Serenity | Canadians First Time Watching | Movie Reaction | Movie Review | Movie Commentary

[@mj_SR22]

Who is here after watching their KZbin compilation of watching Firefly ?

[@shirleydurr411]

I delayed watching until all of it was on KZbin.

[@chrisgorman1652]

yes, though a re-watch. Thought I wasn't going to see their TV series reaction.

[@jeffkoenig7402]

I watched this a while ago when the series wasn't on YT, then watched the series and now watching Serenity gain lol

[@alexwestfall1640]

You always have to finish Firefly with Serenity, no matter what way you're watching.

[@kurathchibicrystalkitty5146]

Me, too!

[@MrUndersolo]

Met Summer Glau at a ComicCon. She signed my DVD set of "Firefly" and added, "I swallowed a fly." Nice.

[@JayStar-yj9pu]

Funny, just two minutes ago I thought of an old landlord who told me how she met Nathan Fillion at a Con and of how charming and personable he was

[@DudeLongcouch]

The line is "I swallowed a bug," Summer Glau is a fucking casual :p

[@Random-qo6br]

The code phrase Symon saind to Summer "Eto kuram na smekh" is actually in russian. It means something like "It's for the chikens to laugh" and is a set expression, meaning the ridiculousness of someone's speech or action or plan. If someone does or says something stupid, or proposes some stupid plan of action (any action, from politics to refurnishing), people in Russia might say "Eto kuram na smekh".

[@CarnageO31]

I honestly love that the Operative is self aware enough to know he won't be able to live in the world he thinks he's creating because he's a monster.

[@G1NZOU]

Yeah it makes him a truly interesting villain.

[@Jay-ate-a-bug]

This series was the first time I had ever seen Chiwetel Ejiofor and I thought he was amazing as the Operative. He makes a particularly ruthless villain and I can't wait to see him as Baron Mordo in a future Dr. Strange Movie.

[@Aeroldoth3]

We all strive to shape the world into what we want, but some do so knowing they will never get to see that world. Maybe they're a soldier fighting for a cause they won't live to enjoy. Maybe they're an activist/rebel only planting the seeds for a future that needs centuries to bloom. Maybe they're old or sick or a discriminated minority, and they know they'll never get to enjoy the bright future they hope for. It could be argued that fighting for a world you know you won't even get to enjoy is even more sad/poignant than usual, as you sacrifice your whole life for others.

[@Jay-ate-a-bug]

@@Aeroldoth3 Either that or it is a justification for doing horrible things because you enjoy doing horrible things. It is possible to believe in a cause and convince yourself it is right and just while enjoying the horror you inflict; it is justified after all.

[@captin3149]

@@Jay-ate-a-bug Yeah, but there are truly good people that do horrible things because if they don't, then other horrible things will happen to other people. There are as many circumstances as there are people and points of view. Not everything is black and white, in fact most things aren't.

[@MST3K56]

Since I'm posting this 2+ years after the review, George probably won't see it, but since he asked... Fox, in one final middle finger to the show refused to allow NBC Universal (who financed the movie) to use the word Firefly anywhere in the title. Episodes shown out of order, episodes cut, Pilot episode shown 11th, Friday night death slot, and cancelled halfway through the season. Fox did everything they could to screw Firefly.

[@CoryBlissitte]

Need to feed whoever signed off on all that shit into the Fox Executive Powder machine.

[@ThePharaz]

Universal didn't finance the movie. Around $35 million was raised by fans. Universal agreed to distribute and advertise "poorly" the movie.

[@Tinfoilnation]

Wash was killed (and Book) specifically to get the reaction you both had to his death: You were immediately concerned about all the other characters because now *no one has plot armor* any more and anyone could be next... and it worked.

[@jsalvatori]

And also because it was originally planed to have a sequel, and anyone who couldn't commit to the sequel before filming was written out.

[@claudiadarling9441]

Right. It makes the happy ending feel earned and not guaranteed, like life.

[@brucebieberly4166]

And you had Jayne asking Mal earlier that aside from Zoe, how many men in his platoon survived the Battle of Serenity. Potential foreshadowing.

[@Citizero]

@@jsalvatori There shoulda been a sequel.

[@hiTocopter]

@@jsalvatori It was absolutely not part of the plan to create a sequel. The rumors of a sequel came AFTER filming Serenity had finished - way later than the script was written, that is. And it was more of a fan request than anything planned by studios or Whedon.

[@endorphinzz]

Mal's first line of dialogue in the movie: "What was that?" Mal's last line of dialogue in the movie: "What was that?"

[@otakuwolf4ever985]

"Target the Reavers. Target the Reavers! Target everyone! SOMEBODY FIRE!!" Man I just love watching the calm, confident antagonists just lose their cool.

[@TheRagingwerepanda]

Me too! Has Count Rugen vibes.

[@UTU49]

There are so many brilliant moments in this movie. "Mal? Guy killed me, Mal. Guy killed me with a sword. How weird is that?" You hear his dying words spoken in another's voice, while looking in his dead eyes. Really creative story-telling.

[@Thundarr100]

Yeah. The Operative totally forgot that he had given orders to only fire on his command. Then he panics and tells everyone to target the reavers, but forgets to tell them to fire.

[@lordsathariel4384]

@@Thundarr100 plus you have to think the operative is the most qualifed there and he sh'ts himself when the reaver dreadnaught and fleet come out of the cloud so how do you think the officers who are taught from the age of 5 that reavers don't exist felt seeing childhood boogeymen of the outervoid show up to kill them the alliance conditioned their own men to believe the greatest threat to known space was a made up monster ferie tale like they set it up so their sheild would panic when it met the sword brilliant planners in the alliance lol

[@GormSim]

"If I start fighting a war, I guarantee you'll see something new." Possibly my favorite line in the movie - leading to us seeing what Mal is like when he starts to fight a war.

[@MandoWookie]

And if you've watched the show, not at all like he fought his last war. This time he has no illusions about a righteous cause meaning they cant lose, only to do what has to be done to complete the task. He actually mirrors the Operatives thinking, and drive.

[@Tampahop]

Between that and his actions after Shepard Book was killed, it shows Mal is down right dangerous when he's mad.

[@questionablehumor2800]

a nice callback to ep10 "War Stories", "you wanna meet the real me!?!"

[@brycephiilips2716]

@@questionablehumor2800 You don't want to meet the real Alex Tulley either. Nathan played an interesting character on a different show on Fox, that also got cancelled after 1 season. if you can find it, check out Drive.

[@SupergeekMikeDowntime]

Fun fact: Chiwetel Ejiofor was about 24 years old when he played the villain of this movie. Absolutely remarkable performance from someone so young.

[@Madbandit77]

He was around 27-28. Serenity came out in 2005, and Chiwetel was born in 1977.

[@CaptLoquaLacon]

He was in Amistad in 97 (so about 20 years old when it was released). That was an excellent performance too, but he doesn't look that young

[@ericc8705]

This movie was one of the first movies that I *really* noticed his performances and knew his name... And *very* shortly after seeing him in this... I watched the film version of KINKY BOOTS

[@deanroddey2881]

@@ericc8705 I first saw him in the Woodey Allen movie "Melinda and Melinda", which is very good and in which he we very good as well. That must have been what he did directly before Serenity since it was 2004.

[@SupergeekMikeDowntime]

@@Madbandit77 When it came out, not when they filmed it. He would’ve been around 24-26 when filming.

[@twohorsesinamancostume7606]

The Operative is the type of villian that I absolutely love to watch. Driven, dangerous, confident but you can understand their motives and see how they got to where they are. Not some mustache twirling badguy who's being bad for the sake of it and in fact once the Operative sees the truth, he drops his cause because he's capable of thinking logically.

[@scorp77snake]

I wouldn't even consider him the villain , he's just an operative that's never given all the facts just what he's probably been fed all his life and believes what he's doing is right its not till he see's the truth he relents.

[@jculver1674]

He's like the living embodiment of blind allegiance to the State. Every totalitarian regime has had people like him in their service.

[@lordmortarius538]

@@jculver1674 And that was what Book was before he decided he couldn't do that type of work anymore and became a Shepherd. Hence why he has the insanely high Alliance clearance and such.

[@Daelyas]

@@lordmortarius538 probly also because he was getting older as well, no? But yes - fully agreed

[@CyberBeep_kenshi]

The calmmess and politeness makes it sooo much better:)

[@evilscary]

My favourite fact about this movie is River's theme was played on a piano with water damage. That's why it's such a strange, slightly-off key sound, and intended to illustrate that something that's been damaged can still be beautiful.

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

That whole soundtrack is just excellent. I get goosebumps every time I hear the opening Serenity planetfall theme.

[@tareskisloki8579]

That opening long-take through the ship was meant to be a crash course in who's who, what they do and their relationship with each other for people that hadn't watched Firefly. I honestly never get sick of watching this movie.

[@Yggdrasil42]

It did its job. I watched the film before discovering the show.

[@iAmEbolaWoT]

@@Yggdrasil42 Same here. As soon as I saw like the first 5 min of the movie, I commented to my oldest son that there had to be more because the actors were so in sync with each other and they really sold the characters. I think it was like a year or more when I met a gal and she asked me if I'd ever seen Firefly. I was like...no. Then she started to describe the plotline; I told her I saw a movie that followed the description. That, my friends, was my start into the 'verse and when I became a Browncoat. :) She had me watch all of the Firefly series. Fell in love with it. Re-watched Serenity and absolutely fell in love with it all over again.

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

@@iAmEbolaWoT I love that story

[@brycephiilips2716]

@@jean-paulaudette9246 I've heard a few others that had the same experience. Serenity works well on it's own, but boy, when you discover Firefly, wow!!

[@rayjaymor8754]

@@iAmEbolaWoT Back in 2005 a girl I was dating constantly tried to convince me to watch Firefly - but the way she described it just never quite sold me on it. We were in the cinemas to watch a movie, we saw the trailer for Serenity and I was sitting there thinking "wow, this looks cool!" and meanwhile she was wide eyed and just very quickly said "oh my god they've made a Firefly movie!?!?" So after that we tracked down the series on DVD (had to order it in) and spent the following weekend binging it. As a side note I'm now married to that girl.

[@darkhawk4863]

Sean Maher (Simon) kills me *every* time with that bit when he's apologizing to River near the end. Even just watching a reaction like this, he *still* gets to me. On the commentary, they mention that they had to shoot that a lot of times, because he kept making Summer (River) cry too hard during the takes. SO much emotion in that scene.

[@jimbatten1927]

One of the overlooked parts of that scene is how dark everything was while he was apologizing followed by the light shining in River as she said "my turn." It showed River finally coming out of the darkness that has been controlling her.

[@Warlock_UK]

"Where's Wash?" "He ain't comin'." Gets me every time. 17 years later, still gets me.

[@daddynitro199]

Same. Hurts my heart more than a reaver’s javelin.

[@Warlock_UK]

@@daddynitro199 "How does a reaver clean their Javelins? They put them through the Wash." ...too soon.

[@UTU49]

@@Warlock_UK Many years from now, when I'm 80 years old, I am going to make that joke with another fan of Firefly and Serenity... and then I'm going to say, "Too soon?" I'm really looking forward to making that joke.

[@MemphisJagsfan]

@@Warlock_UK you know why Mal hasn't taken Serenity on a job in so long? Because it needs a gorram WASH!

[@NathanJasper]

I love Summer Glau so much. She shines in both Firefly and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

[@jmwild1]

She was great on Dollhouse and Arrow also, smaller parts but memorable.

[@ChrisMcNeese]

I loved The Sarah Connor Chronicles

[@TomGallagherSuperboyBeyond]

@@ChrisMcNeese me too. Best Terminator outside of the first 2 movies.

[@CyberBeep_kenshi]

She's one of the most beautiful women i ve ever seen.... Series She's in tend to get cancelled, but it sure isn't her fault!

[@deanroddey2881]

@@CyberBeep_kenshi She's gorgeous, and makes this move that much easier a choice for rewatching.

[@raydurz]

Nathan Fillion: "How do Reavers clean their spears? They run them through the wash." Too soon?

[@Dacre1000]

Too funny.

[@adaddinsane]

It will always be too soon.

[@SirPaladin]

@@adaddinsane it's been SEVENTEEN YEARS...

[@aaronburdon221]

@@SirPaladin Still too soon. :(*****

[@larrystuder8543]

WAY too soon...😉

[@reflectionist]

21:36 - There's a take of this scene from the blooper / outtakes reel, with Nathan Fillion improvising his dialogue, and it's the funniest shit I have ever heard in my life. Mal - "Get these bodies together!" Zoe - "We have time for grave diggin'?" Mal - "Zoe, you and Simon are going to rope them together, five or six at a time. I want them laid out on the nose of our ship--" Simon - "Are you insane?" Mal - "Put Book front and center, he's our friend and we should honor him. Kaylee, find that kid who was taking a dirt nap with baby Jesus, we need a hood ornament. Jayne! Try not to steal too much of their shit!" kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIGwl3iGhbiZnrM

[@daddynitro199]

My favorite outtake from that was “TRAP!”

[@jeffkoenig7402]

@@daddynitro199 "raver reading parties" :D

[@vwlssnvwls3262]

The operative was one of my favorite things about this movie. His line delivery and demeanor are just amazing. Movies are always more fun when you can love and hate the villain like this guy.

[@Mugthraka]

A good story and good protagonist can only exist when there's a good Antagonist

[@FallenRingbearer]

He just a great actor, simple as that.

[@Aeroldoth3]

Nobody is pure good, and nobody is pure evil. I dislike all stories, espcially children's stories, that present people in such black and white perspectives. The world is shades of grey, and IMO it's people who do see things as black and white that cause the most damage, the most violence, the most oppression, because they "know" they are right, and those people are "bad".

[@valaport]

It is only my head canon, but I believe that seeing that recording gave the Operatice his Shepherd moment. The moment his eyes were opened and he had to walk a different path. He did some evil things, but I like to think that someday he'll build a life with people that will love him like Shep did.

[@vwlssnvwls3262]

@@valaport Yeah, I kind of see that too. I don't think Shepard was an operative like this guy, but I bet he was a high ranking official who finally got fed up with all the evil he saw. Probably left the military on good terms, which is why in the t.v. show they were so quick to help when he needed medical attention.

[@MrGBH]

According to the commentary, the Operative was difficult to write until he'd written the sword scene. Him speaking kind words to the guy he was killing just made it all click

[@ScarredCitizen]

My girlfriend and I loved this soundtrack so much, parts played during our wedding. 10 years ago this month!!!

[@jimwoodman8158]

"I swallowed a bug" is one of my favorite lines from any movie I've seen.

[@BubbaCoop]

The opening is genius. Four nested intros before the title sequence. Full exposition download.

[@MandoWookie]

That intro blew my mind when I first saw it. We had rented the movie as part of a double feature for family night, and never seen the show. By the time the Serenity came on screen I was already invested into this world. Never before or since has a film grabbed my attention and held it like that.

[@CyberBeep_kenshi]

Inception eat your heart out ;)

[@conorpm9009]

Something that can go horribly wrong if handled poorly.

[@christopherbowers7236]

i never even noticed that before, but its true. 3 seperate switches of perspective, narration, into classroom, into simons breakout, into the operative replaying the breakout

[@Trepanation21]

OMG 12:40 "Summer Soldier" THIS GUY LOL freaking perfect, George!

[@Cameron5043]

That was genius!

[@logandarklighter]

@@Cameron5043 This IS the same man who - when seeing the Hairy Man-Monster fully revealed after it had grabbed Gracie Law in Big Trouble in Little China - just deadpanned without batting an eye - "Wow... Chewie really let himself go!" 🤣🤣🤣

[@Dularr]

Shepard Book backstory was told in three comic book flashback stories while he was dying. Hands of blue was finished in a comic book

[@Tomani3905]

Great comic series, too. "My guess is that he used to be an Operative..." doesn't even begin to cover Shepherd Derrial Book/Henry Evans' backstory!

[@Dularr]

@@Tomani3905 he didn't seem horrified by violence and crime. Had credentials and pull with the Alliance. But was never offended or dismissive of independence crew.

[@Vigilluminatus]

@@Tomani3905 He SHOULD have been a former Operative in my opinion. Would have added even more gravity to his death if he had fought the new operative right at the end - the reformed killer who sought to protect versus his fanatic successor. But oh well ...

[@MisterTorgo]

I love that opening shot, reintroducing all the characters on board: Mal, Wash, Zoe, Jane, Kalee, Simon, River but just as importantly Serenity.

[@Helbore]

That's such a fantastic scene, as it effortlessly outlines each individual character in only a line or two. Brilliant writing.

[@sbsummit]

Great reaction! I'd forgotten how good this movie was! The reason they didn't (or couldn't) have Firefly in the title, was because this was produced by Universal, which was a rival studio to Firefly's 20th Century Fox at the time. This even meant that the entire Serenity set which had been destroyed by Fox after the series finished, had to be completely rebuilt from scratch for the movie using frozen images from the Firefly DVD set. They did a damn good job!

[@freeheeler00]

The loss of Wash set the tone that nobody was off limits. It gave it all more of a sense of desperation at the very end.

[@RonJomero]

"I wanna see some reavers." - George Monkey's Paw finger curls. But yeah, Simone shouldn't be surprised at how it played out for some of the characters. She loves Joss Whedon shows, so she should know he has a HUUUUGE fetish for offing main characters in the final seasons.

[@Trepanation21]

Dude, the Monkey's Paw finger curled like 37 times in their commentary lmao! I love how George edited it to make sure their unsure questions with big implications (that we all already know) were showcased, lol. "I hope we get to see more reavers", "that'd suck if everybody died", etc lmao

[@GuardianOwl]

In that same vein, one of Mal's wishes at the Companion House _was_ for a plastic rocket...

[@GuardianOwl]

...and I suppose the "pony" could be the Reaverized Serenity which Mal rides atop to provoke the Reavers. They gained the cannon mount (saddle) and corpse cover because *Haven* was wiped out. So both wishes were fulfilled by causing the death of friends.

[@aaronburdon221]

"Oh god, I can't know that." Jeyne: "I could stand to hear a little more" lol I'm with Jeyne.

[@hanswurst2189]

Jayne is a girl's name

[@JoeMama410]

I saw this in theaters without having seen the show and I loved it. Then I found the show and immediately bought the DVDs

[@marcbloom7462]

I did the same and the Friends that brought me to the theatre asked how I liked the film. I just said "Again, again"

[@FallenRingbearer]

Same.

[@willmartin7293]

Hey! That's my comment.👍😁

[@UTU49]

What was it like to watch Serenity for the first time after watching Firefly?

[@JoeMama410]

@@UTU49 It made a lot more sense and the deaths were much more impactful.

[@BKPrice]

"That makes sense. She knows everything, she's intuitive..." She WAS the ship one time.

[@kampfkeks6619]

When this was shown in the cinemas people freaked out because he really wanted you to feel that they are the underdog and could die. He also wanted you to feel like the characters who have no time to mourn their friends. This movie ripped my heart out. It's not as good as the show but it's a miracle it even exists.

[@SaulOhio]

Mal pulling out a screwdriver against the Operative's sword also works with that underdog theme. Like from the very first episode of the show. Zoe says Patience still has the advantage over them. Mal replies thats what makes them so special. Everyone always does.

[@roguemerlin1969]

Sometimes you guys don't pay enough attention to the dialog. In their first visit to the Preacher, he told Mal he should trust the leaf, with his dying words he said almost the same thing. Wash when he is crash landing, I am the leaf watch me soar.

[@brittroberds5500]

I went to a con and the fans were throwing a “wake” for “Wash.” Alan Tudyk showed up for a moment. Lol

[@JuryRigged]

You kept in Fanty and Mingo! My second favorite scene from the movie (first is the Operative going from cocky to 'Oh... I'm screwed' when the Reavers arrive). I absolutely love the look of 'well, he's right' that Fanty gives.

[@andscifi]

One of my favorite moments in anything is when Mal says that eventually they'll come back around to the idea that they can make people better, and then without a word he looks at River and seems to realize that they've already done it. Another fantastic and subtle moment is when the operative says there are a lot of innocent people dying right now and Mal says, more than you know. Because of course, as much as the reavers are monsters they are also in many ways innocent.

[@Mortisg187]

I saw the movie first and then found out there was a show. I was CRUSHED that the show was canceled after just a few episodes. I also got to meet Summer Glau in person! She's awesome!

[@cv8167]

Yeah, the show got sabotaged horribly by Fox. They kept playing the epsiodes out of order, and putting the show on so late at night that most people didn't even know it existed.

[@ahmedjacuzzi5494]

I was fortunate enough to be on set when they shot the Reaver episode as I was on a crew wrapping a shoot on the same sound stage. At the time I had no idea what the show was about, but there was Mal, Jane and Zoe in their spacesuits and Joss setting up the shot. Cool experience.

[@callmeshaggy5166]

Summer Glau is a professional dancer, so that's why her choreography is so good

[@scotthewitt258]

They often find a way for her to dance in shows. Even when she was a Terminator, she went undercover in a ballet studio.

[@reverance_pavane]

It was revealed many years later that Universal wanted the actors to sign contracts for two potential sequels. Ron (because of his illness) and Alan (because of other contractual commitments at the time) couldn't do so, which gave added motivation for effectively writing them out of the show. Although Joss did use this need to his best advantage. After all if he was willing to just kill of Wash it meant that none of the crew's survival could be assured. Sadly the movie didn't do well enough in it's theatrical release for a sequel to get green-lighted. I do so like that Zoe got to finally wear the slinky dress that Wash almost certainly bought for her. Although not so much for the circumstances in which she did.

[@Niinsa62]

Yes, I noticed too, the slinky dress they talked about in Shindig! So sad.

[@SquigglyP]

There are a few comic trades that Joss wrote that take place between the show and the film and shortly after the film. One of them explains why Book left, and it's likely something that would have happened in the show as well. I think there are a few novels set after the film that try to add more to the story, but I've never read them as I've never been impressed by other writers' abilities to write already established characters. I tried to read a few Star Trek novels and other books based on various other sci-fi series and shows, and I found them all lackluster.

[@SaulOhio]

I immediately knew that Zoe was wearing that slinky dress to honor him, for that exact reason.

[@SaulOhio]

@@Caseytify In what tradition is a slinky dress?

[@pestergaines]

@@SaulOhio every tradition needs to include a slinky dress. Otherwise, what's the point?

[@nonymoose7170]

I originally saw Serenity first and didn't even know about the show until I saw the DVD extras. Still, one of my all time favourite TV shows. It ages surprisingly well. I'm happy when anybody discovers this masterpiece of a franchise.

[@garyjohnson806]

I watched this without realising there was a series and it stands up as a great film in its own right. Enjoyed your reactions.

[@BenjaminFlagg_GameDesigner]

Wash's death will always be one of my absolute favorite (but depressing) fictional character death's ever. I hate using this phrase, but it actually does subvert expectations in a meaningful way. It's set up to catch you off guard: We already witnessed the "standard" cinematic on-screen death...that being Book. He gets the normal, cinematic, wonderfully-acted dramatic death. And that makes us feel safe. Wash's death, then, is brutal and painful and upsetting...how death REALLY is. No dramatic speech. No uplifting, motivating dialogue. Just sudden shock and he's gone. I hate it. And that's why I love it. But I will NEVER be over it lol.

[@hiTocopter]

It's also necessary in regards to stakes. If everyone on Serenity has plot armor, the fight sequence in the hallway will have no stakes at all - we all know everyone is going to live. With Wash dying just beforehand means we are left with uncertainty and at the edges of our seat each time a character gets injured or when River gets pulled away behind the door. It's great filmmaking. Since this IS definitely the finale of the cinematic world and Wash will never return again anyway, it does not make sense to give him plot armor. "To live happily ever after" was never part of Serenity's/Firefly's charm or premise. It is and always was "we're barely hanging on, but doing it our way".

[@MemphisJagsfan]

Always loved the meme during the Walking Dead prime of asking Carl... - You know why Mal hasn't taken Serenity on a job in so long? - Because it needs a wash. It needs a gorram WASH!

[@AbolitionistPrivateer]

Missed the MOST important speech in the entire movie: "A year from now, ten, they'll swing back to the belief that they can make people... better. And I do not hold to that." This is real, and important.

[@maisiesummers42]

That long single-take with Mal moving through the ship was actually two takes stitched together. This is because they had to rebuild the Serenity set for the film, and it was built over two sound stages. The break between the two shots comes during the whip-pan as Mal and Simon are going down the stairs. The camera is on Mal, then whip-pans to Simon. The whip-pan hides the cut as they moved from one set to the other. Timewise, the movie takes place about six months after Objects In Space. You can see how River is much more active and accepted by the crew in the beginning. That's cause they all got to know each other better. There's a comic called The Shepherd's Tale which shows that yes, Book was indeed an Operative. Summer Glau is trained in ballet, as well as other forms of dance, so they integrated that ability into her fighting. Go back and watch how she fights - she's basically dancing the whole time.

[@PrinceofArfon]

I finally can watch this reaction, since you posted the show reactions. I think the part of the movie that hits me the most, apart from Wash's death, is when Simon tries to apologize to River for being about to die, and she says, "You've always taken care of me. My turn." The lighting, the music, Summer's change in voice and posture...chills every time.

[@FiddlersGreen667]

Quick note: shooting someone in the head off of a quick draw is a LOT harder than you would think (or movies and tv show portray). At that speed and range, center of mass is the only sure shot. And if body armor was not involved would likely be lethal.

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

I kinda suspect, at least in our current times, that even being shot square in the body armor isn't a guarantee of survival. It just helps your chances.

[@conorpm9009]

ABsolutely. Any trained soldier knows to go for the centre of mass, the biggest target.

[@brycephiilips2716]

A fact that has kept the Punisher alive through impossible odds. In the comics he has body armor, but has never been shot in the head somehow.lol.

[@conorpm9009]

@@brycephiilips2716 Punisher has also mentioned that the White skull motif on his body armor is there to draw fire to that area. That people instinctively go for the image.

[@Noisemarine]

Serenity had the tone that Joss Whedon wanted for the show particularly with Mal being so grumpy, the more lighthearted feel of the show was the result of notes from focus groups and studio execs want more of a fun Buffyesque show. As a side note there was a graphic novel that kind of filled in what happened between firefly and serenity where they pull another bank job which let them buy the hover mule and pissed off Book which led to him leaving the ship. Serenity is set 6months to a year after the end of firefly.

[@somthingbrutal]

Summer Glau also does a great job in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

Yeah, that's an excellent show. I only saw the first season. How long did it run?

[@khaleelurrahman248]

@@jean-paulaudette9246 2 seasons with 31 episodes in total. 9 in the 1st and 22 in the 2nd.

[@scotthewitt258]

Another show that got hit by The Fox 🦊 Curse.

[@scotthewitt258]

​@@jean-paulaudette9246Two seasons. And of course, ended with a baller cliffhanger.

[@primmoore6232]

2:48 - proof of Summer's agility!

[@oldnumber5866]

Alan Tudyk (Wash) was doing an appearance at Comic-Con and signed a picture for a fan “I’m a leaf on the wind”. He stated the fan then burst into tears.

[@kblixt]

Serenity takes place approximately six months after the last episode

[@Scott_Forsell]

One of my favorite lines ever is River's "I swallowed a bug."

[@herbertkeithmiller]

27:00 I'm a leaf on the wind watch how I soar. George and Simone laughing. Me 😭😭😭😭😭

[@Gort-Marvin0Martian]

In 1956 the film, "Forbidden Planet" came out. It set the stage for every TV series (including Star Trek) and film science fiction space movies. There are several occurrences in the scenes on Miranda of, "C57D" on the side of a crashed shuttle of sorts. That is an homage given to Forbidden Planet.

[@BEBruns]

Miranda is a subtle reference also. Miranda is a character in Shakespeare's The Tempest which Forbidden Planet is loosely based on. Serenity is essentially an inversion of Forbidden Planet. In that movie, a civilization was destroyed by "monsters from the id." In Serenity, it is the destruction of the id (the primal life force) that killed them.

[@Gort-Marvin0Martian]

@@BEBruns Another interesting thing is that you see all those Earthly animals on Altair 4 but they weren't real either. Yet more id. Now that's in the after the film novel which was written to finish it out. It was written by W.J. Stuart and is available here and there. Very expensive now.

[@GruffyddFO4]

I've rarely seen such a truly heartfelt look of shock and horror as I saw on Simone's face after "I am a leaf on the wind. See how I -". When I saw this in the theater, we figured it was basically a series finale for a Whedon show... and we all knew what happens in series finales for Whedon shows when it comes to major characters. Like you, we honestly thought that the majority of the characters were getting killed so that Mal could finish the quest.

[@sheldorleconcher8870]

I was at a Con shortly after the movie release and this young fellow won a costume contest as an impaled Wash (nailed the clothes). Got a big groan followed by splitting laughter.

[@alalcoolj216]

I think Mal's "popped blood vessel eye makeup" was an accident. As I recall, Nathan got some fake blood in his eye, which pooled around his contact. They thought it looked so cool, they left it like that. He also did so many takes of slamming his face into the plexiglass floor in the showdown with the Operative, that his face got legitimately swollen, which they also used.

[@williamozier918]

The opening sequence of this movie is a PhD in how to do opening exposition dumps! Seriously I think it may be the best in cinema history. What I love about is how it keeps jupming through narrative frameworks that give us info and do an amazing job and world, character and story building in one go; it's an exposition dump, no its a classroom, not its a memory, not its a hologram, whoa the whole time we were in a room with this guy, and POW the movie starts and we are up to speed on everything.

[@chrishotovec4163]

One thing I love about this movie and it goes missing alot when the “Parliament guy” says “You’re not a reaver Mal” it is the first time any government official in the show actually admitted reavers were real and IMO it is what convinced Mal to go to the planet in the first place

[@judoisnotamonkey]

So I didn’t notice anyone mention it but the helpless man that Mal shoots to show mercy towards the beginning of the film is Dennis from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” ❤

[@JackOiswatching]

One of the things I remember for the marketing of this movie was that it was leaked (likely on purpose) that one of the main crew would die. When we see Book dying after the Alliance attack, everyone in the theater was thinking that was it, Book was the one. You can imagine the gasps of sure horror when Wash got speared and the mood noticeably shifted as the stakes went from 0 to 100!

[@meadmaker4525]

This movie is so bittersweet. Really hope to see The Expanse reactions here on KZbin sooner than later. That show is fantastic!!

[@Kasino80]

Books last moments, reminded of Malone's death in The Untouchables.

[@matthewpollock9685]

I feel like Wash's death was a reflection of Bendis's death in the Battle of Serenity on episode 1. We didn't know him, but he was somebody's best friend and soldiers rarely die in glorious fashion saving the day. They die. Something blows up, a stray bullet, my grandfather very nearly died of malaria in Papua New Guinea fighting the Japanese in WWII. In the film, projectiles were flying everywhere and a lot of Alliance soldiers died, but because we knew Wash it mattered to us. I think it was brave of Joss to have Wash die mid sentence. He didn't ask for a gun and say "I'll hold them off... you go on without me..." he just died in battle and like the cast, we had to move on.

[@northwestkiwi7742]

Re the change in tone: Mal was originally written with more darkness in him. You see it in the pilot episode of Firefly, but Whedon got word from Fox that they wanted the main character to be lighter so Mal had much of his brooding nature removed for the rest of the series. But for the movie, Whedon brought back the Mal he planned from the start.

[@rossgard]

Which is oddly similar to what happened with "Buffy the Vampire Slayer": Whedon's film script was made much more lighthearted than he'd intended, so when he got the opportunity to do it his way in the series, it got much darker.

[@vwlssnvwls3262]

The movie is 8 months since they meet Simon and River in the show, Mal says it after the bar incident when he argues with Simon.

[@vwlssnvwls3262]

I love this movie, and the series. It is a shame that we did not get to see all this happen over several seasons, but I do appreciate this movie. I love the call back to when Mal and the operative first meet and the operative say "You can't make me angry.", then at the end when the operative shoots Mal in the back and Mal says "I haven't made you angry have I?"

[@micfail2]

The poem he referenced when they were talking about an albatross is "rime of the ancient Mariner" and is also an Iron Maiden song. Check it out, great art

[@vincentmalloy4424]

My dad and I saw this in the theatre without even knowing about the series... we were a little lost, but I loved it. I finally saw the series a couple years later. : )

[@rybock]

Wash dying I absolutely hate in that I love the character, but I love for the last part of the story. Because we had Shepard die, and now going into this last stand, he is killed so suddenly, it takes away the "well, they're one of the heroes, they'll be fine"... anyone could get suddenly killed, and there are moments where many heroes nearly are.

[@robertwareham8466]

Love this movie, it made me fall in love with Chiwetel as an actor. I really want to see him to play the Doctor at some point, I think he'd be amazing at that. I think this movie was only made possible due to the fan movement calling for it after Firefly ended prematurely. It's definitely the best space opera/western since Star Wars and better than the prequel and sequel trilogies combined.

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

Doctor who?

[@robertwareham8466]

@@jean-paulaudette9246 Yes :)

[@MartinBeerbom]

Just when George said: "That's one long take still going", there's the cut. It's actually two takes spliced when the camera whip-pans from Mal to Simon at the staircase, because the ship set had to be built in two separate parts. The upper deck set could not be placed above the lower deck set.

[@russellward4624]

I believe the reason it wasnt called Firefly was the name Firefly was owned by the tv studio.

[@Logan_Baron]

Not likely. The show was made by Joss's own company. Fox had the tv distribution rights and I believe this was also put out by fox. AND When Joss made Buffy the Vampire Slayer the movie, he didn't have the movie rights even though he created the show since he sold the rights to get it made, but was still able to use the exact name for the tv show which had the tv rights but not the movie rights. There were talks for a long time about wanting to make a New Buffy movie, but it was pointed out that it would have to be done by the company that owned the movie rights, and thus they would not be able to use anything that was not in the original movie or brand new creations. So they wouldn't be able to use Sunnydale, Willow, Xander, Giles, etc.

[@MongooseTales]

"He ain't comin'." That line brings tears, every single time.

[@johnirving5949]

A reference to a movie you need to watch but not sure if you have yet, for the climactic space scene "And what you fail to realize is my ship is dragging Reavers!" 😈

[@MoonlitShoreWalk]

YAS 😂

[@dylanhoare8203]

I never Realized that we go from a a Teacher telling us a story and it turing into a nightmare to an Escape truning into a holo Surveillance Recording so Naturally

[@BillTheScribe]

Now that you’ve reached the end, here’s a fun thing to think about. We had a question pop up in a writing group about two things can be similar, but also be unique. My example was: You have a ship that is a basically a character, which belongs to a roguish smuggler who plays at being heartless but is really an honorable person in his own way. His longtime partner is a tall warrior with a lot of brown hair. They have a hotshot pilot, a spiritual old man, and lovely young woman who is often referred to as an ambassador but is really something quite different, and who has a love-hate thing going on with the captain. There is also an annoying, overly-proper character with a smaller sidekick. The sidekick communicates in a way that makes it hard for most people to understand and holds a secret authoritarian government would go to any lengths to keep hidden. Was this Star Wars, or Firefly? Also, the villain didn’t let them go because he changed his mind. He let them go because his entire existence was devoted to keeping that information secret. With the secret out, there was no longer a threat to the Alliance.

[@FlankerB3]

between the series and the movie are the comic books

[@caffeineadvocate]

I always enjoyed thinking that the Reavers and the film, ‘Event Horizon’ were part of the same universe.

[@caido950]

Event Horizon always seemed like it could be in the Hellraiser universe

[@chanhw]

Essential characters have “plot armor” in the event of subsequent seasons or movie sequels. For the movie Serenity (2005), Ron Glass (Book) and Alan Tudyk (Wash) COULD NOT commit to a sequel so their characters were “killed off” - Book’s death was expected and justifiable but Wash’s death was unexpected and unjustified. The movie Serenity provided some closure for most TV fans.

[@noirangel6416]

If you guys want more Firefly, Joss Weadon started a comic series that take place before and after Serenity. They are very fun and shiny. 💙

[@greenpeasuit]

When the doors open and we see River with the sword and axe, I can't help but wonder how Summer would have been if cast in a live action "Alita: Battle Angel"

[@smartalec2001]

There's a theory that the reason that 0.1% percentage of the population of Miranda went mad and became the Reavers is that they were those with latent psychic ability. Something about the gas woke their talents up, and exposure to all the dying thoughts around them drove them all mad, kept them from sleeping like the others. This is why they can still work together, they're bound by this psychic, empathic bond that means they are still able to cohabit. They recognise who else shares their pain; they only want to share it with everyone else. This is, so the theory goes, why the one crewman in the episode 'Bushwhacked' was spared - he was a latent psychic. The Reavers don't hurt their own. But exposure to them, and the painful deaths of his shipmates at their hands, drove him mad too. It's also possible that the Alliance got the idea of psychic assassins from the fate of Miranda, and River is an 'artificial' Reaver in a sense (hey, her name even sounds like 'reaver'). The surgery and brainwashing on her was an attempt to perfect the process that happened by accident on Miranda, keep her still functional. Perhaps the G-Pax gas used on Miranda made the amygdala too overbearing, resulting in all feelings and impulses being dampened. But with the Reavers, they were so frantic and desperate at all the death around them, they stayed awake; and this is why River's amygdala had to be removed for the process to work, as we find out it was in the episode 'Ariel'. So the Reavers recognise her as one of their own, in a way, and this is why they don't kill her. But because of the brainwashing and artificial process she went through, River doesn't feel the same way towards them. The idea is that had the show gone on for a few seasons, this would all have been expanded on and linked up.

[@mathewdebol923]

Thank you for sharing this! I love this theory so much!

[@cliveklg7739]

If that was the case, they should have known Serenity wasn't a part of them immediately.

[@smartalec2001]

@@cliveklg7739 If - if - this theory is right, and the movie is based on some streamlined versions of what the TV show plots were going to lead to (and it is streamlined; the Blue Sun Corp aren't in it, for example) then it's possible they just didn't need to factor in that kind of detail. But if we're to engage with in-story logic, then from what we see of River, she senses what's mostly in front of her, or coming closer. Psychic doesn't mean omniscient. It's possible that Serenity simply wasn't close enough for the Reavers to notice something wasn't right. They didn't focus on it enough. Either that, or... it was because River was there, that the crew managed to get through. She was like a Reaver enough to fool them. Interestingly, on Serenity's way in, the larger ship lights them up with a floodlight to see what they are, and on their way out, a smaller ship hovers over them as if preparing to attack, so maybe the Reavers could tell *something* wasn't quite right, but they couldn't quite put their finger on it...

[@cliveklg7739]

@@smartalec2001 "t's possible that Serenity simply wasn't close enough for the Reavers to notice something wasn't right. " But all the ships were close enough to react at the same time to pursue Serenity. Seems like some desperation to defend a fan theory.

[@smartalec2001]

@@cliveklg7739 They were close enough to pursue, but that was still a number of Serenity-ship-lengths away. Regardless, I wouldn't call it desperation, as we're just talking; nor would I call it defence, as you're not attacking. We know that what we got in the movie isn't exactly what we would have gotten if the show had continued. If the movie has any relation to what Whedon had in mind for the show - and it's quite possible it does, because if he had ideas for the show lying around, it makes sense he'd use them here - then what we're seeing is quite a compressed use of what is possibly several episodes' or seasons' ideas, written for a 2 hour movie. Things are going to fall by the wayside, to make that work. But assuming this reveal that the Alliance were responsible for the Reavers would have happened in the show, and we can assume it would have done, then it's possible that as a series, that thread would have been developed further, and a link from the Reavers to the Alliance's psychic project seems like Whedon. Having corporate bad guys look at something terrible and ask 'how can we use this?' is something that came up in his Buffy and Dollhouse serieses, it seems a recurring theme he's fond of.

[@jeffkoenig7402]

Watched this like a year ago. Watching it again to follow up just having finished the YT posting of the series reactions.

[@klemminguk]

Watch the outtakes for this, they're worth it: "You see us fight?" "...No." "TRAAAAAP!"

[@doctornick0]

Chiwetel Ejiofor plays 2 of the best villains in 2 of the best movies I've ever seen, this and Children of Men.

[@vadalia3860]

Absolutely love the Operative as a villain (and Book being a former Operative is a popular theory so good picking up on that) I weirdly love that "I don't murder children/ I do" exchange between Mal and him because that makes him all the more terrifying. He's a smart, capable man who is dedicated to his cause, which is a just one, but has absolutely no limitations on the evil acts he will commit in pursuit of it. You can't even hate him for having the arrogance of thinking he's somehow a "good guy" because he knows he not, and that the better world he wants to bring about has no place for him in it. He was brilliantly acted by Chiwetel Ejiofor and I've loved him in everything I've seen him in since. I also get such a kick out of the Alliance vs Reavers space battle that I re-watch the clip every couple of months just because I love it so much.

[@synaesthesia2010]

'one take still going' that was actually the start of a second take on a different set as they weren't able to build the whole ship in a single set, so they did a whip pan to blend the end of one take to the start of another at the second set

[@TRHardware]

I remember discovering Firefly 2 years after it originally aired. It was so good! I am mad that they only did 1 season. But The Expense is actually good sci-fi that matches FireFly imo.

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

I really discovered it through film, but I do remember seeing it on TV when it 1st came out. I wasn’t really feeling the ‘space western’ theme that much, so I didn’t pay all that much attention when the episode was on. I remember being a bit mixed on the whole thing. What I find sad is that, had the show been aired consistently, it would’ve won me over within 2 or 3 episodes, but I never got a chance to see anything but that first one & I don’t remember seeing it after that.

[@robertwareham8466]

The Expanse is extraordinary in that it gets the science right all the while telling a superb story.

[@andrewsmith8715]

There actually watching the Expanse on patreon and they hate it lol. Its embarrassing how many awful takes they have.

[@robertwareham8466]

@@andrewsmith8715 How far into it are they? It took me a little while to connect with the characters, which is understandable given the focus on the science and politics, maybe they're just not far enough into it yet?

[@TRHardware]

@@andrewsmith8715 Yeah, I watched first four of their reactions of The Expense there.

[@Crazyivan777]

So, on Shepherd Book - They did a graphic novel a few years after the movie explaining his backstory. In a nutshell, he was a criminal that joined the Browncoats, becoming a deep cover agent in the Alliance military. He eventually commanded one of the huge warships and sabotaged it tactically during one of the big battles. He got 'retired', but was still looked at as a hero by the Alliance. After being disgusted by all the death on both sides, he found faith and became a shepherd... Another amusing note about the movie itself- the actor who played Simon admitted later to flubbing the scene of him kissing Kaylee a couple of times just so they could do it over again.

[@Tomani3905]

Which is especially weird considering Sean Maher came out of the closet & announced his homosexuality on Twitter about a decade ago.

[@garretthenderson5738]

Whedon killed Wash for the same reason he kills off beloved funny characters in all his projects. It instantly ups the stakes. There's a natural feeling of "our heroes have plot armor" that undercuts the drama. Had Wash not died, we probably wouldnt have been too nervous during the next scenes. With Wash dead it feels like ANYONE could die... maybe everyone.

[@inarar5334]

Especially after Book had already died. That felt like the Whedon kill, then Wash goes so fast. Plot armor shredded.

[@darinfoat8410]

In his commentary on the DVD (remember those?) Whedon said that once Wash died, the audience would think "maybe this is going to be the Wild Bunch. Maybe none of them are going to make it."

[@scotthewitt258]

"There are a lot of good people dying up there." "You have no idea how true that is."

[@seanmurphy637]

Awesome reaction guys. The Expanse is awesome. Extremely well done in terms of realistic physics. And awesome story and characters.

[@daddynitro199]

“I’m a leaf on the wind…” You only get to laugh at it twice. Ever.

[@rsl9481]

If i remember correctly, joss whedon said this was supposed to be what season 2 of firefly was going to be but they got cancelled, but my memory on this might be a little fuzzy on if this is accurate or not

[@TomVCunningham]

You are correct.

[@Tomani3905]

Actually, it was supposed to be season 3 or 4. Season 2 was supposed to be about "Blue Sun Enterprises" and the "Hands of blue" guys that were after River. Plus, we would've discovered that the Fed Operative that shot Kaylee in the Pilot episode didn't die after all when Mal shot him in the head...and he wants payback.

[@scotthewitt258]

Yeah. I believe he indicated they were able to tie off the main "loose threads" from the cancellation. Who the Reavers are. What was done to River, and why it made her unstable. And enough subtext to get an idea of Book's story.

[@unicyclist97]

And now the show reaction is also available on KZbin!

[@susanlawens3776]

They made the movie so that even if you never watched a single episode of Firefly, you still can watch and be immersed and enjoy, and if you watch the show after, that's fine, too, it's all copacetic. Also I think Serenity is the name of their ship, and Firefly is its type of ship it is, since it is kinda insect looking. Wash is my favorite. Depending on the day or the week you ask me, because Kaylee was also my favorite a lot of the time. And sometimes it's Mal. And sometimes it's Zoe. A lot of the times it's River, though. If they killed her too, well, that would've just pissed me off to no end, since they killed off Shepherd and Wash. But I love all the crew, even Jayne.

[@sudzy2779]

So happy I finally got to watch this with the full episode reactions first ❤❤ thank you!!!

[@tomcoster191]

Simone is all like, "I'm good without them, thank you very much..." regarding George wanting to see the reavers, and I'm over here all like, "Oh, my sweet summer child..." LOL

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

sweet River child.