https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rec.arts.tv/XAyxGWEuzJM
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Firefly
TMC-4 — 9 years ago(September 22, 2016 10:26 AM)
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rec.arts.tv/XAyxGWEuzJM
By Julia Alexander
This past weekend, Nathan Fillion and the rest of the Firefly cast
gathered together for a special panel at Long Beach Comic Con.
The audience of course asked about the shows possible continuation.
While some of the actors, including Sean Maher and Jewel Staite, are
more than ready to jump back on board Serenity and travel the universe
once again, others arent so eager.
Nathan Fillion, who played the eccentric and lovable Captain Malcolm
Reynolds, said that he didnt know where they would go with the series
if it were picked up by a service like Netflix.
"I loved every minute of it," Fillion said, as reported by The
Hollywood Reporter. "It's really hard to look at that kind of stuff and
say give me more. Because enough is enough. Oh my god. It was
everything. It was everything. How can everything not be enough?"
Firefly is as beloved as it is today because it didnt have enough
time to get bogged down by lore or forced seasons. It was the premature
canceling of Firefly that made it the adored cult show that it is.
Even Buffy had a few bad seasons
Its rare that a show thats on the air for longer than two or three
seasons has an immaculate run. Most shows tend to fizzle out around
season four or five, but they continue due to critical success or high
ratings. Dexter, House, How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory and
even Buffy the Vampire Slayer all suffered from sluggish seasons.
Its not the showrunner's fault. Nor is it the actors', the writers' or
the producers'. Theres only so many new ideas that creatives can bring
to the table; no network wants to end a show that's doing well. This
can lead to a couple of things happening: the showrunner decides to
leave (Aaron Sorkin on The West Wing, for example); actors decide to
leave; writers take other jobs. The result is a cancellation that
happens too late and feels like a mercy killing.
Its something that Joss Whedon, creator of both Buffy the Vampire
Slayer and Firefly, knows all too well. Whedon has spoken before about
battling with the network over the direction of the show and wanting to
end Buffy before it actually did. When fans demanded Firefly be brought
back in some capacity, Whedon shuts them down.
He did it in 2011. And 2013. And 2014.
Simply put, both Whedon and Fillion know that bringing Firefly back
would be a terrible idea. We're in love with the possibility of more
story, the promise of fulfilling answers to the show's questions.
Reality would be a disappointment. Firefly feels perfect because it
never had the chance to fail.
"It was everything. How can everything not be enough?"
If we were to bring back Firefly, it could suffer the same fate as Mr.
Robot, one of my favorite shows on the air. Mr. Robot had a near-
perfect first season. Everything about it, from the writing and the
shows photography to Rami Maleks award-winning portrayal of solitary
hacker Elliot Alderson, was immaculate.
So much so, in fact, that there were concerns from a variety of critics
and reporters that the show wouldnt be able to sustain that level of
quality in its second season. They were right. The second season hasnt
been great, and while its not True Detective-level horrible, there are
considerable issues with it that make the upcoming third and fourth
seasons shakier than once thought.
But because Mr. Robot pulls in ridiculous ratings for USA, a network
that doesnt have much else going on for it aside from Law & Order
marathons, it will likely continue to get renewed, no matter what
happens to the core creative team.
If Mr. Robot had just existed as a 10-episode season, it would be
remembered as one of the greatest series of televisions modern age.
There wouldnt have been time for the series to be screwed up. The fact
that Firefly only had one season was the best thing that could have
ever happened for the shows integrity, even if that reality stings a
bit. Cancellation can be a gift to your legacy.
We arent entitled to anything
The cast and crew of Firefly have moved on. That doesnt mean that they
dont love what they were a part of, and to argue that Firefly isnt
special would just be ignorant and wrong. Thats why they reunite for
panels at comic conventions or other events, but they dont live within
that world anymore.
Fans still don't seem to have given up the fight. There have been
petitions to bring it back, Q&As with Whedon about why he isnt doing
more to make it happen and constant demands for more Firefly on social
media.
When fans demanded Firefly be brought back in some capacity, Whedon
shut them down
Bringing Firefly back might be exciting in the short term, but it will
end in disappointment. Most of us were disappointed with Mr. Robots
second season, True Detectives second season, and, if were being
honest, the reboot of The X-Files wasnt all that great. Let's not get
started on Arrested Development. After a while the body rots. Bringing
it back to life is just painf -
philoj — 9 years ago(February 09, 2017 10:48 PM)
There's certainly no way to do it with Wash and Shepherd Book. If they could have picked up right after Serenity then they could have crafted episodes between Firefly and the movie. But 12 years later that option is gone - it would have to be post-Serenity, with no Wash or Book.
Philo's Law: To learn from your mistakes, you have to realize you're making mistakes. -
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DoodMcDoodertun — 9 years ago(October 02, 2016 01:00 PM)
Who gives a crap if Nathan Fillion comes back? The Firefly sci-fi 'universe' is already pretty well established (factions, politics, physics etc.)by the first season. They could just bring back a few of the crew and I'd be happy. Needs to be well written of course (keep the syfy channel the hell away from it,please).
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hyphens11 — 9 years ago(October 18, 2016 07:30 PM)
I didn't read that (because I don't really care about what Fillion thinks), but I just stopped by to drop my two cents in.
I love Firefly, but I wouldn't want it to continue. It's been too long, and it's so dear to so many people that I think any continuation or remake would just be unsatisfying. -
robhax111 — 9 years ago(November 30, 2016 10:26 AM)
Firefly's time has come and gone just wouldn't be the same, in my opinion.
I will always love what was and will always damn Fox for screwing that show over.
As with a great book I closed it after the final chapter and think fondly on it. -
Finalreminder — 9 years ago(December 09, 2016 01:29 PM)
Similar mentality as Ricky Gervais and The Office (UK).
High ratings, everyone loved itcut dead after Season 2. And it worked great. It's loved today as a brilliant piece of ground breaking comedy that makes fun of reality TV.
Firefly was simply brilliant, it really was. I crave for Season 2 like a junkie, but1 season kinda feels right, and S2 could tarnish that reverence. -
maggieameanderings — 9 years ago(December 14, 2016 05:22 PM)
I agree it shouldn't be brought back as a show or movie. (I could have done without the movie, truth to tell.)
But I cannot understand why no novels.
It would work great as books.
Instead, it's comic books.
And, to put it kindly, I don't think it translates well as a comic book. But the one unofficial novel that was written did feel like Firefly. -
ronindave — 9 years ago(December 22, 2016 09:39 PM)
I would like a few animated specials to take place between episode 14 and the movie like a take on the comics but I think the time of a live-action reboot is long past. We should be happy we got what we got - 14 great episodes and an excellent movie that wrapped things up.
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MtnMan13 — 9 years ago(January 05, 2017 01:20 PM)
Sounds like
Lie to Me
. It had a fantastic first season followed by two terrible seasons and finally a merciful cancellation.
Oh, and the recent
X-Files
series wasn't a reboot, it was a continuation with one hell of a cliffhanger. I thought it was pretty good, actually. -
poem — 9 years ago(January 09, 2017 10:05 AM)
Buffy had bad seasons ? Oh the blasphemy !
Buffy had one less good season, thats the sevenths. And it was still so good, for many average and sub-average shows it would have been the best season ever, high above anything else that that show ever produced.
A gentleman will not insult me, and no man not a gentleman can insult me. -
DaytonaBob — 9 years ago(January 31, 2017 07:35 PM)
What a long winded load of Bu*****T.
The head of network hated the show and that was it. How do you get ratings when they show it out of order, 1am in the morning? Don't give the show any support?
Don't advertise it. I Never saw an ad for it anywhere.
So spare us the BS. The show deserved at least 100 episodes and the network moron who cancelled is long gone and the show still lives on.
Tell you anything?
Lamest article EVER.
They who give up liberty to
obtain a temporary safety deserve
neither liberty or safety -
Chocolope — 9 years ago(February 06, 2017 01:40 PM)
I can't imagine Firefly without Wash. I think bringing it back would be a mistake. It might be great but I just can't see it ever matching up, every episode was so perfect and so was Serenity (to me anyway, I know a lot of people disagree). IMO too much time has passed.