When I first heard about Firefly, it was in passing from a family member who was a passionate Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel fan. While I had tried both shows, neither piqued my interest, so I was a bit reluctant to try Joss Whedon's third major sci-fi series. Looking back, I regret deeply not exploring the series earlier.

While nearly every Sci-Fi show touts itself as an unforgettable series, Firefly does just that. By combining two seemingly opposite genres, the old Western and the modern Space adventure, Joss Whedon's creates the perfect backdrop for what is, when you get down to it, a story of rebellion. The real meat of the series, however, is in the characters, and their interactions with each other.

The show opens up with a somewhat cheesy enterlude, but it quickly becomes less annoying, and it's easy to see how well it fits the series. The story focuses around the adventures of the nine occupants of the ship Serenity, a Firefly class cargo ship captained by a Han Solo-esque vagabond named Malcolm Reynolds. He and his spirited first mate Zoe served in a war that united a non-specific number of planets under one central-body rule. Interestingly, Mal (as he is typically called throughout the show) and Zoe fought on the losing side of the war. There's Wash, the ship's pilot and Zoe's husband, Jayne, the ship's rough-and-tumble muscle man, Kaylee, the ship's too naive engineer, and Book, a shepherd (think priest) who travels with the group for no seemingly obvious reason. The crew is rounded out by two particularly interesting characters, Simon and River Tam. Simon is a brilliant doctor who keeps constant vigilance over his younger sister, River, who is a bit...crazy.

The writing in Firefly is, in my most humble of opinions, top notch. Any dialogue featuring Malcolm Reynolds is almost certain to be gold. Nathan Fillmore offers perfect delivery for most of Mal's interactions, and several of his lines will leave you grinning like a fool. Additionally, Adam Baldwin offers a perfect blend of cluelessness and ruthlessness in Jayne, a gun-toting rough neck who shoots first, then shoots some more. All of the actors do a more than sufficient job at making you believe their particular plight, but I found myself anticipating airtime featuring Fillmore and/or Baldwin.

It's obvious Whedon spent time with all the actors, as the on-screen chemistry is immediately noticable. All the characters blend well together, and the episodes weave together very profesionally. Whedon can be lengthy at times in explaining the origins of things, such as the setup of the new planets and the government that came into power, but due to this none of the episodes feel as if they throw too much information at the viewer. Still, you sometimes feel as if you've been left out of the loop on some information. Specifically, the pilot episode, Train Job, does not do an acceptable job of introducing the characters. Whedon intended the episode "Serenity" to be the pilot episode, but due to the length, FOX changed the opening episode.

All in all, the series is definitely one of my favorites, at least on par with the quirky FarScape, a show with which it shares many similarities. I would definitely recommend anyone interested in Sci-Fi shows to pick up the box set and give them a watch. And even if Sci-Fi normally isn't your cup of tea, Joss Whedon does an excellent job of writing compelling stories that neither preach nor ramble on pointlessly. So give it a watch, and be sure to check out Serenity, a movie continuation of the events of Firefly.

My introduction to Firefly came when I went to see the movie Serenity in theaters after seeing the previews. I had heard it was the movie conclusion to Firefly the TV series, but I had never managed to catch it on TV. After seeing Serenity, which I thought was pretty good, I decided to take a chance and get the complete series on DVD. Great decision, because it turns out the show is phenomenal and even better than the movie.

The show is set in the future, when the Earth has been abandoned and the galaxy is ruled by the Alliance. However, throughout the galaxy new worlds are being colonized and settlements are being formed. These settlements are basically towns in the vein of the old west, where the law is often how many guns you bring with you. In this environment is Captain Malcolm Reynolds and his crew, trying to scrape out a living. Accompanying him on the journey are a wealth of well-drawn and interesting characters. Inara, a high class escort known as a "companion" who operates her independent business. Zoe, the loyal soldiering first mate. Her husband Wash, the sardonic ace pilot. The "preacher," a man of God who seems to have a very dark past. Kay Lee, the friendly girl-next-door mechanic and eternal optimist. Jayne, the brawny mercenary who would sell his own mother for the right price. Finally, there's Simon and River Tam, a brother and sister duo who are on the run from the law after Simon gave up his medical career to help River escape from an Alliance research facility where they conducted strange experiments.

Similar to the X-Files, the show typically has two types of episodes - "mythology" episodes that tie in to the overall story arc including the Alliance and the significance of some of the characters, particularly River. There's also "heist of the week" episodes replacing "monster of the week" shows, which generally have Mal and his crew taking a job and the trouble that inevitably comes with it.

One of the interesting things about Firefly is that although it is "science fiction," really the only sci-fi elements are the futuristic setting and spacecraft. The story is really a compelling human drama about a struggle for independence on the galactic frontier. There are also no aliens, and most of the weapons take the form of the wild west six shooters rather than futuristic laser beams. This really helps Firefly appeal to a more mainstream crowd. It doesn't hurt that it's extremely well written and funny either. The consistent humor and exchanges between characters in Firefly really helps set it apart from lesser shows.

The "complete series" consists of only 14 episodes, or one full season. Fox yanked it off the air due to mediocre ratings, but when has Fox ever been known to make wise programming decisions? The DVD box set remains one of the top sellers on Amazon and other online retailers today despite the series concluding years ago. I've bought several copies and given them as gifts to help spread the word. People are passionate about this show because it is so good.

The worst thing I can say about it is that it got pulled off the air too soon and I want more! Some of the story elements are unresolved at the premature end of the series, but that can hardly be held against the series. Once you've seen the series, you'll likely join the legions of other Firefly fans who want more episodes and support the cause.