One of the best characters from the Firefly franchise is deserving of a redemption arc for the potential revival. Rumors continue to circulate regarding a potential reboot of the series, and there have been theories about what the story could center around, including one that replaces Nathan Fillion with Wash and Zoë’s daughter, Emma. Above all else, a reboot has the potential to give one villain another shot at glory.
Chiwetel Ejiofor plays the Operative, the antagonist of Serenity, Firefly’s big-screen motion picture follow-up. By the movie’s end, a haunting recording led to the Operative reaching a parlay of sorts with Captain Mal’s crew after offering medical assistance to Team Serenity and telling the Alliance that they were no longer a threat. This offered hope for a redemption arc that Firefly fans would never see until 2014’s comic book sequel, Serenity: Leaves on the Wind by Zack Whedon and Georges Jeanty.
To give Firefly fans the Operative redemption they always wanted, adapting the full six issues of Leaves on the Wind may be the best route to go.
Firefly’s “the Operative” Gets the Comic-Book Redemption Arc That Fans Wanted to See in Serenity
It All Begins in Serenity: Leaves on the Wind #1 by Zack Whedon, Georges Jeanty, Karl Story, Laura Martin, and Michael Heisler
As a sequel to Serenity, Leaves on the Wind tries to give closure to the show’s most central characters and even correct Firefly’s most controversial scenes. Among the closures provided is for one of Firefly’s most complex villains, the Operative, who confirms at the end of Serenity that he was no longer the Alliance’s right-hand man. But his fate after walking away from them remained open-ended. While the Operative is certain at the end of Serenity that they’ll never see each other again, Mal makes an effort to re-enter his life when he needs him.
The Operative nearly gives his life in a battle against the Alliance for the team he once hunted on their behalf.
When Zoë is captured and sent to a prison camp, Mal seeks the Operative’s help, and his understanding of the Alliance proves useful in planning their rescue mission. However, the Operative’s redemption truly arrives when Team Serenity realizes that they are walking into a trap, and the Operative urges the team to continue without him. Even though the Operative is convinced that he can handle the coming fight alone, there’s still no guarantee in his mind that he’ll survive, as evidenced by the hard-fought battle. The Operative nearly gives his life in a battle against the Alliance for the team he once hunted on their behalf.
When all is said and done, their mission is a success, and Zoë is back home with her newborn baby, Emma. The comic series ends much the same way as Serenity, in that a mutual understanding and brief alliance allows the Operative and Captain Mal Reynolds to part ways, but this time, that mutual understanding turns into mutual respect as both men part ways with a handshake. The handshake is an indicator that the Operative’s redemption is not only complete, but completely earned in the Firefly star’s eyes.
A Firefly Revival Can Follow Up on the Operative’s Whereabouts Post-Firefly Comic
What Is the Operative Up to After the Serenity / Firefly Comic Books?
Before they shake hands, the Serenity ship drops the Operative off on the planet Theophrastus, and, initially, it seems as if he’ll embark on a new hero’s journey. That is, until he is confronted by Zoë, who reminds the Operative that her husband died trying to escape him. The Operative understands that Zoë might want her revenge, and he merely promises to defend himself. The Operative’s fate is left open-ended, as it’s unclear if Zoë commits to her vengeance off-panel or if she spared a changed man’s life.
This is where a proposed Firefly revival can pick up. With Leaves on the Wind being an official canonical storyline within the Firefly franchise, a sequel, whether it happens onscreen or on-panel, can finally confirm the whereabouts of the Operative after this interaction. It could be as simple as Zoë confirming that she killed the Operative on that fateful day, or it could be her coming to terms with letting the man who indirectly killed her husband roam free. In the latter case, a sequel can show how and if the Operative has committed to walking a new path.
A Redemption Arc for the Operative Further Complicates Firefly’s Hero/Villain Alignments
The Heroes Act Like Villains and the Villains Have Heroic Characteristics
In Serenity: Leaves on the Wind #4, where he fights his replacement, an operative named Denon, the Operative is told that no matter what he does, he can’t change who he is. “Yes, I know that,” the Operative answers, but this interaction doesn’t stop him from protecting the Browncoats. Being equal parts resilient and noble is what makes the Operative ripe for a hero’s journey. Then again, these are traits which he originally displayed in the Serenity movie. He always displayed heroic characteristics, while the Browncoats always leaned more on the anti-heroic – practically villainous – side.
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One scene in Serenity shows the Operative ready to have a civil conversation with Mal, but the moment he mentions being unarmed, the Captain shoots him. That’s not the sign of a hero, and it speaks to some truths that Firefly fans may not like. The Operative’s warrior code made him more of a hero than the Firefly crew ever were. The Firefly crew were desperate to survive the terrors and scarcity of the ‘verse. They do some terrible things as a result. The Operative, especially in seeking retribution, maintains the heroic qualities that make the former Firefly villain deserving of redemption.
Serenity: Leaves on the Wind is available now from Dark Horse Comics.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
