Firefly (Re)watch & Discuss: 1.01 Serenity

[Athena]

I guess I kind of get it, I mean I love this episode but I do remember that the first time I saw it I thought it was rather dull and put off continuing the show for a while after. Maybe it's an acquired taste?

I guess it's hard to judge it knowing that the rest of the series is so good....

 

[Hunga Munga]

I do love Firefly . It was love at first sight , think I saw a few episodes on Sci-Fi Channel ? Something like that anyway . The DVD boxset was the first thing I ever bought online.

I ve watched it many many times . My exs kids had my copy for a very long time , it became something of a family tradition watching it before bed . After they grew out of DVDs and graduated to streaming I eventually got it back . I bunged it in today through the upscaler .

I do love the writing , the dialogue especially , but even the visual direction is pretty damn elegant in my opinion . I always love how Whedon plays with language .

The spacewalk scene at the beginning looks a bit naff to me , Wash clearly isn't driving the spaceship in another scene Aside from that I totally bought into the Firefly 'verse . Whedon get's a bit filmic and tricksy with his direction of a few scenes with Inara . I don't think this ponderous style suits his TV work at all . I prefer it when he plows his own furrow with the camera . I didn't appreciate Restless much either because it felt like he was making other directors shots .

That is just about all the criticism I can muster . All that's left is gushing fanworship

 

[Last Watcher]

When I look back, I almost didn't watch this show. Other people on the Buffy Board I posted on at the time were raving about this new show that Joss was running, but when I read the reviews the words 'Space Western' stood out & I thought I wouldn't like it.....Then I heard it had been cancelled so I just ignored it.
When the DVD's came out they were being sold quite cheap so I bought them on a whim......then came the next problem.....
The missus saw that two of the main characters were played by the actors responsible for Caleb & Jasmine (two characters she absolutely hated) so she refused to watch it....I put it to one side intending to watch it on my own.....some time.....
Then the movie came out & everyone was raving about it again......somehow (can't remember how exactly) I persuaded her to go see it.......she sat through the whole movie without saying a word.......as we walked out of the cinema I tentatively asked...."well what did you think?"
Her reply was "Brilliant!!!" & she gushed about it all the way home in the car asking "So is the series all like that?"
As soon as we got home the first disc went in & we binge watched the whole series in one sitting........(probably the only good thing about it only being a short series)

 

[Mr Trick]

This is a very strong opening episode. That opening battle was breathtaking. It does a good job of establishing the show as something different from other Whedon shows, while still having that unique Whedon humour and style. The cast work well as a ensemble too. Still not sold on the theme mind.

 

[Mylie]

Just finished watching the pilot for the first time ever!

I enjoyed it and thought it did a good job at introducing the universe and the characters. I'm definitely intrigued.

I thought it was visually impressive, especially when compared to btvs/ats.

I ended up laughing a couple of times... Jayne being the public relations person, Mal making the doctor believe that Kaylee was dead and a few more times too.

So far I'm enjoying Jayne the most but it might be because the actor played my favorite character on Chuck, I also find him funny and I'm intrigued by his relationship with Mal. Kaylee seems like such a sweetheart. I have a feeling she's going to be a favorite!

 

[Mr Trick]

Just finished watching the pilot for the first time ever!

I enjoyed it and thought it did a good job at introducing the universe and the characters. I'm definitely intrigued.

I thought it was visually impressive, especially when compared to btvs/ats.

I ended up laughing a couple of times... Jayne being the public relations person, Mal making the doctor believe that Kaylee was dead and a few more times too.

So far I'm enjoying Jayne the most but it might be because the actor played my favorite character on Chuck, I also find him funny and I'm intrigued by his relationship with Mal. Kaylee seems like such a sweetheart. I have a feeling she's going to be a favorite!

They probably had more money than those shows though. Also its a different sort of show. I think Buffy would have lost a lot of its charm if it went too effects heavy, probably Angel too.

Baldwin can only play macho arses and he does it very well He's a good in-between character who I look forward seeing how he develops. Kaylee does strike me as the Fred of this show. Lovely cute and charming, but with hidden depths.

 

[Geobubbles]

I love how the majority of cast is made up of the "evil" characters from the other shows Whedon has done

 

[Mylie]

They probably had more money than those shows though. Also its a different sort of show. I think Buffy would have lost a lot of its charm if it went too effects heavy, probably Angel too.

Yeah, this is probably true. I just didn't expect this kind of quality so it surprised me.

 

[Fuffy Baith]

So I watched this last night, finally. lol. I've seen this show twice through, was not impressed either times. But this is a good episode. I didn't remember any of the opening battle scene. Mal seemed a lot more upbeat back then, so that was a nice contrast to how he is now and how he treats Sheperd Book.
I really liked the crews interactions with each other and how they all work together. I think Mal is a little too drunk with Captain power at times.
Kaylee is great. I love her kissing Mal on the cheek, it was cute. I like Kaylee and Simon! I like the scene when Mal tells Jayne to stop talking about Kaylee at the dinner table. They have a big brother/little sister dynamic that I like.

I really like Inara. I think it's cool that companions are seen as respectable and that it's not just about the sex but the encounter as whole. She gives them tea and listens to them talk. I don't like Mal calling her a whore. I do like her friendship with Kaylee.
I also really like Book. When we meet him, people keep saying "grandpa" and I like that he says he was never married. lol.. I also really like his scene at the end with Inara. Questioning himself and his faith and his sense of what's right and wrong.

Other little things.
I'm used to seeing Mark Sheppard as Crowley on Supernatural, and he's so young looking here!
I like the threat of the reavers. We never see them, but the crew are genuinely terrified of them. It's a nice piece of world building.
I didn't really care about the buildup of Patience. I recognize the actress, I don't know what from. But this is where the show loses me, with the Western themes. I'm just not a fan of westerns.

 

[Mr Trick]

I didn't remember the opening battle scene either last time. I was watching them on UK Netflix before so maybe they showed them in the original network order or maybe the version I saw before was shortened for some reason?

 

[Mr Trick]

Having re-watched this pilot the other day I like it even more. My one small complaint is actually that some of the effects have dated (though were probably good for the era). The direction of that opening battle scene is very good, but the effects have a fake look to it. Some of the space scenes are off too. But besides that its excellent. I was into the characters and the story, and the humour and darkness were really impressive. I like how much of an anti-hero Mel is.

 

[Mr Trick]

Another thing I thought about the pilot is that I think Kaylee getting shot might have been Joss's way of playing with the audience considering Jesse got killed in the the Buffy pilot and his history of killing off big characters.

 

[Octavia]

Joining in now... only a couple years late haha.

Mals face when his angels leave him is heartbreaking

Spoiler

So is seeing Wash...

I forgot how visually appealing this show is. I love the colour scheme and the costuming. Some shows seem to forget the art extends beyond scripts and acting. The camera work speaks volumes alone. I don't know if this quality could have kept up for more seasons. It sometimes feels like Joss has to dull down his brilliance for the masses.

Fresh food is a luxury where I am too, that part of it is a realistic portrayal of the future in my opinion. Jaynes on to it haha. Mal does well to keep the peace, setting the boundaries of respect. I don't think this bath scene was necessary - although I might not complain if it was Simon doing it. The mystery of Mal - what a complex character!

I love this bit with Simon introducing his life. I don't think I have watched this since being medfree. Now I can see why their relationship is so relatable.

"Pain is scary" one of my all time fave lines. Jayne gets some crackers.

Good interaction "lost in the woods.. he likes it that way" "No, the woods are the only place I can see a clear path". I'd love to discuss that line further!

Exciting ending, I wish we got to see more of them on horseback

Shepards struggles are also relatable - beautiful scene with Inara, reversed roles, mutual comfort.