I couldn't get through the first episode of Firefly.
 

I had seen bits and pieces of a handful of episodes, so I thought I'd watch the one season from the start, but I couldn't get through the first episode. It kind of sucked. I liked the idea, but the dialogue, editing, and even the acting were kind of bad. Should I finish the pilot, and then finish the show/season, or is it a lost cause if I couldn't stand the the first hour or so?

Edit: Okay, I just finished the episode Serenity (which I believe is the pilot), and enjoyed the last half-hour. I'll give the next episode a go later. Too late to do so right now, but I'll get to it when I can.

Re: I couldn't get through the first episode of Firefly.
 

Skip to episode two. Or I suggest watching Jaynestown. These episodes are a better reflection of the series then the pilot. I adore the show, but I admit the pilot is weak.

If you like either of those episodes then you can revisit the pilot at another time. If you don't care for the other episodes I will let you make the call on the series.

It wasn't really for me either, i watched the first few episodes so i could vote in a tournament here. I saw the appeal but didn't get much out of it. The biggest Joss Whedon fan i know constantly says you have to stick with his stuff; Buffy Season 1 is alot more teen-show than the rest, Angel Season 1 has some problem i dunno haven't seen it, and Firefly doesn't start getting great til Episode 2 and 3. Don't know if that's the general consensus among fans though. If you are a fan of Whedon's other shows i'd say try another episode at least.

Also i don't think i'm capable of going through shows i know were cancelled now regardless of their reputation. Deadwood and Party Down broke my heart and i watched the first few episodes of Carnivale but had to stop as i could see it becoming a favourite and it's cancellation would have pissed me off.

I don't know which episode you watched, but Fox originally aired the episodes out of chronological order, so the episode you think is the pilot episode may not be the right episode.

The proper chronological episode order is as follows: "Serenity", "The Train Job", "Bushwhacked", "Shindig", "Safe", "Our Mrs. Reynolds", "Jaynestown", "Out of Gas", "Ariel", "War Stories", "Trash", "The Message", "Heart of Gold", and "Objects in Space".

Re: I couldn't get through the first episode of Firefly.
 

There are some critiques of the show I would disagree with, but understand. Calling the dialogue bad sure isn't one of 'em, thoough.

I watched it on Netflix, and Serenity is the one I got 55 into, and gave up. I tried three times, and could only stand about twenty to twenty-five minutes at a time.

Beat me to it, but the first time I watched it, was in the order they were released and it didn't make a lot of sense. second rewatch was in the proper order and it was great.

The same with "Almost Human".. they released those out of order too and it was a wreck that turned into an amazing series in the correct order that also didn't last a season. Starting to think some of these shows have no chance being aired out of order

Same here, which may have factored into my disliking. I will say I don't like it when shows last for more than nine seasons, but being cancelled after one kind of ruins the deal. I thought I'd give Firefly a shot, but I kind of regret it now.

Re: I couldn't get through the first episode of Firefly.
 

If you can't watch 14 episodes then just watch the movie, but some shows like Deadwood you need to watch 2 or 3 times and Firefly is one of those shows.

I remember the first (think it was the first) time Futurama Season 5 was aired over here it was out of order. Futurama Season 5 is four movies split into four normal length episodes each so they were airing say Bender's Big Score Part 3 then Into The Wild Green Yonder Part 1 then Bender's Big Score Part 2. Was so baffling and confusing.

You really need to watch the series before watching the film though to get an idea who all the characters are and all the lore of the franchise, the movie was their farewell long after the series ended and they really didn't waste a lot of time catching people up and went straight for the finale to the story.

I've been told you have to see the show to enjoy the movie. Not sure if that's the general consensus or not, it's the main reason i've never watched it despite owning it for some reason.

Serenity was the attempt to relaunch the franchise, you can likely watch and view Firefly as a prequel. You watch the movie you get to know the characters and then try the show again. It's not like Lost where you find out the mystery's and the deaths and then the show's ruined. Firefly is at it's core an episodic TV show.

It was really the long overdue finale instead of a relaunch considering

Plus, you don't get the thorough setup for things like the reapers, in the film it's like "okay, bad guys..." in the setup on the show it's more like "Okay, psychotic crazed cannibals everyone pee's themselves hearing about and everyone runs like scared rabbits just hearing they're in the area"

and again, since the film pretty much ends the story, it'd just be bizarre to watch that, then watch the series where everything is reset and everyones back at their normal stations.

Re: I couldn't get through the first episode of Firefly.
 

What's Firefly?

a Joss Whedon Sci-Fi show about a smuggler crew aboard a dilapidated old Firefly class ship...


Think "Space cowboys"

Well I think you just answered the point I'm getting to.

You watch the movie, and you see the Reapers are bad guys and then the show goes into those characters more thoroughly.

You watch the movie, and you get Wash and Zoe's story but then you watch the show and you can look at it in a different way because you know whats going to happen.

I think it also works with River and Jayne who are good in the movie but then you watch the show and you get further into it.

It's just 14 episodes and not really plot driven, it has a rough overarching story but it's mostly 14 separate adventures, the show doesn't even have a proper Season finale.

Well yeah, it got axed before ending the first season.. when that happened people were making petitions left and right and eventually they announced they were getting a movie to tie up the loose ends... Which the one loose end they never addressed was

But I think the biggest problem with the show was definitely the airing out of order which had the story jumping all over in the timeline causing confusion, while they were seperate stories, there was still an underlying progression that went right to hell airing the episodes out of order... so it just seems watching the movie first would compound the biggest setback the series itself had to begin with.

If you haven't seen it, check ut a series with Karl Urban called Almost Human... another Fox Sci-Fi show they aired totally out of order and it also got axed before the first season ended. amazing show, Karl Urban had already done Star Trek and was a bankable film star doing a tv series. great cast, but one episode he and his partner hate each other, next they like each other, next they're lukewarm to each other and establishing rules to get along... He lost a leg in an explosion.. in one his prosthetic leg is giving him trouble, in the next he gets a brand new one, in the next he's trying to grease it with olive oil because it's such a trashed old POS...

In order, great series... out of order, confusing trainwreck.