The Honest Trailer for Joss Whedon's cult hit Firefly, the space western TV show canceled after one season, jokes about his public controversies. Whedon created the show in the early 2000s following his massive success with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff Angel. It followed the renegade crew of the Serenity, a Firefly-class spaceship from the year 2517. The show only ran for 14 episodes before being canceled by Fox, much to the disappointment of its fans, with the show only getting more popular in the years following its initial broadcast.
The cast, which included ship's captain Nathan Fillion as Mal, Gina Torres as Mal's old war buddy and second in command Zoe, Alan Tudyk as her husband Wash, and Adam Baldwin as the mercenary Jayne, reunited for the 2005 spinoff film, Serenity, which focused on the psychic River (Summer Glau). Fans praised the movie as a substantial extension of the show but it too struggled to find a wide audience, ending as a box office failure. Despite many fan-led campaigns, the show has never been revived but remains incredibly popular.
Now, Firefly gets the Honest Trailer treatment from Screen Junkies. Almost the first joke is about how the show was canceled, but really canceled, not Joss Whedon (who is called a human thumb) canceled, referring to his recent controversies, including the accusations of gross misconduct leveled against him by Justice League actor Ray Fisher. The rest of the trailer points out just how many of Whedon's tropes it uses, including hundred of quips, a cast of women who all just so happen to be sexy, and a roguish leading man who isn't concerned what other people think of him. It adds that Firefly was probably canceled at the right time, speculating that other seasons would have seen a drop in quality. You can watch the video below:
The video's best jokes are the ones that are laced with affection for the show admitting that despite the many cliches, the show still works, mainly thanks to the stellar cast. It's also a reminder of a simpler time in TV, when shows like Firefly were considered to appeal to a fringe audience, as opposed to now, when a fast-paced space western would likely find a broad audience, particularly on one of the many streaming services that exist now.
It's a pity, then, that Firefly was made about two decades too early to indeed find its audience and be allowed to build a following. But that doesn't take away from the fact that it remains a great piece of nostalgia TV, despite the association with Whedon, who's recent indiscretions have overshadowed the rest of his storied career, which includes directing the first Avengers movie.
Source: Screen Junkies