Firefly

     In 2006 Fox Broadcasting ran a series about cowboys in outer space. Joss Whedon produced it and they called it Firefly. The story follows Mal, Captain Malcolm Reynolds of the ship Serenity, class firefly, and he and his crew sail the skies from planet to planet conducting both legitimate business transactions and smuggling to survive.

     Mal and Zoe were the last of the Independents to surrender to the Alliance--two weeks after the high command. This fierce loyalty to his beliefs is apparent in how Mal runs his ship and crew. Mal's second-in-command, Zoe, has been with him since the war against the Alliance. The Alliance fought the Independence to bring all of the star cluster humanity has colonized and to give the border planets civilization. The Independents were pushed either to join the ranks of the Alliance or to move outward to the edges of the known universe.
     Zoe is married to the ship's pilot: Hoban "Wash" Washborne, a crazy driver who knows his wife can kick his ass but loves her even more for it. Sometimes it feels as if Wash is jealous of Mal and Zoe's relationship, but his wife is so in love with him he can't help but realize it.
     The engineer is Kaylee Frye. She has a childlike enjoyment of life and, though she hasn't had any formal training, keeps Serenity flying in one piece. Kaylee genuinely loves everyone on Serenity: the crew is her family. She even has a crush on Simon, the doctor.
     Simon Tam is a brigand who started his privileged life as a top surgeon. He gave all that up to steal his sister away from the Alliance and the two are hiding from the authorities on Serenity. Simon seems somewhat socially awkward, makes a mess of any relationship with Kaylee and doesn't understand the reasons behind some of the things the crew does.
     River Tam is her brother's focus--when her brilliant mind is attacked and the Hands of Blue try to piece her apart Simon steals her away. But something happened in the Alliance center and River is a killing machine--one sometimes even she can't control. River's mind functions on a level of logic that cannot always incorporate intangible things like faith.
     The dichotomy of River's inability to understand and have a spiritual faith yet trust completely in ber brother is pitted against the Shepherd's religious faith and utter lack of trust in human nature. Shepherd Book begins as a moral compass for the crew, yet as they journey together the blending of pasts and beliefs is managed by Inara, or courtesan who rents a berth on Mal's ship, and challenged by Jayne Cobb, a mercenary who can be trusted to only fight for "number one".

     They are a motley crew, but the adventures on Serenity depend on each piece of the puzzle: without Inara they would be barbarians, without Kaylee cynical beyond reason, without Zoe flighty and prone to ridiculosity, Wash gets them in the air and Mal keeps them there; without the Shepherd they would give up hope, without Simon and River they would have continued in their same path, and Jayne is along for the ride.