Netflix’s Underrated 8-Part Sci-Fi Series Shows Firefly How It’s Done

The news of Firefly‘s upcoming reboot has been a source of excitement and apprehension for fans of the great cult sci-fi TV series. After 24 years, a movie that wrapped up the main story, and the death of one of the main cast, a new Firefly series seems easy to get wrong. Concept art revealing that the show was to be animated provided another unexpected element.

That said, Firefly is not the first beloved sci-fi franchise to get an animated TV reboot, and the makers could learn from Terminator Zero, which received extremely positive reviews and introduced a new direction for the Terminator franchise. Like Firefly, Terminator Zero also lasted for one season before its cancellation and took a risk by being animated rather than live-action.

Terminator Zero Took A Risk, And It Changed The Franchise Forever

It has often been assumed that the Terminator franchise is inseparable from Arnold Schwarzenegger, who made the T-800 one of the greatest sci-fi movie robots of all time. The Sarah Connor Chronicles proved that this was not the case, but an animated Terminator TV show felt like a big risk considering the franchise is best known for its explosive live-action car chases and robot battles.

Terminator Zero kept the iconic character designs, but introduced a new visual style and drastic departure from the usual franchise storyline in which a Terminator is sent as a protector. Instead, the series explored humanity as a concept, with characters pleading their case for survival to AI. This instantly made Terminator Zero the most creative project in the franchise since Judgment Day.

Terminator Zero‘s other major risk changed the franchise forever. The Terminator timeline is extremely confusing, with multiple retcons and plot twists that do not make sense, and Terminator Zero finally offered a solution. The many timelines in the series introduced the concept of a multiverse, in which every change creates a new reality, which instantly explains the different rules that the movies appear to follow.

How Firefly’s Return Can Learn From Terminator Zero

The Firefly reboot is likely to have a difficult task ahead. Fans of the original series have an emotional connection to it, and this nostalgia can cloud some of the harsh realities of rewatching Firefly. This makes original viewers more likely to respond to fan service and Easter eggs, while an approach that centers on nostalgia is unlikely to resonate with new viewers.

It has been confirmed that Joss Whedon is not creatively involved in the series. Taking his recent controversies into account, this is likely a smart move, especially if trying to attract a new fanbase. Leaving behind elements that do not work is a sign that the reboot is unlikely to rely on repetitive fan service, and is prepared for a more creative approach.

Firefly‘s animated reboot should learn from Terminator Zero, by keeping the tone and emotional core of the original while opening up the lore for more possibilities. It has already been suggested that the reboot should explore more of the side characters, like the blue-handed villains, which were overlooked in the series, and this should help the reboot carve out its own place in the Firefly franchise.

What We Know About The Upcoming Firefly Revival

Making the Firefly revival an animated series solves the issue of the actors aging, allowing the show to begin again at any point in the timeline, before Wash’s heartbreaking death in Serenity, which will come as a relief to many fans. However, the loss of Ron Glass (Shepherd Derrial Book) means that the original Firefly character will be recast for the reboot.

The show is being developed by Nathan Fillion, with the original cast set to reprise their roles, and while it is often referred to as a reboot, the project is more in line with a continuation of the original series. Firefly was always one of sci-fi’s most heartbreaking cancellations, and this update suggests the show will follow the same format as the original.

Both Firefly and Terminator Zero were canceled after one season, and while Firefly sparked a franchise, Terminator Zero might have saved one. The new Firefly series could learn a lot from Terminator Zero, but an even bigger question mark hangs over whether TV has learned from both shows, and will allow the next Firefly to run without cutting its story short.