Things about Firefly that niggle you

POSTED BY: hughff
UPDATED: Thursday, October 19, 2006 17:39
VIEWED: 13457
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RIMGIRL

Wednesday, October 18, 2006 2:29 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by RimGirl:
I've said it before, I don't like how easily Zoe calls Mal "Sir". She was Corporal to his Sargent. It wouldn't trip off her lips.

I'm not in the military, never have been. I just contrast it with how Tracey keeps calling him Sarg and every boot camp film where the Sargent is screaming, "I work for a living!" I think when he became Captain, she'd transition to calling him Captain like Kaylee does. Their's is a special, close relationship and it always feels like someone calling their brother sir.

But in the end, its my niggle. You aren't niggled, that's fine.

TEACHDAIRE

Wednesday, October 18, 2006 2:57 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by RimGirl:
I've said it before, I don't like how easily Zoe calls Mal "Sir". She was Corporal to his Sargent. It wouldn't trip off her lips.

This is true. No soldier, even a corporal would ever call a sergeant "sir" if they wanted to live. Officers are "sir", whereas a sergeant earns his/her pay.

The correct term to use when adressing a sergeant is "Sergeant". No self rerspecting NCO wouls accept otherwise.

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For every battle honour, a thousand heroes die along, unremembered and unsung...

USMCHELLRAISER

Thursday, October 19, 2006 2:49 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by RimGirl:
Quote:
Originally posted by RimGirl:
I've said it before, I don't like how easily Zoe calls Mal "Sir". She was Corporal to his Sargent. It wouldn't trip off her lips.

But in the end, its my niggle. You aren't niggled, that's fine.

Does she ever call Mal "Sir" in a flashback before the chronological beginning of the show?

If not, she might use the term for Wash's sake.

If I was still in contact with an ex, or some pretty girl I knew from before my reltaionship with my girlfriend, I might keep the name of my ex/"random pretty girl" formal to reinforce that my girlfriend never has anything to wonder about.

Now I have to re-watch the series and see...

"...let's not ruin an otherwise pleasant day with unnecessary bloodshed..."

USMCHELLRAISER

Thursday, October 19, 2006 2:55 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Teachdaire:
Quote:
Originally posted by RimGirl:
I've said it before, I don't like how easily Zoe calls Mal "Sir". She was Corporal to his Sargent. It wouldn't trip off her lips.

This is true. No soldier, even a corporal would ever call a sergeant "sir" if they wanted to live. Officers are "sir", whereas a sergeant earns his/her pay.

The correct term to use when adressing a sergeant is "Sergeant". No self rerspecting NCO wouls accept otherwise.
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For every battle honour, a thousand heroes die along, unremembered and unsung...

Sure, kind of true, I still wonder what kind of procedure was required for battle-field promotion, or even, rank in the Volunteer Browncoat Army...

Every Warrant Officer in the Marine Corps is a former "Sargent" who is now called "Sir". Also, Drill Instructors are called "Sir" and are Sargents-Gunnery Sargent in rank.

I don't think that something has to be technically incorrect to be a niggle, does it? Like Rimgirl said, it can just be something that rubs someone improperly(?) I didn't read the definition.

"...let's not ruin an otherwise pleasant day with unnecessary bloodshed..."

GUYWHOWANTSAFIREFLYOFHISOWN

Thursday, October 19, 2006 4:09 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Cruithne3753:
"Tell us about the part where Jayne gets knocked out by a ninety pound girl, 'cause that's not getting old!"

Seeing as it's the future, this should be:-

"Tell us about the part where Jayne gets knocked out by a forty kilo girl, 'cause that's not getting old!"

I think that somewhere on the trip from Earth-That-Was they stopped using metric, because in the pilot ep, when Mal is giving Patience directions he says "... Then head East half a mile, you'll see where it's been dug" not "...Then head East for 1 klick, you'll see where it's been dug"

What do you make of the nylon dot cardigan and plastic mule rest?

ROCKYSOAP

Thursday, October 19, 2006 7:11 AM

I'm not coming up with any Firefly niggles (great word!) off the top of my head, but Serenity as a whole niggled me quite a bit. I felt that the characters weren't the same as they were in the show. As a writer, I mostly understand why the changes were made, but I still don't like it. I especially don't like the fact that River seems to lose that child-like quality that makes me love her so much.

TEACHDAIRE

Thursday, October 19, 2006 8:10 AM

This may be due to the simple fact that Joss, and as far as I'm aware, the writers, are American, as was the initial audience (F*x is an American network).

As far as I know, the majority of the American citizenry haven't embraced the nightmare of the metric system after a lifetime of the Imperial system.

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For every battle honour, a thousand heroes die along, unremembered and unsung...

SAB39

Thursday, October 19, 2006 2:39 PM

My BDM niggle is what they did to the interior of Serenity herself. The proportions of the cargo bay are all off and there's that big metal shiny circular thing taking up most of one wall for no apparent reason. The engine looks all wrong. But the *biggest* niggle of all is when Mal opens the stairway to his bunk, and a flourescent blue light comes on and the door-thing opens with a soft hiss instead of a clunk. Serenity's supposed to be lived-in, a little run down, a little spartan, but homey. That moment always makes me fume a little. This is not the ruttin' Enterprise D, people!

TEACHDAIRE

Thursday, October 19, 2006 4:12 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by sab39:
My BDM niggle is what they did to the interior of Serenity herself. The proportions of the cargo bay are all off and there's that big metal shiny circular thing taking up most of one wall for no apparent reason. The engine looks all wrong. But the *biggest* niggle of all is when Mal opens the stairway to his bunk, and a flourescent blue light comes on and the door-thing opens with a soft hiss instead of a clunk. Serenity's supposed to be lived-in, a little run down, a little spartan, but homey. That moment always makes me fume a little. This is not the ruttin' Enterprise D, people!

Actually, the proportions of the cargo bay seem about right (Serenity is approximately the length of a 747, and a bit taller as well). As for the thing with Mal's bunk, ask yourself this question, do you make sure the light in your bedroom is working? It's a naturally dark space, and a fall could hurt. Also, it makes sense that doors that swing open like that as opposed to sliding like the majority of the other doors on board, would have a pneumatic buffer system to keep the shut when the ship goes through any kind of lateral or roll movements.

-------------------------------------------------
For every battle honour, a thousand heroes die along, unremembered and unsung...

ZZETTA13

Thursday, October 19, 2006 4:42 PM

Goodmorning fellow browncoats. I have just arrived home after working the graveyard shift so I'm a little beat. I do however think this is a really interesting thread so I want to throw my 2 cents in before I retire to my bunk. first of all everyone has their own opinion and I respect that.If we feel that something just isn't right then that's how we feel. Like Zoey said "It just bothers me."

The "Ship"-"Boat" issue doesn't really bother me any. I look at it like this. Calling Serenity a boat inplace of ship at times only makes me feel that the crew (or Mal) are trying to show that the vessel Serenity, is but a small thing in comparison to the huge universe or even the power of the alliance. They view themselves as small and so this little vehicle they tool around the verse in is small also. Like a tiny boat.

The "space battle" with all the sound I hadn't really thought of so it didn't really bother me either.

Zoey addressing Mal as "sir" is just her way of showing respect and is a reminder of the history between herself and Malcolm. Wash calls Malcolm "sir" as well but we all know where he's coming from....." Nothing... Brilliant plan sir I think we'll all be saved!!"

One thing that I think should have played out differently was the fight between Mal and the operative. IMO the operative was turned way to quickly. How could he tell the little video Mal played to the verse wasn't a fake? Nope,the only way I think that an individual of his rank and training would stop their mission would be in the death of Serenity and her crew or the death of himself.

Z

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