Board 8 > Watching Firefly, and possibly more shows. [spoilers]

(+) Yeah! (+)

MariaTaylor posted...

I remember Firefly being really good but it's been too long since I watched it
Even for people who've seen the show recently, I figure remembering specific episodes is difficult. I try to make the recaps useful and to highlight enjoyable details in the episodes that might have been forgotten. Hope it's helpful!

hopefully I can actually follow the discussion in this topic

ClyTheCool posted...

I think I need to watch alongside this topic tbh

I'll never object to a companion in watching.
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Shindig is definitely my least favorite episode of the series.
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It's interesting to see how much you dislike the Mal/Inara relationship. Don't think that I've ever known anyone to have such a strong distaste for it.

That being said, I don't care much for Shindig either. It just doesn't feel as sharp as a lot of the other episodes for one reason or another.

Next episode is one of my favorites, though.
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Seabass, do you consider yourself a strong feminist? All the other people who've watched Firefly and reacted this way to Mal/Inara that I know are pretty big feminists and it might be something like they can't stand that sort of male/female dynamic.
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Every so often I look at this and the thought comes to my mind, "What the fuck did they think was going to happen?"
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And keep in mind, those air dates for 11-13 are when international markets decided to air the show properly when they picked it up. NA only got it on DVD and then on Sci-Fi right before Serenity hit theaters.
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Terastodon posted...

Every so often I look at this and the thought comes to my mind, "What the fuck did they think was going to happen?"

They didn't think.
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ExThaNemesis posted...

Seabass, do you consider yourself a strong feminist? All the other people who've watched Firefly and reacted this way to Mal/Inara that I know are pretty big feminists and it might be something like they can't stand that sort of male/female dynamic.

Don't know about 'strong,' but feminist, yes. There's a really rape-y 'don't take no for an answer, you know she wants the D' element that rubs me the wrong way, and Inara happily enables it.

I'd argue that Firefly encourages you to examine its gender dynamics. It's not an accident that the 'manliest' characters are named Jayne, Mal, and Zoe, for one thing. Inara uses her sex in exchange for capital, and it's discussed in the first episode at length. Zoe and Wash's slightly inverted gender roles are brought to light pretty freuqently.

As for its creator, the same year Firefly aired, Joss Whedon had another abusive sexual relationship with 'can't take no for an answer' on TV. That relationship showed how damaged its participants were, and there was nothing cute about it. The characters were also explicitly shown to be immature for much better reasons than 'some people just don't grow up,' which is the only excuse for Mal/Inara.

That said, there are other reasons not to like it the dynamic beyond from a feminist critque.

For one thing, these are grown-ass adults, not children, and zero reason is given why they can't be together if they're gonna have crushes on each other. Hey Inara, stop saying 'no' if you don't mean it. And Mal, if she says no, just take it.

The relationship is also the only unresolved romantic point in the main cast, and almost by default, the show really wants us to root for them to get together. The show also makes it a big point about how Inara is a STRONG INDEPENDENT WOMAN and how BEING A COMPANION IS NO CAUSE FOR SHAME. Except then Mal violates her space all the time and tries to shame her.

For anyone who hates 'nice guys,' you should hate Mal, too - at least in this episode. He's a jealous little bitch, he white-knights the shit out of Inara without asking if she actually wants that, and then he needs to get bailed out by her and we're expected to cheer. This episode also informs us that being a white knight works by playing into the fantasy that the guy she's with is secretly an asshole (something he showed no traits of, until Mal provoked him and suddenly he had to be the bad guy).

If you're anyone who values his own privacy, you should also be really bothered by the fact that Mal keeps using the fact that he's Inara's landlord to creep on her. She can't really make him fuck off because then she'll be homeless. Ignoring that he's a man and she's a woman, that type of abuse of power to violate personal space is just ugh.

Terastodon posted...

Every so often I look at this and the thought comes to my mind, "What the fuck did they think was going to happen?"

I can't really make sense of this due to the inverted date format!
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I don't think anything about Mal says "Nice guy". He's pretty clearly broken like a twig after the events of the war and overcompensating in all of the wrong ways
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I didn't say he was a 'nice guy,' but he shares some of those qualities in that episode. There's a tone of 'What does she see in him' in that episode, and he's rewarded for it on the whole.

But you make a good point about his being broken and overcompensating.
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I don't think there was meant to be a "rapey" or abusive vibe with those two. Just two people who like each other trying to pretend they don't for their own reasons/issues.

Mal is rewarded in the end of Shindig because he truly cares about her more than the other guy and Inara cares for him. If not for that fact Mal would be dead. But it is shown that how he goes about it is completely wrong and he is not a good person for doing it. Which is why Inara has to step in to save him instead of Mal saving her. At least that is my take on it.
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interesting thoughts on Shindig. I'm not particularly a fan of Mal/Inara either. that kind of cliche romance is usually boring at best, problematically written at worst. I will say it probably stems from an intent and a desire to write a 'progressive' type of story but flat out mishandling it. I mean your other observations seem to reinforce all of this. to save some space in typing here I'm not going to bother re-typing every single example that you brought up. but yeah I agree that the show encourages the viewer to take heed of stuff like gender dynamics... while solidly tripping over its own feet by having the main unresolved romantic plot point undermine any sort of possible progressive message.

though, ultimately, I think there's one big point you and I would probably disagree on. it's actually for this reason that I think shows should almost never bother to try and push a progressive message or agenda. the reality is that these situations are so much more complicated -- the watered down versions we get on television are almost always executed poorly and end up sending mixed messages or undermining their own point. not only that but generally the people who want to see this kind of thing explored at length are often the type who are NEVER happy no matter how well of a job you do anyway. it's my personal opinion that a writer should just simply write whatever story they want to tell without worrying about trying to make it into a social commentary. granted, unless their intent is to write a social commentary. in which case go for it.

in firefly I guess it's hard in particular for me to say whether whedon really wanted to write social commentary and push a progressive agenda or if he just included some elements of this in order to pander. the fact that his idea of the central romance plot involving the main character was one where... yeah... all of the stuff you described above... seems to indicate that I don't think he was really in the most progressive mindset when he actually came up with his ideas. but then again it's impossible for me to know for sure the contents of another person's mind. so this is all just speculation.
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up
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muddersmilk posted...

I don't think there was meant to be a "rapey" or abusive vibe with those two. Just two people who like each other trying to pretend they don't for their own reasons/issues.

Mal is rewarded in the end of Shindig because he truly cares about her more than the other guy and Inara cares for him. If not for that fact Mal would be dead. But it is shown that how he goes about it is completely wrong and he is not a good person for doing it. Which is why Inara has to step in to save him instead of Mal saving her. At least that is my take on it.

Good post. This is probably Whedon's intent. That's not how it comes across to me, though - I think it's a case of what the creator had in mind not necessarily translating to what made it to screen.

MariaTaylor posted...

though, ultimately, I think there's one big point you and I would probably disagree on. it's actually for this reason that I think shows should almost never bother to try and push a progressive message or agenda. the reality is that these situations are so much more complicated -- the watered down versions we get on television are almost always executed poorly and end up sending mixed messages or undermining their own point. not only that but generally the people who want to see this kind of thing explored at length are often the type who are NEVER happy no matter how well of a job you do anyway. it's my personal opinion that a writer should just simply write whatever story they want to tell without worrying about trying to make it into a social commentary. granted, unless their intent is to write a social commentary. in which case go for it.

I agree with almost everything else in this post so I'm just gonna focus on this paragraph. It's possible that a show that tries to be progressive but fails - and in fairness, I am viewing this fifteen years after the fact - shines a more obvious light on its missteps. So I can see your point.

That said, I don't think that people are *never* happy (though I'm not sure I qualify as someone who 'wants to see this kind of thing explored at length.') I can be critical but still enjoy something, or at least, I'd like to think so. I'm still enjoying Firefly, for example, even though I don't like the protagonist's main relationship. And despite its issues, I think I could get behind it if it gets less ugly as it goes. Not gonna hold my breath, though!

DeathChicken posted...

up

Thanks!
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SeabassDebeste posted...

I can be critical but still enjoy something, or at least, I'd like to think so.

that's how I view stuff. like, I enjoyed Firefly as well. pretty much anything I'd rate below a 10/10 means I have something bad to say about it.

SeabassDebeste posted...

That said, I don't think that people are *never* happy (though I'm not sure I qualify as someone who 'wants to see this kind of thing explored at length.')

for what it's worth I definitely didn't have you in mind. and I know it's easy to fall into the trap of going 'well I don't act like this, so I don't think this is how people act.' but really there are fanbases that are like this. if you make a show with a straight white male main character nobody pays attention. off the top of my head, do you remember anyone complaining about the lack of diversity in jack reacher? it's literally just tom cruise plays a generic white guy protagonist #5000 but people don't care.

if you make the main character female to appease progressives, these same people demand to know why she isn't a person of color. where is the representation for homosexuals. how come the villain is chinese? is the writer saying that all chinese people are evil??? I've noticed this weird trend where progressives intentionally seek out materials that are trying to cater to them and then complain that it's simply not progressive enough.

I'm not saying this is a reason to always write materials with straight white male protagonists. my own writing generally has really huge casts with none of them playing the role of main character -- choosing to focus more on the overall story. and I don't do this to appease progressives and I don't do it to spite them either. I just do it because that's how I enjoy writing and that is my style. I'm basically just warning against the dangers of trying to appease people who never seem to be happy. if you have other motives for wanting to write something with a female main character then knock yourself out, and be prepared to ignore the ones who are going to nag you about how your story isn't diverse enough.
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Up.
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Again.
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thanks bud. i have stuff to say about episode 5, but just haven't felt motivated to do it. i'm gonna force it out tomorrow.
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Episode 5 - 'Safe'

Recap: Completing the cattle run results in some damage - the Shepherd takes a bullet, while locals kidnap Simon (and by extension, River). Mal skips town with the bleeding Shepherd but without the Tams, and he manages to find medical care on an Alliance ship using the Shepherd's's mysterious credentials. He returns and rescues River the much-desired doctor, who's about to go down for witchcraft. Flashbacks show Simon leaving home.

The first shot of the episode promises excitement. Instead of the desolate, Wild West that we're used to seeing, we find lush greens. Simon's family is well off and unconcerned with the Alliance - and incidentally, it appears that they never wind up feeling like they've lost everything in the War.

Unfortunately, the episode itself feels... bad. Simon's flashback is almost entirely wasted. We learn virtually nothing that Simon doesn't directly tell us. I guess it's cool that Pop was a good dude when Simon was a kid? But basically, parents don't believe him, warn him, disown him when he goes after River. The fact that she's half-Asian with seemingly entirely white parents and entirely white sibling also doesn't seem to be explained. They have an Asian last name to boot. 'Okay then.'

The seeming A-plot - Simon's being kidnapped - gives us a look at the poverty experienced by the smallfolk of Firefly's universe. It's solid world-building. They're in desperate need of a doctor, and they're superstitious and (it seems) easily led astray by a charismatic, religious figure. (Well, I assume the lynch-mob leader is intended to be charismatic, since there's no other explanation for everyone's following him - but his primary leadership qualities appear to be height and whiteness.) Alongside this, the contraband of the episode is cattle.

Unfortunately, Simon is incredibly unlikable here. I got over his desperate gazes at River like three episodes ago, and he's obviously a real jerk to Kaylee. (Kaylee is adorable, and it's a delight when she discusses her crush on Simon with Inara - far more enjoyable than the Mal/Inara stuff; unlike Inara, she sucks Simon the fuck up when he crosses the line unintentionally.) Then he's kidnapped, and you feel bad for him. But we're shown how desperately the village needs a doctor... and Simon's response is to be a jerk to them. Like, he has every right to be upset about the situation, but it's intensely unenjoyable to watch. Toss in your typical loopy River stuff and bleh.

We keep catching glimpses of a River who could be a great character. Loopy, loopy, she talks, but then there's a flash of joy as she dances (Whedon 'discovered' her when he cast her in a ballet role, if my Buffyverse knowledge is right - and she was playing 'damaged' then as well). And it's kinda neat when we find out she can communicate with a mute girl. But until we find out what's really going on there, she's not really compelling on screen.

As for the storyline about the Shepherd getting shot... I'm really disappointed he didn't die. We're with his obvious importance among the Alliance, and that's about it. An unfortunate way to inject drama (especially when in 'Serenity,' they so brilliantly subvert that method of drama with Mal's prank on Simon).

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* Best moment #1 of the episode is Kaylee's gushing to Inara about Simon. The collective best moments #2 are Jayne ransacking Simon's stuff and then being super-disappointed when he comes back. The probable #3 moment is Zoe proclaiming her and Mal 'big damn heroes' in a completely random rescue scene that didn't tie in with the A-plot at all.
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Safe is my second least favorite episode.

Though I at least like River in it and the Shepard mystery was so much fun to try and figure out, and this episode really made it a big deal. Plus speculation on how much The Tam parents knew was always something I found interesting.
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Plus, "Big Damn Heroes" became one of the unofficial slogans of the show.
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Yeah, I know it from the TVTropes article now!

muddersmilk posted...

Safe is my second least favorite episode.

Though I at least like River in it and the Shepard mystery was so much fun to try and figure out, and this episode really made it a big deal. Plus speculation on how much The Tam parents knew was always something I found interesting.

i just wish they could tease the shepherd (sp?) mystery without teasing me with the possibility of his death

encouraging that this is pretty much the worst of it (with 'shindig' also disliked)

btw CHRISTINA HENDRICKS JUST SHOWED UP
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Oh good, that means you are in the awesome stretch now.
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Maniac64 posted...

Oh good, that means you are in the awesome stretch now.

You might even call it the "special" stretch.
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Bump
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thanks. writeup tomorrow for sure!
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for sure means 'maybe,' apparently. tomorrow. this writeup is taking longer than i expected!
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Episode 6 - 'Our Mrs. Reynolds'

Recap: After a wild night of partying to celebrate a rescuing a village on a backwater planet, Mal discovers that he has a stowaway who claims to be his wife. Saffron is a shrinking violet who only wants to please her husband - except for the whole actually-a-honey-trap-who-seduces-everyone-and-sells-out-their-ship part. The crew barely escapes their ship being scrapped with no survivros, and Mal gets a final word in on Saffron but spares her life.

I'm sensing a turning point.

Actually, I don't know where the turning point would have been. I didn't see signs of the series improving here; I saw a completely different series. 'Our Mrs. Reynolds' is easily the best episode since the pilot and probably better than that.

The characterization hasn't changed, but it's being leveraged better. Mal is still an overbearing bastard, but take his interactions with the pastor (who's completely healed) - rather than making unprovoked YOUR GOD SUCKS DON'T TALK ABOUT IT comments, he's worried because he thinks he might actually go to that 'special Hell.' He's a total jerk (as you'd expect) to Saffron at first, but literally everyone calls him on it, indicating a shift away from the show's Mal-centric morality.

Zoe in the past has been the Cool Woman Who Can Hang With The Boys because she's good at violence and enjoys sex with her husband. Lately, she's been smiling and laughing more; it's great to see her teasing Mal. But then for the first time perhaps, her femininity is threatened by Saffron's subservient cooking for Mal. I don't like that she defines herself based on refusing to cook - and I don't like men who do that either - but the pride she takes in Wash's turnaway is awesome.

I really haven't enjoyed Inara as a character prior to this episode and thought that her scenes with Mal were the worst part of the show. But this episode finally made me enjoy both her and her interactions with Mal. For a change, Mal knocks on the door before entering, and Inara denies him permission to enter. Naturally, Mal enters anyway, and notes, 'This is why I usually don't ask,' while Inara rolls her eyes.

It's infinitely more palatable than Mal's prior invasions, and I think it's worth examining why: The direction, the acting, and the writing influence the tenor of this scene - there's that level of sibling-ish, bratty familiarity in the way that Mal acknowledges that he's doing something against Inara's will, and the eye-roll/sigh indicates more exasperation than anger. (It also helps that Inara's tsundere-ness toward Mal is more clearly established prior to this instance in the episode.)

This time, no mention is made about the power dynamic - no mention of the fact that Mal rents this ship out to Inara, or that Inara should be able to kick Mal out. In fact, she actually does kick him out, and he seems to understand that he deserved it. The lack of that imbalanced power dynamic definitely improves the way the relationship reads. Oh, and in the episode's final interaction, Mal knocks, and Inara says, 'Come in!'

Oh, and it helps a lot that Inara is hilarious later on, too. What's this? Firefly taking Inara less than deadly serious?! Like Jayne in 'Train Job' with the paralysis, she carries the end of the episode after collapsing from the poison on Mal's lips. She bumbles around and tries so hard to look inconspicuous lying in the chair, and instead of being presented as oh-so-sagely, she's extremely focused on making sure people don't know she kissed Mal. I've never seen the overly specific denial in real life, but it never fails to crack me up on TV. And then that tease at the end, where Mal realizes that it was poison... but thinks that there was hot girl-on-girl action. So good.
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And how about Saffron as a character, man. I'm glad they don't take her too seriously, either - because as Mal points out very plainly, she chooses an incredibly inefficient way to scrap one hunk-of-junk spaceship, and she fails at killing people even when she seems amoral. Her response, of course, is that it's not about the outcome. She enjoys that process. It's the only thing that makes sense, and it makes her instantly much more enjoyable, too. You also gotta love the way that it took me a while to realize it was Christina Hendricks because of the relatively loose, flowing clothing that Saffron wears to start the episode... because they're saving her body for when it counts.

For my money, I was rolling my eyes at the best moment of foreshadowing, not realizing that it was just a lie for seduction: Saffron's story becomes super-sketchy when she claims that she's not pleasant to look upon. It's really hard to believe that, but okay, maybe she really thinks that. (More realistically, it's clearly playing upon the fantasy of being the only one who can appreciate the beauty/goodness/whatever of a seemingly perfect member of the opposite sex.) But then she complains about how her sister had to marry an ugly man, and you realize that something smells. Awesome in retrospect, like a minute later! Also better in retrospect: Saffron telling Mal that he's a good man.

Saffron's most direct seduction scenes are really fun. Already been through Mal's - Saffron pretty accurately identifies him as someone who desperately wants to be the 'hero.' But her read on Wash is way off. He does get flustered, and he's smitten and faithful to Zoe, so it's possible that he'd never cheat on her anyway - but assuming that Zoe doesn't respect him is a huge mistake and costs her. And then we move to Inara, where she tries some sisterly bonding and admiration. Inara says that Saffron was clearly trained, which implies that Inara's only able to resist because she recognizes that she's being seduced. So two outta three ain't bad!

Okay, let's just dive into the obscenely long 'hilarious moments' section.
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* Mal's not real good at first with the self-deprecating Saffron, but he does get the great line, 'Don't you ever stand for that kind of thing! Anyone tries to kill you, you try to kill 'em right back!'

* That dinner scene with Wash and Zoe. 'I would appreciate it if one person this boat would not assume that I'm an evil, lecherous hump.' / 'No one's saying that, sir.' / 'Yeah, we're pretty much just giving each other significant glances and laughing incessantly!'

* At the end of that scene, Mal attempts to storm out on his tormentors. But before he manages to get out of the room, Saffron stops him. 'If you're done with supper,' she begins demurely, and Mal turns around. 'Would you like me... to wash your feet?' A blank stare, then a turnaround ahd a walkout. INCREDIBLE.

* 'I swell to think of you inside me... and I see that you do too.'

* Jayne's encounter with Mal. 'I'm not looking to get in a fight here,' Mal says as he leaves Inara's room. He walks right into Jayne with the giant gun pointed at his face, claiming that he never gets taken seriously, and attempting to trade woman for gun. Mal stares at him. 'Well, my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle.' And the only sensible thing to tell Jayne to do: 'Jayne... go play with your rainstick.'

* Saffron's not too crazy about Jayne, either. 'I don't wish to be wed to the large man.'

* 'You were poisoned.' / 'I was drugged.' / 'That's why I never kiss them on the mouth.' The matter-of-fact way that Jayne delivers that is SO GOOD.

* Okay EVERYBODY NOT TALKING ABOUT SEX, IN HERE. Everybody else, out!

* Final, incredible Jayne moment - the crew discusses the plan to survive the weird electromagnetic ring. 'See those six brightest points? Those are the breakers. Hit one of those, you should short it out.' The camera pans to Jayne, who dramatically replies, 'What do you mean, short?' - This is one of the great Whedon tricks. The finale of Angel Season 4 has exactly such a moment in its cold open and it's SPECTACULAR.
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Our Mrs Reynolds is definitely the best ep so far. Glad you enjoyed it (and Mal/Inara) more.

Such a good episode and Saffron is great. I love how she plays everyone but Wash and Zoe because (as Wash puts it) she just doesn't "get" them.

Another highlight for me:
The Special Hell for people who talk in the Theater.

The only thing I will point out is the village at the start isn't the one from last episode. Its a different place entirely and they are celebrating for different (never told) reasons. Some time has passed, which is why Book is healthy.
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yeah, i know it was a different planet. in fact, now i'm mad i didn't comment on the cold open, which was fantastic all around, starting with mal in the dress and going from there.
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"I swear by my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you."
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Just caught up, and

unlike Inara, she sucks Simon the fuck up when he crosses the line unintentionally.

That's one way to shut him up, but I don't remember that happening!
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bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbblwo JOSB

i
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thinking mal/inara is "rapey" is such a gross misinterpretation of male/female sexual dynamics that I feel like you don't have normal interactions with the opposite sex.
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JonThePenguin posted...

"I swear by my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you."

so good

Turducken posted...

Just caught up, and

unlike Inara, she sucks Simon the fuck up when he crosses the line unintentionally.

That's one way to shut him up, but I don't remember that happening!

they must have censored that from the broadcast version <_<

anyway, episode 7 is called 'jaynestown'

hype?
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Yes.

Jaynestown is the best single episode of a TV show ever tbh
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Hype.
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profDEADPOOL posted...

Yes.

Jaynestown is the best single episode of a TV show ever tbh

I think that honor goes to the episode right after it, but Jaynestown is up there.
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You pretty much just stay hype for the next 4 episodes.

Such a great stretch of television.
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Episode 7 - 'Jaynestown'

Recap: Serenity's crew reaches a of ruthless capitalist foremen presiding over 'mudders.' Their principal export: clay. Jayne tries to keep a low profile as he once stole from the magistrate of this village, but it turns out that he's actually a folk hero because in his botched escape attempt, he dumped the loot out of his spaceship. Jayne is feted by the village until the magistrate unleashes Jayne's ex-partner, whom Jayne sold out, and he reveals the truth.

An awesome concept for an episode, and obviously the perfect character to center it around. Jayne is defined primarily by three characteristics: his strength, his meanness, and his stupidity. The circumstances that plague Jayne at the beginning are entirely of his own doing - he used his strength to rob the magistrate, he cruelly ejected his own partner, and he stupidly bungled the operation by losing the money.

Yet the interpretation of the events is obviously different from what Jayne remembers. Jayne Cobb is remembered for his strength, yes, but the combination of stupidity and meanness is actually taken for defiant generosity. It's a great demonstration of the way truth becomes myth through missing information. And then, of course, you see the way it affects Jayne. Obviously, his diguise attempts are hilarious, and he's absolutely baffled by the statue - but even more so when he hears that incredible song. Then he's outed, and at first he goes along with it because of the alcohol and the women being thrown at him.

But when Mal attempts to leverage Jayne, he's already started buying into his own hype, and he's developing a surprising compassion for the deluded mudders - 'You think we should be using our fame to hoodwink folks?' Jayne is a realist who never claims that he is a real hero. Instead, he awkwardly avoiding lying directly or romanticizing anything - on the mudders' suffering, he has this brilliant speech: 'But you took that end and... well you took it. And I guess that's not half bad.' And when his old partner shows up, the beast resurfaces - the head-smashing that finishes Stitch is Clegane-esque.

And what upsets Jayne the most at the end of it all - that he can't comprehend these people. Why won't they hate him? Why did they save his life? The mystique was viciously torn and splattered to bits against the rocks along with Stitch's skull. And all he has left at the end of the day is a confused glimpse into human nature and heroism. Here, Jayne's being our POV character is critical to the importance of the scene: essentially, we're placed into Jayne's shoes, keenly aware of the facts, but unable to see the truth that the mudders have created. He and Mal muse that the mudders must be putting his statue back up, but we never see their true fate. What a world we live in.
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* Jayne trying - and failing - to get people to look away from his statue might be the best part of the episode.

* 'You guys had a riot on account of me? ... My very own riot!'

* 'There's a problem in Workertown, sir.' LOL.

* Is it just me, or is the cargo this episode not really shown? I might have missed what it was.

* Gregory 'Charles Logan' Itzin appears in the episode as a wonderful slimeball. 'I only make the people I own use my full title.' LMAO.

* Not a ton going on in the Riverlands, but her absolute FREAKOUT at his unexpected Einstein hair is incredible. As is Zoe, always more fun in a more humorous role. 'Preacher?! Preacher, what'd you s- ohhhhh...' Later, she tries to convince River it's okay. 'He's putting the hair away now.' / 'Doesn't matter! It'll still be there, waiting!' And of course, at the end, River informs the Shepherd, 'Keep walking, preacher-man.'

* 'It happened when I was growing up here...' - Inara's client, the Magistrate's son, is stated to be twenty-six years old. Stitch has been in that box for four years. So... what gives? Anyway, I'm immensely again not a fan of using the 'glasses come off, he becomes a man' trope here. Inara also spends most of the episode with that boring, dead-serious tone that we're accustomed to.

* Which makes it all the more hialrious when she tries to use her 'wise, oh yes' persona on her client. 'I know this man,' she says, and starts waxing poetic about her tsundereness for Mal. It's a perfect setup for the subversion - we ain't talking about Mal, honey.

* Kaylee/Simon is all sorts of meh. It looks like Kaylee has forgiven Simon for being kind of a dick on the cow dropoff planet. It's probably because Simon continues to be such a whiny little shithead. Here are some of his sick burns on Jayne: 'You're like a trained ape... without the training!' 'Enemies? You? NO, how can that be?' His every eyeroll about Jayne is... kind of pathetic.

* I do enjoy the process of picking 'the team' each episode. Reminds me of LOST, a bit. This episode's 'A-team' leaves Zoe at the ship but takes Simon, Kaylee, Jayne, and Wash.

* Mudder's Milk! I'd assumed Maniac's alt username was a reference to Red Hot Chili Peppers.
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* Is it just me, or is the cargo this episode not really shown? I might have missed what it was.

No cargo this time. They were there to buy ceramic parts for Serenity.


SeabassDebeste posted...

* Mudder's Milk! I'd assumed Maniac's alt username was a reference to Red Hot Chili Peppers.

^_^
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bump
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I'm still reading these
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thanks guys! it's been a busy week (or more accurately, i've just been watching NBA playoffs when i do have time)

episode 8 will happen tomorrow.
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up
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go Wizards :)
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