Firefly (2002–2003) User Reviews (876)

Could have been great

[littlemissknowitall · 10/10 · 30 May 2004]

As with BtVS, the world is divided into people who get Firefly and people who don't. In this series Joss Whedon created one of the most realistic post-war visions of the future ever committed to tape, that at the same time spoke about yesterday and today. Maybe a little too much today for its own good.

The series is anti-corporate, anti-government and, while it takes the stand that some things are worth fighting for, it is largely anti-war. No wonder FOX did everything in its power to kill it off, including airing episodes out of order, skipping weeks after airing only three eps and, inevitably canceling the show without even airing episodes 12, 13 and 14 (out of 15). This was particularly damaging, as Firefly had a greater sense of ongoing plot than any other Whedon series in its first year. Viewers were left wondering, on more than one occasion, when a character would reference something we hadn't seen yet.

The backstage dramatics aside, Firefly is intelligent and, like Buffy, mythic - except this time Whedon is dealing with the myth of America: the Frontier, the Civil War, the rise of the Corporation, etc . . .

Firefly is a demanding show. It asks its audience to appreciate the shades of grey in its characters' moral scale. The villains are not comfortingly dressed as an alien race. In 500 years mankind will still be its own worst enemy. Technology will be in the hands of a privileged few, and others will in "The Black" - Whedon's frontier third world - where it is possible to exist without the interference (or benefit) of civilization and government. Things will be dirty, and used. Firefly creates a universe that almost totally opposes that of (that bastion of television sci-fi) Star Trek: its Federation-like central power (the Alliance) is interpreted as being oppressive and dystopic. We are on the side of those who resisted (like the Maqui) and lost.

The acting is strong, the writing as excellent, funny and moving as on any Whedon show, and the effects and sets create a consistent, believable world. It is a shame the series didn't have a more hospitable environment in which to grow and become all it could have been.

Beautifully crafted and enjoyable series

[Rabit · 10/10 · 7 January 2004]

This show blew me away. The beauty of the production, the detail in the sets, the well written characters, the intelligent stories and concepts, the fun, the drama, and the excitement all amazed me. I don't usually spend time watching TV, but I honestly hated having to wait until the next show! :)

The special effects are seamlessly integrated and beautifully detailed. The manner in which the show was presented - the hand-held cameras, the use of zooms, and the occasional off-focus effect - was very intriguing, giving it a look of a show that was real and gritty, something that really caught your attention but didn't distract you from what was being presented. It made you feel like you were really there, like it was believable.

While there was a Western attitude and flavor to some of the episodes, I always felt that it was more about the lack of authority, the fact that people were just dropped out on these planets without the kinds of support that you would expect. It's presented very well and makes sense to me, although I've heard others take a different approach to it.

If you have the opportunity to get the DVDs, I would highly suggest it. It is well worth the money!

The Man They Call Jayne

[anubis1138 · 10/10 · 16 May 2004]

Firefly was easily the best sci fi show Fox developed aside from the X-Files. It had science fiction staples spaceships, laser pistols, and tech, but also a nice retro quality of frontier western speech, horses, and guns. The humor alone made this one of the best shows on television. The Joss Whedon ability to spin a familiar plot convention/line in a surprising direction and the top notch cast of talented and charismatic actors help make this cancelled science fiction Fox casualty a cult favorite and upcoming movie. While the discussion about why it was cancelled and who was to blame is up for debate, no one can argue 200,000 in DVD secondary market sales to date. Clearly, Firefly was a show that deserved a chance to shine and with it's incarnation next year as a film, will allow this phoenix to rise again.

What was FOX thinking?!

[zakal · 10 October 2003]

FOX must have the greatest talent scouts in the world, but the worst executives. "Firefly" is the best example. It was simultaneously the best new show, the best western series in decades, and the best sci-fi show on TV (and coming from a die-hard Trekkie, placing them above "Enterprise" is saying something). They didn't have a single bad episode, and some were spectacular. The premise, the characters, the plots and the dialogue were all top-notch. And FOX cancelled it without even really giving it a chance.

Maybe the show couldn't stand in the end. Maybe I'm alone in this, and there aren't enough fans to justify what the show cost. But making that call after half a season, with half of the episodes pre-empted for baseball playoffs was a phenomenally stupid thing to do. That show should have been here to stay, and it got axed without a chance to prove itself. I only pray the movie works out. At least we'll have something.

One of the biggest mistakes FOX ever made was cancelling this wonderful show!

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 18 April 2011]

Right from the start of Firefly, I was hooked to the show and I consider one of the very best sci-shows I've seen. Although I could find little to fault it, it had even more room to progress. But guess what? Like others have said and justly so in my opinion, FOX made one of the worst decisions they ever made and cancelled Firefly after just one year! It just saddens me that this jewel gets cancelled and there is rubbish still airing that should not be. The series looks absolutely wonderful, with the photography, effects and settings paid a lot of detail to, and the writing is intelligently compelling. There may be the odd questionable logical lapse(but to be honest I have seen much worse), but to me because of how much the stories draw me in it very rarely bothers me. The acting is fine, especially from Nathan Fillion, and the music is very memorable and fitting with the atmosphere that is conveyed. In conclusion, a wonderful show that fell victim to a terrible mistake on FOX's part. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Most likely will go down as the worst cancellation in the history of serials

[johnnybravoctk · 10/10 · 24 February 2023]

Oh my lawd what were they thinking?! To this day, this show is right up there as the best thought out sci-fi right there with Star Trek that I've ever witnessed. The show just oozed fun adventure. Unfortunately, sci-fi takes a while to build a fanbase and word to spread and I guess Fox wasn't will ing to wait, but wow did they miss out on millions and even worse so many classic shows we would have gotten to see. I do tip my cap that at least the movie was made but it's still so bittersweet because this was a plot that could have had multiple installments for years and years. You can't take the sky from me! Browncoats!

Chinese Cowboys in Space

[karen-loethen · 10/10 · 26 September 2016]

A decade ago my friend told me I HAD TO WATCH "Firefly", a show about Chinese cowboys in space, and I told her, No, no I don't. But watch it I did.

How to begin to review such a unique and entertaining show. 1. The cinematography is SO beautiful at times that it's easy to forget the humor of the show. 2. Excellently-crafted characters. Deep. Relatable. Unique. 3. Nathan Fillion has such a dry, human, laid-back way of pulling of such a larger-than-life character, Captain Mel Reynolds. And I do believe I've watched the posterior scene over two dozen times. 4. For sci-fi lovers, this show pulls off some amazing special effects without losing the realism. 5. Unique, dramatic, hilarious, and you absolutely HAVE TO WATCH "Firefly", a show about Chinese cowboys in space. Really.

Yes, it was cancelled after 14 episodes

[jaybeetwr · 9/10 · 22 January 2023]

This show came out at a time I had begun my boycott of cable TV. I kept an active subscription just for this show... only for this show. At a time where there was no more Star Trek (let's face it, Enterprise wasn't really Star Trek) I needed my sci-fi fix.

When it finally aired I set my VCR to record it and after a couple of weeks, they switched the time slot (without notice) and I missed three weeks trying to figure out when it was aired. Not only did they mess around with the air dates, but they showed the episodes in a non-sequential format. References to episodes not aired yet were in the episodes currently running. I was confused, dropped the show, and dropped cable TV for 20 years. If you note the year (2002/2003) you'll notice that this is one of those shows that were assassinated by greedy execs looking to produce more lucrative garbage reality shows and would kill a good show to free up a time slot.

Only through the magic of the internet and streaming services did I finally get to watch this gem of a show (having not remembering it at all). When I got to the last episode and spent an hour trying to find where the rest of it was, I was then reminded why network TV made me cancel my cable subscription.

20 years later, this show is still worth watching. There are no frivolous characters in this show. Even the side-characters are amazing and aren't there just to take up space. When you hit the last episode, have the movie 'Serenity' ready to play as it is the closest you'll ever get to a conclusion.

Shiny?

Joss Whedon's best work!

[Keyan-the-Eagle144 · 8/10 · 12 April 2018]

I did not catch Firefly when it first came on TV and it wasn't until later I'd heard about the 2005 film Serenity. But that movie introduced me to the world of Firefly and got me interested. Spaceships and human-occupied planets in a totalitarian system and (unlike some sci-fi outings) no lightsabers, phasers, replicators, aliens, or space battles. Just a makeshift family onboard a single ship looking to survive and live to see a better tomorrow. The cast really took home the gold and my favorites include Jayne, Mal, River, Zoe, and Wash. They, along with the others make such a fine crew. And it's about cowboys who travel in space. Think spaghetti westerns crossed with sci-fi and that's Firefly. Plus, the characters have chemistry. This show should have stayed on longer but at least now we got a comic book continuation that takes place after the 2005 film. If you're tired of vampires and demons, take a look at this.

Wow

[gokalpkucukhuseyinoglu · 10/10 · 24 December 2018]

After 14 episodes, I'm going to cry. I wish it hadn't been so short.

Great show, why did FOX cancel it?

[snikers-04375 · 9/10 · 6 December 2018]

Great show, it's a crime it only got one season.

The episode list is wrong! 1 - Serenity; 2 - The Train Job; 3 - Bushwacked; 4 - Shindig; 5 - Safe; 6 - Our Mrs Reynolds; 7 - Jaynestown; 8 - Out of Gas; 9 - Ariel; 10 - War Stories; 11 - Trash; 12 - The Message; 13 - Heart of Gold; 14 - Objects in Space;

One of the best Sci-Fi series ever, killed by some of the worst Studio Executives EVER!

[DeeBee1972 · 10/10 · 1 March 2018]

An amazing series with such a compelling storyline. Great casting, effects, plots and above all compelling viewing and escapism.

LikeDeadwood, another show killed because of budget when a growing fan based and ratings would have justified the spend.

Longing for more firefly, same cast 20 years on maybe.....

Overrated

[briancham1994 · 6/10 · 3 June 2020]

Well, Firefly is not bad at all, but it's not the absolute masterpiece that others hype it up to be. I think the unwarranted cancellation caused the fans to put this series up on a pedestal and glorify it. The setting and character team make a good basis for the series, and I enjoyed it, but it's not amazing.

Don't believe the hype

[jeeden · 1/10 · 25 September 2015]

I'm in a serious minority here, but I hated this show. I don't understand how it became such a cult phenomenon and here's why: First of all, it is a character-driven show, which is totally fine. The problem being: I hated the characters. I found all of them to be bland "copy-and-paste" archetypes that felt were rushedly ripped off from better pieces of sci-fi. You've got your bold captain, your ditsy tomboy, your mercenary type, well, you get the gist. Other issues I had with this show include a really lame (albeit painfully catchy) theme song; I know it's just nitpicking but it has a tendency to get into and stay in my head. I also didn't care for the vague threats the characters faced: there's the overarching corporate what-have-you that is just kinda there, and then there are the fearsome reavers which should be the coolest thing about this show, but of course nope, just kinda there. I could go on ad nauseum about the side characters (all bland) and the unengaging obstacles the characters face but I'll just summarize with this: Firefly is an uninspired, poorly-written show fraught with awful characters. It basically rips off the things that made Star Wars and Cowboy Bebop so great and does nothing new or interesting with those elements. If you're a sci-fi fan, there are infinitely better shows. The only thing I mourned when the final episode finished, was the time I spent watching. But hey, at least I gave it an honest try.

Excellent, unique DVD

[attlcox · 1 February 2004]

Never heard of Firefly? Get your hands on the DVD.

Saw some, weren't that impressed? Get your hands on the DVD.

Loved it? Well, you don't need convincing.

Fox did an incredible disservice to this show by showing the episodes out of order. They still made sense on a very low level, i.e., there weren't a lot of plot points that were part of the continuing arc that ended up being out of order in the order they were aired, but this show is so much better if you see it in the order intended. In the aired episodes, characters would sometimes do things that either seemed out of character or really weird, or sometimes even just boring, that make so much more sense on the DVDs, even though there's a grand total of one scene (and only about 3 lines of that scene) that's different between the DVD and the aired version.

That said, this show is the most innovative thing I've ever seen on TV, even despite its mistreatment. It has nine main characters, all of which are fairly well developed in the pilot episode, who then grow and change but remain true to their characters as originally conceived throughout the rest of the series. I could talk about the incredible attention to detail for the special effects, etc., but special effects are getting really good, so that doesn't really set this apart from a lot of movies out there. The concept seems odd at first, but is amazingly well done, with each world they go to having its own quirks, charms and dangers, but it always comes back to the characters and their relationships with each other.

Original, Unique and timeless

[dubwize · 10/10 · 30 January 2018]

Watching this 16 years after release I still get laughs and delightful amazement at the cinematography in certain scenes. They DO NOT make material like this anymore and FIREFLY will always remain a definitive classic.

Acting and casting is first rate, truly believable characters make this in many ways better than any Star Wars re-hash.

LONG awaiting the resurrection of the Brown Coats against the FOX-CORP galactic alliance.

It's an absolute disgrace that this was cancelled

[crouton · 10/10 · 28 September 2003]

First off I should say that I only watched this as I read it had replaced Dark Angel (which I kind of liked, first series anyway) and wanted to see if it was any good. Anyway, I've just finished watching the last episode of Firefly here in the UK, and I am thoroughly appalled that this series has been cancelled. The ONLY bad things I can say about it is that *occasionally* the western parts seemed a bit contrived, and that I never really got to identify with some characters much (Wash and Preacher mainly).

For the first point, it's not nearly as bad a mix of sci-fi and western as some people comment on. I suspect they haven't really watched it as it usually works very well. For the second point, I'm sure that I would have gotten to know the other characters better in the future as the story developed. The characters (and actors) in this series were fantastic as individuals and as a team. They are a real credit to Firefly and helped make it seem real, generate emotion, humour and occasionally despair. Nathan Fillion above all surprised me as I'd never seen him as an actor before (I've never watched Buffy much), and he's simply fantastic. Believable from the first episode and acts out Mal's great strengths and flaws of character perfectly. The rest of the cast support (and occasionally take the lead) very well.

As for the rest, the stories were very good and usually inventive despite staying in the supposedly cliched sci-fi and/or western domain, every episode has laughs, some have a few tears. The effects are generally not too bad (some bits really nice, others a bit ropey - nothing an improved budget wouldn't have fixed). Even the title music (by Whedon!) is fantastic. I watch most things recorded and normally fast forward past the titles (Babylon 5 excepted).

Bottom line is that above all it's a shame it was canned. It was a great series, had *real potential* to be a blockbuster (I doubt that many TV execs thought that a vampire hunting female would be so popular), and was easily the best debut series I've seen in the sci-fi/drama genre (even the mighty Babylon 5 took a while to get started). For it to have failed ratings means that people inside Fox need sacked for not doing their job properly, due to bad planning, bad promotion, and for being so stupid that they can't see a good show or even potential even if it is the best in the 'Verse.

The fact that Whedon thinks strongly enough of Firefly to do a film version (and can get the backing to do so) should be a wakeup call to the top level bosses that those under them aren't interested in quality or investing in potentially hit series, they are only reacting to immediate ratings despite the fact they influence them badly by getting their programming all wrong.

While I'm only too happy to see a film version, the production values of the series were so high that it's really just going to be a higher budget longer episode (albeit more polished), when all I (and many others) want to see is a new series. I really hope that the film springboards the series back, but I'm not holding my breath...

Whedon's masterpiece

[ChubbyChecker · 10/10 · 19 March 2019]

Sure, Buffy was great, there's no disputing that. Firefly though, that show is what showed us that Whedon really knows his stuff. How to build a setting, how to build a great ensemble cast, how to tell a story that people really care about.

It's hard to say what would have happened if this show had lasted longer than 14 episodes and a movie. Alas, we'll never know for sure. I think it's fair to say that we had the beginnings of something great, and at least Whedon got to progress his story with a relatively big budget movie after his show was far too prematurely cancelled.

On the plus side, it is only 14 episodes. And yes, everything you've heard is true, it really is that good. So seeing as it's so short you might as well watch it. If for some bizarre reason you don't love Firefly by the end of it at least you haven't sunk too much time into it.

Oh, and watch the movie too. Just make sure you watch the series first.

I Miss it

[Terry-Skrinjar · 10/10 · 11 October 2018]

I truly wish for this to return to TV, but we will never see its like again.

Must watch

[God_is_with_us · 10/10 · 26 January 2019]

I really enjoy watching this television show. It was very insightful and the context was what I feel is what Hollywood Lost sight of. In these episodes they focused on quality character and content of history, rather than getting it on and getting the business done.

I feel Hollywood went Dead - not Undead.

Western or Sci-Fi? Both and good at it!

[kosmasp · 10/10 · 10 April 2007]

Nathan Fillion as Capt. Reynolds is probably one of the coolest characters to grace your TV screen ... although he wasn't there long enough for you to enjoy him. And it's a shame that the show got axed so early.

The problem the executives might have had with this TV show, is that they couldn't market it. They didn't know how to advertise the series, so it got under the radar. Not completely, because still fans watched it, but the decision not to air the pilot first was a fatal one. Even if the first episode (after the pilot movie) was a recapturing of the characters that you should've known already, it's not the same.

I bought the DVD box set, because of all the buzz it was getting from the internet. The acting is great, the dialogues are a joy to listen to, the stories that are told with the character development (yes the characters do develop, even if at times only a few inches) are superb. If you like your comedy to be well written, the dialogue witty and funny and don't mind the mixture of Sci-Fi and Western, than this show is definitely something you should watch!

Serenity

[vatigue · 10/10 · 23 December 2018]

This is probably going to be my one and only 10/10 review. Living in Switzerland, I stumbled upon a serenity-dvd which turned out to be some pretty funny and entertaining sci-fi-western mixup. I never heard of Firefly or even Joss Whedon before (having watched the famous Buffy or Angel episode-wise on tv after all). Firefly never aired in Europe. After googling it, I figured out there was a series that precedented the movie. Downloading and watching the episodes made me really happy. I still keep rewatching Firefly after all these years at least annually. It ticked all my boxes when it comes to humor, sci-fi and western back in the days and still does now. Much like Cowboy Bebop did when i discovered that. It's my genre kindof and I really cannot get enough of it. The cast works awesomely together and there is no boring episode at all througought. Masterpiece imho, but of course comes down to what you like to watch after all. If you do like your share of sci-fi-western comedy with witty dialoge and no stupid behaviour for a change, that's the thing you are looking for. It didn't age well over the years CGI-wise but I cannot recommend it enough.

One of the best TV series ever made

[nancyldraper · 10/10 · 29 August 2018]

To my tastes, this in one of the best TV Series ever made. It's Joss Whedon. The casting is perfect. The writing is imaginative, witty, and it explores the nobility and fallibility of humanity. It gave us beloved characters with depth and relationships for which we rooted. The production values were ahead of it's time. The music was perfect. And, that perfect cast gave perfect performances. Pretty high praise for a 14 episode, one season series, released incomplete and out of order by the network (for more on the tortured and redemptive journey of the series read it's Wikipedia page). This is probably my third time through the series and I bought the DVDs so, needless to say, this show is on My Top 20 TV Series list, and I give it a 10 (perfect) out of 10. {Space Western}

Thousand curses to you FOX

[stiva · 7/10 · 4 June 2010]

I am a great fan of Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy The Vampire Slayer. When I saw Firefly I did not hesitate. I wanted to watch it.

I started to watch this show and I got engrossed into the series immediately. The Writing was awesome. The Script was brilliant and original. It was realistic. The special effects were awesome. The episodes were funny. As the series progressed the character development was projected well. I got addicted to this one immediately. My hunger for wanting to see more of this show is increasing day by day.

Well, now I wish I hadn't seen this now, because why start such an awesome sci-fi show only to get discontinued ? What the hell is the matter with these FOX people. This show had so much potential. It could have been one of the greatest sci-fi series. Thousands curses on you FOX for stopping production right in the middle of the show after getting us very intrigued.

The best that can be said is that it's FOX greatest mistake and they just threw away an amazing opportunity to show to bring this amazing show.

To Joss Whedon, in case you are reading this I just want to let you know that YOU created this show, NOT the FOX, so YOU own the rights to this show, NOT the FOX people. If I were you I would take the script to some other channel and bring this amazing show into life. Most of us your fans, are hoping that you would give us this show, hoping you would bring this to life.

I want to this show a solid 10. But I am giving for the cancellation.

And Starring Nathan Fillion's Smirk as Itself...

[The_Other_Snowman · 3/10 · 27 November 2008]

There are a lot of things about this show I find absolutely insufferable: the theme song, the soundtrack drenched in Western twang, the captain's suspenders, the cutesy half-clever dialogue. Mostly what gets on my nerves is the constant smirk the show seems to wear. Joss Whedon's smug sense of self-satisfaction is almost like a member of the cast, and arguably more important to the show than any of the other actors.

"Firefly" features a crew of interstellar rebels -- of the "South Will Rise Again" variety -- cruising the High Sierras of backwater planets in search of semi-legal employment. There's Captain Mal, the wisecrack dispenser; Zoe, his robotic first mate; Wash, the juvenile pilot; Kaylee, the oh-so-adorable grease monkey who keeps the Whatever Drive working; and Jayne, on the run from the loony bin with his massive gun collection. They pick up some hitchhikers: a priest, a prostitute, a doctor, and his autistic sister.

The series is proudly anti-authoritarian. The villains are the Alliance -- or the Federation, or something -- who lumber around the space lanes in massive starships, keeping the peace for Kaiser Wilhelm. Unlike real historical rebels, our heroes are never in any sort of danger from the Alliance -- at least not the sort of danger that a snarky remark and well-aimed bullet won't handle. Whedon's "stick it to the man" attitude is the kind of thing I might have found very appealing when I was sixteen and had blue hair, but from the vantage point of my late twenties it just looks childish. The Alliance never present a credible threat -- for example, no families are ever lined up against a wall and shot -- so overcoming them offers no satisfaction.

Dramatically, the series is a jumble. Nine main characters banter and bicker while shambling from job to low-rent job, and the Galactic Empire peeks over their shoulders from time to time. There's no cohesion, and even the setting is a mess: cattle rustlers and space ships, John Ford extras and "Starship Troopers" space marines. The dialogue delivers line after smirking line of futuristic cowboy slang, with the occasional inexplicable Mandarin curse word. There's no story, and no sense that any of this might mean anything. The end result is psychologically two-dimensional characters negotiating a landscape of tired clichés. This could be any hackneyed Western ever made.

The show's total failure may surprise anyone who's seen "Buffy: The Vampire Slayer". That was a genuinely intelligent show, but perhaps Joss Whedon got so accustomed to writing for teenagers that he never learned how to write for grown-ups.