# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2003, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/61 "2003-12-26T21:49:04Z")
Well thanks to this thread I ordered Firefly. If it sucks I’m holding you all personally responsable. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2003, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/62 "2003-12-26T22:24:52Z")
Darkhold, that’s kinda how I felt. I had seen about 10 minutes of one show – it was the word of mouth that convinced me to get the DVD set. If there’s anything else on TV with that much wit and heart and humor, I’d like to know about it. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2003, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/63 "2003-12-27T02:35:00Z")
My wife’s ordered me the _Firefly_ set for Christmas. ---
**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 27, 2003, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/64 "2003-12-27T04:28:00Z")
Not _Duck Soup_? ---
**Author:** ![burundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ec8ea/32.png) [@burundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burundi)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2003, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/65 "2003-12-27T14:17:14Z")
I also got the DVDs for Christmas! Whoo! I know what I’m doing today! (Sadly, I spent last night playing a truly horrible boardgame, the pop culture version of Trivial Pursuit, instead of hanging with Mal and the gang. Thanks, in-laws.) ---
**Author:** ![Osip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4491bb/32.png) [@Osip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osip)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2003, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/66 "2003-12-27T15:05:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Baldwin \* > \*\*As Jayne would say, “If wishes were horses, we’d all be eatin’ steak!” \*\* If wishes were horses we would all be up to our necks in horse shit. I have yet to brave the crowds to go buy a set but it is on my Must do list. It was a great series that had potential. Since we are doing wishes 🙂 I would want to be undisputed leader of Fox. Then I can have all the peons who preempted “Firefly” for “stupid Pet tTricks” demoted to janitor 🙂 a Janitor with only a toothbrush… ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/67 "2003-12-27T15:08:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by carnivorousplant \* > Not _Duck Soup_? Already have that, needless to say! ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/68 "2003-12-27T17:38:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Osip \* > **I have yet to brave the crowds to go buy a set** What’s wrong with Amazon? I just got mine from them, along with season 3 of Babylon 5. 🙂 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2004, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/69 "2004-01-02T16:56:45Z")
I just finished going thru the box set last night – those unaired three episodes were worth it just themselves. I didn’t think Heart of Gold was a clunker, although it certainly isn’t one of the strongest episodes – but I liked the development of the Mal-Inara relationship there. The best of the three was Trash, tho’ – if the Firefly movie gets made, I hope Christina Hendricks shows up. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Santos\_L\_Halper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/santos_l_halper/32/1_2.png) [@Santos\_L\_Halper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santos_L_Halper)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2004, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/70 "2004-01-03T00:31:17Z")
I avoided reading this thread earlier so as to not see any possible spoilers until after I’d watched the three unaired episodes. I really enjoyed them, but they don’t surpass the episodes that were aired. I agree with previous posters that the best were _out of gas, War Stories, Objects in Space_ and _Ariel_. I know it sounds over-the-top, but those episodes, and the whole series, are some of the best work ever televised. The commentaries were great, especially the one with Joss Whedon and Nathan Fillion on the pilot and Whedon and Tim Minear on _the Train Job_. It’s interesting hearing about the amount of thought they put into lighting and camera movement in many of the scenes. I especially liked the story about the red button… Did everyone check out the easter egg hidden on the last disc? 🙂 I just checked on Amazon and the set is currently ranked 12th for DVD sales. It’s selling out in many stores as well. Not too bad for a show that couldn’t get any ratings, huh Fox? :mad: Eric ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2004, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/71 "2004-01-03T01:06:22Z")
> [@](#): > > In addition to showing the episodes out of date (the pilot episode was the last one to air) they also stuck it in an impossible time slot (Friday evenings), pre-empted it frequently, and spent as little as humanly possible on advertising (the only time I ever saw commercials for it was during Buffy re-runs on FX). I seem to remember it being highly advertised. In fact, those really annoying ads (I’ll forever have “Who’s flying this thing? Oh, that would be me.” burned into my brain after hearing it a half dozen times a day for weeks) were the reason I didn’t go out of my way to find the show when it was on and never saw an episode. Well, that and the whole “western in space” thing just doesn’t sound very appealing to me. My wife got me the dvd set for Christmas. The guy at the video store recommended it to her based on my being a fan of Buffy. It’s still sitting on my shelf, unopened; I haven’t decided whether to return it, but I think it’s likely to go back unopened. ---
**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:** [January 3, 2004, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/72 "2004-01-03T01:30:47Z")
EBay, Number Six, Ebay. ---
**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:** [January 3, 2004, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/73 "2004-01-03T01:41:56Z")
**Number Six** , give it a shot. I guarantee you won’t disappointed. I mean that: if you don’t like it, I’ll buy it off you. ---
**Author:** ![Santos\_L\_Halper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/santos_l_halper/32/1_2.png) [@Santos\_L\_Halper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santos_L_Halper)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2004, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/74 "2004-01-03T02:32:25Z")
You’re right **Number Six**. I remember that commercial running tons of times in the months before the show premiered. Once it did, however they pretty much gave up on it. I don’t remember the whole commercial other than the “who’s flying the ship” joke and playing up “the girl in the box” element (which, being in the pilot, the audience never even saw until the show’d already been cancelled :rolleyes: ). In any case, that comercial gave me no interest in seeing the show. It wasn’t until it’d started running and I heard some good things about it that I checked it out. And I’ve been a life-long science fiction fan, so I’ve got to figure the commercial didn’t do a very good job portraying how great the show was. It’s certainly possible you might not care for the show once you’ve seen a couple of episodes. But I’m betting that if you’re a _Buffy_ fan, there’s a good chance you’re going to love it. At least give it a shot. I mean, you’ve already got the shows sitting right there on your shelf! 🙂 Watch _ **Out of Gas** _ and _ **War Stories** _. I think you’ll find it worth the time. ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2004, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/75 "2004-01-03T07:24:07Z")
The problem with giving it a shot is that once I open it, it cannot be returned. So long as it’s unopened I can exchange it and get store credit towards _American Family_ season one or _The New Avengers '76_, or even _Lost in Space_ season one (before the series became “Will and the Robot”). As it is, it’s like a fifty dollar bill I can spend on any dvd’s I like, and I’m not sure I want to spend that fifty dollars to try out a couple of episodes. I’m not sure if the Joss Whedon connection (the reason the guy at the video store recommended it to Mrs. Six) is enough to convince me. Seasons 2 and 3 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are among the best in American television history, and Buffy is without peer in fantasy tv, not that it has much competition. But skill in once genre doesn’t neccesarily transfer to another; I like Garth Brooks as a country singer, but have no desire to listen to him performing hard rock. Robert B. Parker is a wonderful detective novelist, but pretty mediocre in the western genre. Also, it wasn’t just the commercials (which did make the series seem more than somewhat unappealing), but the “western in space” concept that turned me off. I love _Cowboy Bebop_, but I’ve never seen the western/sci-fi blend work well in live action. ---
**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:** [January 3, 2004, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/76 "2004-01-03T08:12:16Z")
I’m a huge Buffy fan. I think _Firefly_ had the potential to be better. No joke. That’s the only downside that I can see: There’s only 14 episodes of the thing. It’s _possible_ it would have started to suck. It’s _possible_ it wouldn’t have lived up to its potential. It’s _possible_ that by the middle of season two we would have all been _begging_ for the thing to be cancelled. But it’s also possible that _Firefly_ would have turned out to be not just the very best fantasy/SF series ever to air on television, but one of the five best television series _of any kind._ It’s that good. The 14 episodes of _Firefly_ are just as good and fire on just as many cylinders as the very best stretch of 14 straight Buffy episodes (which, for me, is the second half of season two, but which for you may vary). Heck, _Firefly_ might even be better. If you’re absolutely that worried about opening them, then find somebody you can borrow from, and just watch the pilot, “Serenity.” That’s all I ask. Heck, if you weren’t in Texas, if you were here in Seattle, I’d drive to your house right now and put my set in your hand. Can you tell I feel strongly about this? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Santos\_L\_Halper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/santos_l_halper/32/1_2.png) [@Santos\_L\_Halper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santos_L_Halper)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2004, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/77 "2004-01-03T08:31:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Number Six \* > \*\*I’ve never seen the western/sci-fi blend work well in live action. \*\* And it sounds like you’re trying really hard to keep it that way. 🙂 Well, it’s up to you. There are dozens of not just positive but _raving, enthusiastically positive reviews_ right here in this thread. On Amazon it’s had 371 reviews and averages 5 stars - that’s more reviews and a better average than all but one season of _Buffy_). That’s certainly not a guarantee that you’ll love it, but I think the odds are pretty good that you will. **Miller** offered to buy it from you if you don’t like it. If he was kidding, I’m not. If you watch _Out of Gas_ and _War Stories_ and don’t like the show, I’ll buy the set from you for what you paid. I was planning on picking up another copy or two to pass on to friends. Eric ---
**Author:** ![A\_wizard\_song\_for\_thee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/46a35a/32.png) [@A\_wizard\_song\_for\_thee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_wizard_song_for_thee)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2004, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/78 "2004-01-03T09:16:39Z")
Yeah, for real, **Number Six** , have you not read any reviews of this show? I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who has watched this show for more than _The Train Job_, which, I’ll admit, wasn’t the greatest debut, who didn’t adore it. And the aforementioned episode has some great stuff in the end… ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2004, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/79 "2004-01-03T11:50:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Number Six \* > \*\*I love _Cowboy Bebop_, but I’ve never seen the western/sci-fi blend work well in live action. \*\* Just out of curiosity, what are some “failed” western/sci-fi blend you are thinking about, and why did they not work? I thought the “blend” worked very well in Firefly. It does require some suspension of disbelief though. It’s not a hard-core science fiction in any way - it doesn’t even make a distinction between interstellar and interplanetary travel. It’s the classic space opera universe where a ship can take you to the next inhabited planet in time for the next week’s installment. There are plenty of technological inconsistencies that can be criticized. But the stories, characters and dialogues are so good that I’m perfectly willing to overlook such faults. By the way, anyone else think the theme song is the best of any TV series? I’ve watched the whole DVD set now, and I never felt the slightest urge to fast forward through the opening credits. ---
**Author:** ![Scorpio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Scorpio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scorpio)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2004, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341/80 "2004-01-03T11:50:38Z")
And plus, won’t Mrs Six be offended if you don’t even give it a try? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-the-land-and-boil-the-sea-r-i-p-firefly/220341.md?page=5)