I gotta go with other
it changes over time for me but for the now
heart of gold and objects in space. are my defining eps. i just love the pace of objects in space, i can’t really express it properly but it almost felt like a great college lecture, or a stage play. sounds weird but i just loved it, besides river in a space suit always awesome.
as for heart of gold, well its classic joss, strong women great action. humor and most importantly its filled to the brim with heart.
no idea how you people do this
I guess I fall into the “other” category because my favorites are Serenity, Our Mrs Reynolds and Objects in Space (and The Message, Out of Gas, Ariel, Safe, Shindig, Jaynestown, Train Job, War Stories, Heart of Gold, Bushwhacked, and Trash 
)
I love them all. I love them for different reasons. I love them for their artistry and heart and humor. I love them for what they say about the family you choose and the lengths you go to to keep flying. (and the lengths you won’t go to)
I love Serenity, Our Mrs Reynolds, and Objects in Space because, as a Whedon Whore in good standing, I find that Joss-penned eps are always something special, but every single episode of Firefly has something extraordinary about it. there’s not a dud in the bunch.
I’m a little surpised that war Stories isn’t a Camp A ep but a Camp B ep, but I guess it doesn’t affect my camp B standing.
My top three are:
Out of Gas
Ariel
Our Mrs Reynolds
I placed myself in Camp B because I consider Ariel to be a camp B story, and my next top three would be Objects in Space, War Stories, and Jaynestown.
Ariel - I didn’t love it the first time I watched it, but I’ve noticed in my rewatches that it got better and better for me. I always have a soft spot for Ariel - or perhaps a soft spot for Simon too, who in this episode you (and the rest of the gang) actually witness the life and just how much he gave up for his sister and really feel for him and River in the most tangible way. And Jayne just kills me every time when he had that look on his face when he was about to do something stupid, and he kinda knows it. It’s kind of a cheesy episode I suppose, but the cheese sits really well with me, I guess! I also love that Ariel came right after Out of Gas, and the lovely contrast between the two.
When I rewatch, I have a tendency to just go through all the episodes in order and rewatch the whole thing instead of picking out certain episodes that are more of my favorites - because in a way they are all my favorites, regardless of camps.
I didn’t realize Safe was not loved as much as the other episodes. I am Jayne Town, Mrs. Reynolds, Trash kind of guy. But that’s because I enjoy the light hearted stories. But besides these three, my next favorite is Safe.
It could be because in Safe there was some of the best delivered Chinese lines (I believe Zac Efron missed his linguist calling…), but I enjoyed the heist, Simon saving people because that is his calling, and the crew working together… well sort of, the interaction between Mal and Jayne after they got back was great character development.
I voted Other. Nothing wrong with being an exception. When re-watching any Firefly…I watch from beginning to end. Sick days and snowy weekends are made better with chicken soup and Firefly.
Top 2, right now: Out of Gas and War Stories.
I tend to prefer the more serious eps to the more comedic ones.
Out of Gas, Objects in Space, War Stories, The Message.
Second Wave:
Jaynestown, Shindig, Our Mrs. Reynolds, Trash.
Serenity is great as a setup to the series.
Bushwhacked is good but better because it really gives you a glimpse into the reavers, paid off in Serenity the movie. Train Job is the same way, good ep, but better because you get such good payoff in War Stories.
Ariel feels different because you are finally on one of the core worlds, so I really enjoy but it will never be in my top 3.
Ive never really liked Safe, that narrow minded, dangerous religiousity is a serious turn off for me. Way too creepy without enough payoff from where I sit.
ETA: Heart of Gold, almost forgot this totally. Entertaining episode with some great moments but something about it just doesnt engender the same kind of attraction that the other episodes do.
It a tough choice. Really tough choice.
Ultimately i went with Our Miss Renyolds, Jaynestown etc…I think the other options are perhaps better episodes but I have more fun watching the fun episodes.
But I will pretty much take anything over Heart of Gold which is my least favorite episode.
I’m going to with hold my vote until I finish the rewatch. I know I stated my favorites as Objects in Space, Jaynestown, and War Stories in the #207 thread. But, reading what you all are saying makes me realize I should give the series another go because I don’t remember the series as well as I’d like.
To qoute will ferrelll:
your all specialy different, in differen and special ways!
From kicking and screaming
Wow, great question. I love all the episodes for different reasons and for different moods.
My top 14 episodes, I mean top 5:
1- Out of Gas
2- Jaynestown
3- Our Mrs Reynolds
4- War Stories
5- Trash
I love them all. I love Serenity the ship. I love all the characters.
I love FIREFLY.
My favorites have to be:
Out of Gas
Serenity (pilot)
Objects in Space
I guess that puts me in camp B, AND messes with Solai! Perfect!
Also, do we count the movie in this as well, or is that a separate poll?
I voted B, but my favorite is Out of Gas. not sure what my second favorite is. probably not Objects In Space, though. does that seem right to you? 
Huzzah for contrarians! Granted, my favorite is Ariel (I love a good heist and River being crazy). My second and third picks are Objects in Space and War Stories (than Out of Gas), so it’s obvious which camp I’m in, but I had to mention my absolute favorite.
As Chuck mentioned in a podcast a while ago, picking a Trek episode to watch depends on his mood. I follow the same philosophy. If I need to laugh, a Ferengi-centric episode fits the bill. If I’m looking for some compelling drama, ‘City on the Edge of Forever’, ‘Amok Time’, ‘Duet’, etc.
If I apply this philosophy to Solai’s theory, there are Star Trek episodes I absolutely love and it doesn’t matter what mood I am in. I will watch them and they will cheer me up and engage me at the same time. One of those episodes is ‘Shore Leave’. It has comedy, action, romance and an intriguing storyline. It has elements that relate to my personality and what I prefer to watch.
Objects in Space and Out of Gas are engaging episodes filled with tense and powerful moments. I find these episodes are more introspective. Our Mrs. Reynolds and Jaynestown are entertaining and filled with moments best viewed with an audience.
All that being said I thot I’d fall into the Our Mrs. Reynolds camp but upon further thot, I’m Objects in Space. Hmmm…go figure.
FRAK FRAK FRAK! I got Trash & Out of Gas confused so I voted wrong.
My all time favorite episode is Out of Gas, Jaynestown and War Stories come next. So really, there wasn’t a perfect spot for me in the poll.
Mrs Reynolds, Out of Gas, Jaynestown, and the one with Early are my faves. Jaynestown has the best lines.
My favorite is Ariel first, then Out of Gas, then Objects in Space and Heart of Gold
I think part of the reason I like Ariel is because it is in the core worlds, where things are so much more future-y. Of course, some of the stuff I would find most interesting would be a two-sided series that dealt with the war and the rebels, even though I know that the side I was rooting for would lose in the end.
Plus I really want to know what Book’s backstory is. I don’t know that he was another Operative, somehow I can’t see him there. I am intrigued as exactly where he was though.
“Out of Gas” and “War Stories” have to be my two absolute favorites, closely followed by “Objects in Space.” Apparently I like the drama-heavy episodes and crying 