Firefly - A Timeless Classic

Every "Firefly" fan is a bit heartbroken, when they hear that fandoms managed to save another show, because is was picked up by Netflix or the likes. The truth is that if "Firefly" had been cancelled in the present day the fans would have managed to save it. But 18 years ago, when the internet wasn't yet the driving force it is today and streaming services were merely an idea the effort of the fandom wasn't enough. At least they managed to get the studio to make a movie, to give the crew of Captain Reynolds a proper send off in "Serenity". 

Despite only 14 episode being produced "Firefly" is a modern classic among Science Fiction shows, that has a cult following. But why is that? What makes this show so special? 

First of all the characters are well fleshed out. Although the show has so few episodes all the characters are deep and have its moment to shine. This was achieved by having few guest stars compared to other shows and focusing on the relationships within the crew of the Serenity. Many dialogues to advance the story happen between the main characters. They are also given a background story through carefully planted flashbacks or told stories, such as when Simon explains to the crew, how accomplished he was as a child, yet how his accomplishments pale in comparison to his sister's brilliance. Another example is the flashback to the war right at the beginning, when we see how Mal's and Zoe's friendship was formed. Also the characters were somewhat unexpected, as it turns out that a companion (A mix between a geisha and a prostitute) is a highly respected member of society, the engineer is a cute girl and the tough second in command fighter falls in love with a man, who is mainly funny and most definitely not a fighter.

Another thing that was special about "Firefly" was the fact that it was a Space Western. In a tongue in cheek moment in one episode the Serenity even transports a cattle herd. The episodes switched between the outer planets, which appear very Wild West and the inner planets, that are your typical technologically advanced Science Fiction settings.  In a way you got two shows in one, as it was a western and a science fiction show.  It were these switches that gave the show a unique look and created a society with a vast inequality. This inequality is the reason for many of the shows conflicts, that have very real analogies in today's society.

Joss Whedon is one of the finest writers for Science Fiction and Fantasy, especially because he is a master of the witty banter. The dialogues in "Firefly" are simply brilliant and on point, particularly the arguments between Nathan Fillion's Captain Reynolds and Morena Baccarin's Inara Serra are hilarious. This is also due to the performances of the actors, who obviously enjoyed being on the show. Nathan Fillion has stated this many times on social media and in interviews. 

Maybe the "Firefly" was just something where the sum of all parts is bigger or something else entirely but what is a fact is that it is a fantastic show, which should have lasted a lot longer than it did. Despite being 18 years old it doesn't look outdated in the least. 

Maybe it was just victim to some bad marketing. I remember when I was a fan of Buffy and heard that its creator was creating a "Space Western" I raised my eyebrows. Personally I believe the show's demise was mainly due to too much interference by the studio. They decided to air the show in an unfavorable timeslot (targeted at a younger audience) and especially by deciding to air the episodes in the incorrect sequence. A story is meant to be told a certain way and people, whose job is to handle numbers should stick to that and not interfere with artistic decision and story telling. Of course a show has to make money but can you imagine a restaurant owner telling the chef to serve the courses in a different order? 

If you haven't watched the show I recommend it to you, as it is one of the best shows of the last 25 years and helped establish Josh Whedon. Although I am a huge Buffy fan, I have to admit that Firefly is a better show by far, which would have deserved Buffy's seven seasons. But maybe its briefness has something to do with Firefly's cult status, as each episode is a highlight with no weak episodes at all.