There’s a poignant atmosphere to Firefly episode 12, and also some great writing courtesy of Joss Whedon. Caroline looks back at The Message…
As I’ve mentioned before, the fact that Firefly was cancelled early permeates the tone and experience of every episode, but none more so than The Message.
Being the last instalment filmed, the cast and crew pull out all the stops for a good send-off. Joss Whedon and Tim Minear are back, too, which means the direction and writing is seamless and beautiful, making for one hell of an episode that, in another life, could have been its finale.
The plot centres on Tracey, a man that Mal and Zoe worked with during the war, but it’s clear that he hasn’t been doing so well. His body is delivered to them with the request of being sent home, but when the crew realise they’re being chased, they start to wonder if their old friend isn’t smuggling something along with him. Before they can find out, however, Tracey wakes up, and they must protect him from the waiting feds.
After Trash, everyone’s together again, and the characters get some sweet moments courtesy of Whedon’s focused writing. Jayne’s “sweetest hat ever”, Simon’s embarrassing attempt at flirting and the heartbreaking final scene all add up to a classic standalone episode, sending Serenity off with a bang. But this isn’t officially the last in the original running order, so the sadness the cast emote in this scene is not as tragic as could have seemed as a final note.
This is Kaylee’s hour, as she’s being ever so cute again. Her encounters with Simon finally seem to be getting somewhere, even if that place is deep down in a hole he’s dug for himself. She turns instead to brand new shiny Tracey, which, as a guest star, you know can’t end happily. Each plot strand gives her something to do, and she hasn’t been this present on screen since Shindig. It’s fitting, as she is the heart of the crew, and this episode is all about companionship.
Our guest star also gives us an excuse to delve some more into the war, so we get some nice flashbacks to Mal and Zoe’s past. It’s interesting to explore past personalities also, and Mal’s change in character has never been more extreme or tragic. The last shot of the episode is simply a close-up of his face, and it’s as much a goodbye to the show as it is a reminder of what it’s all been about.
The message in question is that of Tracey to his old friends, which is played several times throughout the episode to different effect. It’s a Joss Whedon staple, used most notably in Angel’s Hero when Doyle records his advert, but here you don’t notice how delicately interwoven it is until the final moments. The message itself borders on the cheesy, but this is avoided by a great performance from Jonathan M Woodward and the lovely visuals on offer.
The Message isn’t Firefly’s best episode, but it manages to pull together all the show’s threads and create something poignant and absolute. As the real finale, Objects In Space, moves away from the show’s general structure, this is a small episode that serves to sum up not only how disappointed the characters and actors must have felt at the cancellation news, but the fans too.
You can read our review of episode 11, Trash, here.
Follow Den Of Geek on Twitter right here. And be our Facebook chum here.