WHAT IS THIS?
This is the quick and dirty lowdown on the Emmy-winning science-fiction TV show Firefly and its
movie sequel Serenity (which also
won many industry awards .)If you want to know about the show's essentials without having to spend
eight hours boning up, this is the place. For a 30-second summary, try the
next paragraph after the index. The goal here, short of accuracy, is to be
brief . For greater detail, click the
links.
INDEX:
What is this?
One-paragraph summary.
What Do People Mean By "BDM?"
About the movie.
History of the show.
Summary of the show's story.
Summary of the movie's
story.
The type of sci-fi show it
is.
Are there aliens and stuff?
I dig Buffy/Angel, will I like Firefly ?
What type
of space ship is Serenity?
Who the heck is
Vera?
Summary of the Bad
Guys.
What's with the characters speaking Chinese?
What are the religious and political aspects of
Firefly ?
Where can I get or buy stuff
associated with Firefly
?
The future for the
franchise
Op-Ed, Fun Stuff, Inessentials, You know...
New! Audio highlights.
GIVE ME ONE PARAGRAPH SO I CAN DECIDE IF I WANT TO KEEP READING:
OK. Firefly was an Emmy-winning 2002 science-fiction TV
show that only lasted 11 episodes, followed by a major motion picture sequel,
Serenity . It is more "pure" sci-fi, much more
realistic and gritty than Trek or Wars. It's adult,
edgy, violent, and sexual, with lots of cool science-fiction themes and
special effects. There are no cute kids, except one in the movie, and he gets
slaughtered. But the show is not dark like Battlestar
Galactica (which
Firefly's
creator, Joss Whedon, recently blessed with high praise
) and has life-as-value as its
central theme. It's got a minor Western theme going on some planets
(
diminished severely
in the movie,)
but also a frontierish, John Wayne-style sense of morality, including
independence, free-thought, self-sufficiency, and right-to-live-freely. It's
basically the Star Trek formula, but so highly
advanced in terms of presentation (characterization, plot, sets, science,
politics, effects, etc.) as to be a revolutionary rather than evolutionary
advance. And some of Trek 's tech, which bordered on fantasy or magic
(e.g., "replicators," and even faster-than-light travel) have been dispensed
with, making a more realistic and believable show. Did I mention it's
great? Diving in is easy because both
TV series and
film are on DVD, and Sci-Fi Channel occasionally
airs the series (though not currently.) In 2006, Sci-Fi has run
occasional marathons, usually beginning in the morning and running into
the evening, but usually not getting out every episode.
WHAT DO PEOPLE MEAN BY "BDM?"
"Big Damn Movie" is a play on an expression
from the episode "
Safe ," where one
character cynically refers to the gang as "Big Damn Heroes." This question is
asked and answered constantly, and inspired this FAQ. The Big Damn Movie
is
Serenity, which hit theaters
on September 30, 2005, DVD on December 20,
2005. Free online sample of the DVD's
extras here
!
DO I NEED TO SEE THE SERIES FIRST TO DIG THE MOVIE?
HOW DOES THE FILM COMPARE TO THE TV SHOW?
Certainly, the producers
wouldn't require background because this would doom the movie. Creator
Joss Whedon has stated this explicitly. Fans
agree, however, that the producers "done good" in trying to satisfy both
veterans and new recruits. If you're reading this (and I think you are!),
you'll be ultra-prepped for the movie, and that's good. That said, the series
DVD is 15+ (program) hours of spectacular adventure, and since many fans find
the movie to be very much like a good long episode, the series DVD's might
come out ahead "by the pound," since the show has 15 hours of splendor, the
movie is "just" 119 minutes of pure joy. My personal evaluation
episode-by-episode, treating the film as the final episode,
is
here , for what it's worth.
WHAT'S FIREFLY'S HISTORY IN A NUTSHELL?
A prematurely-cancelled television series from 2002, many fans deeply resent how the network, Fox, mishandled its marketing, scheduling, and overall presentation, thus leading to an untimely - but not final - demise. But no one knows the true reason for Firefly's demise since the show was also vastly ahead of its time, and this could have thrown viewers off.
Firefly 's mastermind, Joss Whedon , was the creator of TV's Buffy The Vampire Slayer which was so popular and successful it was almost literally the sole
breadwinner of its network for a time. So Whedon got carte blanche when he
decided to pursue what he really loved, which was a sci-fi show in
the best tradition of the genre. Enter Firefly.
Network executives, however,
hated Whedon's not-so action-oriented two-hour pilot (named "Serenity," same as the film) and
demanded he make a second one, which ultimately aired first, called "
The Train Job
. This was followed by the above-noted poor marketing moves (some urban legends, most not) by Fox, which may or may not have caused low ratings.
It would be severe
understatement to say the series did not catch on. 15 hours were produced (14
eps), but only 12 hours (11 eps) aired before Fox unceremoniously pulled the
plug. Episodes 11, 12, and 13 went unaired. Episode 14 aired, followed by the
original 2-hour
pilot Foxhad
initially rejected. Good episode summaries are here and here, but they'll be
spoilers (never mind the scripts) if you've
not yet seen the TV series. The
Sci-Fi Channel evidently recently ceased running
the whole series , for now, at least. They were
faithful to proper order, and most else, the only hitch being mild
censorship (of some nudity .)
But despite
the out-of-order and erratic airing, fans saw that it was the best sci-fi in
decades (if ever,) and fanatically snapped up the DVD's, evangelizing the show
to anyone who'd listen. Based upon the good DVD sales (money talks, and
one Universal exec,
Mary Parent, was a Firefly fan ,) Universal
Studios signed on to Whedon's persistent plea to continue the story, and the
movie was born. This (much abbreviated) tale of Firefly's Phoenix-like
rebirth is sufficiently rare and unusual that a
documentary
of it has been produced.
WHAT'S THE SHOW ABOUT IN A NUTSHELL?
500 years hence, a new civil war
has
been fought in a solar system far, far from Earth (but necessarily almost
next-door on a stellar scale, see the science, below.) The rebels vaguely
resemble America's Confederacy, but without the stain of slavery, and they
wear "browncoats" that fans like to emulate.
Sergeant Malcolm Reynolds
fought on the losing side.
After the disasterous battle which ends the war at Serenity Valley, Sergeant Reynolds kisses his religion goodbye and puts together enough money to buy his own ship, a freight-hauler, and by dint of ownership he is promoted to captain. He then hires a crew and tries to make payroll.
This new (actually, used) ship is one of a class of ships
called "Firefly ," and Reynolds dubs it "Serenity" in memory of the war's last major battle. Thus the names of the TV show and the movie, respectively.
Although the war was decisively won by the monolithic Alliance, Reynolds follows his dream to live free of the state he fought. If he can't beat them, Reynolds reasons, he'll just avoid them. But he'll still die before joining them, see the politics, below. To stay below the radar, Reynolds and crew frequent the "outer rim" of the solar system, where life is more primitive and often resembles the American West of Hollywood legend.
He assembles a crew of eight, half of whom begin as
paying passengers. His pilot is
Wash, 2nd only to a
cheater named " Mr. Universe
" in
his pilot-school class, and a man who frequently questions the need for
violence. But his wife is Mal's second,
Zoe, who fought by
Mal's side in the war and lives by the gun. Mal's mechanic/engineer is
Kaylee, a woman of
natural talent in her job (and natural beauty, dig
actress Jewel
Staite here!
) And later comes a brutal
mercenary, the man they call "
Jayne ."
The first paying passengers are
a "shepherd" (26th century "pastor" of Christian tradition) named
Book and a young,
affluent doctor named Simon Tam
. Later, it
appears that the doctor has smuggled aboard his young and gifted - but damaged - sister.
Finally, there is Inara , a glamorous
sex-worker (a "Registered Companion") who rents one of Serenity's two shuttles
even as her customers rent out time with her. But despite how it sounds, her
skills, knowledge, and prestige are prodigious. In fact, many places will not
berth a ship that does not carry a companion. A companion is not only a
combination geisha, escort, and ultra-class call-girl, but much more.
(
Have a look!
) The profession is both legal and highly-respected in the 'verse.
Thus begins the Firefly saga. It's about the crew's simple
quest to make a decent living. But it's coupled with the captain's demand that
they do so without selling out to the Alliance, a difficult hat-trick that
forces them into all sorts of trouble.
WHAT'S THE MOVIE ABOUT, IN A NUTSHELL?
There are several crucial plot
developments in the
movie and I won't discuss them in this FAQ -
no spoilers below - except I will tell you that a major character dies. I tell
you this only to illustrate one of the many reasons that Firefly is
just better than the others - this character will never be revived,
and Whedon has confirmed not just the truth of this, but also the fact that
the Firefly universe operates this way, it is the
anti-Buffy, as it were, more below. In any event, the movie is,
effectively, the ending, so I won't give it away. (We hope and pray
that's not the case, but another "lesson" of Firefly is that facts, not wishes, are what matter,
and understanding this is the only way to live happily.) The script is
here,
a total spoiler, only for your reference. But even generalized discussion hinges upon whether you've seen the show.
If you haven't seen
Firefly :
It's fast-moving space-opera, grittier and more realistic
than Trek, Wars , or most anything else in
sci-fi. The characters are complex and dark, but they are still heroes, which
keeps things interesting. If you like the sci-fi "genre" you will be
particularly pleased. The story is about an embittered captain of a space
freighter accidentally caught up in a political conspiracy pitting him against
his overarching government and its deadly operative.
Serenity looks like a
first-rate standalone sci-fi tale to me, but I simply have no way of
evaluating that for you honestly, I'm too involved. I'll only say that only a
few good sci-fi movies are ever produced, so this has to count among them. If
you like sci-fi, period,
Serenity is mandatory viewing.
For Firefly
fans :
Generally speaking, here's the lowdown: Our Big Damn
Heroes concluded the TV series with
River still ill from
her Alliance mistreatment, and
Inara had vowed to
leave Serenity in episode 13.
Book
evidently left as well, though everyone is in the movie, just not on board.
The film answers a whole lot of open questions, and is very satisfying in that
regard. River's mistreatment and rescue is mostly only discussed in the show,
but shown in the movie. Avoid spoilers if you've followed Firefly 's story arc, because the film has at least three major events that alter the show.
It is funny, exciting,
smart, and a good story, well told. Firefly was
truly fabulous in having virtually no bad episodes, and if you consider
the movie as an episode, it would occupy an upper-tier. Want
more? There are only trivial spoilers in this
massive interview with
writer-director-creator Joss Whedon
; you can
view a slew of still photos from the film
here
; and a free look at a terrific
deleted scene from the film
here
!
WHAT TYPE OF SCIENCE FICTION STORY IS FIREFLY/SERENITY?
Sci-fi fans often
call it "hard" sci-fi, or "hard-er," this is debated.
Whedon himself, however suggests
Firefly is hard sci-fi
.,
but he also urges ,
"...Always remember that the integrity of your universe's reality must be
maintained unless you think of something cool." This usually means the
science will be fairly realistic and will be a fair extrapolation from today's science, just a bit more advanced. Exceptions do occur when they are simply unavoidable, or just too "cool." For example, long-space-distance "phone calls" are realtime, which means they must violate lightspeed, even within a solar system. And the "mind reading" suggested seems to make even Whedon apologetic.
Way-futuristic stuff that seems almost magical - or is -
is clearly verboten. So, you don't see ships zipping around at 10 times the
speed of light, molecules rearranged to create whatever, or "transporters" a
la Trek or Stargate Whatever
and the like. On the other hand, there are scarce laser
weapons, very advanced medicine, fast, cheap, easy sub-light travel, and most
else permitted by today's science but perhaps not yet concretized in
technology you can use. Serenity's mysterious engine is said to be
fusion-based; that's perfect for Firefly because the science is old hat, but the
technology is yet-to-come. And there's
no sound in space
, ever, even though some mistakenly thought the BDM messed up.
Firefly does all it can to respect the science and holds reason as the sole means of knowledge.
There are oblique references to "
Earth That Was
" and an implied backstory of environmental catastrophe or
other calamity that impelled humanity to colonize other planetary systems,
although Firefly never
specifically references any other system but its own.
ARE THERE ALIENS AND MONSTERS IN
FIREFLY?
No! Whedon took a modest risk by positing a
future with no alien life. The idea we're alone in the universe (for here and
for now, at least) is a little bit anti-sci-fi, but it was a brilliant move in
retrospect. Turns out that all those bumpy-headed aliens
in Star-Wars-Gate-Trek-Blechh and elsewhere look pretty
stupid once you step back a bit. What Whedon seems to have figured out is that
unlike English-everywhere or instant communications, aliens
were not
a necessary ingredient. Finally, the depth
in Firefly resides mostly in the ethics and politics, keep reading... There's a time
and a place for Bug Eyed Monsters, but it isn't Firefly .
I'M A BUFFY/ANGEL FAN. WILL I LIKE
FIREFLY?
Probably, but the differences are
important. Buffy/Angel
was pure fantasy. There are no vampires or devils in
Firefly, never will be, and the show actually goes severely in the
other direction, rejecting out-of-hand even the possibility of supernatural
elements, including God. (Mind-reading is strongly suggested, but never fully
established, and never treated as a non-physical or other-worldly phenomenon.)
Firefly is crucially different from other shows in its attempt at
realism - even the ethics and politics are linked to known-reality, as is the
science. Unlike the Buffyverse, which maintained internal consistency,
Firefly also maintained
external consistency, i.e., coherence with the real world of both
physics and - crucially - morality. It seems Whedon tried to build a world of
the future with as few leaps of logic as possible, as few leaps in science as
politics. Example: In the world of Star Trek, food appears out of
thin air, and is never an issue. In Firefly 's pilot episode, there
is a gunfight over food that leaves a half-dozen men dead. Whedon is
unequivocal that
Firefly is the anti-Buffy in terms of realism.
WHAT KIND OF SPACESHIP IS SERENITY?
A so-called " Firefly-class" vehicle, the intro to this "new
Enterprise" is jarring when an early episode reveals that it doesn't even
sport a weapon, a shield, a cloak, or any of the usual issue. The ship's a
freighter, and its main characteristic of note is that it can run away...very
fast. It hauls cargo, of course, and has a sick bay, thank heaven, since we
don't want it to be too unfamiliar. The
ship is also importantly different from "brand X" ship in that it is designed
for both atmospheric as well as space travel. It does the former in a really
cool way by using a "VTOL" design, which here consists of a pair of thruster
engines which can be angled in any direction from down, up, forward, and even
backward. When in space,
Serenity uses a
different sort of drive which is little explained, but we know it's sub-light
and very powerful, something to do with fusion energy, according to the
Pilot
episode. However, even when
running away, there are numerous vulnerabilities for the
Firefly-class ship, including a device that can "landlock" it by
remote control, and other ships that have "grappling" devices to capture a
Firefly even if it's outside of physical reach.
If you need photon torpedoes, go brand yecchh. Hey, there's always Vera...
WHO IS THE CHARACTER VERA?
Jayne's mega-gun. Vera needs oxygen to operate,
a big bone of contention
among some purists and fans generally
because a normal gun would fire in vacuum. But the
very reason guns have oxidizer built-in is that there is insufficient ambient oxygen
available, and Vera presumably breathes heavy (my $.02.) She's
Jayne's first love. She'd be mine, too, if I weren't already spoken for. But
guns are philosophically crucial
in a libertarian 'verse, as well as for their utility, and Vera's the biggest
and baddest.
WHO ARE THE BAD GUYS IN
FIREFLY/SERENITY?
Our Big Damn Heroes are caught between two evil forces, and one among their number is a bit less than moral himself.
The most
prominent is the
Alliance
. This is the overarching and all-powerful government against
which Sergeant Reynolds unsuccessfully fought in the civil war. They are
"meddlesome" and Reynolds simply rejects their authority. With the war
decisively lost, Reynolds must settle for flying below their radar if he wants
to live, and life is Firefly 's central message. Reynolds knows the
Alliance is morally impotent and chronically incompetent, despite their sheer
power, and these are the keys to his survival. As metaphor, the Alliance is
eerily like present liberal democratic institutions, and its evil is simply a
step up from what we now face. Also in
Serenity, the Alliance is revealed to be a
democracy , a crucial comment by Whedon on our present institutions.
At the other extreme are the "Reavers," who are
essentially cannibalistic, sadistic, nihilistic madmen. The important thing to
remember about the Reavers is perhaps stated by Second-in-Command of Serenity,
Zoe : "If they take
the ship, they'll rape us to death, eat our flesh and sew our skins into their
clothing and if we're very very lucky, they 'll do it in that order." To the
inner safe planets under Alliance rule, Reavers consist mostly of mystery and
bedtime stories that parents tell to their children to scare them. But along
the outer rim, they are all-too-real. They are dealt with comprehensively in
the BDM,
Serenity.
Four particular foes bear
mention because each shows up twice in the show's short run of 14 episodes.
The ubiquitous "Blue Sun Corporation" is mysteriously tied up with the
alliance and provides the face of
River's tormentors
in the form of a pair of blue-gloved, merciless assassins. Next is Badger, a
little thug aspiring to higher airs who runs a small crime gang in the
Pilot . Niska is a
sociopathic maniac, also a crime boss, with whom Mal unwisely deals in
"
The Train Job
," and
who later tortures Mal to death...then revives Our Hero for more. Best known
is YoSafBridge, the character who becomes Mal's wife in "
Our Mrs. Reynolds
"
(using the name Saffron) and reappears in " Trash " (as Yolanda
and Bridget, thus "YoSafBridge," which many fans mis-heard as another
Chinese expression
)
Finally, there is crewman
Jayne . Unlike the
above adversaries, he is not simply a fixed evil component. He evolves over
the course of the show. His threat is moderated by sheer violence and
domination by Reynolds. By episode 11 ("
Trash ,")
the otherwise fearless mercenary is terrified of Reynolds.
WHAT'S THAT LANGUAGE, SOUNDS CHINESE, OR CUSSIN'?
It's both. As with most things
Firefly, the language is an extrapolation from the present.
Firefly assumes that the USA and China eventually became the two
great world powers, then merged. As a result, everyone in the Firefly
world speaks English and
Chinese (Mandarin?)
fluently. The TV show had a consultant on staff to be sure the translation and
pronunciation were proper. Whedon's
wife, too, speaks the
language
. But you don't need to know
any of it because the scene context always makes the meaning clear.
Dong-ma?
There're also a few slang terms that fans happily adopt. "Shiny" is a term like "cool," and it means "good." Some slang is American West, such as when a lout shuts up, he does us all "a kindness." Or Mal may be "of a mind" to do something.
The Firefly world is also
pretty raw, and it would be weird if there weren't some nasty language going
on, and so there is. But many words are still feared and loathed by network
audiences, so veiled substitutes were invented for Firefly , the most well-known being "Gorram" and "Rutting."
It's odd that certain words were censored on a show that
prominently featured a prostitute who swung both ways. A complex calculation,
surely, but don't forget we're talking about Firefly , which failed, not Star Trek,
which didn't. In fact, Firefly 's demise could be attributed to many
aspects that were far out ahead of the public sensibilities, which leads us
to...
IS IT TRUE THAT YOU SHOULD NEVER DISCUSS RELIGION OR POLITICS?
May be. Firefly dealt with both in very explicit ways. Both were arguably at the heart of the entire show. And we don't have the show anymore.
Religion:
In terms of religion, Captain Reynolds is an explicit
atheist
. If this were Seventh Heaven, you might see him regularly
suffering for this fact, but a fair reading of Firefly 's intent suggests Reynolds made the right choice, the rational hero. Looked at this way, the show was a success for having aired 11 episodes, instead of 3. Lets not even discuss the sex worker as both hero and as the most highly-respected and highest-status person on board.
I will note that some
religious fans see it differently, and see
Shepherd Book
as the
true spokesperson for the show's POV. The best evidence for their view is the
fact that Reynolds becomes an atheist out of anger and betrayal when his
troops are slaughtered then abandoned at the Battle of Serenity. Also, Whedon
confirms that
Book is the
message-bearer in the BDM's unfortunate and misunderstood "...Believe
something..." dialogue, though this is not quite what religious fans want to
hear, either. It is a misunderstood "message" of the BDM (both Whedon
offscreen and Book onscreen disavow that it refers to religious belief.)
But the more significant message is encapsulated in Mal's (and
Kaylee 's similar)
comment, "I mean to live!" Life is the central theme
, if you must name one, throughout Firefly .
Still, there is no question about the atheism. Mal tells
the shepherd to keep religion, proselytizing, and even out-loud prayers off
the ship. Mal openly mocks Buddha in the BDM. Shepherd
Book himself
ultimately appears to go against his religion, utilizing massive deadly force
in defense of himself and his own (in the BDM, which he refused to do in
"
Heart Of Gold
,")
and concedes it's "...not very Christian." In the graphic novel, Book even
socks Mal in the jaw when faced with the truth about his "faith." And
the Shepherd has a mysterious,
evidently evil past
, and he too may have become what he now is in reaction. The BDM suggests it
pains
Book to even discuss his past, and it's there he seems to advocate faith without content (see above.)
Finally, the
creator of the series is unequivocal both about his own atheism and the
atheism of the character Malcolm Reynolds. Whedon often says conflicting
things about the show, and what a creator says is not necessarily canon, but
there has been absolutely no equivocation about this.
"...Mal is an atheist..." Whedon says
. Nor any question that Mal is the hero. Many fans
find some of this too much to accept, even though it ought to be obvious that
Mal is both atheist and hero. The indisputable
atheism in Firefly is - no surprise - the thing that causes the
most apoplexy among many fans. Some of Whedon's statements in this regard
appear to be in his own voice, as commentary tracks on the DVD set. In print
(
A New York Times interview
,) Whedon tells us, "I'm a very hard-line, angry atheist."
Politics:
In terms
of politics, it's even more explicit. Whedon has said without qualification that
Reynolds is a libertarian
, though it was obvious long
before Whedon spoke. In fairness, Whedon has also stated (and demonstrated)
that he, Whedon, is not a libertarian (and is instead a liberal and an
existentialist.) The
libertarian or Objectivist aspect seems to have originated with cohort
Tim
Minear , but evidently respected by
Whedon throughout production, including the BDM.
Minear is at work adapting
a Robert Heinlein
story for the screen, and
he has named Ayn Rand as his
hero
. An interesting question might be whether
Mal is, or is becoming, an
Objectivist (Rand's
philosophy, which gave birth to
libertarianism, but subsumes much more .)
But no matter what, Mal adheres
to libertarian principles, including non-aggression, and Objectivist morality,
which demands self-reliance and independent thought. This too has infuriated a
number of fans who love the show, but carry conventional (and irrational)
politics and ethics. They take glee in pointing out that Mal and company do
self-described "thieving," which, if true, would certainly
be inconsistent
with
either libertarianism or Objectivism. But close examination of the show
easily demonstrates that the "thieving" always occurs against people who are,
for example, mass murderers ("
Trash") or
government thugs ("
Ariel") or the like.
In "
The Train Job
," we actually see Mal returning the
"stolen" goods - in the face of torture and death - when he discovers that they belong to deserving parties who don't even have perfect title. (Mal there says, "We're not thieves - but we are thieves.") Mal also shoots three (!) unarmed men in the BDM, but Whedon notes and addresses this in his commentary.
Again, it's probably a stroke of luck that average fans
don't necessarily understand the politics, and the sexual libertarianism alone
may have helped kill the show in the first instance. But in the end, even if
folks don't understand the details, it's clear that Malcolm Reynolds is a
powerful man of principle, an impossibly appealing package that undoubtedly
turns Firefly's fans into fanatics.
Some may see Mal as merely a handsome bad boy, even if he's the most moral character ever to appear on TV. If that's how they want to enjoy him, and it gets more shows made, it's hard to complain.
Finally, a tip
of the hat to those who violently disagree with my libertarian and/or
religious POV on the show and a stick in the eye to those who couldn't be
civil about it. Most have vacated <
alt.tv.firefly >,
but a few linger who may insult or implore you not to read this FAQ - the
mentality of
any such person
ought to be obvious from their action. Your Bugged host recommends you read
all you can. In the end, I used my POV early on to make predictions about
later episodes and they were confirmed almost without exception, all the way
through to the film, then through to follow-on research detailing
Whedon's and
Tim
Minear's explicit comments. Now that
we have the DVD of Serenity , there's
yet more confirmation (in Whedon's director commentary) of what appears above.
WHAT OTHER FIREFLY STUFF EXISTS? WHERE DO I FIND/BUY THEM?
The most important
Firefly resource - by far - is the
DVD set of the series, which is incomparable.
It contains the whole saga, but for the movie, and a first-rate collection of
extras. The shows are starting to become available - in their entirety - on
the web, see below for more on this. Complete the saga - so far only, we hope - by purchasing the
movie on DVD
.
(Other versions of the BDM DVD - such as Australia's
region-four sets - have more extras .) There is a novelization based upon the movie's
script
(script is posted
online) which is
widely available at bookstores and online at Amazon, and I read it, and it's
great; the
author is accessible and has posted interesting
extras to our newsgroup. He says two more
novels are in the
oven, yay! There is a
three-part series of comic
books
that has been difficult to get hold of,
but it's now available as
a graphic novel
. The comics/graphic novel describe events between the last
episode of the series and the opening events of the movie, so there is
essentially one more canonical story in there beyond the series and film.
There is an
unaired script ,
"Dead Or Alive," that is worthy, but not canon. There is a fascinating early
draft of the BDM script now circulating, and
this author discusses it
and quotes from it a lot. There appears to be a
role-play game , and a Serenity
"companion" book.
A Firefly companion was just announced
and due out this Summer. There are the soundtracks, which didn't
have to be any good, but I think the
movie's original sound track
is terrific (sample
it! ) Others worship the TV show's original sound track by
Edmondson
(listen to the theme song MIDI
here .) There are some meta-resources
discussing the finer points of Firefly, including
the science, the
morality, the politics (especially above, as to those two,)
the economics
, and more. And tons of stuff is
available on the web, including transcripts,
scripts
,
bulletin boards
, two different podcasts, vast picture libraries , fan
fiction , interviews, and comprehensive reference
sites
, including Whedonsworld, the
Wikipedia entry , Firefly's own wiki (which is awesome,) and the
Browncoats, to whom I've linked
extensively, with my compliments and thanks. This FAQ is not
designed to be up-to-the-minute (though often is,) so go
here for the
very latest news
. For a "failed TV show," the interest and
investment should tip you off that something seismic occurred.
THE FUTURE?
The future of
Firefly is
very uncertain (
here's a way to help
.) (And here.) The BDM
opened to good reviews and was
marketed, at minimum, reasonably well.
It was the number 2 film nationwide for its
premiere
, but that weekend was slow, and
the $40 million film only grossed ten. So far, almost $100 million has been
invested in Firefly (mostly by Fox and Universal,) and
the prospects of recouping that, never mind making a big profit, remain
iffy. The fact that no one really knows the film's actual profit hasn't
stopped fans (and trolls) from debating it endlessly, but
this poster makes a reasonable estimate
for now
. No pun intended, but the franchise
appears to be modestly "in the black."
Near-term, there was a weak rumour of a
direct-to-video sequel
, and further talk that the "CW" network (a combine of the WB and UPN)
may resurrect the show, and even a fan group producing a
show in
Firefly's "universe."
But there's more definitive statements by Whedon that there would be
some comics in the near future,
but nothing more
,
and DeCandido is definitive that there is a three-book contract (inclusive of
his novelization) in existence (but see below.) One ambitious
fellow has a resurrection-project going, but so far it's
little more than a web page
. Whedon
says comics this year, but the remaining two novels have no real time
frame. More extras seem to be appearing on later-released DVD's in other
nations.
For my money, the fact that new comics
and new books are definitely on the way is very, very good news, because the
video/film medium tend to limit story possibilities somewhat. The books,
crucially, seem to have already been written. So we'll see them one way
or another.
Thanks for reading along. I remain, your
friendly neighborhood
Atlas Bugged . P.S.: With over 100 links in this document, there's now
too many for me too check periodically, so please report bad ones, and I'll
fix 'em.
OP-ED: If you've read this far, you know
plenty more than you need to. Below, I'm putting links to some very inessential but just
darn fun Firefly and Serenity
resources. Most were posted in the newsgroup and proved popular, so I am
adding them here. These are outside the purview of necessary FAQ stuff, and are
for the fans and those who would just like more of the fun. I hope you
enjoy.
These are a few stunning pictures of Firefly 's youngest and most
enigmatic
star, Summer
Glau. A fine young actress, a
trained ballet
dancer
, but also quite a
beauty to behold in casual
dress . (Several separate pix there.) Here's
a
new one. <gasp>
That said, your Bugged host loves Jewel
Staite (aka Kaylee) best, and this is the
best pic I
ever saw of her , and
this one sure
ain't bad neither. Still, no matter who's
yer fave, we all must face (heh-heh) up to
the fact that
they're all stunning.
Firefly villains are ordinarily as repulsive visually as they are
morally, but not "YoSafBridge,"
played by Christina
Hendricks. Departing from industry practice (NOT!), Joss
Whedon seemed to cast incredibly gorgeous women in his shows. Here is
what you need to know about this important villainous icon in the Firefly
universe (be advised hi-res and hi bandwidth pix:)
Knowledge1.
Knowledge2.
Knowledge3.
Knowledge4.
Knowledge5.
Knowledge6.
[Don't worry, I haven't forgotten Morena or Gina, but the above "extras" exist
to entertain and tittilate, so I'm still finding the "right" pics.]
A great fan - Michael - contacted me with great news - a new service in beta
called Hulu, and he went the extra step, assembling a web page where you can
get the benefits of Hulu and watch the
first three eps of Firefly online, right now, unexpurgated, without
so much as registration or other annoyance. Thanks again, Mike,
and Hulu, not to mention Whedon and his Merry Men - and astonishing women.
We expect all the episodes will soon be available this way, and you'll find
all those links in this FAQ.
The film March Of The Penguins was a marvelous contemporary of
Serenity and some creative fan put them together in
this
charming fantasy graphic
.
Fans have had some interest in
this page where you
can compare your personal characteristics to those of Serenity's various
shipmates. Good clean fun. I turned out to be Mal (80%), with
Kaylee (!) a close second.
Firefliers are just as
bedazzled by the show's musical backgrounds as fans of the other
franchises. I'm hosting two audio snippets, a midi file of the series's
theme, and a sample from the majestic orchestral suite from
the BDM.
There are "easter eggs" on both the
series DVD and the
film DVD .
(They're extra, hidden content.) I dislike both, but you have a
Constitutional right to access them, so I'm mentioning and linking both.
These "vintage" Serenity/Firefly retro-graphics are just wonderful .
Thanks to Jason P. Cross for tracking these down, and kudos, of course, to the
creators of these beauties .
Find here a photo-essay
by a gal with way too much time
on her hands, but this time it's to the good. Comparison of the
10th Doctor Who and Malcolm Reynolds
highlighting many surprising parallels. Forfans of both shows, heaven.
Me, I can take or leave the Good Doctor, but I loooove my Rose Tyler! [Billie
Piper]
Firefly's
Emmy was for its special visual effects, most of which were done by
Zoic, the same effects studio now
embellishing
Battlestar Galactica
, and it
is no coincidence
. A "Firefly-class" ship does a cameo in the
Galactica
pilot miniseries. And while resurrecting BSG, Zoic
also provided the BDM's visuals. [I occasionally get a bit of static from a
poorly-informed, tiny few who think the two shows are unrelated.]
Models and toys are beginning to appear;
a scale model of Serenity
? Yep. And
Buchner loves FF toys, figurines, and the like,
so
go
here if you share his delights. One fan, "Matt,"
just had a custom-built model
designed for his own
amusement
, and you may view it from three
angles here, here, and here. Don't forget the
Lego Serenity
.
In typical Firefly fashion, one group has
said "Scale model? We don't need no steenkin' scale models." To this end, a
quirky group has
gathered around the actual ambulance (by which I mean the prop) from the
episode Ariel, which
one
fan located in a
junk yard a couple of years ago
.
There's even at least one Gorram
radio station themed
to Firefly. It's amazingly
listenable. Who'da thunk it?
This animated review
of Serenity (BDM) is just too Gorram funny.
There's a real high-level debate over whether
Firefly's solar system makes
sense. You don't have to be a rocket-scientist to enjoy...well,
actually, you probably do. Astrophysicists and serious hobbyists will
love the debate between
Will McCarthy
and
John Schilling
.
I rate each episode, the film, the
comics, and the major books, on a four-star scale here . Just my opinion, but I do state my
reasons.
John G. Bell, a Firefly devotee, has written this
interesting guide
to writing Firefly fiction yourself, but his
article has a wealth of other info, such as...
Author DeCandido's second Firefly/Serenity novel, Mirror
Image, has been listed on Amazon for some
time, but some have questioned this listing, which earlier said 2009 and
now says nothing about due date. According to
John Bell
, above,
there is another book by Steven Brust looking
for a publisher, and other completed novels in the same boat.
I've been unequivocal that Firefly owes its greatness to Tim
Minear as much, maybe more, than Whedon, and this
wonderful new interview with Minear (audio) backs me up.
Do you miss the section which used to follow
featuring the tittilating fake nudes? I maintain a page of links
to Firefly "fakes" (doctored images, mostly of the ladies) which used to be
here, but I was convinced it was appropriate to move it to a different web
page. Also, many links need to be reconfigured because of Snipurl's recent site overhaul.
I'll occasionally
add more to this section, so check back from time to time if you find these
bits fun. Again, go here for the latest news; this
FAQ is designed more for quick
reference than for keeping on the cutting edge. Once more, thanks for visiting!
