I don't think it's back peddling, so much as the River story wasn't the intention, as far as I understand. I did a quick Google on that term and I wasn't wrong: [link]

PS: Ron is signed for 3 movies. Until later this year when the contracts expire.

I think they needed Mr. Universe to be Mr. Exposition, plus at the end they needed a way to not stop the signal to all the worlds....

Right, and I think Book (with his...ahem...past as an operative) and a derelict signal device could have accomplished the same goal without bringing in "character we've never heard of before".

Right, and I think Book (with his...ahem...past as an operative) and a derelict signal device could have accomplished the same goal without bringing in "character we've never heard of before".

Oh, good point.

Except then we'd have no Lovebot....

Ron Glass and Alan Tudyk would only agree to do one movie (which is why they were the last to be signed).

Well, that's sad. And kind of lame.

Well, that's sad. And kind of lame.

Real life so often is.

For me, Mal was the Buffy of Firefly-- sort of the male equivalent of the "unexpected hero", while River was sort of the Drusilla. In Serenity, River was Buffy and Mal was, sort of, Angel-- the "if you can't do any good, then all you can do is good hero"

I disliked Mr. Universe not just because his sole purpose was the exposition (and the vague funny that is Jews! In! Space!), but because the crew/core of characters had to seek outside themselves in order for the story to move forward. They didn't get to pull themselves up by their bootstraps.

They had to go next door and ask if there were any bootstraps to be pulled.

I just really didn't like that the momentum wasn't carried forward on it's own, that there was actually a beat in the movie where Wash has to actually say, "we now have to go seek out another character because not a one of us is qualified to do anything with the plot as it stands."

I just really didn't like that the momentum wasn't carried forward on it's own, that there was actually a beat in the movie where Wash has to actually say, "we now have to go seek out another character because not a one of us is qualified to do anything with the plot as it stands."

Perzactly. They wouldn't have even had to have Book actually cop to his past (although I'd have dearly loved a confrontation between the Operative and Book with at least a hint of recognition, though it would have had a bigtime Vader/Obi-Wan vibe, just to see those two actors square off), and they also could have had him press Mal a bit more like he did during the first visit.

that there was actually a beat in the movie where Wash has to actually say, "we now have to go seek out another character because not a one of us is qualified to do anything with the plot as it stands."

You know, I hated that line. But worse, the CGI that followed -- it looked like a really bad Nintendo Wii game.

Imagine if instead of having Book already be off the ship, at the beginning they dropped him at his mission and, somehow, found some kind of abandoned (possibly Alliance) signal complex, either in space or on the missionary world, which Book "mysteriously" understands the workings of. They could even have included the first visit that happened in the movie, and thus given Book a bit more time/backstory, plus he could also be a window into Mal. His death could have had more meaning (which did ping me as gratuitous/cliched), and we could have done without the plot device that was Mr. U's only reason for being.

So, Frank, when do you start as a screenwriter. Because I really like this. A lot.

I know I said I was in denial about Wash's death. And I am. But it still worked for me in the movie, in a way that Book's totally didn't (but would in Frank's scenario). I guess, more than being in denial about Wash's death, I seem to refuse to accept the movie being canon. Because, as others have mentioned, Firefly, with it's amazing ensemble, was where it was at. Rather then The River Show, which was fine, but not what I loved.

Also, the commas are mine, all mine!!