Joss Whedon and his fans
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Beren44 — 9 years ago(June 28, 2016 01:11 AM)
Interesting points. Its a crying shame that Firefly never got the life it deserved, yet I am glad it was not on HBO or any other more liberal venue. Its just a shame that it was on Fox, though. The show was a perfect blend of family values/real-world-issues, and that was the magic of it. If it had been more vulgar, i.e. on HBO, for example, it would not have been nearly so magical. I may NEVER forgive Fox for screwing the show up so badly. It is the singular most brilliant show ever made, for its short life-time. And a cast that worked together without equal, since television began. In its brief lifetime, it even outshines Cheers, or MASH, or All In The Family, which were all great ensemble casts, also. Just my humble opinion.
~Oh, I'm well aware it's not a picnic, Mr. Save the Day~ (Fitz, Agents of Shield) -
Fandango137 — 9 years ago(June 28, 2016 12:25 PM)
What channel do you think could have made the best of out of Firefly? Also, I'm not sure any channel presents a show in an unbiased manner, which makes it seem like a majority of television is prevented from reaching a director's true vision because of studio limitations, or funding, or any other issues. I assume the reason GoT receives such high funding is because HBO is involved in its narrative, to an extent, thus causing the promotion of blatant feminism. This is fine, if it suits the show, but it doesn't in GoT, at least not considering what we saw in the first few seasons. It's still an entertaining show, and I'm sure being able to spend $300-500 per season helps with that.
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Jae43 — 11 years ago(March 13, 2015 02:12 PM)
I think Buffy and Firefly are on pretty equal footing, so if you think Buffy would be worth a watch if it was only half as good as Firefly, I say absolutely watch it. The characters are indeed quite good.
I like Whedon's shows more than most, but I think Firefly and Buffy are the standouts.
As someone already mentioned, season 1 does start out slow (with a few extremely cheesy episodes). But it also has a few good episodes and it sets up the characters and the universe well.
A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.
Not if you're diabetic -
aradiasnight — 11 years ago(March 19, 2015 04:11 AM)
Thank you very much for the opinions and input I appreciate it. I'm really looking forward to checking out his shows and I'm going to start with Buffy. It will be nice to see something he actually got to finish. It's impressive how quickly he can bring his characters together and get that chemistry. The first few ep of Firefly felt like they all knew each other and I cared about the characters right away. I really hope he can come back to this project someday in one format or another. I kinda wish Whedon was directing the new Star Wars as well.
I tried Star Trek TNG and man that's clunky show. I don't mind it taking awhile to come together but waiting 4 or 5 seasons seems a bit much. Not hating on ST eitherI like it, it's certainly mellow and has it's good points.
Onto Buffy with expectations set at moderate.
again, thanks -
simbob4000 — 11 years ago(March 23, 2015 10:48 PM)
Buffy is his best show. It's really the only place where that quippy way Whedon writes all of his characters makes sense, and the tone of Buffy doesn't make it feel jarring when someone makes a sarcastic flippant "funny" remark in the middle of something serious.
Dollhouse isn't very good, just save your time and watch La Femme Nikita (the movie) or Point of No Returnand then maybe watch the last episode where they're driving around in the vehicle from Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust or Land of the Dead if you feel the need to know how Dollhouse ends after that. Never really gave a beep about the Angel show, just seems like an uninteresting version Buffy. -
Phillip Marlowe — 10 years ago(April 09, 2015 09:43 AM)
It's hard to compare the shows since Firefly was so short-lived. Ultimately, Firefly was never given the time to establish the complexity and depth of Buffy and Angel. The greatest strength of all these shows was their finely honed characterizations, and this needs a lot of time to be properly developed. However, I can say that Firefly's 14 episodes were overall even better and of a higher quality than the first 14 episodes of Buffy and Angel. And that's high praise from me since I regard Buffy as the best TV show ever with Angel not far behind. And the first 14 episodes of those shows were pretty darn good IMO, although not as good as the heights both shows would reach later. It's a real tragedy that Firefly was never given the chance to develop over multiple seasons.
As for Dollhouse, I think that show was just an utter disaster, starting with the insanity of casting one note actress Eliza Dushku in a part that demanded she play multiple very different characters, often in the same episode. To say that she was not up to the challenge is being kind. (I do know that the original Fox deal was with Dushku, so there was no option of casting another actress. But the concept of the series was Whedon's and he should have come up with one more suited to Dushku's "talents.") I did stick with it to the end, believing that Joss Whedon was incapable of creating and overseeing a show this bad and that it would improve. Unfortunately, he was and it didn't. -
pgFiSheYe — 9 years ago(May 03, 2016 06:25 PM)
It's hard to compare the shows since Firefly was so short-lived. Ultimately, Firefly was never given the time to establish the complexity and depth of Buffy and Angel. The greatest strength of all these shows was their finely honed characterizations, and this needs a lot of time to be properly developed. However, I can say that Firefly's 14 episodes were overall even better and of a higher quality than the first 14 episodes of Buffy and Angel.
^ This, plus
IMO Firefly's 14 episodes were overall even better and of higher quality than the first 14 episodes of any series, even Game of Thrones (which I like) -
mertzi — 10 years ago(April 10, 2015 05:52 AM)
watch Buffy! And make sure you start watching angel synchronised, chronologically. The shows don't entwine often but it is necessary if you want to understand everything. Buffy might seem a little tacky at start but it gets better the whole series. Also you need to realise the rare CGI can be pretty bad, not comparable to the CGI in firefly. I re-watched firefly recently and I can't understand how a TV show from 2002-2003 could have that good CGI.
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theater_dreamer — 10 years ago(July 01, 2015 03:02 PM)
I haven't really watched the other shows, but I don't know how
Firefly
could be the weakest of them all. I have no doubt that Buffy and the other series are quite good, but the network screwed
Firefly
up from the beginning ("sorry, we don't like this pilot. Can you write and shoot another in two days, please?"). I mean, how do you take the two hour premier, meant to introduce viewers to the world and all the show's characters, and then stick it at the very end?
Serenity
, the pilot, was the last aired episode before cancellation. Then, the show was promoted as an action/comedy hybrid in space.
What?
While there are comedic elements, absolutely, and there are moments of real actionFOX completely dropped the ball in every possible way a series could be handled.
"Tony Soprano is a trash man, and head of an Italian-American family trying to make good. Check out
The Sopranos
, a real laugh riot, new this fall on FOX!"
Thank God they didn't get that classic. Jackie Aprile would have died in season three, two years after Tony and the crew toasted him at the Bing.
FOX are a bunch of neanderthals collectively, and while I am not a violent person, if I could meet the half-wit that made the ultimate decision to take
Firefly
off the air, I'd cold cock them in a heartbeat.
Just look at the episodes that were aired, and the ones that were released on DVD/Blu that were
not
. As much as I
love
the early ones, the later ones are even better.
Heart of Gold
and
Objects in Space
are in my top five of the fourteen. If the plug hadn't been pulled, there's no telling how high the Serenity would have flied. It's in the stratosphere already, as it is.
I will never, ever give out hoping that there will be more. Even if it's just another movie, I will go to my grave believing that the Serenity will fly again. Joss will make it happen somehow.
Never for the sake of peace and quiet deny your convictions-Dag Hammarskjold -
preachcaleb — 10 years ago(July 02, 2015 06:20 AM)
I have no doubt that Buffy and the other series are quite good, but the network screwed Firefly up from the beginning
That's part of the reason. Buffy and Angel were able to tell their stories over multiple seasons. There's a progression and evolution to the characters filled with gripping story arcs.
Firefly, sadly, never got that far.
That being said, Firefly had the strongest first season of all three shows. If it had been allowed to continue, I have no doubt, it would've become the best of the three and would be known as Whedon's magnum opus.
Can't stop the signal. -
AngelGG — 10 years ago(July 02, 2015 02:27 AM)
Buffy is a masterpiece.. HOWEVER - please don't give up on it in the first season, as overall it's really cheesy and basically, quite crap. I watched from season 2 and at the end of it bought season 1 and 2 on dvd so i could watch it all from the start.. and i was like.. is this the same show? I watched it through and have done so multiple times, as when I watch Buffy i have to do it 1 through 7 properly - and season 1 is BY FAR the weakest. Just put up with it and know, that for sure the best is yet to come. Season 2/3/5 and 7 are my favourites, i still have a soft spot for the very dark 6 but it's not my favourite, and although season 4 has one of the best episodes of television ever (hush), it's still not my favourite season either.
Angel had it's flaws but the first three seasons especially were excellent, the way they went with Cordy never really flew with me.
If you want to watch it all in chronological order, watch the first 3 seasons of buffy, then season 4 of buffy/1 of angel, 5 of buffy/2 of angel, 6 of buffy/3 of angel,7 of buffy/4 of angel, then 5 of angel is a standalone so to speak, watch that last. It has a sort of open ending though as it was prematurely axed so if you are up to it i would read the follow up comics on how the story continues. I was totally satisfied with Buffy's ending, it was done to perfection IMO, so I never followed the story after that, but of course if it was ever on again i would watch it in a heartbeat. SMG is buffy though so i'd never watch it without her and allison hannigan. I hope they never ever ever reboot it with different actors, if it ever continues and even if SMG is 50 by then LOL i'd still rather it be her.
To this day no show has had me caring about the characters as much as Buffy.. the emotion was intense.. and it was about kids coming of age and dealing with the everyday challenges of life as much as it was about vampires and monsters- it all blended together perfectly and never got too soap-ish. I don't know how Joss does it but he is a master at having you really feel for the characters. -
BubbleBobbleTaito — 10 years ago(July 03, 2015 01:37 PM)
All true. Don't let Buffy season 1 stop you because it is very bad. I would have quit watching if it didn't air at dinnertime for me. But season 2 truly is a masterpiece.
You have to get into Angel too but its worth it. For me Alexis Denisof takes this show to amazing heights in the way he plays Wesley. (I love the storyline "The father will kill the son").
You get to see familiar faces of you watch these after Firefly. Malcolm Reynolds is in the last season of Buffy, Zoe & Jayne are in Angel. -
India_Ana — 10 years ago(August 03, 2015 10:03 PM)
etc.
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