Firefly

Ok, so I'm a bit of a Joss Whedon fanboy and any opinion I have has to be taken with a pinch of salt. In my experience it's hard for a die hard fan to express any opinion (about the thing they're a die hard fan of) that can be even remotely comprehended by anyone who isn't themselves a die hard fan. I generally try to avoid the kind of overt bias typical of fanboy writing because it's pointless for most people to read. Nevertheless I can't ignore that after rewatching the first episode of Firefly there is a part of my brain that's just screaming "OMFGWTF!THISISTHEGREATESTSCI-FIPROGRAMEVER!!!". I just needed to get that out of the way.

Admittedly I loved it the first time around, but having gone through a phase of rewatching many of Whedon's shows, I've come to find greater respect for the artistry behind much of his work. If there's one important common element in all of these shows, it's that if you look hard enough, you see the hidden depth of thought beneath the surface. They're very deceptive actually because even the 'surface' is deeper than most shows. It's easy to be fooled into thinking that all the writers' time was spent writing the incredibly witty dialogue, charming characters and on creating interesting set pieces, but they go far beyond that. Firefly is no exception and after (re)watching only one episode I've discovered a greater love for it than ever before.

Well let's start off with the simple stuff. Firefly is witty, exciting and entertaining. The series' film-length premiere was jam-packed full of brilliant one-liners, expansive environments and frequent nail-biting tension. It's easy to think this is just a classic adventure sci-fi akin to something like Star Wars (I would actually go so far as saying it actually does this better). In 83 minutes the pacing never once lets up. We're introduced to a cast of over 10 major characters and 4 completely distinct sets of antagonists (Badger, Patience, The Alliance and the Reavers). In one episode! One episode!! Not once during this time did I feel that any plot-point was contrived or truncated. It all just works.

Now, chances are, that I've already lost you and you've written me off as just another sci-fi geek whose sole idea of excitement is the release of a new issue of his favourite comic book. Well, sadly you'd probably be right there, but I'm going to have to continue anyway. If anything just so that my brain doesn't explode from having to contain all this information.

All this stuff is great. In case you haven't got it already, it's really great. Imagine my glee when, upon rewatching, I realised there was actually more to this than I initially thought. Several core themes hit me much harder this time. Greatest of all is the 'religious' triangle that connects Mal, Book and Inara - Christianity, Far Eastern spirituality and Mal's loss of Christian faith, all clash here. Particularly in Book's initial meeting with Inara and then later as Book breaks down in front of her, both scenes involving Mal's aggressive attacks on the two strong religious figures.

Mal and Inara's relationship is a constant source of really interesting interpersonal dynamics. Their fierce arguments and clear yearning for each other provide endless opportunity not only to serve as the series' core romantic interest (I say 'core' because there are no fewer than 3 interesting romances on board Serenity) but also as important device for exploring these characters. I really didn't believe Whedon could improve on the Buffy-Angel exchange, but I think he's onto a winner here.

There are seeds sown all over the place for seemingly endless exploration. Zoe and Wash's love triangle with Mal, the mysterious and malevolant Alliance, Reavers, Wild West style pioneer culture, Zoe and Mal's involvement in the War, Jayne's potential for betrayal, Simon and Kaylee's romance, River's experience in 'the programme', Book's mysterious past. Seriously, I'm not even covering everything. Once again, I stress that this is ONE episode! Alright, so it's the length of two episodes back-to-back, but still, I can't think of a better series opener. I just can't wait to watch the next one.