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The Best Episodes of Firefly Season 1

Every episode of Firefly Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Firefly Season 1!

Binge this in 9h 4m•Peaking at 9.3/10

In the year 2517, the universe is a vast frontier where lawlessness reigns and adventure awaits! Join Captain Malcolm Reynolds and his ragtag crew aboard the spaceship Serenity as they navigate the fringes of society,

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Firefly Season 1 Episode 5 - Out of Gas
    9.3/10(7152 votes)

    S1:E5

    After Serenity suffers a catastrophe that leaves her crew with only hours of oxygen, flashbacks show how Mal and Zoë acquired Serenity and assembled their motley band.

    Director:David Solomon
    Writers:Tim Minear, Joss Whedon

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  2. Firefly Season 1 Episode 10 - Objects in Space
    9.2/10(6171 votes)

    S1:E10

    Serenity encounters a ruthlessly professional bounty hunter, Jubal Early, who will stop at nothing to retrieve River. But River, feeling unwelcome on the ship, takes a novel approach to escaping from the long arm of the Alliance.

    Director:Joss Whedon
    Writer:Joss Whedon

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  3. Firefly Season 1 Episode 3 - Our Mrs. Reynolds
    9.0/10(6375 votes)

    S1:E3

    As an unexpected reward for an unpaid job, Mal finds himself married to a naïve, subservient young woman named Saffron. The crew are amused at his discomfort and Book lectures him on propriety, but things aren't as smoothly straightforward as they thought them to be.

    Director:Vondie Curtis-Hall
    Writer:Joss Whedon

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  4. Firefly Season 1 Episode 8 - Ariel
    9.0/10(5698 votes)

    S1:E8

    Hard up for cash, Serenity takes on a job from Simon: help him get a thorough diagnostic of River in return for the opportunity to loot the vast medical stores of an Alliance hospital on central world Ariel. But River's pursuers are hot on their trail, and they receive some unexpected inside help.

    Director:Allan Kroeker
    Writers:Joss Whedon, Jose Molina

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  5. Firefly Season 1 Episode 9 - War Stories
    8.8/10(5468 votes)

    S1:E9

    Angered at Zoë's unshakable war connection to Mal, Wash demands a shot at a field assignment. Unfortunately, crime lord Niska chooses this moment to exact a brutal vengeance for Mal's failure to complete an earlier job.

    Director:James A. Contner
    Writers:Joss Whedon, Cheryl Cain

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  6. Firefly Season 1 Episode 11 - Serenity
    8.8/10(6448 votes)

    S1:E11

    Malcolm Reynolds is a veteran and the captain of Serenity. He and his crew are smuggling goods, but they need to pick up some passengers for extra money. However, not all the passengers are what they seem.

    Director:Joss Whedon
    Writer:Joss Whedon

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  7. Firefly Season 1 Episode 4 - Jaynestown
    8.7/10(5988 votes)

    S1:E4

    Returning to a planet where he ran into some serious trouble years ago, Jayne discovers that he's become a local folk legend. Mal decides to use this entertaining distraction to complete a job, but some unfinished business may derail his plans.

    Director:Marita Grabiak
    Writers:Joss Whedon, Ben Edlund

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  8. Firefly Season 1 Episode 2 - Bushwhacked
    8.4/10(5860 votes)

    S1:E2

    Serenity is pulled in by a Tohoku-class cruiser while investigating a spaceship that was attacked by Reavers. Simon and River must hide to prevent capture, while something is wrong with the lone survivor of the attacked spaceship.

    Director:Tim Minear
    Writers:Tim Minear, Joss Whedon

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  9. Firefly Season 1 Episode 1 - The Train Job
    8.3/10(6436 votes)

    S1:E1

    The crew of Serenity take on a train heist commissioned by a crime lord. They steal the goods, only to find it is medicine that's desperately needed by the town.

    Director:Joss Whedon
    Writers:Tim Minear, Joss Whedon

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  10. Firefly Season 1 Episode 6 - Shindig
    8.3/10(5592 votes)

    S1:E6

    Inara attends a formal society dance, only to find Malcolm there as well, attempting to set up a smuggling job. Mal comes to blows with Inara's conceited date and finds himself facing a duel with a renowned swordsman, and only one night to learn how to fence.

    Director:Vern Gillum
    Writers:Joss Whedon, Jane Espenson

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  11. Firefly Season 1 Episode 7 - Safe
    8.0/10(7482 votes)

    S1:E7

    Mal must choose which crew members to save when one is gravely wounded and two others are kidnapped. Simon finds an uneasy haven in a remote village, but River's uncanny perceptions jeopardize the Tams' temporary safety.

    Director:Michael Grossman
    Writers:Joss Whedon, Drew Z. Greenberg

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Season 1 Ratings Summary

"Out of Gas" is the best rated episode of "Firefly" season 1. It scored 9.3/10 based on 7152 votes. Directed by David Solomon and written by Tim Minear, Joss Whedon, it aired on 10/25/2002. This episode is rated 0.1 points higher than the second-best, "Objects in Space".