Applied Science: The Jeeves and Wooster Theory applied to Firefly.
My Mother (who is pictured above.) has this theory. Well, its less of a theory than a routine. She figures that as long as she has not seen it, she can class it as new. This is important when one of your favorite shows, Jeeves and Wooster, is no longer in production. Since she enjoys the show and watching its new episodes so much, she also figures that she should stretch out the watching of the new ones for as long as she can. So, she is watching them all in order, working her way through the seasons and every time she gets to a new episode, she goes back to the beginning and starts again. Sure, that means that she's seen the first one buckets of times, (and as a matter of fact, so have I) but she still finds it enjoyable. (Funnily enough, I still find it enjoyable. Its the one where Bertie's cousins are trying to get into the seekers. Its also the one where Bertie gets done for trying to knick a constable's hat.) Keep my Mother's theory in mind.
About two months ago, we got Firefly on DVD under the recommendation of my friends back home and also a bar buddy of John's. We watched the first episode, and I was immediately enthralled. John enjoyed the show, but said that he had seen the movie Serenity and that sort of ruined the show for him. Bummer. So, I've been slowly watching the series, parcelling it out in bits, at first so as not to get too far ahead of John. Recently, however, my Mother's theory has come into play.
They are making no more of them. And, I like them so I want to stretch out the newness of them for as long as possible. John said to me the other day, "Haven't you already seen that one?" And, the answer was, "yes. Yes, I have." But, these things hold up to repeated viewings, they are that well written. In a sense, the remind me a little of Sports Night, another one of my favorite shows no longer in production. Little comments or reminders come up in later episodes, I'm catching things I didn't catch the first time. Which is exciting. In the first episode, Kaylee, the ship's engineer points out something that could possibly go on the fritz and leave them drifting that becomes an important plot point in a later episode. But, even before you get to that, if we're talking about the writing, we have to talk about how well-written the characters are. I know people who are fiercely idealistic like the captain who would also batter you for abusing their friends. I also know people so good natured that they can do no wrong.
I am only about half way through the season, and having just gone back to episode one again yesterday I don't expect to be making swift progress any time soon. But, I highly recommend the show. I say yes.
