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Firefly: Serenity (1)

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After a flashback to Zoe's and Mal's days in the wars six years previous, we cut to the modern day where the Serenity crew is running a salvage operation on a deserted ship and are forced to flee with the cargo when the Alliance show up. Their buddy Badger refuses to buy the cargo so they head off to the rim worlds after picking up three passengers: Book, Simon, and Dobson. En route someone sends a signal to the Alliance and it turns out to be Dobson, an undercover Federal agent, who arrests Simon but is glad to take the whole crew in. He shoots Kaylee before being captured, and Simon forces Mal to flee in return for his doctoring services. When Mal investigates Simon's cargo he finds a naked woman... Read full recap »

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Writers:: Joss Whedon

Director:: Joss Whedon

Stars:: Adam Baldwin (Jayne Cobb); Alan Tudyk (Wash); Jewel Staite (Kaywinnit Lee 'Kaylee' Frye); Summer Glau (River Tam); Morena Baccarin (Inara Serra); Gina Torres (Zoe); Ron Glass (The Shepherd Book); Sean Maher (Dr. Simon Tam); Nathan Fillion (Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds)

Guest Star:: Gabrielle Wagner (Slave #1); Philip Sternberg (Inara's Client); John F. Kearney (Old Man); Jamie McShane (Man); Stephen O'Mahoney (Man (Dortmunder)); Domingo Vara (Ensign); Colin Patrick Lynch (Radio Operator); Andy Umberger (Dortmunder Captain); Mark A. Sheppard (Badger); Carlos Jacott (Lawrence Dobson); Eddie Adams (Bendis)

At the beginning of the modern scene in space just after Mal says "The vault's sealed" we cut to a shot of Mal's back you can clearly see the "sticky" around the vault lock - this is before he applies the sticky which is seen a few seconds later. edit »
After the crew lands on Persephone and everyone is leaving, Wash drives the mule down the ramp, but stops to tell Zoe to be careful ("Zhu Yi"). As he prepares to start down the ramp again, a hand can be seen reaching for the front bumper of the mule to pull him forward. This may not be visible in all formats. edit »

Jewel Staite had to gain weight for her role as Kaylee because Joss Whedon wanted a "woman" to play the part. edit »
Joss Whedon originally wanted Angel star, David Boreanez to play the part of Malcolm Reynolds, but he turned down the part after being told there would be chickens running around on the set (David Boreanez has a fear of chickens). edit »
International airing: Serenity (parts 1 & 2) aired as the series pilot in Brazil on FOX. edit »
Joss Whedon created the role of Badger intending to play the part himself. When that didn't work out he hired Mark A. Sheppard, who was intimidated when he found out that he was playing the Executive Producer's personal role. Joss Whedon, for his part loved Mr. Sheppard's work in the role. edit »
This is the only episode in which the crew calls Inara the nickname "Ambassador". edit »

Mal: This is not my best day ever. (raises his hands)
Dobson: Simon Tam, you are bound by law to stand down. (Simon raises his hands)
Mal: What? The doctor?... oh. Hey, is there a reward?
Dobson: Get on the ground. Get on the ground!
Simon: You're making a mistake.
Mal: I think you oughta get on the ground, son. Man seems a mite twitchy. edit »
Mal: The Alliance said they were gonna waltz through Serenity Valley, and we choked 'em with those words. We've done the impossible, and that makes us mighty. edit »
Zoe: I know somethin' ain't right.
Wash: Sweetie, we're crooks. If everything were right we'd be in jail. edit »
Wash: I'm just the pilot. If we got boarded, I could always say I was flying the ship by accident. edit »
Wash: Didn't (Patience) shoot you once?
Mal: Why does everyone keep fixating on that? edit »

Mal: Cry baby cry. Wash: Make your mother sigh.
A direct quote from The Beatles' song Cry Baby Cry from their "White" album. edit »

9.8
00
gage022
member since: May 16, 2008
Serenity (1)
The Bottom Line: "A very special episode"
This should have been aired first. If the idiots at FOX would have aired this episode first and the rest sequentially, then Firefly would have been the next STar-Trek. (Actually much better) ...Continue »
05/15/08 03:51pm | report abuse
8
00
MovieMark
member since: Mar 4, 2008
Serenity (1)
The Bottom Line: "Pilot episode"
If this were a Friends episode it would have been called "The one with the slows". ...Continue »
03/23/08 07:11pm | report abuse
9.7
00
ootsdemons
member since: Jul 14, 2007
Serenity (1)
The Bottom Line: "A very special episode"
What to do when youve lost everything you believe in and your surrounded by your former enemies? ...Continue »
02/22/08 01:15pm | report abuse
8.5
20
la_survive
member since: Jul 28, 2007
Serenity (1)
The Bottom Line: "Pilot episode"
And together we enter the world of Firefly - a unique and clever series mixing together genres which (in any other sense) would have usually resulted in disaster. This episode draws you into their world - desperate to know more. ...Continue »
02/02/08 06:11pm | report abuse
7.6
10
expatriot
member since: Apr 9, 2006
Serenity (1)
The Bottom Line: "Pilot episode"
We meet the Firefly crew ...Continue »
10/21/07 05:19am | report abuse