Firefly 1-8

[schneefink]

Still sick, but fortunately I have internet access to distract me (that died the moment I typed this. Oh well, if you're reading this it's obviously came back.) Yesterday all the other exchange students partied in my roommate's room and I could tell them to shut up or get out when it got late (I could have been more polite about it?, but it wasn't the first time and I have a stupid headache), today they're in someone else's room, but unfortunately I can hear them just as well. Maybe I'll put tissues in my ears.

I've watched Firefly up to "Out of Gas", here be thoughts. No spoilers for upcoming episodes, please.


"Out of Gas" might be my favorite episode yet. First I thought it was a time travel episode, but then I remembered that this is a western, not Stargate. ;-) It was high time we got some character backstory on the original crew. Heh, Jayne's recruiting was hilarious. And loopy Mal is kind of adorable. I also liked the guys who found the ship, because yes, this is the kind of world where it would happen exactly like this. I bet they came back a few hours later to see if he'd made it and to get the ship if he hadn't.

"Jaynestown": the beginning was hilarious, the ending was a bit thick, but I liked it as a Jayne episode. Also Simon and Kaylee are adorable.

I don't know what to think of "Mrs. Reynolds" (definitely not one of my favorites), but if that is the only time anything queer appears on screen I'll be very annoyed and disappointed.

"Safe": loved River dancing! And the cuts to the shooting, hee. I liked that the reason they wanted to burn River was not only that she was a witch, but because she knew that the mayor was a murderer.

"Shindig": Kaylee in a pink dress with ruffles, and on the ball she talks with a bunch of gentlemen about engines ♥ I'm glad Mal apologized to Inara in the end.

"Bushwacked": Reavers are scary. I like that the Alliance is not portrayed as evil Overlords. In fact, the only bad thing they've done so far (except being on the other side of a war than Mal and Zoe and apparently not being very competent administrators on the outer planets) is what they did to River.

"The Train Job": there needs to be more Inara slapping Mal :)

Overall, I continue to love Simon and River. Siblings who would do anything for each other are one of my favorite things. I also love Zoe, because she is awesome, and Wash, because he is funny, and they are so cute together. I even started liking Jayne, and I like Shepherd's hair xD

Mal... he is loyal, he is adorable when loopy, he is stubborn and aggressive, he has his own set of morals, and he has a giant crush on Inara. I think I could even forgive him calling her a whore, but what I really don't like is how he constantly walks into her shuttle uninvited even though she always tells him not to. It's her home, she made that clear enough, multiple times! His "I don't respect your profession, he doesn't respect you"-speech is kind of ridiculous when you consider that he doesn't even respect her privacy.
As for Inara herself, I really want her to call him on that, but I bet it's not going to happen. Okay, stupid crushes are understandable. Otherwise I like her, but she needs more background.

Comments

[tari-roo.livejournal.com]

alas, I fear (due to the shortness of the series) you aren't going to get a 'lot' of Resolution on your questions :( It broke my heart to leave it all out there, mysterious. Serenity helped, to be sure, but oh, oh the heart break only worsened with Wash. Sob.

Sometimes I hate Joss Whedon. He giveth good characters and then he taketh them away :(

Mrs Reynolds was a weirdo ep, but I liked Inara's reaction throughout :)

[schneefink.livejournal.com]

No spoilers, please! Not even "there won't be an answer to that." I don't want to think about the movie right now, I'm enjoying the series first. What is that river in Egypt called again... ;-)

[tari-roo.livejournal.com]

sorry :( *zips lips*

Er, the comment above mine contains some pretty big spoilers, fyi ...

[sholio]

FIREFLY. <3

I think I could even forgive him calling her a whore, but what I really don't like is how he constantly walks into her shuttle uninvited even though she always tells him not to. It's her home, she made that clear enough, multiple times! His "I don't respect your profession, he doesn't respect you"-speech is kind of ridiculous when you consider that he doesn't even respect her privacy.

Yeah, I think Mal is fooling himself if he thinks he does respect her. There is something rather offputting to me about Mal as a character; I think moreso than someone like Jayne, in a way, because at least the show recognizes that we aren't supposed to be sympathizing/empathizing with Jayne most of the time (er, except when we are, of course), but with Mal, I feel like a lot of his more unlikable macho qualities are supposed to be appealing, and I just ... don't really feel it.

But the cast as a whole ... OH FIREFLY. <3 My favorites were always Zoe & Wash, and Kaylee, and (weirdly enough) Jayne -- I don't like him as a person, but I find him massively entertaining as a character.

"Out of Gas" was one of my favorite episodes, too -- I really love well-done "box" episodes, where the action is very contained and it's all about the characters.

Re: Er, the comment above mine contains some pretty big spoilers, fyi ...

[schneefink.livejournal.com]

Mal is strange: there's a lot of things I like about him, but then there are other things that make it impossible for me to like the character as a whole. And yes to Jayne being "easier" because the show recognizes the problems with his character.

Zoe & Wash! I just watched "War Stories" (haven't watched "Ariel" yet, the order on the DVD menu is confusing) and they were just adorable in it. ...that word feels very weird to use for an episode with so much torture in it.

[sholio]

WAR STORIES! :D I wondered if you had gotten to that one yet, but I couldn't remember the title. I loved that episode so much, even though normally torture is something that I find really offputting and don't want to watch. But the character stuff in it was great. Wash and Zoe ... :D :D :D The whole thing with Wash's jealousy of Zoe's friendship with Mal, and Zoe being forced to choose when it isn't even a choice for her, and then Wash going back even though he's not a fighter type, but he can't just do nothing ... And Mal at the end, I'm paraphrasing because can't remember the exact dialogue, but I loved this bit so much: "We have to let him do this on his own; we can't interfere." "No, interfere, interfere!"

OH EVERYONE. ♥

I need to rewatch that show.

[schneefink.livejournal.com]

Apart from the torture, "War Stories" was great. The whole Zoe & Wash & Mal stuff that made their relationships so much more alive, great lines ("She swore to obey?" "Well, no." or "There's plenty of times where she didn't obey!" "Like what?" "She married you!" and the scene in the end, "We have no choice. Take me, captain, take me hard.", heee.) And also everyone else: loved Kaylee and River playing games, Simon trying to shoot people, Book actually shooting people (kneecaps!), Kaylee not being able to shoot people, and then River shooting without looking, "No force in the 'verse can stop me." And of course Jayne's famous "I'll be in my bunk." And Inara's eyeroll, heh. Characters ♥

[schneefink.livejournal.com]

And in the end, when Jayne wants to shoot the guy Mal is fighting with and Zoe stops him: "That's something the Captain has to do for himself."
Mal: "No! No, it's not!"
Zoe: "Oh."
Jayne, Zoe and Wash shoot simultaneously.
Heee. xD

[sholio]

Yes, that's the scene I was totally misquoting above. :D

If I don't do a full Firefly rewatch, I ought to just watch that episode. :D And maybe "Out of Gas" too while I'm at it.