Firefly reviews for all interested

POSTED BY: mcoleossm
UPDATED: Friday, September 13, 2002 01:22
VIEWED: 3093
PAGE 1 of 1

MCOLEOSSM

Thursday, September 12, 2002 10:36 PM

Hello, everyone!

I'll be reviewing episodes of two series this season: Firefly on Fox and UPN's The Twilight Zone. You will be able to find the reviews at my website, http://ffandtzreviews.tvheaven.com (the first Firefly review should be out on September 22, two days after the premiere).

I look forward to seeing you all there!

--MC

NOVAGRASS

Friday, September 13, 2002 12:08 AM

Might you want to post your review here as well? The more reviews the merrier!

--Dylan Palmer, aka NoVaGrAsS--

Mal has a charming sense of humor, but I am a Companion, and right now alecture on the antiquated notions of moral turpitudos. - Inara

RIPLEY

Friday, September 13, 2002 12:53 AM

Hey all--

Just screened the first episode of "Firefly," "The Train Job." It's the one hour episode that will air on Fox Sept. 20. It's also the episode that Joss Whedon was told to cook up when TPTB decided that his original, two-hour pilot, didn't contain enough action.

SPOILERS AHEAD

I won't give you a blow-by-blow summary of the plot, but suffice it to say that it moves along swiftly. The main crew members are introduced, along with the setting and world. The plot concerns a job that the Serenity receives from a sinister gangster type to rob a train on its way to a small town on a border planet. Along the way, Mal learns that he's been hired to steal something that doesn't sit right with him, and he's forced to decide whether to go through with the job, which will mean a lot of money for him, or back out, which may incur the wrath of the gangster and his scary henchmen.

The feel of the episode is anti-Star Trek: kind of Star Wars meets Road Warrior meets Wild West. Joss' signature wry humor is much in evidence. There is a lot of action: fights, shoot-outs and some cool CGI effects involving spaceships, a mag-lev train and the like. But the characters are also very sharply drawn in a Joss-like way, more reminiscent of the characters in Angel than those in Buffy. Adam Baldwin is especially good, alternately gruff and amusing as the mercenary who gets his comeuppance. Morena Baccarin as Inara is very easy on the eyes and convincingly conveys her courtesan character's sophistication. And Nathan Fillion is a good star for this show, part Jimmy Stewart, part David Boreanaz, very easygoing and sympathetic.

As this is only a one-hour episode, Joss had very little time to establish relationships and character among the crew members, and it is to his credit that he manages to do so with great economy. He also plants the seeds of several story arcs that will doubtless figure in future episodes, including the reason he took on Simon and River; the budding relationships between Simon and Kaylee, Inara and Mal; why Book is around; and the secret behind River's affliction. All this, while setting the stage for more adventures to come. All in all, a nice bit of TV.

ripley

HAKEN

Friday, September 13, 2002 1:22 AM

If it's not too much trouble, can you repost this in the episode guide and rate it? Or I can do it for you if you like.

You can do that here:

http://www.fireflyfans.net/newreview.asp?episode=1AGE01