Firefly first-time/rewatch (NO SPOILERS, please)

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by lurok, Nov 11, 2012.

  1. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Yes I think we are having a big misunderstanding here.
     
  2. nightwind1

    nightwind1 Commodore Commodore

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    It's called being a three-dimensional character, rather than the flat, cardboard cutouts many TV characters are.
     
  3. Shawnster

    Shawnster Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Have you met any war-weary vets? Are they all socially competent and suave around the ladies?
     
  4. Forbin

    Forbin Admiral Admiral

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    I have, and I find they don't all fit into a single behavior pattern or stereotype.

    But I look no further than my own Dad, a WWII Pacific vet, for an example. Social in the extreme, belonged to lots of local organizations, partied hearty, and loved to flirt with the ladies. Cross him and you were fucking dead.
     
  5. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    America is full of war weary vets about Mal's age these days.

    Mal is very quick to draw a gun and act on the offense, surely something war teaches you. I don't think it teaches you anything about women one way or the other though.
     
  6. Neroon

    Neroon Mod of Balance Moderator

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    Something to be noted... Whedon originally envisioned the character played by someone older, but Nathan's audition was so good he felt that he'd found their Mal.
     
  7. lurok

    lurok Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    EP 3 - BUSHWHACKED
    [​IMG]
    SciFi 101: Don't go in the abandoned spaceship. Bad things will happen.
    I like that Whedon never showed the Reavers in pilot and wondered when they'd make a reappearance. Seems like he's still going for slow tease as only real hint we get here is they have a fetish for facial piercings. Ouch. I did wonder as well what 'Western' trope the Reavers are meant to be: loco injuns? Donner Passers? mutant hillbillies? It's nice that we get a little more of crew development with each ep; there's a bit more chemistry between Mal and Inara; Savant sister seems to have some sort of psi ability; and Kaylee finally starts to shine. The interrogation montage (with nice guest spot by Alliance commander) was highlight of episode. My one wtf moment was realising for first time Wash and Zoe were married. That had obviously skipped me.
     
  8. Forbin

    Forbin Admiral Admiral

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    She can kill you with her brain. :)
     
  9. Lindley

    Lindley Moderator with a Soul Premium Member

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    That's a much later episode!
     
  10. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Bushwhacked: A perfect piece of space fantasy. We learn more about those our heroes are up against (Alliance and Reavers) and more about our heroes themselves. Kaylee has a Scotty moment. Jayne is impressively stupid but impressively clever about self preservation. The Doctor steps up and despite being teased relentlessly does well.

    Book seriously shits me in this episode, as he frequently does. You don't get to be people's conscience without their consent preacher.

    But best of all.. "have you ever been with a warrior woman?"

    :lol:

    And now here's some pictures of prettiness.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    (so much lovely chutzpah..)

    My kitchen fetish continues.. the cupboards!

    [​IMG]

    And Jayne's tattoo which is apparently of a koi dragon:

    [​IMG]

    Here's a link to a replica tatt of it:

    http://cabridges.com/2008/06/22/about-that-jayne-tattoo/

    lurok LOL on the " Don't go in the abandoned spaceship. Bad things will happen." And yet they always do don't they.
     
  11. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Just to remind folk, NO SPOILERS!!!!!

    I'm not sure if the whole show is supposed to be Western tropes? As in, everything has a tie in?
     
  12. Thestral

    Thestral Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Mal's awkwardness with women and Inara in particular never really bothered me, because I can see why it might have developed based on his (presumptive) background, what we know he spent a lot of his life doing, and Inara's background. I'm enjoying reading people's responses to the show. :)

    If you're a Castle watcher (and if you're not, why not?! As much as I adore Firefly I wouldn't trade Castle for more of it), you might be remembering it from an early episode when Castle says that line. It's possibly (probably?) one of the several Firefly references in Castle.
     
  13. Lindley

    Lindley Moderator with a Soul Premium Member

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    My favourite was when Castle dresses up as Mal for Halloween.
     
  14. Thestral

    Thestral Vice Admiral Admiral

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    And of course Alexis' reaction:

    "Didn't you wear that five years ago?"

    "I like it."

    :guffaw:
     
  15. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I'm thinking lurok is going to like the next one.

    I'm knowing I am going to like the next one :D
     
  16. 6079SmithW

    6079SmithW Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Shindig is one of my favorites. :)

    And LOL at "Have you ever been with a warrior woman?!"
     
  17. Shawnster

    Shawnster Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    You know, I can't really think of a "bad" Firefly episode. It gets kinda redundant to say "another good episode," I really like the first 4 episodes, with 5 being my least favorite of the bunch.

    Bushwacked really carries 2 of the overall arcs of the series. We catch a big glimpse of River and the start of her abilities. This will continue to grow and be teased out for us over most of the series, culminating int he Serenity movie.

    The second overall arc centers around the Reavers and what they did to that poor man and his friends. This is a part I actually wonder if the movie, Serenity, contradicts. We get the statement from Mal that the "survivor" simply witnessed the Reavers and their horror and it drove him insane to the point he wanted to be just like them. At this point in the series we've not learned what the Reavers really are. To me, simply witnessing the horror isn't enough to drive the man to become a Reaver, especially after we learn that the Reavers are a result of terraforming gone wrong. Something in the atmosphere of the Reaver home planet, pumped there by the Alliance, is what drove them mad.

    Now, here's another question concerning that. How did that atmosphere get onto the colonist ship? I can see that with the docking situation. The two ships dock and air is exchanged through the airlock during the Reaver raid. was that enough to cause the man to go nuts? Apparently. How, though, did the tainted atmosphere get on the Reaver ship? Was it originally on the ground? Did it have to be exposed to the poisoned atmosphere at some point?

    I think the Reavers are meant to only be vaguely reminiscent of the wild injun trope from old westerns. They are actually much more (or much less) than that. Yes, they appear to be mindless savages but we'll eventually see a bigger point for them.

    I loved River's face during their EVA while hiding from the feds.

    Keep in mind this interrogation that Shepherd went through during this episode. We'll come back to discuss this more in two episodes from now.
     
  18. Neroon

    Neroon Mod of Balance Moderator

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    Whedon didn't originate the line, because the whole joke - and variations of it - has been used for quite awhile:
    link.
     
  19. lurok

    lurok Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Thanks, Neroon. Didn't realise it was that old and widespread a trope. Interesting though that exact same line used in Blake's 7 according to that site. I'm still curious if Whedon ever saw that series.
     
  20. Forbin

    Forbin Admiral Admiral

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    I always remember it from The Magnificent Seven first and foremost.

    Probably the WORST ever example is Jar-Jar wiping out legions of droid troops accidentally.