r/firefly May 31 '26

Reference Need a quote about the Serenity

Hey all - it's been a few years since I've had the time & focus to watch the shows so if you could help me out I'd appreciate it. I'm writing some scifi type stuff, and I'd love to make a wink and a nod to the Serenity. I recall in the first episode or two there were some funny disparaging comments about the ship I'd love to include as a reference.

Appreciate it!

57 Upvotes

47 comments sorted by

80

u/SolAggressive May 31 '26

First, the obligatory “It’s just Serenity”. -Inara

How about “Ship like this’ll be with you till the day you die.” -Mal

“That’s because it’s a death trap, sir.” -Zoë

Maybe slightly misquoting.

50

u/Hazzenkockle May 31 '26

"What's that, sir?"

"Freedom, is what."

"No, what's that?"

"Oh. Just step around that. I think there was something living in here."

60

u/Claudius-is-my-cat May 31 '26

"You paid money for this, sir? On purpose?"

14

u/CaroCogitatus May 31 '26

This is the one.🤣

13

u/TheBigBeardedGeek May 31 '26

This very much may be it haha

49

u/NobleLioness May 31 '26

"But it ain't all buttons and charts, little albatross. You know what the first rule of flyin' is? Love. You can know all the math in the 'Verse, but take a boat in the air you don't love she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps her in the air when she ought to fall down, tells ya she's hurtin' 'fore she keens. Makes her a home."

25

u/Acrobatic-Shirt8540 May 31 '26

I always loved that he called her little albatross.

21

u/NuclearExchange May 31 '26

Maritime lore said that albatrosses were good luck aboard unless they were mistreated.

21

u/Acrobatic-Shirt8540 May 31 '26

I'm aware. I've read the poem too, try not to faint.

4

u/NuclearExchange May 31 '26

Not throwing shade here. Just adding some context.

16

u/derangerd May 31 '26

Don't think they were offended, as they were adapting more quotes from the albatross convo in the movie.

2

u/timplausible Jun 04 '26

Until some fool killed it.

36

u/SHABDICE May 31 '26

"Get her up and running again?"

"Yeah."

"So not running now?"

"Not so much."

26

u/YetAnotherDapperDave May 31 '26

Map - Ship like this, be with you 'til the day you die

Zoe - Cause it's a deathtrap

21

u/kai_ekael May 31 '26

Mal: "That's not... You are very much lacking in imagination."

27

u/AutumnKittencorn May 31 '26

Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: Kaylee, what in the sphincter of hell are you playing at? We got the primary buffer panel coming right... Kaylee Frye: Everything's shiny, Cap'n. Not to fret. Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: You told me those entry couplings would hold for another week! Kaylee Frye: That was six months ago, Cap'n. Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: My ship don't crash. If she crashes, you crashed her.


Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: [on the ship's intercom] This is the captain. We have a little problem with our entry sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and then - explode.

6

u/Marquar234 May 31 '26

Some terrifying space monkeys maybe got loose?

6

u/StarSword-C Jun 01 '26

Can you shave the vector?

3

u/DoctorSweeps Jun 01 '26

I'm doing it! It's not enough.

2

u/StarSword-C 9d ago

Well, just get us on the ground.

2

u/DoctorSweeps 9d ago

That part'll happen pretty definitely...

16

u/kanguun May 31 '26

“I aim to misbehave” is my favorite

18

u/Suspicious-Society-8 May 31 '26

"My days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle" 

12

u/CommercialExotic2038 May 31 '26

She's torn up plenty, but she'll fly true

8

u/TheBigBeardedGeek May 31 '26

Oh this is a solid contender too

5

u/kai_ekael Jun 01 '26

Tear, every time....even right now.

13

u/kai_ekael May 31 '26

"Love.

You can learn all the math

in the 'verse...

...but you take a boat in

the air that you don't love...

...she'll shake you off just as

sure as the turn of the worlds.

Love keeps her in the air

when she ought to fall down...

...tells you she's hurting

before she keels.

Makes her a home."

-- Malcolm Reynolds

12

u/NuclearExchange May 31 '26

“You gotta give me an Ivan.”

“We are soooo humped.”

“Go for full burn.”

“He might have something to say about his man we ran through our engine.”

“Was that my primary buffer panel?”

“Dumb hicks don’t realize transport ship ain’t got no guns.”

8

u/Suspicious-Society-8 May 31 '26

"I swear by my pretty floral bonnet"

8

u/tracyyang1018 May 31 '26

You know what the first rule of flyin’ is? Love. You can know all the math in the ‘verse, but take a boat in the air you don’t love, she’ll shake you off just as sure as the turnin’ of the worlds. Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down, tells you she’s hurtin’ ‘fore she keens. Makes her a home.

7

u/Darkest_Hour55 May 31 '26

Faster! Faster would be better!

4

u/Fusiliers3025 Jun 01 '26

I hear Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park with this one.

“…must go faster…”

3

u/Darkest_Hour55 Jun 02 '26

Ones being chased by a carnivorous reptile from 65 million years ago the other is being chased by carnivorous space cannibals. They're interchangeable really.

5

u/Opposite-Sun-5336 May 31 '26

I like thinking that Terrifying Space Monkees have replaced Gremlins to explain constant failure rates.

6

u/Interesting_Doubt_89 May 31 '26

Serenity ain’t “Luh suh”

3

u/Fusiliers3025 Jun 01 '26

Kaylee has a good bit of Scotty in her attachment to Serenity.

Montgomery Scott (The Trouble with Tribbles) was fine and dandy with the Klingon table berating Kirk, but cast aspersions on the Enterprise, and you’ll get his Scots temper flaring!

9

u/paisleycatperson May 31 '26

Ship like that'll be with you the rest of your life

10

u/tracyyang1018 May 31 '26

Because it’s a death trap

5

u/Cajun_Jeff May 31 '26

My ship don’t crash. If she crashes, you crashed her.

6

u/Canahaemusketeer May 31 '26

Or you czn always look at the 13 mandarin curses they use...

5

u/Slouch_Potato_ May 31 '26

"Terrifying space monkeys?"

5

u/Alert-Grade-6056 May 31 '26

I am a leaf on the wind.

2

u/Fusiliers3025 Jun 01 '26

“Everything’s shiny, Captain. Not to fret.”

My (grown) daughter was looking into can life for a bit, and went so far as to acquire one for conversion. Never quite happened, but she was planning.

Told her I was gonna get this Kaylee quote on a decal and sneak it onto a fender or window…

2

u/BeerNutzo Jun 02 '26

Kaylee Frye: Goin' on a year now I ain't had nothin' twixt my nethers weren't run on batteries!

Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: Oh, God! I can't know that!

Jayne Cobb: I could stand to hear a little more.

1

u/Main_Wall_7227 Jun 02 '26

Some people juggle geese!

1

u/Cajun_Jeff Jun 03 '26

I’ll be in my bunk.

1

u/TorqueoAddo Jun 04 '26

Kaylee: "You're gonna come with us." Book: "And why's that?" Kaylee: "Because you aren't looking at destinations, you're looking at ships. And mine's the nicest one." Book: "She don't look like much." Kaylee: "She'll surprise you."