tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post6428767189441861470..comments2023-12-19T04:12:32.979+00:00Comments on Alphabetti Spaghetti: A closer look at Serenity -- Why didn't it save Firefly?Johnny Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post-30109390249756734122022-01-03T02:22:36.904+00:002022-01-03T02:22:36.904+00:00I saw Serenity first, hated it. Then watched Firef...I saw Serenity first, hated it. Then watched Firefly on the advice of a friend who said it was better. ABSOLUTELY LOVED FIREFLY, it’s an amazing series. The problem with Serenity is that it takes a great franchise, with interesting story arcs, and then promptly throws it all down the toilet by essentially turning it into another zombie movie. It rushed in to tying up all the story arcs, and resolve(or conclude) them without adding anything meaningful to allow for a continuation; possible series return or sequel. The problem with Serenity is the story writing itself.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post-24208794765037777472021-11-18T17:15:59.048+00:002021-11-18T17:15:59.048+00:00As a big fan of the series, this movie was horribl...As a big fan of the series, this movie was horrible. I didn't like it at all and I think it's for many of the reasons you articulated. It was very frustrating to watch.<br /><br />Joss did things just because he could do them and not because they were right from a movie or storytelling standpoint.<br /><br />I wasn't a fan of the antagonist because there was already a bad guy like him in the original series, so I felt that was weak...especially when Whedon had TWO BY TWO HANDS OF BLUE available from the original series. They would have been much more menacing and could have been effectively introduced early in the film by privately interviewing people who had seen River in the bar (like the twins)...with similar results to what happened to interviewees in the original series.<br /><br />I would have preferred that they have kept the crew together instead of meeting them. This would have allowed us to get familiar with them much more quickly instead of forcing unnecessary scenes as what happened with Book.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post-91817769549820927012018-01-19T23:24:15.390+00:002018-01-19T23:24:15.390+00:00Thank you for the article, I loved reading all the...Thank you for the article, I loved reading all the comments! I agree that the movie needs explanation if you haven't seen the series first. I didn't like the movie much,but both the movie and the tv series were well done.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post-83674406650332137512016-08-09T01:36:41.594+01:002016-08-09T01:36:41.594+01:00When it aired on the Fox network, it did air out o...When it aired on the Fox network, it did air out of order. Fox, as I recall, believed that "The Train Job" would be a better pilot than "Serenity," mainly as it contained more action scenes.<br /><br />If you purchase the series on Blu-Ray/DVD, they are organized in the proper order:<br />Serenity (parts 1 & 2)<br />The Train Job<br />Bushwhacked<br />Shindig<br />Safe<br />Our Mrs. Reynolds<br />Jaynestown<br />Out of Gas<br />Ariel<br />War Stories<br />Trash<br />The Message<br />Heart of Gold<br />Objects in Space<br /><br /><br />According to the List of Firefly episodes on the Firefly wiki talking about Fox canceling the show due to low ratings:<br /><br />Fans attributed the low ratings in part to actions of the FOX Network — most notably the fact that FOX had aired the episodes out of chronological order, making the plot much more difficult to follow. For instance, the two-hour episode "Serenity" was intended to be the series' premiere episode, and therefore contained most of the character introductions and back-story. However, FOX decided that "Serenity" was unsuitable to open the series, and so the second episode, "The Train Job", was created to become the new pilot. In addition, Firefly was promoted as an action-comedy rather than the more serious character study it was intended to be. Episodes were occasionally preempted for sporting events.<br /><br />The sequence in which the episodes originally aired varied by locality. In the United States and Canada, starting on September 20, 2002, FOX (and Global in Canada) broadcast the episodes on Fridays at 8:00 p.m. (except for the second hour of the pilot which was shown at 9:00 p.m.). The order was the following:<br />"The Train Job"<br />"Bushwhacked"<br />"Our Mrs. Reynolds"<br />"Jaynestown"<br />"Out of Gas"<br />"Shindig"<br />"Safe"<br />"Ariel"<br />"War Stories"<br />"Objects in Space"<br />"Serenity"<br /><br />With "Trash", "The Message", and "Heart of Gold" unaired in the United States during the series original run (these episodes remained unaired in the United States until they were broadcast on the Sci Fi Channel in late 2005 shortly before Serenity premiered in cinemas). In addition, Canada's Space has been regularly airing the series in the originally intended order since September 8, 2003, including a marathon of the entire series on September 5, 2003. In a lead up to the Serenity movie release, starting on July 22, 2005, the Sci Fi Channel (United States) aired the show on Fridays at 7:00 p.m. Eastern/Pacific in their originally intended order. Following a marathon on January 6, 2006, Firefly was removed from the Sci Fi Channel line-up. Universal HD began airing the episodes in the intended order on September 24, 2006.<br /><br />Also Joss Whedon didnt even want to make the movie. It was an impossible task to make a movie that both summed up the tv series and also moved the story forward for the fans that demanded this movie be made.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00303573028087413168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post-64966873913237282592016-08-09T01:33:27.615+01:002016-08-09T01:33:27.615+01:00When it aired on the Fox network, it did air out o...When it aired on the Fox network, it did air out of order. Fox, as I recall, believed that "The Train Job" would be a better pilot than "Serenity," mainly as it contained more action scenes.<br /><br />If you purchase the series on Blu-Ray/DVD, they are organized in the proper order:<br />Serenity (parts 1 & 2)<br />The Train Job<br />Bushwhacked<br />Shindig<br />Safe<br />Our Mrs. Reynolds<br />Jaynestown<br />Out of Gas<br />Ariel<br />War Stories<br />Trash<br />The Message<br />Heart of Gold<br />Objects in Space<br /><br /><br />According to the List of Firefly episodes on the Firefly wiki talking about Fox canceling the show due to low ratings:<br /><br />Fans attributed the low ratings in part to actions of the FOX Network — most notably the fact that FOX had aired the episodes out of chronological order, making the plot much more difficult to follow. For instance, the two-hour episode "Serenity" was intended to be the series' premiere episode, and therefore contained most of the character introductions and back-story. However, FOX decided that "Serenity" was unsuitable to open the series, and so the second episode, "The Train Job", was created to become the new pilot. In addition, Firefly was promoted as an action-comedy rather than the more serious character study it was intended to be. Episodes were occasionally preempted for sporting events.<br /><br />The sequence in which the episodes originally aired varied by locality. In the United States and Canada, starting on September 20, 2002, FOX (and Global in Canada) broadcast the episodes on Fridays at 8:00 p.m. (except for the second hour of the pilot which was shown at 9:00 p.m.). The order was the following:<br />"The Train Job"<br />"Bushwhacked"<br />"Our Mrs. Reynolds"<br />"Jaynestown"<br />"Out of Gas"<br />"Shindig"<br />"Safe"<br />"Ariel"<br />"War Stories"<br />"Objects in Space"<br />"Serenity"<br /><br />With "Trash", "The Message", and "Heart of Gold" unaired in the United States during the series original run (these episodes remained unaired in the United States until they were broadcast on the Sci Fi Channel in late 2005 shortly before Serenity premiered in cinemas). In addition, Canada's Space has been regularly airing the series in the originally intended order since September 8, 2003, including a marathon of the entire series on September 5, 2003. In a lead up to the Serenity movie release, starting on July 22, 2005, the Sci Fi Channel (United States) aired the show on Fridays at 7:00 p.m. Eastern/Pacific in their originally intended order. Following a marathon on January 6, 2006, Firefly was removed from the Sci Fi Channel line-up. Universal HD began airing the episodes in the intended order on September 24, 2006.<br /><br />Also Joss Whedon didnt want to make the movie. It's pretty unrealistic to expect him to make a movie that not only can sum up the tv series (for people who havent watched it) and still move the story along for the fans that made the movie possible.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00303573028087413168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post-3873234000514313572016-05-27T02:53:55.295+01:002016-05-27T02:53:55.295+01:00I saw the movie a couple of years before the serie...I saw the movie a couple of years before the series. I loved the movie when I saw it. I then saw the series and I love that as well. I have seen the movie and series over a dozen times each. Love It. So sad that it did not continue. I think the movie had to be different than the series, since it was aimed at a wider audience, not just those who had seen the series. I enjoyed the opening sequence quite a bit, I had never seen Chiwetel Ejiofor and his acting blew me away. I liked Mr Universe and his bot wife. I liked the reavers, and how badass they are. I liked Mingo and Fanty, wish we could have seen a bit more of them. I liked seeing Inara, but again, we did not see enough of her. I liked the final sequence, the battle and the River fight. I wish Book and Wash had not been killed, there could have been a sequel, but not after they were killed. HRochanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post-2769360524322688602016-01-13T18:15:58.452+00:002016-01-13T18:15:58.452+00:00I wonder if Whedon ever considered adding a new cr...I wonder if Whedon ever considered adding a new crewmember - a surrogate for newcomers to the series. It would have created a nice vehicle for recapping necessary context and information from the series without feeling stilted or contrived (like trying to work full explanations and recaps into dialogue between characters that really should be speaking in shorthand -- it always comes off as awkward.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post-7466689813855061802015-06-10T14:48:05.917+01:002015-06-10T14:48:05.917+01:00I just got into Firefly this past month and watche...I just got into Firefly this past month and watched all 14 episodes before buying Serenity, to which I just watched last night. IMO, the series blows away the movie and it's not even close. I REALLY REALLY wanted this to be an excellent movie but there were too many things I found wrong with it (Reavers notwithstanding).<br /><br />To me, I feel that a lot of what I really liked on the series was not in the movie at all. For example, some of the best character-driven scenes in the episodes were when everyone was around the kitchen table and talking. In the movie, the only time they show that table at all is when they run through the kitchen.<br /><br />I also didn't like (or understand) why in the movie suddenly Mal and Simon seem to really hate each other now. Mal didn't even dislike Simon this much in the series' pilot! One of the things I liked best about how Mal handled his crew was the fact that he cared about and protected them and you could really see / feel that in many instances throughout. I got almost none of that feeling while watching Serenity.<br /><br />And since when did Kaylee get regulated to the 3rd string? She's a pretty major character on the show and in the movie she hardly got any lines and just kind of stood there a bunch. Which of course is nothing when compared to Inara, who had almost nothing to say at all and that was a shame.<br /><br />Not saying that Mal didn't deserve the spotlight of course (the dude is awesome, without a doubt) but for such a fleshed-out ensemble it kind of sucked that 5 or 6 of them were almost always background noise in this movie.<br /><br />P.S: I was waiting for Book to show up for what seemed like forever, and then they go and kill him off. WTF was that about?? That sucked too! (lol)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02114665645458848981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post-70082064512710152582015-05-22T00:19:48.843+01:002015-05-22T00:19:48.843+01:00The first season of BUFFY was indeed very predicta...The first season of BUFFY was indeed very predictable. They only really found their feet in Season 2.<br /><br />As for Executive's wives/girlfriend's leading to the cancellation of Firefly -- its fate was decided by two women: First created and then canned by Gail Berman, and later resurrected by Mary Parent at Universal. Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post-90100697046589701462015-05-21T08:23:51.537+01:002015-05-21T08:23:51.537+01:00I have a bit of wisdom that only comes with age (I...I have a bit of wisdom that only comes with age (I'm 58). It has been my experience that entertainment executives (including those long since dead and those yet to ascend to that throne) care more about their power than they do about the show and its fans. Don't think for a moment an exec is a glamorous job. Their kissing lips are firmly attached to the sponsor's backside. However, that is not their only humiliation. Upper-class wives and girlfriends spit venom at any show that encourages a dignified and wholesome paid prostitution - this was most likely the real reason Firefly was squashed. Some would say it was the money, but I've seen shows that ran for years that never turned a nickle all because some exec wives liked them. As I watched the first episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer I immediately notice the same old plot getting updated with another darling protagonist and ugly stupid looking (but not scary) antagonist. How many times has that kind of story been hashed out. Before the first episode was finished I already noticed holes in the story. Worst of all was the plot was predictable. I knew what was coming and yes I fell asleep before the first show ended.<br /><br />Josh Whedon broke the rules of the executives and made something that was truly (gulp!) CREATIVE! Was there a great executive fear that Whedon will become the next Roddenberry or Lucas?<br /><br />Finally there is friendship among the cast and crew. Execs hate that - it threatens their power. And yes, there are exec spies that spread trouble and tell lies to prevent bonding. Ask Matt Groening what he thinks of FOX.<br /><br />If you want Firefly back don't talk to Fox at all. Send your letters of extortion to the sponsors. Cough up our show or we boycott your product. Give us back Firefly and we will be your loyal customer and punch the lights out of anyone buying your competitors.<br /><br />Good fans of Firefly, heed the wisdom of age. Think of me as Shepard Book delivering to you a sermon about the realities of network programming.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15440247271466366179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post-48396411001534124442015-03-25T22:36:59.139+00:002015-03-25T22:36:59.139+00:00I saw the movie first. Rented it. Yes, back when t...I saw the movie first. Rented it. Yes, back when there were places that did that. Was so damned intrigued, I researched it and found out there was a series!! Converted my daughter, my son and several friends into Browncoats. Point: The movie worked. In a big way. A brilliant achievement. It made a fan of many people who may never have heard of this amazing TV show. <br />I miss Firefly. I miss what it had to say about what is good in us and what is bad in us, the mark of all great fiction. I miss caring about its characters (though I have never stopped). I miss its story. It will never be forgotten.jeffjanodanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post-43340296248621975752015-03-23T17:28:34.256+00:002015-03-23T17:28:34.256+00:00Re: The Reavers - I think the fact that everyone i...Re: The Reavers - I think the fact that everyone is scared and the fact that Mal, the good guy, kills someone just to spare them from having to die at Rever hands, sets the tone of fear.<br /><br />Re: The bar fight - people are trying to escape, and almost every bar fight in every western (this is, after all, a space western) has one punch escalating into an all-out brawl. The fact that there's a badass killing machine there is probably why everyone is going after her instead of each other. But, it's a bar. In a western. Fleeing isn't really what's expected, is it?<br /><br />Re: The ending - I think the down ending is the point...in real life, there are real losses. But the heroes still "won" in the overall sense, the same as in SW or the Matrix, both of which the larger impact was also felt by unknown masses. It's just not a traditional happy ending...you actually see what this crew went through to get there.stevenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post-67858973083047681542014-08-21T20:49:50.454+01:002014-08-21T20:49:50.454+01:00I completely disagree with everyone who says Wash&...I completely disagree with everyone who says Wash's death was pointless. Far from it, in my mind. After Wash dies, Simon gets shot, Zoe is wounded, Reavers are closing in, and Mal is fighting an opponent we've seen him be completely ineffectual against earlier. Wash's death meant that I seriously thought they might all die. <br /><br />Generally in movies, despite the danger, you know that the good guys will prevail and all will be well. In Serenity, for the first time I can remember, I thought Joss might have the message get out, but the crew all sacrifice themselves to make it happen. That doubt, fear and uncertainty made the climax of the movie incredibly intense for me.<br /><br />And that was because Wash died. I say "Well done" to Joss Whedon.Greg Rothausernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post-61485366097377060182014-06-02T14:56:42.622+01:002014-06-02T14:56:42.622+01:00The first time I saw this movie was way before I h...The first time I saw this movie was way before I heard of the tv show and a lot of the scenes confused me but now I watched it and came back to the movie to watch it again and it all made sense. I was so sad to hear that the show was not saved by the movie.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02076815662239457536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post-48926417922212836892013-05-26T11:54:39.911+01:002013-05-26T11:54:39.911+01:00The main problem with the film is, that it is basi...The main problem with the film is, that it is basically a very black and white action film, similar to Matrix.<br /><br />The Reavers are not believable and the utterly badness of the Alliance is somwhat uninspired.<br /><br />This is no problem with the series as the nice characters are in the focus there.<br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post-41335917884592814982013-05-20T05:38:25.140+01:002013-05-20T05:38:25.140+01:00I saw the movie before I ever watched the series. ...I saw the movie before I ever watched the series. From my point of view, the problem was that it drops the viewer into a world they aren't familiar with, when a lot of the enjoyment really comes from context. That point was really made clear to me as I just watched the series for a second time and capped it off by rewatching the movie. The movie works so much better as a finale to the series! Otherwise there is so much nuance and character interaction that you don't get. I remember watching the movie the first time thinking, "who are these guys? Why are they speaking Chinese? What's up with this girl who is meek and vulnerable one moment and then kicking ass the next?" It seemed contrived and awkward when the entire story wasn't delivered in parts over the span of a series. So basically, it works great when you are already a fan, but if you are new to the series (ostensibly the target audience), it isn't as much of a hook as it needed to be. <br /><br />Also, I hated that Wash died, and I agree that it was pointless. I'm not a fan of that, and it was a negative point for me as well as the other viewers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post-11938936861970291922013-05-20T05:37:04.966+01:002013-05-20T05:37:04.966+01:00I saw the movie before I ever watched the series. ...I saw the movie before I ever watched the series. From my point of view, the problem was that it drops the viewer into a world they aren't familiar with, when a lot of the enjoyment really comes from context. That point was really made clear to me as I just watched the series for a second time and capped it off by rewatching the movie. The movie works so much better as a finale to the series! Otherwise there is so much nuance and character interaction that you don't get. I remember watching the movie the first time thinking, "who are these guys? Why are they speaking Chinese? What's up with this girl who is meek and vulnerable one moment and then kicking ass the next?" It seemed contrived and awkward when the entire story wasn't delivered in parts over the span of a series. So basically, it works great when you are already a fan, but if you are new to the series (ostensibly the target audience), it isn't as much of a hook as it needed to be. <br /><br />Also, I hated that Wash died, and I agree that it was pointless. I'm not a fan of that, and it was a negative point for me as well as the other viewers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post-7262651332679564332013-03-22T22:01:36.003+00:002013-03-22T22:01:36.003+00:00Actors often get advice not to be locked into some...Actors often get advice not to be locked into something. Tudyk might have had to turn down bigger roles if they decided to make a sequel -- also there's no guarantee they would have waited for Star Wars money to green light a sequel. If it had done OK, they might have decided to make a straight to DVD/TV movie. <br /><br />And, if the film had done REALLY well, then the actors wouldn't see any of that money. It's just business. They did what was best for them. Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post-84414210608018497122013-03-22T21:31:12.524+00:002013-03-22T21:31:12.524+00:00Thanks. I am now puzzled why the actors portrayin...Thanks. I am now puzzled why the actors portraying Wash and Book wouldn't sign a contract agreeing to appear in a sequel. I like the performances from both of them but have trouble thinking their schedules were too busy for a sequel if it blew up into Star Wars part II.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post-16808996803021024772013-03-21T00:15:54.563+00:002013-03-21T00:15:54.563+00:00It wouldn't have been a problem if they'd ...It wouldn't have been a problem if they'd signed to do more movies from the outset, but it's likely the studio didn't want to paint themselves into a corner: If the film was a hit, those two actors could negotiate much bigger pay for the sequels, making the whole endeavour less attractive to the studio. <br /><br />By killing them off, it meant a sequel could be made with or without the actors, putting the studio into a much stronger position when it came to negotiating with them. <br /><br />Remember: We're talking millions here. If the film was a huge success and everyone wanting a sequel expected to see Book and Wash, their agent could demand anything they wanted. (Imagine if The Empire Strikes Back didn't feature Harrison Ford! The audience in 1981 would have been extremely upset, damaging ticket sales.)<br /><br />As the entire project was risky, I imagine the only way the studio could justify such a long shot was if they could say that it could pay off several times over if the first film did well. <br /><br />That's my guess, anyway. All we know for sure is that it did. Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post-3770544362098715992013-03-20T23:17:54.600+00:002013-03-20T23:17:54.600+00:00Stupid question but why in the world would the mov...Stupid question but why in the world would the movie only get greenlit if Book and Wash couldn't be in the possible sequel?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post-36946794079783275292013-03-02T22:58:13.571+00:002013-03-02T22:58:13.571+00:00I heard about the tv show but never saw it. I reme...I heard about the tv show but never saw it. I remember seeing trailers for the film on tv and thought "I have to see it!". I did go see it at the cinema and I absolutely loved it! That much so I had to get the series on dvd and I loved it also. It had so much potential and wish the story could have continued.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post-5445856319775345772013-01-31T07:26:07.139+00:002013-01-31T07:26:07.139+00:00I enjoyed the article and agree with some of the p...I enjoyed the article and agree with some of the points, but then no movie is perfect. I think it is worth pointing out the marketing again though. I was a fan of Firefly and I barely knew this movie was coming out. <br />As for Wash's death being pointless, I suspect that is part of the point. Joss Whedon often has deaths that seem pointless in his works, because that's what real life is like. It's not always fun, but why should death be fun. It's supposed to hurt and make you angry because that's what death does. <br />Eltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01897986510604101598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post-56026293953409762013-01-21T08:22:54.494+00:002013-01-21T08:22:54.494+00:00Hey, you blogged! Whoopee doopee!
Your Pal,
Stor...Hey, you blogged! Whoopee doopee!<br /><br />Your Pal,<br /><br />StormStormnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1570525113758995236.post-82041251455316053592013-01-11T17:36:14.039+00:002013-01-11T17:36:14.039+00:00I think those who like Whedon's decision would...I think those who like Whedon's decision would argue that Wash's death served to make the stakes high. As a viewer I already felt the stakes were high, I think, and Wash's death just depressed me -- which I don't think was what Whedon was hoping for. <br /><br />That all said, his death was made under duress. The film wasn't going to get Greenlit unless Book and Wash had good reasons not to be around in the sequels (although they would have made an appearance for sure). <br /><br />It is what it is, sadly, but I hope that Whedon gets another chance in the future. (It's my secret hope that Whedon agreed to do Avengers 2 in return for assistance in getting more Firefly made -- a hopelessly naive hope, admittedly.)Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.com