Before going into the film specifically, I thought it would be interesting to tie this into the DVD reviews that I wrote and posted from the day principal photography began through the month before release of the film in the US. There were a number of things that I felt the film should address, which I mentioned in my review for “Objects in Space”. Here’s what I said in that review, and how I think the film covered each aspect of the story:
1) Mal’s search for trust in humanity isn’t something that can be completed in a single film, especially since that search is tied directly to his relationships with several people, all of which have their own trials and tribulations. Mal might have to struggle with the notion of gaining the freedom he desires at the cost of River’s self-determination.
The series has been, in many respects, the question of how Mal, a man at a spiritual crossroads, deals with the dilemma of a dangerous young woman who needs his help. If “Serenity” focuses on River’s plight, then the story is equally about Mal and his own journey. His decisions in dealing with River would reflect the success or failure of his own redemption. If that is indeed the focus, then representative elements would have to be present in the story as well: the Alliance, the Reavers, and the underworld elements in between.
In many respects, this entire story is about how River and her situation impacts Mal and the restoration of his faith. Mal has been searching for something to believe in, and his crew and passengers provided a delicate balance. Even though Mal rejected religious faith, Book always reminded him that faith takes many other forms (it was largely unspoken, but there). Inara gave him hope that there was something he could share the world with.
Without them, Mal needs something to believe in. And because he doesn’t have that in the beginning, he doesn’t have what it takes to beat the enemy. His enemy believes that the Alliance and its goal of peaceful unity is “a better world”, and that fervent belief drives his every action. Until Mal realizes that he still believes in something, in this case exposing the truth about the Alliance and the love within his crew, the enemy holds the advantage.
This is perhaps a point too subtle for new viewers, because they haven’t seen Mal’s journey. They didn’t see him lose faith at the Battle of Serenity Valley. We have seen that, and we’ve also seen how the presence of the crew tempered and repaired some of that damage. Just before the end of the series, Inara decided to leave, and as River discovered in “Objects in Space”, that began Mal’s descent back into his darkness.
Still, even though the crew itself (his new family) provides the foundation for his spiritual healing, it’s his realization of River’s situation that triggers it. When he decides to bring River back to Serenity and figure it out from there, he’s coming to a realization about where he draws the line. Appropriately, he becomes caught between the full might of the Alliance and the Reavers.
The Alliance represents overbearing authority, the control of thought and purpose. Only those with a belief in their own total moral superiority would decide that pacification at a worldwide scale is acceptable. And from a thematic point of view, such attempt at control always results in an equal but opposite reaction. In this case, the Reavers, who embody total anarchy and lack of morality. Mal, searching for himself, finds himself eternally between the two extremes.
The underworld elements, the middle ground that Mal operates within, represents a comfort zone. As long as he finds moral authority in working within the grey area just beyond the law, he doesn’t have to face the two extremes directly. It’s not until that comfort zone is wiped out and he is fully exposed that Mal must face his own demons. That might have happened in time on the series, but until the film, there was no reason to go there so soon.
In the same way, I wondered in earlier reviews whether River would resurrect some of Mal’s desire to stand against the Alliance. In “Bushwhacked”, where the Alliance/Reaver dichotomy was largely introduced, Mal is accused of still fighting the Battle of Serenity Valley. In essence, that is exactly what he’s doing in this film: striking out at the Alliance and everything they stand for. His methods have changed, but his sentiments have not.
I find it rather ironic, and perfectly Whedonesque, that the Alliance is essentially trying to create “serenity”. Only it’s artificial calm, not a state achieved through truth or self-reflection. Mal is one step closer to becoming the man he once was.
2) If Zoe, Kaylee, Book, and Inara all function to support certain aspects of Mal’s humanity, then Jayne is the opposite. As seen in earlier episodes, Jayne is on the edge of pure self-involvement.
At the beginning of the film, Mal has reverted somewhat along his redemptive path; the loss of Book (his spiritual guide) and Inara (his ideal woman) from Serenity have left him with Zoe (his conscience) and Kaylee (his sense of family). All of the dark qualities come out, and he begins to question whether or not River and Simon are worth the trouble.
Jayne, on the other hand, seems to be as self-interested as he was before the end of the series. He once again considers tossing River off the ship and letting the rest of the ‘verse deal with their own problems. He constantly appeals to Mal’s more mercenary side. At times, that point of view has value for Mal. But even Jayne must eventually come to recognize what needs to be done and why, because if the Alliance gets its way, his way of life will disappear just as quickly.
3) Book’s past may be revealed, but on the series, it would have played out over time, and it would have factored into his relationship and redemptive quality with Mal. Similarly, Inara’s exit, if ever depicted, won’t be as meaningful if it takes place off screen.
Well, it looks like Book and his past are about as explored as it gets, considering that he’s dead. That came as a shock to me. I knew someone was going to die, but as I mention shortly, I always assumed that it would be Zoe or Wash. Book’s secret seemed like a good reason to keep him around. His past and his advisement still play a role in Mal’s redemption, but not as much as it would have if his own moral authority had been questioned.
In terms of his secret, we do get a roundabout answer. Book describes the kind of man that the Alliance Assassin must be. He speaks as though such men were familiar to him, or more importantly, as if he himself had been such a man. Looking back, that would explain much about Book. He could have seen something that, like the assassin in this film, shook his confidence in his belief in the Alliance. Thus he sought faith in something else.
In terms of Inara, her absence had to have come very soon after “Objects in Space”, but long enough before “Serenity” to let the effect revert Mal to his darker origins. That allows the new viewer to see Mal go through a character arc, but it doesn’t provide a smooth transition for Browncoats looking for those moments of continuity. It also takes something away from the power of their reconciliation, because we’re used to a lot more fireworks between them.
4) There’s the whole question of Zoe and Wash and their plans for parenthood, which is likely to be dropped completely (especially if one of them is killed, as the previous episode seemed to foreshadow).
I was certainly right about this, but I’m a little saddened that the whole parenthood issue never came up in the film. Perhaps it was extraneous detail, but for me, it added a bit more to the shock of Wash’s death. The loss is more keenly felt, knowing what they might have had. In fact, one of the things about the film that bothered me was the lack of reaction to Wash’s death. Much of that is mitigated by the fact that the other survivors are reeling from the constant barrage of death and danger, but not all of it. Again, a minor complaint for me, but those who love Wash will likely be upset by this plot point.
5) Simon and Kaylee’s relationship has been so on/off over the past several episodes that it’s quite impossible to predict if it would have worked. Since Simon’s relationship with Kaylee was a barometer for his acceptance of his new life, it’s unlikely that it will be a big part of the film.
I can’t say that this relationship will be satisfying for new viewers, but I thought that it was a nice way to bring that relationship to fruition after so long. My only fear is the same one I harbored for Zoe and Wash coming into the film: Joss seldom lets a relationship like this survive for very long. If (or rather, when) the sequel comes along, I’ll be very concerned about the survival of Simon and Kaylee.
But considering that one of the best scenes of the third act came when Simon admitted his desire to have the hot, sweaty monkey sex with Kaylee (like any real man in the ‘verse), my fear isn’t enough to wish it never happened!
6) River, on the other hand, was the beginning of the story, and so it makes sense that she would factor heavily into its end. Logically, as mentioned above, this episode should be the precursor to an even more determined search. River was ostensibly created to be a weapon for the Alliance; she could just as easily be a weapon against her creators.
In a sense, this is exactly what happens, but it didn’t happen the way I expected. It turns out that the Alliance created the situation which allowed River to become a threat. A lot of the actions of the “Hands of Blue” agents are a lot more sensible now. Why were they so intent on killing anyone who might have spoken to River? Because they were worried about anyone figuring out the secrets of the Alliance Parliament.
More importantly, with this situation resolved, the real question is how River will impact events in the future. For that matter, Mal and the crew aren’t out of the woods, just because the assassin did so much to keep the Alliance from acting out too soon. There are other operatives and there are other ways for Mal and the crew to end up against the Alliance.
*****
I wanted to run through all those comments for a number of reasons. It’s not a matter of giving myself credit for seeing a number of things coming, even if a lot of my interpretations were validated by “Serenity”. It’s more a question of pointing out that a great deal of what happens in this film is absolutely in keeping with the direction that the series had taken from the beginning.
Joss thinks in terms of season arcs. This ought to be clear to any fan of “Buffy” and “Angel”. “Firefly” began with a number of plot and character threads, and while one could assume that the character arcs would have spread out over a long period of time, the plot arc was probably meant to come to a head by the end of the first season.
The way I see it, even if there were a few changes made possible by the fact that the film concept allows for more permanent consequences, is that “Serenity” marks what would have probably happened in the first season finale. Clearly some time has passed since the first 14 episodes. If “Serenity” might have been episodes 21 and 22, then I think of the time passed as being the “missing” episodes (15-20). Cut out six episodes from the timeline, and that’s about the period of time that elapsed in the continuity between series and film.
Thinking of the film in this manner helps to alleviate much of my discomfort with the beginning of the film. It helped me reconcile the fact that things were coming to a head on Serenity, especially since Mal had lost much of his psychological support with the loss of Inara and Book from the ship. It doesn’t explain some things, like Simon acting as if this issue of River’s presence is a new one, but I chalk that up to the evils of exposition.
Here’s the thing. I feel as though, minor hiccups aside, “Serenity” is the logical extension and resolution of the first season plot arc from “Firefly”. I see very few contradictions, and if anything, Joss finally gets to communicate concepts and ‘verse elements that were otherwise too expensive or controversial to include on the series. So it drives me crazy to see so many self-proclaimed Browncoats claiming that the film betrays the spirit of “Firefly”.
It’s ludicrous. More than that, it betrays the very thought of trusting Joss to tell us the story that he always wanted to tell. There are literally people who believe that Joss had no right to kill off characters or take Serenity and the crew into so many dark and unexpected places. That’s makes as little sense as the cancellation of “Firefly” in the first place.
Let me make this very clear: Joss had every right to kill off Book and Wash. If he wanted to, he could have ended the film with everyone dead and River laughing her ass off. That’s because no matter how much we want to believe that this film and the series are ours, in the end, we’re still just the fans because we wanted to see what Joss would or could do with another chance. Now we’ve seen that. What right does anyone have to say it was wrong?
I’m not talking about fans who didn’t like the film because a character they loved was killed off. That would bother me as well, and frankly, I loved Book and Wash. Like I said, I thought killing Book was unfortunate. But I would never think to question whether or not Joss had the right to do it. And I wouldn’t let that ruin the series, film, and potential sequels and my enjoyment thereof. Being a fan of Joss means accepting the fact that he doesn’t consider his characters sacrosanct. He will kill them, and often, he’ll make sure it has a huge impact on everyone involved.
Anyone paying attention could have seen Wash’s fate coming a mile away. I did, and I’m not nearly as devoted as some of the fans complaining that it was done for shock value. Nothing could be further from the truth. Take a close look at the crew, and consider which member has little to no impact on Mal and his personal journey. And then think about whether Zoe or Wash would have a more meaningful reaction to the death of the other, especially in relation to Mal and his arc. That’s right…Wash is the more expendable one, and once he and Zoe were on the march to parenthood, it was quite predictable.
Book’s death is a slightly different question. Had the series continued, Wash might have still died at the end of the first season. I’m not so sure about Book. But in consideration of “Serenity”, I understand exactly why Book’s death makes sense. Book was important so long as Mal needed someone to point out his need for faith in something. In this film, Mal finds that, and at the end, he still holds on to that faith. Thus, Book is not entirely necessary to Mal’s development point forward.
Another complaint is typically concerning Mal and Inara and the lack of any real exploration of that relationship. I understand that a lot of people loved that aspect of the series, and they were annoyed that it wasn’t a big part of the film. But I once again point out the “first season finale” perspective. Since Joss typically has character relationship arcs evolve over more than a single season, it’s unlikely that anything more than what happens in “Serenity” would have happened on the series.
One must also consider that the problem between Mal and Inara is connected to Mal’s lack of faith in humanity. So long as Mal is pushing everyone away, Inara wouldn’t respond to her own feelings for him. This is the moment that Mal begins his journey towards redemption and restoration. Again, if one pays attention to the series and the film and the clear narrative connections between them, it’s quite obvious that Inara would still keep Mal at arm’s length in the film.
While I already mentioned that the lack of context for the Mal/Inara scenes was a flaw, I also understand that Joss would have no reason to bring up all the details about Mal and Inara and their issues if they weren’t going to be resolved. Enough was there to get a feel for where things are going, and complaining that it wasn’t enough is just plain silly. Besides, like I said for Simon and Kaylee: with Joss, it’s often better if the characters don’t get together, because then you fear for their lives!
One last point. Some fans are complaining that the level of darkness and violence is unnecessary, and that it devolves “Firefly” into nothing more than a glorified action film. I simply point to the fact that “Objects in Space” is clearly the prologue to a much larger operation. Not only that, but several episodes were in the same vein, just on a smaller scale: “Serenity (the pilot)”, “Ariel”, and “War Stories” are perfect examples. In fact, “War Stories” is one of my favorite episodes entirely because of its dark and intense tone. How, then, is “Serenity” not in keeping with that precedent?
I already mentioned how the plot intelligently resolves the question of River and her relationship to the Alliance, and in turn, how it pertains to Mal’s restoration of faith. But I have to once again give Joss credit for putting all the pieces together in a way that I never could have predicted. It explains far more about the Alliance and its methods than the series even managed. We always knew that the Alliance was bad; now we know exactly why they are so bad. A lot of what happens in the series, especially how society in the core planets is portrayed, gets an explanation here.
Before anyone accuses me of being too easy on the film, I did have concerns. While I truly believe that the majority of the film is an extension of elements already present in the series, a couple of things didn’t quite mesh. For one, Simon always seemed completely ignorant regarding what happened to River at the Academy. Yet in “Serenity”, we see that he learned quite a bit that he didn’t seem to know in the series. That didn’t make sense to me, and I suspect that I’ll feel the need to take another look at the series to see if it works.
I also didn’t like the fact that a few liberties were taken in the third act. Everything suggests that the Reavers would run their engines to slag to ensure that they catch Serenity. By all accounts, the Reaver fleet should have overtaken Serenity long before they encountered the Alliance fleet. Even more to the point, the existence of that planet and its peculiar nature was definitely a plot convenience. Add to that the sudden intrusion of typical “space battle” sound effects, so contrary to the aesthetic of the series, and it was little disappointing.
On a side note, one thing that I often discussed in the “Firefly” reviews was the question of how the planets were related to one another (“spatial geography”, if you will). This film answers that question definitively, but in doing so, creates a serious blunder. I accept that hundreds of worlds and moons could be terraformed, for the sake of narrative convenience, but I simply cannot accept the idea that a planet on the edge of the planetary system would have as much sunlight as the core planets. Nice concept, but that’s the sort of thing that drives me crazy.
Thankfully, Joss is the kind of writer that gets me to ignore these nitpicks as I’m watching his work, and in the end, it’s the characters that matter to me. Joss injects a lot of psychological and philosophical content into his work, and it’s evident in this film. (I’m deeply amused by the professional critics/reviewers who completely miss these elements, thus displaying their own lack of analytical ability!) No doubt, others will point out areas where other mistakes were made or conveniences were taken. None of that is likely to destroy my appreciation of this film.
*****
Joss has mentioned the fact that he has ideas for a second and third film. To end this review, I want to engage in a little speculation.
One could consider what a “Serenity” trilogy would be like. I’ve mentioned here and there that Mal is indeed still fighting the Battle of Serenity Valley, and as such, he is still fighting the war against the Alliance. Even with most of his underworld allies dead and the Alliance well aware of his actions and abilities, Mal has the potential to make some rather big things happen. Not only that, but he’s probably got the best weapon possible in River, provided he doesn’t allow himself to think of River in strictly those terms. That would make him little better than the Alliance.
I like to think of this in terms of the original “Star Wars” trilogy. In essence, this is “Star Wars” in the “Firefly” ‘verse. We have our hard fought victory, but the Alliance isn’t dead and gone, it’s only wounded. The Alliance will strike back, and it will not be pretty. There are truths and connections to be uncovered, and if this is going to be a true trilogy, then the second film should put much of what was accomplished in this film in serious doubt.
I think the second film would focus on Mal and Inara. Mal is likely to become more involved, despite himself, with a new movement to break the control of the Alliance on the ‘verse. Inara is still deeply connected to the Alliance, and there are a number of details of her world that remain undisclosed. One could easily imagine a film where circumstances set them at odds, just as they are beginning to finally come together.
It’s also not hard to imagine that this could involve, in some fashion, disclosure of Book’s past activities. There were certain hints regarding a possible connection between Book’s past and either Mal or River. Book could have had information that would help Mal fight the Alliance, and Book’s death could be the catalyst for uncovering that information. Whatever the case, there are a lot of ways that these various connections could create several complications.
Beyond Mal and River, I see Zoe going in a direction not unlike Mal’s during the series. Jayne eventually has to learn something from Mal and the others, or he could ultimately be successful in his deceptions. Hopefully Simon and Kaylee will survive long enough for them to have character arcs as well. I’m not ready to let go of Kaylee yet!
So I see that as the direction of the next two films. I generally see Mal as the reluctant leader of a new Browncoat movement, perhaps culminating in a second Battle of Serenity Valley, where victory finally purges him of the negative effects of the original loss. Along the way, I see Inara’s secrets being an issue, but eventually, they find forgiveness in each other. Doubtless, there will be additional losses along the way. And I completely expect Joss, in this case, to defy and confound my expectations in all the best possible ways.
To sum all of these thoughts up (at least for now), here are my final thoughts on “Serenity”. Whatever minor quibbles I might have with the details of the film and some of the plot choices, I still feel that it is more than I ever could have asked for. I wanted to see Joss tell the story he wanted to tell, and that’s what I got. I’m going to cherish the fact that something rare and impossible happened: the good guys finally won. As an unrepentant Browncoat, I wholehearted give this film a top rating.
