Firefly Rewatch - Episode 1.01 "Serenity"

Buffy Summers

Buffy Summers

Yataro
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Malcolm Reynolds is a veteran and the captain of Serenity. He and his crew are smuggling goods, but they need to pick up some passengers for extra money. However, not all the passengers are what they seem.
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Mal: "We have done the impossible, and that makes us mighty."

Mal: "Anyone gets nosy, you know, just...shoot 'em."
Zoe: "Shoot 'em?"
Mal: "Politely."

Mal: "This is not my best day ever."


I still am amazed at how well crafted this show was - all the little details that were included to make things richer. The Chinese influence in the world at this time for example. The clues about Book.

The characters are so distinct and fleshed out, even from this first episode. None of them are just set dressing. Even Badger. And this episode introduced the characters and the lay of the land so to speak so well - without it just being an info dump. Mal explaining things to the passengers. Kaylee and the strawberry. Mal making Jayne leave the dinner table (and Jayne doing it).

I love how crafty the crew is - when they know it's a trap, they don't just flee. They try to out-trap them lol

I'm not sure I noticed before that Mal had the cross in Serenity Valley and now he has issues with the Church (won't let Book say grace out loud).

I thought they also did a good job of upping the stakes for the characters. Badger refusing to pay them, the Alliance operative, Kaylee being shot. River. Reavers. The action really is meaningful.

This was so good, just a great pilot.
 
I just started rewatching "Firefly", too. My boyfriend has never seen it before.... I'm showing him why I was so excited about all those videos Nathan Fillion was posting!
I had forgotten how much happens in the pilot. It is a LOT, but it establishes the characters nicely.

Ooh, nice catch about the cross in the valley! I had noticed his issues with the church, but I never noticed before that he had a cross with him in that battle.
 
I rewatched Firefly a couple of months ago.
It holds up so well. Still consider this one of the best pilots ever.

Does a great job establishing the world and the characters.
Even more important it makes me laugh at so many times. Loved the crybaby, Kaylee's "death" and the quick anti-climax final stand off while still having some serious moments.

/SK
 
Great pilot indeed!!

My condolences to Bendis, by the way, fallen in battle. It seems to be a reference to Brian Michael Bendis🙂

I'm in for a rewatch! But that will be after I'm done with Downtown Abbey. I'm excited to see my wife's reaction to the series.
 
Buffy Summers said:
Mal: "We have done the impossible, and that makes us mighty."

Mal: "Anyone gets nosy, you know, just...shoot 'em."
Zoe: "Shoot 'em?"
Mal: "Politely."

Mal: "This is not my best day ever."


I still am amazed at how well crafted this show was - all the little details that were included to make things richer. The Chinese influence in the world at this time for example. The clues about Book.

The characters are so distinct and fleshed out, even from this first episode. None of them are just set dressing. Even Badger. And this episode introduced the characters and the lay of the land so to speak so well - without it just being an info dump. Mal explaining things to the passengers. Kaylee and the strawberry. Mal making Jayne leave the dinner table (and Jayne doing it).

I love how crafty the crew is - when they know it's a trap, they don't just flee. They try to out-trap them lol

I'm not sure I noticed before that Mal had the cross in Serenity Valley and now he has issues with the Church (won't let Book say grace out loud).

I thought they also did a good job of upping the stakes for the characters. Badger refusing to pay them, the Alliance operative, Kaylee being shot. River. Reavers. The action really is meaningful.

This was so good, just a great pilot.
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I'm amazed this wasn't aired first and they basically had to redo the Pilot with the next one when this was very good
 
I’d forgotten how kind of… mean Mal is in this ep. Maybe not mean, but sharp. I see why some reactors I’ve watched take a minute to warm to him.

I love the humor of this show. The jokes just land for me, I love it.

So much packed into one ep.

What is up with the introduction to Inara by the way? While Mal disrespects her job, we are otherwise told companions are really respectable. Yet this opening her client disrespects her and she seems rather sad about it all, as if she does not like her job. Then we get to Mal calling her a ”whore” immediately. Just not sure what to make of it all.
 
NotASlayer
NotASlayer
First episode weirdness would be my guess.
Buffy Summers said:
I don't think they redid Train Job, I think they just aired it first *shrugs*
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IIRC, FOX gave Whedon and Minear 1 weekend to redo the pilot. They felt Serenity was too dark, too long, and didn't have enough action. Minear has said that he basically wrote Train Job over 3 days as a replacement pilot.
 
A show too pretty to die, but it did 🙁

I duno why I thought this dinosaur part was in the movie instead! This is a fun intro to the crew doing what they do. I love the dusty orange glow of the show.

Everyone is established almost immediately. Wash and Zoe and their tensions with Mal being Sir. Zoes lips are incredible. Mal seeking to look respectable, while clearly not being. Kaylees cute little demeanor. Jayne, the muscle. And now the "ambassador" and her honest living. I only just realised Companion in the sense of that she is not just a whore but a cure for the loneliness of the rich. I hadn't read the word Companion literally, I just read it as a title. Inara showing she is reliable checking in on time.

Mention of the compression coil 🙁

Shepherds intro, never married, not a grandpa.
Badger woo. Mean Badger boo. Man of honor in a den of thieves. Cool camera work.

Smooth Kaylee lol.

Books hesitation, seems to me, more that he is worried by Inaras training rather than her occupation, he doesnt want to be seen for whoever he really is. He uses the confusion to his advantage.

Simon is risky revealing he is a doctor, he might not have been so lucky on another ship! Mal wins the chest beating monkey moment.

Is there a reward? hahaha now onto the yelling and the shooting 🙁
 
Oh, its a two parter! Mal asking what everyone is thinking. My sister makes me look like an idiot child too lol.

Reavers are around from very early on. Forgot about it. The crew are suitably terrified.

Kaylee giving Mal the pep talk. "Gotta have faith" foreshadow of Books later words in Serenity "just believe it".

Mal is a mean old man 😛 the ribbing is confirmation of acceptance onto the crew.

Patience looks like all my old horse riding instructors rolled into one. Mal bringing it back to the reality of their lives.

"Testing" "Im standing right here" hahaha

Book gets knocked out at least twice in 14 episodes.

Mals best angle with his gun 😀

Go the ponies! Mal takes out the threat with a swift getaway. Serenity playing her part too.
 
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