Tom Shales didn't much care for the first ep of Firefly.

I don't have links, but USA Today and that guy from TV gUide that loves Buffy gave the first ep decent-good reviews.

I've read one review (can't remember where, or I'd link) that said Firefly was better than BtVS because the characters are more accessible. (Now, personally, I think they were heavy into the monkey crack when they wrote that, but it does bode well for the popularity of the show.)

Herc on AICN said:

The Reavers, said to be modelled upon the Old West’s more bloodthirsty Native American tribes, remain phantoms in “Firefly.”

Anyone know anything more about these scary guys?

Blah blah blah...

Soooo....

Any one know if Doug Savant will be back?

Apparently, episode #4 is Ben Edlund's first, and it's a Jayne-centric episode.

Is it pigeonholing to expect much in the way of whimsy and ironic character twists?

The Reavers, said to be modelled upon the Old West’s more bloodthirsty Native American tribes, remain phantoms in “Firefly.”

Hmm - it is worth remembering that the Old West's more bloodthirsty American Indian tribes were fighting to recover stolen land. Not that it excuses the rapes and such, but more Indians were victims than were victimizers. And also belonging to such tribes was not generally infectious. The tribes considered themselves nations, not races, so it was not unknow to admit outsiders to membership. But it was not common either (except sometimes for children). So, being apache was not considered infectious.

Is it possible that in drawing these historical comparisons, Joss does not know any actual history? I thought he was a lit major of some sort, which usually involves learning some history as well?

Typo Boy -

you actually just hit on some stuff that was bothering the heck out of me and why I ultimately knew the distinct parallels with the Old West would be unacceptable at some point.

I'm not going to make assumptions just yet but at this point, I'm skeptical.

le nubian, I have similar problems with the whole reconstruction thing too. I know it is not our reconstruction, but the slogans and feel of it is too much like one commonplace idealized version of our recontruction. I'll wait and see though. It is not irretrievable yet - but if he is really doing, post-civil war American West with inner planet imperialism=reconstruction, and mad cannibal reaver = American Indians, I am so outta here.

I think the old west FEEL is what they are going for. In other words, Joss in not trying to retell American history within the confines of this show, instead he is using these events as a thematic springboard for this show. So the reavers are *like* really bloodthirsty tribes (I think certain other parts of some plains tribes would be applicable) in that they inspire huge fear, they enjoy doing that and that they travel around deliberately causing damage, but they aren't telling the story of any specific tribe.