Why should you care about Serenity or Serenity Day? ... I don't know. I'm not you.

For me, I like science fiction. And if it's good science fiction, hey, even better. Much of the credit for my eventual discovery of this very cool movie that Joss Whedon has put together goes out to our buddy over at the Extravaganza. Darth Vicomte brought the whole Firefly gang to my attention quite a while back, and while I was certainly skeptical (I mean, c'mon, it was Vicomte), I couldn't resist the allure of a good sci-fi movie. And make no mistake, Serenity is a great science fiction movie. Then when I consider the limited budget of the film combined with the fact that the movie was made because of fans like Vicomte, fans who could not stand to see an imaginative and creative sci-fi story just wither and die, that just makes the whole experience that much more impressive.

I have yet to see the tv series Firefly, but it is safe to say that I'll be getting around to viewing that on dvd in the somewhat near future. The underlying theme of the Serenity experience (to me) is that the characters of the story have such a resolute belief in what they are doing, they are strong in their convictions. They believe they are doing right. That's where it gets interesting to me.

Language is such a dynamic creature, and our perception of language even more so. "Right" can mean so many different things to so many different people, or as we Star Wars fans relate to it in the words of my favorite character, Obi-wan Kenobi, "Many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."

Captain Malcolm Reynolds does what he feels is right. First, as a Browncoat in the war against the Alliance, and then in his life after the war (which Serenity is set). Mal does what he feels is right by his ship and his crew, and he is someone that I can immediately relate to. He truly cares for his crew. His ship is stretched to its limits (heck, pieces are literally flying off it at times), and he is constantly struggling mightily to maintain some sort of stability for his little niche in the 'verse. It doesn't help matters that among his crew is a psychic wild card that may or may not click into "killer woman" given the right trigger, or that the Alliance would very much like to get their hands on this misplaced psychic wild card. Mal's resilience and his resolution are his best qualities.

And he does it all with a sense of humor. I like that.

We all feel life getting the upper hand on us at times, and we struggle to maintain control of our little world. I try to do it with humor as well, and some that work with me call me a smartass. They're probably right. You see, I have a knack for being funny (or at least trying to be funny) at the worst possible moment, when everyone else is stressed out. But that sense of humor has served me pretty well when I'm in a pinch, because it keeps me calm. That's what I like about Mal and his crew, when in a jam, they bust out their best lines.

Mal doesn't claim to be good or free from sin, point of fact, he's willing to embrace a life of crime to survive. As he puts it, "I aim to misbehave." That is really the basis for his sense of right, that we each should have the freedom to decide for ourselves what is right or wrong, that we each should be free to choose our own path. Mal's a fighter and he fights for the little guy, the guy that's been trampled because he is little. Safe to say that Mal has some serious issues with an all-powerful authority like the Alliance.

Ah yes, the Alliance.

Now things get really interesting. What are the motives of the Alliance? One of the most interesting concepts that I've come across is the notion of terraforming, of creating a world from barren rock that is habitable for life as we know it. Other movies have touched upon this concept as well (Aliens comes to mind), and the complexity of that concept always just makes me stop and try to wrap my mind around exactly what is implied in building a world from scratch. The scope of power and technology that would be required to accomplish such a goal is absolutely incredible. Wielding that sort of power is awe inspiring, and those that wield it would certainly believe that they were doing right to use it to create these worlds in their own vision. Sort of like playing god, I guess.

The theme that humans have used up Earth and must explore outward into space to find a new home is a powerful theme, and a believable one at that, seeing as how modern man continually brutalizes our Earth of today.

Is man really capable of "making better worlds"? The Operative personifies the unwavering commitment of the Alliance that they are doing what is right, and he even puts it into words for us. The Operative fully realizes that his actions are considered "evil", and he has come to terms with that fact. Because he feels he is right. His actions serve a greater good, a belief that there can be a world without sin.

The Operative embodies the opposing force that Mal faces. He is willing to sacrifice his individuality in the belief that his sacrifices will provide a better world for the masses. There is no evil in the passion that you are serving a higher power, but there is evil when you do so blindly. How easily humans can be corrupted by such a power as terraforming. It's our nature, isn't it. We can have such good intentions that can mutate into such horrific acts so easily, just as the Alliance.

Life has a certain irony to it. I'm a religious person, and one point of religion seems to be to identify sin in yourself and that you must be capable of accepting the fact that you are flawed, that you are in fact a sinner. It's interesting to me that being aware of our sins keeps us humble. There's nothing humble about the Alliance and their belief that they can be above sin.

Should there be a world without sin? More importantly, would you want to live there?