My Journey Through The 'Verse

POSTED BY: Beatlesfan
UPDATED: Wednesday, May 6, 2009 12:22
VIEWED: 8071
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BEATLESFAN

Friday, April 24, 2009 4:18 PM

I'm watching this show for the first time, and after my introductory post, someone suggested making a little "Viewing Journal." So here it is! I figured I'd get caught up to where I am now and keep updating as I watch!

1. Serenity: I had actually seen part of The Train Job and all of Bushwhacked when I visited my fiancee in Canada in early March, but I didn't see this until I bought the series in late March/early April. My initial thought was, "Hmmm, after that first scene this goes kind of slow..." That didn't last, though, and when I watched it a second time (when the REST of my family fell in love with it), I saw that it was used as an introduction for the characters. "Part 1," as it were, isn't as action-packed as The Train Job, but it's just as interesting. The characters immediately grabbed me. I was initially pulled in by Inara's character, something that I would never expect to really see in a Western. Soon after, though, after realizing WHO Kaylee was (or who Jewel Staite was, rather - hadn't seen her since I, and she, was a kid) I fell for her character. I'm a sucker for the kind of easy-going, friendly types, being one myself. Simon was soon to follow, and when I saw their interaction developing, I did a silent (and not-so-silent) "YES!"

After seeming so futuristic for the first part of the show (minus the little bit on Persephone), the scene at the end with the "gold" (I lost it when it turned out to be food) was so bizarre that I almost had to do a double take.

Throughout the entire episode, though, I kept thinking, "This has to be the most quotable show in existence." "Nice hat *BAM*" "Are you asking me to dance?"

2. The Train Job: As previously mentioned, I had seen part of this before. As it turned out, I hadn't missed much, but seeing it from start to finish uninterrupted was still nice. This was my favourite episode for a long while. I am not a sci-fi buff by any means. I used to watch Start Trek TNG with my dad as a kid, but that is about the extent of my hard-core sci-fi knowledge (not counting Star Wars because really who doesn't know at least a little about it?). The Western aspect of the show is probably what most appeals to me, though its integration with the space theme is even cooler than a plain old western.

That being said, it's hard to beat a good old-fashioned train heist. It should have been cliche, but as I quickly discovered, it wasn't. Something about settlers traveling west on a train through a desert with an enormous horse-shaped spaceship flying above it is...unique.

Again I found myself laughing hysterically at a good bit of the episode. (Is it a bad thing that I laughed when Mal kicked the guy into the turbines?) "'What are we doing?' 'Crime.' 'Crime! Good! Okay! Crime.'" "'So you've done this before?' 'Oh hell no. But I think it's gonna work.'"

3. Bushwhacked: This was the one episode I had seen in full before I bought the series. It was just as creepy the second time, I can assure you. This one was one of the ones that was so space-centered that I found myself asking, "Is this the same show that I saw 'The Train Job' on?" Putting those episodes back-to-back, though, was great. There's not much to say about this episode other than, "Holy cow that was intense." It's non-stop tension, even though there's not a lot of action. Probably the most memorable part for me, though, is the bit with Simon and River outside the ship. It's just hilarious. Oh, and of course: "'Fought with a lot of people in the war.' 'And your husband?' 'Fight with him sometimes, too.'" "I definitely have to say it was her legs. You can put that down! Her legs, and right where her legs meet her back. That - actually that whole area. That and - and above it."

4. Shindig: And another angle is added to the show. The almost Elizabethan dresses in a Western city with a spaceship sitting outside sounds ridiculous. Unless you've seen it. Then you know it's genius. I have to admit that I spent most of the episode going

VIOLYNS

Sunday, April 26, 2009 3:05 PM

This is really fun to read! Thanks for doing it! :)

-----
~mia

Serenifly Costumes http://serenifly.tripod.com

ECGORDON

Sunday, April 26, 2009 5:32 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Beatlesfan:
Also, I saw somewhere that there were deleted scenes from this one...are they on the DVD somewhere?

If you have the original Region One dvds, the deleted scenes are on Disc Four. If it's the Blu-Ray set they are on Disc Three. There are deleted scenes for Serenity, Our Mrs. Reynolds and Objects in Space.

Also, when you finish watching all of the episodes and special features you should go back and watch again, this time turning on the commentary tracks for Serenity, The Train Job, Shindig, Out of Gas, War Stories, The Message and Objects in Space. The Blu-Ray set has an extra commentary track on Our Mrs. Reynolds.

In case I haven't already, I wish you a big welcome to the 'Verse. Glad to have you on board.

wo men ren ran zai fei xing.

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Monday, April 27, 2009 10:24 AM

This is great. Thought you'd like Out of Gas. You got Ariel and War Stories coming up, can't wait to hear your comments.

BEATLESFAN

Tuesday, April 28, 2009 2:53 AM

Updated through Ariel and War Stories. WOW those two were good!!

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Tuesday, April 28, 2009 6:28 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Beatlesfan:
Updated through Ariel and War Stories. WOW those two were good!!

I liked Mal's "You starting a Book Club? What, you want to torture me now?"

BEATLESFAN

Tuesday, April 28, 2009 5:34 PM

Hah forgot about that one. I had a hard time getting humour out of a lot of that scene. Probably the whole "Hi, I'm being tortured but still being a smart aleck" thing - I was going "YEAH!" rather than laughing, if that makes sense. That, and I have a tendency to be that way. If someone was torturing me, I'd probably be a smart aleck till the end :P

BEATLESFAN

Saturday, May 2, 2009 1:12 PM

Only one episode left :( Well, and the movie, but still. The fact that the light at the end of the tunnel is gettin' mighty big is not comforting.

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Sunday, May 3, 2009 7:18 AM

Looks like you're watching OiS as the last ep, instead of Message. That's the way the DVD is laid out. When you see the originally aired scene from OiS (in deleted scenes or bonus material), conjure on it a bit.

BEATLESFAN

Sunday, May 3, 2009 1:39 PM

Does it go the other way 'round chronologically? I could see the series ending with Heart of Gold, but then again I haven't watched Objects In Space yet...

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