# Burn the land and boil the sea. (R.I.P., Firefly) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 21, 2003, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341 "2003-12-21T18:20:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/41 "2003-12-23T18:58:05Z")
Is there a plot hole in Our Mrs. Reynolds? Did the people in that happy-friendly-bucolic settlement know who she really was? After she’s revealed, I’m thinking “Wait, how much of this did she have to set up?” Not that I care, mind you. I’m seeing all of these for the first time on DVD, didn’t catch it on TV, had crappy cable and only got 12 stations. So far my favorite is the one that starts out with an injured Mal and a disabled ship. There are **three** time periods being recounted in this story, and they blend perfectly. And how nice for us that Mal made the right choice in mechanics, huh? That pretty boy was, um, a pretty boy, but Kaylee is incomparable. (And what a shock, the intro to Kaylee!) ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/42 "2003-12-23T19:27:31Z")
I liked how Kaylee noticed the problem with the right couple when she was “down there on her back”. Classic! ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/43 "2003-12-23T20:30:27Z")
> [@](#): > > I liked how Kaylee noticed the problem with the right couple when she was “down there on her back”. Classic! What I really liked about _Firefly_ is how we had three–really four–different visions of female sexuality that were all very different and all very healthy. We have Kaylee, who has a healthy, straightforward enjoyment of sex, on par with her healthy, straightforward enjoyment of everything else, we have Innara, who makes a living having sex and having sex well, and we have Zoe, whose sex live is intrinsicaly bound up in a commited romantic relationship. It’s rounded out with River, who has a sort of eldrich asexuality about her. The fact that none of these attitudes towards sex is really portrayed as either degenerate or preferable is one of the coolest things about the show. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/44 "2003-12-23T20:50:49Z")
What I really like was discussing a refund with the agents of their employer in _The Train Job_ 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/45 "2003-12-23T21:31:25Z")
I agree, **Manda JO**. I think that came across well in the sisterly, nurturing relationship between Kaylee and Inara. I think both benefited, and it was nice to see in a genre where there’s generally a lone “token” female without a feminine support. I’m thinking of T’Pol, Janeway, Ivanova–even perhaps Aeryn on Farscape, who could have all benefited from female bonding. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/46 "2003-12-23T22:06:46Z")
There was a nature/nuture thing with Janeway and Seven. ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/47 "2003-12-23T22:21:00Z")
Janeway and Seven was more of a mother/angry-and-rebellious-teen-daughter. And I can only imagine what fanfic authors wrote about those two… ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/48 "2003-12-23T22:26:59Z")
Speaking as a male fascinated by women, one thing I really like about “Firefly” is that the four females are all strong characters, all very different, and played by actresses who are really easy on the eyes, but in completely different ways. (Gina Torres, especially, is unreasonably good-looking. She got married to Laurence Fishburne while doing the show. Guess Mr. Fishburne has pretty good taste.) ---
**Author:** ![blasphmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@blasphmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blasphmer)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/49 "2003-12-24T04:49:01Z")
**Burn the land and boil the sea** Wasn’t that a line in an ol’ sea shantie? Something like: A Pirate I was meant to be Burn the land and boil the sea ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/50 "2003-12-24T17:48:51Z")
Sounds likely, doesn’t it? Googling didn’t help much – lots of blog mentions and Firefly websites, and this: \*\*Translation of the Hopi Prophecies Sung in KOYAANISQATSI * * * “If we dig precious things from the land, we will invite disaster.” “Near the Day of Purification, there will be cobwebs spun back and forth in the sky.” “A container of ashes might one day be thrown from the sky which could burn the land and boil the oceans.”\*\* After watching all the eps, I think my favorite is Objects in Space, followed by Trash, if only for the booty shot. I liked the eps with that Uma Thurman-looking woman too, Saffron Yolanda whatever her name was. Favorite line is when they’re talking about River, and that she might be able to read minds. Wash says “that sounds like science fiction!” and Zoe says to him, “Wash, you’re living on a spaceship.” 🙂 Does it look from that episode like River is able to freeze time? ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/51 "2003-12-24T21:07:16Z")
Not sure if I’m late to the party with this, but my wife and I are getting caught up with _Angel_ and recently saw the episode where the team investigates the cursed-to-dance-forever ballet troupe. And when Angel went backstage to talk to the lead ballerina, I said, “Hey, that looks like River from _Firefly._” My wife said, “Kind of hard to tell with the makeup.” So I checked the credits, and sure enough, it’s Summer Glau. Just another cool tidbit about how loyal Whedon is to his actors. At least, when they don’t get a fat sorority-girl head and badmouth him and his work and their co-stars en route to sabotaging their careers with bullshit cartoon-character knockoffs. :rolleyes: 😉 ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/52 "2003-12-24T21:33:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cervaise \* > **At least, when they don’t get a fat sorority-girl head and badmouth him and his work and their co-stars en route to sabotaging their careers with bullshit cartoon-character knockoffs.** Hmm? ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/53 "2003-12-24T22:23:02Z")
Speaking of Whedon’s loyalty to his actors, did Nathan Fillion do the psychotic preacher on Buffy before or after he did Firefly? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/54 "2003-12-24T22:43:40Z")
After. It had been cancelled by the time he showed up there. Same for Zoe on _Angel_. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/55 "2003-12-24T22:57:07Z")
Thanks. He’s good, isn’t he? ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/56 "2003-12-24T23:30:45Z")
Mal: “He’s my _hero_.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/57 "2003-12-25T04:32:06Z")
This is the first I’ve heard of the show – which helps prove the point others have made about Fox’s poor stewardship of the show. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2003, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/58 "2003-12-26T16:46:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by carnivorousplant \* > \*\*What I really like was discussing a refund with the agents of their employer in _The Train Job_ > 🙂 \*\* I got the DVD set for Christmas. I had never seen the show before last night when I watched the first disk (Serenity Parts 1 & 2, The Train Job, Bushwacked). If The Train Job is one of the **weakest** , I’m confident I’m in for a real treat with the rest of the series. The scene \*\* Ranchoth\*\* and **carnivorousplant** mention is instant classic matierial. Henchman #2: Oh, I’m good. I speak for everyone. I’m right there with you. And from Serenity: “We’re too pretty to die.” ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2003, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/59 "2003-12-26T21:19:32Z")
I got the DVD set for Christmas. Whoo hoo! Now I get to go back and watch all those episodes again, this time in widescreen the way God meant for it to be seen. I intentionally avoided watching or downloading the last three ‘unaired’ episodes, which in fact were aired here in Canada, so I could watch them the first time in DVD resolution in widescreen. Looking forward to that! **Homebrew:** Wait until you get to “Out of Gas”, “War Stories”, “Ariel”, and “Objects in Space”. I believe those are the four best episodes. Some of the best TV I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![CadburyAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@CadburyAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CadburyAngel)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/60 "2003-12-26T21:29:26Z")
Woohoo! Just got the DVDs for Christmas. I’m so happy. This show needs to come back to the air right now. It’s so much better than the dreck that’s out there right now… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341.md?page=4)