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Are the firefly DVDs missing something?

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I read that there was an opening narration to the first episode. Yet, this narration wasn't on the DVD. What's the deal here?
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Dunno about that.
But, I'm finding it really hard to get into Firefly. I'm on episode 4 right now, but I dunno man, it's a little dull.
Does it get better?
I hope it does because after I've watched all of firefly I then want to then watch Serenity, which from what I've read is pretty good.

http://www.facebook.com/DirtyWookie

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Well, even if you find the series dull, the movie is anything but.

4

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Hmm, I hate it when people find Firefly dull, because I just don't understand how they can. That's nothing against you, HotRod, and I really hope you get into it. But like Chaltab said, Serenity ups the ante about a hundred fold.

Adam, I've never heard of an opening narration sequence. The DVD extras contain the prototype opening scene that Joss originally planned to use, but it doesn't have any narration, either. Serenity (the movie) starts with narration, but that's the only time that style of exposition is used (unless you count Tracey's recording in "The Message.")

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

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On TV versions of all the episodes, before the teaser starts, there is a montage of the series, with Mal giving a voiceover explaining the 'verse.

This was added at the behest of Fox, and NOT how Joss wanted the episodes to be seen. Hence, it was removed for the DVD, so you can see the episodes how they were meant to be seen.

Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabris, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

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Hmm, I kinda wish that had been left in, at least as a special feature. I assume it was done, at least partly, to help ease the big screw-up of not airing "Serenity" until the very end of the series, so people wouldn't be quite as confused.

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

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TVShowsOnDVD is your friend.

I used to be very active on this forum. I’m not really anymore. Sometimes, people still want to get in touch with me about something, and that is great! If that describes you, please email me at [my username]ATgmailDOTcom.

Hi everybody. You’re all awesome. Keep up the good work.

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Originally posted by: skyman8081
On TV versions of all the episodes, before the teaser starts, there is a montage of the series, with Mal giving a voiceover explaining the 'verse.

This was added at the behest of Fox, and NOT how Joss wanted the episodes to be seen. Hence, it was removed for the DVD, so you can see the episodes how they were meant to be seen.


In that case, I can sleep easy.
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I'm actually quite surprised and a bit disappointed that they weren't in the DVD. I mean, they included the alternate scene from "Objects in Space" that had to replace the original on TV because "Heart of Gold" never aired and wouldn't make sense without it. But thanks for the link skyman.

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

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Originally posted by: HotRod
I mean, I did watch ep4 this morning with a raging hangover.


Yeah, that'll do it.
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Not necessarily. I'll be honest. I didn't think it anything special. And I watched the whole series in four days to prepare for the movie. The movie was good, I guess, but still felt more like a season finale than an actual movie.
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Originally posted by: sybeman
The movie was good, I guess, but still felt more like a season finale than an actual movie.


I agree:

First episode: Serenity
Last episode: Serenity

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Hey, skyman, do you have any information on this? The page you linked me to said the end executive producer title card's font was changed, but I really wish I knew how. Any help?

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

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Rev. Beastly posted the link, not me.

Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabris, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

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OK, I just "acquired" the original version of the first episode FOX aired episode (The Train Job) with the opening narration. It has Shephard Book explaining the basic premise of the show, with clips from the Serenity pilot. I can definately see Joss' logic in removing it, since he reallizes (unlike FOX) that his audience are much smarter than that, and can figure these things out on their own.
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Originally posted by: Adamwankenobi
OK, I just "acquired" the original version of the first episode FOX aired episode (The Train Job) with the opening narration. It has Shephard Book explaining the basic premise of the show, with clips from the Serenity pilot. I can definately see Joss' logic in removing it, since he reallizes (unlike FOX) that his audience are much smarter than that, and can figure these things out on their own.


Well, of course, you have to understand that the audience had never seen Serenity, so the introduction makes perfect sense in that context. But, once again, that's Fox's fault for not airing it. But where did you find that? I'd love to see it!

And, sorry for not giving credit where credit is due. Thank you, ReverendBeastly.

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

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Originally posted by: Gaffer Tape
Originally posted by: Adamwankenobi
OK, I just "acquired" the original version of the first episode FOX aired episode (The Train Job) with the opening narration. It has Shephard Book explaining the basic premise of the show, with clips from the Serenity pilot. I can definately see Joss' logic in removing it, since he reallizes (unlike FOX) that his audience are much smarter than that, and can figure these things out on their own.


Well, of course, you have to understand that the audience had never seen Serenity, so the introduction makes perfect sense in that context. But, once again, that's Fox's fault for not airing it. But where did you find that? I'd love to see it!


I found the episode at this page linked to below. It has direct download links to all of the episodes in the way they originally aired on FOX, with the voiceovers and all:

http://versaphile.com/download/firefly.html
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It also helps to know that Fox originally aired the episodes out of sequence. Idiots.

Princess Leia: I happen to like nice men.
Han Solo: I'm a nice man.

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Yeah, I know that. My question was concerning why the narration wasn't on the DVD, at least as an extra/optional feature.
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Originally posted by: GundarkHunter
It also helps to know that Fox originally aired the episodes out of sequence. Idiots.


Yeah, Gundark, I believe I said that earlier in the thread. I'm not quite sure who you were targeting with that idiots remark, but it did seem a little unnecessarily hostile. I'd still liked to have seen the previews, etc. on the DVDs.

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

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I'm kind of surprised that there wasn't a fan backlash to Joss of: "We want the original TV cuts of the series on DVD!"
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Well, that's probably because so few people saw it on TV. I actually was a bit perturbed when I saw on the special features that they had replaced the TV airing version of the scene from Objects in Space with a different version, but I got over it since that was the original version of the scene used on the DVD, and it was changed for the TV version. I am a bit disappointed that the recaps and narration aren't there, and a confused as to why they'd change the font at the end. But I doubt anyone would be with me to start a backlash, and it does seem a bit extreme (although I'm slightly disappointed finding all this out), so maybe I'll just let it go.

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

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Yeah, in this case, we should be glad that we have the series on DVD in the first place. And it's nice to know that they are now how Joss intended them to be seen, instead of how the network wanted them. However, I thought the narration was a pretty cool introduction to the series, and might have worked well if he would have chose to add it to the Serenity episode at the beginning, during the Battle of Serenity Valley. Perhaps he could have shown the first few shots in slow motion while playing the narration in the background?