28 Comments

*joyfully digs out Firefly dvd boxset (again)*

Expand full comment

I have a feeling lots of Wonkers own it.

Expand full comment

Did you know that the International Space Station has DVD copies of both Firefly and Serenity on board? I can't remember which astronaut was responsible for putting them there though.

Expand full comment

That's awesome!

Expand full comment

Also, the Alliance uniforms were recycled from Starship Troopers.

And Firefly is one of the only tv series to accurately portray the lack of sound in space.

Expand full comment

And the young Simon Tam was portrayed by a certain High-school Musical, The Greatest Showman, and Baywatch star.

And the Mandarin used in the show is correct and can be translated. Nathan Fillion references Firefly as the reason his character can speak Mandarin in Castle.

Yes, I am a neverending database of Firefly trivia.

Expand full comment

I wouldn't mind a guest trivia master if you wanted to do it.

Expand full comment

Shiny!

Expand full comment

T h e real opening episode you mean. Yay

Expand full comment

Yes.

Expand full comment

Ha! We just started the series the other night - well, restarted; I'm guessing this is my fourth or fifth time through the series. It never gets old. We're binging two or three episodes at a time, then waiting a few days.

I'll note here that the Uppity Ups decided to run the 2nd episode as the pilot - that's the one that starts out with the last-ditch fight in Serenity Valley. The creators (Whedon included, I assume) intended the "The Train Job" to be the introductory episode. That's how I watched the series the first time, on the advice of a friend. It really sets up the whole "Western set in Space" thing much better.

Expand full comment

We are watching in the order that Joss Whedon wanted, I am not sure if that was clear. We are starting with the episode "Serenity." "The Train Job" is second.

"Serenity" is the original intended pilot for the American science fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. It was the first episode produced for the series but premiered as the show's series finale on Friday, December 20, 2002 on Fox. With studio executives unsatisfied with the episode for the series premiere, the show's second episode, "The Train Job", was re-written and produced as a second pilot to be aired first. The episode shares its name with the 2005 feature film Serenity, which serves as a continuation to Firefly."

It was all confusing to me till I did a bunch of rereading.

Expand full comment

Once again, Wonkette (and Ziggy) is edumacational!

Expand full comment

I am trying to make it easy for myself and have less confusion by running it in the order that the streaming places have it available.

Expand full comment

This makes sense, and I meant no criticism. And either episode works as a starting place. But I’ve always wondered why the Uppity Ups (producers? the network? not sure, but above the writer level) made the choice they did.

Expand full comment

They wanted more action in order to draw in viewers. They felt Serenity was paced too slowly and didn't have enough action to capture an audience. Joss Whedon was against this.

Expand full comment

It's all good! I agree with you.

Expand full comment

Shiny!

Expand full comment

One of my all time faves. I will happily rewatch every episode. Still hard to believe it didnt get picked up for more seasons.

🚀🛸🪐 But I also loved the film.

Expand full comment

Episode 1 which one? The actual first one that aired was The Train Job

Expand full comment

The official correct order is the DVD order, Serenity is the pilot episode.

Expand full comment

Yep, that's how we're doing it. Going to be fun!!

Expand full comment

How they have it on the free option, using that to make it easy to keep everyone on the same page. On The CW:

Serenity

S1 : E1

TV-14 | 87 min | Aired: 12.20.02

The crew discover a passenger has smuggled something strange onto the ship.

Expand full comment