Why didn't you like Firefly?

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Espy

Espy

I am amazed at the amount of people I meet who hate Firefly.
Here is what I hear most:
"It's really cheesy with horrible acting"
"Terrible effects"
"Not even remotely funny"
etc.

I get if it's not someone's type. We can't all love "Generic tv show with laugh track", but for TV it had really solid vfx, what I thought was very entertaining and comfortable acting and a really solid sense of humor.
So does anyone here hate it? Why? Did you used to hate it but don't now?
I'm just so bummed that my best buds hate this show... they usually have such great taste...
 
C

Chibibar

Some of my friends "hate it" mainly because it is a mix of two "opposite" worlds of Cowboys and Space exploration (I think it mesh REALLY well)
 

I believe that anyone professing to hate it, hasn't really watched it.

I can understand if you didn't like it, but hate is much too strong.
 
Charlie Don't Surf

Charlie Don't Surf

It is pretty distilled Joss Whedon. If you don't like his style, dialogue, or other trappings, you will not like Firefly. Despite my constant taunting of delusional Browncoats(who I don't like), it was a solid TV show. And I completely see why it failed.
 
C

cvgurau

I wasn't always a fan (didn't see it when it was on TV), but I can see why other people wouldn't like it. It can get slow sometimes. Kinda dull. The third episode (they run across the Reaver-ed ship and find the one survivor, who then goes apeshit; dude from Desperate Housewives was on it) was dull enough that I fell asleep watching it. (Other episodes more than make up for it; I was on the edge of my seat for most of "Ariel". First time I saw it, anyway).


So I can understand why people wouldn't like the show. But hate? That's a strong word for a TV show.
 
figmentPez

figmentPez

Staff member
I know the complaint about Joss Whedon's writing, in general, that most sticks in my mind is the claim that all the characters' dialogue is almost interchangeable. I've heard multiple people claim that most of the lines could be spouted by almost any character, and that the "voice" of most characters is almost identical.
 
Espy

Espy

Charlie Dont Surf said:
It is pretty distilled Joss Whedon. If you don't like his style, dialogue, or other trappings, you will not like Firefly. Despite my constant taunting of delusional Browncoats(who I don't like), it was a solid TV show. And I completely see why it failed.
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Funny... I really don't care for anything else he has done. Dollhouse is... okay. I can't get into anything else in the "Whedonverse".
I see why it failed to, I can't argue that, but I'm just surprised at how many people I know who really don't like this show...
 
W

Wasabi Poptart

*hands over her geek card* I didn't hate it. I just didn't like it. But the only Joss Whedon show I've remotely liked has been Dollhouse. Just not into his work.
 
L

Lally

I don't hate it, but I haven't watched past the first episode. I thought it was really boring. I never had any incentive to give it another chance until reading posts on this forum. I might give it a second chance at some point, but right now my list of TV shows I want to watch is pretty long.
 
Shegokigo

Shegokigo

Firefly failing because it was "too Joss" just comes off as BS to me. Why? Cause I can't stand any of his other work, but Firefly will be in my geek heart for life.

Lally: It takes 3-4 episodes before you're sold for life (if you're going to be). Also was the first episode you watched the pilot or the "aired first episode"?
 
L

Lally

I'm honestly not sure. My boyfriend "acquired" the series, I didn't watch it when it was on TV.
 
Shegokigo

Shegokigo

That can be a solid difference. I was actually pretty indifferent, but by episode 4 I was singing the theme song out loud for every episode after that.
 
Charlie Don't Surf

Charlie Don't Surf

Shegokigo said:
Firefly failing because it was "too Joss" just comes off as BS to me. Why? Cause I can't stand any of his other work, but Firefly will be in my geek heart for life.

Lally: It takes 3-4 episodes before you're sold for life (if you're going to be). Also was the first episode you watched the pilot or the "aired first episode"?
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I didn't say it failed because it was "too Joss", just that that could turn a lot of people off.
 
Gusto

Gusto

I haven't seen it *waits for gasps of shock* but I assume it has Whedonesque dialogue, which certainly grates after a while.
 
C

Chibibar

Gusto said:
I haven't seen it *waits for gasps of shock* but I assume it has Whedonesque dialogue, which certainly grates after a while.
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I have no qualm saying that I was a late comer in terms of "Whedonesque" stuff.

I didn't like Buffy (but to be fair I never watch past season 2)
I didn't get into Angel (again... not pass season 1)
I do like dollhouse
I do love Firefly

On firefly, I didn't know anything about it until I went to a convention and my friends were ranting and raving about it. I went to Fry's (my fave place to shop) and at the time they were selling the collection (the whole thing WAY before the movie came out) for like 12$ I kid you not. My wife goes, "I heard good things from my friends too" so we bought it.

first 3 episode were ok. It was funny but didn't pull together. 4 was alright but 5+ the story starting to pull together and actually made some sense. After watching the last episode I was very sad it was canceled cause there are so many unanswered question.

Then the movie was announced. I was kinda happy hoping to see more of it and possible "sequel" to the movie BUT then I learn that this will be the ONLY movie. It has been too long since the TV series and he just want to wrap things up. I went to see the movie and loved it and was sad that there isn't any more Firefly. I feel it had potential but it was killed too soon.

I can totally understand why some people might not like it (not into that kind of humor? the whole western idea in a space setting? the only other thing I can think of that came close but NOT american is Cowboy BeBop. It is another show that have people hate and loving it.)

I am not going to "hate" people for not loving Firefly because I didn't like Buffy or Angel (and there are TONS of people who adore those shows)
 

Whoever did the recaps for it on Television Without Pity tended to snark about it a lot. As long as you're not a thin-skinned Browncoat they're pretty entertaining to read, except for some just plain bitching.
 
E

EpicEpileptic

I personally love the show and most people I talked to about it feel pretty indifferent about it. Only person who's truly hated the show is my younger brother, the only reason he hates it is because his freshman college dorm mate was a total douche nozzle who stole my brothers ipod and some of his money through out his freshman year. One of the dorm mates favorite shows was Firefly, and my brother detested this guy so much at the end of the year he hated almost anything that reminded him his dorm mate.
He says he's going to try to watch it again some day but he's not in any hurry.
 
drawn_inward

drawn_inward

Espy said:
Charlie Dont Surf said:
It is pretty distilled Joss Whedon. If you don't like his style, dialogue, or other trappings, you will not like Firefly. Despite my constant taunting of delusional Browncoats(who I don't like), it was a solid TV show. And I completely see why it failed.
Click to expand...
Funny... I really don't care for anything else he has done. Dollhouse is... okay. I can't get into anything else in the "Whedonverse".
I see why it failed to, I can't argue that, but I'm just surprised at how many people I know who really don't like this show...
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It's the only thing that Whedon has done (beside Dr. Horrible) that I have really liked. There's a lot of people that really dislike sci-fi for some reason. I know folks in school that get downright angry if a plot of a movie involves an alien of some sort.
 
P

Papillon

Lally said:
I don't hate it, but I haven't watched past the first episode. I thought it was really boring. I never had any incentive to give it another chance until reading posts on this forum. I might give it a second chance at some point, but right now my list of TV shows I want to watch is pretty long.
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If you have the DVD, it should be in the correct order. Unfortunately Joss Whedon shows often seem to take a while to find their feet. I think in the commentary Joss said he thinks the last few episodes are the best because they knew they were on the verge of getting canceled so they wanted to make every episode count.
 
M

Mr_Chaz

One of my friends doesn't like it because it's not real enough. *sigh* If someone doesn't like sci fi then they just won't give it a chance.
 
J

Joe Johnson

I really loved the show (maybe fueled by nostalgia - I also loved "The Galaxy Rangers" as a kid).

The cowboy stuff got to be annoying sometimes, but it didn't stop me from enjoying it. Oh, and you'll never get me to like the theme song. Ever. But, as sci-fi it had so many interesting elements that you don't get in a lot of other sci-fi these days.
 
C

Chummer

3 things, one of the big reasons it failed was because Fox kept screwing over its broadcasting, lets not forget that.

two, Im shocked as shit that some people prefer Dollhouse, I watched the whole first season and the fact very little character development is made due to the fact the main character gets brainwiped at the end of every show... not to say there ISNT character development but its not the main chracter, its her watcher guy and the cop, and even then.

three, LOL on Babylon 5. My roomy bought the first season and YAWN. It does come off as far to cheesy. And the female lead is.. something about her. I dont want to call her "ugly" cause shes not, but shes unattractive and not entertaning to watch. None of the cast is fun. DS9 for life!
 
R

Reboneer

Chummer said:
three, LOL on Babylon 5. My roomy bought the first season
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Yeah, the first season isn't all that great, but it sets up the rest of the series (which is still to this day pretty much the best science fiction that television has to offer). It can't really be judged by the first season alone.
 
C

Chibibar

Mr_Chaz said:
One of my friends doesn't like it because it's not real enough. *sigh* If someone doesn't like sci fi then they just won't give it a chance.
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real enough? ;)

It is Sci-fi it is not suppose to be real (you know.. science fiction) yea.. if people don't like Sci-fi they won't like Firefly, not much you can do about it.

Drawn_inward: ah.... so you know those people who doesn't believe in any aliens exist at all? (hence if they get mad about alien in sci-fi) I can see why some people might not like the idea that alien are carbon base (which human is carban base lifeform) I have seen sci-fi alien where they are photon base (light) and I think there was a movie (I can't remember for the life of me) they were another another element base and some blue shampoo kills them (it was comedy sci-fi)

It is fiction after all, some of the technology is suppose to be "way out there"

I mean like food/item replicator in Star Trek. In theory it is possible to convert energy into matter (since energy is neither created or destroy just convert into different state) it is way out there, but I wouldn't mind having one ;)
 
Jay

Jay

I watched the series after it ended, my friend showed me an episode and I was instantly hooked. I really enjoyed the series and the "dark humor" it had. The episode of Jane Town's had me in tears on how horribly funny it was. The "engine" interrogation had my beer come out my nose. I loved the series and I also enjoyed the movie, despite it's ending where things happened that I wish didn't happen as it was obviously a farewell gesture of a show that pretty much got fucked over by poor decisions from Fox. To be frank, this show never really got the chance it deserved.
 
R

Rubicon

Firefly has to be Whedon's best work ever, and this is coming after having experienced all 7 seasons of Buffy and all 5 seasons of Angel before I saw Firefly.

There's just.something unique about how the characters worked so well with each other, it might not have seemed like it but they were family. And it's totally true the space exploration and western theme fit together soooo well, I thought it would be kinda cheesey but it's not. Even the little things like no sound effects in space due to budget reasons, really added to the show. The fact they're ship has a fuel capacity that they are always running low on (compared to like the Enterprise that never runs out), the anti-heroes, the rebels, everything.

Take me out to the black..
 
MindDetective

MindDetective

As many have said, it is understandable that some people wouldn't "get it". It is silly at times and doesn't explain the universe that exists except by showing the characters in it. To me, that's a good thing but I think others want to know what they are watching before they watch, not discover it as it unfolds.

On a related note, I kinda would like to introduce my girlfriend to Firefly but she's more of a fantasy fan than science fiction and is extremely critical of a lot of TV shows and movies (regardless of genre). I wouldn't be hurt if she disliked it, of course, but it is always nice to be able to share something that strikes a chord with you. How would you go about introducing Firefly to a friend, family member, etc. that was in a similar situation?
 
Espy

Espy

My wife, who has pretty broad tastes, didn't like it at first. Took her about 4 episodes and she became a huge fan. She teared up during the movie (for obvious reasons if you have seen the movie).
Give her humor, romance, action and she's hooked so I had a feeling she would get into it.
 
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