No Power in the ‘Verse Can Stop Her: A Few Thoughts on the Wonderful Kaylee Frye

On the occasion of International Women’s Day (March 8), I decided to take the time and think about who my favourite female sci-fi character might be. Sci-fi is a wonderful genre, it’s a place where anything can be made possible, and there are many opportunities for strong, independent and otherwise completely awesome female characters to shine.

Today I decided to talk about Kaywinnit Lee Frye, also known as Kaylee, the sweet ship mechanic from Firefly played by Jewel Staite. Today I chose Kaylee because I thought she might not be the obvious choice. She is not a gender bending reincarnate like Kara Thrace, she isn’t a soldier or warrior like her shipmate Zoe, or the girl who saves the world (… a lot) like Buffy. Kaylee Frye is one of the most well rounded female characters in sci-fi, or more broadly, on television.

Kaylee is a woman who is smart, has extraordinary skills as a natural mechanic, she voices her opinions loudly but at the same time isn’t too stubborn to listen. She’s sweet, caring, cheerful, a good friend and a loyal shipmate. She may not be “proper” (ahem…Simon) but her poise, brilliance and loyalty earns her the respect of her peers. Her warmth and caring keep people together. Kaylee earned her place on Serenity when she was aboard and go the ship running in a matter of seconds, a problem that her current fling, the ship’s mechanic, had been wrestling with for weeks. It’s her natural talent, never ending curiosity and the desire to fix things that begins to define her.

Kaylee is a charmer and sweet as sugar. Out of her element at an elite social function (“Shindig”) she is slammed by the mean girls but soon has the rapt attention of a crowd of men hanging on to her every word… about engine mechanics, the girl knows her spacecrafts.

On top of all this, Firefly doesn’t shy away from the fact that women are sexual beings. Kaylee isn’t sexualized by skimpy outfits or nudity. In fact, Kaylee spends most of her time in coveralls smudged with engine grease. Nor is she treated as object of desire, not that she isn’t desirable, she isn’t an object.  Kaylee is vocal about her desires, who she wants, what she wants and she sets out to have them.

Kaylee Frye is a well rounded woman in an amazing (and short lived) sci-fi series. These are just a few of the reasons I love her.

Who is your favourite lady of sci-fi? Let me know in the comments.

Happy International Women’s Day! Don’t forget to show the women in your life that you care today, and everyday.