The Anger of Compassion

The (Possible) Ascendance of Television

Monica White of The Atlasphere takes a look at the DVD of the Fox television series Firefly. I've never seen it, but she makes me want to:

What is it, then, that makes this series so endearing to its fans? Why the tributes? Why the passionate struggle to keep it on the screen? Why the knowing smile and instant camaraderie when someone introduces himself at a party as a Firefly fan?

For me, what the show gets so right — what sets it apart from every other show I’ve seen — is the fact that the morality is so damn close to what I agree with. The characters don’t faff about — they know which action will give them the most benefit personally and pursue it without qualms. There is no apology for what would usually be considered crude opportunism.

For someone who enjoys Ayn Rand’s work, Firefly is a welcome respite from the myriad of flawed, moribund, and lackluster moralities of the shows routinely presented on the small screen.

The story itself is engaging, and doesn’t allow the futuristic backdrop to rob it of a plausible storyline. It is not a prerequisite to have enjoyed Sci-Fi previously — this isn’t traditional Sci-Fi.

The characters are well rounded and complex, and the storylines are masterfully and surprisingly interwoven. Whedon spins his verbal mastery to give the characters strong, punchy, funny lines that you will find yourself quoting often.

She has a blog of her own, Th' Inkwell. There's some evidence she's a babe, too.