Theoretical question only: if direct-to-DVD of two 'movies' was made following two different sets of Serenifly characters, would people dig that?

If it has Joss and/or Tim and our actual actors, not ringers, then abso-frickin-lutely. I had a stronger word there, but apparently I just can't keep that word even after watching The Wire.

I'd really like to get the Inara backstory, but she's not my favorite to watch. I'd love to watch Jayne, but am not so much interested in his backstory, so I think it must be Book. And Wash should be in it. He and Zoe could have a family. Yes, I think that would be nice.

Zoe and Wash having a family together would be kinda gross, given he's all dead and smelly. Although it could be early Peter Jackson style.

I'd kill for the Book backstory.

My heart is broken for Wash but I do feel that his death contributed to the film. I think if he hadn't died I would have been pretty sure everyone would get out OK and everything would get wrapped up neatly. After his death I had no freaking clue what was going to happen.

Zoe and Wash having a family together would be kinda gross, given he's all dead and smelly.

My heart is broken for Wash but I do feel that his death contributed to the film.

Yes, yes. I may be just a little bit in denial.

Wash's death detracted from the story for me. He was one of the characters that brought me on board.

I have gone over and over this, and have come to the conclusion that it's Joss' story and he can do whatever he wants with it, but I'm the consumer, and I choose the point at which I disengage.

Wash's death did contribute to the story Joss was telling. I just didn't realize until credits rolled that Serenity wasn't about Serenity and her crew, it wasn't about Mal and his crew, it wasn't about the ensemble at all. It was about the little girl prevailing against insurmountable odds. It's Joss' theme and I should have remembered that going in. But I was suckered by the Firefly ensemble, and believed that the unit would prevail.

I could accept that A. bitter victory comes at a cost, and B. death is swift and random better if it hadn't been the old guy and the happily married man who died. Simon would have been a better example, since he was ready to give up everything for his sister. Kaylee would have been a better example: young, talented, sweet, how poignant to save one young girl and lose another. Zoe would have been a much more severe blow, as Mal's right hand and Wash's wife.

The old guy seemed like a throwaway, and the happily married guy seemed like a cliche. ETA: Book's part in this story had come to an end, therefore he could be killed off without impacting the story's course, except to compel Mal on revenge. Cheap storytelling. Further, Wash is a pilot, he flies the ship. The minute the ship miraculously touched down, his usefulness was over. He's not a ground fighter, not a soldier like Zoe or Jayne. At that point Wash has exactly the same value as Kaylee, less than either of the warriors or the doctor. It's a cheap death.

To me. Your character death may vary.

nods fiercely

Beverly said what I would have.

I so completely agree with Beverly.

Part of the problem for me was that Firefly didn't run long enough to turn into "the little girl prevailing against insurmountable odds," although perhaps that would have happened. Firefly was the ensemble, and River was in the bottom half of character interest for me. So I went in to Serenity expecting what I'd gotten from Firefly, rather than what Joss hadn't gotten to do with Firefly.

::Sits with the nice ladies and agrees::

Interview with Nathan, in which he gives Mal Reynolds some big love: [link]

(will xpost with Minearverse, because he also gives Tim some big love)

River is the most troublesome element of Serenity to me, as although the film wasn't supposed to be about her, it felt like it most of the time. They even went back and reshot things to emphasis it's Mal we're supposed to be following, but it didn't really work. I still think thematically it had many layers which worked for me personally (I think it's a great, great movie), but it did tend to get distracted at times. I still maintain I'm glad the movie was called Serenity, as it wasn't Firefly. Might be the same characters, might be the same universe, but it's not the TV show I loved.

Personally, Wash's death worked for me. I had a mental list of people I thought might die (you know, it's a Joss thing), but I didn't think it'd be Wash in a million years. There's one of two things that can happen in that situation with an audience: they are either thrown out of the story by denial/anger/whatever, or they are drawn in. I was on the edge of my seat first viewing, and only half because I really needed to pee.