A New Point Of View
POSTED BY: DJL
UPDATED: Friday, February 10, 2006 19:29
VIEWED: 9040
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I've been hearing about Firefly since 2003, when the DVD box set hit UK shores, to generally positive reviews (in some cases, generally ecstatic). I was not, however, going to spend 35 sterling on a boxset that looked unnervingly like the Wild Wild West DVD release. But I kept hearing about it, the word was always good, and a couple of years down the line the film was about to come out, the boxset was half price, and I wanted to see the backstory first. Be in no doubt, I was converted.
Now I know that a lot of fellow converts have taken to multi-buying boxsets, and copies of the film, in the hope of creating an economic interest on the part of the studio(s)to produce a second film or series.
But an idea I just want to put out there, is why not just leave it alone? Thirteen perfect TV episodes (frankly, I'm not a fan of The Message)and a feature film that should send George Lucas into another twenty years of self-imposed exile in Marin County - that's not a bad tally.
Why resurrect near perfection? Did the fans who tried to keep Star Trek alive in the 70s really have Scott Bakula in "Enterprise" in mind when they launched their campaign? Did the Star Wars fans looking forward to the new films (me included)envisage the horror of "The Phantom Menace"?
Can you really hope that one day the series will become such a success that we'll be bombarded with "Rivers' Children" spin-off novelizations, a TV franchise that "jumped the shark" three years before the network cancelled it yet again, and a film series that reached its nadir with the equivalent of "Firefly 10:Nemesis"?
Or would it be better to have what we have now, a cult phenomenon, unsullied by overexposure, unspoiled by the cult of success? Something you can watch in twenty years' time (dust off your old DVDs)and view it romantically, without bad films or episodes to ruin the memory (kind of like a first girlfriend/boyfriend).
Shoot this idea down if you like, I just enjoy hearing opposing points of view.
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In a word, blasphamy 
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You have a valid point, but I think I can definitely speak for EVERYONE here (on this issue at least) that Firefly was cut WAY too short and deserves at least one full season in addition or one or two movies written by Joss Whedon. Not some person who does not know the material.
But, at least we call relax and say that it was at least top-notch for the time it was around
.
"I aim to misbehave."
"Can't do something smart, do something right".
HOMER: "Oh Lisa, you and your stories; Bart is a vampire, beer kills brain cells. Now lets go back to that... building thingy... where our beds and T.V.... is".
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I think that was well said. (Wasn't that well said, Zoe?)
For me, when Firefly was cancelled, I was DESPARATE for more from this 'verse. I became obsessed with the need. Fortunately for me, they announced the movie and after a LONG wait, we finally got to see it. I won't say that the movie was perfect or everything I wanted it to be, but it finally filled that horrible empty space. It gave me resolution.
In the meantime, I have met many fabulous Browncoats, virtually and IRL. I've shindigged, I've seen the BDH's in person, I've had a lot of fun campaigning, converting, and buying Serenity swag where-ever it is to be found. I'm satisfied.
(Not to say that I'm done with the fandom. I continue to chat with fellow Browncoats on a daily basis, plan shindigs, spread the word about the show, etc.)
And I look forward to whatever Joss has coming up next!
P.S.-- I think in many ways it's harder for people who saw the movie *first.* For them, Firefly is not a resolution. It just lights that fire of discontent.
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Certainly a valid opinion.
If Buffy had stopped at 14 eps... or Angel... or *insert your favorite multi season freakishly good tv show* :here:
There's another thread floating around on this board at this same time about darkest fears and "what it all means," - making sense out of this being alive thing - "you have to try" is what I took away from that thread, and what feels right for an answer to your question.
And you can watch those magical 14 eps anytime, even after the suckie ones come out. 
Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.net
75 songs retired and 75 new ones added as of Feb 4, 2006
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Quote:
Did the fans who tried to keep Star Trek alive in the 70s really have Scott Bakula in "Enterprise" in mind when they launched their campaign?
Did they have The Wrath of Kahn, The Voyage Home, The Undiscovered Country, and First Contact, in mind?
I'll take my 40%, most of the remaining 60% wasn't all that bad either.
Quote:
Or would it be better to have what we have now, a cult phenomenon, unsullied by overexposure, unspoiled by the cult of success? Something you can watch in twenty years' time (dust off your old DVDs)and view it romantically, without bad films or episodes to ruin the memory (kind of like a first girlfriend/boyfriend).
And why couldn't I do that if I did have, "Firefly X: Mal's got a clone and the Reavers want peace"? Am I so weak willed as to be unable to remember the good without the bad?
If I read a bad fan-fiction will it spoil everything? Why not? It's the same characters probably just as seriously.
Quote:
Shoot this idea down if you like, I just enjoy hearing opposing points of view.
I wouldn't say I shot it down, but I hope the idea, though not you, is in some form of pain. Perhaps like a mosquito.
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Quote:
Originally posted by Nywoe:
P.S.-- I think in many ways it's harder for people who saw the movie *first.* For them, Firefly is not a resolution. It just lights that fire of discontent.
I wouldn't necessarily say that. I saw Serenity first. I recall seeing River; and I went like: "Tyen shiao-duh! She's so awesome! And jun duh shr tyen-tsai, to boot." I became trapped, right there.
And then, when I became hopelessly addicted to Serenity, in the course of say, oh, a day or so, I learned I could yet experience this felicity 14 more times! :)
Then the rollercoaster-O-bliss ran out of gas. :( So, now I see other shows, and say: Je shr shuh muh lan dong shi!? Yep, it's all fei-oo.
Serenity Ma-shong!
--
"Mei-mei, everything I have is right here." -- Simon Tam.
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Very valid points there. There are many great shows out there that ran "too long," and kind of ruined the expereince. "The Simpsons" comes to mind.
Also, there is something to be said for ending on a good note. "Seinfeld" closed after something like 10 seasons, while it was still tops in the ratings. Had the cast and crew wanted to continue, I'm sure NBC would have wanted to keep the show going as long as ratings were good, no matter if the storylines got tired or what not.
However, in Firefly's case, I think its different. Firefly didn't end on a high note, or a low note. It never got a chance to get started. The original "Star Trek" lasted for 3 seasons. Firefly only got about 1/2 a season. I'm confident that the cast and crew had many more good episodes in them before the show would start to get old.
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I see what you mean. If this is all we can get, well... it's not much. But it's enough. Plus you know, it's cooler to be a browncoat than a trekkie, right? :P We get the whole 'underground' cred, and the cult status.
Still, I can't help but want to see the show given a second chance. Or really any continuation at all.
I remember hearing about the show when it was first coming out, and I never saw it going for years and years... but it definately deserves more than it got.
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