Nitpicker's Guide to Firefly #101: The Train Job

POSTED BY: Prototype
UPDATED: Saturday, October 26, 2002 11:32
VIEWED: 7583
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PROTOTYPE

Monday, October 21, 2002 2:23 PM

Hello there, fellow Firefly fans! At my website, I've started putting up Nitpicker's guides to Firefly episodes, starting at the start. I'd appreciate feedback. :)

[url] http://handbook.sevspace.com

PEAK

Monday, October 21, 2002 2:31 PM

Hi!

Fun to see you here... :)

Loved the Nitpick guide to the X-Files, so I'll definitely check this one out.. ;)

//Peak

QUILL

Monday, October 21, 2002 4:31 PM

Nifty! Glad to see that the show is getting exposure.

But as for Westerns and sci-fi going together...Gene Roddenberry originally referred to Star Trek as a "Wagon Train to the stars." Worked for him...

Inside every cynic there's an idealist desperately yearning to be let out, and when they are let out they're usually a real pain and cause all sorts of trouble. --Chris Boucher

LOONYTOON

Monday, October 21, 2002 7:21 PM

Seems to me, everything you point out has been explained quite well here on this forum. I think you kinda missed the whole point of the show, saying how they will behave in the frontier of space, just like they behaved on the western frontier. They have the same needs, lack of law enforcement, and a need to make a living. You also need to read the script for "serenity", its on the BB somewhere.

PROTOTYPE

Monday, October 21, 2002 11:43 PM

Of course I'd nitpick Firefly. Buffy and Angel have given me great content in the past, there's no reason why this show won't.

As for Star Trek being a wagon train to the stars, yes, I have heard that many times. But it wasn't a western. It was nowhere near this extreme.

As for everything being explained in the forums, I have to doubt that comment. Everything I said is valid: the show is entertaining, but by no means realistic (I'm not saying that Star Trek is either, by saying this). Are you saying that there's an explanation as to why there was no splatter when the guy was kicked into the engine? I understand they have the same needs, the same lack of law enforcement, but even among villains, there are generally rules, otherwise everyone would just be trying to kill each other and no work would be done.

Ultimately, what you're reading is my opinions: Firefly is nice to look at, as long as you don't think about what you're seeing too much.

LOONYTOON

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 9:25 PM

As for no splatter from the dude in the engine, they didn`t show you the exhaust side of the engine. If it has a powerful enough suction to suck a man in, no blood droplets are going to escape!
As for no rules among villains, there are rules, and the crew broke them, so they were going to be punished. You do what you are paid to do, you get paid, and you leave. Those are the rules. And I don`t count the Serenity crew as being villians with no rules, cuz exept for Jayne, they all seem to be a big family that would look out for each other. Look at Mals almost big-brotherly attitude towards Kaylee. He was going to kill Simon if he didn`t help kaylee in the original pilot!

If you list all your objections, I will point out why they aren`t really valid, or to a thread where it was explained. I am not meaning to be rude, its just that some people HAVE to find something wrong with every new show. This is the most realistic sci-fi I have ever seen.

PROTOTYPE

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 11:30 PM

Then you probably like the show way too much. Either that or you worship Joss Whedon in some insanely wrong manner (and I know some pretty sad people in that respect!)

I don't know how you can say this is the most realistic sci-fi you've seen. That's just the most weirdest claim ever. So what, everyone's going to wear long coats and go completely western in the future? Because I can see that happening, yeah.

If you want to watch a science fiction show for realism, watch Jeremiah. It's about how the human race descends into chaos after a big plague. That's realism. Not the best show out there, but still realistic.

And of course I have to find faults. I'm a nitpicker.

LOONYTOON

Wednesday, October 23, 2002 5:07 AM

No, I do not worship Joss Whedon, didn`t even know who he was tell I watched firefly. And I have never seen Jeriamiah, I don`t have cable.

As for the dress, I don`t know where you live, but out in the woods, and at goldmines, and people who live in the bush here in Alaska, they dress quite a bit like on firefly. When I`m moose hunting, I could pass for someone from the 19th century. Back then, settlers dressed the way they did for conveniance, not fashion. Canvas pants, suspenders or belt and a button up shirt like Mal wears has alot of utility working outdoors. Settlers on a new world would have about the same resources as 19th century settlers. It would be much cheaper to create your own clothing than to import it from off-world, just as it would be easier to import breeding stock and breed horses than it would to bring in vehicles like cars.

And was my no splatter explanation good enough for you?;-)

PROTOTYPE

Wednesday, October 23, 2002 12:22 PM

No, it wasn't really. Have you seen the amount of mess a body would make? I don't care the power of the engines, there'd be some sign of it.

And I don't have cable either. Hell, I'm in Australia. I still watch Jeremiah. The net is a beautiful thing sometimes.

And you keep believing like a good little brainwashed viewer.

LOONYTOON

Thursday, October 24, 2002 12:03 AM

I don`t think there would be any sign of the guy in the turbine. And one thing about Firefly that I like is that it ain`t got that annoying faith in humanity of star trek. That alone makes it much more realistic. Can you tell I`m a pessimist?

And I don`t think I`m a brainwashed fan(that means they musta done a good job on me!) I just think that we need to be positive about firefly, as it is the best show I have seen in a while, though I`m pretty ticked they cancelled Dark Angel.

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