Firefly and Beer and All Things Good

Remember this pretty lady? We went to college together at San Francisco State and she’s put together a kick ass guest blog for you today.  So without further ado, heeeeeeere’s Vivian!

Hello, nerds of the internet! Guest nerd girl here, because ya know what? It turns out there are loads of us! That’s right, many of us may still hide our Star Trek box sets and take down our autographed Watchmen posters when boys are coming over, but trust me, our numbers are great and our will is strong. So I’m coming out to the world (the world-wide web, even) and saying YES, I AM A NERD.

I enjoy so many nerdy things. I grew up on Star Trek and the Cruise-less Mission Impossible series. My first love triangle was trying to choose between Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell. I love X-Men and Shakespeare and young adult books set in space (or wizarding academies). My nerd interests are deep and vast (*dirty*). However, there is one passion that surpasses them all, and I would like to share it with all of you.

In fact, I have a confession to make. I have an addiction. It’s powerful, and at times it dominates my entire life. I am addicted… to Firefly.

Now I know I’m not alone in this, that there are many in my ranks, and that offers me a degree of comfort. Still, no matter how hard I try, I just can’t seem to shake this need to have Serenity and it’s crew in my life. (Full disclosure: I’ve never tried to shake this need. But I’m pretty sure that if I ever did, it would be completely futile. So I don’t.) This sickness infects both my work life (my senior year of undergrad I wrote a final film studies paper on Serenity. My professor was not as taken as I was.) and my personal life. When surrounded by a new group of people, I will almost always eventually sneak a Firefly reference into the conversation and do a quick scan. The person whose eyes light up: my new friend. No reaction: boring times ahead.

Oh, this old jumpsuit? I just throw it on when I don't know what to wear.

And, fellow nerdy internetians, I have another love. Beer. Everyone has their thing. Some people juggle geese. *quick scan* As for me, there are few things in this world that I love more than a good beer. You can call me pretentious (please don’t), but I live in Los Angeles, and that means I am constantly aWash (see what I did there?) in an endless supply of “craft” “artisanal” delights. And as I’ve always said, why do a thing when you could do that thing while also drinking beer? (Ok, it’s not the most eloquent motto, but it’s never failed me.) So, in that spirit, I would like to present to you my Firefly drinking game. So put on your brownest coat and pour yourself a tall Mudders Milk. Just enjoy responsibly, like the big damn heroes I know you are.

Down to business. Let's be bad guys.

The Rules

Drink when:

Someone speaks in Chinese. Or, really, any language other than English. I tend to assume it’s Chinese. Is that racist?

A fight breaks out. This can range from someone getting hit once to a full-out brawl. Originally I had this down as any time a punch is thrown, but as such the opening scene of the Train Job would get you pretty gorram punch-drunk.

There is an exterior shot of Serenity. (Drink twice if there’s a shot of a shuttle detaching.)

DRINK!

Jayne caresses a weapon.

I'll be in my bunk.

Inara kicks Mal out of her shuttle.

River cries/cowers/tears her hair. Poor, crazy River.

There’s mention of Terraforming. Drink twice if it’s talk of terraforming side effects.

Anyone says “Shiny.”

This face? Totally shiny.

Wash’s dinosaurs are on-screen. This happens more than you may think. Keep an eye on his console any time there’s a scene in the cockpit. Is it called a cockpit in a spacecraft? I don’t know, I’m a nerd, not a flight technician. Anyway, back to the game…

Mine is an evil laugh!

There’s a mysterious reference to Shepard Book’s past that WILL NEVER BE ANSWERED EVER. (Well, except in that one-off comic. That was pretty cool.)

Wash and Zoe have sexy times. This can include kissing/flirting/simultaneous nudity.

Everyone is gathered in the kitchen. (I usually exclude River from “everyone,” as she’s more often than not off somewhere else cowering and crying. *see earlier rule.)

Specialty Rules

Take a shot when the blue gloves show up. Not one shot per glove, mind you. Two by two… by my math, that’s a lot of shots.

My favorite: BLUE SUN! When someone sees the Blue Sun logo (anywhere, on anything), they point at the screen and yell “BLUE SUN!” Everyone else takes a shot. The pointing and yelling is not really necessary, but mainly involuntary because you’re drunk and excitable. What? Is that just me?

There's one! I see it! Everyone drink!

As I play this game I also tend to take a drink for my favorite moments. This isn’t really a rule, per se, but I find it hard not to raise a glass to Kaylee calling Mal “Cap’n Tight Pants” or Jayne’s “That’s why I never kiss ‘em on the mouth.” So there’s the optional rule of “drink for awesome stuff.”

When Kaylee talks about her nethers, you obviously drink.

Whaddaya think, fellow nerds? These are my favorite rules, though by no means all of them. Any ideas for additional ones? Thanks for letting me share this with you. Nerd girls of the world ‘VERSE unite!


Comments

54 responses to “Firefly and Beer and All Things Good”

  1. KnitterGirl39 Avatar
    KnitterGirl39

    Love it!!

  2. Matthew Bamberg-Johnson Avatar
    Matthew Bamberg-Johnson

    This game is not for the faint of heart.

  3. I think I might die of alcohol poisoning because I usually end up sitting through a ton of episodes before I am able to pull myself away. You know what I would love to see as a follow up post? Firefly themed drink recipes!

    1. skirmish0fwit Avatar
      skirmish0fwit

      I’m on it! I need to come up with a recipe for Mudders’ Milk that isn’t gross.

      1. Umm… I feel Baileys should obviously be involved. Something kin to an Irish Car Bomb perhaps?

      2. PadreSean Avatar
        PadreSean

        Here’s a variation on a Mudslide… 1oz Irish Mist, 1 oz Baileys, 1 oz Kahlua, and 3 oz Milk. It’s not *quite* as potent as an actual Mudslide, but you can drink it in a 12 oz glass pretty easily and (after six shots per glass) get drunk pretty gorram fast if you want… or just sip it, take it easy, and enjoy.

  4. Love it! I might have to start tonight!

  5. I think you need another rule; if beer comes out your nose when you’re trying to drink, everybody drinks again!

  6. No power in the ‘verse can stop you!

    1. skirmish0fwit Avatar
      skirmish0fwit

      True story.

  7. This is awesome. Much love from St. Louis. Can’t stop the signal!

    1. skirmish0fwit Avatar
      skirmish0fwit

      Thanks Aaron!

  8. Do I have to take a shot every time I say “I’ll be in my bunk”?

    1. skirmish0fwit Avatar
      skirmish0fwit

      Oh, that’s a lot of drinks.

  9. There ought to be a little something extra in there as a shout out to Vera.

  10. Perfect. Particularly awesome as I only just got the series for Christmas (“YOU HAVE TO WATCH THIS YOU WILL LOVE IT HOW CAN YOU NOT HAVE SEEN IT”) and when I finally sat down to watch it on a Saturday I did not re-emerge until I had to go to work on Monday (you bet I launched myself at Netflix immediately to find Serenity when I came to the end of the series).

    And, um, super bonus points for the mention of Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell making up your first love triangle…you were not alone, my friend, not alone AT ALL.

    1. skirmish0fwit Avatar
      skirmish0fwit

      Right? How could we ever be expected to choose?? Don’t tell anyone, but I’ve got a Quantum Leap drinking game marinating in my brain.

      1. Simply… drink any time Al whacks Ziggy. You’ll be absolutely conifered in no time.

  11. My inner nerd was squelched by an ex who didn’t appreciate it (or me). Now that I’m an ex, and discovering how much of a nerd my sister-in-law is, my inner nerd is finally breaking out of its crusty shell. This whole HNG blog is fabulous and a bit freeing for me. Vivian, I don’t do alcohol, but can I play the game with butterbeer or “virgin” Klingon blood wine?

    1. skirmish0fwit Avatar
      skirmish0fwit

      Oh, that’s tragic! I’m a big proponent of bringing up Firefly on first dates. If they’re not interested, I’m not interested. Well, that may be a bit harsh, but I think it’s a good gauge of things to come.

      And non-alcoholic drinks are definitely allowed. It’s how Simon would play the game, I think. Much more dignified.

      1. Okay, I’m going to activate my free Netflix trial (finally) and check out Firefly (or Serenity if I can’t get the episodes). I’ve never seen Firefly (I can hear your gasp halfway across the continent), but you’ve got me intrigued. I’ll let you know what I think, but I’ll refrain from the “virgin” version of the drinking game until I get familiar with the show.

      2. Okay, so I watched episode 1 of Firefly. The mix of characters is intriguing. I like Kaylee (sp?) the best, I think. As a former “shepherd” myself, I think I will appreciate Shepherd’s struggles in the show, especially since I “left the abbey” a couple years ago. Didn’t really care for Mal’s attitude, but he might grow on me. I’m interested to see if River does a psionic blast on someone (or some planet!). The show takes “Wagon Train to the Stars” to a completely different level.

  12. Very well done Vivian… Errr, Shawdow Cat 😉 Your article was intriguing enough to get me to re-watch Firefly again… although it’s possible I might have never seen it and only the Serenity movie which I enjoyed. I never realized Adam Baldwin was in it as “Jayne”. Makes me miss the recent ending of one of my newest favorite shows… Chuck. John Casey (A. Baldwin) was one of my favorite characters on the show!

    Id interested, I may have you guest blog for me as well… GeekOutlaw or PuckCowboy @ Gmail

    1. Oh, by the way… this is Hayden (aka Venkman) from the 30th B-Day Nerd party. In case you were wondering, hehe.

  13. Megatron Avatar
    Megatron

    You have the perfect Jayne hat!! I feel jealous!
    Also, can we play this game?
    Every day?
    I love you!

    1. skirmish0fwit Avatar
      skirmish0fwit

      Yes! Let’s. I’m playing it riiiight now.

  14. Chelsea Parker Avatar
    Chelsea Parker

    That was awesome. I am totally going to have to share with my fellow Brown Coats!
    I would like to suggest drinking every time Simon says something stupid and makes Kaylee mad at him. Some of my personal favourite moments right there.

    1. Agree totally. Optionally, have everyone take two shots any time Simon swears. (It doesn’t happen *that* often…)

    2. skirmish0fwit Avatar
      skirmish0fwit

      Ooh, I like both of these.

  15. […] Because girls like nerdy things, too. OKAY? Here’s my adorable friend Vivian letting her nerd flag fly with these “Firefly” Drinking Game rules. Come for the references, stay for her Kaylee jumpsuit. Excuse me, Viv, I’ll be in my bunk. (Hot Nerd Girl) […]

  16. I would have one tentative suggestion to add – any time the Feds are shown on-screen, everyone must scramble to their feet (not their knees), stand to attention (optionally salute) and yell, “We Love The Alliance!!” The last person to stand to attention and yell this must drink, as must anyone who falls over/giggles.

    I call this rule, “Been Caught Salvaging”.

    1. skirmish0fwit Avatar
      skirmish0fwit

      I love this rule! I’m definitely using it.

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

    1. skirmish0fwit Avatar
      skirmish0fwit

      The original caption for the Jayne pic above!

  18. Rebecca Sparks Avatar
    Rebecca Sparks

    I think you should add:
    Drink every time Simon says the wrong thing to Kaylee and ruins their previously flirty mood.–only worded less awkward.

  19. Also, is it wrong that my first thought was, “Ooh, I want that Blue Sun shirt; the Fruity Oaty Bar shirt is not enough.”?

  20. […] The Firefly drinking game! (via The Mary Sue) […]

  21. […] approve of this Firefly celebration game and wish to exercise it into […]

  22. Ahaha this is fantastic! Guess what I’m doing tonight 😀

  23. So, I’ve spent the past few night… (yes weekend nights) going through Firefly and all I have to say is I LOVE this show… and I’m “IN” LOVE with Kaylee! She is just about the perfect mix of cute & hot, innocent & not.

    I’m 8 Episodes in and the 2 best quotes for me so far:

    Mal: “Someone ever tries to kill you, you try to kill ’em right back!”

    Jayne: “That’s why I never kiss ’em on the mouth.”

    Great stuff! Worst part of this show… knowing there are only 6 episodes left to watch. Wish someone would have pushed me to watch this sooner.(before seeing the Serenity movie.) The mix of Western & Sci-Fi is right up my ally!

    1. Hayden, this is your first taste of Firefly??? I feel like I failed you as a friend! *Bad HNG! Bad!*

      1. Well technically it’s not, as I did watch the Serenity movie several years back, however I’m just realizing now those events took place after the series. For some odd reason, I felt like I had seen the series, but not that Im going through it I know I haven’t.

        So not your fault, I actually blame my male DNA and the memory characteristics that along with being a guy 😉

        Don’t beat yourself up TOO much!

  24. where did u get the same orange toque or hat?? as Jayne Cobb?? I want one very bad

  25. Very cool comic book style crossover, ladies!

  26. […] your favorite virtual drinking buddy is back!  You may remember Vivian’s fantastic Firefly Drinking Game post (or not, depending on how drunk you got while playing it) and this time […]

  27. […] 1. “Firefly”: Bar-none the most delightful show to marathon. Given its brief run (*sob* *wail*), this is a manageable 14 hours. Child’s play. Just don’t attempt to play the drinking game while you do. […]

  28. I have to say I love your post. You also need to add, take a drink everytime Mal shoots someone.

  29. chowardbc Avatar
    chowardbc

    Okay, so I have been in Cape Town, South Africa for two months – away from reliable internet, my DVD collection, and all my nerdy friends. I leave tomorrow.

    And this post has inspired me to discard all productive plans for when I get home, buy a shit ton of scotch and beer, and invite EVERYONE over for a “Firefly” and “Serenity” marathon topped off by this drinking game.

    I cannot thank you enough for inspiring me to drop off the map and nerd out for a few days.

  30. Andie Avatar
    Andie

    Also? I can kill you with my brain.

    – Drink!

  31. Now I’ve seen this post I know exactly how I’m spending my weekend 🙂

  32. Kayley Avatar
    Kayley

    Long after she posted this, however I still have some hope. I absolutely adore your jumpsuit and am currently desperately trying to put together my own. I can find patches that I like but I can’t find a good base set of coveralls. I was wondering if you remember where you found the green coveralls, and where I could find my own if possible. If you wish to maintain individual I understand and will keep looking 🙂

    1. skirmish0fwit Avatar
      skirmish0fwit

      I first made the Kaylee costume for Halloween many moons ago, so I’m not positive, but I think I found the coveralls on ebay. I know Walmart sells them too, but not necessarily in the right color, maybe only blue or gray. Good luck with yours!

  33. Wonderful! I will say that these are amazing rules and I was happy that they came up as the second result when I searched for “firefly drinking game” on google 🙂 Also, this is the first time I have seen your blog, and I look forward to many more amazing entries!

  34. Great stuff, I might have to pick drinking back up, just to play this game 😉

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