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Questions tagged [firefly]

Use this tag for questions about "Firefly", an American space western television series (2002) created by writer and director Joss Whedon. The series is set in the year 2517, after the arrival of humans in a new star system, and follows the adventures of the renegade crew and passengers aboard 'Serenity', a Firefly-class spaceship. Also use this tag for tie-in comic series, but not the film 'Serenity'.

Firefly is an American space western television series created by writer and director . The series originally aired September 20 – December 20, 2002 on Fox out of order, and was cancelled after low ratings. It has since gathered a large fan following, leading to the release of the film.

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Why was Mal so quick to drop Bester in favour of Kaylee?

The episode "Out of Gas" tells of the recruitment of Serenity's crew via a series of flashbacks. Kaylee's roundabout route is shown; The next two to join the crew are Hoban Washburne, an accomplished pilot who bothers Zoe for some unexplained…
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Why does everyone in Firefly speak Chinese?

In the television series "Firefly," it seems like every person on every planet speaks Chinese. Conversations often transition randomly between English and Chinese, and even the computer alerts are in both languages. Why? Is there an in-universe…
BlueRaja - Danny Pflughoeft
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Why did companions have such high social standing?

I've been watching Firefly. While I've been enjoying the show, the one thing I haven't been able to quite figure out is why companions have such high social standing. They are admittedly quite "posh", but what about them makes them so well received…
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Is the planet called "Earth-That-Was" totally uninhabited?

We know that Earth-That-Was became difficult to live on, so humanity spread out to terraform and colonize other worlds. Was Earth left totally abandoned, or is it just a difficult environment?
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What is "Blue Sun" in Firefly?

There are many references to Blue Sun in firefly. Most are background type images such as billboard advertisements or a shirt that Jayne wears. Is this ever explained, either directly in an episode or maybe in DVD extras?
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Are the planets in Firefly in just one star system or spread across the galaxy?

In the intro to the show it says/suggests the planets to be in one star system. But in episode 9 (Ariel) the intro suggests that they are spread across the galaxy. The specific quote is: ...And terraformed a whole new Galaxy of Earths Which is it…
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Why does Mal abandon the Tams in “Safe”?

In “Safe,” some hill folk on Jiangyin abduct Simon and River Tam just when the crew desperately need a medic. Mal abandons the Tams to seek out medical assistance off-world, despite strong dissent from the crew. Even worse, Mal’s decision forces…
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Other than River Tam, are there any other Psychics in the Firefly 'verse?

Since it's introduced quite early in the series, I was surprised that no further psychics turned up in Serenity (if there's one there's two). Are there any other instances of psychics in the Firefly universe (or 'verse) in the rest of the canon?
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Why does Jayne remain loyal to the crew?

We see in the series that Jayne came over because of a slight increase of pay, and having his own room. Typically, people who turn for that kind of stuff are willing to turn again. Why has Jayne remained loyal for so long after making the decision…
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Why did Shepherd Book assume Saffron was underage?

In Our Mrs. Reynolds Mal is purportedly married to Saffron. The Shepherd tells Mal: If you take sexual advantage of her, you're going to burn in a very special level of hell. A level they reserve for child molesters and people who talk at the…
bitmask
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Why did the alliance show respect to Shepherd Book, in spite of his past?

In Firefly, it is implied that the shepherd is not entirely what he seems. In one episode this is especially so when an Alliance officer checks his ID and shows him great respect. What I don't understand is from reading the Shepherds tale comic…
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What did River say when she woke from her proto-comatose state?

In Firefly Episode 9, Ariel, River and Simon take a drug that puts them in a proto-comatose state. Around 17:30, River wakes up, says something, and startles Jayne. Jayne responds "What did you say?" but never gets an answer. What did she say? The…
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In universe, why do we see almost no Chinese people in Firefly?

Firefly takes place in a universe where Chinese and American cultures have fused, as evidenced by Chinese signage, and the frequent use of spoken Chinese in the series. Yet, for a universe that's supposedly half Chinese, there are exceedingly few…
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How did the mudders get Jayne's name and likeness?

In the Firefly episode Jaynestown, the crew comes across a town that worships Jayne as a folkhero to the point of building a statue of him. The likeness isn't perfect, but it clearly emulates Jayne too well to be total guesswork. Is it ever…
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How did Jayne know when to shoot?

In the first, double-length episode "Serenity" of Firefly (not to be confused with the film Serenity), Mal and his crew attempt to cut a deal with the dodgy Patience. Before their meeting, Mal sends Jayne around the valley to deal with the snipers…
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