Joss Whedon’s single season, cult classic Firefly continues to be one of the most influential and popular space western TV shows of all time. Despite it being just over 20 years since its initial release, fans are still just as passionate about the show as they ever were.
Firefly’s loyal fanbase was a dominant force in the early days of modern fandom and was likely the driving force behind much of the related media published in subsequent years. With a movie sequel and several in-universe comics, Firefly canon extends much further than just the 14 original episodes. Though hardcore fans have had many theories over the years, only a few made their way into the show’s extended narrative.
1 Zoe Is Pregnant
Zoe Alleyne Washburne is one of the more stoic and unsentimental characters in Firefly, which is part of what makes her character so interesting. As such, she doesn’t seem to be the type to need or want children. However, hints toward the end of the show’s single season caused some fans to hypothesize that she could be pregnant. As Captain Malcolm Reynolds’ tough second-in-command on the ship, Zoe rarely has time for overt displays of emotions. Her marriage to Serenity’s pilot, Hoban Washburne or more commonly known by his nickname ‘Wash’, is still a relatively happy one and the two are always portrayed as very securely in love.
In the episode “Heart of Gold” they discuss the dangers of bringing a child into the world. Zoe is very clearly still in favor of the idea, which some fans view as foreshadowing. Wash explains that their lives are too dangerous to bring a tiny helpless person into. Zoe dismisses this as an excuse and says: “I ain't so afraid of losing something that I ain't gonna try to have it. You and I would make one beautiful baby”.
This theory, though further hinted at in the Serenity movie, is ultimately confirmed in the Firefly comics Float Out and It’s Never Easy. Her pregnancy also features in the comic mini-series Serenity: Leaves on the Wind, which is set around eight months after the Serenity movie. In this series, Zoe’s pregnancy and subsequent birth to Wash’s daughter, Emma, is a key plot point.
2 Book Has An Alliance Background
Derrial Book is always a rather mysterious presence onboard the Serenity, and several hints throughout the original series led to some fans believing he has much more of an interesting past than he lets on. Among Firefly fans, there are several theories about his background, chief among them being6 that he has a professional history with the Alliance.
When Book first meets the crew, he describes himself as a simple Shepherd wanting to bring his religion to those who need it. But several small details from the series call this into question. Firstly, Book seems to have an unusual amount of knowledge of hand-to-hand combat, infamous criminals, and high-powered weaponry for a simple preacher.
Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, when he is shot and gravely injured in the episode “Safe” he happens to be in possession of an ID that grants him special access to medical help. Though the audience never learns the details of this ID, it’s made clear that it carries some level of prestigious authority.
Book’s Alliance history is ultimately confirmed in the comic Serenity: The Shepherd’s Tale, which tells the story of Derrial Book’s past. Readers learn that long before he became a Shepherd, Book serves as a spy for the Independent side of the war by infiltrating the ranks of the Alliance army.
3 The Reavers Were Government Made
The Reavers are a considerable to threat to all life in The Verse. Known only as psychotic cannibals who went mad on the edge of space, the Reavers aren’t given much of a backstory in the original show. However, this didn’t stop fans from theorizing that the Alliance had more to do with their creation than simple neglect of its citizens.
Within Firefly, not much is seen of the Reavers except their ships. Reaver Ships are recognizable as they’ve often been mutilated and run with dangerous levels of radiation which allow them additional speed and power. When the crew of the Serenity comes across the Reaver’s aftermath, all that is left are disfigured bodies and signs of inhuman cruelty and violence.
The sequel movie unpacked the origins of the Reavers and ultimately confirmed the theory that the Alliance had a hand in their creation. The very first Reavers were from the planet Miranda, on which the Alliance had been testing a chemical known as Pax. This chemical was meant to eradicate human aggression and anger and thus pacify whole populations.
But in 0.01% of the population, Pax had the complete opposite effect and bent people’s minds into madness and pure savagery. It is that small percentage of Miranda’s population who became Reavers and began to plunder the outer reaches of The Verse.
4 Inara Is Dying
One of the defining features of Firefly’s influential and short-lived single season is the will-they-won’t-they relationship between Mal and Serenity’s resident Companion Inara Serra. But Inara’s contradictory resistance to Mal’s affections and a few heavy lines about mortality led many fans to believe that she's dying of some kind of terminal illness.
As a Buddhist, Inara has many interesting conversations with the other characters about mortality and the nature of life. But one particular line fans point to as evidence for this theory comes from the episode “Out of Gas”. When the ship is damaged to the point of disabling the life support, everyone but Mal must escape the ship. Simon Tam says to Inara about Serenity: “I just don't want to die on it”. Inara's reply is: “I don't want to die at all.”
In the first episode, Inara is also seen possessing a syringe with a mysterious black liquid in it. Though the scene suggests it may be a suicide kit in case of a Reaver attack, many fans believed it is further evidence that Inara had some mysterious and fatal illness. Though not confirmed in the sequel movie, this subplot for Inara was confirmed by the actress herself and in the audio commentaries for the Firefly DVD collection. The novel Life Signs, a tie-in to the show’s universe, explores this plot as well.