something like that!

Oh well, Firefly doesn't have to contend with it either way...and that's fine by me. Keeps my attention on our characters and their struggles, and that's plenty powerful enough, making for excellent story-telling! (to state the obvious)

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Saturday, December 10, 2005 1:13 AM

HAOLEHAOLE

Quote:
...The combination of science fiction and western was something I could never have imagined, but it actually makes sense!

... Here in Japan we've got the "Jidai Geki", which is the Japanese equivalent of the American western. You know, Samurai TV shows, wherein the hero(s) face off against brutal thug baddies every week and save the lovely young ladies from distress... A western, basically, with kimono, ninja, warlords and swords.

... I wonder if this could work in space . . .?

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Saturday, December 10, 2005 6:41 AM

MISBEHAVIN

I love Firefly/Serenity because it's Science Fiction that's more interested in exploring the characters than explaining quantium flux inverter-transducer coils.

Joss created people that I can be interested in and like even though they're capable of doing unlikeable things or being very weak. They may fly spaceships but they're people like us. Nobody has evolved beyond trivial concerns like finding a way to pay for food and fuel. People are the same 500 years in the future as they were 500 years in the past. This is a world where the good guys don't always try to understand the person who's trying to kill them; they just shoot back. Sometimes they may even shoot first.

I love it because it doesn't talk down to the audience. We're expected to use our brains. Spaceships may undock from other ships while "upside down." Explosions occur in space accompanied only by haunting music. We're expected to remember what happened in a previous episode and what motivates a character.

I love it for the fans. This is a fan base where people buy copies of a DVD just to lend out, or try to purchase a coat from the show not for themselves but for the actor that wore it, or drive hours just to see the movie one more time.

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Saturday, December 10, 2005 6:41 AM

MISBEHAVIN

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Saturday, December 10, 2005 9:19 AM

VIOLETRIX

i read somewhere that joss whedon didn't want aliens because he wanted to illustrate that our problems are still our problems, even 500 years in the future. i really liked that. without the distraction of some alien species that's smarter, faster or more enlightened than we are, firefly presents a universe that is still so familiar, without being just a "western in space."
i've tried to explain this show to my best friend, and somehow "western in space" doesn't quite ring true. it's more than that, like literature, you know? not like a tv show. or something.

whatever, i like the lack of aliens. oh, and i like adam baldwin doing pull-ups in shindig.

http://violetrix.blogspot.com

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Sunday, December 11, 2005 5:43 AM

LOUGOJIRA

Quote:
i read somewhere that joss whedon didn't want aliens because he wanted to illustrate that our problems are still our problems, even 500 years in the future. i really liked that. without the distraction of some alien species that's smarter, faster or more enlightened than we are, firefly presents a universe that is still so familiar, without being just a "western in space."

I believe I either read the same article or something real close, because I remember Joss talking about pretty much making a deliberate effort in keeping aliens out his sci-fi show. If I remember right, he joked about "bumpy foreheads" while discussing it. Wish I could remember where that article was...and I can't help but wonder how many Star Trek fans he probably pissed off with the comment. *lol*

Quote:
i've tried to explain this show to my best friend, and somehow "western in space" doesn't quite ring true. it's more than that, like literature, you know? not like a tv show. or something.

I know exactly what you mean. I ran into a guy I used to work with at the theatre and had a similar set-back. He was there with his date to see Elizabethtown, and I was there by myself (I couldn't talk any Bro's into seeing the same movie YET AGAIN) to see Serenity for the third time. We shook hands, passed formalities, then I asked him what he was there to see. When he told me, I said he should see Serenity instead. When he asked me what it was about...honest to God...I drew blank! Reason being, I didn't know where to begin! He'd already bought his tickets, so it was too late, but I can't help but wonder how bad my tongue-tying made the movie seem to him.

Quote:
whatever, i like the lack of aliens. oh, and i like adam baldwin doing pull-ups in shindig.

I hear you...same here...though I'm not exactly on the same page as you are about Adam Baldwin. The man's a damn fine actor, Jayne is one of the coolest characters ever, but as Mal said: "I lean toward women-folk." Speaking of which, and on the subject of "Shindig", I liked the way Jewel Staite looked in that ball room dress! Little girl next-door managed to drop my jaw and put all those other girls at that dance to shame! Even Inara should've been worried.

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Sunday, December 11, 2005 9:50 AM

VIOLETRIX

after i watched serenity (which was before i watched the entire series) i tried to get my sister and her husband to go see it. my brother-in-law likes anything action-y, but my sister hears "scifi" and rejects it out of hand. so one week, she came out to stay with me for some thing she had to do, and since i had her captive, i made her watch the first three episodes of firefly. and now she's telling me to buy the movie for her husband for christmas. it was my first conversion, and i had only bought the dvd set a couple of weeks before.

so explaining it doesn't seem to work, but showing it to people makes converts.

and as for adam doing pullups: i could so watch that all day long. i had liked him before in the xfiles but it wasn't until firefly that i was like, "well, hello there."

http://violetrix.blogspot.com

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Sunday, December 11, 2005 3:15 PM

LOUGOJIRA

Quote:
Originally posted by violetrix:
so explaining it doesn't seem to work, but showing it to people makes converts.

You are so right. I've got a Bro here in town that is a dyed in the wool "Japanophile". Great guy and has a good heart, but if a show or movie isn't Japanese, or at least Asian, it's hard to get him interested. I don't quite understand the nature of such beasts, but strangely he's not alone.

Anyway, he came by the house just last night and wanted to show me his latest tape his brother-in-law in Japan had sent him. Like a sport, I sat through two episodes of Magi Ranger (the show's not all that bad and has some cool effects, kind of a mix between Harry Potter and Power Rangers, if you can imagine that kind of combo, I just couldn't understand a word of any of it *lol*), but when it was over, I too sort of took the "hold hostage" approach, and had him sit through the first two episodes of Firefly. I'd tried to talk the show up a few times before with little to no interest out of him, but after those episodes were over he admitted that he liked it. He even went on to start asking questions about the characters. Like you say, seeing the show is the best way to convert.

Quote:
and as for adam doing pullups: i could so watch that all day long. i had liked him before in the xfiles but it wasn't until firefly that i was like, "well, hello there."

Then I guess you appreciated the "cheesecake" in the "Jayne's Town" episode when he had his shirt off and was taping the gun to his waist as well?

I have to say, it's pretty dang cool to see such a fan of Adam "Jayne" Baldwin! I remember reading a thread a little while back where all the ladies talked about which guys on the show they liked best...and I was kinda' disappointed that Jayne seemed to rank so low amongst them. After reading the thread, I felt like maybe Jayne was a sort of "for the guys" type of character...not necessarily one that was supposed to appeal to the ladies. Glad to know I was wrong!

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Sunday, December 11, 2005 3:44 PM

KYLENBLADE

God, what aspect of the show isnt there to like? The stories, the characters, the wild west meets sci-fi setting... everything is very appealing to me. I think the combination of all those different factors allows me to feel completely immersed in the world. Just sorta makes me feel like once we achive the ability to do something like this, this is what it would be like. There are just so many aspects of human nature sewn into the stories that you cant help but identify with it on some level.

Hey! You're back! And there's your front too!

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Sunday, December 11, 2005 5:57 PM

VIOLETRIX

Quote:
I felt like maybe Jayne was a sort of "for the guys" type of character...not necessarily one that was supposed to appeal to the ladies.

jayne is pretty basic. he's not going to try to talk to you about your feelings or anything, which is nice. that character is just, you know, hot and he's kinda stupid and he's got a big gun. i guess ten years ago, in high school, the character of mal would have been more my speed, with his talking and his feeling and his intellect. all of these things are great! but the jayne character, he's just so... basic is a good word. just big and kinda stupid and morally ambiguous and proficient with weapons. it's an attractive character to someone who's burnt out on hamlet. oh! and the clincher for me was in "our mrs. reynolds" when jayne says: "that's why i never kiss 'em on the mouth." so hot, for some reason.

and yes, i loved the cheesecake shot in "jaynestown". i actually converted a good friend of mine to firefly on that episode and that particular shot alone. it was funny to watch her watch that.
i noticed that there's not as much of a jayne-obsession as i thought there would be. i'm new to this firefly phenomenon, but i just expected more... i don't know. rabid adam baldwin worship or something. maybe i'm just terribly shallow, and everyone has much more cerebral reasons for loving this show.
it's cool. i can live with that.

http://violetrix.blogspot.com

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Sunday, December 11, 2005 6:10 PM

NCBROWNCOAT

I'm more a Mal type of woman but I really did enjpy the Adam shirtless scene in Jaynestown(and the big grunt when he pull the adhesive off-I cringed a bit )like I also enjoyed Sean's shirtless scenes in Objects in Space or the last scene of the BDM.

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Monday, December 12, 2005 4:13 PM

LOUGOJIRA

Quote:
Originally posted by violetrix:
i noticed that there's not as much of a jayne-obsession as i thought there would be. i'm new to this firefly phenomenon, but i just expected more... i don't know. rabid adam baldwin worship or something. maybe i'm just terribly shallow, and everyone has much more cerebral reasons for loving this show.
it's cool. i can live with that.

You? Shallow? No way in hell! A girl who likes Firefly AND Skynyrd AND who's favorite guy on the show is Jayne?! Ma'am, you are not even a shade of the word "shallow", and truth be told I wish you lived a lot closer!

Don't sweat a thing though...I'm new to this whole Firefly obsession myself...and it's still amazing me how fast and how deeply I fell for all of it. At least you have a clear-cut and single guy on the show you like! Heck, me...well, I still don't have that one favorite girl because River and Kaylee are pretty much staying neck n' neck! *lol* Kaylee because she's that sexy "girl next door" type that'd just be downright fun to be with and would still be hot first thing in the morning, and River because she's just so petite, cute, and likes going barefoot!

Quote:
i actually converted a good friend of mine to firefly on that episode and that particular shot alone. it was funny to watch her watch that.

Hey...whatever works! I got a guy I know over the internet who lives in Peru hooked on the show by pointing out the girls. I've always heard that sex tends to sell...and obviously the saying holds true!

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Monday, December 12, 2005 4:20 PM

LOUGOJIRA

Quote:
Originally posted by ncbrowncoat:
I'm more a Mal type of woman but I really did enjpy the Adam shirtless scene in Jaynestown(and the big grunt when he pull the adhesive off-I cringed a bit )like I also enjoyed Sean's shirtless scenes in Objects in Space or the last scene of the BDM.

I remember Joss saying in the commentary in "Objects in Space" that he got a bunch of thank you letters for filming Simon minus his shirt.

Obviously this is a big appeal for us fans...going on the last few posts...the choices in the cast! The ladies like the guy characters, and the girls are all hotties...as viewers, whether you're male or female...we're ALL winners!

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Monday, December 12, 2005 8:21 PM

VIOLETRIX

Quote:
Heck, me...well, I still don't have that one favorite girl because River and Kaylee are pretty much staying neck n' neck!

i love all the girls on firefly, which is so rare, seeing as all tv shows have some really annoying girls. i love kaylee. jewel staite reminds me so much of my cousin, so i just can't not love kaylee. inara is amazingly gorgeous, this delicate thing that is almost unreal in her beauty, but who has a personality, you know? she's not just pretty. summer as river makes me want to cry, but she's so tough it makes me smile. but zoe... amazon goddess. i'm in love with zoe.

i think it's just easy to quantify the physicality that attracts people to firefly, but it's really the whole thing. the lighting guys, the set designers, the directing, the writing, the acting, the costumes... everything. it was just such a singular thing; i can't imagine that it'll happen again.
on the downside, until i watched serenity ( and all of firefly after that), i loved the show lost. now all tv seems hollow and forced. joss whedon ruined all my tv from here on out. i wouldn't trade it though. now i know tv can actually be good.

http://violetrix.blogspot.com

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Tuesday, December 13, 2005 3:54 PM

LOUGOJIRA

Quote:
inara is amazingly gorgeous, this delicate thing that is almost unreal in her beauty, but who has a personality, you know? she's not just pretty.

I agree. While I'm more into Kaylee and River now, Inara was the initial head-turner for me when I saw my first episode of Firefly, which is the "Our Mrs. Reynolds" episode (which made me go out and see Serenity, and later get the box set and see all the episodes). I wasn't even emotionally attached to the characters when I first saw that episode...but she was so hot when she admitted to Mal that she didn't bump her head...all nervous and vulnerable...I think I was holding my breath hoping he'd kiss her, and this was my first episode! I wanted to slap Mal silly when he didn't kiss her, and I don't think I can ever watch the episode now without wishing I were him in that scene! "Just take her in your arms!" I usually catch myself thinking, even though I've watched the episode a gazillion times over already.

Quote:
now all tv seems hollow and forced. joss whedon ruined all my tv from here on out. i wouldn't trade it though. now i know tv can actually be good.

I'm agreeing with you again. I'm not a big fan of television at all. While I own a television, I don't have cable and I can't pick up the local channels, and that's fine with me. Any TV watching I do (barring throwing a movie into the DVD player) is when I'm paying my parents a visit, so it was kind of a fluke that I was visiting the day the Sci-Fi channel was having a Firefly marathon, and incidentally showing the commercials for the movie during it all (otherwise I probably wouldn't have learned about the movie). This show made me realize that there can be a program that grabs hold of me and doesn't let go. I was a kid when I fell in love (literally) with Macross (this show was and still is ahead of its time, IMHO), and I didn't think a show would ever rope me in like that ever again. It's so great to get proven wrong sometimes!

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Wednesday, December 14, 2005 1:16 AM

GIXXER

The positive responses it gets from everyone*.

They seem not only to be of the "That's brilliant" nature, but more considered, in terms of how the characters have insinuated themselves into you. Warmer, if you see what I'm driving at.

Fannishness aside, I'm guessing a fair few of you (or maybe it's just me...) are thinking at various times - "That's the right thing to do" "I wish I was like that" "Everyone should be like that" and particularly "Now how can I sneak that phrase into everyday conversation?"

That just doesn't happen with other film characters or stars. (Although Hugh Grant got close telling Billy Bob Thornton to sod off in "Love Actually")

G

*well, everyone who gets it, anyway. (Much as I dislike sweeping statements, if you don't like it, then you really ain't right.)

"They do got these bastards called Reevers though, named after Keanu Reeves I believe."

Vern

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Wednesday, December 14, 2005 10:17 AM

EMPRESSPIRK

What makes Firefly appealing and beautiful to me?

I love the complexity (or versatility if you will) of the show.

There are nine main characters, each equally important, each different, fleshed-out, flawed, lovable and real. And it’s not just the great characters, their personalities, inner motives, secrets, pasts and unknown futures that make Firefly so special. It’s the relationships and with nine characters there’s plenty of them.

And of course it doesn’t hurt that talented actors, smart writing and great dialogue bring these characters to life.

To elaborate this complexity thing further… in Firefly there’s drama, there’s comedy, adventure, action, suspense, romance, horror, sci-fi and western, all wonderfully mixed. This show could take its characters anywhere.

I adore the way the western aspect brings in the elements from the past and the grittiness and the sci-fi brings the futuristic stuff: spaceships and alike. There are also rich Central planets and poor Outer worlds. There’s the mix of Asian and Western cultures. There are the winners and losers of a war. And all this says there’s a huge potential of different type of stories in Firefly.

One other thing that makes Firefly so appealing to me is that unlike so many others shows it is not confined to one town, city, courtroom, island, country or planet or one time era. Yet compared to most sci-fi shows the absence of all the humanoid aliens and other fantasy type of things in Firefly create a certain refreshing feeling.

So behind these wonderful fictional characters whose lives I really want to explore there is a rich, complex universe also worth of exploring. And I love the fact that the show is still about ordinary people (or petty thieves) trying to make a living and survive. Not about saving the universe, finding new species or interspecies diplomacy. Yeah, there are bigger themes in the background like war, politics, religion, poverty, slavery, prostitution, morality issues… there really isn’t much stuff Firefly couldn’t have dealt with. Except the aliens.

What really sets Firefly apart from most of the sci-fi I’ve seen is the humor. This show is funny, it makes you smile, it makes you grin and laugh out loud. But it’s not funny at the expense of the drama. You still get your little aww-moments that really make you care about the characters.

And the beauty. That comes from all those little details: acting, writing, music, silence in space, language (both English and Chinese), non-verbal character moments, lighting, clothing (and lack there of), set design, those little gimmicks they do with the camera: the flare, shaking, blurring, zooming.

I should just say it’s the whole package and save you the time.

Sorry about the long ramblings. I don’t get out much, I tend to lurk more than I post.

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Wednesday, December 14, 2005 11:13 AM

XEROGRAVITY

I agree with virtually everything everyone is saying.

For me, the show was always unpredictable. The minute Mal kicked Niska's viking goon into the engine, I was hooked. I've seen that same scene played out a hundred other times in other shows and movies, and always the hero let's the villain go. It's the same old tired formula in everything these days. No sane person in a lawless frontier would let a gangster thug vowing to kill you go free, only to have to fight them another day (cept in TV land). The whole show always seemed to do the opposite of what I'd expect. The characters seemed to do what I imagine I'd do were I in their shoes. That's rare to see in a show.

Never leave a castle in the rear.

XG

No such thing as gravity. The "Earth-that-was" just sucks.

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