Complete Firefly noob - sell it to me! :)

POSTED BY: Sidane
UPDATED: Monday, August 22, 2005 15:36
VIEWED: 9261
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SIDANE

Friday, August 19, 2005 5:14 PM

Hi all,
First time poster, complete Firefly noob. Big sci-fi fan though - Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica etc.

I've read bits and pieces about the series, A LOT of it good, and am thinking of getting the DVD set but the fact that it was cancelled is making me wonder if it's worth investing in.

I know this is probably a stupid question on a Firefly fan website, but is it really as good as it sounds? If so why was it taken off the air halfway through season one?

What really peaked my interest in Firefly was the Serenity trailer. The story, setting and characters looked interesting, but what really grabbed my attention was the humour in the trailer. Some of the one liners had me genuinely laughing out loud - which is pretty good for a trailer:

"I don't wanna explode!"
"You wanna run this ship?" "Yeah!" "Well...you can't!"
"We won't suvive this!" "I might!"

Does this kind of well delivered humour feature in the series as well?

Thanks!

Sidane

CALLMESERENITY

Friday, August 19, 2005 5:21 PM

Oh yes, the series has some of the funniest lines I've ever heard.

Don't judge the series because it was cancelled. Cancelling quality shows seems to be a favourite hobby of F*X. It was never given a fair chance. I'll let others expand on that.

So, that being said: Run out, buy the DVDs right now. You'll thank me. Go! Now!!

What are you waiting for? GO!

And welcome aboard.

Serenity, First Officer of Destiny

JESSICAMELUSINE

Friday, August 19, 2005 5:26 PM

I wasn't sure what to think about the pilot; I had heard so much hype and all my friends liked it and I wasn't going to go for that sort of thing no sireee.However, a sex worker portrayed honestly and nicely who was not dying, suffering or there to Make A Point?

I was intrigued, then wrote it off since I was stubborn.

Then, a funny thing happened. I wanted to know what happened next. I wound up watching more, I got my heartstrings tugged, I laughed and I watched the whole thing start to unfold...

and well, here I am, waiting for my costume bits to come together so I can go see Browncoats at DragonCon.

There's humor, there's love, there's adventure and crassness and foolishness and violence and joy. I wish there was more and I'm glad the movie is coming out.

So, that's my two cents.

CHRONICTHEHEDGEHOG

Friday, August 19, 2005 5:30 PM

Firefly is incredibly witty, scary, exciting, romantic, deep, clever.... and you should go out and buy it without question as I'm sure hundreds of people will line up to tell you.

It was however, a very hard sell for a network. It's a western (a genre which doesn't do very well) in space (a niche market) with a majorly unknown cast. Fox tried to understand it but they couldn't. It didn't make any kind of sense to them. So they advertised it badly, put it in a Friday night death slot and often pre-empted it for sports. Oh, and they showed it out of order too, putting the pilot on last. This is why it was cancelled.

The box set is pretty cheap atm so it's worth picking up. If you don't like it there's a good chance you can resell it on ebay.

-------------------------------------------------

And the premiere is closer...

PERIDIDDLE

Friday, August 19, 2005 6:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Sidane:
Does this kind of well delivered humour feature in the series as well?

Thanks!

Sidane

Oh, certainly. Every episode contains classic lines, quips and moments that are still highly amusing (to me at least) after seeing the entire DVD set at least half a dozen times. Not only that, but it has the wonderful plots and storytelling that Joss Whedon and his fabulous writers are known for. The characters feel like real people, every last one of them, each with their own faults, motives and abilities that make them all the more believable. The actors play them wonderfully, and it doesn't matter that they're 'unknowns', their talent is undeniable. The universe is well-crafted, though we didn't get to see as much of it as we all wish. It's also a BEAUTIFUL show - it's shot much like a Western, with lens flares, zooms, camera shaking, ect. It fits perfectly for the shows and makes it very interesting to watch.

I got into Firefly because I was a Buffy fan, and wanted to see this new bit of Joss and I picked up the DVDs. I couldn't bring myself to watch the last episode for almost a week after flying through the rest of the series - it almost hurt knowing there was nothing left of this smart, wonderful show. Now, we get a movie. It's prime time to jump into the Browncoat 'verse - you can proudly proclaim that you knew about the series before the feature film was released, and you'll be joining our ranks right along with many other new fans...the promotion for the movie and fan's need for it to do well has brought the Browncoat recruit list to an all-time high. We're a nice, smart bunch and you're sure to pick up a friend or two along the way to true Firefly addiction.

"Bwaa...it's kind of a warrior...strikes fear into the hearts of..."

CALLMESERENITY

Friday, August 19, 2005 6:49 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by JessicaMelusine:

and well, here I am, waiting for my costume bits to come together so I can go see Browncoats at DragonCon.

.

Hey, Jessica! I'm going to Dragon*Con, too! You gonna be in the parade?

Serenity, First Officer of Destiny

NOSADSEVEN

Friday, August 19, 2005 7:00 PM

You gotta get the DVDs if for no other reason than to be a part of this thing before it hits.

The stories told in Firefly and Serenity are compelling, but so too are the stories of Firefly and Serenity. You want to have the experience of watching the last episode on the DVDs, standing up, and asking out loud to anyone who'll listen, "How the hell did this show get canceled!??!?!"

You can understand the answer to that question - mismanagement by the network, production costs not paying out in ratings, the need for more relay-racing dwarves in primetime..., but after watching the DVDs, you will not be able to comprehend the answer. The question will remain. How could this show have been canceled?

This is the question that Joss Whedon has, that drove him to get this movie made. It is the question that the actors have, that got them to all sign on for the movie. It is the question that so many of us fans have, that drives us to look like idiots babbling on endlessly about a little show that so few have heard of.

Any self-respecting sci-fi fan wants to be a part of this; wants to know the significance of Serenity before going to see it; wants to be the one that turned their friends on to it. (I'm appealing to your ego here.)

And yes, Firefly is consistently laugh-out-loud funny while being serious and dramatic, because the drama and the comedy come from the characters, rather than from contrivances.

[edited for spelling]

Also, I can kill you with my brain.

JESSICAMELUSINE

Friday, August 19, 2005 7:07 PM

Oooh, I should!
Okay, you've sold me; parade it is:)

www.livejournal.com/users/jessicamelusine

CITIZEN

Friday, August 19, 2005 7:53 PM

I'm glad your sold...
I was thinking I might have to release the monkey nija's, but that is a different matter...

Q: What do you have when you are holding two little green balls in your hand.
A: Kermit's undivided attention.

SERENITYPUNK

Friday, August 19, 2005 8:04 PM

sean put your monkeys away

they are only for 'special' cases

oh and go buy the boxset

you will love the show

=================================================
Carol
Pirate Steve defines the word cool.....
http://www.freewebs.com/serenityshindigs/index.htm - big damn shindigs

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