Welcome to the 'Verse of
Firefly. It's a place with two faces: the one is that of the organised, well disciplined central planets of the Core Systems, neatly controlled by the Alliance (short name for the Anglo-Sino Alliance, a joining of American and Chinese forces from Earth-that-was); the second face is far uglier, dirtier, cheaper, and deadlier. This is the frontier, where new planets are being tera-formed, far from the comfortable Core. This is where fortunes are made, and brutal deaths are as common as hip-holsters. In the air, it's all about high-tech, planet hopping space ships; on the ground, you'd best know how to ride a horse, survive a saloon-fight, and shoot from said hip.
In the words of creator Joss Whedon,
Firefly exists in a universe that
"combines the past and the future in a way that feels like the present".
The Great War
Mal: We're not gonna die. We can't die, Bendis. You know why? Because we are so very pretty. We are just too pretty for God to let us die. The first few minutes of the pilot drops us straight into the biggest war to hit the 'Verse. Not only that, but we're dropped into the most important battle:
The Battle of Serenity Valley. Pay attention to that name:
Serenity. Having seen the rest of the episode, you will know just how much weight Mal Reynolds has given this battle via the importance he has placed on its name.
Mal and his comrades (Zoe being one of them) are shown being defeated, despite their valiant efforts. This loss means Unification, and all are now under Alliance control.
Fast forward roughly five years, and Mal is still fighting his war: he still has Zoe at his side, trusted and loyal subordinate that she is; he's still fiercely independent; and he's still undermining the Alliance the only way he can: criminally.
In the first current-timeline scene, Mal, Zoe, and Jayne are shown salvaging cargo from a derelict craft. There are two interesting effects used in these in-space-scenes that seem to set the special effects of
Firefly apart:
- Did you notice anything weird about the scenes? Were you, like me, waiting to hear an engine growl, or a sudden sonic boom as the ship switches into 'warp speed' (or whatever)? Well, you'll wait a long time, because on Serenity, there is no sound in space. The thing about space is, you can't hear anything. ‘Well Done’ to the Firefly creators for realising this.
- Handheld Cameras. The use of 'hand-held' cameras in all in-space scenes lends a very authentic feel to these scenes. Of course, they are merely simulated hand-helds, with the special effects guys adding the little bit of jitteriness in post-production, but it has an enormous effect. For one, it makes the less believable elements of sci-fi (space travel) slightly more natural. Secondly, it provides a really seamless switch between action on the ground, and action in the air.
The salvage operation (as well as a very important lesson in palaeontology, provided by the ever-amusing Wash) is interrupted by some very rude officials who don't want that sort of thing going on. Fortunately, Wash is not only a good pilot, but is good at piloting craft very quickly away from very nasty things.
On the Ground
We're introduced, in more detail to the characters that will play their role in the story of
Serenity. There's Mal, the cocky but cagey captain, with Zoe as his faithful sidekick, and Wash, the funny guy pilot. There's Jayne, hard-boiled and as subtle as a rabid dog. Kaylee rounds off the core crew as ship's engineer. She is strange in that she is the only non-cynical person on a very pessimistic ship.
The scene of Kaylee finding Shepherd Book on the dock is an iconic one. The Shepherd is introduced in all his mystery: we don't know what religion he serves, or where he comes from, or why he needs a ship. Kaylee, on the other hand, is just being as '
Kaylee' as she can: she's dressed more like a young girl at play than a brilliant mechanic. Her hair and parasol exude personality and individuality. this is a person you immediately like, because she refuses to be like the hard, cruel world she lives in. If these words don't capture this feeling, then the scene with her and the strawberry should.
Dr Simon Tam appears out of nowhere, looking for a ship. It's already becoming obvious that anyone wanting to get on this ship is probably not completely above board. Another thing that is obvious is Kaylee's blind attraction to him.
Making a Living
Serenity is, to Jayne, a means to an end. That end is
Money. The means are irrelevant.
Serenity has a huge cargo, which means huge rewards. However, the black market is not a safe, or predictable, place. The crew of
Serenity leave with nothing but their tainted cargo. this is the life of a bandit, and no matter how many times Mal and his crew stray towards the edge.
The Thing About River
River's introduction to us is also full of deeper, subtler meanings and hooks into her character and the role she will play. she is, firstly, completely shrouded in mystery. She is clearly beautiful, but in a sad way, a hopeless way. She is, it seems, weak and powerless.
For now.
There is obviously more to this conflicted, tortured genius than meets the eye.
River, though seemingly innocuous, will come to be extremely significant to all on
Serenity. This is immediately obvious when you consider that River represents everything about the Alliance that Mal has come to hate, and is conversely everything he wants to save.
The Companion
Inara is yet another intriguing character. She is a '
Companion', a Geisha-esque prostitute (I only use that word as it is the closest we have). Rather than being reviled, she is highly respected and sought after, earning quite a large amount of money. This is a Universe that has dispensed with archaic rules and Inara is benefiting from them. Kudos to the show's creators for not dancing around the issue: the first time we see Inara she is doing the one part of her job (and there are many parts) that would cause someone from our modern conservative society to do a double take.
Firefly, however, is not about to hide anything from you. Here it is: get over it.
Inara is a fascinating character that is always being underestimated.
The Good Guys and The Bad Guys
Mal: Kaylee comes through, you and your sister get off at Whitefall. Simon: If she doesn't come through? Mal: Well, then you're gettin' off a mite sooner. Firefly is all about moral dilemmas. Nothing is black and white, ever. Take Mal as an example: he's a man who lives on the wrong side of the law, but he is also a man who fought for what he believed was right. He is also willing to walk up to a federal agent and shoot him in the head without any small talk about the weather (and wow, wasn't that an incredibly brutal, honest,
Western moment? Mal is always
Firefly's tool for cutting through the crap). He mistrusts everyone, but once you're a part of his crew, he will die for you.
This sums up everythign there is to this Wild West morality:
Simon: I'm trying to put this as delicately as I can. How do I know you won't kill me in my sleep? Mal: You don't know me, son, so let me explain this to you once. If I ever kill you you'll be awake. You'll be facing me. And you'll be armed. Then there's Simon: he has risked everything to save the life of his sister, so much so that he even uses Kaylee's life against the captain in order to see to her safety. There's no moral vacillation here: he had to do something, and he did it. Moral ambiguity be damned.
The Shepherd also provides some interesting moral struggles. He knows he has to uphold whichever practices he's sworn oaths for, but yet he finds himself in a situation that calls for some rule bending.
It makes for very interesting viewing. The characters are fragile, uncertain, and imperfect: they're just like regular people.
There is one counter-example to this theme though...
Reavers
The dictionary definition of
'To Reave' is:
To rob, plunder, or pillage. The
Firefly definition is this:
Someone who will "rape us to death, eat our flesh, and sew our skins into their clothing. And if we're very, very lucky, they'll do it in that order." (Zoe - Serenity) Reavers are pure, pure evil. They are beyond redemption. In the Core Systems, they are rumours, myths, legends. On the outer rims, they are a harsh, sickening reality. They are said to be men who, having travelled to the edge of the galaxy to confront the total emptiness of space, have gone mad and lost all humanity. They cut themselves to pieces, and do unspeakable things to any who cross their paths.
The constant threat of Reavers keeps the crew, and us, with a constant, nagging fear. It brings home the harsh realities of space travel.
Things to Take Note of
Some obvious relationship issues have sprung up. There's the obvious tension between Mal and Inara. His conflicted feelings will sour many a moment. There's also Kaylee's attraction to Simon, and Simon's obsessive protectiveness of his sister River.
Then there are the 'I have to work with them' relationships: Mal and Book (Mal is not exactly the church-going kind material), Jayne and Everyone (but we all love Jayne), and Simon and Mal.
I've also noticed comparisons between Kaylee and River in later episodes: keep an eye out and you'll see how these two characters complement each other.
The Jayne Moment of the Week
Jayne: "Testing, testing. Captain, can you hear me?"Mal: "I'm standing right here."Jayne: "You're coming through good and loud."Mal: " 'Cause I'm standing right here."
Next Week
The crew of
Serenity rob a train in true Western style, but face a dilemma when they find out exactly what it is they've stolen. And if you don't love Jayne yet, you will after next week.
Two by two… hands of blue… two by two… hands of blue…
*(Firefly is on Action-X at 19h00 on Wednesdays - repeated at 18h00 on Tuesdays and 16h00 on Sundays).**(All quotes reproduced from WikiQuote (Firefly) under the GNU PL - this quote site contains spoilers).