Firefly: The Complete Series
Description
Episodes: -Serenity-part 1 & 2 — Air date 12/20/02 The
crew of Serenity is eager to rid themselves of an easily traceable cargo they
salvaged from a vessel adrift in space, totally unaware that a passenger has
brought an even more dangerous cargo aboard. -The Train Job — Air date
09/20/02 Mal has second thoughts after discovering that two boxes of Alliance
goods his crew has been hired to steal are full of badly needed medical
supplies headed for the mining town of Paradiso. -Bushwhacked — Air date
09/27/02 After encountering a booby-trapped spacecraft carrying the lone
crewmember of a horrific Reaver attack, Serenity is boarded by an Alliance
Commander looking for Simon and River. -Shindig — Air date 11/01/02 In order
to secure a job transporting cargo off-planet for a client, Mal attends a
social event where a dance with Inara leads him being challenged to a
swordfight in defense of her honor. -Safe — Air date 11/08/02 When Simon is
kidnapped by a group of villagers in need of a doctor, Serenity is forced to
make contact with an Alliance ship in order to seek medical help for the
critically wounded Book. -Our Mrs. Reynolds — Air date 10/04/02 After a
celebration in which the crew is honored for ridding a planet of a group of
bandits, they return to Serenity to find a woman named Saffron who claims that
Mal married her during the festivities. -Jaynestown — Air date 10/18/02 When
the crew returns to a planet where Jayne participated in a heist gone bad,
they’re shocked to discover that Jayne’s past actions have turned him into a
local hero of Robin Hood-like mythic proportions. -Out of Gas — Air date
10/25/02 After an explosion leaves Serenity crippled, Mal orders everyone to
abandon ship while he stays behind in an attempt to make repairs – and
reminisces how he found the ship and picked its crew. -Ariel– Air date
11/15/02 Simon offers to crew a proposition: if they help him sneak River into
a hospital so he can run-tests on her, he’ll tell them where to find medical
supplies that will fetch an enormous price on the black market. -War Stories
— Air date 12/06/02 Wash regrets insisting he be allowed to accompany Mal on
a mission after the two men are captured by Adelai Niska – the client who
previously hired Mal to steal the medicine bound for Paradiso. -Trash– Air
date (NEVER AIRED) Mal is shocked to discover his old friend’s new bride is
Saffron who, although furious after Mal blows her cover, offers to cut Mal in
on what she calls the perfect, big-time scam. -The Message– Air date (NEVER
AIRED) While Jayne opens a mail package from his mother that contains a wool
cap with ear flaps and a pom-pom, Mal and Zoe open their package to discover
the body of their old war buddy, Tracey. -Heart of Gold — Air date (NEVER
AIRED) The crew comes to the aid of a bordello when its madam, an old
acquaintance of Inara’s, asks for help after a gunslinger claims a
prostitute’s baby is his and he’s taking it because his wife is barren.
-Objects In Space — Air date 12/13/02 The crew is caught off-gaurd when a
bounty hunter, eager to claim the enormous reward on River’s head, sneaks
aboard Serenity and methodically begins taking the crew prisoner one by one.
As the 2005 theatrical release of Serenity made clear, Firefly was
a science fiction concept that deserved a second chance. Devoted fans (or
“Browncoats”) knew it all along, and with this well-packaged DVD set, those
who missed the show’s original broadcasts can see what they missed. Creator
Joss Whedon’s ambitious science-fiction Western (Whedon’s third series after
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel) was canceled after only 11 of these 14
episodes had aired on the Fox network, but history has proven that its demise
was woefully premature. Whedon’s generic hybrid got off to a shaky start when
network executives demanded an action-packed one-hour premiere (“The Train
Job”); in hindsight the intended two-hour pilot (also titled “Serenity,” and
oddly enough, the final episode aired) provides a better introduction to the
show’s concept and splendid ensemble cast. Obsessive fans can debate the
quirky logic of combining spaceships with direct parallels to frontier America
(it’s 500 years in the future, and embattled humankind has expanded into the
galaxy, where undeveloped “outer rim” planets struggle with the equivalent of
Old West accommodations), but Whedon and his gifted co-writers and directors
make it work, at least well enough to fashion a credible context from the
incongruous culture-clashing of past, present, and future technologies, along
with a polyglot language (the result of two dominant superpowers) that
combines English with an abundance of Chinese slang. What makes it work is
Whedon’s delightfully well-chosen cast and their nine well-developed
characters–a typically Whedon-esque extended family–each providing a unique
perspective on their adventures aboard Serenity, the junky but beloved
“Firefly-class” starship they call home. As a veteran of the disadvantaged
Independent faction’s war against the all-powerful planetary Alliance (think
of it as Underdogs vs. Overlords), Serenity captain Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan
Fillion) leads his compact crew on a quest for survival. They’re renegades
with an amoral agenda, taking any job that pays well, but Firefly’s complex
tapestry of right and wrong (and peace vs. violence) is richer and deeper than
it first appears. Tantalizing clues about Blue Sun (an insidious mega-
corporation with a mysteriously evil agenda), its ties to the Alliance, and
the traumatizing use of Serenity’s resident stowaway (Summer Glau) as a guinea
pig in the development of advanced warfare were clear indications Firefly was
heading for exciting revelations that were precluded by the series’
cancellation. Fortunately, the big-screen Serenity (which can be enjoyed
independently of the series) ensured that Whedon’s wild extraterrestrial west
had not seen its final sunset. Its very existence confirms that these 14
episodes (and enjoyable bonus features) will endure as irrefutable proof Fox
made a glaring mistake in canceling the series. –Jeff Shannon Beyond Firefly
on DVD Watch Stargate: Continuum on DVD Catch up on Stargate Atlantis on DVD
Check out Sunshine on DVD Stills from Firefly (Click for larger image)
Features:
Product Details:
- Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy/Television
- Format: Widescreen, Box set, NTSC, Closed-captioned
- Contributor: Gina Torres, Morena Baccarin, Adam Baldwin, Sean Maher, Joss Whedon, Summer Glau, Jewel Staite, Alan Tudyk, Ron Glass, Vern Gillum, Nathan Fillion, Tim Minear See more
- Language: English
- Number Of Discs: 4
- Aspect Ratio : 1.78:1
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- MPAA rating : Unrated (Not Rated)
- Product Dimensions : 0.6 x 5.3 x 7.5 inches; 0.01 Ounces
- Item model number : 3605899840
- Director : Joss Whedon, Tim Minear, Vern Gillum
- Media Format : Widescreen, Box set, NTSC, Closed-captioned
- Run time : 11 hours and 15 minutes
- Release date : December 9, 2003
- Actors : Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Adam Baldwin