Firefly

500 years in the future amid a galaxy full of colonized planets, former resistance fighter Mal Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) captains the Serenity, a cargo ship for hire. The ragtag crew includes tough second-in-command Zoe (Gina Torres), her laidback pilot husband Wash (Alan Tudyk), perpetually cheerful engineer Kaylee (Jewel Staite), sophisticated courtesan Inara (Morena Baccarin), and uncouth muscle-for-hire Jayne (Adam Baldwin). The crew is soon joined by a pair of fugitives on the run from the ruling Alliance: upper-class doctor Simon Tam (Sean Maher) and his disturbed teenage sister, River (Summer Glau). As the Serenity crew loots and smuggles its way across the galaxy, it must stay one step ahead of crime bosses, cannibals, and, of course, the Alliance.


The epitome of a cult classic, Firefly aired for a single season in 2002. When Fox pulled the plug, fan outrage was such that it inspired series creator Joss Whedon to put together a movie (2005’s Serenity) just to tie up some loose ends. To say that the franchise deserved a longer lifespan is like saying that the Titanic should have had more than one voyage.


To put it simply, Firefly offers something for everyone. Fans of Whedon’s previous series (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) can rejoice at his trademark snarky dialogue, while those who found Buffy incredibly silly can revel in Firefly’s frontier grit. A fast-paced space western with obvious Star Wars influences (as a risk-taking anti-hero, Mal frequently channels Han Solo), the show still avoids many genre clichés. Alliance soldiers, for example, are less the minions of Big Brother and more the annoying bureaucratic types who can nevertheless be reasoned with. Likewise, instead of ripping off John Williams, the show opts for a blues number by Sonny Rhodes as its theme song.


This unique vision would amount to naught if the execution wasn’t there. Fortunately, it is – in a big way. Cast to perfection, Firefly presents a crew of misfits who are thoroughly entertaining and engaging if a bit predictable. It’s never a surprise when Mal picks a fight, Jayne contemplates betrayal, or River has a breakdown, but there are more than a few swerves as well. A strong sense of continuity ensures that the stupid decisions of one episode will come back to bite the crew later on as the series progresses.


If there’s one drawback to Firefly, it’s that the short production run leaves a lot of questions unanswered. What exactly is wrong with River Tam doesn’t become fully apparent until the movie, and the mysterious past of “Shepherd” Book isn’t revealed on screen at all.


Eight years after going off the air, Firefly continues to maintain a strong following. That a show which only existed for 14 episodes (not all of which originally aired) can still leave people wanting more nearly a decade later is a testament to its all-around excellence.


8.75/10