Firefly quenches sci-fi thirst
"Take my love, take my land, Take me where I cannot stand. Idon't care, I'm still free. You can't take the sky from me. Takeme out to the black, Tell them I ain't comin' back. Burn theland and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me. There'sno place I can be Since I found Serenity, But you can't take thesky from me..."
Those words, from the theme song of Firefly, perfectlycapture the spirit of the television show, from the creator ofBuffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, Joss Whedon.Captain Malcolm Reynolds and his daring crew aboard thespaceship Serenity forge their livings in a vast andlawless frontier, reminiscent of the Wild West. The showactually embraces the Wild West theme, featuring six-shooters,horses, cowboys, and twangy music. From a sci fi show, thatmight seem odd, but it makes sense. If you're struggling tosurvive in distant space, would you rather have expensive,state-of-the-art equipment that could break and then requirescarce parts, or cheap and proven technology that's easilyreplaceable?
Even considering the logic of the Wild West theme, it wouldshift from novelty to annoyance quickly in a normal show.Thankfully, Firefly is not a normal show. I say, withoutexaggeration, it is one of the best science fiction programs ofall-time.
As you might have inferred from the program's desperate WildWest theme, the crew of the Serenity aren't virtuous andheroic explorers spreading enlightened values, a la StarTrek. They're real people facing serious problems that don'talways wrap up neatly with a bow on top by episode's end. Asthey smuggle, help, thieve, and sneak their way across the farreaches of an oppressive empire, each of the unique charactersdemonstrates the best and worst of humanity. We flawed yetdecent humans can sympathize and emphasize with thesecharacters: The irascibly ethical Captain Reynolds. The toughand sensitive Jayne. The perky, plump, sexy, and intelligentengineer, Kaylee. The super-talented but super-unstable River.The moral though practical preacher, Book. The scrupled whore,Inara. Etc.
In that regard, Firefly distinguishes itself from themodern Battlestar Galactica. Even when things go to hell,and the baser instincts of people emerge, the courage, hope, andhumor that are also hallmarks of our species burst into view.Light triumphs over dark, not always cleanly, but eventually.The same episodes that make us gasp and cry also make us smileand laugh. To some people, that might seem like a dichotomy thatcould only lead to disjointed installments. But Whedon makes thejuxtaposition work.
Further adding to the appeal of Firefly is its defianceof genre. Certainly, as a show with a spaceship in the future asits primary setting, Firefly is a science fictionprogram. Yet weird aliens, peculiar anomalies, and complicatedtechnobabble don't drive its plots. Anyone who likes drama,comedy, and action could enjoy Firefly.
Unfortunately, Firefly only ran half a season in Fall2002 before Fox canceled it, after bungling it throughout itswhole time on the air. For example, Fox aired the first episode,explaining the premise of the show, last! Luckily for us, we canstill watch Firefly as its creators intended
Additionally, Universal Pictures has picked up theFirefly ball from where Fox dropped it, and they're usingit in a grander game than Fox ever considered. On September30, the rough-and-tumble crew will fly across the silverscreen in the motion picture Serenity. Now that StarWars has become one with the Force, and Star Trek hasstopped boldly going, the adventures of the Firefly-classSerenity can satisfy our craving for space adventure.
And then some
About the Author:The author, Jason Vines, maintains Hypersyllogistic, afreewheeling personal website, athttp://www.hypersyllogistic.com. Hypersyllogistic enshrinesindependent thought and respectful discussion.This article is © Jason Vines. All usage of this article mustinclude a citation to the author and a link to Hypersyllogistic.
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