For our Firefly podcast, we revisited the cult classic TV show, watched the follow-up movie Serenity and played Legendary Encounters: A Firefly Deck Building Game.
- 5:27 – Firefly
- 45:59 – Standout Episodes
- 1:11:14 – Hopes and Dreams for the Franchise
- 1:14:49 – Questions for the Fox Executives
- 1:17:36 – Final Thoughts
- 1:20:18 – Serenity
- 1:42:15 – Tom Awesome’s Top 5 – Casey’s Movie Recommendations
- 2:06:08 – Legendary Encounters: A Firefly Deckbuilding Game
The TV Show
In 2002, Joss Whedon’s gritty sci-fi Western “Firefly” debuted on Fox. Fresh off twin hits “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel,” the future looked bright for this new romp across the galaxy. Designed to follow a cast of characters instead of a titular protagonist the show was canceled after just 14 episodes, only 11 of which aired in the U.S.
What is Firefly?
“Firefly” follows captain Malcolm Reynolds and his crew of outlaws as they try to scratch a living on the edge of space. Including Mal, the crew includes nine main characters with varying moralities. The crew works a variety of missions, from simple passenger transport to heists for nefarious underworld goons.
In discussing the cast on the podcast, we each had a different favorite character. Tom chose the captain, Mal, because he had a code of honor but wasn’t afraid to make a tough decision when he was up against a wall. Casey chose Jayne, a mercenary and the hired muscle of the crew who had the best lines and the murkiest conscience. Phoenix chose the Tam siblings, a pair Alliance fugitives. Simon was a successful surgeon on the run after rescuing his sister River from a top secret facility where she was subjected to experiments.
To this day, the characters still stand out in Firefly. Breaking down our favorite characters and how and when they stand out was a major point in our discussion.
What Happened to the Show?
“Firefly” was canceled midway through its first season. The show faced constant challenges, from airing in a notoriously difficult time slot on Friday nights, to airing episodes out of order and marketing that failed to capture the essence of the source material.
For example, the pilot episode introduces the main characters and gives context for how they all came together on Mal’s ship, Serenity. Network executives hated the episode and instead aired Train Job first. The second, third, and sixth episodes were the first three to air, which was a problem because each episode built on what came before.
In an age before streaming and TV on DVD, perhaps it was too bold an ambition to have something that relied on a regular audience tuning in every week. We couldn’t help but ponder how well this show would do if it launched today on a streaming service where you can binge episodes back-to-back..
Fans received some degree of closure with “Serenity.” This two-hour movie brought the crew back together for a final, desperate mission. All nine main characters returned for the film, but as we discussed on the podcast it was a tall order to share the nuance of each character in an abbreviated format.
Who owns the Firefly TV Show?
While fans rallied around the show, “Firefly” never found a home on another network. Fox maintained the rights until the network was purchased by Disney. A new reboot is rumored to be in the works, sharing new characters and stories in the Firefly universe.
Where can you watch Firefly?
As of April 2023, you can stream “Firefly” on Hulu, and it’s available to purchase on other platforms. View streaming options on “Just Watch.”
Is Firefly based on books?
No, “Firefly” was conceived and written as a TV show. After it’s cancellation, a series of Serenity comics released starting in 2006. In 2018, the universe expanded further with original novels following Mal and the crew.
Firefly Board Games
The Western in space setting is rich for games. Gale Force Nine released three Firefly games: “Firefly: the Game,” “Firefly Adventures” and “Firefly: Misbehaving.” Misbehaving is a deck building game, like Upper Deck Company’s Firefly version of Legendary Encounters, which we discussed in detail on the podcast.
Still Flyin’
Revisiting this 21-year-old show for the podcast was a fun experience. It was Phoenix’s ninth time watching the series, Tom’s second and Casey’s first trip through the ‘verse. The writing and characters stand the test of time. The effects, while dated, still work. Overall, “Firefly” remains worth a watch. With a total of 14 episodes and a two-hour follow-up movie is a very manageable experience.