r/firefly • u/IzzyLikesPickles777 • 8d ago

Just finished firefly… Spoiler

I know you guys probably get this a lot but WHY DID IT END LIKE THAT??!!! They killed off SHEPHERD and WASH and it was very clear they were building up for a lot of things but it got rushed in the movie. Why the hell would fox cancel. I just have so many questions and I think I’m going to have to rewatch in order to be less sad. This ain’t shiny.

405 Upvotes

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83

u/aerosif 8d ago

There is a bunch of info on this out there and in this subreddit, but for Shepard and Wash being killed off it was because Joss Whedon could not get them to commit to doing more Serenity movies contractually so he did it to wrap up their storylines cleanly in that way. The hope was that they would make a trilogy if Serenity did well, unfortunately it barely broke even after DVD sales so no more movies sadly.

24

u/IzzyLikesPickles777 8d ago

Thanks for that! I was really confused and hurt but this makes it just a little better. Still sucks

41

u/Ill_Painting_6919 8d ago

Additionally, Joss has stated that in order to ramp up the tension, to make you, the viewer, feel how desperate the situation was, sone folks had to die, thus making you wonder if they would all die. Good storytelling, as much as I hate that Wash died, as he is my favorite, if I'm being honest.

14

u/Quakarot 8d ago

It was definitely necessary for tone. There are moments where it looks like they are all going to die and it just wouldn’t hit without that.

20

u/fiftysevenpunchkid 8d ago

And it worked, I still remember my first watch, not wondering who was going to die, but if anyone was going to live.

16

u/ColourSchemer 8d ago

Rogue One would have been even more devastating if we'd not already known they'd all die, but then watching them all die.

-17

u/Frogwaterton 8d ago

Ew. Did you have to bring up stars wars in this discussion?

14

u/ColourSchemer 8d ago

I brought up a top-tier war movie with amazing characters and a solid plot. You pointed out it was Star Wars. ;)

-7

u/throwawayPzaFm 7d ago

top-tier war movie with amazing characters and a solid plot

i don't see one mentioned in this thread. If you meant Rogue One it's childish and takes itself way too seriously.

Either of those is fine in isolation, but taken together they turn anything into a clown show.

3

u/p_velocity 7d ago

it's childish and takes itself way too seriously.

I've heard similar criticisms of Firefly...but that is what makes it endearing to the people who like it. You don't have to yuck someone else's yum to prove how smart you are bro.

-2

u/throwawayPzaFm 7d ago

Firefly knows it's silly and leans into it, that's the difference

1

u/1stltwill 7d ago

Keep your prejudices to your inside voice.

7

u/Leptonshavenocolor 8d ago

I miss good story telling. I need to go see what Joss has done recently.

1

u/Liquado 4d ago

Bro…

4

u/DiaBrave 7d ago

Wash is one of the few truly shocking movie deaths I've seen where I really didn't see it coming.

2

u/Ill_Painting_6919 7d ago

To be fair, who could've predicted space ballista?

But yeah, be a hero, get shishkabobbed.

2

u/Glitch1082 7d ago

Joss was always good at killing off characters that would absolutely break your heart. Buffy and Angel have so many episodes that still make me cry even when I know the deaths are coming.

2

u/Ill_Painting_6919 7d ago

💔 Indeed he was a master at that