Quoted: I didnt see it as him saying all employees of those firms as being mediocre. I saw it as a hack on the actors not the employees.

Thanks.

Also, for the people that may be reading one of my posts for the first time ever - I'm not exactly smitten with the genre of Country music.

Quoted: Quoted: Would those of you more familiar with the show say that if one liked Babylon 5, they would like Firefly? (I loved B5) I'm not sure that there is a direct comparison, but I like both. B5 had interesting characters and a coherent plotline- something missing from the las couple of Star Drek spinoffs. I like Firefly.  There.  I said it.

I don’t think we can honesty compare Firefly to the Babylon 5 universe.

I am a life long {hard} science fiction aficionado, and I think I can explain my reasoning.

Babylon 5 was a sci-fi series that had a universe similar to a Larry Niven “Known Space” or an Alan Dean Foster “Commonwealth” universe.

That is to say a futuristic construction where there are not only humans, but aliens. The aliens are friendly, and/or trading partners, or indifferent to humans, or outright hostile to humankind. The science/technology, society has progressed in a roughly linear fashion. The central government is formed along the lines of a Republic, or does not manifest it’s governance or power in a way that is overly restrictive, and citizens have relative freedom.

Firefly is a sci-fi series that has a universe similar to a Robert A Heinlein or Jerry Pournelle universe where aliens are not present or not a significant presence.

Heinlein/Pournelle have written novels where there is a diaspora, a breaking up and scattering  of the human race throughout the galaxy following the invention of faster-than-light spacedrive. The people are settled far from their ancestral homelands as in the settling of scattered colonies. Another recurrent theme of the Heinlein/Pournelle universe is that there often a tyrannical, corrupt central government that lays a heavy hand on the densely populated inner worlds, but it’s influence disperses rapidly on the fringes, where resources are thinner, and a less “civilized” culture exists.

As to the actual writing and direction of the “Firefly” series, I think the premise, the characters, the plots and the dialogue are very good. I will plagiarize what someone else wrote now, because they said it so well:

Firefly is intelligent and, like Buffy, mythic - except this time Whedon is dealing with the myth of America: the Frontier, the Civil War, the rise of the Corporation, etc . . . Firefly is a demanding show. It asks its audience to appreciate the shades of grey in its characters' moral scale. The villains are not comfortingly dressed as an alien race. In 500 years mankind will still be its own worst enemy. Technology will be in the hands of a privileged few, and others will in "The Black" - Whedon's frontier third world - where it is possible to exist without the interference (or benefit) of civilization and government. Things will be dirty, and used. Firefly creates a universe that almost totally opposes that of (that bastion of television sci-fi) Star Trek: its Federation-like central power (the Alliance) is interpreted as being oppressive and dystopic. We are on the side of those who resisted (like the Maqui) and lost.”

People like Dolomite are not going to “get” the series, because one can readily tell that it takes a person who likes, knows about, and appreciates science fiction to honestly/properly review a science fiction piece.

In conclusion, Firefly is a good made-for-TV series. I don’t think it’s quite the equal to Stargate, but then, I’m in love with Major Samantha Carter.  

Interesting, FNBrowning.

I for one will keep an open mind when I get the chance to check the series out.

DOLOMITES ALLEGED ACTORS

One beats the odds and makes it into a decent movie with some other alleged actors!





Damn Mal what did you do win the lottery!

The reason FF dialogue and character interaction is so good is that it is clear there is a common story tying all the episodes together, not some rediculous grouping of unrelated 'gotta wrap it up in an hour' episodes.

Is it silly in places? yes
But the story is just plain good.

Quoted: People like Dolomite are not going to “get” the series, because one can readily tell that it takes a person who likes, knows about, and appreciates science fiction to honestly/properly review a science fiction piece.

It's "Gunsmoke" in space directed by the same perpetual adolescent that brought us the haughty "Buffy" and “Angel” (except “Gunsmoke" lasted 14 seasons).

Instead of calling the whore "Miss Kitty" she's called a "Companion".  Big freaking whoop.

It wasn't entertaining combining the genres of Western, Comedy, and Science Fiction when they tried it the first time (when it was called Back to the Future Part III).

What's next from old Josh?  A series about a '20's era flapper vampire that travels into the future with her robot companion?  

He can call the show "I've Run Out of Ideas, but Christ, I'm Just So Rich.".

Quoted: The reason FF dialogue and character interaction is so good is that it is clear there is a common story tying all the episodes together, not some rediculous grouping of unrelated 'gotta wrap it up in an hour' episodes  Joss Whedon ...

Fixed.  'Nuff said.

Quoted: Would those of you more familiar with the show say that if one liked Babylon 5, they would like Firefly? (I loved B5)

Had no use for B5, absolutely loved Firefly, seeing Serenity this weekend.  To each his own...

Dolomite's review is 'good' in the same way that Roger Ebert's were.  He was a good talker (typer).  The fact that nothing he says reflects reality just means it's a good piece of trash.  Hoorah.  

EDIT: I find 'Gunsmoke in Space' to be a refreshing change from more Survivor, and courtroom drama shows.

Its wild west in space. Not a bad concept, not a bad show, and Im going to the movie.

I never saw it on FOX, but I catch it now on SciFi. The wife agrees - its a damn good show.

To each his own, but your head must be up your ass. No offence.

Oopps - duped post - DOH.

I still think Farscape FAR outshines Firefly.  And I thought Babylon 5 was amazing as well.

Haven't seen a single episode of BSG yet.  Stargate bored the hell out of me.

www.rottentomatoes.com/m/serenity/

I watched an episode.



It was like Xena meets the Ice Pirates.


There was a cute girl in it though.



Other than that I'm going to reserve a major judgement until I see more of it.

For all of our "Babylon 5" friends!

YOU KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING BABYLON 5  TOO MUCH WHEN...
*************************************************

* your hairstyle matches Londo's.
* your sexual fantasies include Delenn.
* your color is hot pink.
* you believe that in a past life you were a member of the Grey Council.
* you can't shake the feeling that B4 is DS9.
* the only ancient history you know is Babylon's.
* you pretend to blackmail Londo.
* there is a hole in your mind.
* you think vulcans are members of the Psi Corps.
* you wonder who would win a fight between a minbari and a vulcan.
* your .newsrc is exactly "rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5: 1-3406".
* you keep saying "data crystal" instead of "diskette".
* you finger [email protected] and wonder why doesn't it   work... then you remember that he's now  sinclair@ea_embassy.minbar.gov... it doesn't work either,   and then you conclude it must be a problem with the nameserver.
* someone uses insecticide, you shout "Do you wanna kill N'grath? Are you mad?"... then you don't understand why everyone stares at you.
* you try to watch Mutai fights on ESPN. .. you actually call them to complain about it.
* you want to brain wipe someone you really hate.
* you think Darth Vader is a vorlon.
* you think Chekov was really Bester doing an undercover spying mission.
* you want to become monk of the Third Fain of Chudomo.
* you believe the Grim Reaper is a *Soul Hunter.*
* you wonder what did Captain Kirk do during the Earth/Minbari war.
* you wanna know if there are any xenobiology courses in med school.
* you ask politics experts wether Al Gore has got the flu already.
* you are upset because CNN doesn't report anything about Ragesh 3.
* you wonder what's wrong when you calculate your age as >300.
* your biggest worry is narn expansionism.
* you fart, and that makes you think of vorlons.
* you keep on thinking what went wrong in the Battle of the Line.
* your first son has just been born, and you can't think of any names other  than Londo, Lennier and Kosh.
* you pretend to spend some vacations on Mars.
* your dreams include something scary about flutes made up of bones.
* you're afraid that your soul will escape if you're cut open.
* you think Ivanova *IS* God.
* you ask the Air Force recruiter about the Starfury Training Program.
* you go to the produce section of the grocery store and ask if their spoo is fresh.
* your wardrobe consists of nothing but white, military-pressed collarless shirts and military pressed slacks.
* you wonder who would win a testosterone battle between Garibaldi and Tim Allen.
* you tell the plastic surgeon you want to have an operation to make you an anatomically correct Centauri.
* you have a bumper sticker that says "My other car's a Starfury".
* you have a bumper sticker that says "Warning: Fully loaded Cobra Bay in trunk".
* you have made a PPG.
* you start scouring the world to try and find enough Quantium-40 to make a jump-point generator.
* you change from zip then fasten to fasten, then zip.
* your WWW client's hot list has over 100 entries and 95% of them point to Babylon 5 pages.
* you keep a notepad and pencil next to your bed so that  you can write down what Kosh says in your dreams, should Kosh happen to appear.
* at work, you don't go to strikes because of fear of the Rush Act.
* you go asking everyone "What do you want?".
* you wonder why Lt. Barclay bears a striking resemblance  to that demented war vet in B5's "Downbelow"... and you  wonder how Bester and this war vet got to different  Enterprises in different centuries via the same rift that ate B4.
* the phone rings, and instead of picking up the receiver you tap the back of your hand.
* you go to the aquarium and wonder if there's any significance to the fact that there's a kind of fish called the Garibaldi.
* you call your cable operator and ask what cable package comes with ISN.
* you are watching Letterman when the camera flashes to the  audience. Two women are sitting quietly, not laughing at the jokes and wearing black gloves. You immediately shout,  "Psicorps!"
* you wreck your car on the highway by spinning the wheel fully around while traveling at 80 miles per hour, trying to imitate Sheridan as he's leaving the station in "All Alone in the Night."
* you wonder where the hell is that clean, efficient Minbari  power source for your new motorcycle.
* you catch yourself looking for rangers in the background while watching an opera.
* you skive off work just to see what the TV listings magazines  have to say about the new episode within an hour of them appearing on the shelves.
* you call your travel agent and try to arrange passage to Minbar and get directions to the Earth embassy.
* you're planning your vacation, and the only place that  appeals to you is Molari State Park.
* you bite into some fried chicken and say, "Hey, tastes just like Narn!".
* you see "Norton utilities for people", and your brain sees "Morden utilities for people".
* you'd like to introduce your sister to Lennier.
* you begin fantasizing political conspiracies at your  family reunion.
* you wish you could stand up when driving your car.
* the entire weekend is devoted to preparing and eating one meal.
* while watching football, all the blockers look kinda like Kosh.
* when conversing with a Star Wars fan you claim that "my shadows can kick your Dark Side's butt".
* Barney and Baby Bop look like a viable alien race.
* you begin to wonder if Bester and Dianna Troi are related.
* you fantasize about how JMS would have written "The Andy Griffith Show".
* you realize that the "Psychic Friends Network" is actually the PR division of the Psi Corps.
* you are spending the night in a shelter to wait out hurricane Rita, and your only thought is "I'm going to miss Babylon  5 tonight for sure!"
* you are disappointed that your newspaper's religion page doesn't  list a Foundationist church.
* your dreams don't simply include B5 characters and scenes, instead they are full new episodes.
* you trust the Psi-Corps, because the Corps is your friend.
* you try alligator at a restaurant, and all you can think of  to say is "Tastes like Narn!".
* you have always been here.
* you go to the basement and expect to find a moment of perfect beauty in the darkness.
* you look for airlocks to shove irritating people through.
* "Scrag 'em" and "Space 'em" have become part of your normal vocabulary.
* you call B5-related conversations "dis-kosh-ion"s.
* you think genies were Shadow agents.
* you back off whenever people ask "What do you want?"
* you see a spline-based screen saver, and immediately  wonder if Abel Horne has just interfaced with Control  via that computer.
* you actually try to make sense out of which side the red thing on Ivanova's uniform is facing on a particular episode.
* you turn a mis-printed M&M upside-down and see the Psi Corps logo instead of an "m".
* you ask jewelry stores if they carry gravity-control rings.
* you offer to bring the little pices of red fruit to a friend's wedding. .. and then can't keep yourself from saying  'And so it begins' during the ceremony.
* And the most important of all is: you worship JMS.

Quoted: For all of our "Babylon 5" friends! YOU KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING BABYLON 5  TOO MUCH WHEN... *************************************************

* Your favorite insult is "What do you want, you moon-faced assassin of joy?"

/loved that show, one of only two that I have on DVD. Yes, all of them.

edit: My board-fu is weak

seriously though, i hated it when it first came out but after i watched it again, i went out and bought the damn series, it's that good. good storylines, great acting, real emotional moments. and lots of killing. that's always good...

Quoted: The fact that he would post the transcript of a conversation with his ass is why I like Dolomite

How would you know the difference…

That’s a joke son, a joke.

Firefly is, IMHO, worth watching just for the character of Jayne alone... if there is an Arfcom in Whedon's vision of the future, Jayne is a platinum member for sure.

I wasn't TERRIBLY impressed at first either.... I'm kinda "big" on things like "plot", dialoge and character development. But, the more I watched it (Joss Whedon fan... okay - Buffy fan ).

Plus, a LOT, IMO can be overlooked when women as fine as Gina Torres, Jewel Staite and ESPECIALLY Morena Baccarin are involved in the same cast. Then making the character Morena plays a "companion" and make it clear she doesn't descriminate on the basis of sex? I'm hooked. Sorry D.

You don't like the intro music.
You don't like Baldwin.
You don't like space westerns.


I'm not terribly surprised this show isn't for you then.

You must love any show with "Animal Mother".

http://www.cinefile.biz/fmj6.jpg


BTW who is the chick that plays the engineer?

Quoted: Oh well, you're free to have bad taste.  I wouldn't be bragging about it though.

Yup. Can't wait for the movie on Friday.


It was better than 98% of the series on TV now.

Quoted: But I'll never get back the time I wasted reading your post...

I only lost 2 seconds since I didn't get past the first sentence.

I checked on Amazon....the people who hated Firefly loooooooooooooved this:



Enjoy sweetie-pie!