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

[lurok]

EP 6 - OUR MRS REYNOLDS

So pre-credits I was hmmming "hmm, she looks like a young Christina Hendricks". Ta da. Never knew she was part of Whedon's Pre-Raphaelite harem. I guess I was expecting this to be more of a 'Vegas wedding' akward-com but it predictably turned into ENT's Raijin/Bound. Still, a return to form after Safe. Much zingier and nice to see Zoe and Wash get some more onscreen bonding time.

 

[jespah]

Oh yes, the floral bonnet line - awesome.

 

[Vendikarr]

Oh yes, the floral bonnet line - awesome.

And the "Special Hell" conversation.

 

[intrinsical]

Its still the early days. By the end of season 1 you'll know why Christina Hendricks has the most interesting character on Firefly. Watch out for her again, that's all the spoilers I'm going to leak.

 

[lurok]

Ah, I was wondering if she'd return as her fate seemed...unresolved. Plus when she started doing her kung fu stuff and someone mentioned she'd had Companion training, I just went: uh-huh, Bene Gesserit.

 

[6079SmithW]

What did you guys think about Vera? Isn't she beautiful when she gets all dressed up?
"Well, I can see my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle."

I loved all the innuendos Saffron was putting out and Mal's awkwardness. Jayne's reaction was, well, typical.

 

[Forbin]

A SPECIAL hell.

I remember a few people here being offended that anyone would equate child abuse with talking in the theater.

 

[Set Harth]

Yeah, I mean, child abuse is forgivable.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Our Mrs. Reynolds: I've always thought Whedon was a bit of a wanker. Crapping on about being a feminist all the time and then writing cliched male fantasies into his stories. Oh look a beautiful, sweet woman who loves to cook for me also wants me to deflower her.. hard. And all the men make utter idiots of themselves trying to either do just that or resist that they want to do just that. And then OH NOES the madonna is actually a whore, wow we have everything in this one.

And yet the episode and the characters are greater than Whedon's damp hands. Hendricks is a fantastic actor. Having a rogue possibly ex-Companion out there is a nice contrast to Inara's serene "A Companion.." platitudes. Mal's completely missing the boat on who Inara kissed was like really good fanfic and it works.

I loved Zoe calling them all down to enjoy the Captain's discomfort.

Kaylee's reaction:



Hilarious!

And then Inara's clear perturbance:





Firefly is good at using small things and expressions to flesh out characters and relationships.

And so many good lines..

Jayne: I call it Vera.
Mal: Well, my days of not taking ya seriously are certainly comin' to a middle.

(just saw you already quoted that one 6079)

Oh and I hate the theater line. It's just too much. But I've never liked Shepard.

 

[lurok]

Whedon + feminist never two words I would have put together Now roughly halfway through, my impression so far is series is very light on drama, plot and action but sparkles in little character moments and dialogue (when they get it right).

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I'd never call it a drama.. so does that rule out calling it a Space Opera?

Sometimes it's almost like a period piece. A futuristic period piece that exists to show off the world it portrays.

 

[intrinsical]

And next week, Simon says "Son of a bitch!" One of my favorite episodes.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I want to watch that now but I don't want to get ahead.. because I've done that a couple times and I just get antsy waiting for the review/discussion to begin

WHERE IS LUROK THAT SLACK PEON!!!

That kind of thing.

 

[lurok]

I'll try and watch next one - Jaynestown? - later. Space opera? Hmm, sci-fi horse opera maybe. Not SPACE OPERA! like nuBSG. There's no tension or stakes or jeopardy. Heck, I don't even think anyone's even died yet? Just feels like a bunch of admittedly likeable characters aimlessly galumphing around the galaxy at moment. Though I appreciate that may change.

 

[Skywalker]

And next week, Simon says "Son of a bitch!" One of my favorite episodes.

Could we maybe try not telling the new viewers about things that happen in future episodes?

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I get confused about what space opera means. Sometimes it's derogatory. Now NuBSG I would call a drama.

 

[Forbin]

Whedon + feminist never two words I would have put together

No? Did you watch Buffy? Or maybe I'm getting the feminism thing and the girl power thing crossed. In any case, from half the things he says in interviews I sometimes think he IS a woman!

 

[marksound]

Our Mrs. Reynolds is one of my favorites and has some of the more memorable quotes ...

"Oh, I think you might wanna reconsider that last part. I married me a powerful ugly creature."

"I swear by my pretty floral bonnet I will end you."

"Someone ever tries to kill you, you try to kill 'em right back."

"Oh sweetie, don't feel bad. He makes everybody cry. He's like a monster"

"Every planet has its own weird customs. About a year before we met, I spent six weeks on a moon where the principal form of recreation was juggling geese. My hand to God. Baby geese - goslings! They were juggled."

 

[lurok]

EP 7 - JAYNESTOWN

OK, so upthread I kept bitching about how Cobb would be better if played by Ron Perlman. Still think he would have been ideal in role, but Baldwin's great big lummox has grown on me and this is the episode that sealed it. The 'feet of clay' hero's an old trope but it's nicely done here. Baldwin really holds the episode together well and all the little subplots have their moments: Kaylee and Simon's unrequited passion; Inara and the Daniel Jackson lookeelikee; Jayne's bar ballad; River 'fixing' Book's bible and the scary hair! And finally someone we kinda care about dies in Fireflyverse; at last some genuine pathos. Only real complaint is that climax (complete with loony tunes scarface) is a little rushed. But I liked this one. And plus points for another classic Trek guest star

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Who was the classic Trek guest star?

I really wanted to watch this but it was getting very late.. should really go to bed.. and then I realized I was wearing a Firefly t-shirt so I took it as a sign and watched it

Yes the death is quite gutting. We don't even know that guy but it's such a waste.. he's the one there should be a statue to, someone who gave his life to keep his people's spirits alive.

I think this episode is another that shows why the life the crew has chosen is one of freedom compared to what they might have ended up with on a planet. Mal grew up on some kind of ranch.. you can picture his potential spiral downwards in to indentured servitude if he hadn't wrangled his way into ship ownership and had the savvy to keep himself there. He'd probably have started off being hired as a legitimate worker, gotten into a brawl at some point and gotten into debt paying off fines and penalties and eventually end up owned by someone trying to work off the impossible. There's more freedom in being an outlaw and staying "in the black" offers more still.

It's a hard verse for many. Even those high up the system may find reason to need to escape from it (Simon, Inara's choice to not ensconce herself in luxury on some top planet..)

And..



I like it when he comes down in the morning with a woman on his arm singing,.

"Our love for him now ain't hard to explain
the hero of Canton the man they call ME!"

Then there's..



Oh Simon, you are such an idiot