Review: “Firefly”

For those of you who don’t know, I’m a bit of a geek. Shocking, I know. To be a little more specific, I enjoy sci fi and video games. (within certain limits), which some people tend to find “geeky.” Yet another facet of my incredibly complex personality. (Ok, so really it’s not all that complex…)
At any rate, Josh and I are both big fans of Star Trek (though we’re not the “dress-up-at-conventions” types) and also Star Wars (again, no costumes or conventions) and we’ve discovered some other movies and TV shows we enjoy of the “sci fi” variety. So, when we have time (usually after the boys are in bed) we like to watch our geeky shows together. ;)

Recently, a friend of Josh’s recommended we try out Firefly. It was a show that aired a few years ago and only lasted one season. So, we added it to our Netflix list. (honestly, we LOVE Netflix) Last night, we finished up the final episode. There were only 14 episodes total, and I have to tell you – we were sorry to see it end!

The show was created by Joss Whedon (who also created Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Dollhouse, etc.) It was obvious the makers of the show expected they’d have a second season, because there were so many loose ends left hanging. Since the show ended up cancelled, there was a movie made (Serenity) that is supposed to wrap things up. Josh and I will be watching that very soon. (tonight, I hope!)
What was interesting about this show was it was far less “out there” than others, such as Star Wars or Star Trek. No aliens or weird space anomalies. It was pretty believable for what the future might be like in 500 years (which is when it’s set). It has sort of a “space cowboy” feel to it.
What I really enjoyed was that I found myself laughing every episode (yes, EVERY episode). The characters were real, believable and even (dare I say) endearing. They’re criminals, mind you, but loveable criminals none-the-less. (think sort of a Robin Hood vibe) I found I cared for the characters, and was always interested to see what was coming in the next episode.
There was something I loved about each of the main characters, but my favorites were probably Wash (played by Alan Tudyk)…

…and Jayne (played by Adam Baldwin)…

…simply because they always made me laugh.
I also loved the playfulness and sweetness of Kaylee (played by Jewel Staite – who I also loved in Flash Forward on the Disney Channel when I was a kid!)

So, yes, 14 episodes was far too few for me. It seems Firefly didn’t get the fair shot it deserved (I have the same sentiment about Freaks and Geeks!) and I’m sure I’ll still be wanting more when the final scene of Serenity plays, but I’m so glad that we tried this show out! All that said, I definitely recommend it.