"SERENITY." Firefly Episode.
Teaser: The episode opens in medias res, during a battle. The camera moves, never quite focuses on any one person or thing, though a brief glimpse is caught of one figure in a brown trench coat who stands out and a skiff is seen several times shooting brown-coated figures. Eventually, the camera rests on Malcolm Reynolds, who has been fighting his way back to his unit. Mal’s side is in rough shape and badly in need of air support, which cannot be sent for with a lieutenant’s authorization and the lieutenant is dead. Showing himself to be resourceful, Mal takes the code off of the body and has one of the other troops call for the sir support. He also shows himself to be a a good leader, a hopeful human being and fairly religious. This comes across first in a speech to the whole unit:
The Alliance said they were gonna waltz through Serenity Valley and we chocked ‘em on those words. We’ve done the impossible and that makes us mighty. Just a little while longer. Our Angels are going to be overhead raining fire on those arrogant Khangs. So you hold. YOU HOLD!
There’s also one shot of Mal kissing what seems to be a cross hanging from his neck.
Mal still needs to take out an enemy aircraft that has particularly been causing problems before any air support will come anywhere near the valley. With some help from another trooper, Zoe Warren, Mal gets to an anti-aircraft emplacement and manages to take out the plane. Mal and Zoe return to the group’s makeshift headquarters, only to find Green, the radio operator, dead. Zoe uses the radio while Mal reassures a shell-shocked troop named Bendis:
We’re not gonna die. We can’t die Bendis, and you know why? Because we are so very pretty. We are just too pretty for God to let us die. Huh, just look at that chiseled jaw, huh!
Mal then hears aircraft, assuring Bendis that they will blow the Alliance "to the hot place." Zoe gets a gets a message back that no support will be coming, as the Separatists are giving up on the whole planet and order the unit to surrender.
The segment ends with a zoom out from the shocked look on Mal’s face as countless cruisers all lift off planet, leaving the group behind. He is shocked he fails to notice enemy fire hitting Bendis, who was standing beside him with the same look on his face as Mal.
5 Years Later… Mal and Zoe, along with a man, Jayne Cobb, are in space suits, trying to break into a wrecked spaceship to retrieve something. While they work, the ship’s pilot, Wash Washburn, plays with some toy dinosaurs, enacting a little skit:
Wash: Everything looks good from here [camera pans over the control station so the viewer can see what he is actually doing]
Stegosaurus: Yes. Yes. This is a fertile land and we will thrive. We will rule over all this land and we will call it… This Land.
Tyrannosaurus Rex: I think we should call it your grave!
Stegosaurus: Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!
T. Rex: Ha ha! Mine is an evil laugh! Now die! [Wash has the T.Rex begin "attacking" the other dinosaur]
Stegosaurus: Ah! Oh God, no!
Suddenly, a proximity alarm goes off; Wash sweeps away his toys, looks at the radar and alerts Mal to the situation. The group in space suits works double time while Wash and the engineer, Kaylee Frye, power the ship down in hopes of evading scans from the Alliance cruiser Dortmunder (Apparently named a German city that was a concentration camp site).
When the cruiser finally appears, it is a huge, city-like craft and its entrance is clearly meant to evoke that of the Star Destroyer Devastator at the opening of George Lucas’ Star Wars: A New Hope in terms of stunning the audience with its size. The appearance of the ships crew also seems to recall Imperial officers from Lucas’ Star Wars films. Powering down fails to deter its sensors, and the crew escapes through a bit of trickery- a Blue Sun coffee can rigged with the distress signal from a personal carrier. Mal, Jayne and Zoe manage to procure the case they want from the wreck.
Act 1: The scene picks up almost immediately after the crew rabbitted from the Dortmunder. They assemble in the hold and bicker while Mal opens up the container, which seems to contain gold bars. Mal notices that they have a mark on them, a fact he hides from the rest of the crew before they hide them. It’s during this scene that it becomes clear that the characters are periodically using Chinese words.
The ship is now headed for Persephone (named after the Greek goddess of the Underworld), though Wash worries about running out of fuel, especially if they "run hot" (slang for a boost of speed that makes the ship look like a firefly. They "ran hot" to escape the Dortmunder). Mal orders Zoe to contact Badger, who hired them for the job. He also tells Kaylee they will be taking on passengers, which prompts Kaylee to go one about how wonderful it would be. Both Jayne and Mal mock her for this. Kaylee kisses Mal on the cheek and says, "I love my captain," indicating her loyalty to him despite their severe personality difference. Zoe and Wash bicker about taking a vacation, and mention their marriage. Mal then asks about the ambassador, Inara Serra (Serra being short for seraphim), who is apparently the only member of the crew, as Mal puts it, "to earn an honest living."
On that line, there is a smash cut to a woman having sex with a man. From their post-coital conversation, the viewer learns that this is Inara and she is a Companion, which is the preferred term for prostitution. In the show, prostitution is a legal and respected profession. Inara’s client tries to hire her on privately and when she refuses, he insults her. Inara’s room is a shuttle, leased from Mal.
Persephone is a busy spaceport, not unlike the revised Mos Eisley from the 1997 re-release of Star Wars. Kaylee is placed in charge of getting passengers while Wash gets fuel and the others see Badger. Kaylee mentions she would like to get a new compression coil, but is rebuffed by Mal. In "Out of Gas", the compression coil will break, stranding the ship.
The narrative shifts briefly to Book, who is looking for a ship. The meeting with Badger goes poorly; he refuses the goods he hired Mal to obtain, due to a Firefly-class ship being spotted by a cruiser and the government stamp on the cargo. A fight nearly breaks out, and Badger dresses down Mal for his arrogant attitude. Mal, Zoe and Jayne leave without unloading the goods or getting paid.
Meanwhile, Kaylee speaks to Book, whom she notices is only looking at ships not destination. She also figures out that he is a Shepard (an evangelical religious person). Book claims to have just left the Southtown Abbey. The issue of payment is awkwardly brought up by Kaylee, and answered by book showing her something in a box that delights her. Kaylee reveals the name of the ship for the first time, "Serenity."
Walking back, Jayne, Zoe and Mal argue over the incident with Badger and debate what to do next. Mal thinks they should visit Whitefall, a border planet which would be less likely to have a strong Alliance presence, and deal with Patience. Zoe points out that the last time they dealt with her, Patience shot Mal. The Reavers are mentioned for the first time as having killed another possible buyer.
Kaylee has found two other passengers, the jittery Dobson and the aloof doctor Simon Tam. She seems immediately smitten with the latter. Simon has a large piece of luggage which he is very worried about.
The act ends on an ominous shot of Simon as the door of Serenity shuts.
Act 2: The show resumes in the kitchen, one of the more interesting sets on the show, as it looks more like a nineteenth century one than anything else.
Mal is upset when he finds out Book is a preacher and Kaylee has to defuse the situation. To explain the stop at Whitefall to the passengers, Mal claims the Alliance. The misdirection that Simon is an enemy continues as he asks questions about Mal’s story, revealing it as a quickly thought out cover with no depth to it.
While the passengers get their things, Inara boards the ship proper. In an attempt to make her and Book uncomfortable, he introduces them and uses the euphemism "Ambassador" for her profession. Kaylee begins to prepare supper using Book’s payment- fresh fruits and vegetables from his Abby’s garden, all rare delicacies. At dinner, Mal’s antagonism towards Book continues as he refuses to let the Shepard say grace.
The dinner conversation centers on explaining how habitable worlds are created and the shortcomings of the terraforming process. Then Kaylee and Simon flirt a bit, until Jayne makes a crude comment that causes Mal to dismiss him from the table.
The scene cuts to Inara giving her self a sponge bath, which ahs some odd stops and pauses in it, as if time were being distorted. Book enters the shuttle craft with a plate of food for her, much to Inara’s surprise who was expecting a lecture. Book reveals that Mal thought she might like the meal. Discussing Mal, the flirt/flight relationship between him and Inara becomes a bit clearer. Book is perplexed by Mal’s rough treatment of everyone and his fierce loyalty towards the Serenity’s crew.
The scene cuts to Mal demonstrating the Serenity waste facilities. Wash alerts him that someone has signaled the nearest Alliance cruiser. Mal heads to the cargo bay and finds Simon near his luggage, despite Mal telling all the passengers they could not go near the bay while in transit. He punches Simon, draws a gun on him and accuses him of being a federal agent. Book wonders into the scene and tells Mal he has the wrong man, gesturing to the landing on the cargo stairwell, where Dobson has a gun. He recites the Alliance version of the Miranda warning to Simon.
Act 3: Mal tries to play the whole thing off, but Dobson plans on arresting the whole crew. An argument between Book, Mal and Dobson ensues and ends when Kaylee walks in, surprising Dobson; he shoot her in the abdomen and is quickly disarmed and then knocked out by Book. Jayne goes to kill Dobson, but Book refuses to allow him to do so. A cruiser hails the Serenity and demands they dock. Simon refuses to help Kaylee unless they turn around. After some accusations are thrown at Simon by Mal, Inara talks him into doing what Simon wants.
Simon is as good as his word and immediately conducts surgery on Kaylee. Afterwards, Mal goes to the cargo bay while Jayne grabs the protesting doctor. Mal kicks open Simon’s luggage, finding a nude, young girl inside.
Act 4: Simon says he needs to check the girl’s vitals and that she wasn’t supposed to wake up yet. Mal starts accusing him of selling the girl, or buying or kidnapping her for himself. Suddenly, the girl wakes up and starts screaming and running around a bit. Simon runs to her and tries to comfort her. She speaks what seems to be a bit of paranoid nonsense. He tells the crew she is his sister
After the girl is apparently sedated, Simon explains how they came to be on Serenity.
Simon was a promising young doctor, but his sister, River, was even more brilliantly. She enrolled in an unknown, but apparently very good and exclusive government sponsored school. Contact from River cut off eventually, until a letter cam through in code begging for help. For two years, Simon tried to get her to no avail until some group contacted him, claiming the government was operating on River’s brain. In exchange for funding, they would get River out, into cryogenic freeze and onto Persephone. Mal, unlike the others, does not care about Simon; if Kaylee lives, he’ll leave the Tams on Whitefall. If she dies, he will kill them. Simon tries to protest for River. Wash objects to murdering people without a vote. Inara claims they’ll die on Whitefall anyway and threatens to leave in protest. Simon starts to ask Mal why he is scared of the Alliance, what he is hiding. When Simon starts to say Mal fits the profile of an Alliance member, Mal decks him.
Mal and Jayne go to the room where Dobson is being kept. The Captain needs to know what Dobson has told the Alliance and leaves Jayne to find out. Jayne finds out Dobson’s first name is Lawrence and that he really did not tell the Alliance anything, disappointing him as he does not get to torture Lawrence at all. The federal agent then offers Jayne money to help him. On the bridge, Wash spots a ship, which Mal figures out to be a Reaver ship.
Act 5: Mal tells the crew via loudspeaker about the Reaver ship, and explains that if they run, the Reavers have to attack, as it’s "their way" while if they hold steady, they have a chance. Simon asks Zoe about Reavers, as all he knows of them are "Campfire stories—men gone savage at the end of space, killing…" Zoe interrupts,
They’re not stories […] If they take the ship they’ll rape us to death, eat our flesh and sew or skins into their clothing. And if we’re very, very lucky, they’ll do it in that order.
While waiting for the Reavers to pass, Inara pulls out a syringe, Jayne loads his massive supply of guns and Zoe and Wash hold hands. The Reavers seemingly pass. Kaylee wakes up while Mal is in the infirmary and they have a talk where she, while still clearly under the influence of pain killers, defends Simon and tells al to "trust people." Her eyes close and her hand slips from Mal’s.
Simon is speaking with Inara and getting a "standard companion immunization packet" as the ship’s infirmary is a bit basic. Inara expresses how dear Kaylee is to everyone while Simon apologizes for his part in her shooting, Inara tells him, "You’re lost in the woods, we all are. Even the Captain. The difference is he likes it that way." Mal enters the scene, "The difference is the woods are the only place I can see a clear path." He and Inara flirt/argue again for a bit. Mal explains to Simon the damage Dobson can to do everyone, even Inara; Mal implies Simon should kill Dobson, to keep him from harming everyone on board, but he does not think Simon can, then he tells Simon Kaylee has died. Tam runs to the infirmary and finds a smiling Kaylee speaking to Book. He says, "The man’s psychotic" and the scene cuts to Mal, Zoe, Wash and Jayne laughing at the situation, with wash saying "You’re psychotic" to Mal. Mal’s comments about Kaylee and Simon to the others seem to indicate that he has already decided to ask Simon to stay.
Patience hails Serenity and she and Mal talk and she decides to do buy the cargo from them. After the transmission ends, Mal says "I believe that woman’s planning to shoot me again." Wash laments Patience lack of even trying to hide it. As the crew is low on fuel and money, Mal devises a plan to deal with her.
The act ends on Dobson cutting through his ropes.
Act 6: Mal and Zoe go to meet Patience at the designated place while Wash and Jayne bury the cargo. Jayne then goes off to neutralize the snipers Patience was using to ambush the Serenity crew. On board the ship, Dobson gets free and bets Book unconscious.
Patience arrives while Jayne takes out one sniper and proceeds to aim at Mal in an attempt to make the viewer think Dobson paid Jayne to shoot Mal. Dobson finds his back and tries to contact the Alliance to no avail. He takes some guns and leaves. The scene cuts back to Mal and Patience, where the viewer finds out the cargo consists of protein bars that can feed a family for a month, not gold. In sick bay, River gets up, sensing something as wrong; Dobson grabs her and threatens Kaylee. Patience and Mal seem to be at an impasse, as neither trusts the other; when Mal asks her to leave first, she tells Mal, "I got a rule. I never let go of money I don’t have to." Mal tries to talk her out of it, and even offers her the money back, but Patience wants the money and the bars. With no other choice, the shooting starts, with Jayne taking out several of Patience’s men quickly.
Aboard the ship, Wash and Simon talk, and Wash mentions how he always worries when Zoe is one a job. Kaylee warns them about Dobson, which sends Simon running after him. Wash spots something on the computer. The action quickly cuts between the gun fight and Dobson trying to get off ship with River until Simon jumps on him. Mal shoots Patience’s horse and then takes issue with the trouble he’s had since doing the job Badger hired him for and all the insults tossed his way. "I do the job and then I get paid. Go run your little world," he tells Patience before taking her coin purse. Jayne runs up to Mal and Zoe and relays to them from Wash that the Reavers followed them to Whitefall.
Act 7: Simon and Dobson struggle a bit. Eventually Simon gets one of Dobson’s guns. Dobson starts trying to talk down Simon, telling him no one will hurt River. Simon cannot bring himself to shoot Dobson, and while he is distracted by the cargo bay opening, Dobson grabs his other gun and shoots at Simon. Mal simply shoots the lawman in the face. Jayne dumps the body out the door while the Serenity takes off. Wash has Jayne bring Kaylee to the engine room. Mal has a tense moment with Inara, telling her to get in the shuttle just in case along with Simon and River. Book joins Kaylee and Jayne in the engine room, where they act as her hands to do a complex move called a "Crazy Ivan" that takes advantage of Serenity’s greater maneuverability than the Reaver ship. The ship turns around and does a full burn in the atmosphere, causing a blow back that pushes the Reaver ship too far way to catch up.
Speaking to Inara, Book questions where he is "two days out of the monastry" having taken up with criminals, beaten a federal agent and being confused about the righteousness of Mal’s actions.
Jayne questions the wisdom of keeping the Tams around to Mal, who wonders how Dobson escaped from his room.
Mal: Why didn’t you turn on me Jayne?
Jayne: The money wasn’t good enough.
Mal: What happens when it is?
Jayne: Well, that’ll be an interesting day.
Mal: I imagine it will.
Jayne leaves and Simone enters the bridge. Simon inquires what will happen to them, and Mal offers him a place on board Serenity for the time being, provided he can control River.
Simon: How do I know you won’t kill me in my sleep?
Mal: You don’t know me son, so let me explain this to you once: If I ever kill you, you’ll be awake, you’ll be facing me and you’ll be armed.
Simon: Are you always this sentimental?
Mal: I had a good day.
Simon: You had the law on you, criminals and savages. Half the people on the ship have been shot or wounded, including yourself and you’re harboring known fugitives.
Mal: Well, we’re still flyin’.
Simon: That’s not much.
Mal: It’s enough.
Whedon Signatures:
The use of the word "pretty," as in Mal’s speech to Bendis, marks many of Whedon’s scripts.
Mal’s attitude towards religion and Christianity in particular seems to be consitent with Whedon’s own "angry atheism" and that seen in Buffy episodes like Whedon’s "Who are You?" where God is portrayed as ineffectual at best, at least absent and quite possibly non-existent.
The Altman-esque camera work during the dinner scene is perhaps not a signature per se, but it’s a strategy he seems to have started to use regularly from at least this episode on.
Kaylee is the center of the show, and in grand Whedon tradition, this point is driven home by having her shot, which stops the bickering among the original crew and causes them to work with Simon for the first time, who’s already become attached to her himself.
Simon’s slow-motion run to the infirmary recalls Buffy’s similar run through the halls of Sunnydale High to find Kendra’s dead body at the end of "Becoming Part 1."
Storylines Started:
The major storyline of the series, what happened to River while at the academy, begins with this episode.
Romantic relationships are hinted at overtly for Mal and Inara and for Kaylee and Simon.
The notion that Jayne would sell Mal is touched on in "Ariel", where he sells Simon and River to the feds, and "Out of Gas," where it turns out Mal hired him away from some enemies.
Kaylee mentions a need for a new compression coil. The one they have will break in "Out of Gas."
The Reavers are introduced and will be occasional antagonists in the TV series.
Mal’s dealing with his psychological damage from the war, rather than just bottling it up inside begins.
The Blue Sun Corporation is subtly introduced on the "Crybaby" coffee can.
Badger debuts in this episode and will return.
The reason for the odd time-freezes during Inara’s sponge bath scene goes unanswered during the course of the series and the contents of the syringe she pulled out are unrevealed as well.
The possibility of Book being more than a Shepard is implied by his actions in the episode.
Book and Jayne form a very macho sort of male bond during this episode.
The theme of Zoe as the voice of reason is introduced via her calling the idea of dealing with Patience a bad one and Mal agreeing with her after the fact.
Wash’s jealousy of Mal’s relationship with Zoe will resurface in "War Stories."
The reason(s) for the civil war between the Alliance and the Browncoats is left open.
How much Simon can trust Mal is addressed again in "Safe."
Earth-That-Was is mentioned during the dinner season, but as with so much else, no explanation of what happened to it is forthcoming
Mistakes:
The inclusion of Simon Tam/Sean Maher and River Tam/Summer Glau in the opening credits spoils several elements of the episode for the first time viewer of the series, particularly that both are benign and will become regular crew members. Also, there is a shot of River in Simon’s luggage, which ruins that particular reveal as well.
Possibly not a mistake, but in later versions of the story, as in Ariel, Simon’s role in rescuing River will be expanded a bit beyond simply paying money to the right people.
Production issues:
The opening scene in Serenity Valley was severely lengthened from the script to better convey the back Civil War-esque back story, particularly Mal’s involvement in it and how it affected him.
The aesthetic decision to have the space scenes be free of sound effects was a very controversial one with Fox.
Fox network executives apparently hated the episode, resulting in it being shelved and aired last out of the broadcast episodes. "Train Job" was commissioned as a new introductory episode.
Special Effects and Stunt Work:
The episode features one scene of all out war, at least four fist fights, one major gun battle and two other shootings.
Smash zooms using CGI were scene prior to this episode’s airing in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, though the idea was developed before that film was released.
Editing:
The teaser is unusually long.
The cut from Mal’s line about "earning an honest living" to Inara having sex is clearly meant to play off of societal norms about "an honest living."
The cut between act 2 and act 3 is very subtle and the action contuse more or less seamlessly.
Naughty Moments:
Jayne makes several crude sexual remarks about Kaylee during the dinner scene, including that she is getting "lubed up" over Simon and that she wishes he was a gynecologist. While speaking to Dobson, Jayne strongly hints he would have sex with River, as "only certain parts need to be there."
Inara tells Mal she gave Simon a "free hump."
Blue Sun Logos:
the coffee can in the teaser
a large banner behind Mal, Zoe and Jayne while walking back to Serenity from Badger’s.
Thanks to Jens Altman for helping with figuring out "Dortmunder"
