Blog 3

Blog 3, Episode 13: Hearts of Gold

Episode 13 of Firefly is an action-packed one. This episode really outlines an interesting part of this show; while Firefly is about the future, many of its aspects are taken from the past. The shows' old western, cowboy style is present in many ways in Hearts of Gold. The town, the brothel, the townsfolk and the weapons are all reminiscent of the wild west of American History. The lack of order and apparent government control is also similar to the wild west. I also really like the mixture of future and past that creates a very unique result. The future is usually thought of as completely different than the wild west of American History.

There are also aspects of the show that represent social issues that I wouldn't think of for the future. The misogynist antagonist of this episode represents a huge problem of the wild west of American History, and he presents a major enemy to the captain Mal and his crew. This villain is vicious, reckless, and very sexist. The other social issue in this episode is the concept brothels. One would think of the future as void of prostitutes, because as the human civilization has progressed, brothels have become less and less accepted. This aspect of the show really illustrates the lawlessness and disarray of Firefly's representation of the future.

This episode was also big in the development of the character of Mal. Mal led the crew to victory as well as strengthening his relationship with Anara.

Blog 2

Blog 2

I watched the first episode of Firefly for this blog. The show was entertaining and I liked the plot. The show is reminiscent of Star Wars. The alliance reminds me of the empire in the Star Wars series. As commonly known, the evil empire in Star Wars is the arch enemy of the rebels led by Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. The alliance in the show has a large ship similar to those presented in Star Wars and attempts to find and destroy the rebels including Serenity, the ship of the protagonists in Firefly. The “good guys” in the show are similar to the heroes of Star Wars as well.

I like the background music of Firefly. The western, country style music adds a unique touch to the show and likens it to the old country-western cowboy shows. It's a interesting addition to how the story unfolds. The show is kind of like a futuristic western. The characters are rugged as the cowboys of westerns, some of the weapons are like the pistols used in old western shows, and the main characters are essentially fugitives, just as was popular in old westerns.

I liked the character development as well. The characters seem strong, willful and interesting. The crew also brings comic relief to the stoic show.

The other interesting aspect of the show is that the future of humanity that it presents does not include aliens. Aliens are usually depicted in futuristic science fiction shows and movies, yet Firefly strays away from this norm.

Blog Number One

If I had to describe myself as an object, it would be a mountain. A mountain can represent my home; I lived in Colorado in the mountains before I began school at Ohio State. My parents still live back there and I definitely miss the Rockies every once in a while. A mountain can be a thing of isolation at times, a place without people. But more often thoughts of the mountains brings to mind skiing and hiking and camping. I like being around friends and family for the most part, yet from time to time I enjoy my own isolation to relax. Mountains also represent nature. I love being around nature and all the recreation involved, from hiking to rafting to rock climbing. I will always have a soft spot for nature, and I am pursuing an Environmental Science degree. Mountains are commonly formed when two tectonic plates collide or rub together due to movement by the Earth's crust. This can describe the argumentative, stubborn side of me. I admit that I definitely like to argue, even when I occasionally know I'm wrong. Mountains express biodiversity. I like to think that have a lot of personality to me. I'm not too dull and I have many interests and some talents. I'm diverse in a way. Mountains can also be dangerous. I on the other hand am not very dangerous. I take risks at times but I also think about what I'm doing usually. Mountains represent goals and ambitions. I am ambitious and strive to better myself when it comes to sports and academics.