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Originally posted by EvilDinosaur:
But anyway, back to the timeline. So yes, the movie takes place after the series. I believe it's a matter of months after the last episode of Firefly that Serenity takes place. I don't think they ever flat out say how much time has passed. It's possible you could figure it out by things they say but I've never taken the time to listen close enough to figure that out.

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Originally posted by BlueEyedBrigadier:
Well...it doesn't work if one solely works off of assumed travel times between the various planets and moons Serenity visits during the series, but each planet would have its own rotation cycle and seasons. So that would mean the crew could visit Persephone during that planet's summer and later visit Whitefall during their winter.

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Originally posted by daveshayne:
For instance in The Train Job Inara tells Book she's been on Serenity for 8 months. In the next episode, Bushwacked, she tells thehead purplebelly that she has been on Serenity a few weeks short of a full year. So we've got 3 maybe 4 months there.

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Originally posted by Whiplash4ever:

My Firefly episodes are on their way, but I have questions for you who have seen both. Where does Serenity fall into place. With the events that take place involving Wash at the end of Serenity, I'm assuming that the TV series must take place prior to the movie, however, in the movie, they just break River out of confinement, but she's also in the TV series... so I'm a little confused...

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Originally posted by doctroid:

(Also the implication that Kaylee was about 15 when she joined the crew strikes me as unlikely.)

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Originally posted by Whiplash4ever:

I did catch the 8 month reference this last time I watched the movie, but that doesn't seem like it's enough time. 14 episodes took place in 6-8 months? Maybe it's as some of you suggest and it's just Mal not keeping the passage of time straight in his head.

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Originally posted by doctroid:
I think it's a mistake to assume casually tossed-around time spans to be mathematically accurate.

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Originally posted by Operative1985:

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Originally posted by doctroid:

(Also the implication that Kaylee was about 15 when she joined the crew strikes me as unlikely.)

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I really hope not, because she is having sex when we first meet her.

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Originally posted by BlueEyedBrigadier:
Ok...let's work this by the numbers, so to speak:

The broadcast version of the BDS episodes all carried a short "for the uninformed" precis that starts off with a camera shot of Serenity passing by with the caption of c.a. 2517, before explaining the background of the series.

Now...in The Train Job, it's quickly established that it's the anniversary of Unification Day, when the war was declared officially over with the signing of agreements between the Alliance and the former Independent worlds. At least one year has passed since the war ended, but we have to assume it's been more than a couple since Zoe makes reference to Mal always getting into provoked barfights on U-Day. So...let's agree that the war ended in 2511, which means The Train Job would 6 years after the opening gambit at Serenity Valley.

Now...if you use the ages of the BDH actors and actresses, you generally get realistic ballparks for when the various BDHs were born. For example, Nathan Fillion was born in 1971, making him 30-31 at the time of the BDS' initial filming in 2002; this allows us to generate a birth year of 2486-87 for Mal. In fact, according to the record the Alliance grunt pulls up for the Operative's perusal in the BDM, Mal's born September 30, 2486...which makes him a mere handful of months short of his 32nd birthday when the BDM is thought to be set. Similar efforts (though much less canonical) can be done for the entire crew as follows:

1) Mal (Nathan Fillion) – September 30th, 2486

2) Zoë (Gina Torres) – Spring 2484 (Gina was born April 1969)

3) Wash (Alan Tudyk) – Spring 2486 (Alan was born March 1971)

4) Jayne (Adam Baldwin) – Winter/Spring 2477 (Adam was born February 1962)

5) Kaylee (Jewel Staite) – Spring 2497 (Jewel was born June 1982)

6) Inara (Morena Baccarin) – Winter/Spring 2490 (Morena was born January 1979, but it’s assumed Inara is older than a mere 23)

7) Book (Ron Glass) – Summer 2460 (Ron was born July 1945)

8) Simon (Sean Maher) – Spring 2490 (Sean was born April 1975)

9) River (Summer Glau) – Summer 2500 (Summer was born July 1981, but it’s established that River’s only 16 when she joins the crew)

Now then...River's age seems to be the big keystone in developing a resonable timeline, since since her age is referred to the most out of the entire crew's. At least, I think so, since if River is nominally given a birthdate approximate to Summer's own (at least month and day-wise), then the film would be a mere handful of weeks before she turned 18. "Enrolled" at the Academy at age 14 - say...Fall 2514 to keep up a charade that the Academy was an actual school, and to allow for a birthday in the spring or summertime - and removed 2+ years later (Fall 2516 at the earliest, though Winter 2517 seems to allow for opening explanation to work best) by Simon.

A mere 8 months would have the movie set Fall 2517, but a blowup of certain records seen in the movie indicate the date of when the records were access was around June 2518, meaning Simon would have had to have boarded Serenity with River in Fall 2517 and that River had been a prisoner for a bit more than 3 years...not matching up quite right, eh?

BEB

Literature has shown us some of humanity's greatest achievements; history, some of our greatest failures -- Alun Lewis

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