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Posted By: ZimNova Oct 25, 2002 - 08:50 am

Firefly received a mention on the front page of today's TV Guide Online web site. This is great free promotion of the series, a series that genre fans should take a closer look at.
Here's the spoiler free review of tonight's *Out of Gas*.

This week definitely matters [to the series' future], the celebrated writer-director-producer Joss Whedon tells TV Guide Online. "[Network prez] Sandy Grushow said to me before we ever started that this [show] is going to be a slow grow, and [the World Series] is going to hurt us, which it has. Fox has a lot of shows that are underperforming because of this weird season.

"So," he continues, "I'm not like, 'My future is assured!' But it's also not like the death knell chiming."

Far from it. In fact, Fox just commissioned three additional scripts from Whedon, the mastermind behind UPN's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its glorious WB spinoff, Angel. However, Firefly has yet to get a full-season pickup. "[The script order from the 'net] is a vote of confidence, and it's a way of not making a decision," Whedon theorizes. "The next few weeks will be important, and this week I'm particularly stressing because I think it's such a good entrance into the world [of spaceship captain Mal Reynolds and his merry band of rogues and misfits]. That's why I'm all hyped about it.

"It has a number of flashbacks to how the crew got together," he continues, "so it's a really good way to learn how it all began. For somebody meeting the characters for the first time, it's a real insight into who they are. There's not all this [plot] information to process, which is a problem because the pilot was never shown. People are like, 'Um, what's going on?' The idea was never to confuse people."

Just so Whedon doesn't add to viewers' consternation, he quickly notes that the backtracking scenes are not highlights from the debut that Fox shot down. "These flashbacks are to before the pilot," he clarifies. "The pilot was the story of how this crew picked up a few wayward stragglers; [this installment] flashes back to how [the original gang] first found the ship itself, what the ship is and what it means to Mal, because [the craft] really is the 10th character on the show."

Now that that matter has been cleared up, Whedon hopes that viewers will be able to sit back, relax and enjoy the show... for years to come, ideally. For the moment, though, he sighs, "Everything is kind of in flux." — Michael Ausiello with Ben Katner.

Posted By: Bmat Oct 26, 2002 - 04:49 pm

I just got back from vacation and am in the middle of unpacking, so I should have more to say later. I enjoyed this episode. I thought the dancing around of the flashbacks and flashforwards was a bit confusing, but the characters are starting to become familiar. I was cheering on the captain by the end.

Posted By: The Master Oct 28, 2002 - 12:21 pm

I did enjoy the "how they got together" aspect, but I'm not too sure Whedon's opinion that this ep will help "introduce" new viewers to the cast holds water. I have to agree that the flashbacks were rather confusing. If I didn't already know who the main cast was and their basic relationships I think I would have been totally lost.

Posted By: ZimNova Oct 28, 2002 - 09:09 pm

I hafta say, this here puppy was the best of the litter so far.
Well Master as they say out in the black; "There's what ya know, what ya think ya know and what works".

I really enjoyed the method the writers used to reach the conclusion of *OoG*. Starts out pretty as you please with a birthday party, tellin' stories and all, when dren breaks sendin' the crew into panic mode. We are reminded just how fragile the relationship between Ship & Crew is during space travel.
The CGI effects of both the explosion and the venting thereof were done well. The resulting lack of oxygen was a real problem. No "techno-babble" solution in sight, just real characters with their eema's in a bind.

The main thing I liked about this episode was the seamless transition between the "real time" scenes and the "flashbacks" over the course of the story.
The "Nexus" was Mal as we see near the end, being gut shot, reliving his history with his crew interjected with the progression of the "A" story.
Instead of "cuts & edits" the camara pans onto a doorway or other scene leading into the past or present scene. That's work worthy of a film.
The individual character stories in themselves are noteable but it's how they are woven into this episode that stands out.

Mal and Zoe go way back, back to the beginning.
Wash knows how to fly. Got a job.
Kaylee wants to get off a "dirt poor" planet, on her back if that what it takes, [sorry ladies but that technique pre-dates history books], but uses the "buff surfer dude" engineer instead to meet Mel. Gets the job.
Jayne ain't all that smart but he never-the-less sees an opportunity when it's right there in his face. His character is played as dumb but as we saw during the explosion he knows how to survive in space. Joins the crew.

Then there is Inara. A "Companion". A respected member of the social class in Firefly's universe. Her choice of Senerity is still a question.
Mal at one point calls her a "whore" in respect to her opinion on the future of *Serenity* as a viable ship.
She corrects him with the warning; "As a matter of protocol", that he not use that term again.
A subtle warning. Pointing out the power of "Companions".
Inara is a "Woman of Honor".

At the end with the salvage ship, that made a kind of sense too. Mal is hoping to be saved [see the look on his face when the airlock opens, oxygen]. The other captain is looking for salvage. A "stalemate" ensures where the other Captain shoots Mal.
Mal then holds his own forcing a retreat by the salvage ship's captain [holding him at gunpoint], leading back into the beginning of the story where he's been shot. This was great TV.
Others have questioned why Mal didn't shoot the salvage captain? Me included.
Bottom line is, Mal had the drop on him. Not knowing what weapons the salvage ship had he choose to let the captain go.
The salvage Captain on the other hand was looking death in the face. He could always come back later, hoping Mal had bled to death, to complete his salvage.


Firefly only earned a 3.6/5 rating on Friday night which is a pity because I think this show has great potential.

Posted By: Bmat Oct 29, 2002 - 04:27 am

I agree with Zim that it was the best yet. I was hoping that Mal had set up a trap of his own in case the captain came armed, but maybe near death by oxygen starvation and cold he was unable to think like that.

It may be that he didn't shoot the captain because he hoped he could survive his injury and killing the captain would cause the others to shoot at him again. We know he can kill since he did it in a previous episode. But then if he weren't alert enough to have a plan in case the captain came intent on killing him, I'm not sure how he could be alert enough to consider what would happen if he shot the captain.

I had trouble with Kaylee's accent. I don't know if it didn't sound quite right or if I have seen the actor in something else without the accent and that interfered.