The Train Job

I just finished watching the Train Job and I was very impressed. I like the Western style that is incorporated into all of the show. It allows the audience to feel familiar with what they are watching even though the show is taking place in a world with interstellar travel. It alienates people who are not already into the science fiction genre to have a show that is purely in the genre. The brawl at the beginning is very similar to what most people depict when they think of a western style movie. Mal is a rebel with a cause, and that is a character figure that transcends genre and everyone has an easy time relating too. I think it is important when watching science fiction to not get too caught with how things in the world work. The Train Job did a fantastic job with making relatable characters that are easy to empathize with and putting them in situations that are easy to understand.

Another way that The Train Job made itself feel familiar was the music selection. Anyone who has seen a western movie knows the type of music that you would expect to find, and after long enough that music will put you in the proper frame of mind to watch a western film. Firefly played off this by incorporating traditional western themed music into their show. This allowed me to think of it more as a western with some space travel rather than a science fiction show with some western elements. I am definitely looking forward to watching more of Firefly as the quarter continues.