ORBzine - TV Review "Firefly" November 2005
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The crew are hired to steal medical supplies by a German OAP.. It's nice to see how everyone pulls together. They aren't just a bunch of smugglers, they're a well-oiled heist crew. The matter becomes more complex. Morality comes into play. We get to see Mal's double-standards. .
Serenity encounters a ship that's been bushwhacked by the cannibalistic Reavers. The crew discover a survivor. However, before they can get to safety they are boarded by an Alliance ship. The Alliance are on the lookout for the DOc and River ... .
Mal finds out that he's married. Among other things, this gives us an opportunity to explore his relationship [or lack thereof] with the courtesan. . .
The team arrive at a remote settlement where Jayne pulled a job once. Strangely, the locals regard him as some kind of Robin Hood figure! . .
Stranded in space, alone and without hope, Mal has flashbacks to how he met the crew. As ever, the scenes are witty and concise. Every encounter is both funny and in character. . .
The courtesan is hired to go to a dancing ball. Mal gets possessive over her [apparently the Confederacy was anti-slavery] and fights a duel for her .... honour? Surely not? Meanwhile, they make a deal with Dodger. I mean, Badger. He's a nice enough bloke towards Mal, and it's not his fault he seems to have wandered in from Oliver Twist. .
The Shepherd needs surgery. Unfortunately, the Doc and his sister are kidnapped. We get flashbacks of their parents. .
The crew go to a Core World, because Inara has to do her annual physical check-up. Not a monthly, like the Nevada brothels demand. Ah, standards have slipped. The Doc plans a hospital robbery for them. His secret agenda is to help his sister. Jayne has a secret agenda of his own. He's sick of the Doc and River, and there's a reward on them ... . .
This is the aftermath of the Train job, and the ensuing doublecross. The German OAP wants revenge. Wash and Mal end up getting tortured. .
Richard [ G vs E ] plays a bounty hunter named Jubal Earlie. He sneaks aboard Serenity, defeats the crew one by one, and forces the Doc to hand over River. As ever, we get great character development. Jubal threatens to rape Kaylee, and the Doc obviously returns the girl's affection. River, crazy as she sometimes seems, is the smartest of the bunch. It's ironic to have an African-American play a character named after a Confederate General. Beyond that, and the fact that Nathan Fillion is apparently a distant relation of Earlie, it's difficult to decipher Joss Whedon's hidden allusion. This was the last ep to be aired in the UK.
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Mal and Zoe get a coffin mailed to them. It contains the body of a war buddy of theirs [ Jonathan Woodward ]. Their job is to take his body home, so his family can bury him. Meanwhile, Jayne gets a woolly hat from his mom. . . Feature Movie
Serenity (aka Firefly:The Movie)
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Firefly
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