AOQ Firefly Review 11: "Trash"
Arbitrar Of Quality
Season One, Episode 11: "Trash"
(or "Take the gun. Leave the girl.")
Writers: Ben Edlund and José Molina
Director: Vern Gillum
On to the first of the "missing" episodes not aired during the
original run (although it's been shown post-DVD on Sci-Fi, apparently
with some amusingly silly looking censorship during the closing
sequence).
_Firefly_ in general is never quite what one expects, and certain
episodes delight in repeatedly getting the audience ready for one
thing and then twisting it around. Most of which can be boiled down
to the way the teaser shows us a scene three days after the start of
the story - Mal alone and naked, opining that "yep, that went well."
So we "know" the ending, and try to guess at how we get there from
here, while Ben and José try their best to show off how clever they
can be in making the route unexpected and the context totally
different than one might think. Very gimmicky, but clever-gimmicky
rather than gratuitous-gimmicky. "Trash" doesn't have the heft of the
two (some would say three) big episodes it has the misfortune to
follow, but turning up the charm and cleverness to eleven can still
let one coast to quality.
One obviously assumes that Mal is stranded, so we start off with him
ship-less on what we'll eventually learn is a completely different
planet than the one he'll end up on. "Trash" is all about that sort
of thing. We have a guy yelling menacingly at him, but it's setting
up a Han-Lando greeting. I'm not overly fond of Monty himself, but
it's all about Mal and Saffron's classic reaction to first seeing each
other. From there, I'm not sure why Saffron/Bridgit tries to deny
knowing Mal at all rather than coming up with a counter-story, but it
makes some sense knowing that she'd basically sensed that this
particular battle was a losing one: "you just had a better hand of
cards this time." One has to appreciate the skill with which the show
re-introduces us to Saffron, throwing in touches that viewers of "Our
Mrs. Reynolds" will appreciate ("you and lipstick is a dangerous
combination, as I recall") while quickly and efficiently providing all
the real exposition that a new viewer will need to make "Trash" stand
alone. From the beginning, there's an edge and intensity to the Mal/
Saffron scenes, where they seem like they can change direction and/or
get violent at any given time.
Aboard Serenity, Inara helps kick things into high gear in a scene
with Mal that quickly jumps from topic to topic - not always in a
sensical manner, but almost always an entertaining one. (Mal on her
not sleeping with him: "uh, no I think I would have noticed if you
were." And Inara on the reference to whoring: "that didn't take
long.") Somehow this gets us away from her work and onto his, with
the idea that he's become timid in his choice of work. This part
admittedly gets a bit clunky and un-natural as the dialogue becomes
more for the audience than for the characters. It is fun to see Mal
re-using her phrases later, at least. As far as the viewer knows, the
next thing that happens is Mal deciding to definitely work together
with his stowaway - another omission of key information is involved
here, but the payoff it's setting up is worth it.
And that leads to a group scene, which is one of my personal favorite
scenes of its type. Classic moments abound, including the realistic
details, like having Kaylee just start laughing for a second when Wash
says something funny, even though it's a serious moment - shows don't
do that enough. A separate sentence to note that Wash is quite funny
here. Zoe is good with the intensity of her attention-commanding
disapproval, and the way she cold-cocks Saffron. And on top of all
that we get a timing gag that's just masterful, which is easier to
quote than try to summarize:
SAFFRON: You're asking yourself if I've got the security codes, why
don't I just
go in and grab it for myself - why cut you in?
WASH: No. Actually... I was wondering... WHAT'S SHE DOING ON THE
SHIP?! Didn't she try to kill us?!
[scene continues for a minute or so in that vein, and then...]
JAYNE: Okay. I got a question. If she's got the security codes, why
don't she
just go in a grab it for herself - why cut us in?
SAFFRON: *Good* point.
Hee. Our guest, Saffron, makes a welcome return to the series and has
great chemistry with this family of whom she's made an enemy. With
her Darla-esque vocal delivery, she's practically a fresh face since
we knew her almost entirely in OMR when she was playing a character,
while here she's mostly in her normal demeanor. If anything, she gets
"too much" depth; we learn so much about how she works and she and Mal
go through so many different types of interactions in this short time
that one wonders where else the show could possibly go when making
this person a recurring figure in the crew's lives. Then again, I
wouldn't have guessed from OMR that they'd get this much milage out of
the part, so maybe one should have a little faith in our writers and
producers.
Mixing narration about the details of a plan (*another* caper show!)
with scenes of characters actually implementing it is a time-honored
way to fast-forward through the early stages while things are going as
expected. I'm all in favor of this tradition, and the writers throw
in a few neat tricks of their own, like having Saffron roll her eyes
in response to words that were uttered hours earlier. I should also
mention I like the look of the floating islands on a world that seems
to be all ocean; not sure if it makes much logical sense as a way to
run a settlement (other than the "hey, look what I can afford to do!"
principle), but it certainly looks cool.
The heist involves some work from our fairly-newlyweds, but also some
stuff involving standing on the ship and changing computer chips.
These scenes always feel arbitrary to me, like a way to consciously
pump another crisis into the story and come up with an excuse to put
Jayne in Simon's care. The bit of action with Zoe and Kaylee, Kaylee,
Kaylee is decent, but I'm not thrilled here. You know what else I'm
not thrilled with? Pretty much all of the later interactions between
Jayne and the Tams. The intial scene has its moments, like the way
Simon appears to have accepted Jayne being a dick as the big gruff
softy's way of showing that he cares, until River sets him straight.
With River I'm getting tired of the way she fluctuates between
complete sentences and childish word fragments, but the way she can
pull the truth out of someone's brain is interesting enough. Later
on, though, I dunno. A lot of speechifying from Simon that doesn't
really click for me, and I'm struggling to come up with an objective
description of exactly what it is that the scene is lacking. River as
the bad cop is an important match for Simon's relentless wussy kind of
strength.
Durran's room is full of Earth-that-was looking objects that provide a
backdrop for another set of scenes. The phone booth in particular is
prominent. (Actually, I seriously would have gone all-out and given
him a Tardis, but that's neither here nor there.) I like what Fillion
does here, substituting non-verbal confused poise in place of the
stammering comedic double-takes Mal was doing in earlier episodes.
Here we see how many double-meanings and reversals we can throw in,
from the obvious (like "I'm the one intruding") to the way Yosaffbridg
wants this one husband to think well of her, but is ready to chew him
out if exposed, except that he was also playing her. At the risk of
repetition, my feeling throughout all this is that "Trash" isn't
reinventing the wheel or doing anything too original, but it's doing
what it does with bucketloads of style. And what could be more Mutant
Enemy than that?
The escape through a dozen armed cops seems a little too easy, but
there's an emphasis on Saffron's incredible fighting skill and sense
of timing that makes it work okay - Mal couldn't have done it alone.
Good to have her on your team, except for the part about sudden but
inevitable betrayal. Amidst all the chaos, we have seen a glimpse of
Saffron naked, her deep dissatisfaction after failing to convince
herself no matter how thoroughly she throws herself into a role. The
story is about someone who's discovered that she couldn't manufacture
a "found" place to belong by following a checklist of traits and
treating life like a hand of cards - a bit of a recurring theme for
Joss's villains. There's some sympathy to be found without ever
forgetting that she's 99.4% pure evil, and Mal correctly surmises that
she'll change by not changing at all. Although he does seem inclined
to forget how physically dangerous she can be.
Which returns the show to the beginning and its big twist, with our
heroes having a last contingency plan for the feel-good ending. Inara
maybe gloats a little too long; I want to say that it doesn't seem
like her to revel so much, but we don't actually know her well enough
to make a definitive statement like that. But locking Saffron in the
trash container is the fun kind of petty vindictiveness. The final
sequence takes its time to demonstrate how totally it's twisted our
expectations of what was to come: our crew got the big prize, Mal's
not stranded, and he's not being sarcastic in his assessment of how
things went. The writing takes pains to confirm that the victory was
indeed because of a mutual plan, not just Inara saying that for
Saffron's benefit, although she was the fail-safe he was hoping to not
need. Seems about right. Now, our hero's total casualness about the
nudity does seem weird to me (and it does look like he's genuinely
nonchalant, not just affecting it as a defense mechanism), not what
I'd expect from him. Maybe this sense of fun, as also seen with the
pretty floral bonnet, is a part of his character that just didn't have
time to emerge on more than a few instances? Whatever.
This Is Really Stupid But I Laughed Anyway moment(s):
- The phrase "ugly chin-wig"
- "You're using wiles on me!" "I'm using what?"
- "Jayne is a girl's name"
- "Oh we're not together." "He's my husband." "Well who in the damn
galaxy isn't?"
Does Ron Glass appear at all?
Maybe more than any other episode so far, those forty-four minutes
just flew by.
So...
One-sentence summary: Briskly enjoyable.
AOQ rating: Good
[Ratings so far:
1) "Serenity" - Excellent
2) "The Train Job" - Good
3) "Bushwhacked" - Decent
4) "Shindig" - Good
5) "Safe" - Decent
6) "Our Mrs. Reynolds" - Good
7) "Jaynestown" - Excellent
8) "Out Of Gas" - Good
9) "Ariel" - Excellent
10) "War Stories" - Excellent
11) "Trash" - Good]
mariposas rand mair fheal greykitten tomys des anges
> up a Han-Lando greeting. I'm not overly fond of Monty himself, but
his parting words have a
-she broke your hear and led men into deviant lifestyles- feel
> Aboard Serenity, Inara helps kick things into high gear in a scene
> with Mal that quickly jumps from topic to topic - not always in a
> sensical manner, but almost always an entertaining one. (Mal on her
i think that conversation was supposed to be sham
as part of the secret inara-mal plot
anyway strange things afoot at the circle k
> Durran's room is full of Earth-that-was looking objects that provide a
> backdrop for another set of scenes. The phone booth in particular is
> prominent. (Actually, I seriously would have gone all-out and given
> him a Tardis, but that's neither here nor there.) I like what Fillion
the tardis is not part of earth that was
it is part of gallifrey that was
a police call box would be part of earth that was
and bill and teds telephone booth would be part of earth that will be
durran durran was part of earth that was
and tau ceti that will be
> Which returns the show to the beginning and its big twist, with our
> heroes having a last contingency plan for the feel-good ending. Inara
> maybe gloats a little too long; I want to say that it doesn't seem
i like that mal finally showed some common sense
and set up a failsafe ahead of time instead of winging it and hoping for best
getting inara and her shuttle physically separated
was the one sure way to keep saffron messing with it
meow arf meow - they are performing horrible experiments in space
major grubert is watching you - beware the bakalite
impeach the bastard - the airtight garage has you neo
George W Harris
the planet Bellerephon. First, and most obviously, Bellerephon
was the name of the original Deep Space Exploration Vessel
which landed on Altair-4, and of the crew of which Dr. Morbius
was the only survivor (along with his daughter Altaira) in
"Forbidden Planet". "Forbidden Planet" (one of the four best
science fiction films ever made) is of course based on
Shakespeare's "The Tempest", which gave us the planetary
names Ariel naq Zvenaqn, and there is another reference to
Forbidden Planet in "Serenity" the movie (gur frevny ahzore
bs gur Erfrepu naq Erfphr fuvc).
Secondly, and more interestingly, Bellerephon is the
son of Euronyme by Poseidon, and was raised by Euronyme's
divinely cuckolded husband Glaucus, who thought he was
the father. He bridled Pegasus. So we've got Poseidon, god
of the sea, for the ocean planet, and Pegasus, the winged
horse, for the floating cities.
While staying with King Proetus, Proetus' wife (a ha!)
Stheneboea attempted to seduce him, but was rebuffed, and
then accused Bellerephon of that crime to her husband.
Perhaps Saffron's real name is Stheneboea. Eventually
Stheneboea's father realized Bellerephon was innocent, and
granted him half his kingdom and his other daughter,
Philonoe, in marriage. Eventually, however, Bellerephon
attempted to ride Pegasus to Mount Olympus, and Zeus sent
gadflies to sting Pegasus, who threw Bellerephon, crippling
him.
--
/bud...@nirvana.net/h:k
George W. Harris For actual email address, replace each 'u' with an 'i'
Cruithne3753
> More later, but just a couple of notes on the name of
> the planet Bellerephon.
...not to mention the informal name given to 51 Pegasi b, the first
confirmed extrasolar planet.
Don Sample
Arbitrar Of Quality <tsm...@wildmail.com> wrote:
> Does Ron Glass appear at all?
Yes. He catches Jayne when they bring his unconscious body down from on
top of Serenity. His one line of the episode is "Lord, this boy weighs
a solid ton!"
--
Quando omni flunkus moritati
Visit the Buffy Body Count at <http://homepage.mac.com/dsample/>
Michael Ikeda
news:1178067651....@e65g2000hsc.googlegroups.com:
> FIREFLY
> Season One, Episode 11: "Trash"
> (or "Take the gun. Leave the girl.")
> Writers: Ben Edlund and José Molina
> Director: Vern Gillum
>
> A lot of speechifying from Simon that
> doesn't really click for me, and I'm struggling to come up with
> an objective description of exactly what it is that the scene is
> lacking. River as the bad cop is an important match for Simon's
> relentless wussy kind of strength.
"Plus, I can kill you with my brain".
Never quite pictured River as Giles...
--
Michael Ikeda mmi...@erols.com
"Telling a statistician not to use sampling is like telling an
astronomer they can't say there is a moon and stars"
Lynne Billard, past president American Statistical Association
chr...@removethistoreply.gwu.edu
> FIREFLY
> Season One, Episode 11: "Trash"
> (or "Take the gun. Leave the girl.")
> Writers: Ben Edlund and José Molina
> Director: Vern Gillum
Yet another caper episode! As with most good caper movies/TV episodes, we
start with an elaborate plan, but a major part of the plot depends on the
plan going awry somehow. (Though I probably don't watch enough caper
shows to speak authoritatively about what most of the good ones do.) And
as with most Whedonverse capers, the plot twist itself is less interesting
than the characters' reactions to it. But Trash is unusual in its
*double* plot twist -- the heist gone wrong turns out to have gone right
all along. Or at least our heroes had a contingency plan in place that
effectively turned the heist gone wrong back into a heist gone right,
which amounts to the same thing. Are there any other caper episodes that
pull the same trick? I can't think of any other examples offhand.
According to the shooting script I saw online, the Lassiter was orginally
called "The Mexican." Changing that was probably a wise idea.
> rather than gratuitous-gimmicky. "Trash" doesn't have the heft of the
> two (some would say three) big episodes it has the misfortune to
> follow,
I for one would say three.
> cards this time." One has to appreciate the skill with which the show
> re-introduces us to Saffron, throwing in touches that viewers of "Our
> Mrs. Reynolds" will appreciate ("you and lipstick is a dangerous
> combination, as I recall") while quickly and efficiently providing all
> the real exposition that a new viewer will need to make "Trash" stand
> alone.
Mal tells Monty that he isn't really married to "Bridgit," because she was
already married to Mal. Apparently bigamy is still illegal in the 26th
century. But since she has apparently pulled the same trick on an
arbitrarily large number of men before Mal, *he* was never really married
to her either. No doubt he will find that thought a comfort if it ever
occurs to him.
I love the first group scene, when Saffron introduces her scheme, as much
as AOQ does. I wonder, who had Mal already consulted before letting
Saffron out? Clearly Inara, at least, since she's already playing the
part that will lead to her leaving Serenity and laying in wait to grab the
Lassiter. Maybe Mal told everyone, but I doubt he would have trusted
Jayne's acting ability after Ariel. More likely he only let Inara, Zoe,
Wash and probably Kaylee in on his complete plan.
> Hee. Our guest, Saffron, makes a welcome return to the series and has
> great chemistry with this family of whom she's made an enemy.
I have mixed feelings about recurring villains. If they recur too many
times, you start to realize that this particular villain will never be
killed or imprisoned or otherwise disposed of, making things more
predictable and less enjoyable. But some of them are just SO much fun
that you long to see them again, even at the risk of that happening.
Saffron is definitely in that class. If Firefly had continued, I would
have been delighted to see her once or twice a season, no matter how
predictable it got.
> I should also
> mention I like the look of the floating islands on a world that seems
> to be all ocean;
Except for the desert that they sent the trash container to.
> not sure if it makes much logical sense as a way to
> run a settlement (other than the "hey, look what I can afford to do!"
> principle), but it certainly looks cool.
Conspicuous consumption is no doubt at work here, but those floating
islands may also have been designed with security in mind. Wash notes
that it's the home of the rich *and* paranoid. Access should be easier to
control when intruders can only come by aircraft. (Speaking of which, one
weak point in the plot is that no one seems to notice Serenity hovering
just below the island for a fairly long time. You'd think the security
staff would be on the lookout for things like that.)
> Jayne and the Tams. The intial scene has its moments, like the way
> Simon appears to have accepted Jayne being a dick as the big gruff
> softy's way of showing that he cares, until River sets him straight.
Aside from the crude part, I was amused by Jayne's petty revenge on the
Tams for talking back to him. "I *was* going to leave you a deck of
cards."
> pull the truth out of someone's brain is interesting enough. Later
> on, though, I dunno. A lot of speechifying from Simon that doesn't
> really click for me, and I'm struggling to come up with an objective
> description of exactly what it is that the scene is lacking.
I liked that scene well enough, but one part that feels strange to me is
that Simon's speech is all about appealing to Jayne's common sense. He
doesn't have any leverage, any threats to back himself up (though River
adds one after he leaves). In fact he explicitly gives up any possibility
of threatening Jayne through medical malpractice. This mostly fits
Simon's character; but would he really think that this approach would work
with Jayne?
> Here we see how many double-meanings and reversals we can throw in,
> from the obvious (like "I'm the one intruding") to the way Yosaffbridg
> wants this one husband to think well of her, but is ready to chew him
> out if exposed, except that he was also playing her.
It does seem like YSB wants to hide the truth about herself from Durran,
at first. She gets mad at him later when he realizes the truth, but still
loves her anyway. (And even madder when she learns that he called the
cops, of course.) For some reason that part, that he still loves her
anyway, seems to bother her most of all. Mal was on to something when he
says "The one guy that don't have it coming. The man who knows you and
still loves you, treachery and all. Can't have him walking about." Is it
just because his "you need help" attitude is a little condescending? Or
maybe is it because she sees in it something that could, possibly, given
enough time, make her feel guilty for her life of deception? I'm not
sure, but whatever the answer is, this is the Saffron character moment
that has intrigued me the most on repeat viewings.
> Although he does seem inclined
> to forget how physically dangerous she can be.
And then she makes him get nekkid. Humiliating him instead of merely
setting him up to die -- she's really harboring some resentment toward the
man who defeated her once, then saw her embarrassing moment with Durran.
(And saw her "naked" moment in the shuttle, too -- contrary to her claim,
I don't think it was all an act.)
> to make a definitive statement like that. But locking Saffron in the
> trash container is the fun kind of petty vindictiveness.
You can hear her faintly shouting "You can't do this! I have a
condition!"
> This Is Really Stupid But I Laughed Anyway moment(s):
> - The phrase "ugly chin-wig"
"Soup catcher" isn't bad either.
Some of my favorite laughs include:
-"Unlike all the ... I'm going to go with *hundreds* of men you married"
-"Well, I appreciate your honesty. Not, you know, a lot, but...." For
some reason this has always been the line from Trash that stuck in my head
the best.
-"You must be loving this." "Little bit." Though the funny part is really
the way Mal starts shaking his head "no" and then turns it into a nod.
-The look on Wash's face as he struggles to deal with Mal's nakedity.
-And the look of glee on Kaylee's face as she tells them "You throw it in
the trash" just makes me happy.
> Does Ron Glass appear at all?
Just briefly, to help haul Jayne's body around.
> AOQ rating: Good
I'll give it a high Good.
It looks like I missed a lot of AOQ reviews. (I took off the better part
of a week to visit the World's Cutest Baby [now the World's Cutest
Toddler], and the better part of another week to get over the stomach bug
she passed on to me. After that I was just lazy.) I might still go back
and post to those threads, but for now here are my ratings:
> 6) "Our Mrs. Reynolds" - Good
A high Good, possibly Excellent. Well, Excellent might be going too far.
But whatever the rating, it's definitely one of the most enjoyable
episodes of the series.
> 7) "Jaynestown" - Excellent
Maybe, or at least another high Good.
> 8) "Out Of Gas" - Good
Excellent. One of my favorites.
> 9) "Ariel" - Excellent
Agreed, but not *as* Excellent as OOG.
> 10) "War Stories" - Excellent
Excellent, but again, OOG has it beat.
--Chris
______________________________________________________________________
chrisg [at] gwu.edu On the Internet, nobody knows I'm a dog.
mariposas rand mair fheal greykitten tomys des anges
chr...@removethistoreply.gwu.edu wrote:
> > Here we see how many double-meanings and reversals we can throw in,
> > from the obvious (like "I'm the one intruding") to the way Yosaffbridg
> > wants this one husband to think well of her, but is ready to chew him
> > out if exposed, except that he was also playing her.
>
> It does seem like YSB wants to hide the truth about herself from Durran,
> at first. She gets mad at him later when he realizes the truth, but still
> loves her anyway. (And even madder when she learns that he called the
> cops, of course.) For some reason that part, that he still loves her
> anyway, seems to bother her most of all. Mal was on to something when he
on the other hand remember how durran made his fortune
his idea of a warm loving relation
might not exactly match our own
Michael Ikeda
news:133i67d...@corp.supernews.com:
> In alt.tv.firefly Arbitrar Of Quality <tsm...@wildmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> FIREFLY
>> Season One, Episode 11: "Trash"
>> (or "Take the gun. Leave the girl.")
>> Writers: Ben Edlund and José Molina
>> Director: Vern Gillum
>
> I liked that scene well enough, but one part that feels strange
> to me is that Simon's speech is all about appealing to Jayne's
> common sense. He doesn't have any leverage, any threats to back
> himself up (though River adds one after he leaves). In fact he
> explicitly gives up any possibility of threatening Jayne through
> medical malpractice. This mostly fits Simon's character; but
> would he really think that this approach would work with Jayne?
>
On the other hand:
1) Simon reminds Jayne very strongly that Jayne is likely to NEED
Simon's help at some point.
2) Even though Simon explicitly disavows the idea of getting back at
Jayne by mismedicating him, that still reminds Jayne that there are
lots of ways that Simon COULD hurt Jayne.
Don Sample
<mair_fheal-5D539...@sn-ip.vsrv-sjc.supernews.net>,
mariposas rand mair fheal greykitten tomys des anges
<mair_...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> In article <133i67d...@corp.supernews.com>,
> chr...@removethistoreply.gwu.edu wrote:
>
> > > Here we see how many double-meanings and reversals we can throw in,
> > > from the obvious (like "I'm the one intruding") to the way Yosaffbridg
> > > wants this one husband to think well of her, but is ready to chew him
> > > out if exposed, except that he was also playing her.
> >
> > It does seem like YSB wants to hide the truth about herself from Durran,
> > at first. She gets mad at him later when he realizes the truth, but still
> > loves her anyway. (And even madder when she learns that he called the
> > cops, of course.) For some reason that part, that he still loves her
> > anyway, seems to bother her most of all. Mal was on to something when he
>
> on the other hand remember how durran made his fortune
> his idea of a warm loving relation
> might not exactly match our own
Do we have anything other than YoSafBridge's word about Durran's bad
past? Maybe he made his money (and got his collection) the old
fashioned way. (He inherited it.)
George W Harris
wrote:
:Aside from the crude part, I was amused by Jayne's petty revenge on the
:Tams for talking back to him. "I *was* going to leave you a deck of
:cards."
Yeah, except consider the fun to be had playing cards
against River.
--
Doesn't the fact that there are *exactly* 50 states seem a little suspicious?
George W Harris
wrote:
:It does seem like YSB wants to hide the truth about herself from Durran,
:at first. She gets mad at him later when he realizes the truth, but still
:loves her anyway. (And even madder when she learns that he called the
:cops, of course.) For some reason that part, that he still loves her
:anyway, seems to bother her most of all. Mal was on to something when he
:says "The one guy that don't have it coming. The man who knows you and
:still loves you, treachery and all. Can't have him walking about." Is it
:just because his "you need help" attitude is a little condescending? Or
:maybe is it because she sees in it something that could, possibly, given
:enough time, make her feel guilty for her life of deception? I'm not
:sure, but whatever the answer is, this is the Saffron character moment
:that has intrigued me the most on repeat viewings.
:
This scene has enormous parallels to the scene where
Jayne is contemplating the Mudder who took that shotgun blast
for him. I've not going to enumerate them, as they should be
obvious.
--
I'm not an actor, but I play one on TV!
mariposas rand mair fheal greykitten tomys des anges
Don Sample <dsa...@synapse.net> wrote:
the whos who notes his meteoric business rise from humble beginnings
after the bravery and leadership he showed
as part of the glorious alliance security forces during the rebellion
Don Sample
> In alt.tv.firefly Arbitrar Of Quality <tsm...@wildmail.com> wrote:
>
> > FIREFLY
> > Season One, Episode 11: "Trash"
> > (or "Take the gun. Leave the girl.")
> > Writers: Ben Edlund and José Molina
> > Director: Vern Gillum
>
> Yet another caper episode! As with most good caper movies/TV episodes, we
> start with an elaborate plan, but a major part of the plot depends on the
> plan going awry somehow. (Though I probably don't watch enough caper
> shows to speak authoritatively about what most of the good ones do.) And
> as with most Whedonverse capers, the plot twist itself is less interesting
> than the characters' reactions to it. But Trash is unusual in its
> *double* plot twist -- the heist gone wrong turns out to have gone right
> all along. Or at least our heroes had a contingency plan in place that
> effectively turned the heist gone wrong back into a heist gone right,
> which amounts to the same thing. Are there any other caper episodes that
> pull the same trick? I can't think of any other examples offhand.
Oh, lots. Going back to a classic caper film, "The Sting," where the
FBI guys who busted in at the end, when it looks like the con is falling
apart, turned out to be in on the thing from the beginning. Pretty much
every episode of "Hustle" ends with it looking like things have gone
wrong, but then one Mickey's backup plans kicks into action, and saves
the day.
> I love the first group scene, when Saffron introduces her scheme, as much
> as AOQ does. I wonder, who had Mal already consulted before letting
> Saffron out? Clearly Inara, at least, since she's already playing the
> part that will lead to her leaving Serenity and laying in wait to grab the
> Lassiter. Maybe Mal told everyone, but I doubt he would have trusted
> Jayne's acting ability after Ariel. More likely he only let Inara, Zoe,
> Wash and probably Kaylee in on his complete plan.
Jayne's acting was impeccable on Ariel. He fooled nearly everyone. It
wasn't his acting that did him in. It was that Mal knew him too well.
Inara implies at the end that everyone was in on it: "Some of the crew's
performances weren't quite as nuanced as they could have been. I thought
they might tip the fact that we were playing you from the second Mal
took you out of that crate."
Julian Treadwell
> FIREFLY
> Season One, Episode 11: "Trash"
> (or "Take the gun. Leave the girl.")
> Writers: Ben Edlund and José Molina
> Director: Vern Gillum
>
> On to the first of the "missing" episodes not aired during the
> original run (although it's been shown post-DVD on Sci-Fi, apparently
> with some amusingly silly looking censorship during the closing
> sequence).
>
> up a Han-Lando greeting. I'm not overly fond of Monty himself,
An amiable, salt-of-the-earth behemoth - what's not to like? Were you
not fond of the character or not impressed by the actor's portrayal?
> Which returns the show to the beginning and its big twist, with our
> heroes having a last contingency plan for the feel-good ending.
Which is another neat Whedon slight-of-hand; I thought our BDH's had
finally pulled off a successful major heist (remember the proceeds from
the Ariel heist all went to Niska to buy back Wash), but <spoiler> the
Lassiter turns out in The Message to be unsaleable. So it's a feel-good
ending that really sets us up for a fall.
> Inara
> maybe gloats a little too long; I want to say that it doesn't seem
> like her to revel so much, but we don't actually know her well enough
> to make a definitive statement like that.
Inara has good reasons to linger over the gloating. Not only does she
have grudges stemming from OMR, but YoSaffBridge is a 'fallen'
Companion, which must offend her sensibilities. While Inara's moral
standards seem to be high, she definitely also has human vanities and
weaknesses. I didn't find the scene implausible at all.
>
> So...
>
> One-sentence summary: Briskly enjoyable.
>
> AOQ rating: Good
Agreed.
Apteryx
news:1178067651....@e65g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
>FIREFLY
>Season One, Episode 11: "Trash"
>up a Han-Lando greeting. I'm not overly fond of Monty himself, but
>it's all about Mal and Saffron's classic reaction to first seeing each
>other.
Poor Monty. It's never fun when a friend and a spouse just don't get on, but
in most cases it doesn't get quite that bad.
>alone. From the beginning, there's an edge and intensity to the Mal/
>Saffron scenes, where they seem like they can change direction and/or
>get violent at any given time.
Its great comedy-thriller, waiting to see how she's going to con him again.
>And that leads to a group scene, which is one of my personal favorite
>scenes of its type. Classic moments abound, including the realistic
>details, like having Kaylee just start laughing for a second when Wash
>says something funny, even though it's a serious moment - shows don't
>do that enough.
The expressions on the faces of Kaylee and Wash as Saffron outlines her plan
are priceless.
>in response to words that were uttered hours earlier. I should also
>mention I like the look of the floating islands on a world that seems
>to be all ocean; not sure if it makes much logical sense as a way to
>run a settlement (other than the "hey, look what I can afford to do!"
>principle), but it certainly looks cool.
I don't think there is any way to make them make sense. Even the "hey, look
what I can afford to do!" principle only makes sense if there are people to
see it - other than people who are doing the same thing. Maybe if they were
not homes, but working structures extracting some resource from the ocean
below, and there was some reason (storms, wildlife, etc) why they couldn't
be fixed to the seabed or floating for free on the surface.
>pull the truth out of someone's brain is interesting enough. Later
>on, though, I dunno. A lot of speechifying from Simon that doesn't
>really click for me, and I'm struggling to come up with an objective
>description of exactly what it is that the scene is lacking. River as
>the bad cop is an important match for Simon's relentless wussy kind of
>strength.
Works for me. Jayne is getting pressured to fit in by different people using
different techniques. Simon's common sense approach, that Jayne will need
his skills in the future is unexciting, but not necessarily ineffective.
Jayne wants to live. And then its supported by River's unique brand of
threat.
>The escape through a dozen armed cops seems a little too easy, but
>there's an emphasis on Saffron's incredible fighting skill and sense
>of timing that makes it work okay - Mal couldn't have done it alone.
>Good to have her on your team, except for the part about sudden but
>inevitable betrayal.
It'd definitely be good. Apart from that.
> Amidst all the chaos, we have seen a glimpse of
>Saffron naked, her deep dissatisfaction after failing to convince
>herself no matter how thoroughly she throws herself into a role. The
>story is about someone who's discovered that she couldn't manufacture
>a "found" place to belong by following a checklist of traits and
>treating life like a hand of cards - a bit of a recurring theme for
>Joss's villains. There's some sympathy to be found without ever
>forgetting that she's 99.4% pure evil, and Mal correctly surmises that
>she'll change by not changing at all. Although he does seem inclined
>to forget how physically dangerous she can be.
He shouldn't feel badly about that. Saffron has had much more practice
conning than Mal has had being conned. And he knew that and had a
contingency plan in place to deal with it.
>Which returns the show to the beginning and its big twist, with our
>heroes having a last contingency plan for the feel-good ending. Inara
>maybe gloats a little too long; I want to say that it doesn't seem
>like her to revel so much, but we don't actually know her well enough
>to make a definitive statement like that.
I don't think there is anything wrong in the characterisation for her to
gloat like that. But certainly when viewing for the first time I was urging
her to just close the damned lid, because the longer she talked, the more
opportunity for Saffron to turn the tables. Even with the lid closed, she
was still trying - "I have a condition!"
So...
One-sentence summary: Briskly enjoyable.
AOQ rating: Good
A lot of fun. Good for me too. Its my 3rd favourite FF episode. The rating
is the same as for Spin the Bottle, the 9th best AtS episode, and falls
between Faith, Hope And Trick and Crush, the 34th and 35th best BtVS
episodes.
--
Apteryx
Arbitrar Of Quality
anges <mair_fh...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Aboard Serenity, Inara helps kick things into high gear in a scene
> > with Mal that quickly jumps from topic to topic - not always in a
> > sensical manner, but almost always an entertaining one. (Mal on her
>
> i think that conversation was supposed to be sham
> as part of the secret inara-mal plot
Highly doubt it. They seem sincere and they don't have an audience
(they're alone, and Saffron's still inside her first receptacle in the
cargo bay). However, Inara's interactions with everyone after this
scene are part of the plan.
> > Durran's room is full of Earth-that-was looking objects that provide a
> > backdrop for another set of scenes. The phone booth in particular is
> > prominent. (Actually, I seriously would have gone all-out and given
> > him a Tardis, but that's neither here nor there.) I like what Fillion
>
> the tardis is not part of earth that was
> it is part of gallifrey that was
> a police call box would be part of earth that was
But what about a prop police call box from (or inspired by) an
entertainment program that was part of Earth That Was?
-AOQ
Arbitrar Of Quality
> In article <1178067651.644962.30...@e65g2000hsc.googlegroups.com>,
> Arbitrar Of Quality <tsm...@wildmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Does Ron Glass appear at all?
>
> Yes. He catches Jayne when they bring his unconscious body down from on
> top of Serenity. His one line of the episode is "Lord, this boy weighs
> a solid ton!"
Ah.
-AOQ
Arbitrar Of Quality
wrote:
> Arbitrar Of Quality wrote:
> > Which returns the show to the beginning and its big twist, with our
> > heroes having a last contingency plan for the feel-good ending.
>
> Which is another neat Whedon slight-of-hand; I thought our BDH's had
> finally pulled off a successful major heist (remember the proceeds from
> the Ariel heist all went to Niska to buy back Wash), but <spoiler> the
> Lassiter turns out in The Message to be unsaleable. So it's a feel-good
> ending that really sets us up for a fall.
"Ariel" also ended with a success which got un-done next episode. The
show is good at giving the crew payoffs from time to time while still
keeping them from getting rich enough that it'd end the show. Wonder
if they'll keep drifting and eventually find somewhere to offload that
gun.
> Inara has good reasons to linger over the gloating. Not only does she
> have grudges stemming from OMR, but YoSaffBridge is a 'fallen'
> Companion, which must offend her sensibilities.
Oh, forgot about that, but you're right.
-AOQ
Arbitrar Of Quality
> I have mixed feelings about recurring villains. If they recur too many
> times, you start to realize that this particular villain will never be
> killed or imprisoned or otherwise disposed of, making things more
> predictable and less enjoyable.
Saffron did get imprisoned and disposed of, though... Anyway, I'm a
sucker for recurring guest stars in general, especially fun ones.
> > pull the truth out of someone's brain is interesting enough. Later
> > on, though, I dunno. A lot of speechifying from Simon that doesn't
> > really click for me, and I'm struggling to come up with an objective
> > description of exactly what it is that the scene is lacking.
>
> I liked that scene well enough, but one part that feels strange to me is
> that Simon's speech is all about appealing to Jayne's common sense. He
> doesn't have any leverage, any threats to back himself up (though River
> adds one after he leaves). In fact he explicitly gives up any possibility
> of threatening Jayne through medical malpractice. This mostly fits
> Simon's character; but would he really think that this approach would work
> with Jayne?
That may be part of it. I can't imagine Jayne respecting that (being
scared of River helps), or Simon expecting him to; it seems to work
for other people, but... I dunno.
> (And saw her "naked" moment in the shuttle, too -- contrary to her claim,
> I don't think it was all an act.)
I don't think that's in doubt at all.
> > to make a definitive statement like that. But locking Saffron in the
> > trash container is the fun kind of petty vindictiveness.
>
> You can hear her faintly shouting "You can't do this! I have a
> condition!"
Yep, another good laugh.
-AOQ
mariposas rand mair fheal greykitten tomys des anges
Arbitrar Of Quality <tsm...@wildmail.com> wrote:
id rather see the bill and ted telephone booth
Donny Macro
"Julian Treadwell" <julian.t...@jcu.edu.au> wrote in message
news:f1btk0$bfe$1...@aioe.org...
> Which is another neat Whedon slight-of-hand; I thought our BDH's had
> finally pulled off a successful major heist (remember the proceeds from
> the Ariel heist all went to Niska to buy back Wash), but <spoiler> the
> Lassiter turns out in The Message to be unsaleable. So it's a feel-good
> ending that really sets us up for a fall.
In the novelization they wind up buying the new hover Mule with the proceeds
of the sale of the Lassiter.
Don Sample
wrote:
> "Arbitrar Of Quality" <tsm...@wildmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1178067651....@e65g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
> >FIREFLY
> >Season One, Episode 11: "Trash"
>
>
> >in response to words that were uttered hours earlier. I should also
> >mention I like the look of the floating islands on a world that seems
> >to be all ocean; not sure if it makes much logical sense as a way to
> >run a settlement (other than the "hey, look what I can afford to do!"
> >principle), but it certainly looks cool.
>
> I don't think there is any way to make them make sense. Even the "hey, look
> what I can afford to do!" principle only makes sense if there are people to
> see it - other than people who are doing the same thing. Maybe if they were
> not homes, but working structures extracting some resource from the ocean
> below, and there was some reason (storms, wildlife, etc) why they couldn't
> be fixed to the seabed or floating for free on the surface.
Conspicuous consumption rarely makes sense, and there were still lots of
people who could see him doing it. Durran still had neighbours he could
show off to. We saw about a dozen of those floaty islands. There were
also all the guests that he had invited to his party. The most
conspicuous consumption always goes on outside of the view of the peons.
Rich people show off to other rich people.
And in a civilization that has control of gravity, how extravagant were
the islands, anyway? Structurally, they might be cheaper than something
that was built to float on water, since they wouldn't have to withstand
the stresses from wave action.
> >pull the truth out of someone's brain is interesting enough. Later
> >on, though, I dunno. A lot of speechifying from Simon that doesn't
> >really click for me, and I'm struggling to come up with an objective
> >description of exactly what it is that the scene is lacking. River as
> >the bad cop is an important match for Simon's relentless wussy kind of
> >strength.
>
> Works for me. Jayne is getting pressured to fit in by different people using
> different techniques. Simon's common sense approach, that Jayne will need
> his skills in the future is unexciting, but not necessarily ineffective.
> Jayne wants to live. And then its supported by River's unique brand of
> threat.
There was also a threat implicit in what Simon told Jayne. Jayne
probably has lots of experience with people saying with perfect
sincerity that they will never do something, and then turning around and
doing it. Jayne himself is a duplicitous person, and so he expects
everyone around him to figuring the odds on when the right time will
come to betray someone.
Simon demonstrated that he had the capability to hurt, or kill, Jayne,
and that constitutes a threat, whatever Simon's intentions might be.
Intentions can change.
Don Sample
Arbitrar Of Quality <tsm...@wildmail.com> wrote:
> "Ariel" also ended with a success which got un-done next episode. The
> show is good at giving the crew payoffs from time to time while still
> keeping them from getting rich enough that it'd end the show. Wonder
> if they'll keep drifting and eventually find somewhere to offload that
> gun.
Easiest thing might be to sell it back to Durran.
Donny Macro
"Donny Macro" <donny...@gmail.attitude.com> wrote in message
news:AGq_h.7606$Hd1.131@trndny07...
Which really doesn't make sense, as they were fairly close to the edge by
the time of the movie, it would have made more sense if they couldn't sell
the Lassiter and wound up trading it for the hover mule.
Unless the really cool anitgrav mule is cheaper than I would think... of
course with entire floating islands in this episode... it would have to be
pretty cheap.
chr...@removethistoreply.gwu.edu
>> It does seem like YSB wants to hide the truth about herself from Durran,
>> at first. She gets mad at him later when he realizes the truth, but still
>> loves her anyway. (And even madder when she learns that he called the
>> cops, of course.) For some reason that part, that he still loves her
>> anyway, seems to bother her most of all. Mal was on to something when he
>
> on the other hand remember how durran made his fortune
> his idea of a warm loving relation
> might not exactly match our own
Just like a vampire! But seriously, I always assumed Saffron was lying
about Durran's bio-warfare activities during the war. She learned enough
about Mal and his crew during OMR to figure that painting the mark as a
mass murderer for the Alliance would be a good way to motivate them. Mal
doesn't seem to be convinced about her story either, given his heavy
sarcasm on "Oh, he's a killer of men. Why I'll bet he eats up babies."
chr...@removethistoreply.gwu.edu
>> than the characters' reactions to it. But Trash is unusual in its
>> *double* plot twist -- the heist gone wrong turns out to have gone right
>> all along. Or at least our heroes had a contingency plan in place that
>> effectively turned the heist gone wrong back into a heist gone right,
>> which amounts to the same thing. Are there any other caper episodes that
>> pull the same trick? I can't think of any other examples offhand.
>
> Oh, lots. Going back to a classic caper film, "The Sting," where the
> FBI guys who busted in at the end, when it looks like the con is falling
> apart, turned out to be in on the thing from the beginning. Pretty much
> every episode of "Hustle" ends with it looking like things have gone
> wrong, but then one Mickey's backup plans kicks into action, and saves
> the day.
Never watched Hustle, but you're certainly right about The Sting. I
should have thought of that one.
>> Lassiter. Maybe Mal told everyone, but I doubt he would have trusted
>> Jayne's acting ability after Ariel. More likely he only let Inara, Zoe,
>> Wash and probably Kaylee in on his complete plan.
>
> Jayne's acting was impeccable on Ariel. He fooled nearly everyone. It
> wasn't his acting that did him in. It was that Mal knew him too well.
True, Jayne did quite well in his second role on Ariel, as The Guy Who
Certainly Did Not Call the Feds. But his first performance, as Paramedic
At the Emergency Room Entrance, left a lot to be desired.
Julian Treadwell
> On May 2, 6:04 pm, chr...@removethistoreply.gwu.edu wrote:
>
>> I have mixed feelings about recurring villains. If they recur too many
>> times, you start to realize that this particular villain will never be
>> killed or imprisoned or otherwise disposed of, making things more
>> predictable and less enjoyable.
>
> Saffron did get imprisoned and disposed of, though... Anyway, I'm a
> sucker for recurring guest stars in general, especially fun ones.
That's a point that's niggled at me for some time. Inara says "You're
not going to die, you big baby, the authorities will be here to let you
out shortly" (or words to that effect), but why would the crew call the
feds when Saffron would be bound to implicate them in the theft? She
doesn't strike me as the type who wouldn't squeal on other criminals
regardless of what they'd done to her.
So maybe 'authorities' didn't mean the feds, maybe it meant the Refuse
Disposal authority or some other agency that wouldn't link her to the
robbery? In which case she wouldn't have been imprisoned. Hope so
anyway - another episode involving Saff would not be one too many for me.
And there *will* be more episodes I am firmly convinced, or another
movie. Market forces (i.e. us browncoats) will insist. Keep the faith!
C.O.Jones
Sample <dsa...@synapse.net> wrote:
> In article <1178202344.5...@y5g2000hsa.googlegroups.com>,
> Arbitrar Of Quality <tsm...@wildmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> > "Ariel" also ended with a success which got un-done next episode. The
> > show is good at giving the crew payoffs from time to time while still
> > keeping them from getting rich enough that it'd end the show. Wonder
> > if they'll keep drifting and eventually find somewhere to offload that
> > gun.
>
> Easiest thing might be to sell it back to Durran.
I'm sure Yo-Saf-bridge would attempt it for a hefty finders fee.
--
////////// \\\\\\\\\\\
The two most common elements in the universe are Hydrogen and stupidity.
-- Harlan Ellison
Don Sample
Julian Treadwell <julian.t...@jcu.edu.au> wrote:
> Arbitrar Of Quality wrote:
> > On May 2, 6:04 pm, chr...@removethistoreply.gwu.edu wrote:
> >
> >> I have mixed feelings about recurring villains. If they recur too many
> >> times, you start to realize that this particular villain will never be
> >> killed or imprisoned or otherwise disposed of, making things more
> >> predictable and less enjoyable.
> >
> > Saffron did get imprisoned and disposed of, though... Anyway, I'm a
> > sucker for recurring guest stars in general, especially fun ones.
>
> That's a point that's niggled at me for some time. Inara says "You're
> not going to die, you big baby, the authorities will be here to let you
> out shortly" (or words to that effect), but why would the crew call the
> feds when Saffron would be bound to implicate them in the theft?
Durran already called the Feds. It won't take them long to figure out
that the stolen gun went out with the trash (IIRC Durran even saw what
Mal did with it) and for them to start looking for the trashcan.
> She
> doesn't strike me as the type who wouldn't squeal on other criminals
> regardless of what they'd done to her.
You really think she won't sell out Serenity's crew, in exchange for a
reduced sentence? "Honour among thieves" is primarily a fiction.
Julian Treadwell
>> She
>> doesn't strike me as the type who wouldn't squeal on other criminals
>> regardless of what they'd done to her.
>
> You really think she won't sell out Serenity's crew, in exchange for a
> reduced sentence? "Honour among thieves" is primarily a fiction.
I really do think she'd sell them out. I used a double negative. And
I'm sure Mal would also think that, which is why I'm puzzled by the "the
authorities will be here shortly" line.
There is a brief mention of this in "The Message", someone (Zoe?) says
"Do you think Saffron talked?", which implies it was the feds they
called, but I still don't know why they'd take such a risk.
Mel
Perhaps Inara was referring to guild authorities??? Or maybe she just
wanted to scare her a bit.
Mel
One Bit Shy
news:1178067651....@e65g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
> FIREFLY
> Season One, Episode 11: "Trash"
> We have a guy yelling menacingly at him, but it's setting
> up a Han-Lando greeting. I'm not overly fond of Monty himself,
Neither am I. A hammed up performance that I didn't buy. Fortunately it's
not really about him, but his presence keeps irritating like sand in a
swimsuit, so my appreciation of the scene is lowered some. Mal and the
missus, however, are a lot of fun. I'm not sure why, but I really laugh
when she sticks her tongue out at Mal.
> From the beginning, there's an edge and intensity to the Mal/
> Saffron scenes, where they seem like they can change direction and/or
> get violent at any given time.
To the extent that there's a theme this episode (I think this episode, more
than usual, exists mainly for the sake of the adventure), I suppose it's
about standing on uncertain ground where good or bad could happen at any
moment. That would be representative of Mal's chosen life, which he seems
especially conscious of at the start - almost to the point of paralyzing
him. Then he re-affirmed his choice by deliberately going to the most
unstable ground he knew - Saffron. (Most unstable excepting River that is,
but she doesn't offer the opportunity that Saffron does.) In the end he
walks off happy - arguably happier than we've seen him all series. I think
it's satisfaction that this really is the life for him - uncertain ground
and all.
> Aboard Serenity, Inara helps kick things into high gear in a scene
> with Mal that quickly jumps from topic to topic - not always in a
> sensical manner, but almost always an entertaining one. (Mal on her
> not sleeping with him: "uh, no I think I would have noticed if you
> were." And Inara on the reference to whoring: "that didn't take
> long.") Somehow this gets us away from her work and onto his, with
> the idea that he's become timid in his choice of work. This part
> admittedly gets a bit clunky and un-natural as the dialogue becomes
> more for the audience than for the characters. It is fun to see Mal
> re-using her phrases later, at least. As far as the viewer knows, the
> next thing that happens is Mal deciding to definitely work together
> with his stowaway - another omission of key information is involved
> here, but the payoff it's setting up is worth it.
The part you call clunky is what's most fascinating to me - along with the
conversation we never hear when the plan is worked out. Inara is kicking
Mal in the butt to get moving. She's using the effect on her business as an
excuse, but it's really her fear that the torture (and death) of Mal in War
Stories is making him retreat from living life full - from being Mal. Inara
is trying to heal Mal. (Do they teach this technique in Companion school?)
Evidently it worked. Instead of just stalking away from that conversation
like usual, it seems that Mal turned it around into an audacious - and
joint - plot. There's probably a lot that should be drawn from this about
their developing relationship. (I keep thinking about how Inara seemed to
be the only one retaining an element of rage following War Stories. She was
the one who vocalized the wish that Niska die for what he did.) But what
really strikes me is how Mal effectively took up Inara's offer to join the
crew in their capers and made this a joint effort between them. Inara
didn't seem overtly serious when she offered, but she joined up anyway,
ultimately playing the critical role.
So this raises the question of why Mal chose to do this. Was it just
getting kicked in the butt and getting over his recent difficulties? Or
could it have been Inara's offer, however slender, that prompted Mal to act?
That also adds more color to his good mood at the end - not to mention his
comfort with being nude. He just pulled off a caper *with Inara*, and it
worked out great.
> Hee. Our guest, Saffron, makes a welcome return to the series and has
> great chemistry with this family of whom she's made an enemy. With
> her Darla-esque vocal delivery,
I hadn't thought of that until you mentioned it, but damn, she's dead on
Darla pretty much throughout. Julie Benz doesn't have the big boobs (though
as a champion breast heaver I think she'd make do), but otherwise she'd be a
dead ringer for Saffron. I wonder if she was a conscious model for the
part.
> I should also
> mention I like the look of the floating islands on a world that seems
> to be all ocean; not sure if it makes much logical sense as a way to
> run a settlement (other than the "hey, look what I can afford to do!"
> principle), but it certainly looks cool.
Castles floating in air, man!! What could be cooler??!! OK, maybe not
castles exactly. But close enough. Larry Niven had one in Ringworld, and I
don't remember him fussing much about whether it actually made sense. It's
a floating castle. If you can do it, then you will. 'Cause it's a floating
castle! Sense doesn't enter into it.
The floating houses is what sold me on this episode most of all - sent me
into that imaginary zone of really, really wishing I could be there. The
image also reminds me of the old Flash Gordon serials, one of which featured
a floating city populated by winged humanoids. There are some similarities
in appearance. I thought it was really cool then too.
> A lot of speechifying from Simon that doesn't
> really click for me, and I'm struggling to come up with an objective
> description of exactly what it is that the scene is lacking. River as
> the bad cop is an important match for Simon's relentless wussy kind of
> strength.
I think the play of it drags a bit as Simon just goes on and on. Otherwise
I'm content with the scene. Simon doesn't have the brilliant solution that
solves everything. It's mostly an appeal to Jayne using the best logic and
emotional appeal that Simon can pull up, while admitting that he isn't
coming from a sufficient position of power to force it. (Though River does
add some helpful menace.)
I think you need to look at it more from Jayne's point of view, which is not
limited to Simon and River. What they say to him is added to his Ariel
experience, what Mal said and did to him, what he saw in War Stories, and
what Wash said to him then. Jayne is being pounded with words and object
lessons about being part of a crew/family. The confrontation with Simon is
only part of that whole. It's an incremental process - not an immediately
transforming event.
> Which returns the show to the beginning and its big twist, with our
> heroes having a last contingency plan for the feel-good ending. Inara
> maybe gloats a little too long; I want to say that it doesn't seem
> like her to revel so much, but we don't actually know her well enough
> to make a definitive statement like that.
Just as Inara wanted Niska dead, she wants Saffron ruined. Saffron
threatened Mal. (Probably some lingering jealousy from OMR too.) And she
gives a bad name to Companions. Inara loathes Saffron. All in all it was a
pretty good day for Mal. I suspect it was an even better day for Inara.
> But locking Saffron in the
> trash container is the fun kind of petty vindictiveness.
As mentioned elsewhere, I don't think the implications of the choice bear
scrutiny. Though, perhaps if the series had continued, the fallout from her
police capture would have led to further trouble. Maybe the feds would even
use Saffron to perform a sting. Maybe have her show up one day carrying a
badge. For now though, I think it was obviously a bad choice by Inara, but
one that might be written off as her emotions getting the better of her.
> The final
> sequence takes its time to demonstrate how totally it's twisted our
> expectations of what was to come: our crew got the big prize, Mal's
> not stranded, and he's not being sarcastic in his assessment of how
> things went. The writing takes pains to confirm that the victory was
> indeed because of a mutual plan, not just Inara saying that for
> Saffron's benefit, although she was the fail-safe he was hoping to not
> need. Seems about right. Now, our hero's total casualness about the
> nudity does seem weird to me (and it does look like he's genuinely
> nonchalant, not just affecting it as a defense mechanism), not what
> I'd expect from him. Maybe this sense of fun, as also seen with the
> pretty floral bonnet, is a part of his character that just didn't have
> time to emerge on more than a few instances? Whatever.
The show seems to be working overtime to express how happy, how content Mal
is at the end. As he says, he had a good day. There was a lot of bravado
in War Stories, but you could hardly call it a good day. The Ariel caper
succeeded, but at the expense of crew betrayal by Jayne. Out of Gas nearly
got everybody killed - twice in Mal's case. Mal's big "success" was
smuggling wobble-head geisha dolls. Mal really needed a good day - and from
his point of view, he got it in spades. Pulled off a big caper. Got the
drop on Saffron. (As well as witnessing her true vulnerability.) Maybe
most of all, he got to do it with Inara. Made her part of the crew.
The humiliation of being naked kind of disappears in all that.
> - "You're using wiles on me!" "I'm using what?"
Mal was right though.
> Maybe more than any other episode so far, those forty-four minutes
> just flew by.
Yes. A very breezy episode, but exciting in its way. One of the reasons
that I think of this along with the prior two episodes as the series peak is
that they all found a series comfort zone with fast paced, exciting capers
and adventures. Firefly seems to go for the gusto where BtVS and AtS seem
to go more for the angst.
> So...
> One-sentence summary: Briskly enjoyable.
> AOQ rating: Good
I'd rate it Good too, though it's about as close to Excellent as you can get
without tipping to that side. It's relative lack of depth holds it just
short.
OBS
Arbitrar Of Quality
> "Arbitrar Of Quality" <tsm...@wildmail.com> wrote in messagenews:1178067651....@e65g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
> > Hee. Our guest, Saffron, makes a welcome return to the series and has
> > great chemistry with this family of whom she's made an enemy. With
> > her Darla-esque vocal delivery,
>
> I hadn't thought of that until you mentioned it, but damn, she's dead on
> Darla pretty much throughout. Julie Benz doesn't have the big boobs (though
> as a champion breast heaver I think she'd make do), but otherwise she'd be a
> dead ringer for Saffron. I wonder if she was a conscious model for the
> part.
Something else I hadn't recognized at the time I wrote the review, but
upon being asked to work with someone who tried to kill them, Zoe's
"[wham] Okay, I'm in" gag is straight out of ATS's "Quickening."
-AOQ