Years later, ‘Firefly’ still shines brightly
- Sci-Fi, Firefly -
By Oliver Pulumbarit
Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines–The short-lived but fan-favorite space saga, “Firefly,” created by revered writer-director Joss Whedon (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel”) is finally being shown locally on the C/S channel (Mondays, 8 p.m.). Many years after it was canceled, the precursor series to 2005’s “Serenity” feature film remains a tautly conceptualized “space western,” an occasionally rowdy and straightforward exploration of human conflicts and perspectives, as exemplified by its main motley band of space-farers. Several centuries into the future and amazing technological breakthroughs later, survival is still the name of the game, and unlikely alliances may be the only way to assure that.
The team of nine, led by former soldier Mal Reynolds (Nathan Fillion), traverses the blackness of space with the Firefly-type ship Serenity, and gets smuggling jobs while trying to steer clear of sinister lawmen, vengeful crime lords, and the barbaric cannibals of legend called Reavers. Mal isn’t the typical hero figure; he knows how to fight dirty and has questionable motives sometimes. But he also knows when to fight for what he — or his crew — believes in. Among Whedon’s colorful menagerie of hero characters, Mal can be counted as one of the cockier, more conflicted ones.
Disparity
As with previous Whedon ensembles, “Firefly” has a cast of characters that shows strength through disparity. Mal’s second-in-command Zoe (Gina Torres) and the expert pilot Wash (Alan Tudyk) are spouses with contrasting personalities. Simon (Sean Maher) is a fugitive doctor who has a psychically attuned teen sister River (Summer Glau). Inara (Morena Baccarin) is the comely, classy courtesan; Kaylee (Jewel Staite), the sprightly, girl-next-door mechanic. Enigmatic figures such as the cleric Shepherd Book (Ron Glass) and the amoral mercenary Jayne (Adam Baldwin) lend profound angles to the group’s adventures.
