An ensemble cast of quirky characters is often challenging to create since many often have cookie cutter personalities. Wash just seems to be there to crack jokes while Kaylee is there to be cute and adorable. Book bores me with his stoic attitude, and Inara reminds me too much of Counselor Troi from Star Trek: The Next Generation, minus the empath abilities. I didn't like Mal. He seemed crabby, mean, and unpleasant. I was pleased to see him lighten up in the second episode. My favorite character so far is Jayne, who had me rolling with laughter during an interrogation scene. Baldwin, known for playing no-nonsense, badass characters such as Animal Mother in Full Metal Jacket, appears to have fun with Jayne, as if he were portraying a parody of his past tough guy roles. I also don't like the storyline regarding River and Simon's past. The whole notion of a mysterious agency experimenting on people is too X-Files for me. Will we be seeing creepy men in black chasing the group in subsequent episodes?
After the lackluster impression "Serenity" made on me, I was reluctant to continue watching the series. However, I've heard so many positive reviews about the show, not just from critics but from word-of-mouth. And while a strong pilot is key to winning an audience, often times they are rocky. The actors are still discovering their roles, the writers are trying to find the right direction to lead the story, etc. Therefore I've decided to give it a second chance and continue watching.
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Article comments
1 - Brad Schader
Joss shows are very much like British sitcoms in that they are 100% character driven. I compare them to a snowball running down a hill. It is not very inspiring in the beginning, but once it gets rolling it will have your full attention.
2 - kymk
Interesting coincidence! BigDamnZine.com is also reviewing the Firefly episodes one at a time. The critic there, Chris, also dislikes several aspects of the show but overall has a much higher opinion of it.