I have watched and wept for joy.

POSTED BY: NervousPete
UPDATED: Tuesday, April 27, 2004 19:36
VIEWED: 9056
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NERVOUSPETE

Sunday, April 25, 2004 3:08 PM

"I don't care, I'm still free - you can't take my DVD..."

After the endless hours of waiting, I finally got my Firefly DVD on Thursday night. I had enough time that evening to watch the pilot, 'Serenity'. The following day I watched 'The Train Job' and 'Bushwacked'. Saturday, I beheld the glories of 'Shindig' and 'Safe'. Today I have just enjoyed 'Our Mrs Reynolds' and 'Jaynestown'.

In the moments of transition, the long silent struggle between episodes, I doubt a half-hour has passed where I have not thought about Firefly.

So what do I think of the show? Eight episodes in and I think it arguably - nay, is - the best American television series ever produced. I count myself a cultured fellow, I have demanding tastes. For a while I ruminated over whether Homicide: Life on the Street was the superior... but Homicide, though smart, tough, witty and thought provoking, never had the pure joy that Firefly has. Also, Homicide was a show that went on for too long and fell into ruin. Firefly's weakness is also its strength, it never had time to stumble or grow tiresome.

Not that it could have, with the talent involved. The entire show feels so fresh and revolutionary. Other contempory science fiction shows appear tired and formal excercises besides it. Look at 'Star Trek Voyager' and 'Enterprise'. They are playing the same riffs as the 'STNG', only far less competently. And these riffs are tired. The characters are cardboard, the plots recycled, the universe and concept apathetic. It is a brand with no ideas and too scared to evolve or die. 'Firefly', on the other hand, is as radical, precious and almost as inventive as the landmark television series 'The Prisoner'. 'The Prisoner', a short lived television series of only 17 episodes, detailed the fight of one man alone against a system designed to break him. Every week he awoke on the island village, ready to face whatever mental or physical tortures the mysterious guardians of the sinister and charming village prison had in store for him. Plus, there was a giant, murmuring, roaring, white balloon that chased after him - absorbing or suffocating its prey.

But enough about the utterly fantastic 'The Prisoner', back onto the equally fantastic 'Firefly' - and by stating my equal regard for them I hope you realise what high significance I hold the show in.

To be honest, there is so much to say about the show that I'm not sure if I can offer capsule reviews of what I have seen so far. Let me just say that there is not one weak character, not one stilted performance (well, maybe the bloke who holds up the river boat in the opening to 'Our Mrs Reynolds', but I forgive him for the impressive way he was blasted off his horse) and not one moment when I thought, "this is tired/ this joke is laboured/ this action is stilted/ this plot is silly." All the episodes are so perfectly paced, and pack more into themselves as far as wit, character, action, emotion and plot go than half a series of Star Treks or movies. The only flaw I can see is that the episodes end abruptly sometimes, but I can understand. There's so much story that things are significant to the last moment - there's no winding down. You care so much about these people that you are torn when each story ends. Only reams of fanfiction of my own devising and the promise of a movie will help me when this show painfully ends.

My previous favourite American sci-fi show was 'Babylon 5'. I loved the story-arc, the darkness, the mystery, the suspense. But lets face it; apart from Londo, G'Kar, Garibaldi and a couple of others... well, the characters weren't quite there. Sometimes they seemed too much like vehicles for the plot. It was a very good show, don't get me wrong, but they didn't always seem human - even in their flaws. And with the element of surprise removed, the show suffers when you know all the revelations by heart. And the humour, God, the humour was terrible in that show.

Unlike 'Firefly', where the humour says as much about the characters as their dark moments. Look at Jayne, his character esca

ECGORDON

Sunday, April 25, 2004 3:22 PM

I'm kinda wishing you had gone on for another hour or more with your thoughts, nervouspete. That was really good, and I look forward to any fanfic you care to produce.

I am now kicking myself for not watching or taping "Ultraviolet" when it was on the Sci-Fi Channel earlier this month. I just assumed it was another in their seemingly endless line of mediocre straight-to-video crap. Hope they repeat it sometime.

wo men ren ran zai fei xing.

LINDEN

Sunday, April 25, 2004 4:05 PM

NervousPete, if this has not already been posted as an Amazon.com review, then please, please submit it. Loved every word of it.

JOHNCLARK

Sunday, April 25, 2004 4:12 PM

Well said pete

I received my Firefly DVD's on Friday. I've watched them all, some more than once now

Ultraviolet was another program I didn't get to see when it aired the first time, but have since bought on DVD and that too is excellent.

---------------------------------------------
Experience has taught me that interest begets expectation, and expectation begets disappointment, so the key to avoiding disappointment is to avoid interest. A=B=C=A, or whatever

DORAN

Sunday, April 25, 2004 4:17 PM

very eloquent observation. It's so gratifying to read everyday about someone else who sees what I saw in this show.

Thanks for the post.

DAVCO92

Sunday, April 25, 2004 4:20 PM

Welcome aboard fellow Browncoat! That was very well said NP, eloquent prose indeed. Makes me ponder the notion of making a "recruitement" thread dedicated to hooking new fans. Just e-mail the link to someone you want to join the Browncoats and see if they would like to borrow your DVD set after they've read the post. Sounds just like a review per se, but I think it could be done a little differently (and without spoilers) by a tallented writer.

After you've watched the entire DVD set (several times) you should ponder your next step...start loaning it out to friends or buying a second set. Also, don't forget that the DVD set makes a great gift for friends and family!

P.S. I look forward to reading your comments after you've watched Objects in Space. I believe the last episode will blow you away.

Burn the land, boil the sea...

MENELUIN

Sunday, April 25, 2004 4:26 PM

Pete, well said. This is my first post here... I did not watch the series while it was on TV, but a friend luckily got me into the show. We were going through the DVDs together, watching episode by episode. We weren't finished the 3rd DVD when I knew I had to buy a set for myself, so I did. I admit that at first I was a bit fangirlish (I mean, hello, you have SEEN Simon, right? ), but now that I've seen the whole series, I am in love with the show. I can't wait to go back and watch it again, from the very beginning.

I have always wanted a series like this that is very very dependent on the character of each person, at least as much as the current situation. I really got that feeling from Firefly, and watching the additional content at the end of the DVD made it clear that Joss Whedon intended to make the audience feel that way. Well, his message certainly got through to me. What a wonderful show...and such a great cast of characters. None of them are entirely unusual... (with exception of River, who was put in that state aganist her will) ... and for once, I enjoyed that.

So yes, from a new fan.... I wholeheartedly second your reaction!

~Tara

~~~~~~~~
http://www.thepaperbackwriter.com
AIM: KingArthursPiano

SIGMANUNKI

Sunday, April 25, 2004 5:39 PM

Welcome to the fold NervousPete and Meneluin!

NervousPete, excellent critique. I whole heartedly agree... except for the rage part. They can't help being stupid, it's just the way they are

Quote:
Originally posted by NervousPete:
'The Prisoner', a short lived television series of only 17 episodes,...

My God thank you! I've been trying to remember the name of this series for a long time now. Now my wife knows that it exists and I'm not just making it up

Again thank you, I can now sleep

Another show I might mention is Red Dwarf. It's another British comedy/Sci-Fi, too comedy to really be Sci-Fi. Well, at least as Sci-Fi as Hitch Hikers Guide To The Galaxy and very funny in its own right as well. Anyone would do well to see it.

I'll be sure to check out "Ultraviolet". Thanks for the tip. TV has gotten so gorram

.

----
"Canada being mad at you is like Mr. Rogers throwing a brick through your window." -Jon Stewart, The Daily Show
"Also, I can kill you with my brain." -River

MAKEROFPATHS

Sunday, April 25, 2004 6:05 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Davco92:
Welcome aboard fellow Browncoat! That was very well said NP, eloquent prose indeed. Makes me ponder the notion of making a "recruitement" thread dedicated to hooking new fans. Just e-mail the link to someone you want to join the Browncoats and see if they would like to borrow your DVD set after they've read the post. Sounds just like a review per se, but I think it could be done a little differently (and without spoilers) by a tallented writer.

===clip===
P.S. I look forward to reading your comments after you've watched Objects in Space. I believe the last episode will blow you away.

OMG, NPete, you haven't seen the best yet: Out of Gas and, as noted above, Objects in Space. You'd better have a Valium/pub nearby because you will need to take the edge off the shock -- both from the episodes' brilliance and the need to "blow something up real good," preferrably the nearest Fvx exec office.

I'm nominating this thread as the Recruitment Thread of the Year. There are some mild spoilers in it but they capture feelings rather than episode facts. Besides, the goodness is in the viewing.

DELIA

Sunday, April 25, 2004 6:06 PM

Well said, Nervous Pete, and welcome to the fold. I really enjoy your posts. You keep writing, and I'll keep reading, to paraphrase.

I'm glad you liked Safe -- it's one of my favorites. The moment Simon says "light it" always makes me cry. Thank Joss it's followed by a wonderful (and comic) entrance by Mal, Zoe and Jayne. Don't have time to get too gloomed.

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