This is Joss in full-on psychological horror mode and the film style leans into it hard, with the very static camera, fuzzy audio, lack of colour, and time jumps. Glau does such an amazing job as River here - it breaks your heart watching her transformation.
The most interesting conclusion from these "sessions" is what one can achieve with good writing and outstanding acting in a minimalistic setting. Joss Whedon as the therapist and obviously Summer Glau.
These clips really highlight what a good actor Summer Glau already was at a young age. Her portrayal of the descent into psychosis, while desperately clinging to whatever bits of reality River couldn't still discern, is excellent. And yes, chilling.
Have you watched Summer in the Sarah Connor Chronicles? Ohmygod...Summer is one of the best Terminators EVER! Yes she is up there with the first and second Terminator movies. Please let us not even discuss anything after the first 2 Terminator movies. But definitely give it a watch. Then come back and let's talk about it😉
I was today years old when I was introduced to The River Tam Sessions. Firefly was Joss Whedon's masterpiece, the pinnacle of his storytelling career to date.
The thing I appreciate about these sessions is how well they highlight and explain River's mental state as presented throughout the series and the movie. With all we know now the wonder is that she was able to maintain any sanity at all.
As a minor point that can be difficult to pick up on: the "Doctor Mathias" that is mentioned a couple times here by the therapist (played by Joss Whedon) is the doctor that shows up at the beginning of the Serenity movie and is killed by the Operative by forcing him to fall on his sword.
It makes you think of every single episode that you've seen her in, doesn't it? Rewatching the season with a bit more knowledge of what she went through, you will find it hard to believe how sane she is compared to how sane she should be. I am always amazed at just how effortless she makes it seem. What a great actress.
I love the little reference she makes to the story of the princess and the pea. I wonder if there are any other literary references amidst her rambling.
Wow! What a actress! Now imagine that role going to someone else entirely? Nope! Extremely talented Summer Glau! Really all the cast was amazing, but for a actor to portray that in a few short episodes is truly brilliant. She also played in Terminator Sarah Conner Chronicles a short 2 season tv series if you're interested. Now on a happier note you can watch the outtakes/blooper reel 🙂 Much Love Juliette have a wonderful Day/night!
Thanks for reacting to this! This slow descent into madness is a bit creepy and scary. I think it really sets up what it was that Simon rescued River from.
It was such an eye opener, Alan! I look back now and think about when I first saw River and had NO IDEA. It's SO sad, such a waste of a beautiful and special girl 😭😭
@@julesreacts Will you be reacting to another Joss Whedon masterpiece? He filmed it during the writers' strike that year. It's a 3 act 40 minute musical called "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog". It stars Neil Patrick Harris, Felicia Day, & Nathan Fillion.
@@dunringill1747 I second that. Nathan had two rules for his agent : No musical roles or Shakespeare, and anything that Joss offers, you say YES without needing anything said. That is how he ended up in a 3 act musical and in 'Much Ado About Nothing' (Whedon's modern day Shakespeare adaptation).
Apart from canon written stories, you definitely want to check out the bloopers from Firefly, and you may want to check out the Firefly references in Nathan Fillion's next series Castle. There are video compilations of both on UA-cam. 😉
I haven't actually seen these before, so thanks for introducing me to them! It's absolutely heartbreaking to see how they took such a happy, bright young girl and just broke her. Honestly, Simon doesn't get enough credit for being the best big brother anyone could ask for.
Simon is incredible! He is the best big brother for sure and River is so lucky to have him 🥰 Almost makes me wish I had a brother, but only if he is like Simon 🤣
"Castle" not only stars Nathan Fillion(Mal) but had several "Firefly" references and guest appearance by alumni of that show. "The Big Bang Theory" also has "Firefly" references and guest appearances.
Hey Jules, thanks for all your Firefly reactions. It was a real joy to watch! Now there's only one question left... Whats next? I am still hoping for Buffy... but maybe thats just me. 😊
Just think, he could have been Badger. (Mark Sheppard had a great interview and was given the Badger role. No one told him until the pilot wrapped that he took the boss's self-insert. He was gobsmacked.)
Wow. What a remarkable performance by Summer Glau - and a great, heartfelt reaction by you, Jules! (I do have to admit that this also reminded me of why I don't watch the Tam Sessions often: Joss' line readings really don't work for me. I admire how he was able to come up with this no-budget, viral marketing attempt, and he is still one of my favorite creative talents of all time; but, I have to admit that I do kind of wish that a more seasoned actor was playing opposite of Summer. Credit where due, though - he did very well in the - incredibly creepy! -final excerpt!) But, yeah, I agree with you - an unexpectedly emotional time here! Your empathy and compassion for River is great, Jules. And it's one of the reasons that I'm glad that I'm (finally) about to join you for your journey through Buffy! Thank you for this reaction!
I didn't realise it was Joss until the comments! I'll have to rewatch at some point because I didn't pay that much attention to him when River was the star of the show 🥰
Now that you've seen the show and the movie - an interesting observation I made about the 'Hands Of Blue' characters from Season 1. Apart from Reavers: they are the only thing she seemed to be 'scared' of. In Ariel when she knows they are coming she freaks out, like way more than when the Alliance Feds are about to catch them. And she also cowers in a corner in the ship when she senses they have been dispatched. Considering what we've seen that does NOT scare her (ie Niska, Badger, even The Operative doesn't trigger any psychic response from her) -- what the hell were those guys? (Her psychic ability has a fluctuating range though. I could be leaping here but @6:55 I get the feeling she knows that Simon is looking for her, like not intuitively but has sensed it.)
Great reaction as always Jules. Even if you don't react please be sure to watch "Done The Impossible" the documentary about how the Browncoat's pushed and pushed until the movie was made. Much love and keep on keepin on J.
Great reaction again. Like others have mentioned, the original River Tam Sessions was released with the last session shown first. What's also interesting was that this was a trailer that was let out for the movie Serenity that was kind of fake leaked. Josh knew it would get out on the internet and never promoted this... it just sort of got seen by word of mouth.
I kind of liked the original order (same sequence, except the last one came first). It makes the "I have to write it down" hit differently. Though I guess that order was meant more for newcomers and start off with something intriguing.
Jules, For more of Summer Glau, I'd highly recommend "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" (2008-2009) This is another great, but prematurely cancelled FOX series ( 31 episodes) that is a direct sequel to the first two Terminator films: The Terminator (1984) Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) These 2 films are also popular with other reactors, but I haven't seen anyone do "The Sarah Connor Chronicles" yet. You could be the first. (After the films, of course, unless you've already seen them) If anyone else thinks this would be a good series for Jules to react to, upvote this comment.
Jules, Do yourself a kindness and get the graphic novels. You will get back stories on the characters. There are soft cover books and digital copies available. Trust me you will enjoy them
Thank you for reacting to this. I hope you react to all the bloopers, outtakes, behind the scenes, as well as their reunion footage. Really great stuff! You can't react to them but there are also official canon Comic Books & Novels that deal with the lore mysteries left unanswered from the Series / Movie. You watched the chronological numeric order version. The release order from Joss Whedon is better IMO. The only difference - The release order starts with session 416 except 2. You see him die at the start which grabs your attention like a mini mystery. then it goes through the rest in proper numeric order. The last session you see is session 416 excerpt 1 with River saying she will have to write the mission down while motioning for his pen. The reason some feel the sessions are a spoiler before the movie is because at one point she mentions the Pax. I see that as a mystery and not a spoiler for first time viewers. You don't get a clue what the Pax is about until you see the movie.
This does show her decline and abusive "treatment". Jules you are a fantastic reactor and I look forward to watching many more show and movie reactions by you. Thanks for sharing with us. I always love your thoughts and commentary.
It's so heartbreaking to see River's decline. That first session she was still psychic but was so much different than the River we saw on the show. She was smiling and happy and engaged and coherent. They manipulated her and abused her, and it's so scary to watch.
Thanks so much, i love the show and never s saw this. I like river and have to say I'm happy she got some power back in her fucked up situation, even if it made her a murderer. She's a strong woman when she needs to be.
Summer's acting ability is phenomenal. It's quite difficult to give a convincing portrayal of a brilliant character. There needs to be an understanding of brilliance to make it authentic. I think we can all agree, she nailed it.
the alliance comes across a genius, thirsty for knowledge man, and what does he decide? to turn him into a weapon. as stupid as it is sinister.But now we can truly appreciate the ending of Serenity, where River was almost back to her old self.I say "almost" because no one can go through something like that and remain unaffected.
Thank you for this! I love Firefly very dearly and I didnt know this even existed! In case you didnt know, there are some comic books too, and I dont know if you play RPG's, but there's a tabletop RPG as well that has a lot of lore, including a list of all the Chinese phrases and euphemisms they use in the show.
Never seen a reaction to these before. Great you're deep diving into all the Firefly extras, your reactions are amazing. For the story of how the Serenity movie came to be made watch Done the Impossible. I'm not sure if it's available on any official streaming service, but someone uploaded on UA-cam Evu3JSf1VEQ
Well done, Jules! 💜 It is a tragedy, what the Alliance attempted to do with these intelligent, empathic, children. Keep their awareness of what others are projecting, but kill the emotion of the interaction. It is a sad use of individual talent.😢 Although, originally, presented as a teaser for the movie, I don't really think this added anything essential to the movie's enjoyment, and it's impact, for me, was as powerful after, as it would have been before. It is a series of slice of life glimpses, which explain more about the episodes, than the movie. Summer Glau is a talented lady, and a great addition to the talented cast of Firefly. If you ever get the chance, you should catch her in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, another low-key, but standout, performance amongst a great cast of characters.😊
I still remember what I thought about River way back in the pilot. I had no idea of what happened to her (like most who begin on this beautiful journey). I never, ever, would have thought she would be this gifted and bright young lady. I didn't know what was "wrong" with her but knew that something wasn't quite "right". To see her go from such a beautiful and hopeful young girl, so full of life, into who we know as River is SO heartbreaking. Thank goodness Simon cared so much about her to give up EVERYTHING, even against the advice of his father. Where would she be without Simon? He's the brother we all need to have 💜 I've heard about the Sarah Connor Chronicles! I would like to get to see that one day. Thank you, Tom 🤗
Dont forget, Jules, there are also deleted scenes to watch. You dont have to post to youtube, but you really should check them out if you havent already. From both the series and the movie.
This was so good, and so heartbreaking... This is an extreme example of breaking someone down and molding them into a tool for a particular purpose. Sadly, that sort of thing is done in the real world - perhaps not to that extent, but the idea is central to things like basic training in the military...overcoming societal norms to allow a soldier to kill and survive in combat.
And the great thing about this video is that there is this rivalry between Dr. Mathias and the Labcoat Man! And we hear about it only indirectly. But it must have been so intense that it got Labcoat Man killed! This is great writing! And I have read all the articles about Joss Whedon. And yes, he is a flawed human being who probably hurt many people. And that's not right of course! But his writing is great!
You must listen to all the Firefly songs by Bedlam Bards, there are other artists that will come up when you do. It is all art in honor of art. Browncoats love hard. Happy to welcome you.
This is a tough watch. I didn't want to deny you seeing this, but it is a bit of a nightmare. And we know how sensitive you can be. BUT.... you're next step in the Firefly Journey is a much happier one. Please go watch any of the Comicon Firefly Panel's. There's a bunch on UA-cam. They're so nostalgic and heartwarming, I often get teary-eyed with happiness. Check it out ;)
Hi Jules ... I think you can see now, why I was against you seeing this BEFORE the movie. That would've destroy the surprise/reveal, and you would've known what she's capable of before it was time. And, to your wish ("I hope you enjoyed it") ... of course we did 😉😁👍. Anything we get from you is gold !!! I'm probably going to go back and rewatch all your reactions again, just because you were so awesome, it bears repeating (i.e. the experience). Of course you know, I AM subscribed to your channel and will be branching out into your other ventures (current and future) but, I have a question ... are you planning on reacting to any more movies ??? There are so many out there for you to watch, and I have so many to recommend 😊😁😉👍. Whatever you do, I'll be watching 🤗♥🌹
Good to see you still on the journey. I only discovered these about 6 months ago and for me they don’t really add anything that I like. The tone of these is so dark, it’s even more horrific than the Bushwacked episode where they came across the ship that had been hit by Reavers. It was enough for me to see River’s obviously deranged mind during the season, to know that she’d had her brain physically traumatised, and to see snippets of procedures in episodes and in the movie. It implied pretty much everything we got to see in these River Tam Sessions, but it didn’t need to be shown. Especially as teasers for the movie, since it was a completely different tone and suggested that Serenity would be a far different type of movie to what it really was. Imagine watching these teasers and then going to the cinema to see Serenity and watching the opening scene of frontier costumes spacefarers making planetfall. You’d wonder if they were showing the wrong movie or that you’d walked into the wrong cinema. To that end, I see these River Tam Sessions as well-made fan fiction, rather than part of the series and movie. For add-ons that enhance the movie experience I much prefer something like what The Animatrix did to The Matrix movies.
...but they're not "well-made fan fiction", they were created by Joss Whedon, so they're the image that the creator had in his mind of what River had gone through to explain the state that she was in throughout the series. Hard to watch, yes, but it's the reality. It seems that you're uncomfortable with the darker side of the series. The "Sessions" were not treated as the rest of the series, lighthearted and easy to digest, it was created as backstory, and although the series had a comedic edge, the River throughline was the central plot and was always the serious plotline.
@@lazerx1828 Yep. I just see them as well made fan-fiction. Like how I see The Mandalorian for Star Wars, and similar sorts of series or productions. It's just a personal viewpoint.
@@evatesche Since the movie could not recycle the footage from the episodes, the advertising had to hook and draw in people that had no connection to Firefly. The intent was to get people disturbed and curious with the final result, then engage them with her earlier untarnished personality to the final descent to where you find her in the opening of the movie. Browncoats were already committed, but drawing in fans of mystery and horror... The movie had to function as the third pilot to the 'Verse.
@@CaptainFrost32 Yeah but we here have all seen the show and practically know what happend to River and why. Seeing her journey from happy and sane to totally disturbing and murdering people seems more interesting in my opinion. I don't think anybody is missing out on something by starting it with session 1.
@@julesreacts I understand that you were going in order, it is just odd that the last session was to air first. When the Fox network was supposed to promote the series, it was not included in the Fall Season Premiere Special that included every other series and pilot and mid-season replacement pilot. When asked by a print journalist about the show, they described it as a show with a junk ship, space hookers, and burned out hippies. The only print ad was a full page newspaper ad in bold type asking "WHO IS THE GIRL IN THE BOX?" before the season started, and the pilot was not shown until the end of the run... (Remember when Mal asked Inara if she was upset that he had a bride or that he didn't plan on keeping her?)
River Tam is *never* "nothing." She's an injured child being forced to grow up too fast and she's a torture victim suffering from a major case of PTSD, but she's also an empath who now has full access to her psychic abilities, and until she finds Miranda, and finds out that the Pax she mentioned in the interview was real, she doesn't quite realize that that's what she's experiencing. She's also now a trained assassin - she really was given a mission, and she fulfilled it by killing the interviewer. This is the worst kind of thing that governments attempt to do - corrupt talented innocents, so that they'll use their talents however the government demands. Unfortunately, even now, without the scientific breakthroughs the Alliance doubtless has access to, they succeed all too often. Fortunately for River, she now knows what her abilities are, and it appears that the danger to Simon and Kaylee on Mr. Universe's planet shocked her into a state where she has full access to and control over those abilities. She still needs to heal, but by the end of _Serenity_ she has a clear path to that goal. Online research indicates that Summer Glau was 24 when _Serenity_ was filmed, and therefore when these promo videos were made. In _Serenity_ River was stated to be 17; in these videos she's presumably 15 or 16, and Summer makes you believe it. Talk about talent!
So glad you took the entire trip. It is an amazing journey, as you now know. Be safe lady. Can wait for my reaction / reviews from you. Again, be safe.
I met Summer Glau in December 2022. It's horrible what the Alliance scientists did to River Tam. Because of their experiments and messing with her brain, she suffers from mental trauma and has autistic-like behavior.
This is one great episode, Juliette 💖 and congratulations for 3K 🎉 wow look how you've gain continuous increasing subs these days 💯 wish you're always well and have a great day ⭐.
Firefly Deleted scenes: (from the Pilot episode) ua-cam.com/video/wQhnFtoX4uY/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/5FFO-QaBjoc/v-deo.html -- I wish this scene had been included in the Pilot episode. From "Our Mrs Reynolds": (River's scene cut for time and creepiness) ua-cam.com/video/tOU1qH7SAcM/v-deo.html Hope you enjoy these tidbits... Really enjoyed your reactions...
If you haven't do a search on UA-cam for "firefly bloopers nathan fillion" and you'll find a number of videos. Your the first reactor I've seen that reacted to the sessions in this order. I watched them in the same order as the other reactors. The order I watched was the last one 1st. This way you see the result and then you watch how it came to happen.
Though that's all of the live-action Firefly stuff, if you want a show starring Summer Glau (among others), I'd highly recommend Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (after the first two Terminator movies, if you haven't seen them)
I really dont see any similarities between Firefly and The Expanse... I freaking love Firefly., but The Expanse, no clue why people like it. Its the most boring sci-fi show I ever watched... I stopped after 2.5 seasons (or maybe 3?) cuase nothing happened...
@@Smido83 No spoilers, but I have difficulty in characterizing the events on a certain large asteroid as "nothing." But to each his or her own! To me, the strong points of The Expanse are the fascinating character development, the excellent writing, and the emphasis on realistic science. It's a political thriller, a science fiction series, and a character-driven drama all wrapped up in one.
Cool you watched this. If you haven't seen the Sarah Connor chronicles with Summer Glau i think you would like it. I went into it assuming it would be rubbish but it was good and got better as it went on.
Another piece of bonus content that I like a lot is the fanvid "Starships - a multifandom space vid by bironic." It contains many clips from Firefly and Serenity: ua-cam.com/video/bTGdGKEEiYE/v-deo.html
I think it was CollegeHumor but not sure, but there's a video on UA-cam where someone has done an essay that essentially paints the Alliance as "the good guys" and it's surprisingly well done. I mean it's absolute blasphemy but their points (peculiarly even around River) are quite interesting.
@Jules Reacts K.. hee hee.. I watched them when they were "new releases"... and yeah.. the last one played first, so you were nice and distraught even BEFORE it gets into it.. that way, when the last one hits, YOU REMEMBER and it's even more horrifying :)
It is horrible what they did to her. However, what they did to her is what gave her the ability to save her friends at the end. Similar to the Wolverine. It’s awful and sad but it’s what makes the story so much more beautiful in the end.
Never seen this. More heartbreaking backstory from the ghoul himself, Joss Whedon (whose voice is easily recognizable as the therapist). I love his work. I watch all three of his series (Buffy, Angel, Firefly) through at least once a year. But I can never like the man. As talented as he is, he's convinced that it's necessary to kill a character for a story to truly advance. I don't buy it. I think if you're good enough, you can find an interesting, consistent way around that. Maybe he's not as good as I think. Also, there's the issue with him being a horrible person...
It's so heartbreaking to see how lively and bubbly she was in the first session. So full of hopes and eager to find a challenge and learn.
If you want to see River getting better, just watch these in reverse order! 😛
NEIL 🤣🤣🤣
Ohmygod...that never once crossed my mind🤔
This is Joss in full-on psychological horror mode and the film style leans into it hard, with the very static camera, fuzzy audio, lack of colour, and time jumps. Glau does such an amazing job as River here - it breaks your heart watching her transformation.
Also Joss being the interviewer.
oh River..😢🥺😩😫
Summer did a good job in the show Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
I've suggested that as another series for her to react to.
Anyone who agrees should upvote your comment.
She was so good as a Terminator.
The most interesting conclusion from these "sessions" is what one can achieve with good writing and outstanding acting in a minimalistic setting.
Joss Whedon as the therapist and obviously Summer Glau.
These clips really highlight what a good actor Summer Glau already was at a young age. Her portrayal of the descent into psychosis, while desperately clinging to whatever bits of reality River couldn't still discern, is excellent. And yes, chilling.
Have you watched Summer in the Sarah Connor Chronicles? Ohmygod...Summer is one of the best Terminators EVER! Yes she is up there with the first and second Terminator movies. Please let us not even discuss anything after the first 2 Terminator movies. But definitely give it a watch. Then come back and let's talk about it😉
@@Headintodreams thanks! Others have mentioned that as well. I'll check it out sometime.
@@salishseamermaid Let's have a conversation once you watch it.
@@Headintodreams you got it! 😊
@@Headintodreams the problem is, though, that I turn my TV on about twice a year, so it might be a while....
I was today years old when I was introduced to The River Tam Sessions. Firefly was Joss Whedon's masterpiece, the pinnacle of his storytelling career to date.
Well then, Happy 'Today' Day 🎂
Same for me, only from this playlist I found out this existed
The thing I appreciate about these sessions is how well they highlight and explain River's mental state as presented throughout the series and the movie. With all we know now the wonder is that she was able to maintain any sanity at all.
No truer words spoken.
As a minor point that can be difficult to pick up on: the "Doctor Mathias" that is mentioned a couple times here by the therapist (played by Joss Whedon) is the doctor that shows up at the beginning of the Serenity movie and is killed by the Operative by forcing him to fall on his sword.
It makes you think of every single episode that you've seen her in, doesn't it? Rewatching the season with a bit more knowledge of what she went through, you will find it hard to believe how sane she is compared to how sane she should be. I am always amazed at just how effortless she makes it seem. What a great actress.
For real! I look back at what I thought of her in the beginning and how clueless I was 😢
Summer Glau is "THAT" actress
You're so empathetic, and I love that. It's so sad what River went through, but she ended up making a family on Serenity.
I love the little reference she makes to the story of the princess and the pea. I wonder if there are any other literary references amidst her rambling.
Definitely watch the bloopers. Nathan is hilarious.
Wow! What a actress! Now imagine that role going to someone else entirely? Nope! Extremely talented Summer Glau! Really all the cast was amazing, but for a actor to portray that in a few short episodes is truly brilliant. She also played in Terminator Sarah Conner Chronicles a short 2 season tv series if you're interested.
Now on a happier note you can watch the outtakes/blooper reel 🙂
Much Love Juliette have a wonderful Day/night!
Oh O own the Sarah Connor Chronicles and yes Summer is a great Terminator hands down.
@@Headintodreams yeah, shes awesome! Wish she would be in more movies, shes so talented 👍🙂
Thanks for reacting to this! This slow descent into madness is a bit creepy and scary. I think it really sets up what it was that Simon rescued River from.
It was such an eye opener, Alan! I look back now and think about when I first saw River and had NO IDEA. It's SO sad, such a waste of a beautiful and special girl 😭😭
@@julesreacts Will you be reacting to another Joss Whedon masterpiece? He filmed it during the writers' strike that year. It's a 3 act 40 minute musical called "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog". It stars Neil Patrick Harris, Felicia Day, & Nathan Fillion.
@@dunringill1747 I second that.
Nathan had two rules for his agent : No musical roles or Shakespeare, and anything that Joss offers, you say YES without needing anything said.
That is how he ended up in a 3 act musical and in 'Much Ado About Nothing' (Whedon's modern day Shakespeare adaptation).
Apart from canon written stories, you definitely want to check out the bloopers from Firefly, and you may want to check out the Firefly references in Nathan Fillion's next series Castle. There are video compilations of both on UA-cam. 😉
Holy ****. I've never seen these before. I don't think I'll be able to forget them either. Another stellar reaction!
This was an awesome ride with Firefly and Serenity! A job well done Mrs Jules!
I haven't actually seen these before, so thanks for introducing me to them!
It's absolutely heartbreaking to see how they took such a happy, bright young girl and just broke her. Honestly, Simon doesn't get enough credit for being the best big brother anyone could ask for.
Simon is incredible! He is the best big brother for sure and River is so lucky to have him 🥰 Almost makes me wish I had a brother, but only if he is like Simon 🤣
"Castle" not only stars Nathan Fillion(Mal) but had several "Firefly" references and guest appearance by alumni of that show. "The Big Bang Theory" also has "Firefly" references and guest appearances.
Hey Jules, thanks for all your Firefly reactions. It was a real joy to watch!
Now there's only one question left... Whats next?
I am still hoping for Buffy... but maybe thats just me. 😊
Certainly not just you.
Would definately stay on the channel for Buffy ;-)
Buffy and Dollhouse.
i really like the entire firefly journey and never understood why it was canceled.
Same 😩
Firefly is a beautiful and heartbreaking story. Thank you
the creepy guy talking to river is writer/director joss whedon.
REALLY?! That's so cool!!
Just think, he could have been Badger. (Mark Sheppard had a great interview and was given the Badger role. No one told him until the pilot wrapped that he took the boss's self-insert. He was gobsmacked.)
Thanks! It sounded like him.
Academic rivalry is brutal when you are creating mind-reading assassins.
Joss Whedon played the man interviewing her.
Wow. What a remarkable performance by Summer Glau - and a great, heartfelt reaction by you, Jules!
(I do have to admit that this also reminded me of why I don't watch the Tam Sessions often: Joss' line readings really don't work for me. I admire how he was able to come up with this no-budget, viral marketing attempt, and he is still one of my favorite creative talents of all time; but, I have to admit that I do kind of wish that a more seasoned actor was playing opposite of Summer. Credit where due, though - he did very well in the - incredibly creepy! -final excerpt!)
But, yeah, I agree with you - an unexpectedly emotional time here! Your empathy and compassion for River is great, Jules. And it's one of the reasons that I'm glad that I'm (finally) about to join you for your journey through Buffy! Thank you for this reaction!
I didn't realise it was Joss until the comments! I'll have to rewatch at some point because I didn't pay that much attention to him when River was the star of the show 🥰
Now that you've seen the show and the movie - an interesting observation I made about the 'Hands Of Blue' characters from Season 1.
Apart from Reavers: they are the only thing she seemed to be 'scared' of. In Ariel when she knows they are coming she freaks out, like way more than when the Alliance Feds are about to catch them. And she also cowers in a corner in the ship when she senses they have been dispatched.
Considering what we've seen that does NOT scare her (ie Niska, Badger, even The Operative doesn't trigger any psychic response from her) -- what the hell were those guys?
(Her psychic ability has a fluctuating range though. I could be leaping here but @6:55 I get the feeling she knows that Simon is looking for her, like not intuitively but has sensed it.)
I’m so glad you watched the River Sessions. Most reviewers skip it but even though it is short, it fills in some gaps in her development.
And it's SO eye opening to what happened to her... Devastating 😭
@@julesreacts Agreed; so much storytelling in 8 minutes. Not to mention a bravura piece of acting by Summer Glau!
Great reaction as always Jules. Even if you don't react please be sure to watch "Done The Impossible" the documentary about how the Browncoat's pushed and pushed until the movie was made. Much love and keep on keepin on J.
Great reaction again. Like others have mentioned, the original River Tam Sessions was released with the last session shown first. What's also interesting was that this was a trailer that was let out for the movie Serenity that was kind of fake leaked. Josh knew it would get out on the internet and never promoted this... it just sort of got seen by word of mouth.
There is so much more drama with the last session first. It’s a technique well used in Trash and Out of Gas.
I kind of liked the original order (same sequence, except the last one came first). It makes the "I have to write it down" hit differently. Though I guess that order was meant more for newcomers and start off with something intriguing.
The original order was the intended order 😊 Oh well
Jules,
For more of Summer Glau, I'd highly recommend "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" (2008-2009)
This is another great, but prematurely cancelled FOX series ( 31 episodes) that is a direct sequel to the first two Terminator films:
The Terminator (1984)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
These 2 films are also popular with other reactors, but I haven't seen anyone do "The Sarah Connor Chronicles" yet. You could be the first. (After the films, of course, unless you've already seen them)
If anyone else thinks this would be a good series for Jules to react to, upvote this comment.
Jules, Do yourself a kindness and get the graphic novels. You will get back stories on the characters. There are soft cover books and digital copies available. Trust me you will enjoy them
Thank you for reacting to this. I hope you react to all the bloopers, outtakes, behind the scenes, as well as their reunion footage. Really great stuff!
You can't react to them but there are also official canon Comic Books & Novels that deal with the lore mysteries left unanswered from the Series / Movie.
You watched the chronological numeric order version. The release order from Joss Whedon is better IMO. The only difference - The release order starts with session 416 except 2. You see him die at the start which grabs your attention like a mini mystery. then it goes through the rest in proper numeric order. The last session you see is session 416 excerpt 1 with River saying she will have to write the mission down while motioning for his pen.
The reason some feel the sessions are a spoiler before the movie is because at one point she mentions the Pax. I see that as a mystery and not a spoiler for first time viewers. You don't get a clue what the Pax is about until you see the movie.
"The Shepard's Tale" is a graphic novel quite worth searching out. We get the startling backstory to Book's origins.
Loved it. Fun fact: I think I saw the River Tam Sessions 1 or 2 years for the first time, WAY after watching Firefly.
This does show her decline and abusive "treatment". Jules you are a fantastic reactor and I look forward to watching many more show and movie reactions by you. Thanks for sharing with us. I always love your thoughts and commentary.
It's so heartbreaking to see River's decline. That first session she was still psychic but was so much different than the River we saw on the show. She was smiling and happy and engaged and coherent. They manipulated her and abused her, and it's so scary to watch.
So unbelievably sad 😭
Thanks so much, i love the show and never s saw this. I like river and have to say I'm happy she got some power back in her fucked up situation, even if it made her a murderer. She's a strong woman when she needs to be.
I think she's a lot better after Miranda - that was cathartic. Summer Glau is a phenomenal actress.
Summer's acting ability is phenomenal. It's quite difficult to give a convincing portrayal of a brilliant character. There needs to be an understanding of brilliance to make it authentic. I think we can all agree, she nailed it.
She was above and beyond. To hear her explain she's trying to save her spine🥺🥺
No witnesses, not even ones who think they are part of the program.
the alliance comes across a genius, thirsty for knowledge man, and what does he decide? to turn him into a weapon. as stupid as it is sinister.But now we can truly appreciate the ending of Serenity, where River was almost back to her old self.I say "almost" because no one can go through something like that and remain unaffected.
Congratulations on hitting 3000 UA-cam subscribers, Juliette. I hope that's how many Patreon subscribers you will soon have.
Oh geez, I don't think that would ever happen to me but thank you 😅💜 that's made my day!
Thank you for this! I love Firefly very dearly and I didnt know this even existed! In case you didnt know, there are some comic books too, and I dont know if you play RPG's, but there's a tabletop RPG as well that has a lot of lore, including a list of all the Chinese phrases and euphemisms they use in the show.
Oh wow... that's amazing!! I'm so glad you saw this 💜
Never seen a reaction to these before. Great you're deep diving into all the Firefly extras, your reactions are amazing.
For the story of how the Serenity movie came to be made watch Done the Impossible. I'm not sure if it's available on any official streaming service, but someone uploaded on UA-cam Evu3JSf1VEQ
Well done, Jules! 💜
It is a tragedy, what the Alliance attempted to do with these intelligent, empathic, children. Keep their awareness of what others are projecting, but kill the emotion of the interaction. It is a sad use of individual talent.😢
Although, originally, presented as a teaser for the movie, I don't really think this added anything essential to the movie's enjoyment, and it's impact, for me, was as powerful after, as it would have been before. It is a series of slice of life glimpses, which explain more about the episodes, than the movie.
Summer Glau is a talented lady, and a great addition to the talented cast of Firefly.
If you ever get the chance, you should catch her in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, another low-key, but standout, performance amongst a great cast of characters.😊
I still remember what I thought about River way back in the pilot. I had no idea of what happened to her (like most who begin on this beautiful journey). I never, ever, would have thought she would be this gifted and bright young lady. I didn't know what was "wrong" with her but knew that something wasn't quite "right".
To see her go from such a beautiful and hopeful young girl, so full of life, into who we know as River is SO heartbreaking. Thank goodness Simon cared so much about her to give up EVERYTHING, even against the advice of his father. Where would she be without Simon? He's the brother we all need to have 💜
I've heard about the Sarah Connor Chronicles! I would like to get to see that one day. Thank you, Tom 🤗
I own the Sarah Connor Chronicles and watch it often. Summer Glau as a Terminator is bad as!
Okay! Something with Firefly? Yes,please🤣
Have a great day,Jules!
Dont forget, Jules, there are also deleted scenes to watch. You dont have to post to youtube, but you really should check them out if you havent already. From both the series and the movie.
Huh I don't remember these sessions from the series/movie.. are these bonus clips that I missed? dang this was emotional..
Yes!! This was a little bonus that people recommended I watch 😄
I've read all of the Firefly novels and enjoyed imagining each one was a "season two" episode.
👍
This was so good, and so heartbreaking...
This is an extreme example of breaking someone down and molding them into a tool for a particular purpose. Sadly, that sort of thing is done in the real world - perhaps not to that extent, but the idea is central to things like basic training in the military...overcoming societal norms to allow a soldier to kill and survive in combat.
And the great thing about this video is that there is this rivalry between Dr. Mathias and the Labcoat Man! And we hear about it only indirectly. But it must have been so intense that it got Labcoat Man killed! This is great writing! And I have read all the articles about Joss Whedon. And yes, he is a flawed human being who probably hurt many people. And that's not right of course! But his writing is great!
You must listen to all the Firefly songs by Bedlam Bards, there are other artists that will come up when you do. It is all art in honor of art. Browncoats love hard. Happy to welcome you.
Welcome to the brown coats, watch brown coats unite. It will make you feel better.
This is a tough watch. I didn't want to deny you seeing this, but it is a bit of a nightmare. And we know how sensitive you can be. BUT.... you're next step in the Firefly Journey is a much happier one. Please go watch any of the Comicon Firefly Panel's. There's a bunch on UA-cam. They're so nostalgic and heartwarming, I often get teary-eyed with happiness. Check it out ;)
just so you know, that is Joss Whedon himself acting as the interviewer.
Hi Jules ... I think you can see now, why I was against you seeing this BEFORE the movie. That would've destroy the surprise/reveal, and you would've known what she's capable of before it was time. And, to your wish ("I hope you enjoyed it") ... of course we did 😉😁👍. Anything we get from you is gold !!! I'm probably going to go back and rewatch all your reactions again, just because you were so awesome, it bears repeating (i.e. the experience). Of course you know, I AM subscribed to your channel and will be branching out into your other ventures (current and future) but, I have a question ... are you planning on reacting to any more movies ??? There are so many out there for you to watch, and I have so many to recommend 😊😁😉👍. Whatever you do, I'll be watching 🤗♥🌹
Good to see you still on the journey.
I only discovered these about 6 months ago and for me they don’t really add anything that I like.
The tone of these is so dark, it’s even more horrific than the Bushwacked episode where they came across the ship that had been hit by Reavers.
It was enough for me to see River’s obviously deranged mind during the season, to know that she’d had her brain physically traumatised, and to see snippets of procedures in episodes and in the movie. It implied pretty much everything we got to see in these River Tam Sessions, but it didn’t need to be shown. Especially as teasers for the movie, since it was a completely different tone and suggested that Serenity would be a far different type of movie to what it really was. Imagine watching these teasers and then going to the cinema to see Serenity and watching the opening scene of frontier costumes spacefarers making planetfall. You’d wonder if they were showing the wrong movie or that you’d walked into the wrong cinema.
To that end, I see these River Tam Sessions as well-made fan fiction, rather than part of the series and movie.
For add-ons that enhance the movie experience I much prefer something like what The Animatrix did to The Matrix movies.
...but they're not "well-made fan fiction", they were created by Joss Whedon, so they're the image that the creator had in his mind of what River had gone through to explain the state that she was in throughout the series. Hard to watch, yes, but it's the reality. It seems that you're uncomfortable with the darker side of the series. The "Sessions" were not treated as the rest of the series, lighthearted and easy to digest, it was created as backstory, and although the series had a comedic edge, the River throughline was the central plot and was always the serious plotline.
@@lazerx1828
Yep. I just see them as well made fan-fiction.
Like how I see The Mandalorian for Star Wars, and similar sorts of series or productions.
It's just a personal viewpoint.
@@sean---the-other-one ah, I get it now.
You were meant to see the last session first, then Session 1 then so on to the penultimate session.
Why though? Honest question. Works perfectly in the right order imo.
I had many comments saying to watch them in the proper order, so I was just following orders!
@@evatesche Since the movie could not recycle the footage from the episodes, the advertising had to hook and draw in people that had no connection to Firefly.
The intent was to get people disturbed and curious with the final result, then engage them with her earlier untarnished personality to the final descent to where you find her in the opening of the movie.
Browncoats were already committed, but drawing in fans of mystery and horror...
The movie had to function as the third pilot to the 'Verse.
@@CaptainFrost32 Yeah but we here have all seen the show and practically know what happend to River and why. Seeing her journey from happy and sane to totally disturbing and murdering people seems more interesting in my opinion. I don't think anybody is missing out on something by starting it with session 1.
@@julesreacts I understand that you were going in order, it is just odd that the last session was to air first.
When the Fox network was supposed to promote the series, it was not included in the Fall Season Premiere Special that included every other series and pilot and mid-season replacement pilot. When asked by a print journalist about the show, they described it as a show with a junk ship, space hookers, and burned out hippies.
The only print ad was a full page newspaper ad in bold type asking "WHO IS THE GIRL IN THE BOX?" before the season started, and the pilot was not shown until the end of the run...
(Remember when Mal asked Inara if she was upset that he had a bride or that he didn't plan on keeping her?)
River Tam is *never* "nothing." She's an injured child being forced to grow up too fast and she's a torture victim suffering from a major case of PTSD, but she's also an empath who now has full access to her psychic abilities, and until she finds Miranda, and finds out that the Pax she mentioned in the interview was real, she doesn't quite realize that that's what she's experiencing.
She's also now a trained assassin - she really was given a mission, and she fulfilled it by killing the interviewer.
This is the worst kind of thing that governments attempt to do - corrupt talented innocents, so that they'll use their talents however the government demands. Unfortunately, even now, without the scientific breakthroughs the Alliance doubtless has access to, they succeed all too often.
Fortunately for River, she now knows what her abilities are, and it appears that the danger to Simon and Kaylee on Mr. Universe's planet shocked her into a state where she has full access to and control over those abilities. She still needs to heal, but by the end of _Serenity_ she has a clear path to that goal.
Online research indicates that Summer Glau was 24 when _Serenity_ was filmed, and therefore when these promo videos were made. In _Serenity_ River was stated to be 17; in these videos she's presumably 15 or 16, and Summer makes you believe it. Talk about talent!
So glad you took the entire trip. It is an amazing journey, as you now know.
Be safe lady. Can wait for my reaction / reviews from you. Again, be safe.
I met Summer Glau in December 2022. It's horrible what the Alliance scientists did to River Tam. Because of their experiments and messing with her brain, she suffers from mental trauma and has autistic-like behavior.
Darn, I guess we're coming to an end of the Firefly journey. Check out the commentaries for some more insight.
Also, rewatches for the Han Solo in Carbonite maquette.
Summer Glau is an amazing actress.
She is exceptional 💜
She is a pretty good actress isn't she. I always thought she had the hardest part of any of the cast in the shows.
Pretty brutal to watch, but also very telling.
This is great! Please do Done The Impossible next! (It's on UA-cam.) And some of the fan films are good, too.
This is one great episode, Juliette 💖 and congratulations for 3K 🎉 wow look how you've gain continuous increasing subs these days 💯 wish you're always well and have a great day ⭐.
Thank you so much, Clintzor!! I appreciate you being here and your support 🥰💜
Summer Glau will still be the Cameron in all of her characters
I hadn’t noticed before, but the interviewer is voiced by Joss Whedon…I think it’s someone else in the chair, though.
Firefly Deleted scenes: (from the Pilot episode)
ua-cam.com/video/wQhnFtoX4uY/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/5FFO-QaBjoc/v-deo.html -- I wish this scene had been included in the Pilot episode.
From "Our Mrs Reynolds": (River's scene cut for time and creepiness)
ua-cam.com/video/tOU1qH7SAcM/v-deo.html
Hope you enjoy these tidbits... Really enjoyed your reactions...
If you haven't do a search on UA-cam for "firefly bloopers nathan fillion" and you'll find a number of videos.
Your the first reactor I've seen that reacted to the sessions in this order. I watched them in the same order as the other reactors. The order I watched was the last one 1st. This way you see the result and then you watch how it came to happen.
It was mentioned in several comments for me to watch it in this order, so just following orders myself 🤣
This was not the original intended viewing order. But it was great to see anyway 😊
Though that's all of the live-action Firefly stuff, if you want a show starring Summer Glau (among others), I'd highly recommend Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (after the first two Terminator movies, if you haven't seen them)
I've seen those but YEARS ago so I don't remember them much. I'll have to watch them again before considering Summer's next project 💜
So cool
Are you going to look at all the different bloopers and gag reels?
Jules, your reactions are fantastic! If you loved Firefly, you should consider reacting to The Expanse next!
I second that! 👍 The Expanse has a different tone, more dramatic and less comedic, but the characters and writing are tremendous!
I really dont see any similarities between Firefly and The Expanse... I freaking love Firefly., but The Expanse, no clue why people like it. Its the most boring sci-fi show I ever watched... I stopped after 2.5 seasons (or maybe 3?) cuase nothing happened...
@@Smido83 No spoilers, but I have difficulty in characterizing the events on a certain large asteroid as "nothing." But to each his or her own! To me, the strong points of The Expanse are the fascinating character development, the excellent writing, and the emphasis on realistic science. It's a political thriller, a science fiction series, and a character-driven drama all wrapped up in one.
More emotional than you were expecting? :) Sorry, did you watch firelfy?:) You got to be my favorite reactor.
If Summer Glau were the standard needed for one to be an actor or actress, there would be a lot of unemployment in Hollywood.
She's incredibly talented 🥰
Cool you watched this. If you haven't seen the Sarah Connor chronicles with Summer Glau i think you would like it. I went into it assuming it would be rubbish but it was good and got better as it went on.
In the series Wednesday, there are many Easter Eggs giving homage to other movies. I think their use of the name Glau is one of these.
Ooh cool, I was wondering if you would discover this and react to it.
Another piece of bonus content that I like a lot is the fanvid "Starships - a multifandom space vid by bironic." It contains many clips from Firefly and Serenity: ua-cam.com/video/bTGdGKEEiYE/v-deo.html
I think it was CollegeHumor but not sure, but there's a video on UA-cam where someone has done an essay that essentially paints the Alliance as "the good guys" and it's surprisingly well done. I mean it's absolute blasphemy but their points (peculiarly even around River) are quite interesting.
Every villain is the hero of his own story.
River's fathers sold her.
Naughty naughty. You watched them out of turn. You should have started with video 0 but you started with the 1st.....
This way of watching it was recommended to me in the comments 😊
@Jules Reacts K.. hee hee.. I watched them when they were "new releases"... and yeah.. the last one played first, so you were nice and distraught even BEFORE it gets into it.. that way, when the last one hits, YOU REMEMBER and it's even more horrifying :)
If you really are serious about going further, you need to get the comic books and the books. That is the only way to learn about Shepherd.
Yes, absolutely! I've been trying to get some on Ebay 🤗
Hi Jules
ello ello ello!
It is horrible what they did to her. However, what they did to her is what gave her the ability to save her friends at the end. Similar to the Wolverine. It’s awful and sad but it’s what makes the story so much more beautiful in the end.
But her friends only wound up in that position in the first place because of what the Alliance did to her...
I agree, however would the story be as good with no loss?
Oh this is going to be creepy.
Never seen this. More heartbreaking backstory from the ghoul himself, Joss Whedon (whose voice is easily recognizable as the therapist).
I love his work. I watch all three of his series (Buffy, Angel, Firefly) through at least once a year. But I can never like the man. As talented as he is, he's convinced that it's necessary to kill a character for a story to truly advance. I don't buy it. I think if you're good enough, you can find an interesting, consistent way around that. Maybe he's not as good as I think.
Also, there's the issue with him being a horrible person...
Will you be doing deleted scenes and possibly bloopers?
Bloopers coming soon! I might look into the deleted scenes, I haven't really researched that much yet 😮