Firefly on DVD - Half-Life of a SciFi TV Series

To help explain the concept of the Science Fiction TV show he was pitching to them, Gene Roddenberry once famously described his Star Trek proposal to befuddled television executives as "Wagon Train to the Stars." If it was a metaphor on Star Trek, Joss Whedon took it entirely seriously with "Firefly" which freely mingles Western and Science Fiction themes to try and arrive at certain common denominators.

Science Fiction like few other genres on TV also seem to give birth to hopeless lost causes and desperate efforts to save dying shunned by viewers television show. The original Star Trek was certainly the most famous example of them all and Firefly's battle for survival, brief flare of resurrection in the form of a motion picture, followed by the nothingness of the abyss, has its own mythos as well.

At one angle Firefly appears to be part of the larger Western genre of "Sympathy for the Confederacy." With a good deal of Western outlaws, including the Jesse James gang, originating from former Confederate soldiers or militia, a sizable part of the narrative of the West was that the losers of the Civil War had to continue on out West, while the winning Union forces consolidated a strong central government.

The essential universe of Firefly and Serenity follows a similar pattern. Outlying rural and backward frontier planets serve as the home for the remnants of the Browncoats who have been defeated by the Alliance, dedicated to an absolute Federalization and centralization of government for all planets. Uncomplicated by the racial issues that rendered the American Civil War more than just a struggle over state's rights or an agrarian versus an industrial mechanized society that Confederacy apologists often make it out to be, Firefly takes place is this cruder rougher universe.

A distinctive feature of Firefly was meant to be the influence of a rising Chinese culture and while Chinese curses and obscenities often figure in Firefly episodes and the ships hosts a concubine like Companion, Asian characters are not often seen and play little to no role in the overall series, raising questions about the meaningfulness of the intended Chinese cultural influence.

Ranging from the brilliant to the distinctly weak, Firefly as a TV series ricocheted between uneven extremes. At its best it offered up a refreshing look at outer space and adventure among the stars. At its weakest it churned out predictable and painfully mediocre stories. Further damaged by network tampering that displaced the original series pilot over to the middle of the show (another overlap with Star Trek, whose own original rejected network pilot was reaired wrapped around the modern crew story) and a new pilot, Firefly ran for only fourteen episodes, of those only eleven aired on broadcast TV.

The DVD however covers all fourteen and the entire run of the series.

Serenity

While not the first episode aired, Serenity was the first episode intended to be aired. Introducing the characters, the existing crew of the Serenity and the arrival of River and her brother, Simon, as well as Shepherd Book, who would go on to play pivotal roles in the series.

Simon and River are on the run from the Alliance, which had been experimenting on River, and one of the passengers on board is Dobson, in the service of the Alliance. This begins Mal's uncomfortable relationship with Simon, who is at once useful as a doctor and yet a severe threat bringing with him large amounts of Alliance pursuit. Still tied to his old Browncoat ideals Mal feels an inward obligation to protect Simon and River as his crew, even as he treats them contemptously and regularly lashes out at them.

In some ways you can understand why FOX wanted another pilot as Serenity is a good vehicle for introducing the characters, but weak insofar as storytelling and drama goes. It's a necesarry prelude, but like a lot of introductions, it is not very entertaining to sit through.

The Train Job

The Train Job is Firefly's second pilot. Smoother and much more fun, The Train Job introduces stronger characters, a tense plot and a more complicated view of the Alliance as well as the moral dubiousness of some of the things the Firefly crew does. If Serenity smacked more of Lonesome Dove or Deadwood, The Train Job is strictly Magnum P.I. or Bonanza.

Bushwhacked

Bushwhacked gives us another look at the Reavers, Firefly's best invention and enemy up until Serenity The Motion picture completely demystified them. Unfortunately Bushwhacked focuses less on the Reavers themselves, then on the rather cliched premise of the last survivor of their rampage driven mad and going on a rampage himself. The Alliance personnel thrown into the mix make more for a comic effect in the interviews.

Shindig

Touching, if not particularly original, Shindig takes us to a point between jobs as Mal tries to scare up work, only to try and scare off Inara's client instead. The incident spirals into a duel and Mal and Inara sniping at each other. The end result isn't surprising but it is entertaining. Kaylee's subplot is both cute and touching and as she lies on her cot remembering the party, it's a memorable moment for the viewer as well.

Safe

Safe focuses primarily on River and Simon stranded on a rural world among superstitious backwoods kidnappers. Meanwhile the wounded Shepherd is revealed to have had a role with the Alliance in a past life. The episode is strongest when focusing on the consuming devotion Simon has for River and weakest when showing us Mal's preference for saving Shepherd over River and Simon. Since both sets of passengers came on board at the same time, it's unclear why Mal is so devoted to Shepherd, who has no useful purpose. Memorable scenes include the final rescue and Simon and River as children recreating the civil war.

Our Mrs. Reynolds

Despite the somewhat sexist nature of the episode (surprising from Joss Whedon who has become the go-to guy for feminist action heroes) Our Mrs. Reynolds is one of Firefly's most enjoyable episodes. In part it may be Christian Hendricks stand out performance and direction that nails every gag and scene, or almost every scene. But like the rest of Firefly at its best, it's an episode that has fun with its environment, ricochets from planetside to the stars and is unapologetically cheesy all the while.

Jaynestown

The problem with Jaynestown is that its basic gag, the Jayne song and hero worship, wears thin fast. Jayne is a character who's hilarious in small doses but quickly becomes annoying in large ones. Jaynestown offers us a lot of Jayne and in a short while it's quickly too much. Inara's subplot involving the virgin son of a local official has the dubious distinction of falling on the nauseating side too. Jaynestown was meant to say something about the human need for heroes. It's a well worn Western message but Adam Baldwin lacks the acting skills and Jayne lacks the range, for the message to actually mean anything.

Out of Gas

In some ways almost a clip show, Out of Gas has Mal alone on the ship and hallucinating flashbacks to its original acquisition and how Mal got around to assembling the original crew. While it's meant to be tug at your heartstrings, Out of Gas feels predictable, canned and an unnecessary second introduction taking place a mere handful of episodes into the first season.

Ariel

Ariel is entertaining from start to finish, juggling the more ominous mysteries of the Alliance and River and Simon's pursuers with comic bits involving the medical dress rehearsals, the heist itself and Jayne's careful preparation.

War Stories

Occasionally funny, mostly weak, War Stories give us a Mal\Wash story whose highlight is River unleashing her abilities and whose low points are nearly everything else, from an evil smuggler who seems more tedious than dreadful, a cliched torture scene that seems to go on forever and an episode that drags and drags.

Trash

Saffron made quite an impact in Our Mrs Reynolds and you can see why they tried to bring her back, but after a fantastic opening, "I shaved my beard for you devil woman!" the episode falls into the error of trying to analyze why Saffron is the way she is, rather than enjoying it. While Saffron is no Hannibal Lecter, the same basic analogy applies about trying to dissect the motives and drives of extreme characters. Saffron psychoanalyzed is not more interesting, but significantly less so.

The Message

Firefly's second worst episode features smuggled organs inside Firefly's most annoying guest star. Mainly a waste of time, The Message along with Heart of Gold can help explain why FOX decided to cancel the series outright. It's always tedious when a series brings aboard a character that the viewer immediately knows is up to no good, but the regulars don't. The Message also makes that character fantastically irritating and plays potentially interesting battlefield flashbacks for laughs.

Heart of Gold

Unambiguously Firefly's worst episode ever, Heart of Gold forces us to sit through a dumbed down remake of Unforgiven with the usual cast of amiable hookers and a bad land baron. It wasn't quite as painful on Sin City, because at least Sin City threw in atmosphere. Heart of Gold by contrast is just absurd and silly and devoid of anything that would make the episode at all bearable.

Objects in Space

From the worst of Firefly to the best of Firefly, Objects in Space is arguably the series' best episode featuring River coming into her own and the Firefly crew coping with a bounty hunter who is better than them. A bottle show that brilliantly uses the Serenity itself and the depths of space, Objects in Space allowed Firefly to go out on TV with a bang.