History Series / Firefly

* RagtagBunchOfMisfits

The show was created by Creator/JossWhedon and Creator/TimMinear (Creator/MutantEnemy Productions), and [[SchizoTech combined]] science-fictional concepts (interplanetary travel, spaceships, {{terraform}}ing) with a Western setting (poor agricultural colonies where people ride horses, cattle ranching, cowboy slang). The ''Firefly'' universe contains [[AbsentAliens no non-human sentient beings]], and in fact no non-Earth-based life at all.

[[http://www.hulu.com/firefly/ Hulu]] has all 14 episodes of the series available for streaming [[NoExportForYou if you're in the US.]] It is also all up for instant stream on Amazon Prime (if you buy the series) and Hulu Plus. Starting March 6th 2011, the show also began playing, in the correct order, on the Science Channel and in glorious HD. This page has a [[{{Recap/Firefly}} recap page here]].

* CoolGun: It's a SpaceWestern. There are ''dozens'' of 'em.
** Special mentions: Mal's gun, which he describes in the comic ''Better Days'' as one of the only two things that have stuck with him since the war. The other would be Zoe. The gun is styled after 19th century revolvers, bearing the most resemblance those from Remington, but is an autoloader with the magazine in front of the trigger, much like a Mauser C96.
** Zoe carries a "Mare's Leg" -- a lever-action rifle with a sawed-off barrel and stock -- identical to that used by [[Creator/SteveMcQueenActor Steve McQueen]] in ''Series/WantedDeadorAlive''.
** Jayne carries a LeMat revolver -- 9-shots of .42 caliber plus one of 16 gauge ''buckshot'' -- which appears to have an accessory rail mounted above the barrel. He fires it ONCE onscreen. His FAVORITE gun is a [[GunNut Callahan Full-Bore Auto-Lock with a customized trigger and double cartridge thorough gauge]] which he [[ICallItVera named]] [[TropeNamer ''Vera'']]. It's based on the real-world Saiga [[MoreDakka assault shotgun]], and was originally modified for the movie ''Film/{{Showtime}}''.
** In "Objects in Space" River picks up a [[HandCannon desert eagle]]. How she got her hands on it, no-one knows.
** Several background characters are seen with British Webley or Enfield revolvers. Also seen are an M1 Carbine, several H&K prototypes, almost every bullpup rifle in use by a European military today... ...you get the idea.

[[http://www.hulu.com/firefly/ Hulu]] has all 14 episodes of the series available for streaming. (NOTE: [[NoExportForYou Does not play outside of the US]].) It is also all up for instant stream on Amazon Prime (if you buy the series) and Hulu Plus. Starting March 6th 2011, the show also began playing, in the correct order, on the Science Channel and in glorious HD. This page has a [[{{Recap/Firefly}} recap page here]].

* LawmanGoneBad: The novel ''Carnival'' features [[spoiler:a Companion version of this, when the crew discover that a Guild house on the planet Bethel is actually run by a former Companion who was sacked from the Guild over a decade ago. Her House is designed like a standard Guild house, but she recruits underage girls through drugs and other methods that would never be used by true Companions. Fortunately, the sheriff of this town proves to be a good man who was only unable to take action because the House Mistress was too connected for him to stop himself]].

* SaltAndPepper: Wash and Zoe are an inversion. Zoe is a black woman and loyal soldier who cannot be persuaded to stop calling Mal "sir;" Wash is the eminently laid-back white-guy pilot who tells Zoe that if she has a problem with his plan she should tell him instead of just letting Mal call that shots. The two are HappilyMarried.
** Interestingly, whether Zoe is salt or pepper is dependent on what's happening and who she's with. With Mal she's the [[ScaryBlackMan silent deadly warrior]] while he's the rowdy and adventurous gunslinger.

** In a deleted scene from "Our Mrs. Reynolds," [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdiNqkehGpk River wants to marry Simon]].

[[caption-width-right:350:From left: [[BoisterousBruiser Jayne]], [[WrenchWench Kaylee]], [[BadassPreacher Book]], [[TheMedic Simon]], [[HighClassCallGirl Inara]], [[TheCaptain Mal]], [[TheLancer Zoe]], [[AcePilot Wash]], and [[PsychicPowers River]]. Inside her boots: River's feet. In the background: ''[[CoolStarship Serenity]]''.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:From left: [[BoisterousBruiser Jayne]], [[WrenchWench Kaylee]], [[BadassPreacher Book]], [[TheMedic Simon]], [[HighClassCallGirl Inara]], [[TheCaptain Mal]], [[TheLancer Zoe]], [[AcePilot Wash]], and [[PsychicPowers River]]. Inside her boots: [[DoesNotLikeShoes River's feet]]. In the background: ''[[CoolStarship Serenity]]''.]]

* TheResolutionWillNotBeTelevised: Aside from ''Serenity'', ''Darkhorse'' has begun regularly publishing comics that take place after the film. Unlike ''Buffy'', however, these are not in the form of a regular monthly series, but rather sequential six-issue mini-series. Two, ''Leaves On The Wind'' and ''No Power In The Verse'', have been released so far.

* {{A Date With Rosie Palms}}: Plenty of sneaky references.
** From "Our Mrs. Reynolds":
--> '''Mal''': It's been a while -- a long, damn while -- since anybody but me took a hold of my plow...
** "War Stories" has:
--> '''Jayne''': I'll be in my bunk.

** In "War Stories", right after Jayne says that [[ADateWithRosiePalms he'll be in his bunk after seeing the ambassador]], the next line is: "Jayne, grab your weapon."

** Simon detailing what River is gifted at in the pilot episode "Serenity": math, theoretical physics, and... dance.

* AccidentalMarriage: "Our Mrs. Reynolds". After a successful mission, Mal celebrates a little too much and does not realize his part in a bizarre wedding ritual. HilarityEnsues. Or not, if you're Mal. (This is also a possible aversion since it turns out the naive country waif is really a cold blooded hijacker who deliberately invoked the AccidentalMarriage trope as part of an elaborate con to have the entire crew mercilessly killed and their ship stolen.)

* AccidentalMarriage: "Our Mrs. Reynolds". After a successful mission, Mal celebrates a little too much and does not realize his part in a bizarre wedding ritual. HilarityEnsues. Or not, if you're Mal. (This is also a possible aversion since it turns out the naive country waif is really a cold blooded hijacker who deliberately invoked the AccidentalMarriage trope as part of an elaborate con to have the entire crew mercilessly killed.)

* AccidentalMarriage: "Our Mrs. Reynolds". After a successful mission, Mal celebrates a little too much and does not realize his part in a bizarre wedding ritual. HilarityEnsues. Or not, if you're not Mal. (This is also a possible aversion since it turns out the naive country waif is really a cold blooded hijacker who deliberately invoked the AccidentalMarriage trope as part of an elaborate con to have the entire crew mercilessly killed.)

* AccidentalMarriage: "Our Mrs. Reynolds". After a successful mission, Mal celebrates a little too much and does not realize his part in a bizarre wedding ritual. HilarityEnsues. Or not, if you're not Mal. (This is also a possible aversion since it turns out the naive country waif is really a cold blooded hijacker who deliberately used the AccidentialMarraige trope as part of an elaborate con to have the entire crew mercilessly killed.)

* AccidentalMarriage: "Our Mrs. Reynolds". After a successful mission, Mal celebrates a little too much and does not realize his part in a bizarre wedding ritual. HilarityEnsues. Or not, if you're Mal.

* DeathBySex: [[spoiler:Nandi]] in "Heart of Gold".

* DistressedDamsel: River, constantly, as well as Kaylee. Creator/JossWhedon was [[WordOfGod once heard to say]] that [[ChandlersLaw whenever they felt they needed to up the drama]], they would just have someone hold the [[WrenchWench cute engineer]] at gunpoint.

'''Zoe:''' We live on a spaceship, dear.\\

* BareYourMidriff: Inara, on occasion.

* GirlInABox: River, which is often mistaken by many to be a ShoutOut to ''Manga/OutlawStar'', though Whedon [[WordOfGod has denied this]]. Specifically called "a girl in a box" in one of the trailers.

* IfYouDieICallYourStuff: In some CasualDangerDialog in "The Train Job":

* Creator/MorenaBaccarin as [[TheChick Inara Serra]], a HighClassCallGirl who is a member of the [[BandOfBrothels Companion's Guild]]. Or, as [[BelligerentSexualTension Mal]] calls her, a "[[HookerWithAHeartOfGold whore]]".