The late, great canceled FOX show Firefly continues to inspire thousands of fans all over the world, even though the show ended in early 2003 after only 11 episodes had aired. The cast reunites frequently in their new projects and for fan conventions around the country, so they clearly have fond memories of working on the show. Actress Gina Torres, who played Zoë Washburne, has some concrete ideas of what made Firefly special for her.
Coming out of the fog and a sand storm with a shotgun with Mal saying, 'What does that make us, Zoë?' 'Big damn heroes.' It doesn't get better than that!
Gina Torres spoke with TV Line about some of her fondest memories of the shows she’s been a part of, and, of course, Firefly came up. Her role on the series wasn’t her first leading part on a TV show (that honor goes to a goofy little gem called Cleopatra 2525) but it did become the part she is most loved for bringing to life.
In case you need a refresher on your Firefly history, it was a space Western that focused on the crew and paying passengers of a starship in the far future. The crew often steals and smuggles to make ends meet and frequently run afoul of law enforcement, those they steal from and other, more unscrupulous, characters. Gina Torres played second in command to the ship’s captain, Mal (Nathan Fillion). The quote was from the fifth episode of the series, “Safe,” and was uttered after Mal and Zoë storm in to recuse two of their kidnapped passengers, who are about to be burned alive.
It’s no surprise that Gina Torres chose the “big damn heroes” line as her favorite moment of the series. Riding to the rescue must be a fun part of the job for any actor who gets a shot at it, and playing a character bold enough to know when they’ve saved the day and then proudly announce it has to feel pretty cool. Another key to this phrase is that it was heartily embraced by many of Firefly’s biggest fans. They all know the importance of the saying.
Another favorite aspect of the show that the fans have always appreciated, and that Gina Torres enjoyed herself, is the relationship between Zoë and her husband Wash (Alan Tudyk). Torres notes that she enjoyed the “sweet” interactions between the two, and that they led to her character being a well-rounded woman.
I so appreciate that the writers would let Zoë really be a girl and a woman and a wife. That made her the ultimate chick, because she was a fully realized person.
Fans of Firefly can certainly name many favorite moments from the show, so it’s always good to hear that stars like Gina Torres have their own best-of-show times to reflect on. Hearing them talk so fondly of the series is the closest we may get to having it back on the air.
