Firefly felt like a cheap, knock off version of Star Wars! Maybe I'm the only person who thinks this (or maybe I like to trace everything back to my love for all things Star Wars). The acting was horrible! The clothes... the bar scene... the rag tag group that can't all get along... the wise man... the pretty-feisty woman... hello?! STAR WARS! Plus, Joss envisioned a very diverse background of characters, of all ethnicities, all languages (seriously... that Chinese was UNbearable!)... just like Star Wars. It's not that I don't love science fiction, because I do! But there could have been a way better way to take on such an ambitious project like this. I hate to say this, but the studios were right, there did need to be more humor, more action and at the same time introduce the characters as people who are relate-able and like-able. It wasn't the worst show that I've ever seen, but it was definitely not the best! If I was flipping through channels, I would've taken one look at this show, laughed and switched the channel.
HowEVER, I was a HUGE fan of Buffy. Granted, the storyline was weird, the characters were really strange and I was a little embarrassed at how much I liked Buffy, but I really did like her! A strong female role seems to be Joss's best contribution to his early works. Sarah Michelle Geller not only set the standard for teen-queen shows, but she set the standards for ass-kicking girl shows and movies. Think Alias... Jennifer Garner played a kick-butt female! Though this is a terrible example (but it's the only one I can think of at the top of my head) think about the Electra or Catwoman movies. Yes... bad acting/filming, but really good tough girl roles! I think Buffy was a real form of sexual awakening for many women and girls, the first realization that this very pretty, very petite girl can have a really tough side to her and though it was a little intimidating, they embraced her wholeheartedly! I can't tell you how many books, magazines, movies, TV shows... all that put in a little reference to Buffy. Women still appreciate Joss's contribution, even almost a decade later.
Now let's talk about Dr. Horrible. I'd never heard of this before the reading in class, but I admit, it was a really funny show. Really funny show. The comedic time in works with the editing was fantastic, the setup of characters (though I would've liked to know more about why Dr. Horrible wanted to be so... horrible) was great and of course, the actors were fantastic (at least, the main three... why was the friend "moist"?) What I found most interesting about this work, was that Joss went against his idea of good and bad, and that in the end we will help out those who need it. Instead, Dr. Horrible lost everything and turned to evil instead of good. Rather than take responsibility, he moved on to something much worse. Maybe that's a theme in all of this shows, is that in the end evil triumphs, but from the episodes that I've seen of Buffy, I feel as if that's not the case. I hated the ending of course, because I always want some allusion to a happy ending... but I was satisfied with it at least.
What I love about Joss is his use of characters. They are real people! They have real lives! You know what these people would do in their spare time when no one else is looking, because he gives them a spirit. Not many people can create this about their work, but Joss does. I find this to be his most defining aspect of his auteurism. Even in Firefly (which I obviously disliked) I liked the set up of the characters. The "second captain" was feisty, as was the, what I can only presume to be, resident prostitute was feisty from her very first line. The doctor was passive, kind of clueless, but inherently protective of his little, pretty crazy, sister. The mechanic was an innocent but brainy young woman, a character that we don't usually see. From the very first episode you can see that there will of course be love interests throughout the course of the season from the thick tensions. The husband and wife were my favorite part of the crew. The woman was a tough, stable thinking woman who wasn't afraid and the husband was a stable, more nurturing character. Together they balanced each other out, without one dominating over the other, which was a very interesting dynamic for TV, and even movies for that matter. The character I enjoyed the very least was the Captain, of course. His lines were cheesy, his thought process seemed shallow and the only look into his thoughts were when he decided not to keep the medicine, but rather return it instead. This rag tag group had a plethora of personality, but it just didn't feel right to me. I'm not sure if it was the writing, or the script, or the setting, but it just didn't work for me in this show.
Obviously, this got a rise out of me though, I truly enjoyed writing about Joss! I hope in the future he'll create another show that I'll like... in the mean time, who else is excited about The Avengers?! That casting looks AMAZING.
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