Space Opera

In Firefly By Joss Whedon, a sci-fi story is created with all the elements of the American western movies of the last century. The cast is a group of renegades and misfits who end up calling there spaceship their home. They are sort of like guns for hire from back in the 19th century wild west days.  Just like the old space operas, these stories are good vs. evil. But the good guys all have demons from there past. It reminds you of the old gunfire who becomes a sheriff after a life of crime. My favorite element of this story is the humor and that was missing from the stories of the old west. In many of the episodes, the characters in trouble and have to shoot there way out. During all of this chaos, they become like a family.