Major Spoiler and I'm calling Joss out
POSTED BY: fireflygal
UPDATED: Friday, October 14, 2005 18:37
VIEWED: 62576
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DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HATE SPOILERS!
I have seen no posts to question Joss Whedon's script for Serenity, maybe we all hoped he'd change "certain" things before the final cut. I just saw the press showing in Tampa Sept 6 and it didn't change. I KNOW I'm not the only one who feels betrayed and angry because I hear it at every showing I've been to, from the other Browncoats. I'm posting this here hoping it gets to the "man" and he lets us know why. I wrote this as an article and have submitted it to a couple of sites but I realize I don't want to wait and see. I'm not lost but I'm angry and I can be armed...
Serenity Soars, Whedon Sinks
By Aleta* Vinas “FireflyGal”
Warning, this article contains MAJOR spoilers. Do NOT read this if you have not yet seen Serenity which premieres September 30th.
I have been lucky enough to see Serenity three times now and I hate it more each time I see it. No, allow me to rephrase that, I hate Joss Whedon more each time I see Serenity. I have heard that same phrase uttered from many other Browncoats, as well, after each preview. I’m calling Joss Whedon out onto the carpet to answer to the fans. Why? Why did you take the sky from us?
We all know what I’m talking about – Book and Wash. There was no reason in the ‘verse for them to die. I don’t care how noble their deaths were. It’s a story; it CAN have a happy ending. All the characters can live through the trilogy. Yes, there will be a trilogy if the Browncoats have any say in the matter and we do. We will see the movie, we will bring friends and repeat numerous times. We will make Fox wish they never cancelled Firefly. I will see it again and again despite what Whedon did; ripping my heart out by killing two of the wonderful characters I had come to love and laugh with.
Rumor has it that all nine cast members are signed for the trilogy but I don’t want flashbacks, the Browncoats don’t want flashbacks. We want nine characters alive and well, (we’ll even take wounded), to move into the future – together – on new adventures.
Does anyone else feel betrayed? Kind of feels like hearing there’s a new Battlestar Galactica, only it’s NOT Battlestar Galactica because Starbuck’s a girl and Boomer’s an Asian female? Are they kidding? Apparently not but I won’t even go off on that tangent.
I saw an interview with Whedon on the internet. This is what he said “I do this not to make things people like. It’s only to make things that they love. When I write for a moment when you just go ‘I needed to see that’.” No, I didn’t need to see Book and Wash die. However could you believe that any Browncoat wanted to see that?
I keep wondering if there’s a correlation between the death of Wash and Book and if memory serves me, Alan and Ron being the last cast members to sign on the dotted line. Whedon’s cosmic retribution?
I discovered Firefly from Day 1 when Fox showed the Train Job. Never missed an episode after that. My VCR was always at the ready no matter where Fox shuffled it to. I was a Browncoat from that first episode. I converted friends when the DVD’s came out. I gave them as gifts, all the Browncoats did. I listened to Whedon thanking the fans for their support and we all took his words to heart. We believed. We took Firefly and her nine crew to heart.
Browncoats rejoiced when we found out about the movie, it was magic. The Browncoats kept the faith, Universal had faith in Whedon and Serenity was born. When I saw Serenity, I lost faith, the way Mal did at the Battle of Serenity Valley. And like Mal, I will continue on. I will support the Browncoats and the movies even though a piece of me was left behind after Serenity.
So I come full circle to my original question, why? I’m not the only Browncoat who wants to know. Will you give us the answer, Joss Whedon? Though it’s doubtful any answer will satisfy us, we’d like to know what in the gorram ‘verse you were thinking?
I aim to misbehave!
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I saw the june 23 preview and I felt a similar regret. However, I still hold a small hope in my heart that these events were designed to serve a greater good. Much like the death of Jenny Calinder in Season 2 Buffy, while tragic and crappy at the time, was what set Willow down her magical path.
But it's a weak hope. And truthfully, I felt a little part of me die with Wash.
And I was also angry at the reaver explaination. I plan to start a reaver thread the morning of Oct 1. But I shall wait to let others catch up before ranting.
Do not fear me. Ours is a peaceful race, and we must live in harmony.
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Understood on the greater good thing but my deal is that he could do ANYTHING he wanted with those characters and a greater good could have been found with all of them alive.
Not a Buffy fan, so can't compare but I daresay Joss could have set Willow down the magical path without a death. He's a writer, no death, character takes a different path.
Don't mean to sound tetchy, really. I'm upset and truly want to know why. I'd rather him tell me it's because Alan and Ron do not want to have anything to do with Firefly ever again. That's reality, then I could understand...
I aim to misbehave!
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Quote:
Originally posted by fireflygal:
I'd rather him tell me it's because Alan and Ron do not want to have anything to do with Firefly ever again.
Well then I hate to write this:
Like I said, I was at the june 23 showing. I'm from Indianapolis and attended the screening here in town. Ron Glass came to our theater.
When it was over and Ron offered us a Q&A session we asked him about the death of book. He indicated that it was a story presented to him by Joss and not a function of his desire or lack thereof to play Book in the future.
I took that as proof that Joss intended Book to die. And then by extension assumed Wash was a planned death as well.
Do not fear me. Ours is a peaceful race, and we must live in harmony.
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Yeah, I didn't think reality had anything to do with Joss's writing. Ron is pretty stuck on Firefly based on what you said and his panel at DragonCon. This just makes it worse 
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There are comments by Alan Tudyk on this in "Serenity: The Official Movie Magazine" put out by Titan Magazines. Alan says that he really liked Wash's fate. He was a fan of it. He thought that Wash was a really good character to kill. He even mentioned to Joss one time about Wash being a good sympathetic kill. He thought, if the series had continued, that his character should have died in the 2nd season. It really sounds like Alan gave Joss the idea in the first place. I'm not sure about Ron Glass though.
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Ok, so it gets worse 
Alan suggesting his own demise...
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It hurt, didn't it? It hurt a lot. Just like it was supposed to.
I'm far from happy about it, but at the same time, I understand why Joss did it. For one, how could the danger be real if we know all the characters are gonna make it until the end? Would you have been concerned for Simon and Kaylee, if not for Wash's death? If you knew that they would make it in the end?
Even though it hurt, I was glad that it happened the way it did. Wash didn't sacrifice himself for the crew. His death was sudden, unheroic, and completely unexpected. Admittedly, his flying beforehand was quite heroic, and his death in no way reduces his awesomeness. However, it was a realistic death. No last words and no sacrifice. Just like real life.
I, for one, am glad that Joss did it, and I support the decision 100%.
"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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Fireflygal, I can't say I agree with you. Everything exists to serve Joss's story, and with 9 main characters, at least ONE of them was bound to die. I know I had that feeling, and to tell you the truth, if Joss had put the crew through that many dangers and NOBODY had gotten killed, I would have considered it somewhat of a cop-out. It would be a more comforting tale, but that's really not what Joss does, and that's one of the reasons he's the best.
Although, if he keeps it up, by the end of Serenity 3 it's going to be just Mal. An even more ultra bitter, hating the world Mal.
"Be ashamed to die before you have scored some victory for humanity." -- Horace Mann
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You go Ath! (mind if I call you Ath?). I like happy endings...
Still enjoyed the movie, will still go see it numerous times. I just want to know WHY.
I aim to misbehave!
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