Firefly - "Serenity" - Deep thoughts and ranting.
WAAAAAAAAAH!
Shepard Book :( *cries*
Wash :( *cries FOREVER*
So, right off the bat there was a familiar face - Tamara Taylor from Bones, which piqued my interest. It was also great to get the backstory on how and why Humanity colonized space and what brought about the war, which was something central to the storyline of the series but that they never got a chance to go into much. The "how" and "why" we got wherever we are in the future is something that always interests me. It's easy to just say "500 years from now, we'll have colonized a bunch of other planets." OK. But how? Why? So I liked that a lot.
The backstory on the Tams was interesting for the same reason.
Now - me being me, I drew a B5 parallel in my brain. Actually, I drew several, but the first has to do with these opening scenes of River and her conditioning. She's a psychic and a human weapon, just like the telepaths. And that really made me think - you know, they're not wrong. Firefly's not wrong and B5's not wrong, because the fact is if we discovered we had actual, real telepaths in our population, of course they'd be recruited for military and strategic purposes. I would like to have enough faith in my fellow man to believe they wouldn't be forced into it, but... who knows. The individual person is smart; people as a mob are stupid and panicky about things they don't understand.
Back in the future-present time, the crew are back to the "what do we do with River?" question. There are two things that made this movie feel like an epic do-over of the series finale, which as you'll recall, I did not like very much. This was one. We're back to - River is dangerous. River is unpredictable. We're scared of River, and we'd like her to not be on the ship anymore.
The second thing that makes it feel like a series finale do-over is the Operative, who reminds me a lot of Early in that he is so dedicated to his mission that he will do anything to see it completed. That makes him truly scary and, unlike Early who turns all "am I insane?" crazy, this guy is relentless until the very end.
And speaking of that.
SHEPARD BOOK. :(
...
>:(
The Haven scene was where I drew my second B5 parallel, as Mal looks around at all the bodies and begins instructing his crew to make Serenity into a Reaver ship so that they can pass through Reaver space to get to Miranda. The crew objects vehemently, and you can tell Mal doesn't like this decision, he doesn't want to have to use these people to do what needs to be done, but it's what has to be done.
Just like Sheridan and the frozen telepaths.
Now, granted, the bodies on Haven are already dead, which may be the big difference here, but it's the same basic idea: Using people in the same method that your enemy uses people in order to achieve a goal.
The revelation of the Reavers' origin was just shocking. And that River knew about it... I guess that's the one big question I came away with. HOW did she know? But then, she's super-special. She has psychic powers and stuff. And she's been conditioned by the Alliance to the point of insanity. So... I guess there's probably an answer in there somewhere.
I was, um, really not that sad about Mr. Universe. I did not have an emotional investment in him.
BUT I WAS SAD ABOUT WASH.
>:(
Two things about Wash. First, I have the best husband in the world, because he knew the impalement was coming and he said to me, "Honey? Look at me, Honey. Do you know what? I love you, and I love being married to you, and you really are the best ever..."
And so I was looking at him, and not at the screen, and so I missed the actual part where Wash gets impaled, which is probably for the best. I would likely not have slept last night if I'd seen that.
I have the best husband ever. :)
BUT SERIOUSLY, WTF? WHY DID WASH HAVE TO DIE?
I sort of get Shepard Book. Sort of. I mean, it was part of the thing, part of the plot. Haven was destroyed because they had sheltered the Serenity crew, and Book was a casualty of that attack. OK. I get that. See... I really do. BUT THERE WAS NO GOOD REASON FOR WASH TO DIE. None. It was like, "Ohai, you're dead now because your chair was in the wrong place."
I WAS PISSSSSSED. And sad. And... just... Wash :(((
(OK, OK. I get that in real life, people die senseless deaths all the time. But... I just... movies aren't supposed to be like real life in little painful ways like that! Ugh.)
The Reaver battle. What do I have to say about the Reaver battle? Not much. It was a battle. But it was very well-planned, with strategery and a fallback position and whatnot, and we got to see from Mal and Zoe a tactical planning "soldier" side emerge, which was pretty cool. And Zoe gets mad props for being able to do what needed to be done despite the fact that her husband has just died. Wow. And then their backs are against the wall, and they've got nothing left, and their super-secret weapon comes out to play.
River is scary. Wow.
Meanwhile, in the quieter counterpoint, Mal and the Operative have a little showdown. I really, really like that Mal is asked point-blank here if River and the Miranda message mean enough to him that he'd be willing to die for it. That really lets Mal put on his Hero Shoes and say - yes. I know what has to be done. I know what it might cost me. Im'ma do it anyway. And that he is able to take that position, and then still be merciful toward (ie, not kill) the Operative shows great maturity and growth in him as a character. I was impressed by that.
Personally, I think I would've shot the guy.
I liked the somber but determined attitude at the end, and the little scene with Mal and River flying Serenity. Again with the growth of character in Mal - he has every right to be very angry with River. After all, if it wasn't for her, the Operative wouldn't have been chasing them, and it's likely Book and Wash would still be alive. But he doesn't see that. He lets her help him fly the boat. Bravo, Mal. Bravo.
Shepard Book :( *cries*
Wash :( *cries FOREVER*
So, right off the bat there was a familiar face - Tamara Taylor from Bones, which piqued my interest. It was also great to get the backstory on how and why Humanity colonized space and what brought about the war, which was something central to the storyline of the series but that they never got a chance to go into much. The "how" and "why" we got wherever we are in the future is something that always interests me. It's easy to just say "500 years from now, we'll have colonized a bunch of other planets." OK. But how? Why? So I liked that a lot.
The backstory on the Tams was interesting for the same reason.
Now - me being me, I drew a B5 parallel in my brain. Actually, I drew several, but the first has to do with these opening scenes of River and her conditioning. She's a psychic and a human weapon, just like the telepaths. And that really made me think - you know, they're not wrong. Firefly's not wrong and B5's not wrong, because the fact is if we discovered we had actual, real telepaths in our population, of course they'd be recruited for military and strategic purposes. I would like to have enough faith in my fellow man to believe they wouldn't be forced into it, but... who knows. The individual person is smart; people as a mob are stupid and panicky about things they don't understand.
Back in the future-present time, the crew are back to the "what do we do with River?" question. There are two things that made this movie feel like an epic do-over of the series finale, which as you'll recall, I did not like very much. This was one. We're back to - River is dangerous. River is unpredictable. We're scared of River, and we'd like her to not be on the ship anymore.
The second thing that makes it feel like a series finale do-over is the Operative, who reminds me a lot of Early in that he is so dedicated to his mission that he will do anything to see it completed. That makes him truly scary and, unlike Early who turns all "am I insane?" crazy, this guy is relentless until the very end.
And speaking of that.
SHEPARD BOOK. :(
...
>:(
The Haven scene was where I drew my second B5 parallel, as Mal looks around at all the bodies and begins instructing his crew to make Serenity into a Reaver ship so that they can pass through Reaver space to get to Miranda. The crew objects vehemently, and you can tell Mal doesn't like this decision, he doesn't want to have to use these people to do what needs to be done, but it's what has to be done.
Just like Sheridan and the frozen telepaths.
Now, granted, the bodies on Haven are already dead, which may be the big difference here, but it's the same basic idea: Using people in the same method that your enemy uses people in order to achieve a goal.
The revelation of the Reavers' origin was just shocking. And that River knew about it... I guess that's the one big question I came away with. HOW did she know? But then, she's super-special. She has psychic powers and stuff. And she's been conditioned by the Alliance to the point of insanity. So... I guess there's probably an answer in there somewhere.
I was, um, really not that sad about Mr. Universe. I did not have an emotional investment in him.
BUT I WAS SAD ABOUT WASH.
>:(
Two things about Wash. First, I have the best husband in the world, because he knew the impalement was coming and he said to me, "Honey? Look at me, Honey. Do you know what? I love you, and I love being married to you, and you really are the best ever..."
And so I was looking at him, and not at the screen, and so I missed the actual part where Wash gets impaled, which is probably for the best. I would likely not have slept last night if I'd seen that.
I have the best husband ever. :)
BUT SERIOUSLY, WTF? WHY DID WASH HAVE TO DIE?
I sort of get Shepard Book. Sort of. I mean, it was part of the thing, part of the plot. Haven was destroyed because they had sheltered the Serenity crew, and Book was a casualty of that attack. OK. I get that. See... I really do. BUT THERE WAS NO GOOD REASON FOR WASH TO DIE. None. It was like, "Ohai, you're dead now because your chair was in the wrong place."
I WAS PISSSSSSED. And sad. And... just... Wash :(((
(OK, OK. I get that in real life, people die senseless deaths all the time. But... I just... movies aren't supposed to be like real life in little painful ways like that! Ugh.)
The Reaver battle. What do I have to say about the Reaver battle? Not much. It was a battle. But it was very well-planned, with strategery and a fallback position and whatnot, and we got to see from Mal and Zoe a tactical planning "soldier" side emerge, which was pretty cool. And Zoe gets mad props for being able to do what needed to be done despite the fact that her husband has just died. Wow. And then their backs are against the wall, and they've got nothing left, and their super-secret weapon comes out to play.
River is scary. Wow.
Meanwhile, in the quieter counterpoint, Mal and the Operative have a little showdown. I really, really like that Mal is asked point-blank here if River and the Miranda message mean enough to him that he'd be willing to die for it. That really lets Mal put on his Hero Shoes and say - yes. I know what has to be done. I know what it might cost me. Im'ma do it anyway. And that he is able to take that position, and then still be merciful toward (ie, not kill) the Operative shows great maturity and growth in him as a character. I was impressed by that.
Personally, I think I would've shot the guy.
I liked the somber but determined attitude at the end, and the little scene with Mal and River flying Serenity. Again with the growth of character in Mal - he has every right to be very angry with River. After all, if it wasn't for her, the Operative wouldn't have been chasing them, and it's likely Book and Wash would still be alive. But he doesn't see that. He lets her help him fly the boat. Bravo, Mal. Bravo.