Firefly worth it?

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by sbk1234, Jul 7, 2009.

  1. Chrisisall

    Chrisisall Commodore Commodore

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    Well...uh..YEAH. Just look at Presidents of the U.S. past & present.:guffaw:
     
  2. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I think not. Besides, I may be older than you think anyway. :vulcan:
     
  3. Chrisisall

    Chrisisall Commodore Commodore

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    I'm willing to bet that you're not that old- prolly younger than Spock's dad in Journey To Babel.:shifty:
     
  4. sbk1234

    sbk1234 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I just about crapped my pants when I saw how many responses there were after only one night! I guess I should have known! Thanks for the input.
     
  5. Chrisisall

    Chrisisall Commodore Commodore

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    Browncoats are a lively bunch. And STARFLEET BROWNCOATS- well, better check phasers at the door is all.
     
  6. DigificWriter

    DigificWriter Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Despite the fact that $30 is a tad bit expensive for the set, I say go for it and spend the money if you have it; if you don't have that kind of cash but still want to check out the series, I'd look and see if you can't find it for rent somewhere; it would be cheaper, and, if you don't end up enjoying it, you're not out a whole lot of money.
     
  7. Harvey

    Harvey Admiral Admiral

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    It's not worth $30.00 for the simple reason that it's commonly available for $19.99 or less. Buy it for that price.

    With that in mind, it's a pretty good series for lasting less than a full season. There's a couple of relative duds--"Safe" and "Heart of Gold"--but that's par for the course for any television program and they are by no means unwatchable.

    For a series that puts forward the idea that in the future the United States and China have merged into one power it's a little Amerocentric, but that's unsurprising for a series produced for American television.

    The film "Serenity" is also worth seeing, though I'm of the opinion that it is nowhere near as good as the series, and it is by no means needed to properly enjoy the series.
     
  8. RoJoHen

    RoJoHen Awesome Admiral

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    We lurk in shadows until we are summoned. You never know who among you might be a Firefly fan.
     
  9. RandyS

    RandyS Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I dunno, I'm no fan of westerns, but I thought Firefly was quite good. One of the better non-Star Trek sci-fi shows out there actually. Not as good as Babylon 5, but I'd put it in the top ten.

    I do agree with you that it works best as a short lived show. I've never seen Buffy, but I have seen shows burn themselves out toward the middle of their long runs, so your point is well taken.
     
  10. RandyS

    RandyS Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Really? Then how do you relate to real life? That's one big "shade of gray".
     
  11. Ptrope

    Ptrope Agitator Admiral

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    Now I know you're just being contrary to be contrary. How could you possibly have the same reasons for disliking The Matrix, when the "controlling authority" is not a government, is not a representative organization of any type - it is a literal parasite, feeding upon its hosts, who have every right to rebel and attempt to destroy it? There is abso-f'in-lutely no comparison between the Matrix and the Alliance; the only way one could root for it against the human rebels is if one is simply a sheep looking to be led, without any personal sense of self. Or Cypher ... ;)

    That being said, yes, $30 for Firefly is well worth the price; I've spent more than that buying multiple copies and giving them to friends, all of whom have thoroughly enjoyed the series. And I disagree that "all" the characters are smartasses; of them all, I'd only say that Wash comes anywhere close to such, with Mal only occasionally so when he's in a playful mood. There's a good spectrum of personalities, of beliefs and of styles amongst the crew of Serenity - it's not the glib wackiness one saw spread through most of the characters in both Buffy and Angel, by any means. That's what most attracted me to the show: the variety of the characters. It only looks like a Western - sometimes - but it is most definitely not a "Western" any more than it's a space opera - it's just a story of displaced individuals who've come together under one roof, with only superficially-similar goals, who are trying to survive and be free, moving through an oppressive system while trying not to be a part of it. I don't consider the Alliance to be generally good - it is authoritarian and oppressive, despite any benefits it may bring to its constituents, because many of those benefits are only the compromises it must make in order to keep them pacified. Mal and his crew may be lawless, but they're not without honor and compassion, and that's what makes them great characters; not all laws are good - many of them exist only to maintain control where it's not deserved.
     
  12. Alex1939

    Alex1939 Captain Captain

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    Yes.

    As others have said, it's some western thrown into space sci-fi. Good special effects, GREAT dialogue, good looking people, and mostly good stories.

    That said, I wouldn't watch it expecting a masterpiece of science fiction. It's more fun adventure and light on the sci-fi. Worth watching after a few beers and kicking back to relax. You won't have to think deeply about the show. It's also quite funny.

    I've watched every episode multiple times and it's my second favorite space science fiction series.


    My days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle.
     
  13. Messianni

    Messianni Commodore Commodore

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    If DS9 proved anything, it's that the Federation only works through economic stability and a shadow organization that thinks itself to be above the law. You even try to take away either of those things, take away the veil of utopia, and it all comes crumbling down.

    The Alliance had The Operative, the Federation had Section 31. The latter is no do-gooder society by any means.
     
  14. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Speak for yourself.

    Most people lived their entire lives without ever knowing there was a Matrix. They weren't slaves, most of them never even met an Agent, their lives there were exactly the same as ours are here. So what's the problem? :p I had a problem with Morpheus and his gang travelling all over the place and forcibly 'waking people up'. If I lived in this universe, I would willingly choose to live in the Matrix rather than the bombed out wasteland they called a real world.

    The difference is, the Operative was openly working for the normal Alliance government. Section 31 is nothing like that. It exists only for its *own* benefit, not the Federation. And while the Operative is presumably supported by the entire Alliance, Section 31 isn't accountable to anyone, not even the President. S31 is considered an enemy organization by the Federation at large, which is working to take S31 down for good. S31 is a rogue, terrorist cell, nothing more.
     
    Last edited: Jul 8, 2009
  15. Chrisisall

    Chrisisall Commodore Commodore

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    *FAIL*
    :wtf:
     
  16. Lindley

    Lindley Moderator with a Soul Premium Member

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    Well, to be fair it's clear he was acting under the Parliament's authority. However, it's also clear that he was definitely black ops. Nothing "open" about it.
     
  17. Sakrysta

    Sakrysta Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Seeing as your location states "Los Angeles" I would suggest checking the show out on Hulu. You will find no shortage of devoted fans who will tell you how wonderful the show is (myself included), but there's nothing to beat the option of a free preview available on Hulu - link. If you do like it and decide you want to own it, keep an eye out for sales, because around holidays and other random times you can get the set for as low as $14.99.
     
  18. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    So therefore he was working for the Alliance after all. And that's what makes him different from Section 31. They are a rogue organization only out for themselves. Despite what they may claim, they don't work for the Federation at all. Not even the President knows they exist. Not so with the Op.
     
  19. Ptrope

    Ptrope Agitator Admiral

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    Not just for himself, that's what the real world is. You can believe otherwise, but the facts prove you dead wrong, I'm afraid. Believing a thing doesn't make it so, and denying the truth doesn't keep you from being a victim, potential or real.

    I believe I know some dictators and tyrants who are looking for a few good men like you. :eek:

    "All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." – Edmund Burke

    Not true - Section 31 believe they are working for the Federation at their most fundamental core - they are sidestepping the bureaucracy to do what they believe protects the Federation, even if that is protecting the Federation from itself. That doesn't make them heroes, but it's also questionable that they do so without the knowledge of someone in power. The Federation isn't trying to take them down - certain elements in Starfleet are, and they too could probably be considered 'rogues' by The Powers That Be in doing so.
     
  20. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    "...but the facts prove them dead wrong." ;)

    Are you threatening me?

    The occasional Starfleet admiral, maybe, but nothing more than that.

    I doubt that. Any organization that would willingly attempt to assassinate the president of the Federation, cannot be allowed to exist *by* that Federation.