There aren’t many science fiction television shows that have fan bases quite as strong asFirefly, despite the fact that it only ever aired one season. While petitions and campaigns prevented shows likeStar TrekandChuckfrom cancelation, the efforts to saveFireflydidn’t persuade Foxto change their minds when it came to taking the beloved space opera adventure off the air.Fireflyclearly had the potential to lead into multiple seasons that could flesh out the characters even further, as it had set up an exciting universe that had yet to be fully explored.
Set in the year 2517,Fireflycenters on a ragtag group of renegades that perform dangerous missions on their starship “Serenity.” Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion), his first mate Zoë Alleyne (Gina Torres), her husband and ship pilot Hoban Washburne (Alan Tudyk), the muscle-bound enforcer Jayne Cobb (Adam Baldwin), and the mechanic Kaylee Frye (Jewel Staite) must avoid the forces of the totalitarian Alliance as they transport the religious Shepherd Derrial Book (Alan Glass) and the Companion Inara Serra (Morena Baccarin).
Over the course of their missions, Mal grows to accept the doctor Simon Tam (Sean Maher) and his superpowered sister River (Summer Glau) as additional members of the crew. While the fans were denied a proper conclusion to the series, showrunner and seriescreator Joss Whedonwrote and directed the sequel filmSerenity, which wrapped up many of the pivotal storylines and brought back the original cast. Here is every episode ofFirefly, ranked worst to best.
“Trash” is an appropriate title for what is easily the weakest installment inFirefly’s single season. While the character of Saffron (Christina Hendricks) was excellently used during her debut in “Our Mrs. Reynolds,” her second appearance doesn’t add anything to her relationship with Mal, her ex-husband. Mal and Saffron are placed in another scheme together to take part in a heist that ends in a similar manner. The awkward comedic banter sinks this to the bottom of the list.
13“Heart Of Gold”
“Heart of Gold” is one of the more difficult episodes to rewatch due to the accusations regardingJoss Whedon’s mistreatment of women. The episode follows the Serenity crew as they protect a group of female brothel workers that are brutalized by their planet’s aggressive militia force. The dull final action sequence and awkward sexual politics make “Heart of Gold” rather forgettable, although it does end with a compelling twist when Inara reveals her intention to leave the crew.
“Safe” is a largely forgettable episode that spends too much time focused on a romantic quarrel between Simon and Kaylee. These two characters are obviously attracted to each other, but their relationship doesn’t reach a satisfying conclusion until theSerenityfeature film. The themes of religious oppression are rather simplistic, but a few intriguing flashbacks to Simon and Rivers’ childhood save “Safe” from being at the bottom of the list.
11“Bushwhacked”
“Bushwhacked” marked the series debut of the Reavers, the villainous group of animalistic humans that were driven mad on the outskirts of civilized space. The episode functions as an introduction to one of the main threats that the Serenity crew would have to face in future seasons that never came to be. Although there are a few scary moments, “Bushwhacked” is relatively light on story.
10“The Message”
“The Message” features some powerful flashbacks that show Mal and Zoes’ experience fighting against the Alliance during the war. They are reminded of the conflict upon the arrival of their former ally Private Tracey (Jonathan M. Woodward), who they had assumed was killed in the war. Unfortunately, Tracey is a fairly obnoxious character, and his malicious intentions are rather obvious to see coming.
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9“War Stories”
“War Stories” offers one of the rare moments for Wash to join the adventure and not reside on the sidelines on the ship. While Wash’s jealousy over his wife’s closeness with Mal is a little played out, it does create some amusing circumstances once Mal and Wash are captured and tortured together.
8“The Train Job”
“The Train Job” feels likea classic heist adventurethat sees the crew robbing from a rich transport to steal its cargo. The episode helps define the group’s morality when upon learning that the supplies are actually medicine, Mal agrees to deliver the supplies to an infected population of civilians.
7“Shindig”
“Shindig” is one of the funniestFireflyepisodes, as Mal enters a lascivious ballroom dance and gets into a sword fight to protect Inara’s honor. The banter between Nathan Fillion and Morena Baccarin is simply delightful and foreshadows the further developments in their characters’ relationship.
“Ariel” is one of the most intenseFireflyepisodes due to the exciting break-in into a medical facility. Although Mal has had his issues with Simon, he shows his dedication to his crew when he discovers that Jayne has considered selling River to mercenaries that want to study her powers.
Related:Firefly: What to Expect From the Disney+ Reboot
5“Serenity”
The series pilot tackles the incredible challenge of introducing all of the central characters, fleshing out theFireflyuniverse, and getting the audience adjusted to the terminology and mannerisms. While other episodes went more in depth with each character, the pilot does a great job at establishing the unique mix of western and sci-fi archetypes that made the series so beloved.
