Joss Whedon is without a doubt my favorite TV/filmmaker. It all started with the Buffy DVDs, on to Angel, Firefly/Serenity etc… Unfortunately I never had the opportunity to review those great series, which is why I’ve decided to re-watch Firefly and review it here. I usually review an entire season, but Firefly is so special that I’ve decided to review each episode. Another reason I’m re-watching it is that I can now watch it in HD on my HDTV. And it looks great.
SPOILERS WARNING!!
The pilot is a 90 minutes episode that does a great job at introducing the 9 main characters and this new sci-fi world. That’s not an easy thing to do, considering that Whedon really created a detailed new world with its own history and rules.
We start with the battle of Serenity, where we’re introduced to Mal and Zoe just at the moment of their defeat. That’s what defines these characters, especially Mal. They lost the war, and now they live in a world they don’t agree with. Which is why they tend to stay away from the central planets where the government is more in control.
Flash forward to the present (6 years later) where we see Mal, Zoe and Jayne are stealing goods from an abandoned ship in space. Here see one of the first defining styles of the series, in space there is no sound. It’s all quiet. If we see a spaceship power on, we don’t hear a “swish” sound. But we do see the special effects and usually just a guitar stringing, which is another clear stylistic choice: the western theme.
Yes, this is a space-western series, something I’d only seen in anime before (Cowboy Bebop in particular). While they might travel from planet to planet via spaceships, certain planets feel like you’re living in the wild west, with horses and guns. That’s in contrast with the central planets, where everything is clean and people are rich.
The other characters of the series are Wash, the comedic character, Kaylee the heart of the crew (she’s sweet and a genius in the engine room), and Inara, a companion. That’s a controversial aspect of this series, since companions are legitimate prostitutes who are at the top of the society totem, and they get to choose their clients, not viceversa. That being said, there are still many who consider them simply whores.
During the episode we also meet new characters: Sheperd Book, Dobson and Simon Tam. Dobson and Simon are obviously meant to look the opposite of what they are: Dobson seems an innocent-looking man (even dumb), but he turns out to be a “villain”, while Simon looks like some evil rich guy who’s hiding something. That something turns out to be his sister River, a mystery throughout the series.
When Dobson shoots Kaylee it’s clear that everybody is worried about her, she really is the heart of the group. Even if Simon threatened to let her die, he obviously wouldn’t have done it. That was a really dramatic scene, seeing innocent Kaylee hurt. Which makes the joke Mal made on Simon even funnier. Whedon really does know how to balance drama and comedy. Speaking of which, there are just so many funny lines throughout the series, and they are delivered perfectly by all characters. All of them.
Another “villain” introduced are the Reavers (very similar to River, mmhhh…). I think they is the perfect way to introduce some terrifying “monsters”: let the characters talk about how horrible they are, and show how much they’re afraid of them. Then do not show them at all. Plus create some great tense soundtrack to go with them. That’s the perfect recipe for great villains.
The cultural aspect of this world is another interesting part for me. The Alliance is presumably between US and China, hence the many chinese references. But the most amusing Chinese influence are the swear words. Often the characters swear in Chinese, so that they don’t have to be censored on TV. However, those swear words are not typical Chinese swear words, they are the literal translation of american words. Sometimes even the american words are just ridiculous (“explosive diarrhea of an elephant”). Add to that the fact that I can hardly understand the actor’s pronounciation, and I laugh everytime they say something in Chinese. Other than swear words, there are also other words they use in everyday phrases, like “meimei” (sister), or “dongma?” (“understand?”). Since I can understand them, I feel even more special, among the special Firefly fans. There are also other swear words, in English but invented by Whedon, like gorram.
There’s just so much to talk about, but I’ll try to do it as it comes up in each episode. After I watched this pilot the first time, I was instantly hooked. This series had sci-fi/western action, drama, humor, great characters, and plenty of mysteries. What else do you need in a series?
Rating: 4 Stars