I have many things to post about October, autumn and Halloween. Truth be told it was too hot today to feel like fall, I have been too busy to start decorating for the season, and I am not yet ready to let the crew of Serenity go.

There are some things that you tend to lose as you grow up. They seem to just go away. One of those things is that captivating feeling of a good book or movie. In reality you do not lose this entirely, it is just that moments like those are often few and far between. Firefly, a series that I completely missed in its original run, turned out to be one of those moments of child-like bliss that one misses in adulthood. I was told by many to “give it a few episodes and you will really get into it”. For me it didn’t take a few episodes. Though the two-hour pilot felt somewhat like the first episode of any series, with the actors trying to find their way, I was hooked from the very beginning. There on the small screen was the familiarity of the genre I love with a uniqueness that defies easy explanation. If you are in love with the series you know what I mean. It seems a little silly to post about Firefly after reviewing Serenity but as I said, I’m not ready to let go. This will not be a typical review. I just want to ramble a little about the things I enjoy about Firefly. Bear with me, I may wander a might…but that is what you do sometimes when discussing the things you have affection for.

Firefly, How do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

1. The Cast and Characters:

Nathan Fillion, Malcom Reynolds…Mal, Captain of Serenity. I’ve proclaimed past affection for Han Solo and Mal is truly the Han Solo character for this generation of science fiction fans. His love and loyalty to his ship and crew coupled with his very human aspect of looking out for his own interests makes him a very charming rogue. From the first unexpected gunshot (wink, wink) I was a fan. Nathan Fillion brings such a swagger to the role yet manages to make the character very likeable right from the start.

Gina Torres, Zoe Washburn, First Mate of Serenity. Zoe is a strong, powerful character and it would have been easy for Whedon and Torres to make the mistake of allowing this character to be a one-dimensional alpha-female. Instead Zoe is a multi-dimensional character who is not only believable as a tough-as-nails ex-soldier turned first mate but is also believable as a wife, friend, ship-mate and a woman. Gina Torres’ beauty and talent go a long way towards rounding out the role of Zoe.

Alan Tudyk, Hoban “Wash” Washburn, pilot of Serenity. I first saw Alan Tudyk in A Knight’s Tale where he nearly stole the show. He continues his run of brilliant comedic acting in Firefly. Tudyk makes Wash such a loveable, humorous character without turning him into an “aw, shucks” caricature. Wash is such a perfect blend of cockiness in his abilities and self-deprecation that you cannot help but like the character instantly. Alan shows emotion so well that I find it easy to empathize with him both in Firefly and A Knight’s Tale…he has a great ability to show you the man behind the ‘funny-guy’ mask.

Morena Baccarin, Inara Serra, Companion. I have to admit that when I first heard the buzz before Firefly aired the biggest turn off for me was the idea that the show would feature a prostitute. My early impression was that this was going to be a gimmick character with no real depth. Upon finally seeing the show I could not have been more wrong. Baccarin brings the same dimension to this role that I believe Nicole Kidman brought to the role of Satine in Moulin Rouge. The role is not written to glorify or deplore Inara’s profession but is instead written to show Inara as a woman with a gift that has helped her become sought after and at the same time one who aspires to be more than she currently is. Morena Baccarin portrays Inara with such a fluid grace that it is obvious that she is more cultured and elegant than the rest of the crew. And the outfits!!! I have to tip my hat to the costume designer as every outfit Inara wears is elegant and stunning and rich with texture and detail.

Adam Baldwin, Jayne Cobb. What a terrific character! It is not an easy thing to write comedy nor is it an easy thing to perform it. The writing and performance of the character of Jayne Cobb is amazing to say the least. He is the most loveable selfish, greedy, unconscionable, occasionally bumbling rogue I have ever seen. Baldwin is just terrific in this role and each line is a quotable, humorous work of art. Jayne Cobb is a great antithesis to the character of Malcom Reynolds and they balance each other perfectly.

Jewel Staite, Kaylee Frye, engineer of Serenity. Jewel Staite is an adorable actress who takes the very loveable role of Kaylee and saves it from being a one-dimensional ‘cutsey’ character. From the very beginning of Firefly we are rooting for Kaylee in her lovelorn pursuit of the doctor. The other thing that impresses me about this character is the way that Staite and Whedon craft the genuiness of this character. I have no problem believing that Kaylee is indeed an engineer due to the way the character is handled in the series. Jeff actually pointed this out to me and I thoroughly agree with him.

Sean Maher, Dr. Simon Tam. If you have seen Firefly or Serenity you can see that the character is set up to be somewhat antagonistic. In his devotion to his sister and her ultimate protection Simon can be unyielding and quarrelsome. Also as a character who gives the initial impression that he is not prone to violence Simon could have easily become a whining character on Serenity that was somewhat unlikeable . Again terrific casting and writing kept this from happening. Simon is a character that had to grow on me and I really believe this was intentional and fits the personality of the character so well. Ultimately I liked Simon Tam despite my desire to slap him and just say “kiss Kaylee already, you fool!!!”

Ron Glass, Shepherd Book. In my opinion it was a stroke of genius to put a holy man in the midst of the many wordly characters of Firefly. It was even better to cast Ron Glass as that character and give the character a very real, human side rather than making him a holier-than-thou parody. Shepherd Book is one of my favorite characters in this ‘verse and Glass portrayed him with such conviction that he really kicked the show up several notches. This is a very well-rounded role and I loved what they did with it.

Summer Glau, River Tam. The character of River is one through which the destiny of the Serenity crew is guided. Summer Glau does a masterful job in portraying the mysterious, fragmented character of River Tam. Her moments of psychosis and moments of lucidity are equally believable and Glau acts so well in the role that you find yourself caring deeply about this character despite her inconsistent mental health. I really enjoyed this character in both Firefly and Serenity and loved how she developed each and every episode.

In fact that is one of the things I enjoyed most about the cast and the characters…that in each episode they grew individually and as a ‘family’. It is almost unreal how quickly one becomes attached to these characters in the mere 14 episodes that comprise the only season of Firefly. I encourage you to click on all the names and visit their fan sites, there are some really great ones out there.

2. The Ship:

Not since the first time I laid eyes on the Millenium Falcon have I been so excited about a hunk of junk. Serenity is a Firefly class vessel, one of a group that has been in use for some time. Like Han Solo before him Malcom Reynolds is passionate about his vessel and occasionally blind to her deficiencies. I love the way the ship looks and I love the character that Whedon has infused her with. Serenity is the kind of ship the little boy inside of me, who is still alive and well, daydreams about boarding to search the stars. It doesn’t replace the Falcon in my affections, but runs a very close second.

There is a great firefly wallpaper here that includes pictures of the cast. It is 1024X768.

3. The Dialogue, including the foul language:

Those who have watched any of Whedon’s shows or read any of the comics he has written knows that Whedon is a master with dialogue. I really enjoy the use of Western slang, made up slang like “shiny” and “verse” and also the use of actual Chinese swearing and other Chinese dialogue.

If you are not a gou tsao de, fong luh, shiong-muh duh duang-ren, tah mah de then go to this site and you can find the translations of some of the Chinese dialogue used in Firefly. (Sorry about my potty mouth, but does it really count if it is in a foreign language?)

4. The relationships:

And here I’m talking about the romantic relationships or the potential romantic relationships.

The “we like each other but damned if we’re going to admit it” relationship between Mal and Inara was very enjoyable without becoming Ross-and-Rachelish. I liked the way this relationship built and the emotional punch that this relationship provided in the final episode of the television series.

The marital relationship between Zoe and Wash was fantastic. Their passion and desire for one another and their marriage was handled so well throughout the series without being a distraction. It was so great to see a marital relationship in a science fiction series, let alone any series, that actually promoted a positive spin on marriage.

and of course the unrequited…or is it?…relationship between Kaylee and Simon. As I mentioned earlier Kaylee is such a loveable character that you desperately want Simon to wake up and throw himself into her arms. I really enjoyed the ebb and flow of this relationship in the series.

5. Out of Gas

While each episode of Firefly is entertaining Out of Gas is my favorite. More than that, however, I believe Out of Gas is one of the greatest single episodes of a television series that I’ve seen in my life. Set at roughly the midpoint of the season it is an episode that really solidifies the relationships between the crew. The opening image of Serenity, lifeless and adrift in the silence of space to be followed by a series of flashbacks showing not only what lead to its current state but also showing how the various crew members came to be aboard Serenity in the first place is pure television genius. The way it is shot, the dialogue, the music…everything is terrific. Out of Gas hits every beat perfectly and I find myself close to weeping every time it gets to the end and Mal, surrounded by the entire crew, says “you all gonna be here when I wake up?”. It is so powerful. And then the ending flashback where it shows Mal picking out Serenity…wow! I know, I know…it is supremely silly to get this attached to a television show but I am and know (hope) that I’m not alone.

and finally

6. The Theme Song.

I didn’t like it the first time but after seeing an episode it really fits perfectly and I love it. You can go here to see the lyrics and listen to it.

If you have not watched all 14 episodes of Firefly in their proper order I have to say ‘trust me…watch it all…you won’t be disappointed’.

And for all of you, especially Jules who wanted to see River Tam without greasy, stringy hair, I leave you with this picture:

(click on picture for a larger version…make sure you move your curser to the lower right hand corner of the bigger picture once opened to expand it to its full size.)

Thanks for letting me ramble on about Firefly and Serenity. I watched Out of Gas again tonight before writing this post and despite how much I loved Serenity and the way it wrapped up the series I literally ache for these characters to be back on screen. It is a shame when great television ends before its time.