I don't know what to think about this. According to some stories I have read, Nathan Fillion said something on Twitter about winning millions of dollars and buying the rights to Firefly from Fox. Wishful thinking, of course, but it has spawned a campaign. A bunch of Browncoats started taking pledges (not money) to help Nathan produce the show should the rights ever be purchased. So, after some soul searching, would I really want to have another bout of Firefly? I guess I am a little gunshy with this show. A few years ago, I live blogged the entire series. We made ice planets and, basically, nerded out. It was the last time I watched Firefly or watched the film, Serenity.

Part of the reason I held the Firefly marathon is I wanted to move on. I have never loved a television show like I do Firefly. There is something about it that makes you want to watch it over and over again hoping that the next time you watch it, there are six and a half more years of episodes to get through. The film came out a couple of years after the show ended and it answered all the pressing questions (except for one) but it still didn't fill that void.

To try and dull the pain when I learned there would be no more Firefly, I watched Buffy and Angel and became fascinated to watch the writers develop their skills over the years and it all made sense. Most of the writers on Buffy, ended up on Firefly. No wonder the show was amazing, these folks had worked for years together. It was a perfect storm of talent. It was something that I don't think had ever been done before or has been replicated since.

We've all become critical and desperate these days when it comes to television. As viewers, we've made the industry jumpy and have driven the addiction to reality (barf) programs which makes it less likely that a show like Firefly would ever appear again. Would a potential reboot do it? Doubtful but I would be willing to give it a try. It just wouldn't be the same. I don't know if I could go through that again. It is only a television show after all but, if you've seen it, you know it is much more.

Back to the marathon. I wanted to get out of my "Firefly head" and check out some other shows that I may enjoy. I have checked out Castle, Chuck, and a few other things. But I can't help but feel a little giddy about the potential of a return. It probably won't happen since we've already had our Cinderella story with a movie. But, I hate to admit it, I still haven't entirely moved on. I don't think I ever will. Losing Firefly was like being kicked in the gut. Do you remember the first time you felt sick to your soul because of some kind of rejection? Some experience it when they break up for the first time. I remember the first time I felt it and it was when they canceled Firefly.

I cry every time I see this scene below. The pain is still fresh...augh.

And, of course, if you ever doubt the love of Firefly fans, just check this one out and it will all be clear just how powerful this show was and still is. We still have more comics to read from The Verse. Have you checked out Book's story yet?

This isn't a very Christmas-y post but, the other day, couldn't help but notice there seems to be an increase in Firefly references in current television shows. I watched an episode of Castle the other day and there was a blatant reference. I had to rewind it several times to enjoy it and I laughed quite hard.

To celebrate this occasion, I found a few references for you to check out.

And another...

Another...

And, by the way, if you are not a Firefly fan already, you should pick up several copies of Firefly this holiday season and give them to your friends and family. Don't forget the film Serenity either as it wraps everything up in a nice bow. I would also check out Chuck and Castle. I haven't seen Big Bang Theory yet but, if they are Browncoats, it can't be all bad.

My site has become very, very, Firefly-centric of late and I have been trying to stop blogging about anything Firefly related. But I can't ignore this.

This is the last episode of the series.  It is almost painful to watch because it deals with many different aspects of existence, relationships, and how people perceive their own reality.  I won't get into the details about the influence of Jean-Paul Sartre in the writing of this episode but, if you like, read about it here.

For me, this episode reminds me of the times I feel detached from the world around me.  I don't feel like I fit into the world much like a square peg trying to squeeze into a round hole.  I think everyone feels like this from time to time but, for me, it is all about the internal re-evaluation of the physical world.

Have you ever taken a close look at the objects, space, and people around you?  I mean really looked at them?  Ever mulled over a piece of wood, a marble, or your big toe?  Sometimes I am fascinated by such things.  I can stare at objects and see them in entirely new ways.  I remember a time when I was exploring a new part of my childhood neighbourhood.  I saw my street from a new direction.  When I came home everything looked different.  Lighting fixtures were glowly more brightly.  Surfaces felt different.  It was like I was seeing these common objects for the first time.

It was a powerful experience that I remember to this day.  Being able to see things all over again sounds quite simple but it isn't.

Ah, yes, Ariel.  There are two things I think of when I watch this episode: hands of blue, and the Ariel Ambulance. 

If you've dipped feet into the world of the Browncoat, you'll know that the hands of blue villians are underused.  They are scary, methodical, and have the coolest and goriest brain melting weapons - ever.  These villians appear in two episodes and are scary as hell.  They are very terminator like and feature blue gloves which, by itself, isn't all that scary but just watching them work makes my skin crawl.  Unfortunately, we don't see them at all after this episode (unless you've read the comics) and we learn what happens to them afterwards.

The Ariel Ambulance from this episode also has an interesting story as a prop.  A guy who was driving by a junk yard stopped to take a look around.  He saw some common aircraft frames and one frame he couldn't identify.

He answer came from Firefly.

The craft he has found at a junk yard in the desert was what remained of the ambulance prop from this episode.  To make a long story short, a bunch of Firefly fanatics pooled their money together and paid for the prop to be shipped to them to be refurbished.

Crazy?  Nah.  Cool?  Yes.  I gather that the ambulance has been fixed up and is making a few appearances at different conventions.

Out of Gas is the "pivotal episode" of the series.  We learn how everyone managed to find their way onto Serenity.  I like this point in the series because the show has "found itself".  As we learn about how each character found their way onto Serenity it is also as if the writers, directors, and the performers have settled into the production.  Everyone knows their roles now.  Everyone knows what to do without thinking.  A well oiled machine of a show has finally surfaced.  What makes this even more interesting is that the show was like that from the very first episode.

When I think if Out Of Gas, I think of the many times I have imbued an object with affection.  Sometimes it has been my car while other times it is something like a favourite t-shirt.  For myself, there is a level of comfort I feel for certain objects.  I like to keep them close or, at the very least, know where they are and that they are safe.  Sounds weird, doesn't it?  But, don't you have favourite "thing"?  It could be a book, a night light, cookie jar, teddy bear - just about anything.  For me it is my old security blanket.  I have sealed my blanket in a plastic bag and keep it in a drawer.  I don't take it out daily for a cuddle or anything - I have pugs for that.  The majority of the time I don't think of my security blanket.  But when I need a little pick-me-up when life is getting me down all I need to do is think about my blanket and remember all of the times I used it to keep me positive.  It makes me feel better.  I think of Mal's instant love for a derelict spacecraft as the same as I love my derelict security blanket.

The very last scene of the epiosde hurts my heart each time I view it.  I just want to cry because I know what it is like to "find yourself" in something.  To see the same qualities you have in something.  It is hard to explain but when you feel it for the first time, you never forget it.