You Can't Take the Sky From Me...

So, yeah. Firefly.

Like a lot of people, I somehow missed this show until the DVD release. I have a difficult time keeping up with TV as it airs anyway, and FOX screwed up on this one big time. We know this because damn near every geek with a keyboard has blogged about it before me. Episodes shown out of order, bad timeslot, long breaks in the middle of the run. The season of Firefly we did manage to get ran straight down the line of “How to Kill a TV show.” Textbook, even.

Big Damn Heroes.

The show really hooked me in with “The Train Job.” Science Fiction, western, colorful characters whose interactions and secrets can unfold slowly as the greater tale is told. All in all, classic Joss Whedon. There's a moment in that episode where Captain Malcolm Reynolds has subdued and captured Crow, the right hand thug of Adelai Niska and tries to return the money they were paid and negotiate “Let's just leave each other alone”. Crow stands, tells him to keep the money, because no matter how far they run, he'll hunt them down. Normally, this is where a major villain is set up. Mal simply says “Darn,” and kicks him into a nearby engine, and then deals with the next thug in line.

Mmmmm... YoSafBridge...

From right there, I knew I was watching something very different, and that a great crime had been committed by this show not making it. Years after the show's cancellation, one of the more rabid and persistent fanbases in the entire geek community continues to carry a torch. In an interview, Nathan Fillion (who played Mal Reynolds) quipped offhandedly in an interview that if he ever won the lottery, the first thing he'd do is to buy the rights to Firefly and start making it again. Immediately the Browncoats (as fans call themselves) put into motion the campaign to “Help Nathan Buy Firefly,” hoping against hope that the show could return.

The minor characters are likeable, too...
even the rotten ones.

The cold water of reality ended the fan campaign to revive the series, with Nathan Fillion now on Castle, and other stars getting regular work (most notably Christina Hendricks, who played femme fatale Saffron now on Mad Men.) The rights not properly being for sale and Joss Whedon having moved on to other projects really does mean it is over. I'm going to say something controversial here. Firefly being over might be a good thing.

I love the show a lot, but canceled so early in the run, before the show's potential was reached made this show a legend. I'm not saying for sure if we'd had the two, or five seasons of Firefly we all desperately wanted that it for sure would have gotten lame. What I am saying is that the potential show we all hold in our imaginations that didn't have the chance to exist is way better than any show could have lived up to. Don't believe me? Something else a little controversial here... look at Serenity.

Who am I kidding, you're looking at River.

I saw it opening night, and a few more times before it left the theater, and there were some things about the movie that I had a problem with. From the opening, which was awesome from an action standpoint but completely at odds with the character development of Dr. Simon Tam, to the death of a major character offscreen with his mysterious background unresolved, I fear that the weaker parts of Serenity foreshadow grim portents of what might have been. Further evidence is found in some of Joss' other shows. I'm a fan in general of all of them,  but Dollhouse (which partially gets a pass for being forced to wrap things up quickly) to Buffy (which doesn't get the same pass) both had some "issues" in their Final Acts. Joss always tells an incredible story in the middle, and gets around to a mostly satisfying final word, but we go through some weirdness in between.

I'm not happy Firefly is gone, but I can take some small comfort knowing it never got lame.

5 Things That Ruled About C2E2

 I've returned from a weekend spent involved in plenty of geeky pursuits, but the big one was my trip to C2E2 on Saturday. For those unfamiliar with the convention, the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo is a massive show featuring comic books, sci-fi and fantasy celebrities, webcomics and games.

1. The Costumes. Any Comic or Anime Convention is going to have their share of fans wandering around in costume, of varying quality and from any number of original sources. This year had the usual suspects of dozens of stormtroopers, attention-starved “hot girls” in skimpy outfits and of course, even Sailor Dude. There were Wolverines and Rorshachs, and a few people who should not wear tights or spandex in any color, but there were so many clever and creative costumes, feats of craftsmanship and technical ability, just the other attendees were worth watching.
   
   

   

   When I said "Sailor Dude", you wish I'd meant some guy in a sailor suit, right? Yeah, me too.

   
   
   
   
2. The Exhibit Hall. The hall itself is the centerpiece of any successful big show, and this year's attractions did not disappoint. Marvel and DC Comics of course, had huge, incredibly slick booths with lines to stand in to pick up swag, talk with creators and see previews of what's coming next. (I especially liked the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent recruiting line, where I think they were giving away a car.) There were tattoo artists, vendors selling everything from the popular to the obscure in pop/geek culture, and plenty of different people and companies contributing to the show.
   
   
3. The Gaming Rooms. There were gaming facilities in both the “plugged” and “unplugged” varieties, available to any gamer who wanted to take a break from the other show areas. Video Gamers could get a quick fix with Free To Play game consoles running solo play, multiplayer and tournament play on a wide variety of titles. I saw a LOT of Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 play, previews of the new Thor game and the usual Call of Duty/Modern Warfare gaming. The Tabletop Game Room had Magic:The Gathering Tournaments, Dungeons and Dragons sessions available to players at levels of skill from “What's All This Then?” to “Been There, Done That, Killed the Dragon.”
   
   

   

   One of the highlights of the show, if you get a chance to see her give a Q&A, don't miss it.

   
   
   
   
4. The Panels. There were panels and seminars given on comic creation, costuming, writing, Science Fiction Fandom and even Why Zombies Are Hilarious. My personal favorites were the celebrity Q&A panels in the IGN Theater. In my hours camped at my pretty decent seat for those panels, I watched Laurie Holden (Andrea) and Jon Bernthal (Shane) from AMC's The Walking Dead talk about character development, loss, and why Jon reflexively wants to bash in the skulls of people cosplaying as zombies. Later, Sam Trammell (Sam Merlotte), Brit Morgan (Debbie Pelt) and Kristen Bauer (Pam) from True Blood talked about their families' response to the show, the incredible fan reception and Sam always having to run around the cold woods in the nude. My favorite panel, though, was Tahmoh Penikett and Eliza Dushku, moderated by Chris Hardwick of Web Soup. Both of these actors have done a lot of work in sci-fi, really knew how to connect with the fans, were likeable, composed, and the whole Q & A session was hilarious, with a lot of talk about Dollhouse, Buffy and Battlestar Galactica. (I especially liked the running gag of Eliza discussing trying not to throw her “P-Word” around... she meant “producer”, and initially seemed ignorant of what everyone else present thought she meant.)
   
   

   

   Q: "What would you do in a real-life Zombie Apocalypse?" A: "Call up my buddy's wife, see what she's doing." THAT REALLY HAPPENED.

   
   
5. Hi-Chew. This Japanese candy had a booth and many people in unusual costumes passing out samples. I'm a fan of snack foods from Japan anyway, from Pocky to wasabi peas, but somehow I'd managed to miss this one. Wow. Imagine something between a Starburst and a piece of Bubbleicious gum, with more intense flavor than either. Great texture, I managed to try Mango, Grape and Strawberry samples, and they sold packs for a buck, profits headed to disaster relief in Japan. By the time I decided to actually purchase some, unfortunately I learned that He Who Hesitates is Lost, as they completely Sold Out.
   
   

   

   OMG Bliss. I'm getting fatter just thinking about these.

   
   

Another longish article, I will probably revisit my trip a few times this week, and for sure, come on back tomorrow to get the counterpoint to this one in “5 things that sucked about C2E2.” Overall, I really liked the show and had a great time, but... nothing and no one is perfect.