Cowboys in space
The main character of the series is Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds, the captain of the small starship Serenity.
He used to be a Browncoat, a rebel fighting against the Alliance, but they were defeated and anyone associated with the rebellion has been blacklisted ever since.
Malcolm must now make a living through various illegal dealings, with the help of his crew: first officer Zoe, pilot Hoban, mechanic Kaylee, shepherd Book, and companion Inara.
In the first episode, they are joined by Doctor Simon and his sister River, who are initially just another job.
However, their mission turns out to be much more dangerous than Malcolm expected, as River is not like the rest of humanity and the Alliance has a huge interest in her uniqueness.
So far, it may not sound like anything special. However, the uniqueness of Firefly lies not in its plot originality, but in its overall visual style.
It's very specific, best described as a western in space. The characters wear clothing typical of the Wild West, and their weapons are reminiscent of classic six-shooters, which cowboys always carried low-slung.
The crucial difference is that this time, the pistols fire energy beams rather than bullets, and the occasional firefight is enlivened by the passage of a spaceship.
It may sound a bit wild and it certainly is, but in combination with likable characters and a briskly paced plot, it's a very enjoyable experience that was intended to attract a large audience. Unfortunately, this did not happen.
Cancellation after the first season
Firefly was created by Josh Whedon, who also has Marvel's Avengers to his credit, which remains one of the highest-grossing films of all time. However, this time, success did not come.
The mistake was not in the director or the series itself, but in the Fox television network.
For some inexplicable reason, the network changed the airing time of the show almost every week, leading to low viewership and subsequent cancellation after airing only fourteen episodes.
