10 Easy Questions about Serenity

Answer: Terra-forming

"Serenity" is set 500 years in the future and is based on the assumption that the global population continues to grow until the Earth can no longer sustain the numbers. Therefore the two superpowers of the time, the US and China, form an alliance, venture out into space, and find a new solar system. Terra-forming was the process that made these new planets capable of sustaining human life.

There is a cool shot of this in the movie.

Answer: Love

The government sends one of their best men to recover the Tams, who for some reason or another pose a threat to them. He is watching the footage from their escape when Doctor Mathias says that Simon threw away a brilliant career in medicine in order to rescue his sister.

He describes it as madness, but the Operative looks at Simon's face and sees love, which he says is even more dangerous than madness. Chiwetel Ejiofor is excellent as the villain chasing the Tams.

Answer: A Sword

The Doctor has been doing experimental behavior modification research on human subjects. River Tam is the Doctor's greatest success. However, in her escape she also represents his biggest failure. The Operative tells him that in ancient times when a man failed as greatly as he had, he would throw himself upon his sword. To which the Doctor responds that he forgot his.

The Operative soon shows him that he didn't forget his sword.

Answer: Primary Buffer Panel

This is our first shot of the Firefly class ship, Serenity, and her crew. We learn the layout of the ship as Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Mal) proceeds from nose to tail, interacting with his crew. Through this interaction we meet the crew and learn a little about their personalities and their jobs on Serenity. We also learn that Mal is not necessarily fond of the Alliance.

Answer: The Mule

Mal refers to the Mule several times before and during the heist. Every good sci-fi movie has to have a hovercraft! These are the words of director/creator Joss Whedon. He says that he set out to tell an epic story driven, by the characters, that takes place in a sci-fi setting. Therefore he must have all the sci-fi bells and whistles, i.e. hovercrafts.

Answer: They want them alive when they eat them.

The Reavers have been showing up over the past several years, terrorizing the people of the 'verse. It is believed that they were once regular men who traveled to the edge of space and went insane. Mal believes that they are not running them down because they want the up close kill, but River clues us in on the Reavers' true intentions.

Answer: A Barn Swallow

The cowardly pilot Wash and the brave military woman Zoe are married. Despite being a coward, Wash is a highly regarded pilot. Therefore this scene allows him to show off his expert flying ability in this culmination of the chase. He swoops down, opens up the cargo doors, and scoops up the Mule in mid air.

Answer: They are too tidy.

Kaylee is not-so-secretly in love with the doctor and she is sad to see him and River go. She tells him to speak to the captain of any ship he gets on, and to not get on any ship that has a capison 38 engine because they fall right out of the sky. She also says that he shouldn't always have to be so tidy, because it is a dead giveaway that they don't belong.

Answer: To see Fanty and Mingo

The crew of Serenity depend on many people throughout the 'verse to find them jobs. Fanty and Mingo hired them for the job in Lilac and Mal travels to Beaumonde to give them their cut of the payload.

Answer: Fruity Oaty Bars

The Operative has sent subliminal messages throughout the 'verse in the form of an advertisement in order to trigger River's behaviors. It works and we see what a weapon she can be as she tears through the bar, attacking everyone in sight before Simon puts her to sleep.