If the Owl City lyrics in the title didn't scare you away, keep reading because this post actually has nothing to do with "Fireflies." Instead, it deals with the Joss Whedon show, Firefly. If you've stumbled upon my blog, you probably a fan of television and have likely at least heard of Firefly. I know that before I started watching Firefly, I'd heard it mentioned probably a couple million times. Hyperbole aside, it is mentioned in the majority of "best cult shows" and "cancelled before its time" lists.
Over the last two days, I've watched the first eight episodes of Firefly, and well, it's really good and kind of addicting. As much loved as Firefly is, as much television I watch, and as much as I've enjoyed Whedon's other shows, it may seem kind of surprising that it's taken me this long to get into it. After voraciously watching all seven seasons of the fantastic Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the entirety of the excellent Angel, and the two seasons of the sometimes-amazing-sometimes-not-so-amazing Dollhouse, I was looking for a new show to watch. Because I'd enjoyed the rest of the shows that Whedon had created and it had received so many raving reviews, I decided I'd start watching Firefly.
So, I went to Hulu, and clicked on the first episode of Firefly waiting to wowed. And I hated it. I really wanted to like it, but after about ten minutes, I had to click away from boredom. A little while later, I decided to give it another chance. After all, ten minutes really wasn't that long. This time I lasted fifteen minutes (unfair, I know, but I was really bored). I gave it one more chance, lasting about twenty minutes, and I decided to give up on the show. Flashforward to this weekend. I was bored, and being the loser that I am, had nothing to do. After reading another list of best television shows that included Firefly, I was inspired to give it a final chance. I got to about the twenty minute mark, finding the beginning more interesting than before but still not great. Then, it started to get kind of interesting. As the episode went on, I became more and more interested. I started to find out about the characters, almost all of whom were intriguing. When Simon and River came into the show, is probably when I really started to wonder what was going to happen.
I was still not completely sold on the show, but by the end of it, I had enjoyed the first episode. So, I watched the next one. I started to get a little more invested. Then I watched the next one, and I was even more invested. By around episode four or five, I understood why everyone raves about Firefly--it's an excellent show.
One of my favorite aspects of the show is the characters. I love seeing actors from Whedon's other shows reappear in Firefly. I have an immense like for the charming Nathan Fillion (which reminds me I totally forgot to mention my love for Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog earlier). But even not considering the actors that play them, all of the characters are really interesting. There's not really one of the main characters that I could say I don't enjoy watching. Which, honestly, I shouldn't be surprised about because creating interesting characters is a big strength of Whedon's.
I also really like that focus of the show often is the characters. While the plot of the show is interesting, its character interaction and development moments are often its greatest. I was somewhat wary about watching a "space western" as Firefly has been described because I'm not a huge fan of space shows or westerns. But somehow, I really am loving Firefly. While it is both of those things, it's also a show about humans interacting, and I really love that.
Okay, so that previous paragraph was kind of rambly, and that's probably a sign I should end this post soon before my caffeine boost kicks in even more. So, I think I will do that. I might post again when I've watched more of Firefly, and share my thoughts on the rest of the short-lived show. And considering how much I feel like procrastinating from my school work, that might be posted pretty soon.
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