Serenity (2005)

Welcome back friends, it’s been a hard slog getting the pod up and running again, but I’m happy to report we all get by with a little help from our friends. While we’ve done quite a few SciFi titles in previous episodes, we haven’t quite covered a film that would qualify as a Western. This episode we get to do both. “Serenity” is Jose Whedon’s film follow up for the abruptly cancelled Fox tv series “Firefly”— a scifi drama set in the 2500s; a time of pre-warp exploration, pioneer terra forming settlements, and brutal vandals known as “Reavers”. The series didn’t quite get a fair shake from Fox as the episodes were aired out of sequence leaving some viewers confused about the overall story arch. By the end, the show was cancelled only airing 11 of its 14 episodes. In spite of this, the show had already established a cult following which only grew with the release of the series DVD, and its popularity was evident with loyal fans —self proclaimed “Brown Coats” supporting the show, and making their presence known at Cons and online. Whedon had been working on a feature film script since the show’s cancellation and finally got the backing from Universal Studios (who eventually bought the rights). The project came in under budget, and though it received overall positive critic reviews, winning Hugo and Nebula awards, it only broke even at the box office. The Firefly universe continues to have a devoted fan base and done good work in the name of the franchise, with charity benefit screenings coordinated with “Equality Now”. Whedon and the wonderful ensemble cast of Firefly have created a memorable addition to the genre where the future seems not so distant, and sometimes not so shiny. The space and flight action sequences are beautifully choreographed and production carefully blended CGI with practical effects and sets. The script incorporates much of what Whedon wanted to expand on had the series continued. The crew of the Serenity are heroes we can sympathize with through their failures and vulnerability— each individual expressing their unique perspective as they face the great black void of space, and an uncertain future. Episode link: https://sojo.net/articles/keeping-force/firefly-and-dignity-humanity