A rag tag group of space cowboys pilot and run a cargo ship across the galaxy. Each crew member and passenger has their own secrets and goals, but together they get the job done.

No discussion of FIREFLY can be complete without taking some shots at the insanely horrible job Fox did with releasing this show on TV. Everything from releasing the shows out of order to putting it in one of the worst time slots; it’s almost as if Fox intentionally sabotaged the show. However, the bright spot is that when it finally came to DVD, fans bought it up like hot cakes and that gave us the wonderful film, SERENITY.

So how good is FIREFLY? It’s really good. It’s good because it takes the time to develop all of the characters and give them an arc that you actually care about. This is new ground for a series of this genre, but Joss did it with Buffy and Angel, so it’s no surprise here that he’s given us heroes that are a real people, with real problems, even if their world isn’t real. That was the reasoning behind the show, and that's why it works so incredibly well. Add that with the witty dialogue, original humor and intense action sequences and you have one heck of a television show.

Even though there’s no excuse to air an episode of any TV show before the pilot episode, I can actually understand the logic of whatever idiot suit at the studio made that call. The pilot episode is very slow and a little boring. But it’s a setup piece (like all pilots), designed to get you involved with the characters you’re about to ride with. I’m sure the logic was that if this was the first episode people saw, they wouldn’t come back for more. However, they didn’t account for the fact that Whedon and science fiction fans in general demand more from their shows than people watching American Idol. The good news is that we can now watch them in the proper order thanks to the glory of Blu-ray.

But the real question is; is the Blu-ray worth the upgrade? I have to say “yes”. FIREFLY is a series you can watch many times over, so I think you’ll get your money’s worth. The Blu-ray features an extreme upgrade in video and audio quality and offers some new special features that are sure to entice you. It’s more FIREFLY, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Video: Widescreen (1.85:1): Each episode looked amazing. The DVD’s didn’t look bad, but there is a significant upgrade with the Blu-rays.

Audio: English 5.1 with English subtitles: The audio was also a big improvement.

Audio Commentary on select episodes with Joss Whedon and various cast members: Anything with Joss Whedon and Nathon Fillion is a must watch. They’re so great in the commentaries and interviews. If you don’t listen to any of them, listen to Joss and Nathan’s commentary on the pilot episode. But all of them are good listens.

Here’s How it Was (28:39): Joss and the cast talk about the series and how it came to be. After watching this, you have to respect Joss even more. He talks about the troubles the series went through, including the fiasco with Fox, even though they try to stay on their best behavior. They do a good job of telling both sides of the story, but you can’t help but be frustrated with Fox. Overall, it’s a great featurette that gives you the history of it’s rough ride.

Firefly Reunion: Lunch with Joss, Nathan, Alan and Ron (24:03): The four guys sit down to talk about Firefly, but they spend more time making jokes and having fun, which is a very good thing. Putting four people in a room, giving them lunch and asking them to talk seriously is a recipe for disaster. Thankfully, these guys are great and make it very interesting. Again, this is a must watch.

Deleted Scenes on various episodes (12:05): You have to watch these anyway because they’re the only way you’ll get more Firefly, but as it turns out, they’re really good. They’re slower and dialogue driven, but when Joss and his team are writing it, you’re in for a treat.

Serenity: The 10th Character (9:45): The cast and crew talk about the ship and what it was like on the set and what it meant to the overall story. This is a little featurette that should have been tacked on to one of the longer ones, but it was still pretty interesting.

Alan Tudyk’s Audition (1:04): Alan’s first audition. Not much variety with auditions, and this one is Alan’s.

Joss sings the Firefly theme (1:16): The opening credits with Joss singing the song. Blah.

Joss Tour’s the Set (1:23): This is just a quick tour of Serenity with Joss walking us through it. Joss is cool and throws some jokes out, but it’s quick and doesn’t tell us anything we didn’t know.

Gag Reel (2:40): As far as gag reels go, this one wasn’t bad. There are a few line mess ups, but there are enough jokes to keep it funny. It’s quick, but it’s worth it.

There are some Previews

This is one TV series I can whole-heartedly recommend to everyone. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone that has watched it and not liked it. If you don’t already have it, this Blu-ray is a worthy addition to your library. If you do, then this Blu-ray is a nice upgrade.