#atozchallenge: [F]irefly

"...we get a mechanic, get her up and runnin' again, hire a good pilot, maybe a cook. Live like real people. Small crew, them as feel the need to be free, take jobs as they come. Ain't never have to be under the heel of nobody ever again. No matter how long the arm of the Alliance might get, we'll just get ourselves a little further." - Malcolm Reynolds, Serenity (pilot)

For those not aware of this spectacular show, Firefly is a space western that takes place in the year 2517 and follows the adventures of the nine members of the crew of the Serenity, a Firefly-class spaceship. Malcolm Reynolds, a veteran on the losing side of a galactic civil war, makes a living for himself and his crew on the outskirts of society as he attempts to continue to stay free of the heavy-handed Alliance control.

The reason you might not have heard of it is that only a couple of episodes aired completely out of order....10 years ago. It's hard to believe it's been that long already. Basically, the network that produced the show tried to kill it as soon as it started. It would have succeeded, too, if Firefly hadn't gained such a cult following among its intensely loyal supporters after the fact.

I'm not a big TV show viewer. I hate most of what's out there and lose interest very quickly in those shows I do take a liking to. Firefly is one of my top favorite shows and has been from the start of the first episode. There is a realness to the characters, along with fantastic plots and a hugely interesting universe to back them up. Everything about each episode is rich and full and well thought-out. It's the genius of Whedon's work (and I'm not exactly a Joss Whedon fan). In a word, Firefly is appealing.

After all, how can you resist a show that inspires this:

The entire first season can be watched on DVD as can its follow-up sequel movie, Serenity, but it's such a shame that there is only one season to be had. I've watched it several times over and, every time I get to the end of the last episode, I heave a disappointed sigh, wish that the network had also been aware of the show's genius, and put in the first episode again. It's that good.

If you haven't seen it, try it. If you have, sound off in the comments - I want some Firefly love in here tonight!


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