Mon Mar 28, 2011
I recently finished watching the complete Firefly series on Netflix. That sounds like a lot of TV watching, but it only ran for 14 episodes before it got cancelled due to low ratings. Most geeks agree, however, that this show was a little gem, was poorly marketed by Fox, and should never have died so early. After watching it, I would have to agree.
I guess this show falls into the space-western genre, and with plenty of horses, bandits, prostitutes, and bounty hunters, I’d say it falls more into the “western” part of the spectrum. The CGI is a bit dated, but not bad for 2002. What really drives the show are the terrific characters, with particularly strong female leads, and wonderful camaraderie among the crew.
With a liberal sprinkling of romance thrown in, I can see why both genders enjoy this show immensely. The creator, Joss Whedon, played with several sub genres throughout the too-short series, with suspense, horror, adventure, and comedy providing a different mood for any given episode.
On the negative side, I’d have to say that the acting and the overall story arc is not as good as the crazy-good Battlestar Gallactica - but it would be hard for any Sci-Fi to come close. Given a chance, this show could have blossomed in its maturity. Too bad it was axed in its infancy. I will definitely be watching the follow-up movie, Serenity, which the fans basically demanded into being. A lot of questions were left unanswered, so I’m looking forward to some closure. Recently there was some talk of resurrecting the show independently and putting it out on the internet. Probably not going to happen, but there’s always hope.