I feel the need to talk about the women of Firefly
Because my brother recently insulted Joss Whedon’s ability to write anything other than “action woman” for female characters (ie: Buffy), and my first reaction was “But have you seen Firefly?”
First, there’s Kaylee:
Kaylee is a genius mechanic. If she was written according to tropes, she’d be this tough tomboy grease monkey. But she’s not. She’s a mechanic, she’s smart, and she also likes to wear pretty dresses and let Inara braid her hair and go to dances. She’s not an “action woman” either: she’ll try to be brave in a fight if she has to, but guns and fists are not Kaylee’s forte, and she’d rather hide or do something else while the rest of the crew handles the violent stuff. Kaylee is also the ship’s “little sister” character, but defies that trope to an extent as well, because characters with her childlike wonder are often portrayed as virginal and innocent, but it’s made clear that Kaylee is anything but.
Then there’s Inara:
Inara represents something wonderful about the Firefly universe- the open and free sexuality of women. Inara is a “bona fide Companion” meaning that she is a sex worker for all intents and purposes. But this isn’t something to be ashamed of. In fact, her presence lends the ship credibility! She’s the most respectable out of the lot of them in the eyes of the denizens of the Firefly universe. She’s never portrayed as loose or easy- she is a smart, well rounded character with a buttload of self respect who is skilled in her profession. She’s proud of being a Companion, and puts Mal in his place whenever he tries to shame her for it. Inara is awesome.
Next, we have Zoe:
Zoe is amazing and unique for a lot of reasons, but what always stood out to me was how her relationships with Mal and her husband Wash were handled. Zoe is Mal’s second in command and close friend. They share a long history, having fought in the war together. It would have been very easy to make a love triangle here; in fact, Wash even suspects Zoe has feelings for Mal in one episode and becomes jealous. But here’s the wonderful thing: Wash was completely wrong, and the handled it with no miscommunication or tears. In the hands of any other writer, Zoe would have been torn between the two, Mal would have been competing for her attentions, something would have happened. But no- Zoe and Mal both make it clear to Wash that there is nothing between them, and the three even joke about it. A man and a woman can, in fact, be friends in this universe and not deal with any sexual tension.
Lastly, we have River Tam:
River can kill people with her brain. River can take on 20 crazed cannibals in hand to hand combat and come out of it with barely a scratch. River can read minds. No power in the verse can stop her. And yet, I wouldn’t define River as “action woman” because there is is more to her than that. She is intelligent. She is bratty as any 17 year old sister would be. She likes to dance. She is broken, but its not romanticized. She is nuanced- and would have been more so, if Fox had not gone and cancelled one of the best shows it ever had on air (damn them.) River Tam is awesome.
Now look at these women. Watch the show, watch Serenity. My brother challenged me to think of a line one Whedon character said, and then think of another character that would never say it. I directed him to Firefly- I can’t imagine Zoe complaining about having “nothing twixt my nethers that weren’t run on batteries.” I can’t imagine Inara dryly reminding someone that they live on a space ship when something too science-fictiony happens. What about you?
