Let us start by saying simply that we will not often recommend you to go out and buy something purely on the gospel of our word. However, bear with us on this one and we’ll explain… Our motive, we assure you, will soon be as clear as a covert government subliminal message designed to set off your hidden killer instincts embedded in a Fruity Oaty Bar commercial. 

Sometime in the early 2000’s fabled comic book scribe and cult TV mastermind Joss Whedon had just finished reading the classic Civil War novel by Michael Shaara, ‘The Killer Angels.’  Fresh off the heels of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its moderately successful spin-off series, Angel, Whedon was ready to take on something besides the supernatural.  Being the uber-king geek of coolness that he is, naturally his thoughts turned to science fiction.  Inspired by Shaara’s novel, which focuses largely on the soldiers in the trenches during the War, Whedon has said this about his creative process regarding Firefly:

"I wanted to play with that classic notion of the frontier: not the people who made history, but the people history stepped on -- the people for whom every act is the creation of civilization. Then again, there's also gunfights and action."

With this simple concept, Firefly was born and before long debuted in the fall of 2002.  It followed the path of a war veteran who was on the losing side of a struggle for independence, Malcolm Reynolds.  The short lived series detailed the day to day struggles of he and his crew of motley companions.  Unfortunately it was destined for failure thanks to being mishandled and literally butchered schedule-wise by the FOX network (they aired the premier episode last… ’nuff said).

Quickly becoming known for Whedon’s trademark quirky sense of humor and the

touching storylines, Firefly lived on despite the odds stacked against it.  DVD sales and popularity grew, with the small army of fiercely supportive fans even dubbing themselves ‘Browncoats’, after Reynolds trademark brown duster coat from his military service.  The support grew to monumental proportions, and before long a few major studios smelled more money to be made.  Whedon was soon given the green light to resurrect Firefly as the feature film, Serenity. 

If you haven’t heard of this lost gem in the archives of science fiction, you truly are missing out.  Before dismissing it as another flash-in-the-pan series which wasn’t worth the time slots it was so ungraciously shoved into, take a moment and give our list a read.  You never know… you just might see something you like.  And if you’re a fellow Browncoat already?  Welcome back to Serenity, take a trip down memory lane, and then be on your merry.

Max – Plain and simple, it’s gorgeous and it is fit – the motif of the series.  Being a fan of the genre I’ve seen a spaceship or two, and Serenity is by far one of my favorites.  She’s a Firefly class (you’ll hear this often enough) and everyone in the galaxy knows what they are, but lucky for us Mal and company seem to be the only ones flying one; which in turn makes it just that much cooler (a la the Millennium Falcon).  Throughout the series and the movie you see how Serenity is not only the means by which they live, but also their home.  Trust old Max here; watch a few episodes and it will be yours too.

Jay – Speaking of everyone’s favorite burger shaped space ship, for practically my entire life the Millennium Falcon, Han Solo’s old bucket of bolts, had been the ultimate end-all be-all coolest spacecraft of sci-fi.  Had I been given a choice of any fictional mode of transportation before Firefly came along, it would have been that ship.  And yet… oddly enough, I was swayed from my loyalty to Herr Lucas and his bad-ass ships by one simple thing: a toilet.  Yeah,

Max – I am singling out only two of the ensemble cast in this article.  Truth be told I’d like to go through each and every one and tell you the reasons they work.  But for this articles sake, I’ll stick to Jayne (and later Mal).  Jayne is the definition of the big gun.  His morals stretch only as far as his paychecks.  He is a crude, rude, bad-ass man, and you’ll love his antics. He is the muscle that backs up almost every hero.  Not the brains of course, but don’t underestimate his instincts.  He’s Chewbacca, Vasquez, and Little John with just a touch of the Simpons thrown in for good measure (and he gives pet names to his guns).  At one point in the series you’ll learn how Jayne joined the crew of Serenity and you won’t be able to ask for a more appropriate beginning.  It sets up his entire character perfectly.  Plus, how do you not get a kick out of a huge guy named Jayne?

Jay – At first I thought Jayne was just an asshole.  But then you start to get a real feel for the guy.  Yes, his loyalty is… questionable at best (and typically carries a price tag).  But he’s not really a bad dude.  He’s not evil.  He wants to do the right thing, but just insists there is fair compensation for his actions.  In addition to being the only sci-fi antihero to ever inspire his own folk song, he also owns probably one of the best one-liners of the series, which is delivered after the crew discovers Captain Reynolds knocked unconscious by a traitorous seductress who kissed him with some poison lipstick: “That’s

why I never kiss ’em on the mouth!” he blurts out without any hesitation.  Yeah… that’s Jayne for ya.

Max – Hardcore sci-fi fan?  It does the job.  Trust me, I am one.  So are most people I drop in occasionally to see at two a.m. They love it, I love it, and you’ll love it.  It has the gritty feel of a William Gibson book and the mass appeal of Star Wars.  Perfect combination.  Not much goads me more then a fluffy science fiction universe.  From the first episode you’ll know that’s not what you have here.  You half expect Deckard to show up occasionally looking for Replicants.  We are thrown into a post-galactic war-torn galaxy that still harbors old resentments and you know it.  It’s like the post civil war Wild West, only with technology.  Genius.

Jay – And yet on the other side of the fence, you have the casual, unsuspecting type of fan.  Firefly and Serenity have made history by being one of the first cult sci-fi hits to attract a massive amount of female viewers.  The appeal?  Joss Whedon can write for women.  Don’t ask me how, but the dude has amassed an army of fan-girls who follow his every move.  If you don’t think that’s true, go check out some Buffy or Angel forums on the net.  They’re everywhere.  Trust me guys, this is the gateway drug for women and sci-fi.  In addition to addicting our esteemed contributor, Ms. Slowly, I even introduced my girlfriend to this little gem back when we first started dating.  We’re now a third of the way through the first season of Battlestar Galactica, and she still has sex with me.  How can you beat that?

Max – Liou coe shway duh biao-tze huh hoe-tze fuh ur-tze: (Son of a drooling whore and a monkey).
Huh choo-shang tza-jiao duh tzang-huo: (Animal-fucking bastard).
Jen dao mei: (Just our luck).
Ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng: (Frog-riding bastard).
Chu ni duh: (Screw you).
Gun-hoe-tze-bee-dio-se: (Engage in a feces hurling contest with a monkey).

Look the rest of it up.  You’ll love it.  If by some chance those Commie bastards do end up dominating the world at least the curses will sound cool.

Jay – I have tried and tried to work these into my every day vocabulary.  I just don’t have a good enough memory though.  I do have to give a nod to the word shiny as well here though.  It’s not Chinese, but it’s the Firefly universe (also know as the ’verse) equivalent of cool.  And that’s pretty damn... well... shiny.

Max – So many sci-fi shows come along and rely solely on the ‘good old alien’ to stand against our heroes.  Firefly not only doesn’t use them in that way, it doesn’t use them period!  There is not a single alien in the galaxy.  Even the Reavers (freaky bad guys) are just really screwed up people.  What this show deals with is human emotions, human flaws, and the situations they create in a galaxy full of people.  None of the “of course it must be this new species of aliens being misunderstood” moments.  By far there are too many of those cop outs in the world of sci-fi.  Thankfully Firefly relies on its characters, themes, and human emotions to keep our interest.  A formula that is too often over looked shines brilliantly here.  Jen duh sh tyen tsai.

Jay – Let’s call aliens what they really are in sci-fi: a way for the writers to convey a certain type of message or plot device.  What are the Klingons in Star Trek representing?  Aggression and war.  How about the big-eyed traditional ‘little green men’ type aliens from Close Encounters of the Third Kind?  Tell me they’re not a stand in for the unknown and how man handles what he doesn’t understand.  Drop me in a sci-fi universe and convey important, dramatic themes without

the use of blatantly obvious plot devices in bad makeup?  That’s some damn fine writing.  And really, who doesn’t hate that motherfucking Jar-Jar Binks?

Max – Now don’t get the wrong impression, this shotgun-toting correspondent has never sat for five hours straight and watched a Buffy the Vampire Slayer DVD.  Got it?  Got it!?!  But seriously, my point is that Joss Whedon, the creator of said TV series and our beloved Firefly, deserves some love and respect.  In a world of Ang Lee Hulk movies and Kevin Smith not directing Daredevil for some stupid fucking reason, we must cherish and nurture the people who are doing the subjects we love justice.  And Joss, may Cthulhu bless him, does sci-fi right.  He even did a cheesy show about a teenage vampire slayer right.  Hot chicks, kung fu, vampires, lesbian witches, and a pissed off Billy Idol clone named Spike?  C’mon, let’s give credit where credit is due and keep supporting someone who is obviously a geek like the rest of us- err… you.

Jay – I’m not entirely sure what Max has against Buffy, but he’s got a good point about the rest of this.  Crap sci-fi and comic book movie adaptations are why the genres have a bad name in general.  When’s the last time a science fiction movie won Best Picture?  The answer is never.  It wasn’t even until 2003 that a fantasy genre movie, The Return of the King, finally took the little gold statue home.  And Peter Jackson lost 150 pounds of flesh filming those three movies.  Have you seen him lately?  He’s skin and bones!  What

more do you want, Academy?  Blood?  Joss’s firstborn?!?  Max is right.  Support the guys who take the genre seriously. There’s far too few of them out there, and they help give our fandom more legitimacy every time they work.

Max – Well maybe not mine, but yours.  Mine consist of running out of ammo and figuring out how to harness the power of the sun.  So… yeah, your problems.  Like money.  These people are broke and constantly trying to figure out how to keep up with fuel and repair costs on their boat.  Hmmm, sound like anyone you know with a car?   And love.  Now personally Maximilian Devers thinks love is for sissies.  But, I know all you pussies – err… readers I mean, like to mingle with whatever your chosen attraction is.  And so does the crew of Serenity.   The relationship between Mal and Inara, the on-board companion (read: high priced prostitute) is so beautifully written you’ll find yourself cursing their inability to communicate and probably drawing parallels to your own relationships.  These problems bring it home to you.  They help you put yourself right in Serenity because the trials are so real.  They’re not trying to figure out how to realign a cosmic vortex and upgrade the hyper drive so it matches the brain-wave of the flux capacitor… or… whatever.  They are figuring out how to live in a galaxy that’s stacked against them in nearly every way.  Who can’t relate to that? (You bunch of pussies.)

Jay – This certainly represents one of the broadest appeals of the show.  And good old Whedon manages to do this like no other modern scribe out there… he writes these people flawed, frustrated, and dealing with the same kind of internal and external demons we all do in every day life.  When was the last time you saw the good guys rob a bank only because they needed the money to eat?  Or illegally salvage a government ship because they could find no legitimate work?  And better yet, when was the last time they had to deal with a problem as basic as finding a good fence for their stolen goods?  Hell, Mal ends up backed into such a corner he has to go sell to a buyer who previously shot him… backed into a corner, short on money, short on friends, and feeling lost and without a hope.  We’ve all been there in one way or another…

Max – Okay, second character to get his very own number.  Malcolm Reynolds is truly a fine example of a man.  Don’t get the wrong impression though.  What I mean is he’s the type of man I’d ask to join me in an undisclosed location when The Zombie War starts.  Still sound funny?  Ok, well… he’s just a bad ass then.  That can’t be a misunderstood statement.  He’s a war hero, he’s a knight in shining armor, he’s a jackass, he’s a leader, and he’s who you’d like on your side in a fight.  Mal is, in my humble opinion, one of the best sci-fi captains out there.  He makes mistakes but always ends up on top.  He isn’t unnecessarily cruel, but in the same day can be unbelievably vicious.  He’s a sucker for the underdog or a pretty face, but he’s miles ahead of their schemes, more often than not at least.  Truly he embodies a leader and makes a great headliner for a stellar crew of characters.

Jay – Mal is definitely someone everyone wants to identify with.  The reason why?  He’s got the nards to make the tough decisions.  And I don’t mean ‘should we violate the prime directive for the thirty-second time this season?’ type decisions.  I’m talking full bore, fuck your life up if you choose to do the right thing type dilemmas.  He’s a survivor, born and bred, but he still puts loyalty to his crew before all else.  A down on his luck dude who clings desperately to principles in a world that doesn’t give a damn about honor and respect.  He’s the guy who takes the punch for you, and definitely someone you’d follow into battle.  I’m sorry Max, but I am just going to come right out and admit it, I have a man-crush on Malcolm Reynolds.  Shut up.

Max – You know why Star Trek is so dry?  Because they talk like robots, they act like communists (though not vampires) and they are nothing like anyone you’ve ever met in real life.  Firefly is the opposite.  Every one of the main players is real, flawed people.  They live, they love, and they have their faults.  They are geeks, they are leaders, and they are insecure.  They may just happen to live on a Firefly class transport and occasionally kill people (so their days may be more interesting than mine…) but anyone can watch and relate to at least one of them on a personal level.  You have the tortured captain, the wisecracker who hides insecurity in his humor, the empathetic doctor who can’t separate his duty from his desires, and many more.  The brilliant thing about Firefly is that these characters are us and people we know.  It ties into my previous point, anyone can watch this show and find someone to relate too.  We don’t have a ship full of action heroes.  We ride along with an ensemble of people that we see ourselves in.  Therein lies another piece of the Firefly genius.

Jay – This kind of ties into number four for me, but something that bothers me about most modern sci-fi is that the characters still seem to fall into the typical stereotypes.  Firefly manages to carve out niches for its characters without dropping them into tired old roles.  Even more impressive, it’s done with a full time ensemble cast of nine, where most shows stick to three or four main individuals to follow.  Max speaks the truth… another testament to the show’s superiority.

Max – And that’s all we can hope for at this point.  The movie was made because of outstanding sales of the complete series DVD.  Perhaps if we rally the troops and continue to purchase Firefly merchandise the bastards who control the studios will realize what they really have on their hands: a genuine hit that could potentially live for years in the public eye.  Already some of the key players have been spotted as major talents.  So let’s get out there folks.  I assure you it will quickly become one of your favorites.

Jay – Buy it, watch it, love it, and then share it.  You’re not a Browncoat until you recruit more viewers. And Joss?  Your fans?  We're still out here.  And we want you to remember one thing:  When you can't walk, you crawl.  And when you can't crawl... well... you know the rest.  We’re waiting.