# Firefly-Objects in Space **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 14, 2002, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-objects-in-space/142658 "2002-12-14T01:23:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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 14, 2002, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-objects-in-space/142658/1 "2002-12-14T01:23:36Z")
I thought that was going to suck right up till the end, but man it was good! Especially _because_ I find River so annoying. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-objects-in-space/142658/2 "2002-12-14T01:27:04Z")
yeah, the first half actually kind of sucked, but then it got weird. cool ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-objects-in-space/142658/3 "2002-12-14T02:19:48Z")
I’ve always thought Richard Brooks is a very good, very talented actor, but tonight he sent chills up my spine. Not the good chills. I thought it was funny that the wimpy doctor tries to beat up the bounty hunter, while tough Jayne is sawing logs. The scene of him ripping off the cover and showing off all of those weapons while still asleep was pretty funny as well. ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-objects-in-space/142658/4 "2002-12-14T02:29:27Z")
Very good. And quite appropriate for the last episode (besides the delayed pilot). It gave some degree of closure, since River was more coherent at the end than she’s ever been, and it also gives the fate of all of us, floating out in the airless nothing that is television, just like Jubal Early. I think we can also safely say what Book’s former career was, as well. He was a bounty hunter, and probably well-respected from the Feds’ reaction. I’m very glad they didn’t actually have River become the ship, taht would’ve sucked. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-objects-in-space/142658/5 "2002-12-14T02:39:44Z")
I couldn’t believe they would have River become a part of the ship. When it was first explained the only thing I could think about was Grampa the Love Tester. Very good episode, I thought. I love all the twists they play on cliches. It keeps things fresh. It took me awhile to realize the bounty hunter was L&O’s DA, he seemed so different all buffed up like that. Sigh…how many new episodes do we have left to enjoy? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-objects-in-space/142658/6 "2002-12-14T02:42:12Z")
I’m going to miss River. Not just because she’s a cutie. But, her off the wall actions and replies are so much like my family and almost every female I’ve ever been serious with. Anyone find out why, Why, WHY FOX showed it all out sequence? That’s juat so bizzarro world. WHY? [sniffles] Goodbye _Firefly_. I’m gonna miss ya… [/sniffles] Feeling like Jubal Early… Over and Out. ---
**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 14, 2002, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-objects-in-space/142658/7 "2002-12-14T02:44:57Z")
Jubal Early was a Confederate general in the US Civil War. [http://www.civilwarhome.com/earlysharpsburg.htm](http://www.civilwarhome.com/earlysharpsburg.htm) “Stagecoach”, the Western that inspired Firefly concerns expatriate Confederates. ---
**Author:** ![Wearia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Wearia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wearia)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-objects-in-space/142658/8 "2002-12-14T04:22:48Z")
Not as good as the last episode but it was quality all the same. My first thought when River started talking was that she had wandered onto the Bounty Hunter ship. As she kept talking it seemed less likely and I was a little annoyed at the notion of her becoming the ship. The guy who played to bounty hunter was great. Very scary, you could tell all the time alone in space had gotten to him. Once again we had some good one liners like “Well, thats unsettling.” I’m very sorry to see this show go. ---
**Author:** ![moonchilde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3e96dc/32.png) [@moonchilde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moonchilde)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-objects-in-space/142658/9 "2002-12-14T05:09:03Z")
I think this was my favorite of all the episodes. There were wonderful moments in all of them, but this one had a side of squemish to it. Never could tell which way they’d go. The acting was good, the writing was great. My favorite line (tho I must admit it was pushing it abit) “That’s so Science Fiction.” “Honey, we live in a space ship.” Thank you Joss. I done had no problems with you, just them there a-holes from that fox place, consarn it! ---
**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:** [December 14, 2002, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-objects-in-space/142658/10 "2002-12-14T05:24:33Z")
Dammit, dammit, dammit, I don’t want this show to die. Well, while I may be foolishly optimistic, I read somewhere that Fox has given Whedon and Minnear permission to shop the show around to other networks, so I’m hoping they put it on after Buffy. Wouldn’t _that_ rule, even if it would be quite a gear shift at nine o’clock on Tuesdays… ---
**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 14, 2002, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-objects-in-space/142658/11 "2002-12-14T05:25:06Z")
“Well… Here I am…” ---
**Author:** ![Survey1215](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Survey1215](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Survey1215)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-objects-in-space/142658/12 "2002-12-14T06:55:29Z")
That’s the last one? Crap. I really like the show, and this past episode (even w the cutsie grammar that made my ears bleed) was great. I wonder if they’ll replace this with back to back episodes of “Don’t Go There.” ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-objects-in-space/142658/13 "2002-12-14T16:23:34Z")
My favorite line: “Yeah, and if wishes were horses, we’d all be eatin’ steak!” ---
**Author:** ![emarkp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3be4f8/32.png) [@emarkp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emarkp)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-objects-in-space/142658/14 "2002-12-14T19:05:53Z")
That’s not the last one. After the pilot, they’re going to air a few more episodes, they’re just not going to order new ones. I think there will be 2-4 eps after the pilot and whatever “hiatus” they have. ---
**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 14, 2002, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-objects-in-space/142658/15 "2002-12-14T19:12:09Z")
They are finishing the last of the “fifteen episode order”. [http://www.fanscape.net/firefly/](http://www.fanscape.net/firefly/) Click on UPDATES HERE ---
**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 14, 2002, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-objects-in-space/142658/16 "2002-12-14T21:32:29Z")
They are finishing them primarily because FOX ordered and paid for them. There is no commitment from Fox to air them, and no spot on the schedule for them. They might get aired at some point. Perhaps FOX will rerun the whole 15 episodes in the correct order during the summer or something. Or maybe they’ll sneak those last three episodes into the schedule somewhere. Or perhaps they’ll just go on the shelf, never to be seen. Although I’ll bet if that happens they manage to sneak their way onto the net somehow. Here’s hoping UPN picks up the series. ---
**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 14, 2002, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-objects-in-space/142658/17 "2002-12-14T23:33:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Menocchio \* > \*\* > I think we can also safely say what Book’s former career was, as well. He was a bounty hunter, \*\* What makes you think that? ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-objects-in-space/142658/18 "2002-12-15T00:11:51Z")
Yeah, I got much more of a Cadfael vibe off of Book–former soldier who’d tired of a lifetime of violence and pillaging and took Holy Orders while middle-aged. He has some sort of status in the Alliance, remember them treating him at the hospital in the space station? ---
**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 15, 2002, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-objects-in-space/142658/19 "2002-12-15T00:17:26Z")
Book is/was clearly a man of some major importance in the alliance. And in a positive way. When the Alliance officer looked at his ID card when he was injured, the guy’s eyes opened wide, and he said, “Get this man treatment - immediately!”. And after he was healed, they were all allowed to leave. I don’t think just a bounty hunter would warrant that kind of reaction. Book is either a spy, or some kind of royalty, or a hero of the Alliance, or something like that. My guess is that he’s a ‘blue hand’ who found religion and decided what he was doing was evil, and left. Or perhaps he is travelling undercover, and is actually someone keeping tabs on River. ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-objects-in-space/142658/20 "2002-12-15T01:16:21Z")
My take that Book is a bounty hunter has to do with how Early reacted to him. I think he knew him. Also, when River was tripping out during the opening sequence, he said (in her vision)“I don’t care if you’re guilty or not!” A very bounty-huntery statement. So, either a bounty hunter, or some kind of Marshall, or possibly an elite soldier. I doubt he’s an ex-blue hand (that would be too neat), or sent to spy on the crew (the blue hands want River back NOW, and he wouldn’ve struck before if he was with them). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-objects-in-space/142658.md?page=2)