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Firefly Premieres Tonight

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the stuff-to-lust-after dept.

fm6 writes "Firefly, Joss Whedon's 'anti-Trek drama' premieres tonight, on Fox, 8 E/P. I normally despise hypespeak, but this time it's the only language that fits: this is groundbreaking, mind-boggling, totally original. I've seen a bootleg of the pilot (which, unfortunately, the network is holding back) and I promise you this is the most geek-friendly SF you've seen in a long time. Yes, more so than Star Trek and B5, and way past Star Wars. I've never seen the future so skillfully, realistically, and lovingly portrayed. Here is the Official Site and a leading fan site." This is the single new show this season I have added a season pass for to the old Tivo. But I'll probably watch it live. This looks like it could be as good as we hope.

4 of 650 comments (clear)

  1. "Realistic" future, huh? by kcbrown · · Score: 4, Interesting
    So in the show, the entire world is a police state (something we're definitely headed towards), access to space is strictly controlled and monitored (an earthbound government would never jeapordize its power by allowing a group of people to form independent colonies in space when those same people could then lob huge rocks at the earth at will), huge corporations control the world government (it's because of them that we're headed towards a police state right now), technological development is essentially at a standstill because of worldwide enforcement of patents that last hundreds of years and because the government is the only allowed consumer of cutting-edge goodies, and the vast majority of people are members of the corporate slave class (we have that more or less right now, though it's not called that), right?

    No? Well, then, I guess this show doesn't "realistically" portray the future.

    Might be a good show anyway, though. :-)

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  2. Is Star Wars really that bad? by gad_zuki! · · Score: 4, Interesting

    es, more so than Star Trek and B5, and way past Star Wars.

    Not to geek out here but:

    I always thought of Star Trek being much more fantastical and silly than the Star Wars movies. Star Wars had interesting politics (revolutionaries vs an empire), no teleportation beams, gravity/flight dynamics, death, drama, etc.

    Star Trek always came off, at least to me, as more Joe Sixpack friendly with its sexy aliens, Kirk's unstoppable libido, uninspired sets, and lackluster storylines. Even TNG has a lot of this plus they made the set look more like a corporate office than a military ship.

    Perhaps the poster take issue with the religious and paranormal aspects of the force. I'm as non-religious (some would call me anti-religious) as they come, but as an element in the film the force works perfectly and the films would be worse off without it. ST could write off the vulcan mind-meld thing and no one really care or probably even notice.

  3. as opposed to... by phriedom · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Idealistic. You have a valid point, but if Firefly rejects idealistic conventions, it could be said to be realistic, if only because the characters behave true to the nature of people. I guess it depends on your point of reference. Star Trek, with its multicultural cast, and prime directive, etc. was idealistic. Compared to Star Trek, Firefly is realistic. Compared to "real life", its just a TV show.

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  4. Re:Firefly is just a rip off of... by alienmole · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Having just watched the first episode, the Outlaw Star similarities are hard to miss.

    I'm curious as to how you got so hot on Firefly. Is the pilot better than the first episode? Here's my synopsis of the first episode: cowboy movie in space, to the max; cartoon-level bad guys, clownishly scary but not particularly amusing; entire plot telegraphed ahead of time in the most obvious ways; mystery set up for future episodes like a clay pigeon shoot. I guess I could do with a little less obviousness.

    Some of the CGI was nice though, and it was well-produced overall. There didn't seem to be any actual plot holes, which is always a bonus. But in general, I got more of a kick out of the PS2 commercial that aired near the beginning of the episode, than the show itself. I'd say it's watchable, if you're not expecting too much. I wouldn't be raving about it.

    Actually, I'm having more fun watching the show after it, John Doe. At least the whole plot hasn't been given away yet, 20 minutes in.