I've never posted in Firefly before, but I wanted to share my recent experience.

I loaned out one of my Firefly DVD's. It was the first time I'd let any of them leave the nest, since I don't really know anyone I thought would appreciated them. But my sister was pregnant and homebound and looking for something to watch. She had already declared Buffy "too weird" (although she watched all of Seasons 1-3 before reaching this conclusion), but I figured I'd take the risk anyway.

It was a stressful experience, but today I got my baby back safe and sound. My sister's opinion, "A thousand times better than Buffy, but much too dark." This from a woman whose current favorite show is The Shield! She specifically cited Mal as being very dark and someone she had a hard time warming up to. Which made me think: in the beginning, didn't the network insist that Mal's character be lightened up some? Maybe they actually do know something about this TV business. Of course, they also replaced "Serenity" with "The Train Job" as the premier episode, so maybe not.

Hi, jstroix. So, no toaster, then? You have to try harder.

I don't recall whether or not they had to lighten up Mal's character. I'm a little baffled by people who think he's too dark, though. I mean, he's no Kaylee, but I can think of any number of lighthearted quotes and moments when he opens up, cracks jokes, or lets his fierce brand of optimism shine through. ("Still flying," for example, or "Looking to make a few good stands after this one.") But then, I love Mal with a bright and undying love, so I may be slightly biased.

Yeah, I don't know if it's in the commentary on the dvds--I think it's mentioned there, by either Joss or Nathan--but it has come up in interviews that FOX thought Mal was too dark, and lightening him up was something they did to keep the show on the air. Joss has also mentioned that for the BDM Mal went back to the dark character Joss had originally intended him to be. Nathan has repeated in many interviews that "this guy is SO much darker than me," so I think the observation is more than valid.

What I find funny, though, is that the person watching jstroix's dvds found post-lightening-up series Mal "too dark."

All this kinda scares me as to how dark Mal is gonna be in the movie. Mal is scary anyway (Nathan Fillion, for a nice guy, can get a ferocious glare on him); something really bad must have happened in the interim to make him lose the happy he was starting to get by the end of the run. I just hope Joss doesn't end the movie with everyone miserable.

To which Joss replied, "she don't know me very well, do she?"

As long as no one hooks up they'll all be happy and surviving.

I just hope Joss doesn't end the movie with everyone miserable.

I just hope they're still flying.

I did not like Mal at all until I saw the series in order (i.e. on the DVDs). I wouldn't have said "too dark" but more like "too mean". Everyone else was within a normal range of being friendly with each other but he just stuck out as being a total prick. BUT I think having missed "Our Mrs. Reynolds" during the original run probably had a lot to do with it too. When I got my DVDs and watched them in order, I started to understand him more from the pilot* - but OMR is when I fell in love with him.

ETA * - the whole "you're a softy" exchange with Kaylee in the pilot also helped a lot towards making Mal a likable character

As long as no one hooks up they'll all be happy and surviving.

Whew! So as long as Kaylee keeps chasing Simon, she's safe.

Simon/Kaylee is doomed.

RepublicanMouthpiece/Kaylee is doomed.

Wash/Kaylee ... Wash is doomed.

Mal/Kaylee ... OK, I'd buy a ticket.

Book/Kaylee ... Ew! (Which means this is the hardiest hookup, for those having the writing chops.)

River or Zoe/Kaylee .. sure, I'd buy a ticket, but I'd feel bad about it. A little.

Badger/Kaylee? Here's my bank account, take what you will.