Heresy?
POSTED BY: Reginald
UPDATED: Wednesday, August 2, 2006 17:15
VIEWED: 3457
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Okay, I'm going to say it. I don't want a Serenity sequel.
Let me state my qualifications: I am a diehard Firefly fan. I've watched the entire series nine times through now, and every time it gets better than the first. The characters become more nuanced. I notice foreshadowing that I didn't pick up on before. Even picking up on little editorial oversites just makes it a richer exerience each and every time.
That said, what I love most about Firefly is the characters I care about, each with their own foibles and special relationships with the others.
A sequel would therefore be a different experience entirely...many of the characters are either not around, or fundamentally changed, losing the things about them that I loved most. Wash is dead...so no more arguments between him and Zoe, no more wisecracks, no more thinly-veiled insults leveled at Jane. Book, certainly a character that didn't have enough time to be developed sufficiently during the series, nonetheless brought a sort of moral compass to the crew that made it interesting. And, we'll never get to see how his past with the alliance pans out.
River. I love her craziness, her unpridectibility. All that's gone...and what we have now is a character smarter than the captain, more lethal than Jane and Zoe combined, and a reader, to boot. Not to mention, I'm sure that given a couple days she could learn to be a better mechanic than Kaley or a better doctor than Simon. In essence, why do you need anyone else, when you've got River?
Therefore, the very foundation of what, in my opinion, made the show so wonderful, so sublime, has been shaken to the very core...irrevocably.
Joss & Co., of course, did the best they possibly could. I'm glad the movie came out. I'm glad I saw it. But it also seems to me like certain compromises had to be made to make it palatable to a Hollywood audience...sleeker outfits...polished guns...everything seemed just too..."shiny," but not in a way faithful to the show.
It had to be this way, of course, but still, I think it best just to enjoy it for what it is, and recognize it for what it is, rather than speculate on what it might become. Because it's already become everything it could given the nimrods at FOX. I think that Joss & CO. did everything they could given the unfavorable circumstances. But now...it just isn't the same crew I love.
On another note, I always ask this, but are there any browncoats in Cairo, Egypt?
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I actually have to agree with you. River, in effect, has become a Deus Ex Machina, a solution to almost every possible plot point they could face. As much as it pains me to admit it, you're right.
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I think that Firefly is a good enough show that could adapt to new characters and situations. For a show with so many dimensions I'd find it hard to imagine that the loss of a few characters and plots twists could sustain its originality. I guess there's only one way to find out.
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I would think that River is still somewhat addled, after all, the Alliance stripped her amygdala, (prolly misspelled as spell check don't recognize it) that HAS to interfere with proper (read: not crazy) brain function.
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I'm so into Firefly, my butt glows in the dark.
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Quote:
Originally posted by Reginald:
... In essence, why do you need anyone else, when you've got River?
You're hitting all the selling points! :) I could stand to see a little more of her.
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"Mei-mei, everything I have is right here." -- Simon Tam
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Why would a new movie have to follow the end of Serenity? Are there stories that could be told before Maranda? Serenity didn't start after Objects in space.
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I know there are others, even those who love being Browncoats, who would agree with you. I even know one who says he's a Firefly fan, not a Browncoat, because he feels betrayed by the movie, by the deaths and character changes.
I had the same questions before the BDM came out. We had the series, shortened as it was. The stories told in the episodes set firm boundaries around the characters, and I was afraid that some fans wouldn't be able to enjoy anything outside those boundaries, even if it came directly from Joss.
To make it short, I disagree. I will take the 'verse however Joss dishes it out (comics, movies, novels, morse code...) because I love the characters and the stories Joss tells with them. Even if he rips my heart out doing it.
MAL "You only gotta scare him."
JAYNE "Pain is scary..."
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And joss has already stated he had a lot more stories to tell with those characters. Why were Inara and Book not on Serenity? Blue hands? etc..
I think they could easily make a movie with Wash and Book still in it.
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Quote:
Originally posted by kaneman:
Why were Inara and Book not on Serenity? Blue hands?
Read Serenity: Those Left Behind. All three of those questions are answered. And don't forget, Inara wanted to leave Serenity because of what happened in the episode 'Heart of Gold'.
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I'll be in my bunk.
"Live with a man forty years. Share his house, his meals, speak on every subject. Then, tie him up and hold him over the volcano's edge--and on that day, you will finally meet the man." ~ Shan Yu
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I can't say I agree, though your opinion is a valid one.
It's true that Serenity won't be the same without Wash and Book. But I don't think that completely destroys any other stories that could be told. Joss is pretty masterful at carrying on without favorite characters (just look at Buffy and Angel), so I wouldn't give up hope yet.
You also said "In essence, why do you need anyone else, when you've got River?" Well for starters, just because River can do all these things doesn't mean she should or would. I sincerely doubt River would opt to take over other crew member's duties. Serenity ceases to be a ship or a home without it's crew.
And I also think you're giving her too much credit when you say that all her craziness is gone. River will carry the experiences from the Academy with her for the rest of her life. That's bound to be traumatic for anyone. And being a reader won't just be a walk in the park for her either. She'll still need time to master her powers, and that is something that may never happen. And think about the fight with the Reavers. When everyone first got into the complex, she had a great deal of difficulty blocking them out. That is a situation that could possibly happen again. So she really isn't that infallible.
I understand not wanting another film, but I don't think it's an impossible feat either.
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