Thoughts on Firefly

I've just finished viewing the Firefly series that ran on Fox (I think) a couple of years ago. A pilot, one season's worth of episodes and a final "movie". (I don't think there is an official website so therefore no link.)

I'm torn about recommending this series... and actually part-way through wasn't sure I could continue watching it. There were some things I really liked and other things I hated. Those of you who have seen it will probably know what I'm talking about. It's one of those tricky it's-anything-but-Christian and some-of-it-is-really-nasty things that contains or reflects or somehow points to some kind of truth.

The final movie "Serenity" really got me thinking. It deals with a bunch of rather deep stuff, good and evil, human nature, control, sacrifice, love, etc., but I have to say the scriptwriters -- in the end -- came up short. And perhaps that's why I found it to be so powerful.

I had a kind of "aha" moment while watching it where I felt really clear on what my job on this earth, at least for now, is. I'm not really sure why -- if you know what the plot is about you may not even get this! -- but it struck me really hard how being a mother is my life's service. I know, you've probably heard this before, but it hit me in a new way. There is nothing small or less-than about parenting. I think in that moment I truly accepted how complete it is just to be a mother and teach my children, as best I can and along with their father, to love & serve Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

So, because of that, I'm glad I didn't give up on the series earlier.

The other thing is (and I talked with ds about this as part of our continuing conversation about violence in visual media) that I didn't have as hard of a time with the violence in the final movie as one might think I would -- given how I usually react to movie violence. I felt like the "battle" scene served the story and had to be there. And it was a battle in the truest sense and therefore didn't bother me anywhere near as much as other obviously-needless violence does. Particularly that "stylized" stuff so common now. (Though I still had to watch much of it through my fingers. But that's me.)