Report on Firefly
Dec. 11th, 2002 12:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
coalescentFirefly is quietly becoming a great show.
It's not great for the reasons I might have hoped. I have all kinds of problems with the series' backstory (even after they changed it), the plots are more than a little cliched, and it still doesn't seem to be about anything other than adventure on the high frontier. None of the grand politics or insight into the human condition that Whedon seemed to be promising.
But damn it, the characters have me. Apart from Inara and Zoe, both of whom are still on the dull side, they have me hook, line and sinker. I love Book. I love Jayne. I adore Kaylee. I love River and Simon. I love Wash. And I love Mal. I would happily watch these characters sit around and pick their noses for an hour.
Well, maybe not. But you get the point.
This is a new thing for me; I can't recall ever loving a show for the characters before. Sure, I think Connor's kinda cool, and I like the rest of Angel Investigations. Willow is (or at least was) lovely, and Giles is pretty much The Man, but I only ever appreciated Buffy herself, never liked her. I watch the other Mutant Enemy shows for the plots, and the neat metaphors, and the wit. Not the characters. It's the same for just about every other TV show you could name, with the possible exception of Quantum Leap.
I sure hope Whedon gets to keep these characters flying for at least a little while longer.
It's not great for the reasons I might have hoped. I have all kinds of problems with the series' backstory (even after they changed it), the plots are more than a little cliched, and it still doesn't seem to be about anything other than adventure on the high frontier. None of the grand politics or insight into the human condition that Whedon seemed to be promising.
But damn it, the characters have me. Apart from Inara and Zoe, both of whom are still on the dull side, they have me hook, line and sinker. I love Book. I love Jayne. I adore Kaylee. I love River and Simon. I love Wash. And I love Mal. I would happily watch these characters sit around and pick their noses for an hour.
Well, maybe not. But you get the point.
This is a new thing for me; I can't recall ever loving a show for the characters before. Sure, I think Connor's kinda cool, and I like the rest of Angel Investigations. Willow is (or at least was) lovely, and Giles is pretty much The Man, but I only ever appreciated Buffy herself, never liked her. I watch the other Mutant Enemy shows for the plots, and the neat metaphors, and the wit. Not the characters. It's the same for just about every other TV show you could name, with the possible exception of Quantum Leap.
I sure hope Whedon gets to keep these characters flying for at least a little while longer.
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Wise man, wise man...
Date: 2002-12-11 04:10 am (UTC)Is it good SF? Not particularly. I'm ignoring the astrophysics, because they need to be ignored, and the rest, well, never really bothered me in any way.
The characters are great. But then, frankly, I have a similar investment in 'Buffy', although admittedly that show's got the sharper metaphoric writing happening.
Re: Wise man, wise man...
Date: 2002-12-11 12:02 pm (UTC)Oh, sure they are. This is the production company whose livelihood is based on reinterpretation of cliches, after all.
Is it good SF? Not particularly
It's not, although I thought 'Jaynestown' and 'Shinding' were steps in the right direction. Actually, I just flat-out enjoyed 'Shindig' a lot more than I thought I was going to, given the premise.
OK, maybe I'm just a tired old git now...
I don't mind fun 2D character archetypes from time to time, but I kind of grew out of that after too many seasons of M.A.S.H.