Firefly - should i get this show if not into Sci-Fi?

Basq

Hello all,

Just a quick question..

I'm not really into Sci-Fi - never really liked Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate etc. But i've heard nothing but good things about this show 'Firefly'.. would it be worth getting? (i.e might it change my mind regarding Sci-Fi)

Thanks in advance!

ixoy

YES

Seriously, it's not heavy in the sci-fi way. It could almost have been written as a Western, sans sci-fi, and still been the same. The reason people like it is the characters and the incredible sense of wit permeating it - ya may have seen some of this in Buffy, but this is Whedon at his most refined.

It's also refreshing adult in some ways - such as featuring a whore as a main character (sorry "companion"). The characters themselves are quite interesting and they don't really fit into traditional boxes or roles. Definetely worth getting, particularly with some of the offers that can get you the show for about 20 quid. That or your famous cousins

Basq

Well ixoy.. you do know your stuff so i'll give it a go!!

My girlfriend's father is a big Sci-Fi fan but always disliked Firefly - but loved Farscape! Watched a couple of episodes of Farscape actually - including the feature-length episode which included the wedding / baby storyline.. and was quite unimpressed, to be honest!

But anyways.. will give Firefly a go. Shame the series is only 15 episodes long - doesn't seem like enough to really get into it! But then again, there's only been 7 episodes of the fantastic (but practically axed) 'The Inside' and i'm hooked on it!

PS - on a somewhat unrelated topic, about to watch the pilot for new US show 'Invasion' - could be quite promising!

ixoy

basquille wrote:

But anyways.. will give Firefly a go. Shame the series is only 15 episodes long - doesn't seem like enough to really get into it! But then again, there's only been 7 episodes of the fantastic (but practically axed) 'The Inside' and i'm hooked on it!

Uh huh, it's annoying getting into a show you know is axed. But on the plus side, you at least know that 'Firefly' is followed by the theatrical movie 'Serenity' which should hopefully tie up loose ends left in the series. There's at least that which I never got for the likes of 'Space: Above & Beyond', 'Dark Skies', 'Nowhere Man', etc etc.

If ya like wit though, ya should like this. And I seem to recall you liked "Wonderfalls"? Well Tim Minear scripted a few episodes of "Firefly" too.

Basq

ixoy wrote:

Uh huh, it's annoying getting into a show you know is axed. But on the plus side, you at least know that 'Firefly' is followed by the theatrical movie 'Serenity' which should hopefully tie up loose ends left in the series.

Maybe if 'Serenity' is successful box-office wise in the States (certainly possible considering the hype surrounding it), another series might be on the cards!

Seems plausible also considering most of the cast reunited for 'Serenity' (or so i've heard)

ixoy wrote:

If ya like wit though, ya should like this. And I seem to recall you liked "Wonderfalls"? Well Tim Minear scripted a few episodes of "Firefly" too.

Not to get too much off-topic here.. but could never really actually finish 'Wonderfalls'! Ended up growing a bit tired off it!

But Tim Minear created that show 'The Inside' i was on about above.

Sarky

basquille wrote:

Maybe if 'Serenity' is successful box-office wise in the States (certainly possible considering the hype surrounding it), another series might be on the cards!

I understand the amount of people looking to get into the advance screenings was around triple the amount for Star Wars Episode 3.

I love Firefly. Whedon does toughman characters well. The moment that hooked me was

the hostage bit where the captor is in the middle of sc reaming "Nobody move or I-" and Mal just walks up the ramp and shoots him in the head.

Karl Hungus

basquille wrote:

My girlfriend's father is a big Sci-Fi fan but always disliked Firefly - but loved Farscape! Watched a couple of episodes of Farscape actually - including the feature-length episode which included the wedding / baby storyline.. and was quite unimpressed, to be honest!

Figs right there my friend. If there's one show you simply must see in sequence, then it's Babylon 5, but if there's two shows, then Farscape is one of them. And the feature-length you speak of is simply nothing compared to the whole series. If you ever get a chance, watch Farscape from the start. Then it all clicks.

madrab

basquille wrote:

Hello all,

Just a quick question..

I'm not really into Sci-Fi - never really liked Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate etc. But i've heard nothing but good things about this show 'Firefly'.. would it be worth getting? (i.e might it change my mind regarding Sci-Fi)

Thanks in advance!

GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT GET IT

IT ROCKS IT ROCKS IT ROCKS IT ROCKS IT ROCKS IT ROCKS IT ROCKS IT ROCKS IT ROCKS IT ROCKS IT ROCKS IT ROCKS IT ROCKS IT ROCKS IT ROCKS IT ROCKS IT ROCKS IT ROCKS IT ROCKS IT ROCKS IT ROCKS IT ROCKS

ps i like it because it shiney

Basq

Have only watched the first 2 episodes - 'Serenity' and 'The Train Job' but fantastic stuff so far!

Cheers for the recommendation.. and also i noticed Adam Baldwin, who plays Jayne Cobb in it, is also a main cast member in 'The Inside' (Minear seems to use a lot of the same actors in shows he's associated with)

Planning to watch the rest of the season this week!

Mr E

Watched episode 1 last week (Serenity), and liked it alot. I thought the first half hour was slow and hard to get into, but after that I really liked it. I'll be watching the rest over the next couple of weeks, and will be up to speed well before the movie comes out here in October.

Daelus

basquille wrote:

Watched a couple of episodes of Farscape actually - including the feature-length episode which included the wedding / baby storyline..

:eek: I'm only just about to start season 2.. :mad:
Ah well. *goes into denial*

Glad you're liking 'Firefly', though. I hear a lot of people, who are not really into sci-fi, love the show.

Stark

basquille wrote:

Well ixoy.. you do know your stuff so i'll give it a go!!

My girlfriend's father is a big Sci-Fi fan but always disliked Firefly - but loved Farscape! Watched a couple of episodes of Farscape actually - including the feature-length episode which included the wedding / baby storyline.. and was quite unimpressed, to be honest!

But anyways.. will give Firefly a go. Shame the series is only 15 episodes long - doesn't seem like enough to really get into it! But then again, there's only been 7 episodes of the fantastic (but practically axed) 'The Inside' and i'm hooked on it!

PS - on a somewhat unrelated topic, about to watch the pilot for new US show 'Invasion' - could be quite promising!

Well "Farscape: The peacekeeper wars" sucked to be honest, badly written and badly acted as Liouville says. Farscape the series was like a great romance though. Took a while to get into it, but once you gave it a chance it was fantastic. I had a friend who hated every type of Sci-fi, but got totally hooked on Farscape. It said it represented the opposite of everything he hated about other sci-fi shows.

As for Firefly, yeah it's not really sci-fi at all. I was kind of disappointed myself, being a bit of a sci-fi nut, but really only the spaceship setting is sci-fi and even then the action is often set planet-side in Western type settings. It's only 15 episodes anyway, so you don't have much to lose by watching it

Basq

Stark wrote:

..It's only 15 episodes anyway, so you don't have much to lose by watching it

Already watched the entire season and loved it! Had a few poor episodes at the beginning of the season but by "Mrs. Mal Reynolds".. i was hooked!

Currently re-watching the season with the girlfriend.. who's also quite enjoying it!

Sidane

I'm nearly finished my first viewing of Firefly and am loving it. A couple of weak episodes (War Stories, The Message) but the rest are quality.

I might get flamed for this but if I had to describe Firefly in one sentence it would be:

"Han Solo the TV Series"

That says it all in my book. They've even got the striped pants!

Basq

Sidane wrote:

I'm nearly finished my first viewing of Firefly and am loving it. A couple of weak episodes (War Stories, The Message) but the rest are quality.

Blasphemy! :eek: Two fantastic episodes - i'd consider 'War Stories' fantastic just for

Mal and Wash's dialogue to each other while being tortured and the shootout at the end

and 'The Message' is phenomenal even just due to

the dialogue / music at the end during the funeral

and

Jayne's cunning new hat!

Weakest episode of the season in my opinion: 'Hearts Of Gold'

Sidane

basquille wrote:

Blasphemy! :eek: Two fantastic episodes - i'd consider 'War Stories' fantastic just for

Mal and Wash's dialogue to each other while being tortured and the shootout at the end

and 'The Message' is phenomenal even just due to

the dialogue / music at the end during the funeral

and

Jayne's cunning new hat!

Weakest episode of the season in my opinion: 'Hearts Of Gold'

Yeah that dialogue was good, but sorry the latter half of that episode was a let down. It just did nothing for me. The shootout just struck as being poorly shot/executed.

And the end of The Message was a bit too cliched for my liking.

All the others are top notch, and the really great episodes imo are - Serenity, Shindig, Our Mrs Reynolds, Ariel and Out of Gas.

Still have a couple more to watch as well.....

bp

as someone who was made watched the first episode......i loved it! after the 1st one i was begging to see the rest! brilliant! there were too few.....now i have to wait to see the movie :-( i even had a ticket and couldnt go :-( :-(

ganeagla

yeah - i really wish they wouldn't even call Firefly Sci - Fi (I know, I suppose they have to, but...) Because I was exactly the same - I was put off cuz I don't like Sci Fi or Westerns.

ITS NOT SCI FI OR WESTERN. Okay, it IS in a way, but that isn't ALL it is, you know? It is just a fantastic show and I don't really think about the scifi element, because it isn't really about the scifi - This show is just about action and people and fun and relationships.

Never met anyone who didn't love it. JUST TRY IT. you got nothing to lose.

turbot

After hearing about it from a trusted source with good taste who gave Firefly a very strong reccomendation, I got the DVDs myself and thought they were great; really brilliant.

So I say go for it. The show is just as much a drama as it is a sci fi show, and leagues more original than Star Trek or similar.

The characters are engaging and interesting.

mcgovern

I just finished watching it about a week ago, while it did leave me wanting more, I would have been pretty disappointed if I hadn't got it cheap off the net.
It always seems to be missing something for me.
Also, some more Sci-Fi wouldnt have gone amiss!

mell61

eeemmmm....
didn't you say at the start that you weren't really into Sci-Fi?? And now there wasn't enough for you in Firefly....
tickling my funny bone anyway!

mcgovern

mell61 wrote:

eeemmmm....
didn't you say at the start that you weren't really into Sci-Fi?? And now there wasn't enough for you in Firefly....
tickling my funny bone anyway!

If you are talking to me, then no, I never said I wasnt into Sci-Fi