That's such a good episode. They establish character so perfectly for all them. I, too, love the scene where Kaylee tells Book he's going with Serenity. Wash and the dinosaurs is fab.

Am I right in thinking that this wasn't shown on US TV, but The Train Job was shown first? I think someone told me that. Seems really weird. Especially given how perfect an opener this episode is.

Train Job was shown first, because Fox, in their infinite wisdom, decided that Jayne was right about Mal being a pussy to back down from Badger and was too dour into the bargain. So one bright, shiny Friday afternoon, they told Whedon that if he didn't come up with a new script for a pilot by Monday morning, they'd scrap the whole project. And so, Train Job was born, the brain child of the frantic writing coupling of Whedon and Minear.

After the events of the Big Damn Movie, I like to think that River, with all her considerable genius, comes up with a few plans that actually make the crew some money.

Ah, Fox. How we love when they screw with Joss and his creations. Do you think Firefly would have survived longer than a season if they hadn't insisted on a new pilot?

Do you think Firefly would have survived longer than a season if they hadn't insisted on a new pilot?

Honestly? No. I don't think American viewers as a whole were ready for Cowboys in Space. What I think is, the collaborative efforts of everyone involved in getting the concept to the screen paved the way for new tech and new uses of existing tech. Two quick examples:

Handheld in space. Joss wanted the fast and dirty, immediate, on the fly filming rather than the careful, deliberate filming of objects or movement in space. So the camera people and the cgi folks had to figure out ways to make it look like somebody was standing on the exterior of a ship filming Reavers or the Dortmunder or Serenity herself *moving* against a static background, get it not-centered in frame and a little blurry from the speed.

BSG and theatrical release movies used and improved on that technique thereafter.

Universal music. Greg Edmonson took music from many cultures and combined it in unprecedented ways, and used it unexpectedly to underscore scenes that seemingly had nothing to do with the cultures the music came from. Combined with bluegrass and celtic and even early rock, the music called out familiarities and the exotic in juxtaposition, making the viewer aware of just what a heady collection of cultures had come out to the rim while it gave us touchstones from home. BSG in particular used the same "world music" influences combined with familiar cadences and harmonies, along with martial music--all of it used in close and sometimes unexpected proximity to give the viewer comforting familiarity in the midst of exciting strange and new.

Firefly was a turning point in American tv viewers' awareness, much like Star Wars (alright, "#4: A New Hope") was for both audiences and industry fx. It readied the audience who found it strange and offputting itself, while it whetted an appetite we were previously unaware we had.

IMO, anyway.

Sorry, I disappeared last night. My internet dropped me. That's another story.

I kept watching and was thinking about the rest of you watching. I had the theme song in my head all day!

Man, I miss this show so much. Just a handful of episodes and it was enough to fall totally in love with everyone.

It was fun to notice more things like the cross Mal kissed and the lava lamp.

Sorry I missed it! I will try again for next time.

I missed it too! But I will watch at some point this week so I`m caught up for next Sunday!

Looking forward to having you join us, Laga and Liese!

Yeah, I completely spaced last Sunday, and I was even home. Will do my best to remember this time; I really wanted to W&P Serenity (the pilot), too!