Why is it that Firefly/Serenity is so appealing and just so ruttin' beautiful to YOU???
POSTED BY: 20thCentFoxHater
UPDATED: Wednesday, December 14, 2005 21:13
VIEWED: 13032
PAGE 3 of 5
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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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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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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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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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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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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.
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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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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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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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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!
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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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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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