Five years later - the anniversary of Firefly - Firefly&Serenity

That's crazy-hard to believe; I vividly remember watching the first airing and falling hard in love.

Oddly, it seems both "it can't be that long ago!" and "man, only five years?" at the exact same time, to me.

The One True b!X | September 21, 10:21 CET

It feels like 5 years to me. Or longer.

So, now that we've had 5 years distance from Firefly, does anybody have any new thoughts about it?

It feels exactly like 5 years ago to me.

So, now that we've had 5 years distance from Firefly, does anybody have any new thoughts about it?

FOX was right to cancel it. Because right about now the show would have been heading into its sixth season and fandom would have already been split down the lines of those who like the first three years only, those who loved the two years stuck on Persephone... and those who totally didn't by the fifth season episode where Mal turned out to be a robot from the 21st Century. Built by Warren.

Fans of the "Jayne" spin-off series would be having a ball, though.

[ edited by crossoverman on 2007-09-21 08:34 ]

crossoverman | September 21, 11:23 CET

I noticed one of the geeks in the premiere of 'Beauty and the Geek' wearing a Serenity t-shirt - I hope he wins! (And wears more browncoat swag.)

fanbuoyant | September 21, 11:27 CET

After a year's break, my son and I just watched the whole DVD set again -- and kept looking at each other, open-mouthed, because it is still so good that it hurts, and it's still hard to understand how it could get cancelled, and so fast! (Not to abuse a worthy slogan, but I couldn't help thinking that it's the good folks at Fox who've Done the Impossible ...)

bschnell | September 21, 11:37 CET

Am I remembering correctly that in "Serenity," when the Operative is looking at Mal's file, that Mal's birthday is on September 20? May just have to fish out my DVD and love on that little detail...

Raggedy Edge | September 21, 13:45 CET

Yep, it said September 20th (can't remember the year but the date/month are sufficiently close to mine to stick).

I too am glad it was cancelled because now we're left with substantially fewer episodes of what, just on the basis of the first 14, was going to be an absolutely classic sci-fi show. Less is more, right ? Right ? *falls to his knees beating fists against the vast, implacable ground* Foxxxxxxxxxx !

And given the first episodes, just imagine what a dark season of 'Firefly' would've been like (since it'd be the sixth coming up). Where to from there, engines being sucked into people ? The entire crew being Reavered to death in silence during the award winning episode "Sp-Hush" ? So in that sense I really am glad it was canned because there probably woulda been stuff with eyes and fingernails and those're two of my "things".

Saje | September 21, 15:21 CET

So in that sense I really am glad it was canned because there probably woulda been stuff with eyes and fingernails and those're two of my "things".

Yes, but also the sixth season would have had the musical episode!
- Space Nuns singing "How do you solve a problem like Mal Reynolds?"
- The show-stopping "P-E-R-S-E-P-H-O-N-E"!
- Inara crooning "I don't know how to love him".
- The Ghost of Wash appearing for "Defying Gravity".
- And Kaylee's wacky number, "Capissen 38 engine with a fringe on top!"

crossoverman | September 21, 16:47 CET

Let's not have it be another five years before a new Joss Whedon show premieres, eh? And, actually, this being Firefly, someone would've taken over as showrunner and people would be complaining that season 5 was too light, right? ;) Unless Tim did that Reavers/Inara ep he has mentioned in the past ; there's no light in that.

zeitgeist | September 21, 16:49 CET

Having just watched the last three at Parkway Whedon last night I can only, as always, just wish there was more.

mifeng | September 21, 17:13 CET

bschnell: kept looking at each other, open-mouthed, because it is still so good that it hurts

You just described my wife and me, to a tee.

Chris inVirginia | September 21, 17:32 CET

Unless Tim did that Reavers/Inara ep he has mentioned in the past ; there's no light in that.

That was the Season Five finale, clearly.

crossoverman | September 21, 17:36 CET

And let's not forget the inevitable team-up with the Alliance to fight some greater evil. Season Four perhaps?

Since I was at school all day yesterday, I suppose I'll have a mini-marathon today and watch my fav episodes. Can't think of a better way to celebrate. ;)

deepgirl187 | September 21, 18:05 CET

It doesn't seem like five years to me . . . because it wasn't. I never saw it in its original run. But I'm going to watch my favorite episodes today in celebration, anyway.

What I really want to watch, though, is the series finale, with the Mal and Inara cookie dough speech. Priceless.

palehorse | September 21, 18:30 CET

Oh, yeah. I kept thinking "Man, five years?! No way!" And then I remembered that I didn't see it until 2 years ago.

RaisedByMongrels | September 21, 19:05 CET

Five years???
Dang. Time flies like a mofo, don't it?
I'm one of the "Saw It From the Premiere Episode" gang.
I remember it well: Watching the show and loving it, being disappointed at the pre-emptions and late-night airings, setting the VCR only to find BASEBALL. And, finally, Fox airing the pilot LAST...
Good times, good times. No...wait. Not so good.
I'd been eagerly anticipating the show since seeing the teasers on Fox, so I made it a point to be in front of the TV that night.
When Mal sauntered up to the bar and ordered his drink in Chinese (She sits bolt upright on the sofa and says "WTF...was that Chinese??) I was surprised that someone (Joss Whedon) actually paid attention to what was happening in the real world. Immediately understanding the milieu of the story, I was intrigued.
When that same Mal, after returning the much-needed medicine to the Sheriff, kicks the henchman into the ship's engines?
That's when I fell---fell hard--in love.
Happy Anniversary Firefly!

ADDENDUM: And Happy Birthday to Mal Reynolds....and me! ; )

[ edited by AmazonGirl on 2007-09-22 16:26 ]

AmazonGirl | September 21, 20:33 CET

I celebrated Mal's birthday and the 5 year anniversary of Firefly by buying at least one more Serenity Collector's Edition (The hope for more Firefly/Serenity) DVD. Then I watched an Firefly episode with popcorn.

Anonymous1 | September 21, 20:49 CET

It took over a year for me to see it, so it feels like three and a half years to me.

Craig Oxbrow | September 21, 21:15 CET

A beautiful show, the ~~excuse~~ reason I bought a DVD player and my first box set, a rich reimagining of the frontier mythos and necessary examination of the frontier ethos, its untimely end a cultural tragedy.

Pointy | September 21, 21:19 CET

A toast to Browncoats everywhere.. Skoal!

Hjermsted | September 21, 21:22 CET

*toast*

Sunfire | September 21, 21:57 CET

And a toast to Joss, without whom there would be no Browncoats, and to Tim, who gave Firefly just the right touches of wit and venom, and to all of the actors, who realized these parts so unforgettably and so big damn well.

A toast!

I, too, am gonna re-watch some Firefly eps in honor of this ass-picious occasion - I'm up to "Our Mrs. Reynolds" in my re-watch anyway, so an especial favourite is happily next.

"Well, the TV show was brilliant and then it was gone."
- Joss, interview with Ambrose Heron, February, 2005
http://www.filmdetail.com/archives/2006/10/20/interview-from-the-archives-joss-whedon/

(And here's an anticipatory toast to the The Most Honorable Saje, whose birthday is, I believe, at the end of September...)

QuoterGal | September 21, 23:57 CET

After five years, surely the time has come to get Serenity flying again.

Jericho fans did it with several tonnes of nuts.

But for those Fox sourpusses, something sweeter I think. Strawberries. I reckon a couple of million punnets might just do the trick.

commandlinegamer | September 22, 00:04 CET

Bloody hell QuoterGal, scary good memory ! (ta in advance ;).

And yep, Slainte, Prost, Kampai, Chin-Chin, Cheers, Nastrovia etc. Just think, this time five years ago 'Firefly' was already becoming known as one of the most cancelled shows of 2002 (at least to certain Fox execs). Not that i'm bitter. Much.

Saje | September 22, 00:23 CET

>>Chris inVirginia: You just described my wife and me, to a tee.<<

Well, it should be a comfort to know that there are so many of us, but in a way, it makes the whole thing even more frustrating -- knowing that even with all those wishful vibes floating around, Firefly is gone ...

bschnell | September 22, 00:24 CET

I would be willing to send strawberries. Or apples. Or beagles. Is there a good address for Fox?

yumi | September 22, 00:29 CET

It's really not a good idea to send a bunch of perishable items in an attempt to bring back Firefly.

Outside of this, why would you want the FOX network of all places to do anything with the Verse ever again. Would you actually trust them with it?

The One True b!X | September 22, 00:34 CET

Slainte Saje, long may you post!

Pointy | September 22, 00:47 CET

well its two years since I took a chance on the boxset and, well...

thanks for what we got Joss.

redtom | September 22, 02:06 CET

I hope all of you thinking of sending stuff are just kidding. Seriously, bad idea.

IrrationaliTV | September 22, 02:24 CET

So...when Firefly got to its seventh season...would there've be an evil preacher played by Nathan Fillion who gets killed by Mal? Would it have gone all Star Trek with duplicate Mals and Washes sporting spooooky goatees?

Man, I miss this show. So much. Watched it from 9/20/02 to 12/20/02 and ever since.

Thanks, Joss.

UnpluggedCrazy | September 22, 03:07 CET

Well, as another of the ones who watched Firefly from the first airing, I'm a little surprised to realize that it's only been in my life for five years. And also, I have to say that Amazon Girl is more observy than I am, since I had no idea until watching the special features on the boxset that they were supposed to be speaking Chinese :)

Let me join in the toasting of Firefly and all who made it - including Carey Meyer and his great design work - all the other writers, actors, directors, crew... Thank You.

LKW | September 22, 04:03 CET

And did anyone else notice that the ep of Doctor Who they aired on SciFi last night (Utopia) featured Reavers? Full well, Reavers. Sigh. Happy anniversary, yo. I particularly liked the running flashbacks in Season Three where you saw Book as a young balletmaster, contrasted with River teaching dance as a martial art to the Browncoat colony on Londinium while Serenity was in drydock. ;-)

billz | September 22, 12:23 CET

My gosh, has it been that long? Joss really had a fine story to tell. Most unfortunate that FOX decided to "derail" the show before it even aired.

Joss, we know better. Thank you!

Madhatter | September 22, 14:43 CET

Yeah, I noticed the Reavers too, billz. One of the more blatant steals on the show, but I still love Uncle Rusty and the guys anyway. And after all, they do say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. ;)

deepgirl187 | September 22, 17:48 CET

It was that long ago and Im just now watching it?!?!

WhedonTrivia | September 22, 21:16 CET

billz - I totally saw that too. Even down to the teeth...

mifeng | September 23, 00:38 CET

I remember downloading the pilot way back in the summer, when I heard about Joss' cool new Space Western, I loved it and then I watched it on tv and fell in love with it all over again when Mal kicked Claw into the engine.

Tymen | September 23, 00:39 CET

I wouldn't want Fox to bring it back.

I liked Family Guy but it was never the same after it was un-cancelled because it kinda became a parody of it's former self. I don't know if that was McFarlane's fault but it seemed to me more like someone was pressuring him into re-using old bits since they were wat everyone was quoting with nostalgia.

Superrodan | September 23, 01:57 CET

September 21 2007