Output Stream of Consciousness

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefly_(television_series)

After seeing the movie Serenity, Dena and I decided that we might like to see the series. After picking it up from HMV for a modest $25, we can see now why Firefly fans were choked about the very first season being cancelled when it was. Fox only aired 11 of the 14 episodes, so even those who caught it on TV will find something new here.

This is a smart, puckish, entertaining series. Every bit the charm and wit of the movie based on it.

Set in a future where there are the more established "core worlds" controlled by a somewhat smothering government, and well-to-poorly terraformed planets out on the edges with a very, very "frontier" feel to them, and a lifestyle to match.

To call it "Cowboys in Space" would be tangentially accurate, but doesn't capture the heart of the show.

Having studied Mandarin at university, I get the biggest kick ever out of the sprinkling of Mandarin phrases (sounded like Taiwanese influence) in amongst southern-sounding (e.g. "oughta should") but odd dialected English, with its own vernacular like "shiny" for OK or "sly" for gay.

The writing and the acting are just... smart. It would be hard to portray a captain more human and more loyalty-inspiring than the lead character, Malcolm Reynolds. I can honestly say I don't think I've ever witnessed character dynamics as fascinating on the small screen.

The proof is in the pudding, mind you. We lapped up the entire series over the course of five days, and now... we're just a bit desperate for more. *sigh* If there are signs of them trying to start it up again, count us in.

Highly recommended, even for those who aren't big science fiction fans.

Now, if I can only get the theme song out of my head, I'll be fine.