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The mighty GKarsEye watches Firefly
- Thread starter GKarsEye
- Start date
vacantlook
Super Moderator
Re: The semi-muscular KoshFan changes the subject
Very well done, KF.
Very well done, KF.
Jade Jaguar
Regular
Re: Stinky Denebian Swamp Bat
Gee, I always wondered how those subjects changed. Now I know!
Gee, I always wondered how those subjects changed. Now I know!
Sindatur
Regular
Re: Swamp bats?
Gosh, when I saw "Swamp Bats?" as a post title from the outside, I thought it was gonna turn out to be a thread about a New Scifi Channel movie. Imagine my surprise to find it in the Firefly thread, LOL.
I also have watched each episode on SciFi Channel so far, I understand why River was the way she was, but, I gotta tell you, I'm very glad she's more stable (well, you know...) now, that extrreme flightiness was getting really annoying.
3 more episodes, you say? Thanks. I lost count and was wondering how much was left to air. The show is definitely worth the time it takes to watch it, but, more in a Buffy way, where it's enjoyable and it's great not to miss any, but not in a Farscape/B5/LOST kinda way where I'm obsessed and can't wait to see what happens next.
Gosh, when I saw "Swamp Bats?" as a post title from the outside, I thought it was gonna turn out to be a thread about a New Scifi Channel movie. Imagine my surprise to find it in the Firefly thread, LOL.
I also have watched each episode on SciFi Channel so far, I understand why River was the way she was, but, I gotta tell you, I'm very glad she's more stable (well, you know...) now, that extrreme flightiness was getting really annoying.
3 more episodes, you say? Thanks. I lost count and was wondering how much was left to air. The show is definitely worth the time it takes to watch it, but, more in a Buffy way, where it's enjoyable and it's great not to miss any, but not in a Farscape/B5/LOST kinda way where I'm obsessed and can't wait to see what happens next.
PillowRock
Regular
Re: Swamp bats?
Firefly had a chance to get there, had it continued. From what I've read, the plot of Serenity would have been the central spine of the arc of S2 of Firefly
Yeah, but to be fair, Farscape and B5 weren't at that level either at the equivalent point in their first season. At least they weren't for me. (Lost is a show that I can't speak to. I'm virtually never home on Wednesday evenings, so I haven't gotten into it.)
Firefly had a chance to get there, had it continued. From what I've read, the plot of Serenity would have been the central spine of the arc of S2 of Firefly
Sindatur
Regular
Re: Swamp bats?
I was speaking personally. For me, I was "impatiently waiting for the next episode" from day 1 with Farscape and B5, as with LOST. With the Buffyverse, it was never a big deal if I missed an episode and enver went out of my way to ensure I didn't miss an episode.
I was speaking personally. For me, I was "impatiently waiting for the next episode" from day 1 with Farscape and B5, as with LOST. With the Buffyverse, it was never a big deal if I missed an episode and enver went out of my way to ensure I didn't miss an episode.
When I compare B5 to Firefly, I feel like an oenophile comparing two excellent wines with very different flavors. (Not that I'm an oenophile; my taste buds have been ruined by years of drinking cheap beer.) Overall, B5 is the better show, but in some ways, Firefly is its superior. Case in point, Whedon has a wonderfully dry wit, and I say this as someone who thoroughly enjoyed Ivanova's "Boom Shaka-Laka" scene.
Recoil
Regular
Agree to a point.
B5 I believe has the upperhand with the grand sweeping epic and JMS had an amazing imagination to come up with such a detailed and intracate story. His characterization was very well done, and be the end of the tale you couldn't help but be in awe of what you felt not only for the characters but at what had unfolded before your eyes after 5 seasons.
I think JMS's shortcomings were his humor in his writing. Sometimes he was spot on, but when he missed, he missed big. It also took a long time for the story to get going, and was rather dry at the begining. While later seasons made up for it after the show caught its stride, it still wasn't pound-for-pound as entertaining as Firefly was to watch early on IMO.
As stated above, I think the writing and timing in Firefly was superior. I think at the end of the 15 or so episodes that were made, you had a better feel for who the characters were than you did for B5 in the same amount of time. I also think its a more exciting show to watch as its part action/adventure as well.
Where Firefly seems to lack behind B5 is in the massive pre-planned story arc --- although I'm not sure we can really dismiss this. Firefly never got its chance to take off. Joss did have several seasons planned out (what was planned for Season 2 appeared in the movie Serenity). There were clearly plenty of suttle hints and red herrings dropped in Flrefly as well, we just never got to see it to the end.
I think the differentiation is that both shows tell (or would have told) some great stories about humanity. I think B5s was a different type than Fireflys would have been. I think overall I really do have to call it a tie between the two of them if I am to be fair. I think B5 gets the nod because it was actually able to run its 5 seasons and get the job done, where firefly got cut short. But if they were both to have run the full amount I think I would have had to toss a coin to see which I liked better, and even at that I probably still couldn't have made up my mind.
They are very different shows. B5 is more grity and epic, Firefly is more adventerous and fun.
B5 I believe has the upperhand with the grand sweeping epic and JMS had an amazing imagination to come up with such a detailed and intracate story. His characterization was very well done, and be the end of the tale you couldn't help but be in awe of what you felt not only for the characters but at what had unfolded before your eyes after 5 seasons.
I think JMS's shortcomings were his humor in his writing. Sometimes he was spot on, but when he missed, he missed big. It also took a long time for the story to get going, and was rather dry at the begining. While later seasons made up for it after the show caught its stride, it still wasn't pound-for-pound as entertaining as Firefly was to watch early on IMO.
As stated above, I think the writing and timing in Firefly was superior. I think at the end of the 15 or so episodes that were made, you had a better feel for who the characters were than you did for B5 in the same amount of time. I also think its a more exciting show to watch as its part action/adventure as well.
Where Firefly seems to lack behind B5 is in the massive pre-planned story arc --- although I'm not sure we can really dismiss this. Firefly never got its chance to take off. Joss did have several seasons planned out (what was planned for Season 2 appeared in the movie Serenity). There were clearly plenty of suttle hints and red herrings dropped in Flrefly as well, we just never got to see it to the end.
I think the differentiation is that both shows tell (or would have told) some great stories about humanity. I think B5s was a different type than Fireflys would have been. I think overall I really do have to call it a tie between the two of them if I am to be fair. I think B5 gets the nod because it was actually able to run its 5 seasons and get the job done, where firefly got cut short. But if they were both to have run the full amount I think I would have had to toss a coin to see which I liked better, and even at that I probably still couldn't have made up my mind.
They are very different shows. B5 is more grity and epic, Firefly is more adventerous and fun.
You make some very good points. I will add, though, that in B5's first half-season, jms is already telling a wide range of stories, even if some of them are very badly done. And it's science fiction, not just a political drama (or western) set in space, dealing with issues like telepathy, human evolution, immortality, and a depiction of virtual reality far more intelligent and believable than Star Trek's holodeck. Even in those episodes, I get a feeling of awe and wonder that I never get from Firefly.
By the way, Firefly has almost tempted me to watch Buffy. Some people love it, others tell me it's crap.
By the way, Firefly has almost tempted me to watch Buffy. Some people love it, others tell me it's crap.
KoshFan
Regular
Hah, yes.
Buffy is very different than Firefly... early on it's pretty light and fluffy and immature-teenage-angsty, but as it progresses it can get pretty grim and intense -- as well as having some fascinating experiments in television. Hush, The Body, Once More With Feeling, and a few others are seriously A-grade TV. Once More With Feeling was nominated for a Nebula award (the fantasy equivalent of the Hugo). It didn't win... but it was up against Fellowship of the Ring, so nomination was the real honor that year.
Buffy is very different than Firefly... early on it's pretty light and fluffy and immature-teenage-angsty, but as it progresses it can get pretty grim and intense -- as well as having some fascinating experiments in television. Hush, The Body, Once More With Feeling, and a few others are seriously A-grade TV. Once More With Feeling was nominated for a Nebula award (the fantasy equivalent of the Hugo). It didn't win... but it was up against Fellowship of the Ring, so nomination was the real honor that year.
GKarsEye
Regular
More like comparing a wine to a beer, IMO, and I say this is one who enjoys both.
The difference between Firefly and B5 is that Firefly has more good moments, but B5's good moments are much better.
I also considered watching Buffy but then I remembered that it was about a teenage girl fighting vampires and it's called "Buffy."
Sindatur
Regular
I'm not bashing Firefly, I'm with GKE on his Wine/beer analogy, although I personally don't like wine, but, it's the principal of the statement.
For those who say Firefly is much better from the get-go, and B5 was too slow to start off. Weren't "Mind War" and "Sky Full of Stars" both in the initial first half of Season 1? Both very key arc episodes, that moved the arc forward, although Mind War never quite played out, since Talia left.
For those who say Firefly is much better from the get-go, and B5 was too slow to start off. Weren't "Mind War" and "Sky Full of Stars" both in the initial first half of Season 1? Both very key arc episodes, that moved the arc forward, although Mind War never quite played out, since Talia left.
