Serenity (Firefly episode)
Encyclopedia
"Serenity" is the two-hour series pilot
for the American science fiction
television series
Firefly
created by Joss Whedon
. However, Fox
executives were not satisfied with this as a pilot, and so instead, "The Train Job
" was created as a second pilot and was the first episode of the series aired. "Serenity" was not aired until the end of the series' run. This episode shares its name with the feature film Serenity
, which continues the series after the final episode.
In 2003, the episode won the award for "Best visual effects in a television series" from Visual Effects Society, and was nominated for a Hugo Award
in 2003 for "Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form".
Malcolm Reynolds
(Nathan Fillion
) and Zoe Washburne (Gina Torres
) are survivors of their rebel unit in the Battle of Serenity Valley during the Unification War, in which their side lost. They are now eking out an existence on the edges of space in their Firefly-class spaceship
Serenity
, taking odd jobs even if they involve petty crime. They take on passengers to supplement their income, but one has a secret that makes their lives more difficult.
.
Six years later, Mal is the captain of his own transport ship, an older-model Firefly-class vessel he named Serenity
, and Zoe is his second-in-command. The rest of the ship's crew consists of Wash (Alan Tudyk
), who is the pilot and is also Zoe's husband, Kaylee (Jewel Staite
) the engineer, and Jayne Cobb (Adam Baldwin
) the gun-for-hire. Inara (Morena Baccarin
), a "Companion" (i.e. Courtesan
) who rents one of Serenity's two shuttles, normally travels with them, but she is currently away from the ship on business. While the crew are illegally salvaging some crates off a junky abandoned spaceship, they are discovered by an Alliance cruiser. To escape capture, they deploy a decoy distress beacon. The Alliance cruiser falls for the diversion, but broadcasts a bulletin that a Firefly-class ship is carrying stolen Alliance goods.
The crew of Serenity travel to Persephone, where they intend to deliver the stolen goods to Badger (Mark Sheppard
), the small-time gang leader who hired them for the heist. When they meet with Badger, he reneges on their deal, partly because he is worried about the Alliance broadcast on the rogue Firefly, and partly because he doesn't like the way Mal looks down on him. Mal decides to try selling the cargo to Patience, an old business associate who lives on Whitefall. Zoe has misgivings about the plan, since Patience once shot Mal, but Mal is desperate to get rid of the hot cargo, and bears no grudge since he was shot in a "perfectly legitimate conflict of interest." The crew joins up with Inara and picks up passengers to provide some supplemental income. The new passengers are a preacher named Shepherd Book
(Ron Glass
), a bumbling man named Dobson (Carlos Jacott
), and a wealthy doctor named Simon Tam (Sean Maher
) who brings on board a mysterious large crate.
En route to Whitefall, Wash discovers that someone on board sent a message hailing the nearest Alliance cruiser. Suspecting that Simon is the mole, Mal confronts him only to discover that Dobson is the "Fed". Dobson surprises Mal by telling them it is Simon he wants to arrest, not Mal. Later, while Dobson attempts to arrest Simon, he accidentally shoots Kaylee in the stomach before being overpowered by Book, who is surprisingly good at hand-to-hand combat for a Shepherd. When the Alliance cruiser orders them to dock for prisoner transfer, Simon threatens not to treat Kaylee if Serenity does not flee. Torn between the threat of capture and Kaylee's safety, Mal reluctantly agrees (after being prodded by Inara to do so) and flees from the Alliance ship. Mal goes to the cargo bay, opens Simon's mysterious crate, and is surprised to find a young woman inside in a cryonic
sleep.
), Simon's sister. Simon explains that his sister was a brilliant child who was sent away to an elite Alliance academy when she was fourteen. After River sent him an encoded letter for help, he discovered that the Alliance was torturing and experimenting on the students at the academy. Simon left his job as a successful trauma surgeon to rescue her from the Alliance and is on the run trying to protect her from them. Mal decides to proceed to Whitefall as planned, dropping off both the goods and the Tam siblings.
Dobson has been tied up, out of the way. Mal tells Jayne to interrogate Dobson to find out what he told the Alliance about them. Once Jayne finds out that the Alliance knows nothing, Dobson tries to bribe him.
Soon after, they discover that a Reaver
ship is approaching. Zoe explains to Simon that "If they take the ship, they'll rape us to death, eat our flesh and sew our skins into their clothing. And if we're very very lucky, they'll do it in that order." Luckily, the Reaver ship passes by without incident.
Serenity lands on Whitefall and Mal prepares to make the deal. Mistrustful of Patience, he sends Jayne to take a sniper
position in the hills while he and Zoe walk out to meet Patience and her henchmen in a deserted valley. Mal gives Patience a sample of the cargo, which turns out to be nutritional/immunization bars, each one of which can feed an entire family for a month. Patience tries to kill them, so she can take the cargo without paying, but Mal and Zoe, with the help of Jayne, dispatch Patience and her gang, taking the money they were promised. Jayne then joins the others, having been contacted by Wash with bad news: the Reavers followed them to Whitefall.
Meanwhile back on the ship Dobson escapes, knocking out Book and grabbing River. Simon inexpertly attacks Dobson, but after they scuffle, Dobson ends up with River grabbed by an arm and pointing a gun at her head. Mal arrives and shoots Dobson, dumping his body off the ship as they start to take off, the Reavers hot on their tail.
Mal orders Inara, Simon, and River to Inara's shuttle, preparing them to escape in the shuttle if the ship is boarded by the Reavers. Jayne carries the still-convalescing Kaylee to the engine room, and Book offers to help them. With Jayne and Book carrying out Kaylee's instructions, Wash is able to pull off a Crazy Ivan (or VIFF), and Serenity escapes.
Jayne tells Mal that they should dump the siblings, since Dobson had told him during the interrogation that the Alliance will keep coming after River. Mal, suspecting that Dobson tried to make a deal with Jayne, asks why he didn't turn. Jayne responds that the money wasn't enough, but it'll be an interesting day when it is. Jayne leaves as Simon enters. Mal suggests to Simon that he and River might be safer on the move than hiding in one place, and points out that Serenity is always moving, and in need of a medic
, to which Simon accepts.
Despite the script stating that Dobson is killed by Mal, Joss Whedon had planned to bring the character back. Although the series was cancelled, Dobson coming back for revenge was a key part of the plot in Serenity: Those Left Behind
, a three-issue comic book miniseries intended to bridge the television series and the movie Serenity
.
Another theme is the fusion of Asian and frontier culture. As Brett Matthews
said, you couldn't ask for a better mission statement for the show than the shot of Mal with a Western tin cup and chopsticks. He then contrasts this to the tall, vertical Alliance cruiser that detects them, as he wanted to show how inefficient the Alliance government was.
He also wanted to show a lifestyle that was very tactile and physical, and contrast it to the lifestyle of the contemporary audience where things "fall in your lap."
Also, at the time they were shooting this, Rebecca Gayheart
was playing the role of Inara Serra, but Whedon knew that it was not going to work out and so shot scenes with her interacting with the crew in singles, so that the only part that would have to be reshot would be the shots of Inara.
After the Reavers are introduced, the screen goes to near black before cutting to commercials. Whedon wanted to give the audience time to "breathe" before being hit with commercials, but a true black would automatically cue the ads. Instead, he went with a color that was as close to black as he could go without causing this.
. Also, when deploying the decoy called the "Cry Baby", Malcolm Reynolds says "Cry baby cry" and Wash responds with: "Make your mother sigh," which is a quote from The Beatles
' song "Cry Baby Cry
."
The logo of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation from the Alien
series can be seen at the top of the interface screen on the anti-aircraft gun during the battle sequence at the beginning of the episode (Joss Whedon wrote the script for the fourth movie in the Alien series).
As part of the effort to have props serve as meaning, the Chinese character for "Short Interval" is visible on an hourglass in Inara's shuttle when she is with her client during the character's introduction.
When Inara docks her shuttle with Serenity, a Lambda-class Imperial Shuttle can be seen taking off in the background.
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
for the American science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
Firefly
Firefly (TV series)
Firefly is an American space western television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon, under his Mutant Enemy Productions label. Whedon served as executive producer, along with Tim Minear....
created by Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
. However, Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
executives were not satisfied with this as a pilot, and so instead, "The Train Job
The Train Job
"The Train Job" is the second episode of the American science-fiction western television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon, although it was the first to be shown...
" was created as a second pilot and was the first episode of the series aired. "Serenity" was not aired until the end of the series' run. This episode shares its name with the feature film Serenity
Serenity (film)
Serenity is a 2005 space western film written and directed by Joss Whedon. It is a continuation of the short-lived 2002 Fox science fiction television series Firefly, taking place after the events of the final episode. Set in 2518, Serenity is the story of the captain and crew of a cargo ship...
, which continues the series after the final episode.
In 2003, the episode won the award for "Best visual effects in a television series" from Visual Effects Society, and was nominated for a Hugo Award
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
in 2003 for "Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form".
Malcolm Reynolds
Malcolm Reynolds
Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds is a fictional character and main protagonist in the Firefly franchise. Reynolds is played by actor Nathan Fillion in the 2002 TV series Firefly and the 2005 film Serenity. In the series, Reynolds is the captain of the Firefly-class spaceship Serenity...
(Nathan Fillion
Nathan Fillion
Nathan Fillion is a Canadian actor, currently starring as Richard Castle on the ABC series Castle. He is also known for his portrayal of the lead role of Captain Malcolm Reynolds in the television series Firefly and its feature film continuation, Serenity.He has acted in traditionally distributed...
) and Zoe Washburne (Gina Torres
Gina Torres
Gina Torres is an American television and movie actress. She is known for her roles in science fiction and fantasy. She has appeared in many television series, including Hercules: The Legendary Journeys , Xena: Warrior Princess , the short-lived Cleopatra 2525, as well as Alias , Firefly Gina...
) are survivors of their rebel unit in the Battle of Serenity Valley during the Unification War, in which their side lost. They are now eking out an existence on the edges of space in their Firefly-class spaceship
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
Serenity
Serenity (Firefly vessel)
Serenity is a fictional Firefly class spaceship appearing in Joss Whedon's Firefly television series and related works. Set in the 26th century, the series revolves around nine characters, which form the crew of the small transport ship, as they try to make a living through various legal and...
, taking odd jobs even if they involve petty crime. They take on passengers to supplement their income, but one has a secret that makes their lives more difficult.
Part 1
In 2511, Sgt. Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds and Corporal Zoe Alleyne fight in the Battle of Serenity Valley during the Unification War. Without air support, the Browncoats are eventually defeated (and massacred) by the AllianceAlliance (Firefly)
The Alliance is a fictional supra-governmental entity in the Serenity franchise, a powerful authoritarian government and law-enforcement organization that controls the majority of territory within the known universe...
.
Six years later, Mal is the captain of his own transport ship, an older-model Firefly-class vessel he named Serenity
Serenity (Firefly vessel)
Serenity is a fictional Firefly class spaceship appearing in Joss Whedon's Firefly television series and related works. Set in the 26th century, the series revolves around nine characters, which form the crew of the small transport ship, as they try to make a living through various legal and...
, and Zoe is his second-in-command. The rest of the ship's crew consists of Wash (Alan Tudyk
Alan Tudyk
Alan Wray Tudyk is an American actor known for his roles as Simon in the British comedy Death at a Funeral, as Steve the Pirate in DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, as Sonny in the science fiction drama I, Robot, as Doc Potter in 3:10 to Yuma, as Tucker in the Tucker & Dale vs Evil and as Hoban...
), who is the pilot and is also Zoe's husband, Kaylee (Jewel Staite
Jewel Staite
Jewel Belair Staite is a Canadian actress, who portrayed Catalina in Space Cases, Kaylee Frye in Firefly and Serenity, and Dr. Jennifer Keller on Stargate Atlantis.-Personal life:...
) the engineer, and Jayne Cobb (Adam Baldwin
Adam Baldwin
Adam Baldwin is an American actor, known for his roles as Animal Mother in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, Ricky Linderman in My Bodyguard, Knowle Rohrer in The X-Files, and Marcus Hamilton in Joss Whedon's Angel...
) the gun-for-hire. Inara (Morena Baccarin
Morena Baccarin
Morena Baccarin is a Brazilian-born American actress most widely known for roles in several American science fiction television shows: as Inara Serra in the series Firefly; as Adria in the series Stargate SG-1; and as Anna in the 2009 version of the series V...
), a "Companion" (i.e. Courtesan
Courtesan
A courtesan was originally a female courtier, which means a person who attends the court of a monarch or other powerful person.In feudal society, the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
) who rents one of Serenity's two shuttles, normally travels with them, but she is currently away from the ship on business. While the crew are illegally salvaging some crates off a junky abandoned spaceship, they are discovered by an Alliance cruiser. To escape capture, they deploy a decoy distress beacon. The Alliance cruiser falls for the diversion, but broadcasts a bulletin that a Firefly-class ship is carrying stolen Alliance goods.
The crew of Serenity travel to Persephone, where they intend to deliver the stolen goods to Badger (Mark Sheppard
Mark Sheppard
Mark Andreas Sheppard is an English actor and musician, born in London of an Irish-German background. He is often credited as "Mark A. Sheppard".-Personal life:Mark Sheppard is the son of actor W. Morgan Sheppard...
), the small-time gang leader who hired them for the heist. When they meet with Badger, he reneges on their deal, partly because he is worried about the Alliance broadcast on the rogue Firefly, and partly because he doesn't like the way Mal looks down on him. Mal decides to try selling the cargo to Patience, an old business associate who lives on Whitefall. Zoe has misgivings about the plan, since Patience once shot Mal, but Mal is desperate to get rid of the hot cargo, and bears no grudge since he was shot in a "perfectly legitimate conflict of interest." The crew joins up with Inara and picks up passengers to provide some supplemental income. The new passengers are a preacher named Shepherd Book
Derrial Book
Derrial Book is a fictional character played by Ron Glass in the science-fiction/Western television series Firefly and its sequel movie, Serenity...
(Ron Glass
Ron Glass
Ronald E. "Ron" Glass is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as the witty Det. Ron Harris in the television sitcom Barney Miller , and as the spiritual Shepherd Derrial Book in the short-lived 2002 science fiction series Firefly and its sequel film Serenity.-Early life:Glass was...
), a bumbling man named Dobson (Carlos Jacott
Carlos Jacott
Carlos Jacott is an American film and television actor. He has appeared in over 40 television shows including Firefly and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and playing a demon on both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel....
), and a wealthy doctor named Simon Tam (Sean Maher
Sean Maher
Sean Maher is an American actor, best known for his role as Simon Tam in the science fiction television series Firefly and followup movie Serenity.-Early life:...
) who brings on board a mysterious large crate.
En route to Whitefall, Wash discovers that someone on board sent a message hailing the nearest Alliance cruiser. Suspecting that Simon is the mole, Mal confronts him only to discover that Dobson is the "Fed". Dobson surprises Mal by telling them it is Simon he wants to arrest, not Mal. Later, while Dobson attempts to arrest Simon, he accidentally shoots Kaylee in the stomach before being overpowered by Book, who is surprisingly good at hand-to-hand combat for a Shepherd. When the Alliance cruiser orders them to dock for prisoner transfer, Simon threatens not to treat Kaylee if Serenity does not flee. Torn between the threat of capture and Kaylee's safety, Mal reluctantly agrees (after being prodded by Inara to do so) and flees from the Alliance ship. Mal goes to the cargo bay, opens Simon's mysterious crate, and is surprised to find a young woman inside in a cryonic
Cryonics
Cryonics is the low-temperature preservation of humans and animals who can no longer be sustained by contemporary medicine, with the hope that healing and resuscitation may be possible in the future. Cryopreservation of people or large animals is not reversible with current technology...
sleep.
Part 2
The woman in the crate is revealed to be River Tam (Summer GlauSummer Glau
Summer Lyn Glau is an American actress, known for playing River Tam in the science fiction series Firefly and follow-up film Serenity, and for playing Cameron in the series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.-Early life:...
), Simon's sister. Simon explains that his sister was a brilliant child who was sent away to an elite Alliance academy when she was fourteen. After River sent him an encoded letter for help, he discovered that the Alliance was torturing and experimenting on the students at the academy. Simon left his job as a successful trauma surgeon to rescue her from the Alliance and is on the run trying to protect her from them. Mal decides to proceed to Whitefall as planned, dropping off both the goods and the Tam siblings.
Dobson has been tied up, out of the way. Mal tells Jayne to interrogate Dobson to find out what he told the Alliance about them. Once Jayne finds out that the Alliance knows nothing, Dobson tries to bribe him.
Soon after, they discover that a Reaver
Reaver (Firefly)
Reavers are a group of humans in the television series Firefly and the movie Serenity who live on the fringes of civilized space and have become animalistic...
ship is approaching. Zoe explains to Simon that "If they take the ship, they'll rape us to death, eat our flesh and sew our skins into their clothing. And if we're very very lucky, they'll do it in that order." Luckily, the Reaver ship passes by without incident.
Serenity lands on Whitefall and Mal prepares to make the deal. Mistrustful of Patience, he sends Jayne to take a sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
position in the hills while he and Zoe walk out to meet Patience and her henchmen in a deserted valley. Mal gives Patience a sample of the cargo, which turns out to be nutritional/immunization bars, each one of which can feed an entire family for a month. Patience tries to kill them, so she can take the cargo without paying, but Mal and Zoe, with the help of Jayne, dispatch Patience and her gang, taking the money they were promised. Jayne then joins the others, having been contacted by Wash with bad news: the Reavers followed them to Whitefall.
Meanwhile back on the ship Dobson escapes, knocking out Book and grabbing River. Simon inexpertly attacks Dobson, but after they scuffle, Dobson ends up with River grabbed by an arm and pointing a gun at her head. Mal arrives and shoots Dobson, dumping his body off the ship as they start to take off, the Reavers hot on their tail.
Mal orders Inara, Simon, and River to Inara's shuttle, preparing them to escape in the shuttle if the ship is boarded by the Reavers. Jayne carries the still-convalescing Kaylee to the engine room, and Book offers to help them. With Jayne and Book carrying out Kaylee's instructions, Wash is able to pull off a Crazy Ivan (or VIFF), and Serenity escapes.
Jayne tells Mal that they should dump the siblings, since Dobson had told him during the interrogation that the Alliance will keep coming after River. Mal, suspecting that Dobson tried to make a deal with Jayne, asks why he didn't turn. Jayne responds that the money wasn't enough, but it'll be an interesting day when it is. Jayne leaves as Simon enters. Mal suggests to Simon that he and River might be safer on the move than hiding in one place, and points out that Serenity is always moving, and in need of a medic
Medic
Medic is a general term for a person involved in medicine, especially emergency or first-response medicine, such as an emergency medical technician, paramedic, or a military member trained in battlefield medicine. Also the term is used toward a Nurse in pre-hospital care and/or emergency...
, to which Simon accepts.
Deleted scenes
This episode has two deleted scenes.- An alternate opening scene showing the aftermath of the Battle of Serenity Valley. Most of the Independent soldiers are dead. Mal and the survivors witness the long-awaited arrival of the medships; when Zoe says "Thank God" for the ships' arrival, Mal bitterly asks whose side God is on. This scene was deleted because the studio wanted a more action-packed opening scene.
- A scene where Simon is taking care of the wounded Kaylee. Book asks why Simon chose to come aboard Serenity and he replies that it seemed disreputable. Book suggests that Simon lacks a knowledge of history. Simon researches the Battle of Serenity Valley on his encyclopedia and Zoe tells him about how many soldiers died during the battle and its aftermath. She tells Simon that Mal won't kill him unless he's got no other option. When Simon asks why Mal named the ship after such a horrible battle, Zoe replies that "once you've been in Serenity, you never leave."
Arc significance
This episode introduces a major story arc of the short-lived series: that of River and Simon. It reveals Simon's deep, selfless love for his sister and that his life is now defined by her.Despite the script stating that Dobson is killed by Mal, Joss Whedon had planned to bring the character back. Although the series was cancelled, Dobson coming back for revenge was a key part of the plot in Serenity: Those Left Behind
Serenity: Those Left Behind
Serenity: Those Left Behind is a 2005 three-issue comic book limited series published by Dark Horse Comics. It was written by Brett Matthews with Joss Whedon credited for story, illustrated by Will Conrad, and colored by Laura Martin....
, a three-issue comic book miniseries intended to bridge the television series and the movie Serenity
Serenity (film)
Serenity is a 2005 space western film written and directed by Joss Whedon. It is a continuation of the short-lived 2002 Fox science fiction television series Firefly, taking place after the events of the final episode. Set in 2518, Serenity is the story of the captain and crew of a cargo ship...
.
Continuity
- Kaylee fruitlessly asks Mal for a new compression coil for the engine, warning that they'll be adrift in space if it breaks. This foreshadows the failure of the "catalyzer on the port compression coil" that cripples the ship in "Out of GasOut of Gas"Out of Gas" is the eighth episode of the science fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. It differs stylistically from the rest of the series, in that it tells its story alternately in three timeframes: events in the present, events in the near-past that led to the present, and...
". In the original rough-cut of the episode (known in BrowncoatBrowncoatBrowncoat is a term with two meanings. One is a nickname for the Independence fighters in the television series Firefly. The other refers to fans of the series.-Fictional meaning:...
circles as "The Tube") Mal actually orders Wash to attempt to locate a compression coil. - Mal and Jayne talk about Dobson's attempt to bribe Jayne into betraying his employer. In "Out of GasOut of Gas"Out of Gas" is the eighth episode of the science fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. It differs stylistically from the rest of the series, in that it tells its story alternately in three timeframes: events in the present, events in the near-past that led to the present, and...
", we see that this is exactly how Jayne first joined the Serenity crew. It also foreshadows "ArielAriel (Firefly episode)"Ariel" is the ninth episode of the science fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon.Hard up for cash, Serenity takes on a job from Simon: break into an Alliance hospital on central world Ariel so that he can get a thorough diagnostic of River and the crew can loot the valuable...
" when Jayne betrays Mal by turning in the Tams to the feds for the large reward. - Book's feelings that his experiences on Serenity have corrupted him foreshadows his later decision to leave the ship for this very reason in the comic book series Serenity: Those Left BehindSerenity: Those Left BehindSerenity: Those Left Behind is a 2005 three-issue comic book limited series published by Dark Horse Comics. It was written by Brett Matthews with Joss Whedon credited for story, illustrated by Will Conrad, and colored by Laura Martin....
. - The same Reaver ship that chases Serenity in this episode later appears in the film SerenitySerenity (film)Serenity is a 2005 space western film written and directed by Joss Whedon. It is a continuation of the short-lived 2002 Fox science fiction television series Firefly, taking place after the events of the final episode. Set in 2518, Serenity is the story of the captain and crew of a cargo ship...
as part of the Reaver fleet which emerges from an ion storm in pursuit of Mal and his crew.
Themes
As Joss Whedon points out in the commentary for this episode, every show he does is "about creating family". To achieve the sense of family, he centers some action around a dinner scene at a table, and directs warm light into the faces of the characters. Strengthening this theme is the interaction between Simon and his sister River. Simon has done a selfless act in rescuing his sister, and his life is now defined by it. Whedon wanted to show a relationship like that that was not a parent-child relationship.Another theme is the fusion of Asian and frontier culture. As Brett Matthews
Brett Matthews
Brett Matthews is an American writer of comics and TV shows. He was assistant to Joss Whedon on TV shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Firefly. He scripted the Firefly episode Heart of Gold...
said, you couldn't ask for a better mission statement for the show than the shot of Mal with a Western tin cup and chopsticks. He then contrasts this to the tall, vertical Alliance cruiser that detects them, as he wanted to show how inefficient the Alliance government was.
He also wanted to show a lifestyle that was very tactile and physical, and contrast it to the lifestyle of the contemporary audience where things "fall in your lap."
Production
This episode was originally intended as the pilot, but since the original version didn't suit Fox, it did not air. The beginning sequence was reshot before it did air, to give more of the "action" that Fox wanted. Instead, "The Train Job" aired as the pilot - "Serenity" was the last episode to air.Also, at the time they were shooting this, Rebecca Gayheart
Rebecca Gayheart
-Early life:Gayheart was born in Hazard, Kentucky and raised in Pine Top, Kentucky, the daughter of Floneva , who worked as a Mary Kay independent beauty consultant, and Curtis Gayheart, a miner and coal truck driver. She is of Irish, Italian, and German descent...
was playing the role of Inara Serra, but Whedon knew that it was not going to work out and so shot scenes with her interacting with the crew in singles, so that the only part that would have to be reshot would be the shots of Inara.
After the Reavers are introduced, the screen goes to near black before cutting to commercials. Whedon wanted to give the audience time to "breathe" before being hit with commercials, but a true black would automatically cue the ads. Instead, he went with a color that was as close to black as he could go without causing this.
Guest cast
- Carlos JacottCarlos JacottCarlos Jacott is an American film and television actor. He has appeared in over 40 television shows including Firefly and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and playing a demon on both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel....
as Lawrence Dobson, an AllianceAlliance (Firefly)The Alliance is a fictional supra-governmental entity in the Serenity franchise, a powerful authoritarian government and law-enforcement organization that controls the majority of territory within the known universe...
"Fed." This is also one of Whedon's "hat tricks" for the episode: an actor that has appeared on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and AngelAngel (TV series)Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
, as well as Firefly. - Mark SheppardMark SheppardMark Andreas Sheppard is an English actor and musician, born in London of an Irish-German background. He is often credited as "Mark A. Sheppard".-Personal life:Mark Sheppard is the son of actor W. Morgan Sheppard...
as Badger, the crime boss located on Persephone. - Andy UmbergerAndy UmbergerAndy Umberger is an American actor, mainly appearing in minor roles in television.He has been credited in many television hit series, beginning in the mid-90s, although generally only in one episode of each....
as the captain of the Alliance cruiser Dortmunder. He is also a "hat trick." In Buffy, though, he wore the heavy makeup of an important recurring character, the demon D'HoffrynD'HoffrynD'Hoffryn is a fictional character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, played by Andy Umberger. He is a powerful entity high in the demonic hierarchy. He's the master of the vengeance demons, a cabal which includes humans who are "elevated" to demonic status and endowed with mystical powers enabling them...
, Anyanka's boss, so he's barely recognizable, as Fillion notes in the DVD commentary. - Philip Sternberg as Inara's client.
- Eddie Adams as Bendis, one of the members of Mal and Zoe's unit in the Battle of Serenity Valley.
- Colin Patrick Lynch as Radio Operator.
- Bonnie BartlettBonnie BartlettBonnie Bartlett is an American television and film actress. Her career spans over 50 years, with her first major role being on a 1950s daytime drama, Love of Life. She is best known for her role as Ellen Craig on the medical drama series St. Elsewhere. She and her husband, actor William Daniels,...
as Patience.
Cultural and literary allusions
There were several references to popular culture in this episode. The character Bendis, the soldier that fought in Serenity Valley, was named after comic book writer and artist, Brian Michael BendisBrian Michael Bendis
Brian Michael Bendis is an American comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim for his self-published, Image Comics and Marvel Comics work, and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics, with his books selling consistently highly for over a...
. Also, when deploying the decoy called the "Cry Baby", Malcolm Reynolds says "Cry baby cry" and Wash responds with: "Make your mother sigh," which is a quote from The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' song "Cry Baby Cry
Cry Baby Cry
"Cry Baby Cry" is a song by The Beatles, written by John Lennon, from their 1968 album The Beatles.-Composition:Demos of the song indicate that Lennon wrote the song in late 1967...
."
The logo of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation from the Alien
Alien (film)
Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. The film's title refers to its primary antagonist: a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature which...
series can be seen at the top of the interface screen on the anti-aircraft gun during the battle sequence at the beginning of the episode (Joss Whedon wrote the script for the fourth movie in the Alien series).
As part of the effort to have props serve as meaning, the Chinese character for "Short Interval" is visible on an hourglass in Inara's shuttle when she is with her client during the character's introduction.
When Inara docks her shuttle with Serenity, a Lambda-class Imperial Shuttle can be seen taking off in the background.
External links
- "Serenity" at Firefly Wiki