Firefly (TV series)

Firefly
Genre	Space Western Drama
Created by	Joss Whedon
Starring	Nathan Fillion Gina Torres Alan Tudyk Morena Baccarin Adam Baldwin Jewel Staite Sean Maher Summer Glau Ron Glass
Theme music composer	Joss Whedon
Opening theme	"The Ballad of Serenity" performed by Sonny Rhodes
Composer	Greg Edmonson
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	14
Production
Executive producers	Joss Whedon Tim Minear
Producer	Ben Edlund
Cinematography	David Boyd
Editor	Lisa Lassek
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	43–45 minutes
Production companies	Mutant Enemy Productions 20th Century Fox Television
Original release
Network	Fox
Release	September 20 (2002-09-20) – December 20, 2002 (2002-12-20)
Related
Serenity (film) Serenity (comics)

Firefly is an American space Western drama television series, created by writer and director Joss Whedon, under his Mutant Enemy Productions label. Whedon served as an executive producer, along with Tim Minear. The series is set in the year 2517, after the arrival of humans in a new star system, and follows the adventures of the renegade crew of Serenity, a "Firefly-class" spaceship. The ensemble cast portrays the nine characters living aboard Serenity. Whedon pitched the show as "nine people looking into the blackness of space and seeing nine different things."

The show explores the lives of a group of people, some of whom fought on the losing side of a civil war, who make a living on the fringes of society as part of their star system's pioneer culture. The two surviving superpowers, the United States and China, united to form the central federal government, called the Alliance. According to Whedon's vision, "Nothing will change in the future: Technology will advance, but we will still have the same political, moral, and ethical problems as today."

Firefly premiered in the United States on the Fox network on September 20, 2002. By mid-December, it had averaged 4.7 million viewers per episode and was 98th in Nielsen ratings. It was canceled after 11 of the 14 produced episodes were aired. Despite its short run, it received strong sales when it was released on DVD and has large fan support campaigns. It won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2003 for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series. TV Guide ranked it No. 5 on their 2013 list of 60 "shows that were canceled too soon".

The show's post-airing success led Whedon and Universal Pictures to produce Serenity, a 2005 film that continues the story from the series. The Firefly franchise expanded into other media, including comics and two tabletop role-playing games.

Premise

Backstory

The series takes place in the year 2517, on a variety of planets with numerous habitable moons. The TV series does not reveal whether these celestial bodies are within one star system, only saying that Serenity's mode of propulsion through space is a "gravity-drive". Each episode begins with either Book or Captain Reynolds providing the backstory. Book's narration runs as follows:

After the Earth was used up, we found a new solar system, and hundreds of new Earths were terraformed and colonized. The central planets formed the Alliance and decided all the planets had to join under their rule. There was some disagreement on that point. After the war, many of the Independents who had fought and lost drifted to the edges of the system, far from Alliance control. Out here, people struggle to get by with the most basic technologies. A ship would bring you work. A gun would help you keep it. A captain's goal was simple: Find a crew. Find a job. Keep flying.

— Derrial Book, introductory narrative for the show

The film Serenity reveals that the planets and moons are in an extensive system, and production documents related to the film indicate that there is no faster-than-light travel in this universe. The characters occasionally refer to "Earth-that-was", and the film establishes that long before the events in the series, a large population had emigrated from Earth to a new star system in generation ships: "Earth-that-was could no longer sustain our numbers, we were so many." The emigrants established themselves in this new star system, with "dozens of planets and hundreds of moons", and many of these were terraformed, a process that was only the first step in making a planet habitable. The outlying settlements often did not receive support in the construction of their civilizations. This resulted in many border planets and moons having forbidding, dry environments, well-suited to the Western genre.

Synopsis

The show takes its name from the "Firefly-class" spaceship Serenity that the central characters call home. The Firefly-class ships, some 40,000 still in use, is so named for the resemblance to the shape of a firefly, complete with a tail section that lights up during acceleration, analogous to the bioluminescent insect's abdomen. The Serenity was named for the Battle of Serenity Valley, where Sergeant Malcolm Reynolds and Corporal Zoe Alleyne were among the survivors on the losing side. It is revealed in "Bushwhacked" that the Independents' loss at the Battle of Serenity Valley was widely considered as sealing their fate.

The Alliance governs the star system through an organization of core planets, following its success in forcibly unifying all the colonies under one government. DVD commentary suggests that the Alliance is composed of two primary systems, one predominantly Western, the other pan-Asian, explaining the blended linguistic and visual themes of the series. The central planets are firmly under Alliance control, but the outlying planets and moons resemble the American Old West, under little governmental authority. Settlers and refugees on the outlying worlds have relative freedom from the central government but lack the amenities of high-tech civilization found on inner worlds. The outlying areas of space ("the black") are inhabited by the Reavers, a cannibalistic group of nomadic humans.

The captain of Serenity is Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds (Nathan Fillion). The episode "Serenity" establishes that the captain and his first mate Zoe Washburne, née Alleyne (Gina Torres) are veteran "Browncoats" of the Unification War, a failed attempt by the outlying worlds to resist the Alliance. A later episode, "Out of Gas", reveals that Mal bought the spaceship Serenity to travel increasingly distant reaches of space, beyond Alliance control. Much of the crew's work consists of cargo runs or smuggling. In the original pilot, "Serenity", Simon (Sean Maher) joins the crew as a paying passenger, smuggling his sister River Tam (Summer Glau) aboard as cargo. River is a child prodigy whose brain was subjected to Alliance scientists at a secret government institution; she displays symptoms of schizophrenia and often hears voices. It is later revealed that she is a "reader", one who possesses telepathic abilities. Simon gave up a career as an eminent trauma surgeon in an Alliance hospital to rescue her, and they are fugitives. As Whedon states in an episode of a DVD commentary, every show he does is about creating a family. By the last episode, "Objects in Space", the fractured character of River has finally become whole, partly because the others decided to accept her into their "family" on the ship.

Signature show elements

The show blends elements from the space opera and Western genres in a grounded depiction of humanity's future. Firefly takes place in a multi-social future, primarily a fusion of Western and East Asian societies (and in particular those of mainland China), where there is gross class inequality. As a result of the Sino-American Alliance, Mandarin Chinese is a common second language; English-speaking characters in the show frequently curse in Mandarin.

The show features slang not used in contemporary culture, such as adaptations of modern words or new words. "Shiny" is frequently used as the real world slang "cool", and "gorram" is used as a mild swear word. Written and spoken Chinese, as well as Old West dialect, are also employed. As one reviewer noted: "The dialogue tended to be a bizarre purée of wisecracks, old-timey Western-paperback patois, and snatches of Chinese."

Tim Minear and Joss Whedon pointed out two scenes that articulated the show's mood clearly: In the original pilot "Serenity" when Mal is eating with chopsticks with a Western tin cup by his plate; and in "The Train Job" pilot when Mal is thrown out of a holographic bar window. The DVD set's "making-of" documentary explains the distinctive frontispiece of the series (wherein Serenity soars over a herd of horses) as Whedon's attempt to capture "everything you need to understand about the series in five seconds."

Whedon struggled with Fox over the tone of the show, and especially over the character of Malcolm Reynolds. Fox pressured Whedon to make Mal more "jolly", as they feared he was too dark in the original pilot, epitomized by the moment he suggests he might "space" Simon and River, throwing them out of the airlock. Fox was unhappy that the show portrayed "nobodies" who "get squished by policy" instead of actual policymakers.

Cast

Main article: List of Firefly (TV series) characters

Main

Firefly maintained an ensemble cast that portrayed nine crew members and passengers of the ship, Serenity, dealing with criminals and schemers, Alliance security forces, the utterly psychotic and brutal Reavers, and the mysterious men with "hands of blue"—operatives of a secret agency known only as The Blue Sun Corporation. The crew is driven by the need to secure enough income to keep their ship operational while keeping a low profile to avoid their adversaries. Their situation is complicated by the differing motivations of the individuals aboard Serenity; the show's brief run hampered further characterization.

All nine of the main characters appeared in every episode, except "Ariel", from which Book is absent.

• Nathan Fillion as Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds—the owner and captain of Serenity and former Independent sergeant in the Battle of Serenity Valley. Malcolm grew up on a ranch and was raised by his mother and the ranch hands. In the Unification War, he fought as a platoon sergeant in the 57th Overlanders of the Independent Army, the "Browncoats". He is a cunning, capable leader, and a skilled fighter. Mal's primary motivation is a desire for independence. While he is not above petty theft, smuggling, or even killing to maintain his freedom, he is generally honest in his dealings with others, fiercely loyal to his crew, and adheres to a personal code of honor. He is openly antagonistic toward religion as a result of his experiences during the war.
• Gina Torres as Zoe Alleyne Washburne—second-in-command onboard Serenity, a loyal wartime friend of Captain Reynolds, and Wash's wife. Her surname during the Unification War was Alleyne. She was born and raised on a ship and served under Mal during the war as a corporal. Described by her husband as a "warrior woman", she is a capable fighter who keeps calm even in the most dangerous situations. She demonstrates an almost unconditional loyalty to Mal. The only exception noted being her marriage to Wash, which the captain claims was against his orders.
• Alan Tudyk as Hoban "Wash" Washburne—Serenity's pilot and Zoe's husband. Deeply in love with his wife, Wash expresses jealousy over his wife's "war buddy" relationship and unconditional support of their captain, most particularly in the episode "War Stories", in which he confronts Mal even as the two of them are being tortured. He joined pilot training just to see the stars, which were invisible from the surface of his polluted homeworld, and he joined Serenity despite being highly sought after by other ships. He is light-hearted and tends to make amusing comments, despite the severity of any situation.
• Morena Baccarin as Inara Serra—a Companion, which is the 26th century cross between a geisha, and a courtesan or mistress; she rents and works out of one of Serenity's two small shuttles. As a Companion, Inara enjoys high social standing. Her presence confers a degree of legitimacy and social acceptance that the crew of Serenity would not have without her on board. Inara displays great dignity, civility, and compassion. There is strong romantic tension between her and Mal, who share many character traits, but each frequently objects to the other's work as "whoring" or "petty theft", respectively. Both refuse to act on their feelings and attempt to keep their relationship professional.
• Adam Baldwin as Jayne Cobb—a mercenary who first met Mal on the opposite side of a dispute: Mal, while held at gunpoint by Jayne, offered Jayne his own bunk and a higher cut than his current employer, prompting Jayne to switch sides and shoot his then-partners. In the original pilot, "Serenity", he tells Mal that he did not betray him because "The money wasn't good enough." However, he had previously showed reluctance in betraying the captain to an Alliance agent. In "Ariel", he defends betraying Simon and River by claiming he had not intended to betray Mal. He can be depended on in a fight. Occasional hints of intelligence peek through his oafish façade, giving the impression that he acts dumber than he is. Whedon has stated several times that Jayne will ask the questions that no one else wants to. Even though he is a macho character, he has shown a particularly intense fear of Reavers, more so than the rest of the crew. He sends a significant portion of his income to his mother, again suggesting that there is more to his character than what he presents to the rest of the crew.
• Jewel Staite as Kaywinnet Lee "Kaylee" Frye—the ship's mechanic. In the episode "Out of Gas", Kaylee reveals she's had no formal training, but keeps Serenity running with an intuitive gift for the workings of mechanical equipment. Jewel Staite describes Kaylee's character as being wholesome, sweet, and "completely genuine in that sweetness", adding "She loves being on that ship. She loves all of those people. And she is the only one who loves all of them incredibly genuinely." She has a crush on Simon Tam. Kaylee is the heart of the ship; according to creator Joss Whedon, if Kaylee believes something, it is true.
• Sean Maher as Simon Tam—a trauma surgeon of the first caliber (ranked top 3% in his class at a top core-planet institution), who is on the run after breaking his sister River out of a government research facility. The episode "Safe", reveals that he and River had a privileged upbringing with access to the best education. By rescuing River in spite of his father's severe objections, Simon gave up a highly successful future in medicine. His bumbling attempts at a romantic relationship with Kaylee are a recurring subplot throughout the series. At every turn, he unwittingly foils his attempts at romance. His life is defined by caring for his sister.
• Summer Glau as River Tam—smuggled onto the ship by her brother. She is a brilliant, compassionate, and intuitive child prodigy. Experiments and invasive brain surgery at an Alliance secret facility left her delusional, paranoid, and at times violent—though her uncanny ability to seemingly sense things before they happen leaves questions as to where the delusions end and reality begins. The experiments seem to have made her a psychic. The experiments also gave her an innate knack for hand-to-hand combat, and she is capable of killing or incapacitating several opponents with ease. She gets frequent fits of anxiety and experiences post-traumatic flashbacks of her time in the Alliance facility. Her mental instability and uncanny abilities, paired with several erratic and violent acts, are a recurring source of fear and doubt among the crew, especially with Jayne, whom she once slashed with a knife. Jayne frequently requests that River and Simon be taken off the ship.
• Ron Glass as Derrial Book—a Shepherd (equivalent to a pastor). Although presented as a devout Christian, Book has profound, unexplained knowledge about criminal activities, police corruption, and military strategy, tactics, and weapons. In "Safe", he was shown to have sufficient status in the Alliance to receive emergency medical treatment from an Alliance ship. He is also proficient in hand-to-hand combat and the use of firearms. He maintains his objection to violence even during a rescue mission, joining the fight while stating that although the Bible specifically disallows killing, it is "somewhat fuzzier on the subject of kneecaps." Book is a moral guide for Mal and the rest of the crew, a voice of reason, conscience, and spirituality. He also gets along well with the amoral mercenary Jayne, with the two spotting each other while working out using a bench press. His hidden backstory would have been gradually revealed had the series continued but was instead explored in the 2010 comic book The Shepherd's Tale.

Recurring

Despite the series' short run, several recurring characters emerged from the inhabitants of the Firefly universe:

• Mark Sheppard as Badger—an established smuggling middleman on the planet Persephone. He provided jobs for Serenity on at least two occasions. In the DVD commentary for the episode "Serenity", it was revealed that this part was initially written with Whedon himself playing the role. Badger appeared in the original pilot "Serenity" and in "Shindig", with a return in the comic book series Serenity: Those Left Behind.
• Michael Fairman as Adelai Niska—a criminal kingpin with a reputation for violent reprisals, including severe, prolonged torture against those who fail him or even irritate him. He appeared in "The Train Job" and "War Stories".
• Christina Hendricks as "Saffron"—a con artist whose real name is unknown. She first appeared in the episode "Our Mrs. Reynolds" as Mal's involuntarily acquired wife. She has a habit of marrying her marks in the process of scamming them. She returns in the episode "Trash", where Mal jokingly addresses her as "YoSaffBridge", from the three of her aliases known within the show: "Yolanda", "Saffron", and "Bridget".
• Jeff Ricketts and Dennis Cockrum as "The Hands of Blue"–two unnamed men wearing suits and blue gloves who pursue River, apparently to return her to the institute from which she escaped, as shown in "The Train Job", "Ariel", and the Serenity: Those Left Behind comic. They kill anyone, including Alliance personnel, who had contact with her, using a mysterious hand-held device that causes fatal hemorrhaging in anyone at whom it is aimed. River, during anxiety attacks or psychological meltdowns, has repeated the phrase "Two by two/hands of blue" in a way that resembles poetic meter. This suggests that River has had close experience(s) with them.

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	U.S. viewers (millions)
1	"Serenity"	Joss Whedon	Joss Whedon	December 20, 2002 (2002-12-20)	1AGE79	4.16
Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds and his crew aboard Serenity illegally salvage goods from a derelict ship. Because the Alliance marked the goods, and an Alliance ship spotted an obsolete Firefly-class freighter leaving the scene, Mal's fence Badger refuses to handle the goods and Mal has to sell elsewhere. To make extra money, the crew picks up passengers: Shepherd Book, Simon Tam and Lawrence Dobson. En route to the new buyer, Patience, Dobson turns out to be an undercover Alliance agent tracking Simon. Dobson attempts to arrest Simon, but he is taken prisoner. Simon reveals that his genius sister River Tam, hidden in his luggage, was experimented on by the Alliance and that he is trying to smuggle her to safety. Patience tries to rob Mal, but he takes the payment after a shootout. Lawrence escapes and holds River hostage, but Mal shoots him and offers Simon and River haven aboard Serenity.
2	"The Train Job"	Joss Whedon	Joss Whedon & Tim Minear	September 20, 2002 (2002-09-20)	1AGE01	6.20
Crime lord Adelai Niska hires the crew to rob a train of unspecified goods. The crew can transfer the goods to Serenity flying above, but Mal and Zoe Washburne are forced to stay behind on the train. They learn that they have stolen medicine desperately needed by the locals. The crew argues whether they should deliver the goods to Niska. Ultimately, they decide to rescue Mal and Zoe first through subterfuge. Mal decides to return the medicine. However, Niska's thugs track them down. After killing some of them and capturing the rest, Mal and Zoe take medicine to those in need of it and refund Niska's money.
3	"Bushwhacked"	Tim Minear	Tim Minear	September 27, 2002 (2002-09-27)	1AGE02	5.47
The crew discovers a derelict ship that was attacked by Reavers and take aboard the sole survivor. Shortly after, an Alliance cruiser orders Serenity to dock to it. Simon and River hide to avoid capture. The rest of the crew are interrogated. Refusing to believe in the existence of Reavers, the Alliance's Commander Harken decides that the crew will be charged with attacking the ship and murdering its settler passengers. However, the survivor kills some of the Alliance crew and escapes back to Serenity. Mal convinces Harken to let him help find the survivor. Mal kills the survivor, saving Harken's life in the process, and the crew is released.
4	"Shindig"	Vern Gillum	Jane Espenson	November 1, 2002 (2002-11-01)	1AGE03	4.28
Inara Serra is hired by Atherton Wing, one of her regular clients, and accompanies him to a formal dance. Badger hires Mal to meet a contact at the same dance and try to set up a smuggling job. When Mal hits Atherton for the way he treats Inara, Mal finds he has unknowingly challenged Atherton to a duel with swords. Atherton is a skilled swordsman and duelist. Inara tries to teach Mal how to use a sword overnight. Despite all expectations, Mal wins the duel. The contact, who personally dislikes Atherton, agrees to hire the crew to smuggle cattle to the Rim.
5	"Safe"	Michael Grossman	Drew Z. Greenberg	November 8, 2002 (2002-11-08)	1AGE04	4.68
The crew delivers cattle to the Rim, but Book is gravely injured when they are stuck in the middle of a shootout. At the same time, Simon and River Tam are kidnapped by locals while sightseeing in town. Mal chooses to leave the Tams behind to seek help for Book. Desperate, they turn to an Alliance ship. At first hostile, the Alliance officer they speak to provides medical aid after seeing Book's ID. Meanwhile, the kidnappers belong to a community in desperate need of an actual doctor, and Simon tentatively hopes he has found a haven for himself and River. However, the religious residents believe River is a witch and attempt to burn her at the stake. Serenity returns just in time to rescue the siblings. When Simon asks Mal why he came back, the captain tells Simon that he and River are part of the crew.
6	"Our Mrs. Reynolds"	Vondie Curtis Hall	Joss Whedon	October 4, 2002 (2002-10-04)	1AGE05	4.87
After completing a job for a small settlement, during the ensuing celebration, Mal learns that he inadvertently married a young woman called Saffron, part of the payment. Although Mal insists they are not married, Saffron is determined to fulfill a subservient wife's role. Saffron is not what she appears to be. She later knocks Mal out, locks the ship into a course for murderous ship scrappers, and flees in a shuttle. The crew barely escapes.
7	"Jaynestown"	Marita Grabiak	Ben Edlund	October 18, 2002 (2002-10-18)	1AGE06	4.30
The crew lands on a planet to meet a contact. Although Jayne Cobb insists he is wanted there, they are dumbfounded to learn that the locals revere him as a folk hero. Mal attempts to use Jayne's status as a distraction to move smuggled goods across town. However, Magistrate Higgins releases Jayne's former accomplice Stitch Hessian, whom Jayne abandoned years ago during a botched robbery and now seeks revenge. Stitch publicly confronts Jayne, revealing what the townspeople believe happened to be false. Stitch shoots, but a villager jumps in front of Jayne and dies. Jayne kills Stitch and urges the townspeople to stop viewing him as a hero. Serenity is "land-locked" by Higgins' order to try to capture Jayne. Higgins' 26-year-old son Fess, encouraged by Inara to stand up for himself after losing his virginity to her, as paid for by Magistrate Higgins, orders the unlocking of the ship, and Serenity departs.
8	"Out of Gas"	David Solomon	Tim Minear	October 25, 2002 (2002-10-25)	1AGE07	4.38
An explosion in the engine room leaves Serenity with the engine and the life support system and its backup all out of commission. With only a few hours of oxygen left, Mal has the crew leave in the two shuttles while he remains aboard and hopes to contact a passing ship. In a series of flashbacks, Mal convinces Zoe, Jayne, Inara, Hoban Washburne, and Kaylee Frye to join his crew. In the present, Mal can hail a ship and secure the part needed to fix the engine, though he is shot by another crew when they prove to have less than pure motives. Mal's crew returns to Serenity in time to save his life.
9	"Ariel"	Allan Kroeker	Jose Molina	November 15, 2002 (2002-11-15)	1AGE08	4.49
While waiting on the Core planet Ariel, Simon hires the crew to help him smuggle River into a local hospital for a thorough diagnostic. In return, he will tell them how to loot the hospital for valuable medicine. Once inside, Jayne attempts to turn in Simon and River for the reward. However, the Alliance officer arrests Jayne as well to keep the bounty for himself. The crew escapes, but Mal realizes that Jayne betrayed Simon and River. Mal arranges for Jayne to suffocate when Serenity leaves the planet's atmosphere, but then lets him live when he shows remorse.
10	"War Stories"	James Contner	Cheryl Cain	December 6, 2002 (2002-12-06)	1AGE09	3.85
Angry that Zoe and Mal have an unshakeable bond as war veterans, her husband Wash demands to take her place on a seemingly routine mission. Mal begrudgingly allows Wash to go along. They are captured by Niska, out to restore his reputation after they failed to complete the robbery he commissioned in "The Train Job". Zoe has only enough money to ransom one of them. She unhesitatingly chooses Wash. The crew band together to rescue Mal.
11	"Trash"	Vern Gillum	Ben Edlund & Jose Molina	July 21, 2003 (2003-07-21) (UK)	1AGE12	N/A
When Saffron crosses paths with Mal again, she asks him to help her rob a precious antique weapon from a wealthy man. Once Mal and Saffron are inside, they are discovered, and it is revealed that the man is married to Saffron. Although the man seems initially oblivious, he is aware of Saffron's true nature and called the authorities. Mal and Saffron escape, but Saffron betrays Mal, stranding him naked in the desert, and tries to pick up the weapon. However, Inara gets there first. She leaves Saffron locked up in a storage container for the authorities, and the crew escapes with the weapon.
12	"The Message"	Tim Minear	Joss Whedon & Tim Minear	July 28, 2003 (2003-07-28) (UK)	1AGE13	N/A
Mal and Zoe receive in the mail the body of Tracey, a comrade-in-arms who fought with them at the Battle of Du-Khang, and they attempt to honor his recorded wish to be returned home. However, a corrupt Alliance officer demands they turn over the body and the goods the soldier was smuggling. While searching the body for clues, they learn that Tracey is still alive and is smuggling organs. Tracey had double-crossed his employers, but they killed his new buyer. Mal is ultimately forced to kill him to protect the crew, and Book blackmails the officer into leaving. Mal and Zoe take Tracey's body home to his family.
13	"Heart of Gold"	Thomas J. Wright	Brett Matthews	August 4, 2003 (2003-08-04) (UK)	1AGE10	N/A
Nandi, an old friend of Inara's and a former Companion, runs an unlicensed bordello on a barren planet. The bordello is frequently patronized by Rance Burgess, a tyrannical ruler who keeps the community excessively poor so that he can govern it as a cowboy. Burgess, whose wife is infertile, believes a pregnant prostitute named Petaline is carrying his child. With Burgess promising to take the child once it is born, Nandi contacts Inara and asks her if the Serenity crew can help defend her establishment. Mal agrees, but upon arrival realizes that Burgess' cavalry is too powerful to fight and advises Nandi and her working girls to leave the planet immediately. Nandi refuses to lose her establishment to Burgess, and her resolve impresses Mal enough to encourage the crew to stay and fight Burgess. Nandi and Mal sleep together, and Petaline's child is born. Although Inara is outwardly pleased that Mal has put his intimacy issues aside, secretly she is heartbroken that her attraction is unrequited. With the help from the crew, Burgess's forces are defeated, and Petaline kills Burgess, but Nandi is killed in battle. Later, Inara confesses to Mal that she wants to leave Serenity.
14	"Objects in Space"	Joss Whedon	Joss Whedon	December 13, 2002 (2002-12-13)	1AGE11	4.08
River telepathically hears the crewmembers' innermost feelings. When she picks up a gun in Serenity's cargo bay (which she perceives as a tree branch), the others discuss if she's too dangerous to be kept aboard. Bounty hunter Jubal Early sneaks aboard the ship, intent on claiming the bounty set for River and Simon. Early incapacitates the crew and forces Simon to help him locate River, who has seemingly vanished. While searching the ship, Early recites existential philosophy, claiming to not be evil, simply incentivized to do what is necessary. River's voice appears on the PA system, claiming that River melted and fused with Serenity. Early is disbelieving, but the voice is omniscient, knowing extensive details of Early's delinquent behaviour. The voice muses that Early enjoys violence and is not merely incentivized to be violent. Secretly, the voice individually mobilizes the crew in a plot to force Early off the ship. Early realizes River has snuck aboard his own spacecraft. River tells him she will go willingly. Heading back to his craft to join her, Early is ambushed by Mal, who pushes him away into space – carrying out River’s plan. River is embraced by the crew. Early floats alone in space.

Production

Origin

Whedon developed the concept for the show after reading The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara chronicling the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. He wanted to follow people who had fought on the losing side of a war, their experiences afterward as pioneers and immigrants on the outskirts of civilization, much like the post-American Civil War era of Reconstruction and the American Old West. He intended the show to be "a Stagecoach kind of drama with a lot of people trying to figure out their lives in a bleak pioneer environment". Whedon wanted to develop a show about the tactile nature of life, a show where existence was more physical and more difficult. Whedon also read a book about Jewish partisan fighters in World War II. Whedon wanted to create something for television that was more character-driven and gritty than most modern science fiction. Television science fiction, he felt, had become too pristine and rarefied. Whedon wanted to give the show a name that indicated movement and power and felt that "Firefly" had both. This powerful word's relatively insignificant meaning, Whedon felt, added to its allure. He eventually created a ship in the image of a firefly.

Format

During the pilot episode filming, Whedon was still arguing with Fox that the show should be displayed in widescreen format. Whedon filmed scenes with actors on the edge of both sides so that they could only be shown in widescreen. This led to a few scenes on the DVD (and later Blu-ray) where objects or setups that were not visible in the original 4:3 broadcasts were displayed—such as the scene in the pilot where Wash mimes controlling the ship with a non-existent yoke. The Fox executives rejected the pilot, who felt that it lacked action and that the captain was too "dour". They also disliked a scene in which the crew backed down to a crime boss since the scene implied the crew was "being nothing". Fox told Whedon on a Friday afternoon that he had to submit a new pilot script on Monday morning or the show would not be picked up. Whedon and Tim Minear closeted themselves for the weekend to write what became the new pilot, "The Train Job". At the direction of Fox, they added "larger than life" characters such as the henchman "Crow" and the "hands of blue" men, who also introduced an X-Files-type ending.

For the new pilot, Fox made it clear that they would not air the episodes in widescreen. Whedon and company felt they had to "serve two masters" by filming widescreen for eventual DVD release but keeping objects in-frame so it could still work when aired in pan and scan full frame. To obtain an immersive and immediate feel, the episodes were filmed in a documentary style with hand-held cameras, giving them the look of "found footage", with deliberately mis-framed and out-of-focus subjects. As Whedon related: "don't be arch, don't be sweeping—be found, be rough and tumble and docu[mentary] and you-are-there". Computer-generated scenes mimicked the motion of a hand-held camera; the style was not used when shooting scenes that involved the central government, the Alliance. Tracking and steady cameras were used to show the sterility of this aspect of the Firefly universe. Another style employed was lens flares harking back to 1970s television. The need for this particular style resulted in the director of photography (David Boyd) favoring cheaper lenses over cutting-edge equipment. Firefly portrays space as silent, as sounds cannot be transmitted in the vacuum of space.

Set design

The spacecraft Serenity was digitally rendered by special effects house Zoic Studios. The shape was inspired by the shape of the firefly insect, and its tail section lights up in imitation of it.

Production designer Carey Meyer built the ship Serenity in two parts (one for each level) as a complete set with ceilings and practical lighting installed, as part of the set that the cameras could use along with moveable parts. The two-part set also allowed the second unit to shoot in one section while the actors and first unit worked undisturbed in the other. As Whedon recalled: "you could pull it away or move something huge so that you could get in and around everything. That meant the environment worked for us and there weren't a lot of adjustments that needed to be made". This design allowed the viewers to feel they were really in a ship. For Whedon, the design of the ship was crucial in defining the known space for the viewer and that there were not "fourteen hundred decks and a holodeck and an all-you-can-eat buffet in the back." He wanted to convey that it was utilitarian and "beat-up but lived-in. Ultimately, it was home." Each room represented a feeling or character, usually conveyed by the paint color. He explains that the colors and mood progress from extremely warm to cooler, as you move from the back of the ship in the engine room, toward the front of the ship to the bridge. Besides evoking a mood associated with the character who spends the most time in each area, the color scheme also alludes to the heat generated in the ship's tail. Whedon was keen on using vertical space; having the crew quarters accessible by ladder was important. The set design allowed the actors to stay in the moment and interact, without having to stop after each shot and set up for the next, helping contribute to the documentary style Whedon aimed for.

The set had several influences, including the sliding doors and tiny cubicles reminiscent of Japanese hotels. Artist Larry Dixon has noted that the cargo bay walls are "reminiscent of interlaced, overlapping Asian designs, cleverly reminding us of the American-Chinese Alliance setting while artistically forming a patterned plane for background scale reference." Dixon has also remarked on how the set design contributed to the storytelling through the use of color, depth, composition, lighting, as well as its use of diagonals and patterned shadows.

Their small budget was another reason to use the ship for much of the storytelling. When the characters did leave the ship, the worlds all had Earth atmosphere and coloring because the production team could not afford to design alien worlds. "I didn't want to go to Yucca Flats every other episode and transform it into Bizarro World by making the sky orange", recalled Whedon. As Meyer recalled: "I think in the end the feel was that we wound up using a lot of places or exteriors that just felt too Western and we didn't necessarily want to go that way; but at some point, it just became the lesser of two evils—what could we actually create in three days?"

Music

Firefly
Soundtrack album by Greg Edmonson, Joss Whedon
Released	November 8, 2005 (2005-11-08)
Genre	Classical, Country
Length	60:15
Label	Varèse Sarabande

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	/
SoundtrackNet

Greg Edmonson composed the musical score for the series. He stated that he wrote for the emotion of the moment. A reviewer stated that he also wrote for the characters: "Edmonson has developed a specialized collection of musical symbolism for the series." To help illustrate the collection, the reviewer gave leitmotifs, or "signatures", various names, noting that "Serenity" recalls the theme of the show and is used when they return to the ship, or when they were meeting in secret; it was "the sound of their home". The slide guitar and fiddle used in this piece are portable instruments that fit the lifestyle of the crew: "the music they make calls up tunes played out in the open, by people who were hundreds of miles away yesterday. 'Serenity' conjures the nomadic lifestyle the crew leads and underlines the western aspect of the show." Another emotional signature was "Sad Violin" used at the end of the Battle of Serenity Valley but also to set up the joke when Mal tells Simon that Kaylee is dead in the episode "Serenity". The most memorable use of "Sad Violin" is at the end of "The Message", when the crew mourned the death of Tracey. This was also the last scene of the last episode the actors shot, and so this was seen by them and Edmonson, as Firefly's farewell. To denote danger, "Peril" was used, which is "a low pulse, like a heartbeat, with deep chimes and low strings". The reviewer also noted character signatures. The criminal Niska has a signature: Eastern European or Middle Eastern melodies over a low drone. Simon and River's signature was a piano played sparsely with a violin in the background. This contrasts with the portable instruments of "Serenity": the piano is an instrument that cannot be easily moved and evokes the image of "the distant house and family they both long for." The signatures were mostly established in the first pilot, "Serenity", and helped enhance the narrative.

In every episode, the musical score intensified my experience of this intelligent, remarkable show. Using and combining all these signatures, Greg Edmonson brought out aspects of Firefly's story and characters that were never explicitly revealed in the other elements of the series.

Whedon's use of music in his television shows has been regarded as "filmic", as during pivotal moments the music reminds viewers of earlier events, resulting in a tighter continuity throughout the season.

The musical score expressed the social fusion depicted in the show. Cowboy guitar blended with Asian influence produced the atmospheric background for the series. As one reviewer stated:

Old music from the future—the music of roaring campfires and racous [sic] cowboys mixed with the warm, pensive sounds of Asian culture and, occasionally, a cold imperial trumpet, heralding the ominous structural presence of a domineering government. Completely thrilling.
—Steve Townsley

The show's theme song, "The Ballad of Serenity", was written by Joss Whedon and performed by Sonny Rhodes. Whedon wrote the song before the series was greenlit, and a preliminary recording performed by Whedon can be found on the DVD release. The soundtrack to the series was released on CD on November 8, 2005, by Varèse Sarabande. Fox Music released a 40-minute soundtrack in September 2005 as a digital EP. "The Ballad of Serenity" was used by NASA as the wake-up song for astronaut Robert L. Behnken and the other crewmembers of STS-130 on February 12, 2010.

Track listing (tracks 1–17 appear in both the digital and CD releases)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Firefly — Main Title"	0:52
2.	"Big Bar Fight" (from "The Train Job")	1:56
3.	"Heart of Gold Montage" (from "Heart of Gold")	2:10
4.	"Whitefall/Book" (from "Serenity", "The Message")	2:20
5.	"Early Takes Serenity" (from "Objects in Space")	2:36
6.	"The Funeral" (from "The Message")	2:36
7.	"River's Perception/Saffron" (from "Objects in Space", "Our Mrs. Reynolds")	2:14
8.	"Mal Fights Niska/Back Home" (from "War Stories", "Shindig")	1:54
9.	"River Tricks Early" (from "Objects in Space")	3:30
10.	"River Understands Simon" (from "Safe")	2:04
11.	"Leaving/Caper/Spaceball" (from "Trash", "Objects in Space", "Bushwhacked")	2:39
12.	"River's Afraid/Niska/Torture" (from "Ariel", "The Train Job", "War Stories")	3:21
13.	"In My Bunk/Jayne's Statue/Boom" (from "War Stories", "Jaynestown", "Bushwhacked")	2:28
14.	"Inara's Suite" (from "The Train Job", "Serenity", "War Stories")	3:29
15.	"Out of Gas/Empty Derelict" (from "Out of Gas", "Bushwhacked")	1:50
16.	"Book's Hair/Ready for Battle" (from "Jaynestown", "Heart of Gold")	1:59
17.	"Tears/River's Eyes" (from "Serenity", "Objects in Space")	1:59
18.	"Cows/New Dress/My Crew" (from "Safe", "Shindig")	2:11
19.	"Boarding the Serenity/Derelict" (from "War Stories", "Bushwhacked")	2:02
20.	"Burgess Kills/Captain & Ship" (from "Heart of Gold", "Out of Gas")	3:26
21.	"Saved/Isn't Home?/Reavers" (from "Out of Gas", "The Train Job", "Serenity")	2:55
22.	"Reavers Chase Serenity" (from "Serenity")	3:22
23.	"River's Dance" (from "Safe")	1:50
24.	"Inside the Tam House" (from "Safe")	2:22
25.	"Dying Ship/Naked Mal" (from "Out of Gas", "Trash")	2:10

Casting

(From left to right, top to bottom) Ron Glass, Summer Glau, Alan Tudyk, Sean Maher, Adam Baldwin, Jewel Staite, Morena Baccarin, and Nathan Fillion: eight of the nine main actors in 2005 (not pictured: Gina Torres)

The series was picked up in December 2001, and casting started in January 2002. In casting his nine-member crew, Whedon looked first at the actors and considered their chemistry with others. Cast member Sean Maher recalls, "So then he just sort of put us all together, and I think it was very quick like right out of the gate, we all instantly bonded." All nine cast members were chosen before filming began; while making the original pilot "Serenity", Whedon decided that Rebecca Gayheart was unsuitable for the role of Inara Serra, and shot her scenes in singles so that it would be easier to replace her. Morena Baccarin auditioned for the role and two days later was on the set in her first television show. "Joss brought me down from the testing room like a proud dad, holding my hand and introducing me", Baccarin recalled.

Whedon approached Nathan Fillion to play the lead role of Malcolm Reynolds; after Whedon explained the premise and showed him the treatment for the pilot, Fillion was eager for the role. Fillion was called back several times to read for the part before he was cast. He noted that "it was really thrilling. It was my first lead, and I was pretty nervous, but I really wanted that part, and I wanted to tell those stories." Fillion later said he was "heartbroken" when he learned the series had been canceled. Fillion has called his time on Firefly the best acting job he ever had, and compares every job he has had to it.

Alan Tudyk applied through a casting office and several months later was called in for an audition, where he met with Whedon. He was called back to test with two candidates for the role of Zoe (Wash's wife) and was told that it was down to him and one other candidate. The Zoes he tested with were not selected (Gina Torres eventually received the role), and Tudyk was sent home but received a call informing him he had the part anyway. His audition tape is included in the special features of the DVD release.

Gina Torres, a veteran of several science fiction/fantasy works (Cleopatra 2525, The Matrix Reloaded, Alias, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys), was at first uninterested in doing another science fiction show but "was won over by the quality of the source material". As she recalled, "you had these challenged characters inhabiting a challenging world, and that makes for great storytelling. And no aliens!"

For Adam Baldwin, who grew up watching westerns, the role of Jayne Cobb was particularly resonant.

Canadian actress Jewel Staite videotaped her audition from Vancouver and was asked to come to Los Angeles to meet Whedon, at which point she was cast for the role of Kaylee Frye, the ship's engineer. She was asked to put on weight for the role.

Sean Maher recalls reading for the part and liking the character of Simon Tam, but that it was Whedon's personality and vision that "sealed the deal" for him. Neil Patrick Harris also read for the part of Simon.

For the role of Simon's sister, River Tam, Whedon called in Summer Glau for an audition and test the same day. Glau had first worked for Whedon in the Angel episode "Waiting in the Wings". Two weeks later, Whedon called her to tell her she had the part.

Veteran television actor Ron Glass has said that until Firefly, he had not experienced or sought a science-fiction or western role. Still, he fell in love with the pilot script and the character of Shepherd Book.

Production staff

Whedon selected Tim Minear to be the show runner, who serves as the head writer and production leader. According to Whedon, "[Minear] understood the show as well as any human being, and just brought so much to it that I think of it as though he were always a part of it." Many of the other production staff were people Whedon had worked with in the past, except the director of photography David Boyd, who was the "big find" and who was "full of joy and energy".

The writers were selected after interviews and script samplings. Among the writers were José Molina, Ben Edlund, Cheryl Cain, Brett Matthews, Drew Z. Greenberg and Jane Espenson. Espenson wrote an essay on the writing process with Mutant Enemy Productions. A meeting is held and an idea is floated, generally by Whedon, and the writers brainstorm to develop the central theme of the episode and the character development. Next, the writers (except the one working on the previous week's episode) meet in the anteroom to Whedon's office to begin breaking the story into acts and scenes. One of the key components to devising acts for the team is deciding where to break for commercial and ensuring the viewer returns. "Finding these moments in the story help give it shape: think of them as tentpoles that support the structure." For instance, in "Shindig", the break for commercial occurs when Malcolm Reynolds is gravely injured and losing the duel. "It does not end when Mal turns the fight around when he stands victorious over his opponent. They're both big moments, but one of them leaves you curious, and the other doesn't."

Next, the writers develop the scenes onto a marker-filled whiteboard, featuring "a brief ordered description of each scene". A writer is selected to create an outline of the episode's concept—occasionally with some dialogue and jokes—in one day. The outline is given to showrunner Tim Minear, who revises it within a day. The writer uses the revised outline to write the first draft of the script while the other writers develop the next. This first draft is usually submitted for revision within three to fourteen days; afterward, a second and sometimes third draft is written. After all modifications are made, the final draft would be produced as the "shooting draft".

Costume

Jill Ohanneson, Firefly's original costume designer, brought on Shawna Trpcic as her assistant for the pilot. When the show was picked up, Ohanneson was involved in another job and declined Firefly, suggesting Trpcic for the job.

The costumes were chiefly influenced by World War II, the American Civil War, the American Old West, and 1861 samurai Japan. Trpcic used deep reds and oranges for the main cast to express a feeling of "home" and contrasted that with grays and cool blues for the Alliance. Since the characters were often getting shot, Trpcic would make up to six versions of the same costume for multiple takes.

• For River, mostly jewel tones were used to set her apart from the rest of the Serenity crew. River had boots to contrast with the soft fabrics of her clothes, "because that's who she is—she's this soft, beautiful, sensitive girl, but with this hardcore inner character", recalled Trpcic.
• Дизайнеры также хотели противопоставить Саймона, брата Ривер, с остальной частью команды. Принимая во внимание, что они были одеты в хлопок, Саймон носил шерсть, жесткие ткани, атлас и шелк. Первоначально он был «денди», но по мере продвижения шоу он слегка ослабился.
• Для Кейли TRPCIC изучал японскую и китайскую молодежь, так как первоначально персонаж был азиатом. Другими вдохновляющими для костюмов Кейли были плакаты Коммунистики Рози и китайские коммунистические плакаты.
• Костюмы Инары отражают ее высокий статус и очень женственны и привлекательны.
• TRPCIC разработал и создал одежду для незначительного персонажа Барсука с учетом Джосса Уэдона, так как он намеревался сыграть эту роль. Когда Марк Шеппард сыграл эту роль, он мог вписаться в одежду, сделанную для Уэдона.
• Для альянса, помимо серых и прохладных блюзов, TRPCIC имел в виду нацистскую Германию , но смешала его с разными войнами, поскольку первыми набросками были «слишком нацистские». Форма солдат альянса взяты из фильма « Солдаты кинозвезды» 1997 года .
• В комментарии к пилотному эпизоду Уэдон отмечает, что «плохие парни носят шляпы, хорошие парни этого не делают».

Несоответствующие эпизоды

С момента отмены серии различные актеры и члены экипажа раскрыли подробности, которые они запланировали для будущего шоу:

• У Алана Тудика была идея для эпизода о планете, которая всегда состоит из одной стороны и ночи на другой . На ночной стороне Джейн случайно проливает тип феромона на себя и экипажа, который привлекает многих собак. Экипаж преследует на корабль этими собаками. Там Ривер использует свои способности разума, чтобы одомашнить собак.
• Адам Болдуин хотел сделать эпизод, в котором Джейн идет против Мала в качестве капитана своего корабля.
• Тим Минор раскрыл секрет шприца Инары, как видно в пилотном эпизоде ; Она заражена смертельной болезнью. Был бы эпизод, в котором Рейерс изнасиловал ее. Поскольку она вводила себя шприцем, все ревей на корабле умирают.
• Согласно Натану Филлиону, был эпизод, в котором экипаж приземляется на умирающей планете. Жители пытаются украсть безмятежность после объяснения команде об их необходимости выйти с планеты. Проблема в том, что, если они не будут столкнуться с другим кораблем по пути, с дополнительными пассажирами, безмятежность не будет достаточно топлива и кислорода, чтобы добраться до ближайшего пункта назначения. В то время как все остальные спят, Мал сама берет корабль и обнаруживает, что помощь никогда бы не пришла.

История вещания

Firefly состоит из двухчасовых пилотных и тринадцати одночасовых эпизодов (с рекламными роликами). Первоначально премьера сериала состоялась в Соединенных Штатах на FOX в сентябре 2002 года в пятницу вечером . Три эпизода, в том числе оригинальный пилот, были выведены из производственного заказа. Хотя Уэдон разработал шоу для работы в течение семи лет, Низкие рейтинги привели к отмене Fox в декабре 2002 года после того, как в Соединенных Штатах выступили только 11 из 14 завершенных эпизодов. Три эпизода, не подлежащие выходу из -за Фокса, в конечном итоге дебютировали в 2003 году на канале SCI FI в Великобритании. До отмены некоторые фанаты, обеспокоенные низкими рейтингами, сформировали онлайн -кампанию немедленной помощи онлайн , целью которой было поддержать производство шоу, отправив в открытки в Fox. После того, как он был отменен, кампания работала над тем, чтобы получить еще одну сеть, такую ​​как UPN, чтобы забрать серию. Кампания была безуспешной в обеспечении продолжения шоу.

AV Club процитировал несколько действий Fox Network, которые способствовали провалу шоу, в частности, выпустив эпизоды из последовательности, что затрудняет следовать сюжет. Двойной эпизод «Серенити» был предназначен как премьера , и поэтому содержал большую часть представлений персонажа и назад . Фокс решил, что «безмятежность» была непригодной для открытия сериала, и «работа поезда» была специально создана, чтобы выступить в качестве нового пилота. Кроме того, Firefly был пропагандирован как комедия действия, а не более серьезное исследование характера, которое было предназначено, и в торговой бумаге Showbiz разнообразие было отмечено решение Fox, чтобы иногда предотвратить шоу для спортивных мероприятий.

Fox Remasters The Complete Series в 1080i High Definition для трансляции на Universal HD , которая началась в апреле 2008 года.

12 марта 2009 года сериал стал победителем первых ежегодных премий Hulu в категории «показывает, что мы вернем».

Научный канал начал транслировать сериал 6 марта 2011 года. Все эпизоды транслировались в предполагаемом порядке, в том числе эпизоды «мусор», «Сообщение» и «Сердце золота», которые не были переданы в оригинальной серии Fox Series. Наряду с каждым эпизодом, доктор Мичио Каку предоставил комментарии о реальной науке, стоящей за научной фантастикой шоу.

Домашние средства массовой информации

Бокс -сет, содержащий 14 завершенных эпизодов (включая те, которые еще не транслировались в Соединенных Штатах), был выпущен на DVD региона 1 9 декабря 2003 года; Регион 2 19 апреля 2004 года; и регион 4 2 августа 2004 года. В коробке представлены эпизоды в оригинальном порядке, в котором продюсеры шоу предназначались для их трансляции, а также семи комментариев эпизодов, отрывок и других функций. DVD -диски имеют эпизоды, так как они были сняты в широкоэкране 16: 9 , с анаморфическими трансферами и звуком Dolby . К сентябрю 2005 года его релиз DVD продал около 500 000 экземпляров.

Серия была переиздана на диск Blu-ray 11 ноября 2008 года, состоящий из трех дисков; Эксклюзивные дополнения к выпуску Blu-ray включают в себя дополнительные аудио комментарии от Джосса Уэдона, Натана Филлиона, Алана Тудика и Рона Гласса для эпизода «Наша миссис Рейнольдс»; Помимо дополнительной функции, воссоединение «Светлячок»: обед с Джосс, Натаном, Алан и Рона . 19 сентября 2017 года сериал был переиздан на Blu-Ray в качестве коллекции 15-летия . Набор включал новую упаковку, которая поставлялась с картами символов и складывающейся картой солнечной системы, в которой установлена ​​серия.

Firefly: полная серия
Установите детали: 14 эпизодов 4 диск (3 диск Blu-ray) Функции: Анаморфный широкоэкранный (1,78: 1 соотношение сторон) Dolby Digital 5.1 (DVD) DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (Blu-ray) Субтитры варьируются в зависимости от региона		Бонусные функции: Аудио комментарий к « Серенити » писателя/режиссера Джосса Уэдона и актера Натана Филлиона Аудио комментарий к " The The Train Job " соавтор/режиссер Джосс Уэдон и соавтор Тим Минир Аудио комментарий к " Shindig " писателя Джейн Эспенсон , актриса Морена баккарин и дизайнер костюмов Shawna trpcic Аудио комментарий к « Наша миссис Рейнольдс » писателя Джосса Уэдона и актеров Натана Филлиона, Алана Тудика и Рона Гласса (Exclusive Blu-ray) Аудио комментарий к " Out of Gas " писатель Тим Миньер и режиссер Дэвид Соломон Аудио Комментарий к « Военным историям » актеров Натана Филлиона и Алана Тудика Аудио комментарий к « Сообщению » актеров Алана Тудика и Джуэла Стайтат Аудио Комментарий к « Объектам в космосе » писателя/режиссера Джосса Уэдона Четыре удаленные сцены "Вот как это было: создание Firefly " Featurette «Serenity: The Del -Teman» Featurette Тур Джосса по съемочной площадке Воссоединение Firefly : обед с Джосс, Натаном, Аланом и Роном (Exclusive Blu-Ray) Прослушивание Алана Тудика Катушка Джосс поет огня тему Пасхальное яйцо: Адам Болдуин поет "Герой Кантон"
Даты выпуска:	Регион 1	Регион 2	Регион 4
	9 декабря 2003 г. 11 ноября 2008 г. (Blu-ray)	19 апреля 2004 г. 19 сентября 2011 г. (Blu-ray)	2 августа 2004 г. 3 декабря 2008 г. (Blu-ray)

Прием

Критический ответ

На гнилых помидорах серия имеет рейтинг одобрения 77% со средним баллом 7,8 из 10 на основе 44 обзоров. Критический консенсус веб -сайта гласит: « Firefly заработает обожание своей аудитории с помощью сухой доставки Натана Филлиона, подробного фэнтезийного мира и убедительных сюжетных линий - даже если он не стоит с самой последовательной работой создателя Джосса Уэдона». Метакритный собрал 30 обзоров и рассчитал средний балл 63 из 100, что указывает на «в целом благоприятные обзоры».

Многие обзоры были сосредоточены на слиянии шоу Дикого Запада и космоса. . вестернов Например, Мэтт Руш из TV назвал шоу «Oddball» и «Offbeat» и отметил, как сериал принял метафору космических опер в качестве Руш высказал мнение, что переход от космического путешествия к лошади был «резким», но как только он привык к этому, он обнаружил, что персонажи ловко задуманы, а написал четкий баланс действия, напряжения и юмора. Несколько рецензентов раскритиковали настройку шоу; Тим Гудман из « Хроники Сан -Франциско» чувствовал, что слияние жанров западной и научной фантастики была «принудительной мешаниной двух тревожных жанров просто ради того, чтобы быть другим» и назвал серию «огромное разочарование», А Carina Chocano из Salon.com сказал, что, хотя метафора «пространство как дикого запада » довольно избыточна, ни один жанр не связан с настоящим. Эмили Нуссбаум из New York Times , просмотрев DVD-набор, отметила, что в программе представлен «микс жанрового жанра, который мог бы обречь его с самого начала: это была богатая персонажами-фантастическими западными комедий Жесткая продажа в сезоне доминирует Джо Миллионером ».

Бостонский глобус назвал Firefly как «замечательный, образный беспорядок, положительный с возможностью». В обзоре также отмечается разница между новой серией и другими программами заключалась в том, что эти шоу «пробились на сцену со гладкими пилотами и быстро ухудшаются в посредственность ... Firefly находится в противоположном творческом путешествии». Джейсон Снелл назвал шоу одним из лучших на телевидении и одним «с наибольшим потенциалом для будущего блеска».

Тим Уайт, написав для объективного стандарта , сосредоточил свой обзор на изображении героизма шоу. Он приходит к выводу, что « Firefly не совсем точен в своих попытках изобразить основную природу героизма и злодейства, но его успехи гораздо более вдохновляют, чем его неудачи проблематичны. Он также последовательно смешно, умело написан и страстно действует».

Рецензенты также сравнили Firefly с другой серией Уэдона, Buffy The Vampire Slayer . Chockano отметил, что в серии отсутствует психологическое напряжение Баффи , и предполагает, что это может быть связано с тем, что эпизоды выходят из строя. MSN , с другой стороны, отметил, что после просмотра набора DVD в штучной упаковке было легко понять, почему программа привлекла много несгибаемых поклонников. «Все отпечатки пальцев Уэдона существуют: остроумный диалог, причудливые помещения и темное исследование человеческой ошибки, которое заставило Баффи Бриллиант нашла путь к этой космической драме».

Принцесса недели из Мэри Сью заявила, что ей «действительно понравилась» сериал, но написала это: «У него не хватает китайских актеров, поэтому, если это будет возвращено, это действительно простое исправление». Письмо для Syfy , Алисса Фиксе назвала шоу «проблемным любимым», назвав отсутствие азиатских персонажей в шоу «Небрежным в лучшем случае, расистской в ​​худшем случае».

Фэндом

Пример фанатских произведений искусства, созданный Сьюзен Рене Tomb (широко известный в сообществе Browncoat как «11 -й час»), используемый в качестве партизанского маркетинга для продвижения продажи DVD -дисков Firefly и Serenity .

Firefly сгенерировал лояльную базу поклонников во время трехмесячного оригинального вещательного пробега на Fox в конце 2002 года. Эти фанаты, самозваные коричневые пальто, использовали онлайн-форумы для организации и попытки спасти сериал от отмены Fox только через три месяца после его дебютный Их усилия включали собрание денег на рекламу в журнале Variety и кампанию по написанию открыток на UPN . Несмотря на неудачу в поиске сети, которая продолжит шоу, их поддержка привела к выпуску серии на DVD в декабре 2003 года. Последующая фанатская кампания собрала более 14 000 долл. США на пожертвования, чтобы купить DVD -диск Firefly , помещенный на 250 судов ВМС США к апрелю 2004 года для развлекательного просмотра их экипажами.

Эти и другие постоянные фанаты в конечном итоге убедили Universal Studios создать художественный фильм Serenity . (По словам Уэдона, название безмятежности было выбрано, потому что Фокс все еще владел правами на имя «Firefly»). Для существующих поклонников были проведены многочисленные ранние показы на грубых пленках, начиная с попытки создать шум для увеличения продаж билетов, когда финальный фильм был выпущен 30 сентября 2005 года. Фильм был не так коммерчески успешным, как надеялись фанаты, открываясь на втором месте и зарабатывая всего 40 миллионов долларов во всем мире во время своего первоначального театрального выпуска.

23 июня 2006 года фанаты организовали первые мировые благотворительные показатели безмятежности в 47 городах, названных как не могут остановить Serenity или CSTS, дань уважения к слогану фильма «Не могу остановить сигнал». Мероприятие собрало более 65 000 долларов Для любимой благотворительной организации Уэдона, равенства сейчас . В 2007 году было собрано 106 000 долларов; в 2008 году, 107 219 долл. США; и в 2009 году, 137 331 долл. США.

В июле 2006 года был опубликован документальный фильм, сделанный невозможным , был выпущен. В документальном фильме рассказывается история о фанатах и ​​о том, как шоу повлияло на них, и показывает интервью с Уэдоном и различными актерами. пожертвована Часть доходов DVD теперь равенству .

НАСА Брауна Астронавт Стивен Свансон взял Firefly и Serenity с собой DVD-диски на космическом шаттле Atlantis STS -117 в июне 2007 года. DVD были добавлены в коллекцию СМИ на Международной космической станции в качестве развлечения для экипажей станции.

Фан-некоммерческое, неофициальное продолжение Serenity , под названием «Брауны: выкуп» , премьера в Dragon*Con 2010 4 сентября 2010 года. По словам создателя и продюсера фильма, Уэдон дал «его благословение» проекту. Полем Фильм был продан на DVD и Blu-ray на веб-сайте фильма, причем все доходы распределяются среди пяти благотворительных организаций. Фильм также был показан на различных научно-фантастических конвенциях по всей территории Соединенных Штатов, с поступлениями также пожертвованы. Все продажи закончились 1 сентября 2011 года, через год после ее премьеры, общая доходы превышали 115 000 долларов США.

Культ статус

В 2005 году веб-сайт New Scientist Magazine провел интернет-опрос, чтобы найти «лучшую в мире космическую научную фантастику». Firefly появился на первом месте, с его кинематографической последующей безмятежностью во втором. В 2012 году Entertainment Weekly перечислил шоу в № 11 в «25 лучших культовых телешоу с последних 25 лет», комментируя, «как это часто бывает, мученичество только усилило свою легенду».

Брэд Райт , соавтор SG-1 Stargate SG-1, сказал, что 200-й эпизод SG-1 -это «небольшой поцелуй к безмятежности и световой листинке , который, возможно, был одним из лучших сериалов в истории». В эпизоде ​​«Мартин Ллойд пришел в команду SGC [Stargate], потому что, хотя« червоточила X-Treme! »Был отменен после трех эпизодов, он так хорошо справился с DVD, они создали функцию [Film]».

Последующий фильм, Serenity , был признан лучшим научно-фантастическим фильмом всех времен в опросе журнала SFX в 3000 поклонников. Позже Firefly был рейтинг № 25 на TV Guide . главных культовых шоу Имя для приложения Google Beta Google Wave было вдохновлено этим сериалом.

В интервью 17 февраля 2011 года, когда Entertainment Weekly Натан Филлион миллионов долларов от калифорнийской лотереи, первое, что я пошутил: «Если бы я получил 300 сделал это в Интернете ". Это быстро вызвало инициативу по фанатам по сбору средств для покупки прав. 7 марта 2011 года организаторы объявили о закрытии проекта из -за отсутствия одобрения со стороны создателей, причем 1 миллион долларов в то время он был закрыт.

Джосс Уэдон, Тим Миньер и актеры Натан Филлион, Алан Тудик, Саммер Глау, Адам Болдуин и Шон Махер воссоединились на комиксе Сан-Диего 2012 года для панели 10-го годовщины. Десять тысяч человек выстроились в очередь, чтобы попасть в панель, и панель закончилась тем, что толпа дала актерам и команде овации.

Специальное специальное годовщину, Browncoats Unite , было показано на научном канале 11 ноября 2012 года. Специальное участвовало Whedon, Minear и несколько актеров, в обсуждении истории серии.

По словам Джулиана , Санчеса по культ , Firefly -видимому, включает в себя непропорциональное число либертарианцев ». Темы истории часто предоставляют о том, что он слишком мощный центральный авторитет и ее способность делать плохой, считая большинство хорошими. Персонажи каждая из них проявляет черты, которые иллюстрируют основные либертарианские ценности, такие как право на ношение оружия (Джейн, Зои), юридическая проституция (Инара), свобода религии (книга), логика и рассуждения (Саймон) и анти-концентрация (река ) Джосс Уэдон отмечает эту тему, говоря: «Мал, если не республиканец, безусловно, либертарианец, он, безусловно, менее правильный парень. Он во многом противоположным мне».

Подкасты

Сигнал представляет собой подкаст, основанный на светом и безмятежности, разработанный поклонниками недвижимости Joss Whedon. Устроен Кари Хейли и Ле Ховард, Сигнал представляет собой подкаст , управляемый вентилятором, посвященный Джосса Уэдона недолгому сериалу Firefly (2002) и его фильму Serenity (2005). Первоначально создан как партизанский маркетинг для продвижения безмятежности , франшизы В подкасте представлены дискуссии о ролевой игре , фан-фантастике как аудио-драмах и интервью (например, с PJ Haarsma , Джейн Эспенсон , и Марк Ганн ). Хейли и Говард описали цель подкаста как «[делаем] все, что мы можем, чтобы увидеть, что более новый светлячок ». в любом формате создается

В начале 2006 года Мур Лафферти назвал шоу как « рейтинг PG », около часа и публиковать эпизод каждые две недели. В этом декабре сигнал выпустил компиляционный альбом Filk Music , который ранее показывал на подкасте: песни из Black ; Альбом показал музыку Люка Скай, Лич Кинг и Грег Эдмонсон .

В 2006 году сигнал получил награду подкаста People's Choice в категориях «TV & Film» и «Best Producted»; Он получил первое снова в 2008 году. Сигнал был удостоен премии Parsec 2007 года за «Лучший фанат подкаста», А в категории «Лучший фанат спекулятивной фантастики или подкаст новостей (конкретный)», он выиграл 2010 год и 2012 Parsecs. Письмо для максимального удовольствия , Ян Брилл похвалил сигнал как удивительно профессиональный с хорошо продуманными сегментами, хотя он не лениво сравнил Хейли и Говарда с персонажем Уэдона Ксандера Харриса : «Они говорят слегка умные и приятные вещи друг с другом, а затем звучат огромно удовлетворены самими собой. Говоря это. "

Награды

Firefly выиграл следующие награды:

• Награда Эмми : выдающиеся специальные визуальные эффекты для серии , 2003
• Общество визуальных эффектов: Лучшие визуальные эффекты в телесериале , 2003 (эпизод "Serenity")
• Награда Сатурна : жанр Cinescape Face of the Future Award, Male , 2003 (Натан Филлион)
• Награда Сатурна: награда Saturn за лучший DVD -релиз (телевидение) , 2004
• Syfy жанр награды : Best Series/Television , 2006
• Награды за жанр Syfy: лучший актер/телевидение Натан Филлион, 2006
• Награды за жанр Syfy: лучший актер/телевидение Адам Болдуин, 2006
• Награды за жанр Syfy: лучший специальный гость/телевидение Кристина Хендрикс для "Trash", 2006
• Награды за жанр Syfy: лучший эпизод/телевидение "мусор", 2006

Серия была также номинирована на следующие награды:

• Общество визуальных эффектов: лучшая композиция в телевизионной программе, музыкальное видео или коммерческое , 2003
• Редакторы звука фильма, США, «Golden Reel Award»: Лучшее редактирование звука в телевизионном длинном виде: звуковые эффекты / Foley , 2003
• Премия Хьюго : лучшая драматическая презентация, короткая форма , 2003 (эпизод "Serenity")
• Награда Хьюго: лучшая драматическая презентация, короткая форма , 2004 (эпизоды «Сердце золота» и «Послание», которое в то время не было показано по телевидению в США)
• Золотая спутниковая премия: лучшие DVD -дополнения , 2004

Рейтинги

В то время, когда сериал был отменен Fox, он набрал в среднем 4,7 миллиона зрителей и заняла 98 -е место в рейтингах Нильсена .

В популярной культуре

Отмена Firefly - это бегущий кляп в ситкоме CBS , теории Большого взрыва , которая проходила с 2007 по 2019 год. Персонаж Шелдон Купер является поклонником шоу. Когда он и Леонард Хофштадтер обсуждают их соглашение соседа по комнате, они включают в себя проход, в котором они посвящают вечера в пятницу вечером наблюдать за Firefly , поскольку Шелдон считает, что он продлится годами (сезон 3, эпизод 22). После его отмены он бренда Руперта Мердока , владельца Fox , предателя. Во время второго сезона шоу, в Эпизоде ​​17 («Развязка терминатора») летняя Глау появляется как сама, встречает Шелдона, Леонарда и их друзей в поезде в Сан -Франциско. Когда Радж пытается нанести удар по ней, он говорит, что, хотя он астрофизик, она была на самом деле в космосе во время стрельбы по Светлячке . Глау удерживает его за то, что он верит в это, и Радж отступает, говоря: «Это сумасшедшие люди!» В 8 -м сезоне, эпизоде ​​15, Радж и Леонард узнают Натана Филлиона в кафе и настаивают на том, чтобы сделать с собой селфи, хотя он отрицает, что быть звездой светлячка .

В NBC комедийном сообществе персонажи Трой и Абед являются поклонниками шоу. У них есть согласие, что если один из них умирает, другой поставил бы его, чтобы выглядеть как самоубийство, вызванное отменой Firefly , в надежде, что оно вернет шоу.

В мини -сериале/пилоте Battlestar Battlestar Galactica судно, напоминающее безмятежность на фоне сцены с Лорой Рослин ( Мэри Макдоннелл ). Serenity - одна из нескольких космических кораблей, вставленных в качестве камеи в цифровые сцены Zoic Studios , компания, ответственная за цифровые эффекты как в Firefly , так и в Battlestar Galactica .

Webcomic XKCD прокомментировал Firefly явное отсутствие азиатских персонажей в комиксе 2009 года «Well». Когда персонаж бросает монету в «неудобные истины хорошо», он отвечает, «для вселенной, которая должна быть наполовину китайской, Firefly, несомненно, не имеет азиатов».

Критики провели сравнения и параллели между Firefly и Anime Media Mix Star Star .

Телесериал , замок , где филион играет главного героя Ричарда Касл , дал постоянные уважения Firefly дань . В замке есть реквизит из Firefly в качестве декоративных предметов в его доме, одетый как «космический ковбой» на Хэллоуин («Вы носили это пять лет назад», взломал свою дочь), говорит по -китайски, что он узнал из «телешоу [он ] любил "и сделал быстрые движения« два на два », нося синие хирургические перчатки. Его с юмором спросили, слышал ли он когда -нибудь о спа -салоне, известном как «безмятежность», и фразы Firefly, такие как «блестящий», «особый ад» и «Я стремился к голове», использовались в качестве изюминков во время различных драматических Сцены в замке . Он занимался делом об убийстве на научной фантастической конвенции с подозреваемыми, являющимися актером долгосрочной космической оперы, которая баллотировалась только в течение сезона, и имел прямое и случайное взаимодействие с людьми, изображенными членами актерских изделий .

Con Man , комедийный веб-сериал 2015 года, созданный Tudyk и совместно продюсированным Filion, опирается на опыт пары в качестве культовых научных фантастических актеров, совершающих поездку по конвенционной трассе. шоу Хотя он не является автобиографическим, вымышленный спектр перекликается с Firefly и Tudyk's, а роли Fillion отражают их собственные роли светлячка . Стейт, Торрес, Глау, Махер и Уэдон выступили в гостях. Махер сыграл себя бывшим актером огня .

СМИ франшиза

Основная статья: Firefly (франшиза)

Популярность недолговечной серии послужила точкой для запуска для франшизы в СМИ во вселенной Firefly , включая художественный фильм Serenity , который рассматривает многие сюжетные точки, оставляя неразрешенные из-за отмены сериала.

Кроме того, существует два мини-серии комиксов : Serenity: оставшиеся позади (3 выпуска, 104 страницы, 2006), Serenity: лучшие дни (3 выпуска, 80 страниц, 2008) и одноразовый в твердом переплете : овчар Сказка (56 страниц, 2010), наряду с безмятежностью с одним выстрелом : простоя, а другая половина и безмятежность: выпредит , в котором Уэдон исследовал пряди сюжет, которые он намеревался дальше исследовать в серии. Комиксы устанавливаются, с точки зрения сюжета, между концом сериала и открытием художественного фильма. Два мини-серии были позже опубликованы в собранной форме в виде графических романов в твердом переплете и в мягкой обложке. Серия из шести выпусков под названием Serenity: «Листья на ветру» началась в январе 2014 года, и сериал проходит после событий фильма. Серия из шести выпусков под названием Serenity: никакой власти в стихе началась в октябре 2016 года, и серия разводится примерно через 1,5 года после листьев на ветру . В июле 2018 года, бум! Studios объявила, что они приобрели лицензию на публикацию комиксов и графические романы для Firefly с планами выпустить новые ежемесячные серии комиксов, Limited Series, оригинальные графические романы и многое другое.

В июле 2014 года был объявлен о выпуске видеоигр Firefly Online , что запланировал, что актеры будут повторять свои роли. Несмотря на то, что с марта 2016 года не было никаких официальных отменов, обновления не было обновлений.

В январе 2018 года Titan Books объявила, что начнут публиковать оригинальные романы Canon Firefly . До сих пор было выпущено семь книг.

В январе 2020 года президент Fox Entertainment Майкл Торн сказал, что серия возрождения была рассмотрена, но решил, что, поскольку Орвилл был в эфире, для сети не будет смысла иметь две космические франшизы одновременно.

Дальнейшее чтение

• Firefly: официальный компаньон, том первый . Лондон: Книги Титана. Июль 2006 г. ISBN  978-1-84576-314-5 .
• Firefly: официальный компаньон, том второй . Лондон: Книги Титана. Апрель 2007 г. ISBN  978-1-84576-372-5 .
• Эспенсон, Джейн; Йеффет, Гленн (2005). Поиск безмятежности: антигероев, потерянных пастухов и проституток космических проституток в светлячке Джосса Уэдона . Даллас, Техас: Benbella Books. ISBN  1-932100-43-1 Полем OCLC   57493843 .
• Уэдон, Джосс (2005). Сереничество: официальный визуальный компаньон . Великобритания: Titan Books . ISBN  1-84576-082-4 .
• Firefly - полная серия (DVD). 20th Century Fox. 9 декабря 2003 г. ASIN   B0000AQS0F . OCLC   54527434 .
• Сделано невозможное: сказка фанатов о Firefly & Serenity (DVD). 2006.
• Эрисман, Фред (2006). «Стижанс в космосе: наследие света». Экстраполяция . 47 (2): 249–258. doi : 10.3828/extr.2006.47.2.6 . ISSN   0014-5483 .
• Хилл, Мэтью Б. (2009). « Я лист на ветру»: культурная травма и мобильность в светлячке Джосса Уэдона ». Экстраполяция . 50 (3): 484–511. doi : 10.3828/extr.2009.50.3.7 . ISSN   0014-5483 .
• Уилкокс, Ронда; Кокран, Таня Р.; Массон, Синтея; Лавери, Дэвид, ред. (2014). Чтение Джосса Уэдона . Сиракузы: издательство Сиракузского университета. ISBN  978-0815652830 .

Внешние ссылки

• Светлячок в IMDB
• Светлячок в Керли
• Firefly - безмятежность китайского пинористого - английские переводы китайских слов и фраз, используемых в Firefly и Serenity