[GonzoGOP]

So many were anti-establishment when the establishment looked Republican (yes, Firefly, that’s you I’m looking at),

Firefly was a western in space. There can be little doubt that the Browncoats were the confederates. The government was always trying to force a Utopian view on people that didn't want it. There rich were always pictured as limousine liberals who didn't know or want to know what was happening on the frontier. If you watched the movie there can be absolutely now thought that they were talking about the end product of socialism/progressiveism. They even use many of the same slogans. And the operative from the movie is absolutely a Rham Emanuel type.

[BelegStrongbow]

There can be little doubt that the Browncoats were the confederates.

So, it's sort of Jesse James in Outer Space?

It does convey a sort of William Goldman vibe a la Butch Cassidy. Part of the charm for me, actually. And don't get me wrong, I bought the series and the film. I watch 'em repeatedly. Except for the poor quality of the disc (which really irritates me: Shindig is just messed up and that really burns me), it's marvelously revisionist about the value of conformity and even has an interesting take on loss of faith. Who knows where Mal's spiritual development would have gone had the series been allowed to develop fully? We know where the film took it, which was not a development, IMHO.

So, it's a great short series, can be read conservative but I think it's a long shot that it was designed to be read that way.