Dead or Alive?

POSTED BY: jaynesaddiction
UPDATED: Wednesday, July 28, 2004 05:10
VIEWED: 7551
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JAYNESADDICTION

Wednesday, July 21, 2004 8:22 PM

I've seen references to this episode and I'm guessing it's an unaired ep. Anyone seen a script? In fact anyone seen any unshot scripts? I wanna read what I can't see gorramit! curse FOX for foxing up another fine TV series! any help would be seriously apreciated.

RHUTTNER

Wednesday, July 21, 2004 8:31 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by jaynesaddiction:
I've seen references to this episode and I'm guessing it's an unaired ep. Anyone seen a script? In fact anyone seen any unshot scripts? I wanna read what I can't see gorramit! curse FOX for foxing up another fine TV series! any help would be seriously apreciated.

The script can be found here http://www.fireflyfans.net/feature.asp?f=45

This episode was never filmed, but some of its elements were used in episodes that were made.

Happy reading.

TIGER

Wednesday, July 21, 2004 8:31 PM

edit. response above beat me.

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...The beauty of things was born before eyes and sufficient to itself; the heart-breaking beauty
Will remain when there is no heart to break for it.

JAYNESADDICTION

Wednesday, July 21, 2004 8:49 PM

HOT DAMN! Thanks a ton, I can't wait to read this bad boy!

SIKKUKUT

Wednesday, July 21, 2004 8:54 PM

Yeah, I found the script after searching the reference archive here. I was seeing names I didn't recognize referenced to "Dead or Alive." I was just about to groan heavily at the inclusion of fanfic when I found and read the script.

Rather addresses any theories about Mal getting tangled up in a resurgent independence movement, doesn't it? I really like the story... the plot with Simon and Tanaka is really interesting and the main plot includes a lot of things I've rather been wondering about-- Alliance commandeering ships, Independents who won't let go, and Mal's opinion of both...

My big question is how confirmed this is. It seemed a lot messier than the other shooting scripts, with typos and such... this'd make sense if it were an unfinished version, but it would also make sense if it were fake.

I dunno... there were parts of it that screamed "real" to me and parts of it that mumbled "fake." Any opinions, or, even better, actual facts?

____________________________
"You're mean. Firefly's making me reconsider my lifelong devotion to Star Trek." --My mother

HELL'S KITTEN

Wednesday, July 21, 2004 11:08 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Sikkukut:
I dunno... there were parts of it that screamed "real" to me and parts of it that mumbled "fake." Any opinions, or, even better, actual facts?

Yes, "Dead or Alive" is a real script... rather, a writers draft (from August of 2002). I have many, many outlines (including an unproduced one

), writers drafts and shooting scripts that I got from various ex-crew members, and the DOA draft was among them.

Each episode goes through a lot of rewrites, so the early drafts will not seem "quite right" in comparison to, say, shooting scripts. You'd be surprised how different episodes like "Ariel" and "Safe" were in their earlier drafts. Or maybe you wouldn't.

RHUTTNER

Wednesday, July 21, 2004 11:34 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Hell's Kitten:
Quote:
Originally posted by Sikkukut:
I dunno... there were parts of it that screamed "real" to me and parts of it that mumbled "fake." Any opinions, or, even better, actual facts?
Yes, "Dead or Alive" is a real script... rather, a writers draft (from August of 2002). I have many, many outlines (including an unproduced one ), writers drafts and shooting scripts that I got from various ex-crew members, and the DOA draft was among them.

Are you saying you have yet another unproduced script/outline? If so, any chance you would arrange for it to be posted as a feature like DOA?

QUICKSAND

Thursday, July 22, 2004 12:32 AM

That's pretty sweet.

Just skimming the tease, I can tell it's just a draft-- we learned from the "Firefly" commentaries (specifically, the one for Shindig) that Joss gives notes on the first 2 or 3 drafts, then fixes it himself before it's shot. The posted script looks like something Joss never touched-- as in the tease her, Mal says "You probably supported the Alliance," when she says specifically in "Out of Gas" that she did.

Still, it's lots of fun-- oh, what could have been, what could have been.....

**goes back to reading**
_qs

JAYNESADDICTION

Thursday, July 22, 2004 12:43 AM

I hope we can see a bit more, but if you read the note on the DOA script it sounds like overleaked data has ticked Fox off enough to send legal down people's throats. Too bad I would love to see more unproduced firefly. After reading DOA I agree some parts seem odd, (most notably the weapons, such as the compressed air gun or Nuclear Crossbow) however as someone with a BA in film, I can say these look as genuine as any pre produced script. Look at the original Star Wars scripts. In Episode-1, Lucas calls lightsabers Lightswords (even in descriptions) and makes a lot more blaant references to the 1977 Star Wars. And if you ever read the original pre shooting script for Star Wars (1977) they refer to the force as the Bogun Luke was on Tatoine when he recieves a message from the droids about his brother the Starkiller (in short I thank god someone revised this)

Sure Joss may have had some bad ideas for Firefly that never came to air, or writers working on the show may have missed some of the points (one reason I have been reserved about trying a fanfic) But it is still fascinating to see what could have been.

QUICKSAND

Thursday, July 22, 2004 6:06 AM

Quote:
however as someone with a BA in film, I can say these look as genuine as any pre produced script.

Hi. I'm a pretentious ass.

If you can tell this looks like a real script, it's because you've (gasp!) looked at a real script before, or else own a copy of ScreenWriterPro.

The writer (presumably Cheryl Cain) has the form down just fine, but as the producers of the show were never sure of its fate beyond the first few episodes, it IS safe to say a few were written that got put aside-- and never even were granted a second draft, or a Joss-edit.

For example, as someone with a Ph.D in Psychology, Neurosurgey, Nanotechnology and Basket Weaving, I can surmise that when Zoe says "He has to do this himself" in Act IV, this was rewritten into "War Stories" (also by Cain) with Mal's line in that episode, "No, he doesn't!" being pure Joss.

Of course, this is just guessing on my part. I don't actually know for sure. I didn't drop $14K a year for four years so I can recognize a screenplay format when I see one.

Warm Fuzzies,

___\_o_/___
--------------- (Qs)

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