Possible references / homages in Firefly

POSTED BY: weerwolf
UPDATED: Sunday, July 25, 2004 19:04
VIEWED: 8718
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LEAFY

Friday, May 28, 2004 10:52 PM

When I watched Firefly the first time around, I wondered if it was an extension of the world in Blade Runner (the movie, not the book by Philip K. Dick). The Asian influence, and the generally dark and gritty feel to it. Not to mention that there are "off-worlds" in Blade Runner, and I was thinking the replicants might have evolved into reivers. Also that in the world of Blade Runner, everything is dissolving into "kipple." If it goes far enough, it could very well come apart.

MANTICHORUS

Sunday, May 30, 2004 11:03 AM

How 'bout the most obvious one?
Lawrence the Law-man in Serenity, tied up on a chair. Jayne: "I was gonna get me an ear too."
Shades of Tarantino, anyone?

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"BADGER: You think you're better than other people.
MAL: Just the ones I'm better than."
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"MAL: Gotta say, doctor, your talent for alienatin' folk is near miraculous.
SIMON: Yes, I'm very proud."

LITTLEMANLOVESFIRE

Monday, May 31, 2004 7:31 AM

Serenity bears more than a passing resemblance to Starbug from Red Dwarf.

And yeah - Blake's 7 is a major one - the show is basically that re-tooled for a new generation, only with no aliens and a crappy ship rather than The Liberator which was the most advanced ship in the 'verse.

Not that Serenity is crappy but you know what I mean.

Star Wars refernces are thick on the ground too. The design on Serenity is much more Star Wars than any other sci-fi (you cxould imagine it flying along next to the Falcon but it would look daft in Babylon 5), Mal is basically a much darker Han Solo and The Alliance dress in very Empire-type outfits.

CYBERSNARK

Monday, May 31, 2004 1:53 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Littlemanlovesfire:
Mal is basically a much darker Han Solo

Darker?

I would've said lighter, myself. Han never really cracked jokes as easily as Mal does --he's more of a dryly ironic wit.

If anything, Mal's more like Han after a few years of living/working with the Rebels. Some of their idealistic kindness rubbed off on him, as opposed to pre-SW Han, who tended to be mean and surly (not unlike Evil-Mal).

Also, they're both ex-military. Han quit the Empire after being disillusioned, while Mal was let down by his cause.

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We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

MANTICHORUS

Monday, June 7, 2004 9:22 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Littlemanlovesfire:
Serenity bears more than a passing resemblance to Starbug from Red Dwarf.

It also bears an uncanny resemblance to a compacted Y-Wing (from Star Wars): http://www.starwars.ndo.co.uk/episodes4-6/ships.htm
Also, as Joss has already said that the idea of Jubal Early came from Boba Fett (also SW), can it be a coincidence that his ship resembles Slave I, Fett's ship?

-------------------------------------------
"BADGER: You think you're better than other people.
MAL: Just the ones I'm better than."
-------------------------------------
"MAL: Gotta say, doctor, your talent for alienatin' folk is near miraculous.
SIMON: Yes, I'm very proud."

SITTINGDUCK

Thursday, July 22, 2004 2:15 PM

This too may be a bit of a stretch, but do you think perhaps that the Fed Lawrence Dobson is meant to refer to Lawrence Dobkin? For those not familiar with the name, Dobkin made quite a few guest appearances in several Westerns, among them Gunsmoke (both radio and TV versions), Have Gun, Will Travel (ditto), and The Rifleman.

You have the right to the remains of a silent attorney. If you cannot afford one, tough noogies!

SIKKUKUT

Friday, July 23, 2004 7:33 PM

I've heard it suggested that the mechanic Bester was named for Alfred Bester, the first winner of the Hugo award for a novel.

One of the references that I found most enlightening was... the Beatle's quote in the pilot.

MAL: Cry baby cry.
WASH: Make your mother sigh. Engaging the cry baby.

This seems too specific to just be an out-of-universe reference, but rather implies that they still know, if not the songs themselves, then isolated lines and quotes from the Beatles. Which is pretty damn interesting, and probably realistic.

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

ROWAN

Friday, July 23, 2004 8:01 PM

Ok after reading some of your ideas about men with women’s names like Jayne does, someone mentioned John Wayne who's real name by the way was Marion which I've always thought was a female sounding name. Then someone else mentioned the Country/western song A Boy Named Sue, and Firefly does have a western them to it. Anyways (although someone has probably pointed this out all ready on another thread) I was suddenly struck by this crazy thought:
J ohn W ayne = Jayne

GHOLA

Friday, July 23, 2004 8:26 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Mantichorus:
Also, as Joss has already said that the idea of Jubal Early came from Boba Fett (also SW), can it be a coincidence that his ship resembles Slave I, Fett's ship?

The first thing a friend of mine said when he saw Jubal's ship was that it looked like slave I.

SITTINGDUCK

Saturday, July 24, 2004 11:07 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Rowan:
J ohn W ayne = Jayne

It would certainly explain why his name has a Y in it.

You have the right to the remains of a silent attorney. If you cannot afford one, tough noogies!

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