Fred/Illyria compared to River Tam

  • Thread starter Thread starter Allycat
  • Start date Start date
A

Allycat

Guest
I've been watchign Firefly lately. Actually, all eps in the last two days. (Gotta say, it was quite good; you were right Faldor 😉 ) Anyhow, I just wanted to remark how similar the characters of Fred, Illyria, and River Tam seemed. Of course, it could just be me, but she just reminded me of Fred intially, but Illyria too. Even if you look at River's piece of the opening credits with her hiding away almost, that looks an aweful lot like Fred's piece in the s3 opening credits. (Except Fred has glasses.) Fred apart from this is a quite different character, albeit that she's shy, but then she suddenly undergoes this metamorphosis into this extremly powerful being, with a very strange way of behaving... like River.

So, what are your thoughts on this?

Is this just freaky coincidence? Do you think that there's any similarities at all? Could Joss possibly have been trying to adapt aspects of River's story onto the Illyria character?
 
I only half agree with you. It's true that they do start off quite similar, both slightly crazy and unpredictable but sweet at the same time.

But the 'metamorphosis into this extremly powerful being' is very different for the two. River's was always there, it just gradually becomes more clear as the series progresses (and still we don't see much, cue Serenity). Whereas Fred's transformation into Illyria is very sudden, and Illyria is actually a completely different being.

There are similarities, and it is possible that Joss tried to bring in some River to Illyria, in a similar way to bringing in Nathan, Gina and Adam. He loved the show, and wasn't about to let it all go to waste.
 
Perhaps, though I think using the cast on B/A is somewhat different. That has nothing to do with the love for the original story.

But I agree there's a difference in the the way strength is portrayed in Fred/Illyria and River.
 
I've seen the movie so I don't want to spoil anything. The River you saw during the final episode of Firefly--increasingly confident and assured as she planned against the bounty hunter Jubal Early--hinted at the part of her personal journey she had yet to take.
 
Doyle said:
I've seen the movie so I don't want to spoil anything. The River you saw during the final episode of Firefly--increasingly confident and assured as she planned against the bounty hunter Jubal Early--hinted at the part of her personal journey she had yet to take.
Click to expand...

That is good to hear 🙂 River became my favorite with the uttering of my favorite quote: "My food is problematic"---awesome 🙂

She totally reminds me of the way Fred started. Fred was so meek and frightened and so was River, but as was mentioned before--River's stregnth had been with her but was taken away from her. It was forcibly pulled from her through experiments just as it was pulled from Fred through the trauma of Pylea.

I think it will be in River's journey in Serenity that the differences between the two will become apparent. But, up until then, their stories are a bit similar.
 
I get the feeling Joss has a fascination with that type. The apparently damaged, weakling female who ends up more powerful than anyone.

The underdog scrapper is usually more interesting as a protagonist.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom