Trivia: The antagonist was potentially going to be Jubal Early, the bounty hunter who sneaked onto the ship in the Firefly episode "Objects in Space" and was eventually left floating in the void. Actor Richard Brooks wasn't available to reprise the role, so The Operative was created instead, who shares some similarities with Early.
Jon Sandys
29th Sep 2023
Serenity (2005)
30th Apr 2015
Serenity (2005)
Question: Does the escape sequence at the start of the film take place before the events of Firefly, or was River captured after Firefly, and the opening sequence is her and Simon being rescued by Serenity?
Answer: To add to the other answer, the reason the "Operative" has only just started looking for River is answered in a comic book that was released entitled "Serenity: Those Left Behind." (The comics are all supervised by Joss Whedon, and are officially considered canonical.) In the comic, which takes place between the series and film, the "Blue Hands" from the show make their move and try to capture River, but are thwarted and killed. That's when the Alliance sends in the (much more dangerous) Operative, leading to the events of the film.
Join the mailing list
Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.
Chosen answer: It is backstory, before the events of Firefly. So why does the agent only start looking for them after the events of Firefly? Mostly to give the movie a plot for audiences unfamiliar with the show.
Kenneth Brown ★