Necessary because it was to the genesis of the sequence, the Alliance itself hardly ever appeared in full throughout the present’s single season. Harmful, officious males sporting blue gloves would materialize in ominous scenes, and sometimes Serenity would run afoul of particular brokers. However just like the Reavers—the cannibal savages and stand-in for Indigenous American stereotypes who totally appeared in just one episode—the Alliance was extra like a mythological boogie man than a correct antagonist within the sequence.
As a result of the viewers was left to take a position in regards to the bent of the Alliance, it’s no shock that they drew parallels to the United Federation of Planets from Star Trek. The specifics of the Federation developed throughout the three seasons of the unique season, and located full articulation within the films and in Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology. Though sure tales did present how some planets balked on the necessities imposed upon members, and the sequence did sometimes present the dignity of opposing organizations such because the Klingon Empire and the Romulan Star Empire, the Federation was largely offered as an excellent of enlightened progress.
The Alliance of Firefly and Serenity preached the identical beliefs. Nevertheless, Mal Reynolds and his first mate Zoe Washburn (Gina Torres) are each Browncoats, veterans of a conflict in opposition to the unification of planets that created the Alliance. To them the Alliance represents compelled conformity and the lack of freedom, qualities made all of the extra clear when the Alliance despatched an Operative (Ejiofor) to hunt for River Tam and the Serenity.
Combating the Federation
Throughout his first scene in Serenity, the Operative could possibly be mistaken for any high-ranking member of the Federation or of its army/exploratory arm Starfleet. He intently opinions archival footage of River and even when he clothes down an Alliance administrator (Michael Hitchcock) for failing to forestall Simon from rescuing his sister, the Operative stays calm and dignified. Affordable.
Already a grasp at embodying wide-eyed empathy, Ejiofor by some means manages to make the Operative’s clear condescension to the official really feel like real concern. The Operative even maintains this sense of heat whereas making the bureaucrat actually fall on a sword. “This can be a good demise,” he comfortingly tells the person, wanting calmly into his scared, dying eyes.
As demonstrated by the sword he wields, the Operative represents the sting of the Alliance and, by analogy, the Federation. The Operative works as a villain as a result of he’s a real believer. The Operative ultimately expresses that ideology late within the movie too. When Mal confronts him through video name for killing each man (together with sequence common E book), lady, and baby who sheltered the Serenity, the antihero righteously fumes, “I don’t kill kids.”
