Firefly

So let's kick this off with a bit of honesty ... I haven't watch Firefly in about 5 years and I remember from then not liking this episode. Having just watched it I can say I was an idiot. This was a charming, funny romp with more great dialog, exciting action, and some great character moments. The only reason for this I think is, I didn't like it before was because it took the place of the pilot in airing order and I guess I resented it. Go figure, like I say an idiot.

Some stand out moments for me:

• The cold open on U day with Mal and Zoe going looking for a bar brawl. Don't tell me Zoe didn't know exactly what Mal was doing from the start and you know she encouraged him. Jayne with his 'I didn't fight in no war' kills me because you know he doesn't care about any of this crap but he's still down for a good ol' bar brawl.
• The prototype for our big damn hero's moment when the Serenity pops up from the cliff and bluffs the townsfolk.
• Such great dialog from Mal and Book discussing God, and then Inara and Book talking about praying for the crew. I especially like how she slips in that she prays and the look he gives her acknowledging her a woman of faith in her line of work.
• "We're doing crime" - you have to love Jewel Staite she can deliver the cheer and cute while still being spunky.
• Niska should be a bit over the top from the writing but the actor sells his menace moving him from Bond villain to Hanable Lecter.
• The Heist is exciting especially Mal's glee at being able to get one over on the Alliance soldiers, and then the twist when he finds out he's stealing much needed medicine. I love how he's a crook but he's not a bad guy. Fillion really sells the charming rouge, I'd love to see him play a bard in another D&D movie. Right up there "So, is his job open?"
• Alec Baldwin in his best blow hard Jayne trying to take over, bulling Wash and Kaylee and then having Book point out that he's being an idiot and is likely to get them killed with his plan. Topped off by badass bookworm Simon slipping him a micky to put him out.
• It's interesting to see Inara pulling a con to get Mal and Zoe out of trouble, and an interesting tidbit about indentured servitude being allowed in Alliance space.
• I really like the good guy Sheriff being able to figure it all out and letting the Serenity crew go because time are tough and people make mistakes but as long as you try to put right, that's what counts. Good Moral especially for show about a crew of lovable rouges.
• Finally the attempt to be honest crooks with Miska's men and the first guy trying to be hard and just getting kicked into the engine was gold, although I suspect Kaylee gave it to Mal later about treating her girl like a garbage disposal. And now I'm looking forward to War Stories and Miska's return.

But with opener about U-day and Mal and Zoe's fierce patriotism to the Independent Faction, I guess we should talk about the elephant in the 'verse. Firefly is a space-western, heavy on the western. The styles, the personalities and everything in between, but here in our world the western period is right after the US civil war. In Firefly we're watching right after their civil war too, and it feels like The Independents are really strongly modeled after the confederacy in the US. A lot of talk about agrarian ~~states~~ outer moons vs industrial ~~states~~ inner planets in place of the North and the South. A lot of talk from Mal and Zoe about freedoms and the outer colonies rights to self determination. And how their lost cause was a righteous one. I know that it's not supposed to perfectly map but it really does sound like Whedon really has a rose colored glasses view of the confederacy and the civil war. I mean we don't see a stars and bars painted on the top of Serenity like it was the General Lee but I ~~really~~ wished they had fleshed out the politics of the war a bit more rather then gloss over it, because I start to cringe when Mal's getting heated up about outer colonies rights. I know that in our would somebody going off about states rights like that are complaining about the states right to own slaves, and it really makes me uncomfortable. Maybe they were really seduced by the Western theme and I shouldn't put too much thought in to it, but really I'd like to hear some more positive messages from them.