Miranda Colony

Yeah, I was thinking about that as I was watching that episode last night.

In all honesty, I wouldn't be surprised if there were a connection. It's entirely possible Joss could've been a fan of SeaQuest and his Serenity plot with Miranda may have been a nod to that.

However that's just speculation as I don't know for sure (it may take someone asking Joss himself to get the answer)

~Nillindeiel~

I agree. The similarities between the two Miranda Colonies are almost creepy. SeaQuest seems like the type of show Joss Whedon would have watched. I wonder if he realized that he used the same name?


Barn's burnt down, now I can see the moon. --Masahide

I'm also a Firefly fan who is going through the old Seaquest eposodes and Miranda sparked my interest. First i thought it might have had to do with various utopian ideas (like Disneys Epcot)
according to my research it was Shakespeare who invented the name (meaning: she who must be admired). That would not be a bad name for an Utopia Prototype.
Some whacky philosophy (since 1930) claiming that your name influences your psychology described Miranda as seeking harmony above all.
I do think though, that the source of the naming in Seaquest (and subsequently in Firefly) is to find in the shakespearian play "the Tempest", since most people affilated with screenplay are Shakespeare Nuts. In The Tempest the protagonist Prospero (the father of Miranda) rules over an Island and has to subdue Caliban (impersonating the animal side of man, the nature) and force him into servitude because he tried to rape Miranda. This could be seen as an allegory to suppress the violent side of mankind. In the play two outsiders even try to incite Caliban to rebel against Prospero, but fail to do so.
"the Tempest" was even made into a Sci Fi movie in the 50' "the forbiden Planet" which influenced scifi until today (but it didn't have any reference to a Miranda.
I seems unlikely though that both the writers of Seaquest and than Joss Whedon would follow the same thought path to name a Colony where the violent side of of man would be suppressed. it's much more likely that Joss Whedon knew Seaquest and found the naming apalling and adapted it into its own series, thus granting a hommage to Seaquest who hat the Utopia gone wrong already done very similarly before Serenity, as he wanted to aknowledge the similarities between his Reaver Origin and the Seaquest episode.