So the Internet is buzzing over Nathan Fillion's comment that he would like to buy the rights to Firefly and produce new episodes. While I find it wonderful and awesome that he still has so much love for this show, I wonder whether it's time to let the show go.
Please don't get me wrong. Firefly is one of my favorite television shows of all time. I loved pretty much everything about it, nerded out over it hardcore, and every time I re-watch it, I am always amazed at what a spectacular show it was. The outpouring of fan enthusiasm that resulted in a full-length feature film was nothing short of incredible, and I was just as excited about it as every other Browncoat. I only watch Castle because Nathan Fillion is on it, and I love how the show often makes Firefly references.
I'm inclined to agree with Alexis when she says, "Don't you think you should move on?" While I laughed at Troy's unexpected aside to Abed on Community, I sort of pitied him rather than thought, "Yeah, we need to get Firefly back on the air!" Why did I have that reaction? Because Firefly will probably never get another chance to be what it could have been. The fact that a movie based on a cancelled TV show was even made is a "fucking miracle," to quote Colin Hanks in Nerdist Podcast #61. He goes on for a good five minutes or so on how impossible it is to get anything made in Hollywood, so it really is a miracle that Serenity ever made it off the ground.
Now, I'm going to commit blasphemy against Joss Whedon. If you can't stand to hear a word against him or the Firefly franchise, stop reading now. I'm serious. Spare both me and yourself the burden of your rage and just navigate away to something else. There is plenty of other stuff on the Internet to entertain you.
Still here? Alright, moving right along...
I don't think Serenity was a good movie. Full disclosure: I thoroughly enjoyed it when I saw it in the theaters, and the fangirl in me could hardly contain her glee. I sobbed inconsolably when Wash died, and I actually felt a sense of loss for weeks afterwards. That is how into it I was initially. Unfortunately, it doesn't hold up like its TV predecessor. I actually winced while watching it recently. For whatever reason, the story felt forced, the characters a little less engaging, and it was overly sentimental all around as it paid fan service at every turn.
Ultimately, Firefly had its chance to make a comeback with Serenity, and it just didn't work. The worldwide gross income of the movie in theaters came in at $38.8 million, just barely under the total production cost of $39 million--it didn't even make back the money spent to make it. Perhaps you're thinking, "But that's still good! A grassroots effort got the movie made, so that's actually pretty impressive." Well, that's not how movie studios think. Serenity couldn't make any money in theaters, and no number of DVD sales is going to change the fact that it can't support itself. For Pete's sake, the '08 X-Files: I Want to Believe made $68 million worldwide, and it was off the air WAY longer than Firefly was before Serenity.
In any case, I don't think a Firefly reboot would live up to our expectations. In all likelihood, the time has just passed, and Joss Whedon's most recent projects have been less than engaging, in my opinion. Who's to say that he could recreate the magic that was Firefly? If he did manage it, I would be indescribably thrilled, but I won't hold my breath for it. There are too many other fantastic shows, books, games, and movies that deserve our time and effort just as much. Let's just accept it gracefully and take solace in the fact that we did have Firefly for a little while.
"They can't take the sky from me..."
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