I support her on Patreon, so I had already seen this reaction. So, it didn't surprise me here. However, I did have that response when I heard her mention the title on Patreon.
OMG, me! I actually shouted "No!!!!" in my living room and came right to the comments before I even started the episode. Thank goodness it was just a little confusion and not actually that. *phew*
Don't forget that when Mal "murdered" the fed, they had the reavers coming down on them. He had no time to mull over the ethics of his actions. He is actually the real problem solver. As he said "there's obstacles in our path, we'll deal with them one by one".
"She's fine. Because she's in the intro. She's one of the people in the intro, she's fine." -Domi, having clearly learned nothing after four years in the Whedonverse
@@domieWe have to keep you on your toes and remind you whose 'verse we are living in. 😂 This ep was the leveled up version of Buffy and Willow walking past the funeral in the background in season 3. LOL.
The irony of a man named Book being hard to 'read' is such a brilliant choice by the writers. He also is a preacher, so he lives by The Book aka The Bible.
This series is a masterclass on visual storytelling. You will fall head over heels in love with these characters, and the closer you get to the end of the series, the more you will dread it as the realization sets in that you're going to have to tell them goodbye. Amazing, amazing series (and movie). Welcome to the ranks of the Browncoats.
While the joke Mal plays on Simon about Kaylee being dead seems psychotic and mean spirited on the surface, it pays to remember the context. Only a few hours earlier, Simon held Kaylee's life hostage to get his way, after basically being the reason that Kaylee ended up getting shot by a Fed in the first place. With that in mind, the joke was actually a pretty tame and mild way for Mal and the others to get back at him for what he did.
When your government doesn't regard you as HAVING rights, being branded as a "criminal" simply means that you are acting in recognition of the fact that you DO have rights. Being branded as a "criminal" becomes a badge of honor.
Ron Glass, "Shepard Book", said in an interview that he was not interested in the show until he read the scripts and realized that it was not a prosthetic wearing sci-fi show. He loved the concept and thought it had the potential to run for a long time because they had a whole solar system of stories to play with. There is a dedicated fan base for this. I'm not sure how large we are. Good start and good reaction.
Oh yes, that line just gives me chills, no matter how many times I've seen it. That line has been burned into my brain since the first time I heard it.
I just love that exchange between Book and Inara: "I've been out of the abbey two days. I've beaten a lawman senseless, fallen in with criminals. I watched the captain shoot the man I swore to protect and I'm not even sure if I think he was wrong." "Shepherd..." "I believe I just... I think I'm on the wrong ship." "Maybe. Or maybe you're exactly where you ought to be."
Something I picked up in the comnentary somewhere- as that scene fades out, Book and Inara are in a pose from Roman Catholic ritual, the Penitent Sinner and the Priest giving Absolution, but with the roles reversed. She's forgiving, and comforting, him...
@@domieBrowncoats is the nickname of those like Mal and Zoe who fought on the (losing) Independents side of the war against the Alliance. So Firefly fans are also named Browncoats, as we are as stubbornly loyal, against all odds.
@@Madbandit77 I can see why you'd draw those parallels, but not really, no. The Independents here are all about equality and freedom, opposing the implied class system and corruption of the Alliance (among many other things).
@@DinosaurBytes But both sides sees themselves as good (like the Union & Confederacy) while the show's focus is more on the Firefly/Serenity crew, giving them the look of a rebel force against a fascist state. I think Farscape did it better with escaped prisoners.
The thing to remember about Mal and Zoe is that in the beginning she was serving with Mal and then "six years later" they were still working together, so they have a six year history.
Kaylee is the emotional heart of the show. Basically, the entire show is written in such a way that how Kaylee feels and reacts, that's how the writers want the viewers to feel and react. They talk about it on the Bluray/DVD commentary, and the fact that everyone immediately falls in love with Kaylee shows just how well they pulled off making her character the heart of the show.
34:45 Fun fact, as noted by Joss in the DVD commentary: If you look carefully, you'll notice that in this shot WASH IS NOT HOLDING ANYTHING. They had to move the seat back to get the shot, so Alan Tudyk pantomimed holding the joystick... and it made it into the show.
Mal saying that Kaylee had died wasn't solely a mean joke. He was also testing Simon's character, seeing if he would react by arguong to protect himself or go to check on Kaylee.
One of the themes of the series is illustrating that law is not synonymous with morality, it can be, but it's core definition is enforcing the will of a ruling power. And that 'outlaws' can be more morale than those that uphold the law.
Welcome to the Browncoats! The editor was worth every penny, they did a wonderful job. And this is a show that WILL bring in new subscribers (I'm one of them) so I have no doubt it'll be worth it to continue to post on YT. I eagerly look forward to them :D
You'll hear them call Kaylee 'Meimei', which is basically 'little sister' in Chinese. They all care for her like a little sister. Even Jayne. He teases her like a big brother. Notice how intent he was during her surgery.
Welcome to the Browncoats! Get ready for a thrilling (and way too short) ride. Fortunately it looks like your patrons or whoever is assisting you have got you steered straight on the most important thing: watch order. As I'm sure you've heard, FOX aired the episodes completely out of order, showing this-the true pilot-last, and starting with the second episode, The Train Job. It was no wonder that people watching on TV had no idea what was going on.
Yea I remember it well it was a confusing time. This reshuffling happened a lot back in the day with network TV. Like Columbine causing not one but two Buffy eps being delayed
27:12 How quickly the younger generation of reactors forget, that Simon was going to let Kaylee bleed out and die if they didn't do what he wanted...and yet MAL is the one who is the bad guy for playing a prank to make him sweat? Far as I'm concerned, for playing fast and loose with Kaylee's life, he deserved something.
Not a prank, a test. If Simon had been more concerned about getting spaced, he would have gotten spaced. But he cared more for his patient, therefor he is allowed to live and even join the crew.
@@StarlasAiko I know Browncoats like to make something out of nothing with this little fanfiction ya'all have created, but Mal wasn't even watching Simon to see what he'd do next...if he was testing him, why wouldn't he want to WITNESS THE TEST RESULTS? He literally said Kaylee was dead, and then walked away.
The crazy Ivan fast turn like that was indeed the "Something you can't do" because the Reavers had a large ship. The "NOW" was the signal for them to do the hard burn. Which the other ship probably could do, but it wouldn't have done Serenity as much good until After they did the Crazy Ivan.
this is the pilot episode, which the "geniuses" at Fox decided was too boring, and ordered a second one, with more action, to be filmed. Then, they aired the episodes of the show in a shuffled order, and then - they just pulled the plug on the whole project. "geniuses" as I said!
They may have had a point. Two-hour pilots or, without commercials, one hour and a half pilot for a sci-fi action-drama series often have four action moments, depending on the budget. The late Stephen J. Cannell was great with two-hour pilots. This pilot has two big ones (The war and avoiding the Reavers) and two small ones (the fights with the Alliance Fed). This show would have been off on the Sci-fi Channel, but they already had Farscape, which I was more into because it was better at world building, and it premiered three years earlier. Interesting fact: Farscape was meant to air on Fox, but the network executive who okayed it left and another executive came along and didn't want it.
@@Madbandit77 Seems to be a Fox problem, since (as I understand it) the exec who green lit _Firefly_ left and the one who followed didn't want it. Which contributed to the show getting shabby treatment and ultimately getting cancelled.
@@rudewalrus5636 It's not a "Fox problem", but more of an ego/reputation tactic film/TV executives do. Leadership changes as a TV show or a film is in the midst of getting off the ground.
One thing I have noticed is that reactors are often comparatively lukewarm about the pilot and find "The Train Job" more engaging, so maybe the geniuses at Fox actually had something of a point on this one thing? Me? I like "The Train Job", and I'd put it in the upper half of Firefly stories, but I don't think it's as compelling as "Serenity" and it doesn't work nearly as well for an actual first episode. In fact the clunkiest part about it is how it tries to bring people up to speed on the stuff they missed (from the episode that was never shown... well, until the end). Then again, maybe people just need to sink into the vibe, because they talk about the show getting better and better as they get to "Bushwhacked" (tied for my least favorite episode) and "Shindig" (a low-tier episode for me and certainly not as good as the pilot).
The whole point of Mal telling Simon Kaylee was dead was to judge his reaction. The second he stormed out to check on her he knew Simon cared for his Crew and was worthy of an the hassle bringing him on board would be
...no, it was because it was funny. It ended up revealing certain things about Simon's character, sure, but that wasn't the goal. You're reading too much into it; separate your fan fiction from the actual text.
@@ThatSamoanGuy - charlesacker9174 is correct. I guess you missed Mal's entire dialog to the crew in the very next scene? This series is loaded with subtext and not much hand holding for viewers. If a viewer is unable to speculate and read between the lines, they are missing a large chunk of the show.
@@dunringill1747 I'm sure that telling yourself you're enlightened enough to "read between the lines" really helps feed your delusion of being the #1 Firefly fan, but here in reality where intellect matters, headcanon can't beat a fact. And the fact is, there is nothing in Mal's proceeding dialogue (which is the correct spelling, btw) with any double meaning that implies, hints or suggests a test of character. And even IF he was testing Simon, look at where Mal is in accordance with the medbay; he doesn't even know Simon is there! What good would testing Simon's reaction be if he can't even see the results of the test?? You're both reaching to make the show seem more special than it already is, and it's wasting everyone's time.
@@ThatSamoanGuy Wow. This is really a big deal to you. You are actually arguing that lacking subtext makes for a greater intellect when just the opposite is true. Having to hand-hold and guide an audience through what happens as well as how they should think and feel about it is weaker scriptwriting that best serves an audience of lesser intelligence. That's not an insult. That's a fact. BTW: Trying to insult me only proves further that this conversation really affects you personally. PS: I used the term 'dialog' appropriately. TH-cam chat is social media. Not that I should have to, but I cut and pasted the explanation of the differences between 'dialog' and 'dialogue' below the actual thread subject chat. You might still deny everything that I'm posting, but maybe someone will benefit from it. -- Mal has PTSD. The pilot episode did everything to underline this without having a Psychiatrist spell it out to the audience. Mal exhibits all the classic PTSD symptoms. Look them up because I'm not listing them here. -- Simon gave Mal a reason to think he might be selfish. Protecting River from the Alliance was validated, but Mal needs further validation if Simon is selfish when not under the threat of the Alliance. Why? Because Mal has PTSD and his goal is to improve all conditions for his crew. -- Mal made it a point to look at Simon's reaction. He mentioned it to the crew "You should have seen his face!" Mal shares with the crew he noticed Simon was concerned for Kaylee. This cannot be logically interpreted any other way. If Simon was more concerned with River & himself, Mal would have found out right then and there. PS: Also, Mal's cruel joke would not have existed. "You should have seen his face!" would have become "Hey crew. Don't trust that selfish #@%^!" -- Mal also tells the crew: "... he's a good doctor." Mal is running it past the others that Simon can benefit the crew. -- Simon's concerned response for Kaylee (and not for himself & sister) is why Mal offered him a position on his crew at the end. None of this takes any kind of deep, high level, obtuse fan theory thinking like you are suggesting. ------------------------------------------- *Dialog vs Dialogue cut and paste FYI:* The terms “dialog” and “dialogue” are often used interchangeably, but there is a subtle distinction between them. While both refer to a conversation or talk between two or more people, the spelling variation depends on the context and regional English usage. American English (en-US): In the United States, “dialog” is commonly used, especially in computing and technology contexts, such as dialog boxes or dialog windows. This shorter spelling is also preferred in informal writing, like blogs and social media. British English (en-GB): In the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries that follow British English, “dialogue” is the preferred spelling, used in formal writing, literature, and academic contexts.
Like many of the best shows 'Firefly' has _at least_ 5 characters where, if anyone told me they were their _favourite_ i'd just nod and think "Yep, I totally get that" so it's fine to disagree there. But anyone that doesn't _love_ Kaylee must have a shrivelled husk where their heart should be :).
No one has said yet, so here you go. Fox did not like this pilot episode. They thought it was too slow (read: too smart). They asked Joss and his writers to write a new pilot OVER THE WEEKEND and then chose to produce that as the first episode. Obviously everyone had been introduced in "Serenity", so they had to make a 45 minute episode that introduced everyone, but as a normal plot-driven episode. That is "The Train Job". Then Fox proceeded to show episodes out of order and skip a bunch of weeks to air the World Series. Consequently, the show never had much of a chance to build an audience. So, when the audience didn't show up quick enough, Fox cancelled it mid-way through the season, with three of never even airing. Add this to the list of great shows that Fox, in the early 2000s, cancelled without showing all of the episodes (including Wonderfalls - which you would LOOOOOVE, Domi - and Keen Eddie.
Actually there were no writers by then, only Joss and Tim Minear. Same with episodes 3 to 6, as all were either Tim and Buffy writers doing freelance. Writers team began by episode 7.
Yes and Dark Angel which aired Tuesdays opposite Angel (as that wasn’t confusing enough) The former only got two seasons because it was too expensive to make, produced by James Cameron. Yes that James Cameron! Well at least it got one more season than Firefly
51:26 "I have to talk about Book. I cannot read this man." I see what you did there. Also, it's interesting to me that you seemed very firm in your assumption that the government / The Law are the "good guys." Kinda depends on what the government and the laws are like, doesn't it? Not many people call Robin Hood the "bad guy," for example, and the Empire is decidedly the "bad" side in Star Wars.
Welcome to the Browncoats, honey! Interesting note: "The Brazilian", Morena, these days is far better known as Deadpool's girlfriend. You really need to sit down with Thor and have him introduce you to the insanity that is Deadpool. Also, after Firefly was canceled is when Joss cast Nathan Fillion as the Deacon in Buffy Season 7. And Adam Baldwin has a recurring character on Angel Season 5. You already know about Gina as Jasmine. Summer Glau's first Whedonesque turn was as the Russian ballerina in Angel S03E13: "Waiting In The Wings."
@@ArielCarmona But he's *not* a hero. That's the whole point of the character. His sense of humor is juvenile, yet nonstop. It's not a great Marvel hero, but he's hilarious.
I subbed for your 'Firefly' journey. Feel free to speculate. Right or wrong, that is the fun of a reaction channel. Everybody loves adorable Kaylee. All the characters are complex and we get great relation dynamics between the crew members. Everything shown has a well written, nuanced reason behind it. Even the minor characters & scenes have depth. Everything Mal does has a reason behind it. - When Mal told Simon "Kaylee is dead" it was more than just a cruel joke. Mal was also testing him. Mal made it a point to look at Simon's reaction. He even mentioned it to the crew "You should have seen his face!" and " ... he is a good doctor.". That is Mal's way of letting the crew know he is contemplating on Simon being an asset to the crew. Simon's concerned response for Kaylee (and not for himself & sister) is why Mal offered him a position on his crew at the end. - People are used to eating synthesized food so it's a big deal when a real strawberry and fresh produce shows up. - Drinking water would be limited on a ship. Using very little to rinse your hands and face would be necessary. Chances are that isn't drinking water but more of a sanitizer/cleaner that Mal used sparingly on his hands and face during his bathroom break. Inara as well with her bath.
More than 75% of what I watch is Breaking Bad, Call Saul, Boys, and Firefly reactions. This was one of the best reaction of the Firefly pilot I have seen. You are a wonderful reactor. Especially loved the dead Kayley part and your summation at the end. The editing was FANTASTIC!!! Thank you for making my day. I'm VERY happy TH-cams algorithm recommended this video.
@@domie [NO SPOILER TALK] There is no such thing as a bad 'Firefly' episode. The series is sometimes called 'Joss Whedon's unfinished symphony'. Whedon had signed a 5 season contract (22-24 episodes per season) to tell a 3 part story. You have picked a real gem of a story here. It goes in this order: 1) 14 episodes (seasons were normally 22-23 episodes long back then, often with a double length pilot - this series was sabotaged so it could be canceled early due to executive politics at FOX). 2) Short Movie promo teasers "The River Tam Sessions" - best watched in release order and not the fan made chronological order. 3) 'Serenity' movie will finish the main story arc 1 of 3 as a soft reboot (yes, it has the same name as the pilot episode you just watched). 4) Bloopers and Deleted scenes. 5) Comics, Novels, and Role Playing Games for tying up loose ends and more Official Lore that continues with story arc 2 & 3 ... and beyond.
FYI, the best science fiction stories are human stories set in a fictional (usually futuristic) backdrop. That's why Battlestar Galactica, for example, is loved so much. Firefly has that, too, but it's as much a western as science fiction. I was first exposed to "Firefly" when "The Train Job" was the first episode to air. At the time, life was busy; I thought the series was good, but not good enough to spend the time on, given everything else that was happening back then. A few years later when the PR for "Serenity" movie began, a colleague loaned me the DVD set and I binge watched it in a weekend. Then I got my own set and watched it again. Then I loaned it to my mother, and she watched it and kept it. Then I got another set and watched it again. Then the movie came out, and it was, shall we say, eventful. After that was a serious grieving process knowing that they would not be making more. Today, it remains just as enjoyable as the first time, but it's more fun watching reactions like this one. Have you seen the original "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1992) movie, featuring Kristy Swanson, Donald Sutherland, and Rutger Hauer? It's a hoot. Rutger's take on valley speak is priceless.
Not only a Brazilian, but a buetifull Brazilian! She was love at first sight for me. And her performances on every show or film I have seen her in have been wonderful.
Ah, another fresh green recruit for the Browncoat army! Sounds like you're already falling in love with our crew, so I can't wait to watch you enjoy this roller coaster ride of a show (and Serenity). Anyway, I enjoyed you talking through the characters and everything at the end. Not everyone takes the time to do that, so it's a welcome change of pace.
Firstly, the juxtaposition between Inara saying "Because so few men are." And the scene with Mal using the toilet is one of my favourite Whedon things. A character saying something and it will cut to something that shows the exact opposite. Secondly, this ep had actors who have completed the Whedon triumvirate of Buffy, Angel and Firefly. Lawson was Ken in the Anne ep of Buffy and the groom in an early so of Angel. The commander of the Alliance ship was D'Hoffryn and the creepy Dr who could send bits of his body out in that one ep of Angel. I love your captions! Also, "Oh, that went ok.' immediately followed by Mal saying "I believe that woman is planning to shoot me again." 😂😂 Great reaction!
Since you've been exploring the Whedonverse, the studio executives rejected this pilot on a Friday and required that the script for the next episode be made into the actual pilot, at normal run length and no additional funding, and the revised script ready for table read on Monday morning. Joss also was making Buffy and Angel at the same time. He was showrunner on three different series simultaneously, and Fox was sabotaging him at every step to breach the contract and cancel the show.
Yeah, they are "battle buddies" they have learned to trust each other with their lives through going through warfare. There is no romance between them.
Very excited to watch your reaction to this show! Btw, Mal’s name is short for Malcolm, and therefore the vowel is not pronounced like the a in the Portuguese word “mal”, but rather it’s pronounced like the first a in California. So Mal rhymes with Cal and Al(Albert, Alfred), NOT with mall or call. 😘 Great reaction as always!
But yes, Mal does mean bad. In the Latin, as well as (I suppose) in the Portuguese. While Malcolm is the name of a hero in a Scottish (?) myth. (As well as Moloch's online pen name.) Which reflects some of the Captain's personality: He's a criminal (bad), but a hero.
You made me panic in the beginning, thinking you were going to watch the wrong episode 😮. Great show 🎉. “We have done the impossible and that makes us mighty” is one of the many quotes I love from this episode.
I love you for this because you flashed back to THAT episode of Buffy!! When they had that fake out death of Cordelia, and then revealed that it was just Buffy and Willow coincidentally taking a walk past the funeral, I actually jumped up out of my chair and yelled, "Damn you, Joss Whedon!"
First time viewer here. tldr: great job and glad to join you for this journey. Excellent reaction! You were hitting all the subtle notes that many reactors miss the first time around. You're not going to be able to keep a 'favorite character'. It will keep changing as you keep watching. Even the one or two you aren't glad about, you'll find hints of hidden complexity by the end of the story. Jewel (Kaylee) did an excellent job of pulling us into her character so fast. Your "F*@$ no!" when she got shot, after maybe a dozen lines of dialog from her so soon in the show, is how we all felt. Make sure to check out more of Morena Baccarin's work. This was her first show after graduating from Juliard. Besides her unearthly beauty and personal relevance for you, she picks good roles and performs them well. It will also help continue to open you up to sci-fi (remember, the good ones keep the character relationships in focus more than the visuals). Don't worry too much about trying to predict where things are going, or about the sci-fi genre. It's Whedon so he'll keep you guessing and blurring the edges of the genre (respect for his skills, but maybe don't look to close at his bio if you want to keep enjoying his work). Looking forward to seeing more from you!
First rule of Firefly: When you say something looks like trouble, what you should say is "It may be some trouble, and it will do until the trouble gets here."
Basically new CEO(?) came in after the show was okayed, and he didn't like sci-fi. So he did several things to sabotage it like airing episodes out of order and having 2-3 week breaks in between some episodes. They also didn't even air three of the episodes, and the first episode was aired last.
This was the first show Morena Baccarin did when she was fresh out of acting school. She was on Stargate SG1 and is in Deadpool. This was also the first acting (in a series) Summer Glau did. She did appear as the ballerina in an episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She is a professionally trained ballerina. She also appeared in Joss Whedon's "Dollhouse" and "Terminator-The Sarah Connor Chronicles" among others and some movies.
This was an almost perfect pilot to introduce all the characters. Unfortunately, we who watched it when it originally aired, never got to see it till the show was already canceled. . That made it hard for even us Browncoats to get into the show at first. It didnt really capture me till the third episode, Our Mrs Reynolds, aired.
If you haven't already figured it out, they speak Mandarin (Chinese) when they curse (most of the time) to get past the censors. The Chinese to English translations don't quite translate word for word. As far as for Jayne, it might take you several episodes, or maybe the whole (and only) season to warm up to him.
Found on the net: "word-forming element of Latin origin meaning "bad, badly, ill, poorly, wrong, wrongly," from French mal (adv.), from Old French mal (adj., adv.) "evil, ill, wrong, wrongly" (9c.), from Latin male (adv.) "badly," or malus (adj.) "bad, evil" (fem. mala, neuter malum), from Proto-Italic *malo-, from PIE *mol-o-, probably from PIE root *mel- (3) "false, bad, wrong." Most Modern English words with this element are 19c. coinages. It generally implies imperfection or deficiency, but often it is simply negative (as in malfeasance, malcontent). It is equivalent to dys- and caco- of Greek origin and Germanic mis- (1). "
Best show ever made. It even tops Buffy for me. The characters and the execution are perfection. There has never been a cast with more chemistry in a tv-show.
Mal telling Simon that Kaylee was dead was a very calculated move on his part. Up to that point, Mal didn't know where Simon stood on helping the crew (he bargained his safety for Kaylee's life at the beginning). Telling Simon that Kaylee was dead showed Mal Simon's true nature and whether or not he actually cared about the crew.
Yup... Mal played it off as a cruel joke, but most of his actions are far more calculated than he lets on. He gauges people well (ie: I believe that woman is planning to shoot me again). Simon is a bit of a mystery and Mal didn't decide on whether or not to take him and his sister on as part of his crew until the moment he ran to save Kaylee after being told she didn't make it.
Woohoo!!! Welcome to the Firefly 'Verse! Lots of planets and moons all in one big multiple star system, the Alliance of the Central Planets defeated the Independents in the war we saw happening at the beginning, Mal was an Independent, also known as a Browncoat, which is also what we fans call ourselves. So he don't like the Alliance much...and the Alliance is the law... Inara (the Brazilian) is a Companion - a highly trained courtesan, here we saw her engaged in sex work near the start of the pilot, and acting as a couselor for Shepherd Book near the end of the pilot. Zoe is definitely badass, Wash is a really great pilot, and Book is a religious man; Inara is right, he needs to be here. Mal was a devout Catholic as the begining of the pilot, but we get to see the moment when he lost his faith, when his side abandoned him, God seemed to have as well. First rule of the 'Verse: don't mess with Kaylee, because karma will get you!
Awesome review! You are not going to believe the journey you have started. You will believe things that you later find are far more complicated that you first think. Great series. As we say in Texas; y'all be safe.
Note that you really should watch them in the "corrected" order. They screwed up the order when they aired them, but here is the official order (along with the air dates) Serenity Pt. 1&2: 12/20/02 The Train Job: 9/20/02 Bushwhacked: 9/27/02 Shindig: 11/1/02 Safe: 11/8/02 Our Mrs. Reynolds: 10/4/02 Jaynestown: 10/18/02 Out of Gas: 10/25/02 (Which you can hold till the end as a good season wrap) Ariel: 11/15/02 War Stories: 12/6/02 Trash: never aired The Message: never aired Heart of Gold: never aired Objects in Space: 12/13/02 (written for between Trash & The Message, but officially put here, it's ok to move it back to after Trash if you want)
Pranking the doctor with the belief that Kaylee had died is the sort of black humor seen often among working class people and especially military people. Among the *Serenity* crew, only Simon and his sister Tam are of the upper class.
The "Kaylee's dead" thing is a cruel joke. But it's also a quick and dirty test of Simon's character- how does he respond? He RUNS for the sick bay, to check, to see if there's ANY WAY she can be rivived.
You mentioned being somewhat intrigued about Shepherd Book, maybe him being more than meets the eye. You didn’t include this particular moment in your review, but when the Fed shot Kaylee, and chaos ensued, did you notice how *deftly* Book disarmed and disabled him? 🧐 I doubt that the abbey teaches skills like that.
Omg it’s blowing my mind how much domi is like “they broke the law so they’re the bad guys” and “I know he’s the law, but he did bad things so he doesn’t feel like the law” like domi really out here lovin’ the police
When the stars shine bright through the engines trail, and the dust from another world drops behind. When my ship is free in the open sky, it’s a damn good day to my way of mind. There’s a barren planet you never can leave and a rocky valley where we lost the war. There’s a cross once hung round a soldier’s neck, when a man’s faith died on Serenity’s floor. But I stood my ground and I’ll fight once more. It’s the last oath that I’d ever swore. So.. Take my love, take my land, take me where I cannot stand. I don’t care I’m still free, you can’t take the sky from me. Take me out into the black. Tell em I ain’t com’n back. Burn the land, and boil the sea, you can’t take the sky from me. There’s no place that I would be, since I found Serenity. I don’t care, I’m still free, you can’t take the sky from me. You can’t take the sky from me.
Shiny! I watch at least once per summer. This is the ultimate ensemble project with the deepest character development. You will fall in love with each one. Big Damn Heroes! Also Firefly has the biggest cult following. You are likely to get lots of comments.
In a blink and miss it moment at 4:52 on the gun screen is the Waylan-yutani logo from the Alien franchise which makes sense cause they were both made by FOX
The show was lighting-in-a-bottle in DVD sales, but as it was being filmed it was going to be Weadon's vanity project and have little chance to find a place on network TV. Especially considring that it was extremely expensive to produce and would lose money unless it were a huge hit. Today with streaming services and an audience ready for a lot of "nerd" media, it would have found a place I'm sure.
![Watching Firefly for my FIRST TIME [Episode 1 Reaction]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZrhjvMwkInY/mqdefault.jpg)
Who else immediately panicked, thinking she was watching The Train Job first? :D
Thank you for this comment cuz I came running immediately after she said the name of the episode
ME!!! Instantly yelling "No, no, no!!!" 😂
I support her on Patreon, so I had already seen this reaction. So, it didn't surprise me here. However, I did have that response when I heard her mention the title on Patreon.
Oops 😅😅My tracking app betrayed me here!!!
OMG, me! I actually shouted "No!!!!" in my living room and came right to the comments before I even started the episode. Thank goodness it was just a little confusion and not actually that. *phew*
“Kaylee is my favorite character.” First Firefly reactor achievement unlocked!
🫡 kaylee stans unite
She must be protected.
You have unlocked the next level!
until the description at the end and i thought "nooo lock it back fast. she's wanting to make this a disney show like Acolyte""
also, kaylee gives me a space boner...
First episode and Domi already has the “protect Kaylee at all costs” attitude! Spot on! Everyone loves our sweet Kaylee.
she’s the best!!! must protect AT ALL COST!!!
I was hooked on this show as soon as Wash said “curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!”
Don't forget that when Mal "murdered" the fed, they had the reavers coming down on them. He had no time to mull over the ethics of his actions. He is actually the real problem solver. As he said "there's obstacles in our path, we'll deal with them one by one".
"She's fine. Because she's in the intro. She's one of the people in the intro, she's fine." -Domi, having clearly learned nothing after four years in the Whedonverse
rach pls DON’T SCARE ME LIKE THIS!!!
Right? It was like how I felt when Amber Benson was in the intro, that Tara was finally safe.
@@domieWe have to keep you on your toes and remind you whose 'verse we are living in. 😂 This ep was the leveled up version of Buffy and Willow walking past the funeral in the background in season 3. LOL.
The irony of a man named Book being hard to 'read' is such a brilliant choice by the writers. He also is a preacher, so he lives by The Book aka The Bible.
omg love this!!!
The image of the preacher receiving absolution/blessing from the whore at the end of the episode is very strong.
This series is a masterclass on visual storytelling. You will fall head over heels in love with these characters, and the closer you get to the end of the series, the more you will dread it as the realization sets in that you're going to have to tell them goodbye. Amazing, amazing series (and movie). Welcome to the ranks of the Browncoats.
Just a quick shout out to the editing for the "Oh, I see it, it does look like a-" "- Firefly with possible stolen goods on board" cut.
While the joke Mal plays on Simon about Kaylee being dead seems psychotic and mean spirited on the surface, it pays to remember the context. Only a few hours earlier, Simon held Kaylee's life hostage to get his way, after basically being the reason that Kaylee ended up getting shot by a Fed in the first place. With that in mind, the joke was actually a pretty tame and mild way for Mal and the others to get back at him for what he did.
Our introduction to Wash is probably my favorite of any characters in any genre
I don't know, something about him is bothering me. ;p
I love when reactors say they’re going to try firefly out and see how it goes, as if it isn’t going to be a hit straight off the mark.
This show sent me into a deep depression knowing that the truest love I will ever know is with a fictional mechanic on a short-lived show.
LOL!! felt 😂
They're not the bad guys. They're crooks. Not the same.
They're the illegal element. Still not convinced they're the evil element.
"I may have been on the LOSING side; still not convinced it was the wrong one."
When your government doesn't regard you as HAVING rights, being branded as a "criminal" simply means that you are acting in recognition of the fact that you DO have rights.
Being branded as a "criminal" becomes a badge of honor.
To the simple minded they are.
"Outlaws" as she said, is a good word for it.
Firefly is an absolute gem, and "Serenity" one my favorite sci-fi movies. So glad you're into it!
it’s so good, nico!!!! and thankfully no watch order to stress over about 😂
#BrowncoatsForever❤
@@domie 😄
Ron Glass, "Shepard Book", said in an interview that he was not interested in the show until he read the scripts and realized that it was not a prosthetic wearing sci-fi show. He loved the concept and thought it had the potential to run for a long time because they had a whole solar system of stories to play with. There is a dedicated fan base for this. I'm not sure how large we are. Good start and good reaction.
"... and if we're very very lucky, they'll do it in THAT order"
Masterclass in letting the audience's imagination do the work for you
And there's always that look of horror on the viewer's face when the true impact of those words sink in.
Combined with Jayne’s absolute terror of them.
@@jspettiferis brilliant. When the badass mercenary is truly scared, you know shit got real.
Oh yes, that line just gives me chills, no matter how many times I've seen it.
That line has been burned into my brain since the first time I heard it.
I just love that exchange between Book and Inara:
"I've been out of the abbey two days. I've beaten a lawman senseless, fallen in with criminals. I watched the captain shoot the man I swore to protect and I'm not even sure if I think he was wrong."
"Shepherd..."
"I believe I just... I think I'm on the wrong ship."
"Maybe. Or maybe you're exactly where you ought to be."
and the shot after that in which she is basically blessing him. it's so poetic
Something I picked up in the comnentary somewhere- as that scene fades out, Book and Inara are in a pose from Roman Catholic ritual, the Penitent Sinner and the Priest giving Absolution, but with the roles reversed. She's forgiving, and comforting, him...
And just like that, another Browncoat was born... shiny!
omg is this what the firefly fans are called? 🥺
@@domieBrowncoats is the nickname of those like Mal and Zoe who fought on the (losing) Independents side of the war against the Alliance. So Firefly fans are also named Browncoats, as we are as stubbornly loyal, against all odds.
@@gennytun Like the Confederates...🙄
@@Madbandit77 I can see why you'd draw those parallels, but not really, no. The Independents here are all about equality and freedom, opposing the implied class system and corruption of the Alliance (among many other things).
@@DinosaurBytes But both sides sees themselves as good (like the Union & Confederacy) while the show's focus is more on the Firefly/Serenity crew, giving them the look of a rebel force against a fascist state. I think Farscape did it better with escaped prisoners.
The thing to remember about Mal and Zoe is that in the beginning she was serving with Mal and then "six years later" they were still working together, so they have a six year history.
Kaylee is the emotional heart of the show. Basically, the entire show is written in such a way that how Kaylee feels and reacts, that's how the writers want the viewers to feel and react. They talk about it on the Bluray/DVD commentary, and the fact that everyone immediately falls in love with Kaylee shows just how well they pulled off making her character the heart of the show.
34:45 Fun fact, as noted by Joss in the DVD commentary: If you look carefully, you'll notice that in this shot WASH IS NOT HOLDING ANYTHING. They had to move the seat back to get the shot, so Alan Tudyk pantomimed holding the joystick... and it made it into the show.
Kind of, in the original 4:3 aspect ratio, his hands are out of the shot, so it passed. It wasn't until the widescreen release that you see it.
Also Summer Glau was the ballet dancer in the Angel episode, waiting in the wings.
And the Terminator in another short lived Fox sci fi show
Mal saying that Kaylee had died wasn't solely a mean joke. He was also testing Simon's character, seeing if he would react by arguong to protect himself or go to check on Kaylee.
One of the themes of the series is illustrating that law is not synonymous with morality, it can be, but it's core definition is enforcing the will of a ruling power. And that 'outlaws' can be more morale than those that uphold the law.
Welcome to the Browncoats! The editor was worth every penny, they did a wonderful job. And this is a show that WILL bring in new subscribers (I'm one of them) so I have no doubt it'll be worth it to continue to post on YT. I eagerly look forward to them :D
You'll hear them call Kaylee 'Meimei', which is basically 'little sister' in Chinese. They all care for her like a little sister. Even Jayne. He teases her like a big brother. Notice how intent he was during her surgery.
I was going to say yhe exact thing
6:58 Well, the same VFX company worked on both shows and you can actually see Serenity fly in the background in a scene in the BSG mini series.
Welcome to the Browncoats! Get ready for a thrilling (and way too short) ride. Fortunately it looks like your patrons or whoever is assisting you have got you steered straight on the most important thing: watch order. As I'm sure you've heard, FOX aired the episodes completely out of order, showing this-the true pilot-last, and starting with the second episode, The Train Job. It was no wonder that people watching on TV had no idea what was going on.
Yea I remember it well it was a confusing time. This reshuffling happened a lot back in the day with network TV. Like Columbine causing not one but two Buffy eps being delayed
I'm enjoying this! I hope you keep posting them on TH-cam.
The signal is still going strong. Ain't nothing stopping yet.
“No power in the ‘Verse can stop us!”❤
You can't stop the signal
"Good Dogs" is still one of my favourite bad taste jokes in the episode
Better than bad dogs.
I’m sure they taste fine.
27:12 How quickly the younger generation of reactors forget, that Simon was going to let Kaylee bleed out and die if they didn't do what he wanted...and yet MAL is the one who is the bad guy for playing a prank to make him sweat? Far as I'm concerned, for playing fast and loose with Kaylee's life, he deserved something.
Not a prank, a test. If Simon had been more concerned about getting spaced, he would have gotten spaced. But he cared more for his patient, therefor he is allowed to live and even join the crew.
@@StarlasAiko I know Browncoats like to make something out of nothing with this little fanfiction ya'all have created, but Mal wasn't even watching Simon to see what he'd do next...if he was testing him, why wouldn't he want to WITNESS THE TEST RESULTS? He literally said Kaylee was dead, and then walked away.
The crazy Ivan fast turn like that was indeed the "Something you can't do" because the Reavers had a large ship. The "NOW" was the signal for them to do the hard burn. Which the other ship probably could do, but it wouldn't have done Serenity as much good until After they did the Crazy Ivan.
this is the pilot episode, which the "geniuses" at Fox decided was too boring, and ordered a second one, with more action, to be filmed. Then, they aired the episodes of the show in a shuffled order, and then - they just pulled the plug on the whole project. "geniuses" as I said!
They may have had a point. Two-hour pilots or, without commercials, one hour and a half pilot for a sci-fi action-drama series often have four action moments, depending on the budget. The late Stephen J. Cannell was great with two-hour pilots.
This pilot has two big ones (The war and avoiding the Reavers) and two small ones (the fights with the Alliance Fed). This show would have been off on the Sci-fi Channel, but they already had Farscape, which I was more into because it was better at world building, and it premiered three years earlier.
Interesting fact: Farscape was meant to air on Fox, but the network executive who okayed it left and another executive came along and didn't want it.
@@Madbandit77 Seems to be a Fox problem, since (as I understand it) the exec who green lit _Firefly_ left and the one who followed didn't want it. Which contributed to the show getting shabby treatment and ultimately getting cancelled.
@@rudewalrus5636 It's not a "Fox problem", but more of an ego/reputation tactic film/TV executives do. Leadership changes as a TV show or a film is in the midst of getting off the ground.
One thing I have noticed is that reactors are often comparatively lukewarm about the pilot and find "The Train Job" more engaging, so maybe the geniuses at Fox actually had something of a point on this one thing? Me? I like "The Train Job", and I'd put it in the upper half of Firefly stories, but I don't think it's as compelling as "Serenity" and it doesn't work nearly as well for an actual first episode. In fact the clunkiest part about it is how it tries to bring people up to speed on the stuff they missed (from the episode that was never shown... well, until the end).
Then again, maybe people just need to sink into the vibe, because they talk about the show getting better and better as they get to "Bushwhacked" (tied for my least favorite episode) and "Shindig" (a low-tier episode for me and certainly not as good as the pilot).
The whole point of Mal telling Simon Kaylee was dead was to judge his reaction.
The second he stormed out to check on her he knew Simon cared for his Crew and was worthy of an the hassle bringing him on board would be
...no, it was because it was funny.
It ended up revealing certain things about Simon's character, sure, but that wasn't the goal. You're reading too much into it; separate your fan fiction from the actual text.
@@ThatSamoanGuy - charlesacker9174 is correct. I guess you missed Mal's entire dialog to the crew in the very next scene? This series is loaded with subtext and not much hand holding for viewers. If a viewer is unable to speculate and read between the lines, they are missing a large chunk of the show.
@@dunringill1747 I'm sure that telling yourself you're enlightened enough to "read between the lines" really helps feed your delusion of being the #1 Firefly fan, but here in reality where intellect matters, headcanon can't beat a fact. And the fact is, there is nothing in Mal's proceeding dialogue (which is the correct spelling, btw) with any double meaning that implies, hints or suggests a test of character. And even IF he was testing Simon, look at where Mal is in accordance with the medbay; he doesn't even know Simon is there! What good would testing Simon's reaction be if he can't even see the results of the test?? You're both reaching to make the show seem more special than it already is, and it's wasting everyone's time.
@@ThatSamoanGuy Wow. This is really a big deal to you. You are actually arguing that lacking subtext makes for a greater intellect when just the opposite is true. Having to hand-hold and guide an audience through what happens as well as how they should think and feel about it is weaker scriptwriting that best serves an audience of lesser intelligence. That's not an insult. That's a fact.
BTW: Trying to insult me only proves further that this conversation really affects you personally.
PS: I used the term 'dialog' appropriately. TH-cam chat is social media. Not that I should have to, but I cut and pasted the explanation of the differences between 'dialog' and 'dialogue' below the actual thread subject chat. You might still deny everything that I'm posting, but maybe someone will benefit from it.
-- Mal has PTSD. The pilot episode did everything to underline this without having a Psychiatrist spell it out to the audience. Mal exhibits all the classic PTSD symptoms. Look them up because I'm not listing them here.
-- Simon gave Mal a reason to think he might be selfish. Protecting River from the Alliance was validated, but Mal needs further validation if Simon is selfish when not under the threat of the Alliance. Why? Because Mal has PTSD and his goal is to improve all conditions for his crew.
-- Mal made it a point to look at Simon's reaction. He mentioned it to the crew "You should have seen his face!" Mal shares with the crew he noticed Simon was concerned for Kaylee. This cannot be logically interpreted any other way. If Simon was more concerned with River & himself, Mal would have found out right then and there. PS: Also, Mal's cruel joke would not have existed. "You should have seen his face!" would have become "Hey crew. Don't trust that selfish #@%^!"
-- Mal also tells the crew: "... he's a good doctor." Mal is running it past the others that Simon can benefit the crew.
-- Simon's concerned response for Kaylee (and not for himself & sister) is why Mal offered him a position on his crew at the end. None of this takes any kind of deep, high level, obtuse fan theory thinking like you are suggesting.
-------------------------------------------
*Dialog vs Dialogue cut and paste FYI:*
The terms “dialog” and “dialogue” are often used interchangeably, but there is a subtle distinction between them. While both refer to a conversation or talk between two or more people, the spelling variation depends on the context and regional English usage.
American English (en-US): In the United States, “dialog” is commonly used, especially in computing and technology contexts, such as dialog boxes or dialog windows. This shorter spelling is also preferred in informal writing, like blogs and social media.
British English (en-GB): In the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries that follow British English, “dialogue” is the preferred spelling, used in formal writing, literature, and academic contexts.
Welcome to The Verse. Strap in because it's gonna be a WILD RIDE!
"If it's not doing too well..." Bruh! It's Firefly! the Browncoats will unite!
Like many of the best shows 'Firefly' has _at least_ 5 characters where, if anyone told me they were their _favourite_ i'd just nod and think "Yep, I totally get that" so it's fine to disagree there. But anyone that doesn't _love_ Kaylee must have a shrivelled husk where their heart should be :).
This show was way ahead of its time.
YES!! Fireflly is SO freaking good! Great choice. You'll love it. 🫶
already do!! ❤
No one has said yet, so here you go. Fox did not like this pilot episode. They thought it was too slow (read: too smart). They asked Joss and his writers to write a new pilot OVER THE WEEKEND and then chose to produce that as the first episode. Obviously everyone had been introduced in "Serenity", so they had to make a 45 minute episode that introduced everyone, but as a normal plot-driven episode. That is "The Train Job". Then Fox proceeded to show episodes out of order and skip a bunch of weeks to air the World Series. Consequently, the show never had much of a chance to build an audience. So, when the audience didn't show up quick enough, Fox cancelled it mid-way through the season, with three of never even airing. Add this to the list of great shows that Fox, in the early 2000s, cancelled without showing all of the episodes (including Wonderfalls - which you would LOOOOOVE, Domi - and Keen Eddie.
Actually there were no writers by then, only Joss and Tim Minear. Same with episodes 3 to 6, as all were either Tim and Buffy writers doing freelance. Writers team began by episode 7.
Yes and Dark Angel which aired Tuesdays opposite Angel (as that wasn’t confusing enough) The former only got two seasons because it was too expensive to make, produced by James Cameron. Yes that James Cameron! Well at least it got one more season than Firefly
@@ArielCarmona
1.5 more seasons than _firefly_ given that _firefly_ was cancelled halfway thru the season and not even allowed a wrap-up episode
Love Wonderfalls ❤
🎶 I wonder wonder why the Wonderfalls…🎶
51:26 "I have to talk about Book. I cannot read this man."
I see what you did there.
Also, it's interesting to me that you seemed very firm in your assumption that the government / The Law are the "good guys." Kinda depends on what the government and the laws are like, doesn't it? Not many people call Robin Hood the "bad guy," for example, and the Empire is decidedly the "bad" side in Star Wars.
No government, not one is the "good guy" when it becomes to big and to controlling
Here I am screaming at the TV 1:40 in!😰 Then estatic 😅😂🤣 when i realized she is actually watching Production episod 1 "Serenity"!
Welcome to the Browncoats, honey!
Interesting note: "The Brazilian", Morena, these days is far better known as Deadpool's girlfriend. You really need to sit down with Thor and have him introduce you to the insanity that is Deadpool.
Also, after Firefly was canceled is when Joss cast Nathan Fillion as the Deacon in Buffy Season 7. And Adam Baldwin has a recurring character on Angel Season 5. You already know about Gina as Jasmine. Summer Glau's first Whedonesque turn was as the Russian ballerina in Angel S03E13: "Waiting In The Wings."
Aw skip Deadpool he sucks. Worst Marvel “superhero” ever
@@ArielCarmona Aww must be lonely being the only one with that opinion 😂
@@ArielCarmona But he's *not* a hero. That's the whole point of the character. His sense of humor is juvenile, yet nonstop. It's not a great Marvel hero, but he's hilarious.
@@seumus yea that's the thing. He ain't funny. Sophomoric juvenille one trick pony. But hey if you like him you do you
@@evatesche "I have vision, the rest of the world wears bifocals" Butch Cassady
When you said The Train Job, everyone probably screamed in unison, NO! FOX really screwed the airing order.
I subbed for your 'Firefly' journey. Feel free to speculate. Right or wrong, that is the fun of a reaction channel. Everybody loves adorable Kaylee. All the characters are complex and we get great relation dynamics between the crew members. Everything shown has a well written, nuanced reason behind it. Even the minor characters & scenes have depth. Everything Mal does has a reason behind it.
- When Mal told Simon "Kaylee is dead" it was more than just a cruel joke. Mal was also testing him. Mal made it a point to look at Simon's reaction. He even mentioned it to the crew "You should have seen his face!" and " ... he is a good doctor.". That is Mal's way of letting the crew know he is contemplating on Simon being an asset to the crew. Simon's concerned response for Kaylee (and not for himself & sister) is why Mal offered him a position on his crew at the end.
- People are used to eating synthesized food so it's a big deal when a real strawberry and fresh produce shows up.
- Drinking water would be limited on a ship. Using very little to rinse your hands and face would be necessary. Chances are that isn't drinking water but more of a sanitizer/cleaner that Mal used sparingly on his hands and face during his bathroom break. Inara as well with her bath.
Summer Glau played a Terminator Robot on the Sarah Connor Chronicles.
Yay! Firefly! I don't watch a lot of reactions but I'm definitely watching these 🧡
yay!!! thanks for being here!!
You have immensely brightened my day by starting this series. WAHOOOOO!!!!
thank you for such a sweet comment that has brightened up my day!! 🤍
More than 75% of what I watch is Breaking Bad, Call Saul, Boys, and Firefly reactions. This was one of the best reaction of the Firefly pilot I have seen. You are a wonderful reactor. Especially loved the dead Kayley part and your summation at the end. The editing was FANTASTIC!!! Thank you for making my day. I'm VERY happy TH-cams algorithm recommended this video.
Oh Holy Moly! This is going to be as good as Domi and Buffy!! Yay, Domi!!
aww this makes me so happy to hear!!!!
@@domie [NO SPOILER TALK] There is no such thing as a bad 'Firefly' episode. The series is sometimes called 'Joss Whedon's unfinished symphony'. Whedon had signed a 5 season contract (22-24 episodes per season) to tell a 3 part story.
You have picked a real gem of a story here. It goes in this order:
1) 14 episodes (seasons were normally 22-23 episodes long back then, often with a double length pilot - this series was sabotaged so it could be canceled early due to executive politics at FOX).
2) Short Movie promo teasers "The River Tam Sessions" - best watched in release order and not the fan made chronological order.
3) 'Serenity' movie will finish the main story arc 1 of 3 as a soft reboot (yes, it has the same name as the pilot episode you just watched).
4) Bloopers and Deleted scenes.
5) Comics, Novels, and Role Playing Games for tying up loose ends and more Official Lore that continues with story arc 2 & 3 ... and beyond.
07:16 it's Andy Umberger, who played D'Hoffryn on BtVS. Keep your eyes open for more Whedonverse actor overlapses ;-)
Also, Dr. Ronald Meltzer on the Angel episode Fall to Pieces.
FYI, the best science fiction stories are human stories set in a fictional (usually futuristic) backdrop. That's why Battlestar Galactica, for example, is loved so much. Firefly has that, too, but it's as much a western as science fiction.
I was first exposed to "Firefly" when "The Train Job" was the first episode to air. At the time, life was busy; I thought the series was good, but not good enough to spend the time on, given everything else that was happening back then. A few years later when the PR for "Serenity" movie began, a colleague loaned me the DVD set and I binge watched it in a weekend. Then I got my own set and watched it again. Then I loaned it to my mother, and she watched it and kept it. Then I got another set and watched it again. Then the movie came out, and it was, shall we say, eventful. After that was a serious grieving process knowing that they would not be making more. Today, it remains just as enjoyable as the first time, but it's more fun watching reactions like this one.
Have you seen the original "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1992) movie, featuring Kristy Swanson, Donald Sutherland, and Rutger Hauer? It's a hoot. Rutger's take on valley speak is priceless.
Not only a Brazilian, but a buetifull Brazilian! She was love at first sight for me. And her performances on every show or film I have seen her in have been wonderful.
It's funny you should mention BSG because the same company made the effects for both shows. The Serenity also makes a cameo during the pilot of BSG.
Domi!! Aw hell yeah, this is one of the greatest shows ever made. I really hope you are able to put the rest of it on TH-cam
Ah, another fresh green recruit for the Browncoat army! Sounds like you're already falling in love with our crew, so I can't wait to watch you enjoy this roller coaster ride of a show (and Serenity).
Anyway, I enjoyed you talking through the characters and everything at the end. Not everyone takes the time to do that, so it's a welcome change of pace.
Firstly, the juxtaposition between Inara saying "Because so few men are." And the scene with Mal using the toilet is one of my favourite Whedon things. A character saying something and it will cut to something that shows the exact opposite.
Secondly, this ep had actors who have completed the Whedon triumvirate of Buffy, Angel and Firefly. Lawson was Ken in the Anne ep of Buffy and the groom in an early so of Angel. The commander of the Alliance ship was D'Hoffryn and the creepy Dr who could send bits of his body out in that one ep of Angel.
I love your captions! Also, "Oh, that went ok.' immediately followed by Mal saying "I believe that woman is planning to shoot me again." 😂😂
Great reaction!
Your editor did a great job! Keep them plz
Since you've been exploring the Whedonverse, the studio executives rejected this pilot on a Friday and required that the script for the next episode be made into the actual pilot, at normal run length and no additional funding, and the revised script ready for table read on Monday morning. Joss also was making Buffy and Angel at the same time.
He was showrunner on three different series simultaneously, and Fox was sabotaging him at every step to breach the contract and cancel the show.
Zoe and Mal: Big damn heroes.
“Ain’t We Just!” ❤
Yeah, they are "battle buddies" they have learned to trust each other with their lives through going through warfare. There is no romance between them.
Very excited to watch your reaction to this show!
Btw, Mal’s name is short for Malcolm, and therefore the vowel is not pronounced like the a in the Portuguese word “mal”, but rather it’s pronounced like the first a in California. So Mal rhymes with Cal and Al(Albert, Alfred), NOT with mall or call. 😘
Great reaction as always!
But yes, Mal does mean bad. In the Latin, as well as (I suppose) in the Portuguese. While Malcolm is the name of a hero in a Scottish (?) myth. (As well as Moloch's online pen name.) Which reflects some of the Captain's personality: He's a criminal (bad), but a hero.
You made me panic in the beginning, thinking you were going to watch the wrong episode 😮.
Great show 🎉. “We have done the impossible and that makes us mighty” is one of the many quotes I love from this episode.
Well, now I wanna watch the rest of the season with you so... let's go!
I love you for this because you flashed back to THAT episode of Buffy!! When they had that fake out death of Cordelia, and then revealed that it was just Buffy and Willow coincidentally taking a walk past the funeral, I actually jumped up out of my chair and yelled, "Damn you, Joss Whedon!"
FIREFLY!!! YASSSS 🔥
ITS SOOO GOOOD
First time viewer here.
tldr: great job and glad to join you for this journey.
Excellent reaction! You were hitting all the subtle notes that many reactors miss the first time around.
You're not going to be able to keep a 'favorite character'. It will keep changing as you keep watching. Even the one or two you aren't glad about, you'll find hints of hidden complexity by the end of the story.
Jewel (Kaylee) did an excellent job of pulling us into her character so fast. Your "F*@$ no!" when she got shot, after maybe a dozen lines of dialog from her so soon in the show, is how we all felt.
Make sure to check out more of Morena Baccarin's work. This was her first show after graduating from Juliard. Besides her unearthly beauty and personal relevance for you, she picks good roles and performs them well. It will also help continue to open you up to sci-fi (remember, the good ones keep the character relationships in focus more than the visuals).
Don't worry too much about trying to predict where things are going, or about the sci-fi genre. It's Whedon so he'll keep you guessing and blurring the edges of the genre (respect for his skills, but maybe don't look to close at his bio if you want to keep enjoying his work).
Looking forward to seeing more from you!
I enjoyed your reactions and commentary more than most I've seen for Firefly. Thank you for doing the show, and I hope you do more episodes here!
First rule of Firefly: When you say something looks like trouble, what you should say is "It may be some trouble, and it will do until the trouble gets here."
Yessss so excited for this!! You're gonna have a great time!
Basically new CEO(?) came in after the show was okayed, and he didn't like sci-fi. So he did several things to sabotage it like airing episodes out of order and having 2-3 week breaks in between some episodes. They also didn't even air three of the episodes, and the first episode was aired last.
This was the first show Morena Baccarin did when she was fresh out of acting school.
She was on Stargate SG1 and is in Deadpool.
This was also the first acting (in a series) Summer Glau did. She did appear as the ballerina in an episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She is a professionally trained ballerina. She also appeared in Joss Whedon's "Dollhouse" and "Terminator-The Sarah Connor Chronicles" among others and some movies.
This was an almost perfect pilot to introduce all the characters. Unfortunately, we who watched it when it originally aired, never got to see it till the show was already canceled. . That made it hard for even us Browncoats to get into the show at first. It didnt really capture me till the third episode, Our Mrs Reynolds, aired.
If you haven't already figured it out, they speak Mandarin (Chinese) when they curse (most of the time) to get past the censors. The Chinese to English translations don't quite translate word for word. As far as for Jayne, it might take you several episodes, or maybe the whole (and only) season to warm up to him.
16:12 Fun fact: Jewel Staithe, the actress playing Kaylee, doesn't like strawberries.
PS: You pronounce Mal wrong. It's just short for Malcolm.
Found on the net: "word-forming element of Latin origin meaning "bad, badly, ill, poorly, wrong, wrongly," from French mal (adv.), from Old French mal (adj., adv.) "evil, ill, wrong, wrongly" (9c.), from Latin male (adv.) "badly," or malus (adj.) "bad, evil" (fem. mala, neuter malum), from Proto-Italic *malo-, from PIE *mol-o-, probably from PIE root *mel- (3) "false, bad, wrong."
Most Modern English words with this element are 19c. coinages. It generally implies imperfection or deficiency, but often it is simply negative (as in malfeasance, malcontent). It is equivalent to dys- and caco- of Greek origin and Germanic mis- (1).
"
@@jeffus And? What has any of that to dowith the pronounciation?
I first remember jewel staite ( Kaylee) from Stargate Atlantis.
She's currently on the Canadian legal drama, Family Law, with Emmy-nominee Victor Garber ("Alias").
Best show ever made. It even tops Buffy for me. The characters and the execution are perfection. There has never been a cast with more chemistry in a tv-show.
Always a nice day to see someone new being introduced to Firefly.
Castle makes quite a few references to this show
Space cowboy!🤓
Mal telling Simon that Kaylee was dead was a very calculated move on his part. Up to that point, Mal didn't know where Simon stood on helping the crew (he bargained his safety for Kaylee's life at the beginning). Telling Simon that Kaylee was dead showed Mal Simon's true nature and whether or not he actually cared about the crew.
Yup... Mal played it off as a cruel joke, but most of his actions are far more calculated than he lets on. He gauges people well (ie: I believe that woman is planning to shoot me again). Simon is a bit of a mystery and Mal didn't decide on whether or not to take him and his sister on as part of his crew until the moment he ran to save Kaylee after being told she didn't make it.
Awesomeness!
Welcome to the club! We have weekly meetings planned right after the announcements of the show's return. 😅
Woohoo!!! Welcome to the Firefly 'Verse! Lots of planets and moons all in one big multiple star system, the Alliance of the Central Planets defeated the Independents in the war we saw happening at the beginning, Mal was an Independent, also known as a Browncoat, which is also what we fans call ourselves. So he don't like the Alliance much...and the Alliance is the law...
Inara (the Brazilian) is a Companion - a highly trained courtesan, here we saw her engaged in sex work near the start of the pilot, and acting as a couselor for Shepherd Book near the end of the pilot.
Zoe is definitely badass, Wash is a really great pilot, and Book is a religious man; Inara is right, he needs to be here. Mal was a devout Catholic as the begining of the pilot, but we get to see the moment when he lost his faith, when his side abandoned him, God seemed to have as well.
First rule of the 'Verse: don't mess with Kaylee, because karma will get you!
Great show and great reaction
thank you!!
Wonderful reaction, you had some thoughts I hadn't noticed before as well!
Awesome review! You are not going to believe the journey you have started. You will believe things that you later find are far more complicated that you first think. Great series.
As we say in Texas; y'all be safe.
Note that you really should watch them in the "corrected" order. They screwed up the order when they aired them, but here is the official order (along with the air dates)
Serenity Pt. 1&2: 12/20/02
The Train Job: 9/20/02
Bushwhacked: 9/27/02
Shindig: 11/1/02
Safe: 11/8/02
Our Mrs. Reynolds: 10/4/02
Jaynestown: 10/18/02
Out of Gas: 10/25/02 (Which you can hold till the end as a good season wrap)
Ariel: 11/15/02
War Stories: 12/6/02
Trash: never aired
The Message: never aired
Heart of Gold: never aired
Objects in Space: 12/13/02 (written for between Trash & The Message, but officially put here, it's ok to move it back to after Trash if you want)
The actor playing the fed has had guest roles in Buffy and Angel. Did not know Morena Baccarin was born in Brazil.
Pranking the doctor with the belief that Kaylee had died is the sort of black humor seen often among working class people and especially military people. Among the *Serenity* crew, only Simon and his sister Tam are of the upper class.
Sorry, but I’d have to disagree with that last statement. As a Companion, Inara holds a high stature within the ‘Verse.
Inara
@@SaulOhio Inara isn't upper class - - she wouldn't be a companion if she was.
River. Tam is their surname.
@@PiraticalBob No. Companions are, by their very nature, upper class.
Best TV show ever. Serious. Glad to see you doing this.
You're gonna love this show!
The "Kaylee's dead" thing is a cruel joke. But it's also a quick and dirty test of Simon's character- how does he respond? He RUNS for the sick bay, to check, to see if there's ANY WAY she can be rivived.
You mentioned being somewhat intrigued about Shepherd Book, maybe him being more than meets the eye. You didn’t include this particular moment in your review, but when the Fed shot Kaylee, and chaos ensued, did you notice how *deftly* Book disarmed and disabled him? 🧐 I doubt that the abbey teaches skills like that.
Omg it’s blowing my mind how much domi is like “they broke the law so they’re the bad guys” and “I know he’s the law, but he did bad things so he doesn’t feel like the law” like domi really out here lovin’ the police
When the stars shine bright through the engines trail, and the dust from another world drops behind.
When my ship is free in the open sky, it’s a damn good day to my way of mind.
There’s a barren planet you never can leave and a rocky valley where we lost the war. There’s a cross once hung round a soldier’s neck, when a man’s faith died on Serenity’s floor.
But I stood my ground and I’ll fight once more. It’s the last oath that I’d ever swore. So..
Take my love, take my land, take me where I cannot stand.
I don’t care I’m still free, you can’t take the sky from me.
Take me out into the black. Tell em I ain’t com’n back.
Burn the land, and boil the sea, you can’t take the sky from me.
There’s no place that I would be, since I found Serenity. I don’t care, I’m still free, you can’t take the sky from me.
You can’t take the sky from me.
Mal: "I'm going to be a man of mystery."
Book: "Hold my beer."
Shiny! I watch at least once per summer. This is the ultimate ensemble project with the deepest character development. You will fall in love with each one. Big Damn Heroes! Also Firefly has the biggest cult following. You are likely to get lots of comments.
In a blink and miss it moment at 4:52 on the gun screen is the Waylan-yutani logo from the Alien franchise which makes sense cause they were both made by FOX
I instantly subbed because this series is gorgeous and I kinda wish they would have done more but I also think that’s what makes this so great!!
The show was lighting-in-a-bottle in DVD sales, but as it was being filmed it was going to be Weadon's vanity project and have little chance to find a place on network TV. Especially considring that it was extremely expensive to produce and would lose money unless it were a huge hit. Today with streaming services and an audience ready for a lot of "nerd" media, it would have found a place I'm sure.