The Train Job
It can be hard to pick your least favourite of something you love. But not for a Firefly fan (To be called Browncoats from now on). Because any self respecting Browncoat knows that The Train Job is part of the reason that Firefly didn't make it as a show.
Let me tell you a little story.
Long ago, there was a man named Joss Whedon. This man created an incredible TV show called Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and it's spin off Angel. Realizing that they had a genius on their hands, Fox asked Joss to put together a new show for them. The show was called Firefly, and it's 2 hour pilot was a masterpiece. It was at both a complex and unique vision of the future, and an intensely personal tale. Of course, Fox was never one for masterpieces. They were worried. The pilot had too much character development, too much of the Universe. Not enough straight forward action. Characters that seemed too complex.
Fox told Joss that he had to write a script for a second episode and that he had 2 days to do it. Joss agreed on the condition that if they liked the second episode, with it's focus on action, larger than life villians and a more simplified 2 demensional space western feel and decided to pick the show up, that the Original Pilot (the one that actually introduces the characters) would show first.
Sadly, this did not happen. Instead of showing the pilot, Fox first aired this episode. So instead of being introduced to the crew of Serenity and the verse they live in, we got this.
Now perhaps I'm taking this too far. After all, I do still like the episode, don't I? But I've talked to several sci-fi geeks who hated the show. When I asked why, they said "it was just some dumb space western". When I asked them how much of it they saw, they replied. "I saw the pilot. It was dumb".
As for the original Pilot? That masterpiece was broken in to two parts and became the last two shows that aired. Why? I have no goram idea.
Alright. So now I've vented. I've presented this show as a forced product, a show that confused people right of the bat with it's insufficient introduction, and seems redundant to those watching now on DVD and are now listening to people talk about what they just saw the episode before.
But that said, it's still a wild ride.
The Plot:
The Crew get's a job. Rob a train. But things don't quite go as planned. For one thing, there's a train car full of Alliance soldiers. For another thing, the cargo turns out to be much needed medical goods. And for a third, the psychotic madman who hired them doesn't much like it when things go wrong.
The Good:
- The train job concept is just plain cool. In theory, it could have been a bizarre mishmash of space and western. But some terrific effects really sell it as a possible act and a plausible caper.
- the opening scene is terrific. the "quiet little bar" on a frontier planet and the brawl that ensues perfectly sums up what this show is about. It's got some pretty funny writing in it too.
- Like I said, awesome effects. This show really nailed a style and quality that you don't see very often on Television.
- Gregg Henry gives a great performance in his guest role as the sheriff. One thing Firefly did right was it's consistent casting of very good guest stars. The same goes for the guy in the bar during the opening scene.
- did I mention it's a fantastic show with where the crew's chemistry works perfectly?
The Bad: you won't see this section very much
- The Villians are just a bit too over the top for my liking. But it still works. Niska is suitably chilling. his henchman is most remeniscent of Jaws from 007 and just way too over the top. But Joss knows it and they manage to turn it into one of the funniest bits that episode.
- Really, this show is just a victim of it's circumstances. Joss himself said he would have eventually made this episode either way. But it would have been later in the show and it would have been handled differently. I applaud him for his efforts. After all, making this show was necessary to get Firefly on the air. It's just a shame that it's also one of the main reasons it didn't last very long.
I apologize for the insane length of this one. Future episode recounts will be a bit shorter, since I'll be focusing more on the show itself and less on the circumstances behind it.
