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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Firefly ep by ep; rewatch and reviews

Discussion in 'Archive: SF&F: Films and Television' started by saturn5, Aug 4, 2010.

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  1. saturn5

    saturn5 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 28, 2009
    Ok, so I caved. Firefly never grabbed me the way Joss' other shows did but October is just too long to wait for season 2 of Dollhouse on DVD. Please note I haven't seen the entire series yet so please avoid spoilers for me.
    SERENITY

    The good;
    The 'treasure' mislead is very clever indeed as is the mole, we think it's Simon then Book. Love Kaylee's parasol. The Mal/Jayne face off at dinner is powerful as is Mal telling Jayne to shut up on Persephone but then agreeing he's actually right. It's a small gesture but love it when Simon is about to give River an injection and she sticks her tongue out.

    The bad;
    The opening battle scenes are too dark, I can barely work out what's going on. They appear to operate on Kaylee yet keep her clothes on (like Buffy at the end of season 6). Passing the Reaver ship is a tense moment but stupid when you think about the physics as Joss admits on the commentary. Shouldn't Jayne bring his own rifle to the gunfight, what if there were no snipers? What if they're rifles were inaccurate/faulty and how does he use a weapon not zeroed for him? The Reavers just letting the Serenity go then arbitarily coming back for it later with no adequate expectation is just stupid and lazy writing or am I trying to find logic in the actions of madmen? (The Reavers, not the writers). Can't they just take the markings off the food? Why does Mal peg the guy in the hat for the best shot when he's got an ancient Colt repeater rifle? How come Mal shoots Dobson in the head yet he doesn't bleed as he and Jayane chuck him out the door?

    Best line;
    Mal; "How's business?"
    Inarra; "None of yours"
    also like;
    Zoe; "She shot you"
    Mal; "Yeah, she did a little bit"
    plus a new spin on the old Whedon fallback "Standing right here!"

    Packing heat; whilst Buffy was an avowedly anti-gun series Joss seems to have changed his mind from season 4 of Angel onwards. Maybe he got robbed? AI and Dollhouse often use guns (Echo, demonstrating her familiarity with a pistol "4 brothers, none Democrats"). Firefly takes that to a new level and is a show Frank Castle would almost dig;
    Mal and Jayne pack Colt revolver style pistols, Zoe uses a cut-off Winchester carbine. They both use H&K G36's in the war and Mal uses a .50cal Chinise anti-aircraft machine gun to down the skiff. Dobson uses an Astra pistol and a couple of different models of Sig, one of which Simon keeps. Anyone tell me the sniper rifle Jayne uses?

    Kinky dinky;
    Naked Summer Glau, a cause for joy as anyone who ever watched The Sarah Connor Chronicles knows ("Put'em back in the holster"). Mal tells Kaylee he's considering tying her up, gagging her and throwing her into the hold. She then kisses him and says she loves him. Much like Willow maybe there's a lot of kink beneath that sweet and innocent exterior? "Force is ok" Wash likes to watch Zoe bathe, Inarra also does it unabashedly in front of Book, causing him to gawp. Kaylee certainly knows how to eat a strawberry, maybe Inarra taught her how? Zoe says the Reavers will "Rape us to death" if they are boarded.
    .
    Notches on the Serenity bedpost;
    Inarra;1-a paying customer who wishes to make her his kept woman
    Wash; 1-the missus
    Zoe; 1-the hubby

    Capt subtext;
    Is it just me or does the Dortmunder resemble the World Trade Centre? The might of 'imperialism' cruising for a fall? I always figured all spaceships were sleek to enable them to perform at least some atmospheric flight but maybe the Dortmunder is like a supertanker, so vast that it never sees port. Some nice kinship between Inarra and Kaylee, they seem tight, Inarra describing her as 'very dear'. Kaylee thinks River is a 'real beauty' and calls her 'sweetie'. Some have argued for an incestuous subtext between Simon and River in the same way people saw it between Spike/his mum, Buffy/Dawn/Joyce, Connor/Cordelia. You can almost see why they'd think that, Simon hugging naked River and the little stroking gesture when he holds her hand but as with the other examples I'm not convinced, I just think they're a very devoted brother and siste
     
  2. Obey Wann

    Obey Wann Former RMFF CR & SW Region RSA star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jan 14, 2000
    Welcome to the 'Verse. I don't want to spoil anything, so just enjoy the ride. I'll look forward to your reviews, and comment whem I can.

    I've never followed any of Joss's other shows, just Firefly/Serenity, so I can't comment on that. But many of your questions will be answered... in time. ;)
     
  3. saturn5

    saturn5 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 28, 2009
    Aren't all questions answered in time?:)

    The Train Job
    The good;
    We see a more moral side to the Serenity crew and love the face-off between Jayne and the other without Mal around.

    The bad;
    The sick bay design is rather stupid, wouldn't you want some privacy rather all those windows for people to see in? No one notices Serenity flying alongside the train?

    Best line;
    Zoe (about to fight the bar thugs); "Jayne?"
    Jayne (shrugging) "Hey, I didn't fight in no war"
    plus
    Zoe; "I have an image of that guy hanging from the ceiling"
    Mal " I have an image of that guy not being me"
    and
    Mal; (of ripping off the Alliance goods) "I would do it for free"
    Zoe; "Can I have your share?"

    Packing heat;
    I'm reliably informed by the folks on the yuku Xena forums that the sniper rifle Jayne used in Serenity is a Blaser R93. The bar thugs pack a Colt 45, Glock and 44. Automag. The Alliance troops use H&K MP5s and SA80s.

    Kinky dinky;
    Sexy belly dancer.

    Notches on the Serenity bedpost;
    Inarra;1-a paying customer who wishes to make her his kept woman
    Wash; 1-the missus
    Zoe; 1-the hubby

    Capt subtext;
    Mal talks of 'being on the edge' then 'moving towards the middle', possibly alluding to the frontier and the central planets. Innara and Kaylee have a big girly hairstroking session (how the Summer's girls on Buffy used to express physical affection for one another). Inarra remarks to Kaylee "We could experiment". Mal seems keen on the idea and refers to Inarra 'servicing the crew' but she dismisses that as his 'lonely pathetic dreams'. Summer points out that Mal=Bad in Latin/French.
    Mal tells Zoe he loves her but it's all part of their cover(?)
    How'd they get away with that?
    People on meathooks, never a good thing. River being experimented on also not good.

    Total Serenity crew; 7(8?) River comments of Serenity "This isn't home". Book is now part of the crew with no backstory but still wonders about his role onboard. Jayne doesn't consider Simon or River part of the gang.
    Mal, Zoe, Jayne, Wash, Kayleigh, Inarra, Book, Simon, River(?).

    Subverting the Hollywood cliche;

    Whedon cliches; (see I spelt it right!);
    Devoted siblings, haunted charismatic leading man. Teenage girls with superpowers. Hookers. Babbling insane girls with truth in their madness.
    Bondage;
    Knocked out; Jayne by Simon
    Book; 1
    Simon; 1
    Kaylee; 1
    Jayne;1
    Women good/men bad;

    Kills; Mal kills Crow and Zoe kills at least 2 of his men
    Mal; 8-
    Zoe; 4-
    Jayne; 2-
    Happy high-class hookers in Space (the title the porn industry wished they'd thought of!);
    Kaylee seems fascinated by the details of Inarra's profession. Inarra claims a companion gets to pick and choose her clients which I think is about as realistic and truthful as the Dollhouse staff pretending to themselves that they don't hire the Actives out as sexual submissives. Mal still needles Inarra about her hooking but does so more subtlely and less nastily than he did in 'Serenity'. The nature of the companions work is left very vague here, if you hadn't seen Serenity you wouldn't know exactly what her job is, she could be a beautician.
    Inarra enjoys turning the tables on Mal, pretending he's her indentured man (some form of community service in the future?).
    Know the face?
    Tom Towles plays the thug in the bar, he's also Cooper in the far superior remake of Night of the Living Dead and guest starred in Anthony Head's series VR5 (in which he essentially plays a prototype Giles)
    Whedon alumni- Joss likes to reuse the same actors in his series, let's count up their appearances (let me know if I miss any)
    Nathan Fillon-3; Firefly, Caleb in S7 of Buffy and Dr Horrible
    Gina Torres-2; Firefly and Jasmine in S
     
  4. Daramin_of_The_Way

    Daramin_of_The_Way Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 2004
    Great review and commentary on the episodes. I look forward to more and you will certainly have many questions answered by the end :D


    Now, this is something I did not know. Now I will have to go listen to the commentary.
     
  5. saturn5

    saturn5 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 28, 2009
    Cool, going to be an interesting journey:)


    Bushwhacked

    The good;
    Clever of Mal when he's asked about the brother and sister he replies 'There are no children on this boat', exactly what you'd immediately think if someone referred to siblings. Good interrogation scenes, especially Jayne's and some tense stuff with the bomb defusal, very Juggernaut. Love River's delighted reaction to seeing the stars.

    The bad;
    Zoe comments that there were no signs of a struggle but surely the crew would have fought to the death against the Reavers? Why didn't the Reavers eat the bodies if they're cannibals?
    Best line;
    Commander; "You fought with the Captain during the war?"
    Zoe; "I fought with a lot of people
    Commander; "What about your husband?"
    Zoe; "I fight with him too"
    Packing heat;
    Would conventional guns work in a vaccum? Maybe if they had futuristic ammo? The Alliance Commander packs a Barretta pistol when boarding Serenity. His troopers seem very impressed with Jayne's private arsenal, presumably the NRA sided with the Alliance as there seem to be no gun laws in the future.

    Kinky dinky;
    Sweaty cast playing a variation of basketball, Zoe's top especially revealing. Wash goes enthusiastically into detail about Zoe's amazing legs and 'what's above them'.

    Notches on the Serenity bedpost;
    Inarra;1-a paying customer who wishes to make her his kept woman
    Wash; 1-the missus
    Zoe; 1-the hubby

    Capt subtext;
    Inarra comments 'We're all running away from something'. She calls River 'sweetie' much as Kaylee does. Kaylee is very defensive of the Serenity, perhaps she identifies with the ship as herself.
    How'd they get away with that?
    Corpses bouncing off the windshield. The suit scene once again demonstrates the crew's rather cruel sense of humour. Self mutilating psychotic survivors.

    Total Serenity crew; 7(8?)
    Mal, Zoe, Jayne, Wash, Kayleigh, Inarra, Book, Simon, River(?).

    Subverting the Hollywood cliche;
    Mal punches the survivor. When the Alliance show up the crew bravely give up without a fight.

    Whedon cliches; (see I spelt it right!);
    Devoted siblings, haunted charismatic leading man. Teenage girls with superpowers. Hookers. Babbling insane girls with truth in their madness.
    Bondage; Mal placed in handcuffs by Alliance
    Mal; 1
    Knocked out;
    Book; 1
    Simon; 1
    Kaylee; 1
    Jayne;1
    Women good/men bad;
    Zoe tells Jayne to shut up or he'll scare the women.

    Kills;
    Mal; 9-Mal kills the survivor
    Zoe; 4-
    Jayne; 2-
    Happy high-class hookers in Space (the title the porn industry wished they'd thought of!);
    Once again Inarra is the one with the respectable job, the Alliance commander not able to believe she's associating with this of bunch of lowlives.
    Know the face?
    Doug Savant of course is Tom Scavo in Desperate Housewives, a show Nathon Fillon, Julie Benz and many other Whedon alumni guest star on. I keep expecting Lynette to show up and remind him to pick up the kids. He's also one of the soldiers in Godzilla.
    Whedon alumni- Joss likes to reuse the same actors in his series, let's count up their appearances (let me know if I miss any)
    Nathan Fillon-3; Firefly, Caleb in S7 of Buffy and Dr Horrible
    Gina Torres-2; Firefly and Jasmine in S4 of Angel
    Alan Tudyk-2; Firefly and the villainous/heroic(?) Alpha in Dollhouse (haven't seen season 2 so don't spoil it for me)
    Adam Baldwin-2; Firefly and Marcus Hamilton in S5 of Angel
    Summer Glau-3; Firefly, Dollhouse and the prima ballerina in the LEGENDARY S4 Angel ep 'Waiting in the wings'.
    Carlos Jacott-3; The Fed in Firefly, Ken in the 'Anne' ep of Buffy and Richard Straley in 'The Bachelor Party' ep of Angel.
     
  6. Jedi Merkurian

    Jedi Merkurian Future Films Rumor Naysayer star 7 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    May 25, 2000
    Another subversion of the Hollywood cliche: in Train Job, Crow pretty much gives the standard dramatic "I'm gonna be a recurring nemesis for the season, maybe even for the entire series! Mwaaahahaha!!" speech, only to be unceremoniously executed.
     
  7. Raph1613

    Raph1613 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 15, 2004
    Wow. When you critique' & analyze, you really go all out!

    One of my favorite subversion of Hollywood cliches is Whedon's "monologue-interrupted".
    Mal monologues/suppositions Simon's plans for River: Interrupted by jack-in-the-box River screaming.
    Fed puts a gun to River's head and monologues about how he's getting off the ship: Shot in the head by Mal.
    Crow monologues about his knife being the last thing they'll see: Gets kicked into engine intake.

    They did it a lot in Buffy, too.
    Some zombie nemesis of Xander's monologues about his future return: Eaten by Oz in werewolf mode.
    Spike monologues about all that he's going to do to ruin Buffy's world: Taserred and carried off by the "Initiative".
    Giles' nemesis monologues about the beginning of the end: Giles pops in "Is some one there?" "Oh bugger! I thought you'd left!"

    I'm waiting for you to give Firefly a 10/10. Especially after you've seen all of it and re-review the early episodes.

    And then there's the movie...
     
  8. Obey Wann

    Obey Wann Former RMFF CR & SW Region RSA star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jan 14, 2000
    I thought the way they dealt with Crow was one of the most shocking and --epicly awesome --methods seen on TV. Like you, I was expecting him to be a recurring nemesis. Woops, guess not. The 2nd thug's response was great --good humor to an otherwise gruesome scene. It shows how ruthless Mal can be when it comes to protecting his crew. I still get a chuckle over that scene. [face_devil]

    On the flip side, you see the soft side of Mal, when he risks everything to get the medicine back to Paradiso. He didn't have to do that, but "it was the right thing to do." It's one of the things I like best about him --ruthless but with a good heart. He is definitely not a straight "white hat" good guy, but not a full "black hat" bad guy. Likewise, the Alliance is both good and bad... depending on your point of view. ;)
     
  9. Obey Wann

    Obey Wann Former RMFF CR & SW Region RSA star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jan 14, 2000
    Agreed. I think the show gets better on going back through it. Subtleties and nuances that were missed on the initial viewing really pop later on, after seeing the whole series & movie.
     
  10. saturn5

    saturn5 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 28, 2009
    Yeah, Wes shooting Knox in season 5 springs to mind. Still waiting for the 10/10, so far it's ok but far below B5, DS9 etc in terms of a space series.

    Shindig

    The good;
    Kaylee is the belle of the ball and isn't she WONDERFUL! Mal swordfighting and lots of good stuff with Badger, especially his conversation with River. Adore Mal's looks of amazement as Jayne knows what 'pretentious' means.
    The bad;
    The cows in the final scene are amazingly quiet whilst Mal and Inara are talking.
    Best line;
    Kaylee; "Great party, huh?"
    Debutante; "Not as good as last year"
    Kaylee; "Why, what did they have last year?"
    Debutante; (looking Kaylee up and down) "Standards"
    To quote Cameron on The Sarah Connor Chronicles 'Bitchwhore much?"
    Also like;
    Kaylee; "Maybe that's him over there?"
    Mal; "That's the buffet table"
    Kaylee; (hungrily) "How will we know if we don't ask?"
    Packing heat;
    Swords this time. Badger's men use an MP40 Schmeisser, an Uzi and an AK-47, the guest at the party seems to have a Colt .32 pocket pistol. Jayne packs what looks like a Mossberg shotgun on the Serenity.
    Kinky dinky;
    Naked Wash and Zoe get it on again, Zoe complimenting Wash that he 'knows all the steps'. Inarra's outfit at the party is also quite something. Kaylee comments that Mal's outfit shows off his backside and Inara subsequently spanks it with her sword.
    Notches on the Serenity bedpost; Inara is hired for the evening but we've no idea if they have sex or not so I'll put him down as a possible.
    Inarra;1-a paying customer who wishes to make her his kept woman, 1 possible, Atherton.
    Wash; 1-the missus
    Zoe; 1-the hubby

    Capt subtext;
    Wash jokingly refers to 'jealous men like me' regarding Zoe but is he really joking or sending Mal a not so subtle message? When Kaylee says 'Look at the pretties' Mal asks if she means the girls or the clothes? Mal and Jayne snigger as Badger implies he has his hands on some diamond testicles. Mal observes Atherton is such a catch 'I'm liable to sleep with him myself'.
    How'd they get away with that?
    Mal gratuitously stabbing Atherton after he's defeated him in the duel. Mal's remark comparing Kaylee to a sheep dancing on it's hind legs is INCREDIBLY insensitive, Jayne's gynacologist joke in the ep Serenity is less offensive.

    Total Serenity crew; 8(9?)
    Mal, Zoe, Jayne, Wash, Kaylee, Inarra, Book, Simon, River(?).

    Subverting the Hollywood cliche;
    After sex it's Zoe who wants to sleep and Wash to stay awake. When Mal claims he cannot run Inara correctly points out that he runs away all the time. Mal is far from stoic when complaining about his wounds later.
    Whedon cliches; (see I spelt it right!);
    Devoted siblings, haunted charismatic leading man. Teenage girls with superpowers. Hookers. Babbling insane girls with truth in their madness. Fake cockneys.
    Bondage;
    Mal; 1
    Knocked out;
    Book; 1
    Simon; 1
    Kaylee; 1
    Jayne;1
    Women good/men bad;
    It's not enough for Atherton to simply hire Inara for her charms he wants to own her completely and deny her to other men, like she's some form of possession.
    Kills;
    Mal; 9-
    Zoe; 4-
    Jayne; 2-
    Happy high-class hookers in Space (the title the porn industry wished they'd thought of!);
    Inara greets several other companions at the party. They are used by rich men as status symbols, who has the best one get's the most kudos. At the end she freezes him out, no other companion will now work for him after how he's treated her. Mal refers to the companion training school as a whore academy (jeez the man has NO CLUE!)
    Know the face?
    Larry Drake is familar to 80s TV viewers as Benny in LA Law, the nicest man in the world and to horror fans from Darkman and Dr Giggles where he plays the nastiest men in the world. He also stars
     
  11. Rebel_Padawan

    Rebel_Padawan Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 11, 2003
    If I remember correctly from the commentary, this is for two reasons; a) to hold off the reveal as long as possible, and b) because they are CG cows.
     
  12. Daramin_of_The_Way

    Daramin_of_The_Way Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 2004
    I can only imagine trying to have cows in that kind of set. Plus, I doubt they had the budget to have real cows.
     
  13. Raph1613

    Raph1613 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 15, 2004
    Erich?!??

    Long time, no see buddy!
    I didn't even know you were still hanging out on the Boards any more.
    How have you been?
     
  14. saturn5

    saturn5 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 28, 2009
    Safe

    The good;
    River dancing is just wonderful as is Simon's happiness at it. The scene where the rest of the crew rescue them is terrific as is Jayne looting their stuff.
    The bad;
    Can someone please explain to me exactly when the hillbillies work out that Simon is a doctor? Also what sort of supplies do they have for him to work with?
    Best line;
    Jayne; (pretending to read Simon's diary) "Dear diary, today I was pompus and my sister acted crazy"
    Packing heat;
    Everyone's guns sound very different in this ep, more zingy and less like conventional firearms. The villains/cops 6-shooters also seem to hold an inordinate number of rounds. The lead cop packs a 44. Magnum. Mal and Jayne use Mossberg shotguns and Zoe utilises a full size Winchester rifle rather than her normal cutdown version.
    Kinky dinky;
    Kaylee wants to bite Simon all over? Jayne seems to derive pleasure from having watched the cows being fed by beautiful women (presumably Kaylee and Zoe rather than Inara and River?)
    Notches on the Serenity bedpost;
    Inarra;1-a paying customer who wishes to make her his kept woman, 1 possible, Atherton.
    Wash; 1-the missus
    Zoe; 1-the hubby

    Capt subtext;
    Is Kaylee the duck and Inara the swan?
    How'd they get away with that?
    Skinning the hare is nasty but makes it's point. Burning witches at the stake.

    Total Serenity crew; 9 Simon and River's status onboard confirmed
    Mal, Zoe, Jayne, Wash, Kaylee, Inarra, Book, Simon, River(?).

    Subverting the Hollywood cliche;
    Clever mislead, we think the hillbillies are savages but actually they're just desperate people who need a doctor.
    Whedon cliches; (see I spelt it right!);
    Devoted siblings, haunted charismatic leading man. Teenage girls with superpowers. Hookers. Babbling insane girls with truth in their madness. Fake cockneys. Misguided religious zealots. Numbered t-shirts.
    Bondage; River tied to a stake
    Mal; 1
    River; 1
    Knocked out; Book goes unconscious after being shot
    Book; 2
    Simon; 1
    Kaylee; 1
    Jayne;1
    Women good/men bad;
    Kills;
    Mal; 9-
    Zoe; 4-
    Jayne; 2-
    Happy high-class hookers in Space (the title the porn industry wished they'd thought of!);
    Know the face?
    High School Musical star Zac Efron as young Simon, he'll later star in '17 Again' with Whedon alumni Michelle Tractenberg.
    Whedon alumni- Joss likes to reuse the same actors in his series, let's count up their appearances (let me know if I miss any)
    Nathan Fillon-3; Firefly, Caleb in S7 of Buffy and Dr Horrible
    Gina Torres-2; Firefly and Jasmine in S4 of Angel
    Alan Tudyk-2; Firefly and the villainous/heroic(?) Alpha in Dollhouse (haven't seen season 2 so don't spoil it for me)
    Adam Baldwin-2; Firefly and Marcus Hamilton in S5 of Angel
    Summer Glau-3; Firefly, Dollhouse and the prima ballerina in the LEGENDARY S4 Angel ep 'Waiting in the wings'.
    Carlos Jacott-3; The Fed in Firefly, Ken in the 'Anne' ep of Buffy and Richard Straley in 'The Bachelor Party' ep of Angel.
    Andy Umberger;3-the captain of the Dortmunder in Firefly, D'Hoffryn in Buffy, the psychic surgeon in the Angel ep 'I fall to pieces'.
    Mark Shepherd;2-Badger in Firefly and later turns up as one of Ballard's FBI colleagues in Dollhouse. Also a BSG alumni.
    Jeff Rickets;3- one of the blue handed men in Firefly and Weatherby on Buffy/Angel plus the spiderdemon at the end of Angel season 4
    Gregg Henry; 2- he's one of those faces that occur time and again in TV/movies, the Sherrif in The Train Job and he later recurrs in the Dollhouse ep 'Ghost', one of my favourite eps of season 1.
    Alliance good or bad?;
    Mal runs to the Alliance in order to save Book, how that must choke him! They seem reluctant to provide but don't say no outright. Then our Shepherd slips them an ID card? Hmmmmm.
    Fanfic;
    Missing scenes;
    Reputedly scenes where the Alliance question the Tam's parents after Simon rescues River, River reading Ruby's mind and seeing her tragic story plus paying Badger his share, his hoodlums unable to believe that Mal doesn't try to rip them off, much to Badger's chagrin at Mal's moral
     
  15. saturn5

    saturn5 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 28, 2009
    Our Mrs Reynolds


    The good;
    The Mal/Jayne exchange on the wagon cracks me up every time. Some great acting by Christina Hendricks and the scene where everyone stands around judging Mal upon meeting his bride is hilarious. Some nice tension too as they ingeniously slip the net.

    The bad;
    ?

    Best line;
    Mal; "How drunk was I last night?"
    Jayne; "I don't know I passed out"
    plus
    Mal; "You've the same right as anyone to live and kill people"

    Packing heat;
    One of the bandits appears to pack a Springfield rifle. Jayne shows Mal 'Vera', his 'Callahan full bore autolock assault rifle' which needs oxygen to work. I must say I was totally fooled by this scene, I knew Jayne wasn't threatening Mal but I thought he was actually giving the gun to him as a wedding present.


    Kinky dinky;
    Mal cross dresses. The bandit leader demands 'one on one time' with Jayne's missus. Zoe refers to Saffron as Mal's 'nubile slave girl'. When Mal finds a naked Saffron in his bed she declares she's 'made herself ready for him', she started without him? She 'swells to think of you in me' as indeed does he. It's been a 'long while' for Mal. Wash likes forward women. Jayne never kisses his women on the mouth. Another thank you kiss from Mal to Kaylee.

    Notches on the Serenity bedpost; incredibly Mal resists

    Inarra;1-a paying customer who wishes to make her his kept woman, 1 possible, Atherton.
    Wash; 1-the missus
    Zoe; 1-the hubby


    Capt subtext;
    Obvious jealousy from Inara, the only other member of the crew who's not laughing at all this. Also jealousy from Zoe, maybe over Mal but also over Wash seeming to like Saffron. Note her pride later when she learns that Wash resisted and stayed true to her. Kaylees's the only one who doesn't feel jealous, she feels for a crying Saffron describing Mal as a monster for upsetting her. Huge battle of seduction between Inara and Saffron but who's conning who? Like all straight men Mal loves the idea of two women together, thinking that Inara kissed Saffron rather than him.

    How'd they get away with that?

    .
    Total Serenity crew; 9
    Mal, Zoe, Jayne, Wash, Kaylee, Inarra, Book, Simon, River

    Subverting the Hollywood cliche;

    Whedon cliches;
    Devoted siblings, haunted charismatic leading man. Teenage girls with superpowers. Hookers. Babbling insane girls with truth in their madness. Fake cockneys. Misguided religious zealots. Numbered t-shirts. Girls with botanical names (Willow, Saffron, Jasmine). Absent fathers, Mal raised by his mother and 40 ranch hands.
    Bondage;
    Mal; 1
    River; 1

    Knocked out; Mal by the goodnight kiss, Inara by a secondhand goodnight kiss, Wash the old fashioned way
    Book; 2
    Simon; 1
    Kaylee; 1
    Jayne;1
    Mal; 1
    Wash; 1
    Inara; 1

    Women good/men bad;
    If Saffron is to be believed girls on the backward planet are kept in a 'maiden's home' and given away in arranged marriages. Mal decares Saffron 'No one's property'. Zoe takes exception to the idea that she might cook for Wash.

    Kills; Mal, Zoe and Jayne kill 2 of the bandits each. Jayne kills 2 of the wreckers.
    Mal; 11-
    Zoe; 6-
    Jayne; 6-

    Happy high-class hookers in Space;
    Saffron refuses to be a 'doxy' and expresses contempt for them. Mal never beats around the bush and refers to it as 'whoring'. Inara actually thinks the arranged marriage is degrading. Also she reveals her speciality is washing her client's feet.

    Know the face?

    Whedon alumni- Joss likes to reuse the same actors in his series, let's count up their appearances (let me know if I miss any)
    Nathan Fillon-3; Firefly, Caleb in S7 of Buffy and Dr Horrible
    Gina Torres-2; Firefly and Jasmine in S4 of Angel
    Alan Tudyk-2; Firefly and the villainous/heroic(?) Alpha in Dollhouse (haven't seen season 2 so don't spoil it for me)
    Adam Baldwin-2; Firefly and Marcus Hamilton in S5 of Angel
    Summer Glau-3; Firefly, Dollhouse and the prima ballerina in the LEGENDARY S4 Angel ep 'Waiting in the wings'.
    Carlos Jacott-3; The Fed in Firefly, Ken in the 'Anne' ep of Buffy and Richard Straley in 'The Bachelor Party' ep of A
     
  16. Daramin_of_The_Way

    Daramin_of_The_Way Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 2004
    Crazy busy on my end of things. I try to keep up on a few boards here and there, but rarely make over to the FanForce boards.
    You?


    I have to agree with you on this one. "Our Mrs. Reynolds" is definitely one of those episodes that you can't really say a bad thing about. A lot of character tension and drama, especially between Mal and Inara, though most of it is unspoken.

    The exchange between the crew as they discover Mal's "bride" is incredibly funny.

    I would certainly call this one of the best "Firefly" episodes, with a few others being along the same caliber.
     
  17. Jedi Merkurian

    Jedi Merkurian Future Films Rumor Naysayer star 7 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    May 25, 2000
    We've been introducing my son to this series, and interestingly enough, we watched this episode last evening. I'd say it's one of the best of the series, and chock full o' great lines:

    "If someone tries to kill you, you kill 'em right back!"
    Book's references to the "special Hell."
    "Well my days of not taking you seriously have definitely come to a middle."
    "I'm happily married to a beautiful woman who can kill me with her pinky."

    "Also she reveals her speciality is washing her client's feet."

    Sarcasm, I believe.
     
  18. saturn5

    saturn5 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 28, 2009
    Out of Gas


    The good;
    Really, really good, a classic 'submarine' story told with comedy and tension yet with wonderful character touches too. Lovely little details like even when they're all freezing to death Jayne stays in his shirtsleeves or Simon mourning the loss of his brithday.

    The bad;
    I'm almost a little disappointed that Mal just bought Serenity at a second hand spaceship sale, I always thought he won her in a card game or stole her from the Alliance (or even the Independents?) in the dying days of the war.

    Best line;
    River (to a frightened Book); "Don't worry preacher, we won't suffocate. We'll freeze to death first"

    Packing heat;
    Mal shot with a Browning 9mm.

    Notches on the Serenity bedpost; Bester gives Kaylee a tour of his engine room

    Inarra;1-a paying customer who wishes to make her his kept woman, 1 possible, Atherton.
    Wash; 1-the missus
    Zoe; 1-the hubby
    Kaylee;1-Bester


    Capt subtext;
    Interestingly Inara says that she loved Serenity the moment she saw her too, just as Mal did. She also says 'I don't want to die at all'. One theory I've heard throughout the series is that she's actually slowly dying (like Darla) and that the syringe we see her with in Serenity was for medecine rather than narcotics or a suicide kit. Here she says that she doesn't want any of the crew just bursting into her room unannounced, she's not bashful of her nudity, could she be hiding something else? Is this part of the 'little clues' they speak of in the commentary?

    How'd they get away with that?
    Never liked needles, bad enough to watch Simon inject Zoe but watching Mal do it to himself is even nastier.


    Total Serenity crew; 9
    Mal, Zoe, Jayne, Wash, Kaylee, Inarra, Book, Simon, River


    Whedon cliches;
    Devoted siblings, haunted charismatic leading man. Teenage girls with superpowers. Hookers. Babbling insane girls with truth in their madness. Fake cockneys. Misguided religious zealots. Numbered t-shirts. Girls with botanical names (Willow, Saffron, Jasmine). Absent fathers. Clever use of extensive flashbacks (Fool for Love, Lies my Parents told me, Are you now or ever have been?)


    Knocked out; Zoe rendered unconscious by the explosion
    Book; 2
    Simon; 1
    Kaylee; 1
    Jayne;1
    Mal; 1
    Wash; 1
    Inara; 1
    Zoe; 1



    Happy high-class hookers in Space;
    We're informed that companions don't kiss and tell, as you would expect of people who listen to the pillow talk of the rich and powerful.



    Whedon alumni- Joss likes to reuse the same actors in his series, let's count up their appearances (let me know if I miss any)
    Nathan Fillon-3; Firefly, Caleb in S7 of Buffy and Dr Horrible
    Gina Torres-2; Firefly and Jasmine in S4 of Angel
    Alan Tudyk-2; Firefly and the villainous/heroic(?) Alpha in Dollhouse (haven't seen season 2 so don't spoil it for me)
    Adam Baldwin-2; Firefly and Marcus Hamilton in S5 of Angel
    Summer Glau-3; Firefly, Dollhouse and the prima ballerina in the LEGENDARY S4 Angel ep 'Waiting in the wings'.
    Carlos Jacott-3; The Fed in Firefly, Ken in the 'Anne' ep of Buffy and Richard Straley in 'The Bachelor Party' ep of Angel.
    Andy Umberger;3-the captain of the Dortmunder in Firefly, D'Hoffryn in Buffy, the psychic surgeon in the Angel ep 'I fall to pieces'.
    Mark Shepherd;2-Badger in Firefly and later turns up as one of Ballard's FBI colleagues in Dollhouse. Also a BSG alumni.
    Jeff Rickets;3- one of the blue handed men in Firefly and Weatherby on Buffy/Angel plus the spiderdemon at the end of Angel season 4
    Gregg Henry; 2- he's one of those faces that occur time and again in TV/movies, the Sherrif in The Train Job and he later recurrs in the Dollhouse ep 'Ghost', one of my favourite eps of season 1.
    Christina Hendricks; 2-Saffron in Firefly and a bar maid in the Angel ep 'The Prodigal'. She'll later star in Mad Men with Whedonverse alumni Vincent Kartheiser.

    Alliance good or bad?;
    Mal talks of the Serenity representing freedom to him, that they can 'live like real people' which he doesn't feel able to do with the Alliance. They're sn
     
  19. Obey Wann

    Obey Wann Former RMFF CR & SW Region RSA star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jan 14, 2000

    Agreed --this is one of my favorites of the series.
     
  20. Legend_of_Leroy

    Legend_of_Leroy Jedi Knight star 1

    Registered:
    May 16, 2008
    You appear to have missed an episode.
     
  21. Jedi Merkurian

    Jedi Merkurian Future Films Rumor Naysayer star 7 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    May 25, 2000
    Yup.
     
  22. saturn5

    saturn5 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 28, 2009
    Which one? Bear in mind I'm watching them on DVD so they'll be in a different order to what you saw on TV

    ARIEL

    The good;
    Lot's of it, if I were to have 2 favourite scenes it would be the admissions nurse just casually accepting the dead bodies into the hospital and Mal remembering what drugs to take by writing it on his hand. Mal's final interrogation of Jayne also excellent, you get the idea he saves him to spare the rest of the crew having to deal with his betrayal rather than for his own sake. The scene where River, Simon and Jayne flee the blue-gloves is a masterclass in building suspense, they haven't seen anything but the approaching screams of their victims coupled with River's terrified babbling produce a real sense of dread.
    The bad;
    . Simon saving the patient is very blatantly designed to make us feel better about the crew stealing medicine from a hospital (but I love River's smile of pride when he does it).

    Best line;
    Inara; "What have you guys been up to?"
    Kaylee; "Oh, we killed Simon and River, stole a bunch of medecine"

    Packing heat;


    Kinky dinky;
    Wash wants to take Zoe to a naked beach
    Notches on the Serenity bedpost;

    Inarra;1-a paying customer who wishes to make her his kept woman, 1 possible, Atherton.
    Wash; 1-the missus
    Zoe; 1-the hubby
    Kaylee;1-Bester


    Capt subtext;
    Inara is going for a medical examination which she says is routine. But if we follow the theory that she's actually sick ....? Mal once again demonstrates his intimacy with Kaylee, hugging her in a very familar fashion at the end.
    How'd they get away with that?
    The blue gloved men repeatedly cutting into River's head to perfom brain surgery, ugh! Then to top it all they slaughter the cops with a device which causes uncontrollable bleeding from it's victims.
    .
    Total Serenity crew; 8 for this ep, Book is 'away at an abbey'? Do we ever get any other explanation than that? Simon refers to Serenity as 'home'. Mal makes it clear that he continues Jayne's act of betrayal against any of the crew to be against them all
    Mal, Zoe, Jayne, Wash, Kaylee, Inarra, Simon, River

    Subverting the Hollywood cliche;
    Simon teaches Mal, Zoe and Jayne enough ER speak to get into the hospital but the admitting nurse just accepts their word as paramedics that the patients died. But Jayne's put so much effort into learning all these medical terms he insists on using them. Which I think is very human. When struggling with the guard it's Jayne who is the one to be bitten when it's normally the other way around, the hero is the one who traditionally does the biting to even the odds against a superior oppenent.
    Whedon cliches;
    Devoted siblings, haunted charismatic leading man. Teenage girls with superpowers. Hookers. Babbling insane girls with truth in their madness. Fake cockneys. Misguided religious zealots. Numbered t-shirts. Girls with botanical names (Willow, Saffron, Jasmine). Absent fathers. Clever use of extensive flashbacks
    Bondage; Simon, River and Jayne in cuffs
    Mal; 1
    River; 1
    Simon; 1
    River; 1
    Jayne; 1

    Knocked out; Simon and River drugged into near death. Jayne knocked out by Mal.
    Book; 2
    Simon; 2
    Kaylee; 1
    Jayne;2
    Mal; 1
    Wash; 1
    Inara; 1
    Zoe; 1
    River; 1
    Women good/men bad;


    Kills; Jayne kills the Alliance marshall with his bare hands
    Mal; 11-
    Zoe; 6-
    Jayne; 7-

    Happy high-class hookers in Space;
    Inara is expected to undergo a standard medical as a companion once a year (or is she? see subtext). She states the Companion policy about non-commercial dating is 'complicated'.

    Know the face?

    Whedon alumni- Joss likes to reuse the same actors in his series, let's count up their appearances (let me know if I miss any)
    Nathan Fillon-3; Firefly, Caleb in S7 of Buffy and Dr Horrible
    Gina Torres-2; Firefly and Jasmine in S4 of Angel
    Alan Tudyk-2; Firefly and the villainous/heroic(?) Alpha in Dollhouse (haven't seen season 2 so don't spoil it for me)
    Adam Baldwin-2; Firefly and Marcus Hamilton in S5 of Angel
    Summer Glau-3; Firefly, Dollhouse and the prima balleri
     
  23. Jedi Merkurian

    Jedi Merkurian Future Films Rumor Naysayer star 7 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    May 25, 2000
    "Which one? Bear in mind I'm watching them on DVD so they'll be in a different order to what you saw on TV"

    On the DVD set, Jaynestown is right after Our Mrs. Reynolds.
     
  24. saturn5

    saturn5 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 28, 2009
    Yes, you're right I forgot Jaynestown[face_blush]

    JAYNESTOWN

    The good;
    The bit where the gang see Jayne's statue alone had me laughing out loud, then the song is even better. Inara's confusion over her client referring to Jayne but she thinks it's Mal is also hilarious. The River/Book scenes where she tries to correct the bible are terrific. Also love the bit where Zoe welcomes her boys home and her faked adulation of Jayne once she hears the story.

    The bad;
    Handing Stitch the loaded gun is deeply stupid, no matter what the magistrate's motivation. What IS the cargo they pick up? Stitch fires a shot in the air when we first see him confront Jayne but doesn't work the action and eject the spent cartridge until he shoots the mudder, he actually threatens Mal with an empty gun.

    Best line;
    Kaylee (to Inara who's off to see a client) "Have good sex!"
    also like;
    Simon; (upon learning of Jayne's folk hero status) "This must be what going mad feels like"
    upon hearing the Jayne song;
    "No, THIS must be what going mad feels like"
    plus Wash;
    "Let's go to the crappy town where I'M a hero"
    and;
    River (to Book whilst correcting the Bible); "Just keep walking preacher man!"

    Packing heat;
    I'm informed that Zoe's cut down carbine is referred to as a 'mare's leg', possibly because of it's kick? Stitch has a sawn-off Remmington shotgun.

    Kinky dinky;
    Simon finally tells Kaylee that she's pretty and they get all snuggly over 'mudders milk' (nice pun).

    Notches on the Serenity bedpost; Jayne possibly sleeps with the barmaid but unconfirmed. Inara has another paying customer.

    Inarra;2- 2 paying customers, 1 possible, Atherton.
    Wash; 1-the missus
    Zoe; 1-the hubby
    Jayne; 1 possible, Jaynestown groupie.


    Capt subtext;
    I thought that the toppling of the Jayne statue was actually a comment about the similar destruction of Saddams statue during the liberation of Iraq but that actually happened afterwards (much as The Initiative on Buffy was very Guantanamo Bay but also occured beforehand)


    Total Serenity crew; 9
    Mal, Zoe, Jayne, Wash, Kaylee, Inarra, Book, Simon, River


    Subverting the Hollywood cliche;
    Big tough Jayne whimpers as he pulls the surgical tape off his skin


    Whedon cliches;
    Devoted siblings, haunted charismatic leading man. Teenage girls with superpowers. Hookers. Babbling insane girls with truth in their madness. Fake ####neys. Misguided religious zealots. Numbered t-shirts. Girls with botanical names (Willow, Saffron, Jasmine). Absent/overbearing fathers.


    Bondage;
    Mal; 1
    River; 1

    Knocked out;
    Book; 2
    Simon; 1
    Kaylee; 1
    Jayne;1
    Mal; 1
    Wash; 1
    Inara; 1

    Women good/men bad;
    Really like Inara's 'what makes a man' speech to her client. Not so fond of Jayne casually tossing his groupie aside the next morning with only a goodbye spank of her ass.

    Kills; Jayne kills Stitch
    Mal; 11-
    Zoe; 6-
    Jayne; 7-

    Happy high-class hookers in Space;
    Inara kisses on the mouth. Her guild gives her enough leeway to reject her clients father if she'd wished to but she seems genuinely fond of the son. Ceremony plays an almost more important part for her in her work than the sex.

    Know the face?
    Kevin Gage who plays Stitch essentially recreates his role of the odious Waingrow in the wonderful Michael Mann film 'Heat', best cops and robbers story off all time.

    Whedon alumni- Joss likes to reuse the same actors in his series, let's count up their appearances (let me know if I miss any)
    Nathan Fillon-3; Firefly, Caleb in S7 of Buffy and Dr Horrible
    Gina Torres-2; Firefly and Jasmine in S4 of Angel
    Alan Tudyk-2; Firefly and the villainous/heroic(?) Alpha in Dollhouse (haven't seen season 2 so don't spoil it for me)
    Adam Baldwin-2; Firefly and Marcus Hamilton in S5 of Angel
    Summer Glau-3; Firefly, Dollhouse and the prima ballerina in the LEGENDARY S4 Angel ep 'Waiting in the wings'.
    Carlos Jacott-3; The Fed in Firefly, Ken in the 'Anne' ep of Buffy and Richard Straley in 'The Bachelor Party' ep of Angel.
    Andy U
     
  25. Raph1613

    Raph1613 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 15, 2004
    ???
    8, maybe a 9 for War Stories???
    How could you have not given it a 10?
    The exchange between Mal and Wash, while being tortured, about shipboard romances almost blew my mind! 'Sure we're being brutally tortured, but we've got more important things on our minds' that's awesome!!
    Plus Wash's comment after being retrieved,"He's insane," was perfect.

    8, maybe a 9?



    You forgot to add Wash's name to your "Bondage" category.....
     
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