What's the deal with Serenity? (Spoiler Warning!)

POSTED BY: 6ixStringJack
UPDATED: Friday, July 7, 2006 01:58
VIEWED: 4623
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6IXSTRINGJACK

Monday, June 26, 2006 8:35 AM

I tried to post for about 3 hours earlier. Boy this site get's really bogged down. How much more proof do the powers that be need that this show would have millions of viewers every week?

I definately agree with you that it would be more interesting if they went back to their roots than if this turned into a daily diary of the battle against the Alliance. I'll just watch more Battlestar Galactica fight the Cylons if I want to see that. I'm hoping that it's possible to go back and that the chemistry isn't completely ruined, what with the deaths and the rushed love relationships, who knows how they will be able to bring this back to it's original greatness?

Simon's proper ways and his clumsy way with words around the fairer sex, always keeping him from taking advantage of Kaylee, and the way that you know Kaylee just wants to jump his bones every episode, but she really never could figure out how to read him. The similar way that Mal and Inara felt about each other. They had that great "Han-Leia" relationship always getting in the way from ever admitting their true feelings to themselves or each other. That's all over now. These are great plot devices which were sacraficed for the BDM. Of course we wanted to see these relationships develop into something more, but again, they were forced to do it all in 2 hours instead of over many more adventures.

Joss was put in the unfortunate position of having to create a box office blockbuster type movie with a project that had been beaten to the ground by Fox while still in its infantile stage. If he chose to simply create a 2 hour episode of the show we know and love for the big screen, a move which I gather most here would have prefered if there is indeed going to be more episodes if Firefly, it most likely wouldn't have been green-lighted in the first place. We were just beginning to really care about these characters and the whole dynamic had to be mucked up because it was probably very likely that this was Firefly's last hurrah. Loose ends, mysteries & relationships had to all be wrapped up in 2 hours instead of the 3 or 4 more seasons, at least, that they diserved.

I even kind of liked the way the movie had started. I didn't hate it from the beginning, although the characters all did have a kind of different feel to them from the start in the BDM. It was before Wash even died that I thought everything was mucked up real good. I started watching the DVD thinking that somebody would probably die along the way, but that didn't make me any less pissed off when Book died. He was one of my favorite characters. Sadly, we all moved on, and I figured that when the high-action of the BDM was over, we could go back to the show the way it was when we fell in love with it and it could still have that same feel that it used to.

That thought was quickly squashed when The Operative killed all of the people on all of the planets that ever harbored the crew (at least that's what I think happened, it all happened so damn fast). After that happened, it didn't matter what plug n' play "anti-government" story Joss had the characters play out. The fun was over. These guys are hard core fugitives now, and if you think the Alliance is going to forget about that little Reaver stunt, just ask yourself how quickly we're likely to forget 9/11. Just because The Operative has already forgiven Mal, don't think the Alliance is going to forget. The crew is like the Al Queda deck of cards the FBI has, and unless the civil unrest brought upon the Alliance from the knowledge about Miranda lasting, and the Alliance is crippled as bad as the Empire was when the Death Star was destroyed, the crew ain't going to be doing no more petty theft for a long time because they're going to have the Alliance on their ass every step of the way no matter which end of the 'verse they're on (Think freaky-ass dudes with deathsticks that give you killer nosebleeds). Not to mention that Book and Wash would have died in vain... not to mention that most of the people that they usually dealt with

SPACEANJL

Monday, June 26, 2006 8:56 AM

Joss had a take on why Inara and Book had to leave the ship, and also why certain characters had to die. Inara would always be the 'woman left behind' for Mal, the unrequited deal. She may be conflicted at the end of the BDM, but she doesn't state whether she's staying or going definitively. Kaylee and Simon have a lot to work through relationship wise. Wash - pissed off myself, but he made an odd kind of sense - gives River a future purpose on the ship. Book - his backstory would be interesting, and could still come back out of nowhere.

As for the Alliance, it's a big entity made up of a lot of people with different agendas. *immodest cough* I'm working on a little something to this effect. Don't think it's crippled, but it's going to have a lot more in-fighting, I would imagine.

Mr Universe didn't work for me - too much of a MacGuffin, unless there was a plan to build on him.

SpaceAnJL

6IXSTRINGJACK

Monday, June 26, 2006 9:05 AM

I'm enjoying this thread. Good people in here to be sure. I figured that half of the posts were going to be hatemail and this would regress to a two year old conversation real quick. I particularly like christhecynic's insightful posts. Of course the details are what make the stories interesting, and these stories aren't exactly the same. I've never heard of that "only 3 stories in the world" concept, but I do find it intriguing. Obdviously we share a similar taste in movies as well because you seem to know enough about them off hand to be able to write such an in-depth comparison. I hope you're not getting mad at me.... you're last post seemed like you were getting a bit agitated.

Two questions for you chris:

1) Would you agree that "The Arrival" with Charlie Sheen would have been a better comparison to Serenity than the others mentioned?

2) Do you think that Mal would have pressed 666?

"The government is a body of people, usually notably ungoverned."

PHOENIXROSE

Monday, June 26, 2006 9:05 AM

In a lot of ways the novel is more satisfying than the movie. Books can take their time more than movies can, so there wasn't much cut from the novel, and it actually expanded on a lot of things. Both Mr Universe and Haven were explored a bit more, though it didn't go into Book leaving the ship; that was a job for the comics.
Yes, I wish they had been able to take more time with all the stories, but there's what I want and what happened, and what happened was that they weren't given the chance to take their time. Considering what they had, I think they did it well, and I'm glad there was some resolution, and I hope there's a bit more in future movies, and I hope the series comes back and picks up where Objects in Space left off; that they film the comic books and more, and have a lead-up to the movie(s). But I'm also happy in the knowledge that, if no other execs are smart enough to keep this going, we'll always have a somewhat satisfying ending.
Even though Wash was my favorite (male) character and I cry every single time...

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98% of teens have smoked pot, if you are one of the 2% that haven't, copy this into your signature (it counts even though I'm not a teen anymore)

6IXSTRINGJACK

Monday, June 26, 2006 9:17 AM

SPACEANJL - I don't know a lot about what Joss's take on things are. I guess it's pretty rare that I get so wrapped up in anything anymore as much as I have with this show and I tend to make it a place where I'd like to live and make it my own. I've never watched anything behind the scenes or read any of the books or comics. Shoud I choose to do this, is it easy to get a hold of them? One thing that interests me about what you say is the fact that we may see more of Book in the future. You're the second person on this thread that's alluded to that. Has Joss or anyone else said anything to make people think there may be a ressurection of sorts?

PhoenixRose - You're right. If this truly is the end of Firefly, then it's good for all of us that they wrapped up all the loose ends. I guess I was going into this whole thing with the thought that they were probably bringing the show back and I just watched so much wasted on a 2 hour BDM that could have been much better utilized over the long haul. I spent the better half of the BDM mourning not only the loss of Book and Wash, but all of the lost oppurtunities for great episodes. Maybe I should watch it with a different mindset and I'll enjoy it the second time around.

Could it at least be agreed that if the series were to come back that most people would want it to take off after "Objects in Space" rather than the BDM?

PHOENIXROSE

Monday, June 26, 2006 9:26 AM

Well, I would. There was a discussion about that awhile ago, actually, and most people seemed to at least want the first season to be "complete" but then a lot of them said that after that first half-season, the next season should take place after the BDM.
The books are fairly easy to get ahold of; they're still in print, anyway. The comics were all put into one little graphic novel called "Serenity: Those Left Behind" and is usually in the comic sections of bookstores. And any can be ordered.
Alan Tudyk and Ron Glass were both signed for three movies, plus the Visual Companion to the movie had a picture of Alan as Wash with the caption "A character that, according to Josss, could return in another film" or something to that effect. No one is sure if it will be flashback, resurrection, River seeing ghosts, or some other strange thing, but there is a lot of speculation.
And, just from a storyteller's point of view, think about the possibilities of exploring Zoe's character in all this. Especially if there's a reunion of some sort. I have yet to see anything that convinces me that's even possible, but if it were to be done, Joss could do it.

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98% of teens have smoked pot, if you are one of the 2% that haven't, copy this into your signature (it counts even though I'm not a teen anymore)

6IXSTRINGJACK

Monday, June 26, 2006 9:49 AM

I'll have to check the books out. My brother has a whole mess of SiFi books, so he might already have some of them. I see someboyd put (Spoiler Warning!) on my thread. Sorry if I spoiled anything for anybody.

PHOENIXROSE

Monday, June 26, 2006 10:07 AM

Oh that was me. You probably didn't, it's just that most threads or anything else that speaks of the death of Wash is still considered spoilerific. New people see the series all the time, and join up before they're done, and they should find out what happens the "proper" way.

I can't tell you how mad I was at my local screening when someone behind me started talking about Wash being dead, as I was there with a friend who had never seen the movie. We barely finished the series before the screening. She was like "What did he say? Wash doesn't die, does he?" What was I supposed to say?

**********************************

98% of teens have smoked pot, if you are one of the 2% that haven't, copy this into your signature (it counts even though I'm not a teen anymore)

6IXSTRINGJACK

Monday, June 26, 2006 10:14 AM

No worries. I'm glad you put that on there then. I really wasn't thinking about it at all. I've never joined a fan group for anything before and I guess I just assumed that all of you in here have seen it all and know all about it anyhow.

I'm real glad that I waited to watch Firefly though because I just got my 51" widescreen and it was a beautiful site. Serenity even looked good on it.

FUTUREMRSFILLION

Monday, June 26, 2006 4:59 PM

I'll be honest, you lost me at the "escape" part.

But FYI - Equilibrium was an updated version of Farenheit 451.

And the movies you mentioned have nothing to do with Serenity. I just don't see how you got there.

I also don't see the point in your post.

Sorry, I just don't.

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