Will we ever see an ALIEN in Firefly...?

POSTED BY: Sardonica
UPDATED: Thursday, August 26, 2004 20:28
VIEWED: 12420
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Let's assume the best: Three or more movies, a new cable tv series that runs a full eight (or more!) seasons, continuing series, made-for-tv movies, spin-offs, tie-in novels, comics, games... the works.

One of the things that I LOVE about Firefly is its lack of aliens, and that it focuses on the human aspect for storytelling. This is just one of the many great things that sets it apart from Star Trek (don't get me wrong--I LOVE Star Trek too--well, maybe not Voyager or Enterprise...).

And we've all heard Whedon's joke about not wanting to do any more latex...

But do you think we might ever see an alien in the Firefly universe? Or some sort of extraterrestrial intelligence, life or signs of it?

Personally, I think that it would be awesome if we did somewhere down the road. Certainly if the story were a good one and were treated with the same unique respect with with Whedon makes his "space shots" silent.

I think the very fact that they've established that mankind has spread through the galaxy (or the solar system, lol) and not yet found any signs of life--that alien life is oddly absent from the 'verse--would make that episode where it is encountered all the more special, thought provoking and prescient. It wouldn't have that "been there done that" feeling that Trek has, it would feel fresh and new...

Plus, we've at least seen an indication (the "alien" exhibit in SAFE) that there is at least an interest in the Firefly universe about the possibility of alien life.

That's my two cents. What do you think?

A funny aside: When I first watched Firefly, it took me 2-3 episodes before I realized that they kept slipping into Chinese. At first, I thought it was an alien tongue--which might've been cool too.

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My wife and I thought the Chinese was something made up for the show, too, at first (ah for the days that I was watching Firefly on TV...). Now, it seems such an integral part of the show.

I think there's a theme of River-turned-more-than-human in the show - the Blue Hands guys make me wonder what THEY might have been made into. I think it's more likely Joss would run with the time-honored sci-fi tradition of evolved (artificially) humans rather than aliens - and River's the first one that's not captive.

But genuine aliens? I'd be surprised. I'm sure Joss would do it right, but I'd be surprised. Vampires maybe :)

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Quote:

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Originally posted by Sardonica:
Three or more movies, a new cable tv series that runs a full eight (or more!) seasons, continuing series, made-for-tv movies, spin-offs, tie-in novels, comics, games... the works.

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If all of that is indeed on the way, then I don't doubt we will eventually see extraterrestrial life in the series. I personally would be against it. I'm like Joss, in terms of intelligent life, I think we are probably alone in the universe or at least alone in this galaxy.

Check out these webpages for some good reasons why!

http://www.earthsky.com/shows/showsmore.php?t=20020225

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2843/is_6_24/ai_66496170

http://www.christiantrumpetsounding.com/evol_3.htm

http://www3.sympatico.ca/n.rieck/docs/rare_intelligent_life.html

http://astrobiology.arc.nasa.gov/news/expandnews.cfm?id=352

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^Christian Trumpetsounding aside, I would be amazed if we were alone in the universe (or galaxy). The fundamental flaw with in the thinking of such books as "Rare Earth" (the topic of several of your links) is the premise that life can only develop on a world similar to Earth. This is a close-minded and flawed presumption. And don't get me started on all the problems with Christian Creationism...! But then, the two points you mentioned are mutually exclusive, no?

If one is to believe in Creationism, then "God" would be able to create life whenever, wherever he wanted--despite the theories put forth in "Rare Earth." But if one were to follow the pseudoscience of "Rare Earth" which attempts to set conditions for the evolution of life, then it would defy a belief in Creationism.

But I'd much rather stay on topic. Here's a thought re: alien life in the Firefly verse:

Do you think that all of the plants (and perhaps the molds, funguses, animals, fish, etc.) that exist on all the worlds in Firefly were brought from Earth-that-was, or do you think some may have been indigenous to the worlds?

In fact, these disease mentioned in The Train Job *may* have been an extraterrestrial virus or germ...



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No. I don't think we'll ever see alien life in firefly. In the intelligent, person style way anyway. I think it would destroy the whole point of the show, the idea that it's now just with more technology.

I don't even think we've seen alien plants (or alien in the sense they were already there). I think the different diseases and plants we've seen are the results of existing organisms adapting to the new environments of the terraformed worlds.



check out my WIP firefly roleplay system at www.estador.co.uk/firefly

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Quote:

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Originally posted by Sardonica:
Do you think that all of the plants (and perhaps the molds, funguses, animals, fish, etc.) that exist on all the worlds in Firefly were brought from Earth-that-was, or do you think some may have been indigenous to the worlds?

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Plants, molds, fungae, horses, fish, etc. are by themselves Earth organisms. Parallel evolution could not have created them on other worlds. Even if alien life actually does exist, it would most likely be unlike anything we have ever seen or even imagined.

I'm with Chronicthehedgehog, all of those things and even the germs must have originally come from Earth and the plants are the result of terraforming.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by CrevanReaver:

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Even if alien life actually does exist, it would most likely be unlike anything we have ever seen or even imagined.

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Agreed. That's why I think Firefly has a great opportunity to do right what Trek and so many others have done wrong. ;)

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