Kali pushed the "Why was this canceled" button on Episode 2! Way to hit it early!! So the Programming Execat Fox, along with others, didn't get the show. Because of this they didn't forsee an audience appeal. Normally in a case like that they wouldn't green light even a 1st season. But because of the success of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel they had a deal with Wheddon for a 3rd show of his choosing. So instead they dedicated very little of the Marketing budget to Firefly. That was the first hit. Then in their infinite wisdom they played the episodes out of order because they didn't think it would matter. Fox was never a believer in Serial style TV shows because they think audiences are too stupid to notice. That was hit #2. Between those two marks against it the live airing of Firefly had a small turnout. Thus was the studios reason for the cancelation. To this day it remains the King of all tragic and epically stupid cancelations of all time.
@@kaliwali The FOX execs didn't like the pilot. They didn't want a two-hour pilot, so Whedon had about a week to write a new first episode so filming would let it air on schedule. "The Train Job" was actually the first episode aired, which is why there's a sort of recap in the dialogue. After the show was cancelled mid-season the pilot was finally aired as a two-part finale. A big part of the problem, as legend has it, is that the execs who actually signed Whedon for _Firefly_ were gone by the time the show was filming. The new folks weren't interested in Sci-Fi and didn't want to commit to a show they hadn't signed off on themselves.
@@ElliotNesterman I remember watching this episode when it first aired. I always heard that the show might have caught on more if they had shown the pilot initially, but it kind of sounds like it was doomed from the outset.
@@dogawfuldoing bare minimum advertising honestly killed it more than the out of order airing. Many people who are fans now, like myself, had never heard of the show until well after it was canceled. My brother played his Serenity DVD for me which was my first introduction. I went and found the show on Netflix afterwards. This was well before everyone had started their own streaming services which is why Netflix had it. Had I heard that Joss Whedon was doing a Sci-fi show I'd have been watching it from the jump.
Jumping on this... There also seems to have been some infighting within Fox. One team was looking for new shows and green-lighting aggressively. Another team did the programming for what was coming down the pipe. These two teams (or at least key leadership) hated each other for whatever reasons. So the axe fell repeatedly on newly developed shows. Family Guy did a bit where they called out this massive list of shows that had been created and axed between the time it itself had been cancelled and then brought back.
It was cancelled because the CEO that contracted for it on Monday was fired on Tuesday. His new group of yes men sabotaged it to show how bad the previous guy was. By sabotage I don't mean placing mines and stuff, I mean moving it around in the schedule, airing it out of order. Heck, the pilot aired last. This was the aired pilot.
My favorite line from this episode is from Mal when he says "I don't believe he does" when the sheriff makes the comment about a man having a choice. Mal is an honorable man and a good one. One of many reasons why he is my favorite character.
12:00 I mean devils advocate the alliance were literally trying to give the medicine to the people before Mals crew stole it. Same with the food in the first episode some town paid for and was relying on that food shipment.
The train job was The food in the first episode was illegally salvage from a derelict Alliance ship. No one wasn't relying on that shipment, otherwise the Alliance would have recovered it at some point.
Great reaction. I love that moment Mal pushes Crow into the engine lol. I can see after just 4 hours the Browncoats have let you know what happened to make this only one season with what Fox did. Can you imagine if THIS was the first episode you saw of a "new series" rather than the pilot episode? Weird. You wouldn't know who anyone was. Glad you're enjoying! Looking forward to more!
One of the reasons Firefly got cancelled was bad timing, it was a fall premiere on FOX, but FOX was also airing the MLB playoffs, in my area it aired on Friday night, an already bad night for TV, but it also would get pre-empted for a baseball game, which is why it aired out of order. Sometimes it would air after the game, sometimes on Saturday, or not at all, it wasn't that the show couldn't find an audience, but the audience couldn't find the show.
Two episodes in and Kali is already invested. (Don't worry, we all were) Super excited to watch all your reactions to each episode. We will certainly enjoy watching with you and thank you for sharing your experience with us. 😊
This episode was actually shown first. So, this was like the pilot episode instead of Serenity, and because of this Joss and another writer had to come up with the script really fast, so they could shoot it, get the CGI or special effects added, and get it edited in time for the network premier. I believe they ended up getting hotel room and writing the entire episode/new pilot over one weekend.
4:05 Firefly suffered from several issues that prevented its success. It was broadcast on Friday night at a time the audience it was geared toward would normally be out having fun with friends. It was greenlit by a Fox executive that approved of the concept, but by the time the show was ready to air that exec had been replaced by one who did not like nor understand science-fiction and felt mixing it with a western theme was even worse. And then there was the fact the show was broadcast out of order and often pre-empted for sports broadcasts. The series was shot as episodic but with an underlying serial plot slowly being revealed as the show went on. Watching the episodes out of order often confused some of the audience that had been trying to give the show a chance. The series pilot, "Serenity," was actually the last episode broadcast and two episodes did not even see the screen during the initial Fox run of the series. In all, a recipe for failure.
This episode was the point where I really started to see the emotional and moral range of each of the characters. And how diverse and unique they are. Each bringing a fresh perspective to all the morally gray dilemmas. Really awesome crew this show has got!
Totally agree! You start to really get a feel for Mal and his 'unpredictable' but very personal moral compass. I love it! I have to say that I went into this show without even knowing what genre I was going into. I took it super seriously in the first episode because of the huge War they threw us into. But it took this episode's kick into the airplane engine and the guy's smiling "I'm right there with you" for me to fully grasp what I was actually in for hahaha. It took me an EMBARRASINGLY long amount of time to get what this show was actually throwing down. But once I got it.. omg every episode just got better and better!
People give Fox a lot of flak for not liking the pilot episode and demanding a new one, but without that having happened, this episode wouldn't exist. In fact, Firefly might not have been the show we love without that happening.
@@kaliwali Not only are the characters engaging individuals and the storytelling great, but the humour is top notch and laced into most everthing. There is even humour in some very painful scenes.
2:07 I've had vocal tics for many years, one of the very regular ones is to shout "pisspot". That one started precisely after I watched this episode and has never, ever faded off. Goes to show a good series really stays with you! 😂
“pisspot” always takes me back to a drama course I took long ago. Running around the theatre counterclockwise and shouting pisspot was the punishment for uttering “the play* that shall not be named.” *Macbeth, it’s considered bad luck to stay it in a theatre.
Even sadder is the fact that they didn't EVEN get a full season - Fox cancelled it about halfway through. In those days, a full season would typically consist of 20-24 episodes.
And they aired the episodes out of order, and also switched the days and times it was broadcast. Fox didn't see the show as an asset, and we're the poorer for that.
Welcome to the Browncoats Kali. Speaking on behalf of all of us (as I'm sure no one will disagree), you're going to love the rest of the season even more than the first two episodes.
Those who saw it when it aired loved it… the network it was on fecked with it too much and basically wanted to cancel it from the beginning and never really gave it a chance. However its following grew exponentially after it became a cult classic with an insanely huge following.
Maybe someone else mentioned this, and I don't really have all of the details, but, when Joss showed the network Serenity, the pilot episode, they told him it was too long and he needed to write a shorter pilot, so, he wrote The Train Job; the problem was that the new pilot didn't give all of the details that the audience needed, so, we didn't really become invested in the characters like we would have if Serenity was aired first. THEN, Fox preempted the show with football and other one-time events, further tanking Firefly's ratings.
I tried watching the show when it first aired on tv but FOX kept moving the show to different days and times so it was hard to keep track of when it was on. Most people fell in love with the show after it had been cancelled because we all finally had a chance to watch it either on DVD or on a streaming service. What makes people mad is that it's A really good show that wasn't given a fair chance and we all want more of the show.
This episode was ordered by the network to be a replacement for the pilot episode, so this one originally aired first with Serenity getting bumped to later in the run, effectively turning the intended introduction into a flash-back. So this had to redo all the introductions and world building in half the run time.
My heart was flying when I saw this and then I noticed it was one of those premiere videos for a future time… and I was flying less high, still excited though. Say shiny new Browncoat.
Savour every episode Whedon and Minear had joked about trying to write an episode in a weekend. When the pilot was rejected they ended up having to write this episode in a weekend.
Joss Whedon, the show's creator, referred to Firefly as a space western. Your comment at the beginning of the video was pretty accurate. Space, with a western element.
Exactly. Reminds me of something Joss said in the DVD commentary. He felt that the border planets being essentially the wild west added to the realism of the world. The planets were basically just terraformed and nothing more because why would the government spend more on poor people? Poor people who landed there with little more than what they could carry and had to ramshackle together some sort of society and build towns and plow fields and on and on. So they're essentially the pioneers of the US late 1800s. Horses make more sense in an agrarian society than automotive vehicles. Buildings and items are built with as little resources as can be done. Someone has to be sherrif, but probably won't be a doctor or a dentist at first. And the show gives impressions of how the different planets have grown based on their proximity to the central planets and the time they've been colonized. Taking the time to really wrap your brain around it makes you aware of how well-realized the show's history and lore is.
I don't get the idea that The Alliance deliberately keep back supplies (at least, not as a matter of policy)...but they are unequal to the tasks of providing for the territory gained by victory. Largely, they have no idea all that is needed on the outer planets, and in cases where they do comprehend the need, they have no idea how logistically provide it to avert disaster.
Unfortunately, i think i can imagine why supplies might be kept back. If you're a government official or politician with a specific item, are you more likely to give that item to those that need it or sell that item to someone that wants it? (That was oversimplified, i apologize.) Some choices are unethical and even illegal, but we are talking about politicians...🫤
This is third-hand knowledge, meaning I read this somewhere and can't say how legitimate this info is or how well I remembered what I read... Firefly was signed (brought to the network) by a very high network executive who was fired before the first episode aired. The new execs at the network had every reason to want this project to fail... If the network signed Firefly to more episodes, then that fired exec would get paid more money. The new execs did everything they could to ditch this project so that they could get paid for bringing in their own projects, while making sure old projects that weren't getting them paid were dumped. So, they didn't care how well this series was written. They didn't care how well received that show was by audience. In the end, it was all about a small group of people wanting to line their own pockets with no regard for anything else, like the quality of shows put out by their company.
It was cancelled because they showed it out of sequence and kept moving the days it showed and because it was very expensive to film. The cast was lightening in a bottle type wonderful. It was ahead of it's time. By the time it built up a loyal, growing fan base they cancelled it
In a Halloween episode of the TV series Castle, staring Nathan Fillion, he wears his Firefly costume. His daughter asks what he is supposed to be. His reply is "Space Cowboy". She replies with something like, "Didn't you wear that, like, five years ago?" Unfortunately, the network aired the show out of order and didn't air all episodes. They aired The Train Job as the pilot. The Fox executive responsible for it being cancelled, Gail Berman, is now introduced as "The person who cancelled Firefly."
This is a deleted scene from the 1st episode. It gives so much backstory I can't understand how they cut it. If you're a Firefly fan and you haven't seen it already it's a much watch. ua-cam.com/video/5FFO-QaBjoc/v-deo.html
The show was met very well when it aired. But Fox did everything possible to kill it. Episodes out of order, bad time slot, moving time slots. Someone at Fox actively was trying to kill the show. And succeeded.
The second season of Firefly is rewatching the first season of Firefly. Personally I'm on like season 26, and it just keeps getting better. I only just found your reactions, but I love them. You're so genuine! Thank you for all the content!
I love how you put this! I usually react to 2 episodes a week on patreon and I just finished episode 8 today (which btw WOW) and after I do my 2 episodes I go back and rewatch them immediately lol. I even have gone back now and started rewatching from the beginning to tide me over to the next 2 on patreon LOL. I totally agree it gets better and better every single time!
4:00 This episode, to me, is a prime example of why 'Firefly' failed. The geniuses at Fox made this episode the pilot (as in 1st aired) and the actual pilot was aired around episode 7 or 8. 25 years later, I still remember a promo commercial Fox played for when it aired; it was inviting us to see how it all got started.
You said it, hard to not binge watch. Which means it could've been a huge hit on a streaming service. But on network TV it was harder and very expensive hard to not lose money. Plus as much as fans love sci-fi a lot of people do not.
It wasn't that it wasn't popular when it was on the air (not entirely inaccurate, but that was a symptom) there were execs at FOX that were doing everything in their power to create an excuse to cancel this show before the first episode even aired. They gave Whedon only a weekend to write a new first episode (this episode) after they "decided" that the first episode had things wrong with it. They aired episodes out of order (among other examples, they aired the first half of the Pilot as the last episode aired). They barely advertised. I've heard a variety of reasons for why they wanted the show cancelled, but the common thread in most versions of the story was that the head of programming who bought Firefly for FOX was not the head of programming by the time the show was going to series and the new head of programming didn't like that he was stuck with this contracted programming because a)he didn't like scifi, b)the former head of programming would be getting any of the bonus money from Firefly because they were the one who brought it in and the new head wanted the network full of shows that he would get bonuses for c)the head of programming had specific pet projects that he wanted to replace Firefly with (the replacement show didn't do very well either) or d)none or all of the above.
It's a mixed bag because if they had ordered based on the original pilot, Whedon wouldn't have lightened the tone at their request, and it might not have ended up being the show we love. People also make a really big deal out of the fact the episodes aired out of order but there's two reasons that's not really a big deal: 1) the show isn't so heavily serialized that it made a big difference and 2) not enough people were watching it in the first place for it to be a deciding factor. They did place it in Fox's Friday Night Death Slot, which killed every show that ever was scheduled there in no more than two seasons, but usually way less.
@@corystanish But they did order based on the original pilot or else the guy wouldn't have been saddled with the show already when he told Whedon to write a new first episode. The show might not have been as heavily serialized as shows are now, but there was character growth and on top of that, they aired 1/2 of the episode Serenity as the last episode after having most of what advertisement there was be made up of clips from Serenity. It also made a difference for the people who *were* watching. Also, FOX is notorious for airing episodes out of order outside of just Firefly, which is honestly the better argument for why the episode order shouldn't be made such a big deal of when it comes to FOX *trying* to get their own show cancelled.
@@plothole181 According to the DVD commentary, picking up the show was conditional on the writing of The Train Job as a replacement pilot and whether they liked the new script. I was watching it live. I didn't even notice anything off about the episode order until the DVD set came out
Another fantastic reaction. I love how you just get this show. I see legions have explained why it got canceled, so i won't get into that. But thank you for making my Friday entertaining. Can't wait for the next one.
@@kaliwali I can't wait for you to see more! I will be loving your reactions to Ariel and jaynestown among others. I might be your happiest subscriber lol
Thus begins one of a long string of cancellations of really cool shows that Fox smothered in the cradle to make way for cheaper, easier to produce reality shows.
If you like this would you consider doing Buffy the Vampire Slayer? It's another Joss Whedon show and it is truly amazing. It has 7 seasons to develop the stories and characters that Firefly should have had. You will also draw a considerable number of Buffy fans to your channel.
Kali, just advice. Don't watch the recaps, or "previously on Firefly". On some streaming sites I've seen them ruin surprises for upcoming episodes. There are some fun surprises ahead.😃
. Jayne Cobb is the humorous thug in the series , Adam Baldwin portrays "Animal Mother" in Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket" . It's where I knew I recognized Jayne Cobb from . He's the muscle of the Serenity crew , gotta have him even though his personality is less than honorable . 💪
. It's not my favorite Stanley Kubrick film , but it does pack a punch about "The duality of man" . The cinematic masterpiece that Stanley Kubrick did with Stephen King's "The Shining " with Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall is my favorite . Kubrick's ability to take a simple ghost story by King , and change it almost completely into a psychological thriller about different forms of mental and emotional traumas and delusional disordered illness is unbelievable . Most viewers never comprehend that in Stanley Kubrick's the Shining , There are NO GHOSTS, or anything that is supernatural , paranormal , spiritual or having to do with afterlife or reincarnation . No psychic abilities either. Just Kubrick's artist use of the unreliable narrative and red herrings to truck the viewer into accepting false factual truth of reality .... It's a trip to watch The Shining with the calm and focused mind knowing the factual truth of reality of the film .
@@kaliwalithe reason the series lasted only one season was because of interference from Fox execs 1. Believing the first episode was too dark the aired the first 4 episodes out of order which. 2. And also placed the show on the friday primetime spot where shows usually go to die.
I don’t know if you saw it yet, but the Battlestar Galactica 2000 series is even more awesome than firefly. Big bonus the firefly ship makes a cameo appearance in the very first episode as well as the enterprise.
Too bad Mal wasn't like Rick in "The Mummy Returns" who could catch the knife and throw it back lol. This episode is always a fun one. Especially when they get a chance to mess with Jayne. Though I feel like I should warn you that the next episode is a bit intense and gruesome. Sorry if that's a bit of a spoiler but I think it would be a good idea to warn your viewers at the top of the next video, so everyone is prepared.
So happy you are reacting to this show! Browncoats Unite! Why only one season... the leaders at FOX, the network that produced the show, really screwed up management of the show. They aired it in a bad timeslot. They showed the episodes in the wrong order and interrupted the airing schedule for baseball games and a movie! Plus, at the time, this was such a unique show, nothing like it had been made and the marketing department didn't know how to promote it. They actually advertised it as a "zany comedy", which didn't represent it correctly and attracted the wrong audience that was looking for a traditional sitcom.
Somebody with as much time on their hands as me but more money & motivation ought to collect the names of everyone working at Fox that even *might* have had a hand in the cancellation. Then use full-page ads in the industry trade magazines to shame them publicly. Or tattoo a scarlet "A" on their foreheads (A for asshole).
I don't like you youngsters watching Firefly, because that will lead to new DEI/Woke and political reboot. Please leave it alone, do not ruin it's legacy.
Give youngsters the benefit of the doubt. Compared to what is on network TV and most "video steaming services," "Firefly" stands out like a lighthouse beacon calming stormy waters. The fandom grows over time, not unlike Disney's not-so-long-ago "Gravity Falls."
It's great when a reactor is impressed with the story telling and they haven't gotten even seen any of the beloved episodes.
Kali pushed the "Why was this canceled" button on Episode 2! Way to hit it early!!
So the Programming Execat Fox, along with others, didn't get the show. Because of this they didn't forsee an audience appeal. Normally in a case like that they wouldn't green light even a 1st season. But because of the success of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel they had a deal with Wheddon for a 3rd show of his choosing.
So instead they dedicated very little of the Marketing budget to Firefly. That was the first hit. Then in their infinite wisdom they played the episodes out of order because they didn't think it would matter. Fox was never a believer in Serial style TV shows because they think audiences are too stupid to notice. That was hit #2.
Between those two marks against it the live airing of Firefly had a small turnout. Thus was the studios reason for the cancelation. To this day it remains the King of all tragic and epically stupid cancelations of all time.
After a pilot like that, how could I not fall in love with the 'verse already! 😭✨
@@kaliwali The FOX execs didn't like the pilot. They didn't want a two-hour pilot, so Whedon had about a week to write a new first episode so filming would let it air on schedule. "The Train Job" was actually the first episode aired, which is why there's a sort of recap in the dialogue. After the show was cancelled mid-season the pilot was finally aired as a two-part finale.
A big part of the problem, as legend has it, is that the execs who actually signed Whedon for _Firefly_ were gone by the time the show was filming. The new folks weren't interested in Sci-Fi and didn't want to commit to a show they hadn't signed off on themselves.
@@ElliotNesterman I remember watching this episode when it first aired. I always heard that the show might have caught on more if they had shown the pilot initially, but it kind of sounds like it was doomed from the outset.
@@dogawfuldoing bare minimum advertising honestly killed it more than the out of order airing. Many people who are fans now, like myself, had never heard of the show until well after it was canceled. My brother played his Serenity DVD for me which was my first introduction. I went and found the show on Netflix afterwards. This was well before everyone had started their own streaming services which is why Netflix had it.
Had I heard that Joss Whedon was doing a Sci-fi show I'd have been watching it from the jump.
Jumping on this...
There also seems to have been some infighting within Fox. One team was looking for new shows and green-lighting aggressively. Another team did the programming for what was coming down the pipe. These two teams (or at least key leadership) hated each other for whatever reasons. So the axe fell repeatedly on newly developed shows.
Family Guy did a bit where they called out this massive list of shows that had been created and axed between the time it itself had been cancelled and then brought back.
It was cancelled because the CEO that contracted for it on Monday was fired on Tuesday. His new group of yes men sabotaged it to show how bad the previous guy was. By sabotage I don't mean placing mines and stuff, I mean moving it around in the schedule, airing it out of order. Heck, the pilot aired last. This was the aired pilot.
My favorite line from this episode is from Mal when he says "I don't believe he does" when the sheriff makes the comment about a man having a choice. Mal is an honorable man and a good one. One of many reasons why he is my favorite character.
That is a good line that says a lot about his character. That line may have been the point when I really fell in love with thiis show.
Only Mal could put so much meaning, in so many ways, into one simple "Darn".
😭😂 TRUE
So many miss that hand of blue line during the end. Glad you caught it.
12:00 I mean devils advocate the alliance were literally trying to give the medicine to the people before Mals crew stole it. Same with the food in the first episode some town paid for and was relying on that food shipment.
The train job was
The food in the first episode was illegally salvage from a derelict Alliance ship. No one wasn't relying on that shipment, otherwise the Alliance would have recovered it at some point.
Great reaction. I love that moment Mal pushes Crow into the engine lol.
I can see after just 4 hours the Browncoats have let you know what happened to make this only one season with what Fox did. Can you imagine if THIS was the first episode you saw of a "new series" rather than the pilot episode? Weird. You wouldn't know who anyone was.
Glad you're enjoying! Looking forward to more!
I see now why it failed :( This would be a jarring first episode for sure
@@kaliwali I can't imagine. I probably would have stopped watching too.
One of the reasons Firefly got cancelled was bad timing, it was a fall premiere on FOX, but FOX was also airing the MLB playoffs, in my area it aired on Friday night, an already bad night for TV, but it also would get pre-empted for a baseball game, which is why it aired out of order. Sometimes it would air after the game, sometimes on Saturday, or not at all, it wasn't that the show couldn't find an audience, but the audience couldn't find the show.
"Why was it cancelled?" Exactly. As always, so fun to watch your reactions and hear your thoughts.
The scene of the negotiations to return the money at the end was so good.😂
hahah yes!
Two episodes in and Kali is already invested. (Don't worry, we all were) Super excited to watch all your reactions to each episode. We will certainly enjoy watching with you and thank you for sharing your experience with us. 😊
thank you!
Such a bitter sweet thing to see how much everyone enjoys this show that didn't even get a chance
It helps if they were smart enough to air the episodes in their intended order...
This episode was actually shown first. So, this was like the pilot episode instead of Serenity, and because of this Joss and another writer had to come up with the script really fast, so they could shoot it, get the CGI or special effects added, and get it edited in time for the network premier. I believe they ended up getting hotel room and writing the entire episode/new pilot over one weekend.
so tragic 😞
The more you watch the more you fall in love the more mad/sad you get that it's only one season but the movie did help. Brown coat for life
Can't stop the signal. 📡 🛰️
4:05 Firefly suffered from several issues that prevented its success. It was broadcast on Friday night at a time the audience it was geared toward would normally be out having fun with friends. It was greenlit by a Fox executive that approved of the concept, but by the time the show was ready to air that exec had been replaced by one who did not like nor understand science-fiction and felt mixing it with a western theme was even worse. And then there was the fact the show was broadcast out of order and often pre-empted for sports broadcasts. The series was shot as episodic but with an underlying serial plot slowly being revealed as the show went on. Watching the episodes out of order often confused some of the audience that had been trying to give the show a chance. The series pilot, "Serenity," was actually the last episode broadcast and two episodes did not even see the screen during the initial Fox run of the series. In all, a recipe for failure.
ugh so upsetting! 😮💨
@kaliwali Looking at the bright side, the show did not reach a point where it started going stale or have a lot of bad episodes!
This episode was the point where I really started to see the emotional and moral range of each of the characters. And how diverse and unique they are. Each bringing a fresh perspective to all the morally gray dilemmas. Really awesome crew this show has got!
Totally agree! You start to really get a feel for Mal and his 'unpredictable' but very personal moral compass. I love it!
I have to say that I went into this show without even knowing what genre I was going into. I took it super seriously in the first episode because of the huge War they threw us into. But it took this episode's kick into the airplane engine and the guy's smiling "I'm right there with you" for me to fully grasp what I was actually in for hahaha. It took me an EMBARRASINGLY long amount of time to get what this show was actually throwing down. But once I got it.. omg every episode just got better and better!
People give Fox a lot of flak for not liking the pilot episode and demanding a new one, but without that having happened, this episode wouldn't exist. In fact, Firefly might not have been the show we love without that happening.
@@kaliwali Not only are the characters engaging individuals and the storytelling great, but the humour is top notch and laced into most everthing.
There is even humour in some very painful scenes.
2:07 I've had vocal tics for many years, one of the very regular ones is to shout "pisspot". That one started precisely after I watched this episode and has never, ever faded off. Goes to show a good series really stays with you! 😂
😭😂🩷
“pisspot” always takes me back to a drama course I took long ago. Running around the theatre counterclockwise and shouting pisspot was the punishment for uttering “the play* that shall not be named.”
*Macbeth, it’s considered bad luck to stay it in a theatre.
@@joeb918 Ah yes, the accursed "Scottish Play" - I recall avoiding that name like the plague as well!
I vocalize random syllables to chase away my intrusive thoughts, but i'm thinking i might start saying "pisspot" instead. 😅
You think you are into this show now, by the time you finish the series you will be ready to storm the networks and demand its return :-)
Even sadder is the fact that they didn't EVEN get a full season - Fox cancelled it about halfway through. In those days, a full season would typically consist of 20-24 episodes.
Ugh, I didn't realize this! Definitely makes it even sadder..
And they aired the episodes out of order, and also switched the days and times it was broadcast.
Fox didn't see the show as an asset, and we're the poorer for that.
Welcome to the Browncoats Kali. Speaking on behalf of all of us (as I'm sure no one will disagree), you're going to love the rest of the season even more than the first two episodes.
Those who saw it when it aired loved it… the network it was on fecked with it too much and basically wanted to cancel it from the beginning and never really gave it a chance. However its following grew exponentially after it became a cult classic with an insanely huge following.
Maybe someone else mentioned this, and I don't really have all of the details, but, when Joss showed the network Serenity, the pilot episode, they told him it was too long and he needed to write a shorter pilot, so, he wrote The Train Job; the problem was that the new pilot didn't give all of the details that the audience needed, so, we didn't really become invested in the characters like we would have if Serenity was aired first. THEN, Fox preempted the show with football and other one-time events, further tanking Firefly's ratings.
I tried watching the show when it first aired on tv but FOX kept moving the show to different days and times so it was hard to keep track of when it was on. Most people fell in love with the show after it had been cancelled because we all finally had a chance to watch it either on DVD or on a streaming service. What makes people mad is that it's A really good show that wasn't given a fair chance and we all want more of the show.
This episode was ordered by the network to be a replacement for the pilot episode, so this one originally aired first with Serenity getting bumped to later in the run, effectively turning the intended introduction into a flash-back. So this had to redo all the introductions and world building in half the run time.
My heart was flying when I saw this and then I noticed it was one of those premiere videos for a future time… and I was flying less high, still excited though. Say shiny new Browncoat.
The movie Serenity will cover most of what happened to River.
Savour every episode
Whedon and Minear had joked about trying to write an episode in a weekend. When the pilot was rejected they ended up having to write this episode in a weekend.
Don't binge-watch. Savour every episode!
I've been watching two a week and it's been such a great time!
it was cancelled because of the studios. It has a HUGE fan base. Great series. :)
4:04 Actually some higher-ups at the network did everything they could to actively sabotage the success of the show.
Great reaction, thank you. You seem to grasp the nuances of this show quickly which is impressive!
I love Firefly. All the episodes are good, but I find the middle group (episodes 6 thru 10) to be particularly strong.
Joss Whedon, the show's creator, referred to Firefly as a space western. Your comment at the beginning of the video was pretty accurate. Space, with a western element.
Exactly. Reminds me of something Joss said in the DVD commentary. He felt that the border planets being essentially the wild west added to the realism of the world. The planets were basically just terraformed and nothing more because why would the government spend more on poor people? Poor people who landed there with little more than what they could carry and had to ramshackle together some sort of society and build towns and plow fields and on and on. So they're essentially the pioneers of the US late 1800s. Horses make more sense in an agrarian society than automotive vehicles. Buildings and items are built with as little resources as can be done. Someone has to be sherrif, but probably won't be a doctor or a dentist at first. And the show gives impressions of how the different planets have grown based on their proximity to the central planets and the time they've been colonized. Taking the time to really wrap your brain around it makes you aware of how well-realized the show's history and lore is.
I don't get the idea that The Alliance deliberately keep back supplies (at least, not as a matter of policy)...but they are unequal to the tasks of providing for the territory gained by victory. Largely, they have no idea all that is needed on the outer planets, and in cases where they do comprehend the need, they have no idea how logistically provide it to avert disaster.
Unfortunately, i think i can imagine why supplies might be kept back. If you're a government official or politician with a specific item, are you more likely to give that item to those that need it or sell that item to someone that wants it? (That was oversimplified, i apologize.) Some choices are unethical and even illegal, but we are talking about politicians...🫤
Your reactions are such a joy to watch. Stay shiny 😊
Joss Whedon is a tremendous writer
This is third-hand knowledge, meaning I read this somewhere and can't say how legitimate this info is or how well I remembered what I read...
Firefly was signed (brought to the network) by a very high network executive who was fired before the first episode aired. The new execs at the network had every reason to want this project to fail... If the network signed Firefly to more episodes, then that fired exec would get paid more money. The new execs did everything they could to ditch this project so that they could get paid for bringing in their own projects, while making sure old projects that weren't getting them paid were dumped. So, they didn't care how well this series was written. They didn't care how well received that show was by audience.
In the end, it was all about a small group of people wanting to line their own pockets with no regard for anything else, like the quality of shows put out by their company.
No network has ever sabotaged the success of a good series as thoroughly as Fox sabotaged Firefly
:( so wrong & sad
It was cancelled because they showed it out of sequence and kept moving the days it showed and because it was very expensive to film. The cast was lightening in a bottle type wonderful. It was ahead of it's time. By the time it built up a loyal, growing fan base they cancelled it
super disappointing :(
When I was growing up, that game in the first scene was marketed as Chinese Checkers. I've never heard what they call it in China
that's what I thought but didn't want to say it aloud in case I was wrong haha. I think my aunt had this game growing up but I never played!
In a Halloween episode of the TV series Castle, staring Nathan Fillion, he wears his Firefly costume. His daughter asks what he is supposed to be. His reply is "Space Cowboy". She replies with something like, "Didn't you wear that, like, five years ago?" Unfortunately, the network aired the show out of order and didn't air all episodes. They aired The Train Job as the pilot. The Fox executive responsible for it being cancelled, Gail Berman, is now introduced as "The person who cancelled Firefly."
This is a deleted scene from the 1st episode. It gives so much backstory I can't understand how they cut it. If you're a Firefly fan and you haven't seen it already it's a much watch.
ua-cam.com/video/5FFO-QaBjoc/v-deo.html
“Space Western.”
Welcome to the Brown Coats. Probably the earliest enlistment I've seen so far.
The show was met very well when it aired. But Fox did everything possible to kill it. Episodes out of order, bad time slot, moving time slots. Someone at Fox actively was trying to kill the show. And succeeded.
Oh, she's gonna be a brown coat by the end. She should just get the merch now. :)
I'm already there! lol
18:36 Well done! A lot of people miss that.
The second season of Firefly is rewatching the first season of Firefly. Personally I'm on like season 26, and it just keeps getting better.
I only just found your reactions, but I love them. You're so genuine! Thank you for all the content!
I love how you put this! I usually react to 2 episodes a week on patreon and I just finished episode 8 today (which btw WOW) and after I do my 2 episodes I go back and rewatch them immediately lol. I even have gone back now and started rewatching from the beginning to tide me over to the next 2 on patreon LOL. I totally agree it gets better and better every single time!
4:00 This episode, to me, is a prime example of why 'Firefly' failed. The geniuses at Fox made this episode the pilot (as in 1st aired) and the actual pilot was aired around episode 7 or 8. 25 years later, I still remember a promo commercial Fox played for when it aired; it was inviting us to see how it all got started.
Ah, you totally should binge watch this. 😉
You said it, hard to not binge watch. Which means it could've been a huge hit on a streaming service. But on network TV it was harder and very expensive hard to not lose money. Plus as much as fans love sci-fi a lot of people do not.
This video gave me something to look forward after my workday and was a great way to start my weekend.
happy weekend! 😂✨
@@kaliwali Thank you. Have a happy weekend as well.
The show never had much of a chance while airing. It was shown out of order and had it's timeslot changed.
The question will always be: What drugs were the Fox executives on when they cancelled this show.
Which is why: Every tinme a UA-cam viewer falls in love with "Firefly," a Fox TV executive falls off the Nakatomi Plaza building.;)
Thanks, Kali, for sharing. I'm glad that you like it.
The Alliance soldiers are wearing the recycled costumes from the movie Starship Troopers.
This was my older sister’s favorite TV show before it became known as Serenity. That was actually a decent sci-fi movie Nathan Fillion was great!
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train!
LOL I was waiting for this comment 😂
6:25 Ohhhh yeah, the Mal-Inara "will they, wont they" arc is a huuuge part of the show, lol
It wasn't that it wasn't popular when it was on the air (not entirely inaccurate, but that was a symptom) there were execs at FOX that were doing everything in their power to create an excuse to cancel this show before the first episode even aired. They gave Whedon only a weekend to write a new first episode (this episode) after they "decided" that the first episode had things wrong with it. They aired episodes out of order (among other examples, they aired the first half of the Pilot as the last episode aired). They barely advertised.
I've heard a variety of reasons for why they wanted the show cancelled, but the common thread in most versions of the story was that the head of programming who bought Firefly for FOX was not the head of programming by the time the show was going to series and the new head of programming didn't like that he was stuck with this contracted programming because a)he didn't like scifi, b)the former head of programming would be getting any of the bonus money from Firefly because they were the one who brought it in and the new head wanted the network full of shows that he would get bonuses for c)the head of programming had specific pet projects that he wanted to replace Firefly with (the replacement show didn't do very well either) or d)none or all of the above.
It's a mixed bag because if they had ordered based on the original pilot, Whedon wouldn't have lightened the tone at their request, and it might not have ended up being the show we love.
People also make a really big deal out of the fact the episodes aired out of order but there's two reasons that's not really a big deal: 1) the show isn't so heavily serialized that it made a big difference and 2) not enough people were watching it in the first place for it to be a deciding factor.
They did place it in Fox's Friday Night Death Slot, which killed every show that ever was scheduled there in no more than two seasons, but usually way less.
@@corystanish But they did order based on the original pilot or else the guy wouldn't have been saddled with the show already when he told Whedon to write a new first episode.
The show might not have been as heavily serialized as shows are now, but there was character growth and on top of that, they aired 1/2 of the episode Serenity as the last episode after having most of what advertisement there was be made up of clips from Serenity.
It also made a difference for the people who *were* watching.
Also, FOX is notorious for airing episodes out of order outside of just Firefly, which is honestly the better argument for why the episode order shouldn't be made such a big deal of when it comes to FOX *trying* to get their own show cancelled.
@@plothole181 According to the DVD commentary, picking up the show was conditional on the writing of The Train Job as a replacement pilot and whether they liked the new script.
I was watching it live. I didn't even notice anything off about the episode order until the DVD set came out
this show is so so good
Another fantastic reaction. I love how you just get this show. I see legions have explained why it got canceled, so i won't get into that. But thank you for making my Friday entertaining. Can't wait for the next one.
These episodes just keep getting better and better! (I just watched 8 on patreon today and wow...) I'm absolutely loving it!
@@kaliwali I can't wait for you to see more! I will be loving your reactions to Ariel and jaynestown among others. I might be your happiest subscriber lol
Thus begins one of a long string of cancellations
of really cool shows that Fox smothered in the
cradle to make way for cheaper, easier to produce
reality shows.
If you like this would you consider doing Buffy the Vampire Slayer? It's another Joss Whedon show and it is truly amazing. It has 7 seasons to develop the stories and characters that Firefly should have had. You will also draw a considerable number of Buffy fans to your channel.
They must have added that recapped later. My DVD edition doesn't have that.
One of my favorite reactors (and gamers)...
One of favorite shows...
So happy to watch this.
Please binge watch this show 😁 1 episode every day will be great 😃
Kali just a reminder make sure you have your box of kleenex handy:)
Kali, just advice. Don't watch the recaps, or "previously on Firefly".
On some streaming sites I've seen them ruin surprises for upcoming episodes.
There are some fun surprises ahead.😃
good tip, thank you! I've been watching on HBO and I haven't seen any recaps thank goodness
"The Train Job": Fox TV's ordered second pilot, written over a weekend. Mal takes a job from psychotic crime boss, Adelai Niska...
Great reaction Kali, keep up the great work.
Am I the ONLY one who didn't get the "two by two, hands of blue" reference the first time around?
😂
5:15 Oh! Look! Nathan Drake from all them Console games 😛
15:45 slave = servant?
17:58 Aaaw♥ I like IT! DIS is FACTs & a.good Strong engine😛
In my best Adam Baldwin as Jayne Cobb voice "Time for some thrilling heroics" 😎 ❤ 🎥 Let's get the job done Serenity crew, there's crime to be done .
I edited this after watching Jaynestown... and i'm so glad I did because it made me leave in that line from Jayne 😭😭🤣🤣
. Jayne Cobb is the humorous thug in the series , Adam Baldwin portrays "Animal Mother" in Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket" . It's where I knew I recognized Jayne Cobb from . He's the muscle of the Serenity crew , gotta have him even though his personality is less than honorable . 💪
@@Lue_Jonin I haven't seen Full Metal Jacket yet! But it's been recommended a ton here
. It's not my favorite Stanley Kubrick film , but it does pack a punch about "The duality of man" . The cinematic masterpiece that Stanley Kubrick did with Stephen King's "The Shining " with Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall is my favorite . Kubrick's ability to take a simple ghost story by King , and change it almost completely into a psychological thriller about different forms of mental and emotional traumas and delusional disordered illness is unbelievable . Most viewers never comprehend that in Stanley Kubrick's the Shining , There are NO GHOSTS, or anything that is supernatural , paranormal , spiritual or having to do with afterlife or reincarnation . No psychic abilities either. Just Kubrick's artist use of the unreliable narrative and red herrings to truck the viewer into accepting false factual truth of reality .... It's a trip to watch The Shining with the calm and focused mind knowing the factual truth of reality of the film .
@@kaliwalithe reason the series lasted only one season was because of interference from Fox execs 1. Believing the first episode was too dark the aired the first 4 episodes out of order which. 2. And also placed the show on the friday primetime spot where shows usually go to die.
really enjoyed your reaction 👍☺
I am a leaf on the wind!
I don’t know if you saw it yet, but the Battlestar Galactica 2000 series is even more awesome than firefly. Big bonus the firefly ship makes a cameo appearance in the very first episode as well as the enterprise.
that's awesome! I've heard a lot mention Battlestar Galactica so I'll have to check it out!
Too bad Mal wasn't like Rick in "The Mummy Returns" who could catch the knife and throw it back lol. This episode is always a fun one. Especially when they get a chance to mess with Jayne. Though I feel like I should warn you that the next episode is a bit intense and gruesome. Sorry if that's a bit of a spoiler but I think it would be a good idea to warn your viewers at the top of the next video, so everyone is prepared.
So happy you are reacting to this show! Browncoats Unite! Why only one season... the leaders at FOX, the network that produced the show, really screwed up management of the show. They aired it in a bad timeslot. They showed the episodes in the wrong order and interrupted the airing schedule for baseball games and a movie! Plus, at the time, this was such a unique show, nothing like it had been made and the marketing department didn't know how to promote it. They actually advertised it as a "zany comedy", which didn't represent it correctly and attracted the wrong audience that was looking for a traditional sitcom.
Ugh, this is so tragic...
Kaliwali Awesome Video Today!!🔥🐐🐐💎
Seeing all of the possible recurring characters/locations and storylines they set up in season 1 makes its cancellation even worse.
I log on live just in time to see her signing off.
Oh nooo! It was a shorter episode hehe. Hopefully see you in the next one! Have a great weekened!
Oh My ... Hooked already! Super Thanks!
Somebody with as much time on their hands as me but more money & motivation ought to collect the names of everyone working at Fox that even *might* have had a hand in the cancellation. Then use full-page ads in the industry trade magazines to shame them publicly. Or tattoo a scarlet "A" on their foreheads (A for asshole).
Firefly!?! Subscribed.
Something slightly off about the audio... Sounds a tiny bit slowed down.
Sounds as if one channel is inverted or something like it!
Yeah, I noticed it too. To me it sounds a bit pitched down.
I change my pitch by .1 lower to help keep longer scenes in without copyright issues :)
Lurve!!!
❤❤❤
❤
"I am a leaf on the wind, watch how I soar." #BrowncoatsUnite
🤎🍂
Early for that.
@@TommygunNG Early? Is he a lion?
@@LillBit It's still too soon...
@@jaives We see what you did there, Jubal.
I don't like you youngsters watching Firefly, because that will lead to new DEI/Woke and political reboot. Please leave it alone, do not ruin it's legacy.
Give youngsters the benefit of the doubt. Compared to what is on network TV and most "video steaming services," "Firefly" stands out like a lighthouse beacon calming stormy waters. The fandom grows over time, not unlike Disney's not-so-long-ago "Gravity Falls."