Firefly

_*****

The crew of the Firefly-class ship Serenity find themselves in need of supplemental income when an Alliance broadcast sullies their would-be business dealings. They are soon forced to choose between the safety of one of their own and the threat of capture when one of their new passengers is revealed as more than he seems.

I was one of the many who was turned off by the original advertising done for Firefly. FOX promoted it with an emphasis on 'cosmic hookers,' and 'a girl in a box,' stating that it was one of the most out-there shows on television, and their ads honestly made the series look like it was meant to be some twisted comedy that I just wasn't understanding. When the series was cancelled shortly thereafter, I just assumed that it was due to the poor concept presented in the commercials, and only too late did I learn just how good the series actually was.

The chemistry between these actors is incredibly good, and it's completely believable that these people have worked together aboard this vessel for a while now. Even in moments where Jayne (Adam Baldwin) mocks Kaylee (Jewel Staite) it's clear that he's doing so in a brotherly fashion, however inappropriate he may be.

The way that both religion and prostitution are handled is done in a very professional manner; neither is shown in an overtly negative or positive light, they are both just shown for what they are to those who are involved. Nathan Fillion's Mal reacts to both in very telling ways; in regards to Shepherd Book (Ron Glass) he is somewhat hostile, due to having lost his faith in God at the end of the war, and toward Companion Inara (Morena Baccarin) he lashes out with veiled insults, due in part to his clear attraction to her and the natural jealousy felt when she openly lays with other men.

Simon (Sean Maher) follows Mal by two steps, and doesn't manage to catch up to him despite the fact that Mal is walking at a brisk pace and Simon is running. There's no reason he couldn't have cut Mal off at the pass, or, better yet, simply revealed to Mal his intentions on board in an attempt to avoid the reveal of his parcel.

400 years in the future, in a society that has grown so mixed that Mandarin is somewhat fluent, I find it hard to believe that there are still so many white people when they likely would have bred into the minority.

Great performances are given by everyone involved, from lead actors, such as Gina Torres (Zoë) and Alan Tudyk as her husband Wash, to the guest actors, notably Mark Sheppard as smuggler Badger. Every actor brings an intensity and knowledge of their character to their role that truly envelops them in to the world we're meant to buy into, and, due in part to the great chemistry between the main cast, the script truly shines.

Creator Joss Whedon directs the pilot episode almost as though it were being seen through the eyes of a documentary film-maker. Whedon is a fantastic visual storyteller who truly understands how to convey the thought processes of his characters through simple camera angles and movements. During the love making of Inara and her client, she, as a companion, has created a fantasy wherein they truly are in love, where anything he wants can happen, and the camera pans above the duo to show them as Inara would have her client see them. The camera closes in on them and the screen blurs momentarily as they climax. When the focus returns, it is clear that they are no longer in the fantasy, and it's an effective visual clue into Inara's state of mind when she's conducting business.

Written also by Whedon, the script is strong and well-paced, the characters are fully-formed creations, and every moment counts.

Dead too soon, Firefly is an insanely re-watchable show, growing to be more than its genre is known for and appealing to a mass variety of people. This is a series with great intelligence, insane charm, and a clever wit that is not often seen on the FOX network.

Firefly is in the running to become the feature for Saturdays. The series ran 2002 on FOX with a total of 14 episodes.