A Beginner’s Opinion of Firefly

Both Firefly and myself turn fifteen this year, so watching the Exclusive Limited Edition Collectible 15th Anniversary boxset has been my introduction to a series that has been described to me as both “iconic cult classic” and “not as clever as it thinks it is”.

Aboard the Firefly-class star ship Serenity, our Byronic hero Captain Mal Reynolds and his swashbuckling crew smuggle their way across the ‘Verse, having exciting, if sometimes clichéd, adventures: a train robbery, a shootout in a brothel for the baby of the town bigshot, and even a cattle rustling. The horses have been upgraded to shuttles, and pistols can fire laser beams instead of bullets, but the aesthetic of the show is very much Wild West.

Though the plotlines can leave originality to be desired, they are well executed and entertaining, spiced up with the jaunty, slightly absurdist Whedon humour which makes Buffy the Vampire Slayer resonate with every generation of teenagers it touches.

However, the main selling point of Firefly for me was the characters: a jaded yet devoted war veteran; his badass female second in command, who (in the most original twist of the show) is not hopelessly in love with him; and a tragic genius driven mad by shadowy government experiments, to name but three.

The mythology of the Firefly ‘Verse is enriched with the history of the recent civil war (in which our heroes fought for the losing side) and unresolved threads of government conspiracy that run throughout.

Regarding the celebratory 15th anniversary packaging, I’m very partial to witty stickers, and have the map of the ‘Verse pinned to my bedroom wall.

Verdict: A highly enjoyable romp through a cowboy galaxy, brought to life with sharp wit and intensely lovable characters. 7/10

Sophie Simpson