Some characters resonate with you on a level that you can’t explain. They become a part of you, something dear to your heart and you can’t get enough of them…
A few years ago hubby tried to get me to watch a particular old show with him. I thought it was ridiculous, what was this space cowboy nonsense. No I was not down, hard pass.
Ironically about a month ago I finished a virtual meeting and found him watching the same show on his own, I flopped down onto the couch and this time became hooked. It turned into every night after our son went to bed, us watching one or two episodes, trying to make the series last as long as possible since the show did not have a very long run. That show was “Firefly”.
To my eternal delight, while it began as a TV series, there is a comic series that continues on after the show was cancelled. We picked up the first two issues of the comic series to read once we finished the TV series and the movie, and this morning I cracked open the first one. To say I couldn’t put it down is an understatement….I devoured both issues and then made hubby go to our local comic shop with me to get the final two issues.
Mal (Captain Reynolds) is the ultimate, he is the bad boy thief captaining his band of misfit vigilantes, yet he is incredibly sweet and will do anything to protect and provide for his crew. He will do anything for them no matter how much they may annoy him no matter how much he may not have originally wanted them as part of his crew. If they are his crew he will protect and defend them at all costs. My favorite is his dynamic with Kaylee,I love how protective and sweet he is towards her, in the most platonic and loving way.
I love that the band has morals. They steal and kill and lie, but they have boundaries. It is ironic and hilarious and loveable. I love soaring through the sky with serenity and following along on their adventures.
One of my favorite parts wasn’t even in the story line. It was the forward to Issue 1 written by Nathan Fillion (the actor that played Captain Reynolds). Reading how important this series was to him, how passionate this childhood comic reader was about the character he played and the story and how happy he had been to be a part of it touched my heart and almost made me cry.
As I’ve mentioned before I am a designer. The passion and love I feel for the spaces I create, even if my part in them isn’t always the largest is a very large part of me. Seeing that passion I feel every time I step into a completed space, reflected in someone else’s work, bound me to the story even more. It makes me finally understand why Captain Reynolds draws you in so completely from the very beginning. He draws you in so easily and quickly, because the man playing the character loved the character, making us want to love the character.
Throughout both the tv series and the first couple of comics you find all these funny moments with Shepard Book. Moment’s of how the hell is a Shepard so good at killing, why does the Shepard know this or know that. It’s baffling and it leads you to believe that Shepard Book wasn’t always a Shepard. But no answers or even hints at answers are given, either by Shepard Book or by the authors, so having an entire comic set of issues dedicated specifically to Shepard Book (see “Serenity Volume 3: The Shepherd's Tale”) and getting his backstory was kind of a dream come true. Seeing small snippets of his life and constantly flashing further back was at first a little confusing, but after reaching the end of it all your mind kind of shuffles everything into place and you see the series of events that led to Shepard Book being Shepard Book and why he is the way he is.
Overall I feel that the entire storyline, both TV, movie and comics gives us a tale of family. A reminder that family is not always blood. That family is often what you make it. Family comes in unexpected forms from unexpected people but those people become everything to you.
The other point I feel that the entire story is trying to portray is that good and evil are not black and white. There is a lot of grey areas. Sure the crew of Serenity steal and lie and cheat to survive. But they have their own code of morals that they keep to. None of them is truly bad at heart, even Jayne, despite his love of guns and his eagerness to kill things, he is not all bad. He has a heart and he cares, as much as he would kill anyone who tried to suggest that.
If you haven’t become addicted to some form of Joss Whedon’s stories yet I highly recommend you try one or all of them. Try Buffy, try Angel, try Firefly and Serenity, but try something because Joss is an amazing story teller and you will fall in love with the characters and world’s he creates.
“Serenity Volume 1: Those Left Behind” by Joss Whedon
https://www.amazon.com/Serenity-Vol-Those-Left-Behind/dp/1593074492
“Serenity Volume 2: Better Days” by Joss Whedon
https://www.amazon.com/Serenity-Vol-2-Better-Days/dp/1595821627
“Serenity Volume 3: The Shepherd’s Tale” by Joss Whedon and Zach Whedon
https://www.amazon.com/Serenity-Shepherds-Tale-Zack-Whedon/dp/1595825614/ref=pd_lpo_14_t_1/141-5318784-0987569?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1595825614&pd_rd_r=a15038ad-a639-4d1b-a78f-f031d3b804c9&pd_rd_w=cvi76&pd_rd_wg=92LvU&pf_rd_p=7b36d496-f366-4631-94d3-61b87b52511b&pf_rd_r=YVFCN2EHY8ZAQ7957V7H&psc=1&refRID=YVFCN2EHY8ZAQ7957V7H
“Serenity Volume 4: Leaves on the wind” by Zack Whedon
https://www.amazon.com/Serenity-Leaves-Wind-Joss-Whedon/dp/1616554894/ref=pd_bxgy_img_2/141-5318784-0987569?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1616554894&pd_rd_r=e3ff20f3-2dc3-4b90-8db5-372d09f5a9e7&pd_rd_w=8GkyK&pd_rd_wg=CXm59&pf_rd_p=ce6c479b-ef53-49a6-845b-bbbf35c28dd3&pf_rd_r=B50BGCN704Y7520X3DMR&psc=1&refRID=B50BGCN704Y7520X3DMR
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