When I first started exploring this project, there were a few shows that I knew were going to be important to hit. This is the first of those. Firefly was Joss Whedon's sci-fi western series. The show mustered disappointing ratings in its short eleven-episode run on FOX.
Since then it's gone on to near mythic cult status. There was such an outcry of support from its loyalists, the Browncoats, over its cancellation that the producers made a feature film sequel. That movie, Serenity, answered a lot of questions about the future fate of the cast. Unfortunately, like the television series, it couldn't find quite enough people to show up and tune in to warrant a sequel. Nevertheless, the few morsels of Firefly we did get are enough to prove that this is one of the most innovative and enjoyable series ever to hit the airwaves.
What was it?
[Spoilers Ahead!] Firefly was an ambitious seven-year saga developed by Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel, Dollhouse). A hybrid of classic western and modern sci-fi, the stories mainly took place on the fringes of civilized society. The crew of the titular firefly-class ship Serenity tried to avoid both the organized government Alliance, as well as the ne'er-do-wells in the black, like the cannibalistic, savage Reavers.
As much as the show was about character, so much about each character was a mystery. Mal Reynolds was captain. His second-in-command, Zoe, was on the losing side of the war with him. Now, they run cargo and smuggled goods to make enough to keep flying.Others on the ship included pilot Wash, mechanic Kaylee, hard-headed Jayne, and Companion (high-class prostitute) Inara. They took aboard Book, a Shephard with secrets of his own, and Simon, a doctor on the run traveling with his sister River. Her condition was the deepest mystery of the series, largely revealed in the follow-up film Serenity.
Why did it have to go?
The easy answer is to say that it just didn't have the ratings, averaging less than five million viewers. FOX aired eleven of the fourteen episodes in random order. Actually, it was the network making arbitrary decisions as to which episodes they felt would better play to the audience, completely ignoring the narrative Whedon was weaving about his world throughout. The pilot, that best introduced the characters and their environment, was the last episode FOX aired.
It's a tendency they repeated on Whedon's current series, Dollhouse. However, unlike Firefly, FOX has actually given a second season to Dollhouse and promised to butt out and let the series develop as Whedon intends. If only they'd had this kind of patience and foresight when they had Firefly on their network, we might be celebrating the culminaton of Whedon's seven-year plan last season, instead of reminiscing about a show gone too soon.
How do I find out what happens next?
The most obvious place to look is in the sequel film, Serenity. That jumps us to a future point in the timeline where Inara and Book have left the ship. The film delved into the River storyline, while also featuring the deaths of two of the core characters.There have been a few Serenity comics. These take place before the feature film, keeping the cast in intact. The plan is to continue with a mini-series further exploring this reality, but Whedon has indicated he doesn't think a comic series official continuation would work for Firefly as it has for both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. I disagree, though, as we'd barely scratched the surface of this rich world he'd created.
Where did the cast wind up?
- Nathan Fillion (Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds) led future GTS contender Drive for FOX, before landing a more successful recurring role on Desperate Housewives. He's currently the star of ABC's Castle.
- Gina Torres (Zoe Alleyne Washburne) had recurring roles on Angel and 24, before getting another regular post on the short-lived Standoff.
- Summer Glau (River Tam) went on to The Unit and The 4400 before landing the role of Cameron in GTS Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. She is set to rejoin Joss Whedon in the upcoming season of Dollhouse.
- Adam Baldwin (Jayne Cobb) had recurring spots on Angel, The Inside and Day Break, before nabbing the longest role of his career as John Casey on NBC's Chuck.
- Alan Tudyk (Hoban "Wash" Washburne) was notably seen as the pivotal character Alpha in Whedon's Dollhouse. There's no way we've seen the last of him.
- Ron Glass (Shepherd Derrial Book) has slowed his career down in recent years, though he still does occasional guest work.
- Morena Baccarin (Inara Serra) has had recurring roles in tons of series over the years. She's now landed a lead role as Anna, leader of the Visitors, on the forthcoming remake of V.
- Jewel Staite (Kaywinnit Lee "Kaylee" Frye) went on to a role on Wonderfalls, before securing a regular gig on Stargate Atlantis. She is set to star in the film spin-off of that.
- Sean Maher (Dr. Simon Tam) is doing the guest role circuit on shows like Ghost Whisperer and Drop Dead Diva, as well as small appearances in several films.
Who cares?
So many people still care about Firefly/Serenity. Officially dubbed "Browncoats," it was the fans' faith and loyalty that lead to the movie in the first place. They keep the faith alive, along with much of the cast and crew, that a future film installment might still see the light of day.Firefly ranks continuously on lists of best sci-fi shows, cult shows and short-lived shows of all time. It was even retooled for HD so that it could air on Universal HD, as well as get treated to a Blu-Ray release. In March 2009, Firefly was awarded top honors in the "Shows We'd Bring Back" category for the first annual Hulu awards, proving that the faithful are still strong.
When can I see it?
I'll do you a solid and give you the real first episode right here. Then jump over to AOL's SlashControl to check out the rest.
[via IMDb, Wikipedia, Browncoats.com and more!]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-14-2009 @ 11:48AM
Galley said...
Best Sci-Fi TV Show ever!
Reply
9-14-2009 @ 12:27PM
Claire said...
In a totally crazy random happenstance, I just watched the first three episodes with a large mix of seasoned Browncoats and a few new converts last night.
It really is some of Joss's best work. There is some much that could have been explored in the 'verse.
Reply
9-14-2009 @ 12:36PM
Aston said...
Why bother with Gone too Soon?
It wasn't. It was given 11 episodes, small group watched. Fan outcry got a movie made, again few watched. It had a marginal fan base, very vocal, but marginal.
I love Sci-Fi, but this wasn't. This was trying to get westerns back on TV. Since it didn't work, for the much better Briscoe County jr. it wasn't going to work with firefly.
Enough already.
Reply
9-14-2009 @ 12:49PM
Gill said...
That post is dripping with so much ignorance we need a mop.
9-14-2009 @ 12:55PM
AMP said...
Not so fast, there. Firefly wasn't just a cult show that not enough people watched, Aston. It was a show that was plagued by Fox execs meddling with the order of broadcasts (this crashing the narrative). These problems were compounded by the randomness of its schedule. Take a long-format plot and character development arc, meant to go throughout the season and series, and the best parts of the show aren't suddenly it's greatest weakness.
I couldn't get into it myself until I borrowed the DVD set from a friend and watched them straight through. Suddenly, things made more sense, the characterization worked better, and the quality of the series became immediately apparent. It's a series that was killed, not one that simply didn't find its evolutionary niche.
9-14-2009 @ 1:14PM
kef said...
Dude, Alan Tudyk was in iRobot and Dodgeball an the only thing you mention is Dollhouse?
Reply
9-14-2009 @ 2:30PM
Jason Hughes said...
Sorry, it's always tough to think about what to spotlight in career highlights after the show. I try to stick to TV if I can, and thought the connection to Whedon's newest project might be the most relevant. But, now that you've brought up here, everyone knows! :)
9-14-2009 @ 2:42PM
Anita said...
Also, Gina Torres will guest on Gossip Girl this season, I believe I read that on TVS -
Reply
9-14-2009 @ 2:44PM
beergas said...
"completely ignoring the narrative" So true! Great series with
really well developed character stream. Got to care for the
players in a way that didn't happen for me with glossies like
TV Terminator or Chuck. Heck I care more about Robin Hood amid his bozos.
Thanks for the TV oriented follow ups on careers. And V back again. That'll be worth a peak depending on what it's
up against tho prob be repeated.
Reply
9-14-2009 @ 2:45PM
Karen said...
Please, please, Oh TV Gods: let some brave TV executive take the lesson of Star Trek to heart, and get this show back on the air before the original writers and cast are too scattered, too fat, or too dead to pick up the thread again.
Reply
9-14-2009 @ 3:00PM
greatone said...
I didn't understand the hype until I watched the 13 eposides on Hulu a couple months ago. Now Firefly is one of my favorite shows and I am disappointed that the series ended with only 1 seasons.
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.
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9-14-2009 @ 3:33PM
R-Bro said...
I'll admit I didn't watch the show when it aired, but I now own the series on DVD and count it among my all-time favorites. Stupid Fox.
Reply
9-14-2009 @ 3:36PM
Usama said...
I LOVE THIS SHOW. Those nights when I come home from school dead tired, I lay in bed with my iPod Touch and watch an episode.
But, Jason, I wish I never had learned Whedon had a 7-year plan. I don't know how I didn't know that, I thought I knew everything about the show, but having learned that is so depressing. To think, I could have enjoyed so many years with that show. So sad.
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9-14-2009 @ 7:42PM
Aston said...
Yes, Fox ran them out of order, because they didn't believe there was an audience for it. There have been lots of shows screwed up by Fox and others by running them out of order..
According to Box Office Mojo the budget for Serenity was $39 million. Worldwide Gross $38,869 - That is a movie based upon a cult show.
Reply
9-14-2009 @ 9:00PM
Page 48 said...
Um, Gina Torres was in a little show called "Alias". You remember "Alias", the show that JJ Abrams found too hard to follow and subsequently threw under the bus in his effort to hype the much inferior "Fringe"?
9-15-2009 @ 11:49AM
Gina said...
I never saw the show but loved the movie.
Reply
9-21-2009 @ 8:48AM
ylostone said...
I really wished they would have carried this further.
http://filedby.com/author/m_l_lacy/
Reply
10-21-2009 @ 9:32PM
Simon Chan said...
Hello from Sunny Singapore. Heard of the show only last year and so went looking for the DVD since then. Finally found it last week so I viewed it. And man was it awesome!!! Shiny is the word. All the 9 characters are so real to me especially mei mei River whom I totally fell in love with. Please keep Firefly flying. Xie xie. And good riddance to those rutting gorramn execs who killed the series.....
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