I randomly had this idea to watch a bunch of cancelled-too-soon shows, and what better show to start with than the show that's on every top 10 cancelled-too-soon list: Firefly.
Firefly is a show created by Joss Whedon in 2002. It's usually referred to as a sci-fi western show, but I think that label makes it sound lame when it is far from that. It's technically science fiction because it's set in the future, space travel is possible, they live on a space ship, humans have colonized other planets and moons, there's some advanced technology, etc. The western part refers to some of the costumes, music, scenes and settings, I suppose. So if that's how you define a show, then Firefly is a sci-fi western.
What makes the show great is the little stuff that add up. The intricacy of the Firefly verse is amazing. Joss Whedon basically created different worlds and envisioned how politics, cultures, business, crimes, language, etc. would play out in this verse. The main characters are robust characters with their own histories and personalities - although the short stint left many avenues unexplored. The props and effects were great too. Nothing too fancy, because sometimes "fancy" just comes off as cheesy.
Firefly lasted 14 episodes, and not all of them even made it on the air. And yet there are still Firefly panels in some conventions every now and then. There are still people out there referring to themselves as Browncoats. Television writers are still alluding to it on their shows (Community, The Big Bang Theory, Castle, etc.) Even the cast is still talking about it. I didn't think I was going to get sucked into the mania, but I did. I'm a Browncoat.
One of the biggest reasons? The cast. The casting was just perfect. When I started the show, they were Castle, Jessica from Suits, Alpha, the guy from Chuck, and the wife from Homeland. (Summer Glau has always been Summer Glau lol.) But now, I think I might always see them as the Captain, Zoe, Wash, Jayne and Inara.
