Firefly - Disc 1 - * * *

Viewed on DVD -- 2/17/06

I have a feeling Firefly, the TV series, and Serenity, the movie based on the series, will one day be considered great Sci-Fi by the masses. But for now, people don't seem to know what to do with it. I know I didn't when it first came on TV. I remember thinking, is this a Western or a Sci-Fi?

And then there's the Joss Whedon effect. Someone out there really wants me to know that not only did Joss Whedon create Firefly, but he directed it, wrote it, produced it, and even wrote the theme song. Talented guy. I keep wondering if he went to the John Carpenter school of movie credit s (e.g. "John Carpenter's The Thing"), or if he just wants to make sure all his high-school buddies know he's the one responsible for this show. (To set the record straight, Joss is from Buffy the Vampire fame, so they're trying to connect him to that audience.)

All that aside, the pilot of Firefly is gripping and pretty original. If you've never heard anything about it, it concerns a crew of veterans (now space cowboys) who are crusing around space in a Firefly-class ship, looking for a way to make a living. The winners of the war, "The Alliance," are hot on their tale. The ship is falling apart. The captain has a big ego. And no one wants to pay them. Add to that a Doctor who has brought his Jessica Alba-like sister, who is really a highly trained instrument of war, and it gets even better.

So, I look forward to watching the other Firefly shows, after just seeing a few of them. Unfortunately, there probably won't be any more of this franchise, since they haven't performed up to Hollywood TV or movie standards.