 Throughout the series , the Alliance is shown to govern the star system through an organization of " core " planets , following its success in forcibly unifying all the colonies under a single government . DVD commentary suggests that the Alliance is composed of two primary " core " systems , one predominantly Western in culture , the other pan @-@ Asian , justifying the mixed linguistic and visual themes of the series . The central planets are firmly under Alliance control , but the outlying planets and moons resemble the 19th @-@ century American West , with little governmental authority . Settlers and refugees on the outlying worlds have relative freedom from the central government , but lack the amenities of the high @-@ tech civilization that exists on the inner worlds . In addition , the outlying areas of space ( " the black " ) are inhabited by the Reavers , a cannibalistic group of nomadic humans that have become savage and animalistic . 
