Firefly quenches sci-fi thirst
"Take my love, take my land, Take me where I cannot stand. I
don't care, I'm still free. You can't take the sky from me. Take
me out to the black, Tell them I ain't comin' back. Burn the
land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me. There's
no place I can be Since I found Serenity, But you can't take the
sky from me..."
Those words, from the theme song of Firefly, perfectly
capture the spirit of the television show, from the creator of
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, Joss Whedon.
Captain Malcolm Reynolds and his daring crew aboard the
spaceship Serenity forge their livings in a vast and
lawless frontier, reminiscent of the Wild West. The show
actually embraces the Wild West theme, featuring six-shooters,
horses, cowboys, and twangy music. From a sci fi show, that
might seem odd, but it makes sense. If you're struggling to
survive in distant space, would you rather have expensive,
state-of-the-art equipment that could break and then require
scarce parts, or cheap and proven technology that's easily
replaceable?
Even considering the logic of the Wild West theme, it would
shift from novelty to annoyance quickly in a normal show.
Thankfully, Firefly is not a normal show. I say, without
exaggeration, it is one of the best science fiction programs of
all-time.
As you might have inferred from the program's desperate Wild
West theme, the crew of the Serenity aren't virtuous and
heroic explorers spreading enlightened values, a la Star
Trek. They're real people facing serious problems that don't
always wrap up neatly with a bow on top by episode's end. As
they smuggle, help, thieve, and sneak their way across the far
reaches of an oppressive empire, each of the unique characters
demonstrates the best and worst of humanity. We flawed yet
decent humans can sympathize and emphasize with these
characters: The irascibly ethical Captain Reynolds. The tough
and sensitive Jayne. The perky, plump, sexy, and intelligent
engineer, 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 the
modern Battlestar Galactica. Even when things go to hell,
and the baser instincts of people emerge, the courage, hope, and
humor 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 smile
and laugh. To some people, that might seem like a dichotomy that
could only lead to disjointed installments. But Whedon makes the
juxtaposition work.
Further adding to the appeal of Firefly is its defiance
of genre. Certainly, as a show with a spaceship in the future as
its primary setting, Firefly is a science fiction
program. Yet weird aliens, peculiar anomalies, and complicated
technobabble don't drive its plots. Anyone who likes drama,
comedy, and action could enjoy Firefly.
Unfortunately, Firefly only ran half a season in Fall
2002 before Fox canceled it, after bungling it throughout its
whole time on the air. For example, Fox aired the first episode,
explaining the premise of the show, last! Luckily for us, we can
still watch Firefly as its creators intended on
DVD. It's 14 episodes of sci fi/action/drama/comedy goodness.
Additionally, Universal Pictures has picked up the
Firefly ball from where Fox dropped it, and they're using
it in a grander game than Fox ever considered. On September
30, the rough-and-tumble crew will fly across the silver
screen in the motion picture Serenity. Now that Star
Wars has become one with the Force, and Star Trek has
stopped boldly going, the adventures of the Firefly-class
Serenity can satisfy our craving for space adventure.
And then some!