10 Things You May Not Know About Firefly

Zach Oat of Television Without Pity has a list of ten things that you might not know about the space western Firefly. A sample:

9. A Firefly Musical Episode Was Not Implausible
No, Whedon wasn't planning one or anything like that, but the musically inclined showrunner apparently likes to sing on set, and during one break in shooting he started singing the theme from Oklahoma! Immediately, Nathan Fillion, Fillion's stand-in and a half-dozen others joined in, and they sang the whole song through before returning to work. We're imagining a hallucinatory coolant leak on board the Serenity, with feelings expressed through song and, in River's case, interpretive dance.

via io9

The Firefly/Fraggle Rock Theory

Caleb Goeller speculates that Firefly is actually a subtle parody of Fraggle Rock:

Now, I'm not saying Alan Tudyk has a huge foamy nose or a tail, but Hoban "Wash" Washburne certainly shares a few superficial characteristics with the famous eye-rolling Fraggle. From his full-bodied blonde mane to a shared fashion sense, the fictional man and Muppet have enough in common to merit some kind of (all-ages) fan fiction.

Kaylee's Ball Gown Recreated

deviantART user FireLilyCosplay recreated the gorgeous dress that Kaylee of Firefly wore on the episode "Shindig." (via Rue the Day)

The Libertarianism of Firefly

In our recent discussion of the political tendencies of Star Wars and Star Trek, Cybrludite suggested that the short-lived science fiction franchise Firefly is libertarian.

I've seen all fourteen episodes of the show (but not the concluding movie), so this proposition intrigued me.

The main characters are not state actors (e.g. Star Trek, Babylon 5) nor are they trying to become state actors (e.g. Star Wars, Exosquad). They are freebooters who have a generally non-aggressive attitude toward those around them, but complete disregard for the rule of law. They are, at times, openly thieves. Government is never presented in a positive light, but generally as a totalitarian force that seeks power for its own sake, and uses it arbitrarily.

So yes, I can see how Firefly comes across as libertarian.

For other views, consult this column by Reason's Julian Sanchez about the specifically existentialist libertarianism of the series. Tyler Cowen sees the series as Burkean. And Gardner Goldsmith gave a lecture on the subject at a Borders book store.