Ideas for the Sequel? (Mild spoilers for Serenity.)
jorda...@gmail.com
more plot threads....
The first flick solved the problem of who the Reavers are and what
happened to them. It also answered the question of what, exactly, was
wrong with River and appears to have fixed her (assuming her "I'm
better now." is literal.)
So what's left? Well, without introducing any new plot threads we still
don't know what's the deal with Blue Sun. The dudes with the blue
gloves don't appear in the first flick at all and they struck me as
being way more dangerous than the Operative. So who do they work for?
My guess would be Blue Sun. What's their angle in all of this? In the
TV show River had an un-natural dislike for all things Blue Sun
(peeling the labels off cans, slashing the logo on Jayne's shirt with a
knife - while he was wearing it!) There's a puzzle piece missing here.
Then there's Book's back-story. We saw tantalizing pieces of this in
the show, he knows a lot about criminal organizations, an Alliance ship
gets one look at his identity card and he gets carte blanche access to
their med-bay facility. In the novelization of the movie it was more
fleshed out. Book used an anti-aircraft gun to shoot down the Alliance
ship that destroyed Haven. The Operative also recognized him instantly.
>From the novel:
"Ah, Derrial. Given what I've read about you, this was the last place I
expected to see you. And the last mode of dress, for that matter. Oh,
you don't know me, so you don't need to widen your eyes like that. But
I know all about you, which I daresay is more than can be said for the
good people who have just died around you. Or, for that matter, your
former mates on Serenity. Under other circumstances I might consider
using the blade on you, but that is a thing of honor- and a man of the
cloth shooting down a fully staffed vessel hardly qualifies as
honorable. It barely qualifies as human. If only Captain Reynolds could
see you now."
If I were writing it, I would have made Book the opposing commander at
the battle of Serenity Valley. The "winner". After the battle he left
to join a religious order as a form of penance. His shooting down the
ship at Haven mirrors Mal's shooting down the ship at the battle of
Serenity Valley as we saw in the pilot.
- Jordan
Ken from Chicago
<jorda...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1128279980.6...@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
SERENITY 2: THE SEARCH FOR WASH
"Zoe, help me."
"Wash? Honey?"
"Zoe? No . . . no, no, stay away. Leave me alone! Don't try to find me. I'll
kill ya! I'll rip your heart out with my teeth! RRRAAARRRGH!" <Click>
* * *
"Zoe, this is crazy, foolishness. You can't go."
"Cap'n, I've stood by you for longer than I haven't. You can return the
favor--or not. Either way, I'm going. I'm going to find him."
"Zoe, look, you know it's a trap. It can't be Wash."
"I'm gonna find him or the *zho tou* that's using his image."
"Wrong."
"Cap'n, Mal, don't think-"
"Wrong, WE're going to find out."
"I concur. We will."
"You!"
"It is a public tavern."
"I told you if I saw you again I'd kill you."
"Then you wouldn't be able to find your friend" (shifts eyes) "your
husband."
<Click.> "I don't think you are wearing invisible body armor under your
chin."
"Mrs. Washburne, . . . you can always kill me *after* you find husband, dead
or . . . alive. But I can help you find him."
"Why I should believe you?"
"Lady asks a good question, um, what is your name?"
"Number, because since our last ... encounter ... I've taken up my father's
calling. Number two, 'Daniel, Daniel Book'."
"Hunh."
SERENITY 3: THE REAL POWER IN THE 'VERSE
We find out the Truth about River, Simon, the Folks In Blue, life, the
'verse and everything. And we find out the center can not hold. Let's just
say River's not alone and the secret to FTL drive is . . . well, not so neat
and clean. And all the rogue and renegade physicists who argue the solar
system with dozens of planets and hundreds of moons should not exist . . .
well, maybe they are not so looney after all.
-- Ken from Chicago
whodunit
SCENE 1: Zoom in tight on ZOE's side of her bed.
ZOE is asleep, murmuring in her sleep, her brow furrowed,
obviously in the throes of a nightmare. Flashes of the
battle with the Reavers intersperse with happy memories of her
beloved husband Wash.
Suddenly ZOE springs up, a gun she has pulled out from under
her pillows clutched tightly in her hands, panting with
sweat pouring off her forehead. Her eyes are wide as she
tries to
catch her breath.
Suddenly, she hears:
"SNORKKKKK!!!!!"
And a fast rustling movement next to her. She whips the gun
around to see and hear (as camera pulls back to view whole
bed):
WASH: <rubbing his eyes which widen at the sight of the gun>
"Bad dreams again, honey?"
To which Zoe responds with a huge bellow of relieved
laughter.
WASH: <puzzled>
"What it something I said?"
Scene resolves into the two hugging, kissing and ducking back
under the covers.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Problem solved. ;-)
I just love the "Dallas" solution, don't you?
Carolyne in TX
whodunit
Correction: "Was it something I said?"
J. Clarke
But in which episode does River wake up in a loony bin in Peoria and decide
that if that's life she'd rather be nuts?
> -- Ken from Chicago
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)
Ken from Chicago
"whodunit" <pill...@sbcworldly.net> wrote in message
news:lqY%e.8148$oO2....@newssvr27.news.prodigy.net...
> Ken from Chicago wrote:
>> <jorda...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:1128279980.6...@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
<snip>
<snip>
> Problem solved. ;-)
> I just love the "Dallas" solution, don't you?
>
> Carolyne in TX
The problem with the Dallas solution is what we DON'T get:
--We don't get the tracking thru the byways and back alleys of the star
system, the seamy underbelly that makes the mud planet of Canton look like
the the Taj Mahal
--We don't get Zoe, the second most moral person on the crew, after the
Shepard, make a slow descent battling her conscience and her desire to find
her husband and seeking revenge.
--We don't get to see Wash struggle against the madness and shock during
moments of lucidity at the results of his increasing moments of madness.
--And we don't get the tension of various stripes between Daniel Book, aka
The Operative, and Mal or "Dan" as Mal irritatingly likes to call him,
----between Dan and Zoe, who's struggling not beat the cap'n to the punch
and shoot him herself or beat him bloody to until he begs for death
----between Dan and Kaylee, because he's as equally refined as Simon and yet
not so hesistant, so brittle, so fragile,
----between Dan and Simon, who hates finery dressing up a psycho murderer
and totally nothing to do with the way Kaylee looks at him;
----between Dan and Inara, as one of the few people onboard who can match
her knowledge of the finer things, and could if worlds were different, could
be a companion in his own right.
----between Dan and Jayne, well, not so much tension, as they actually seem
to hit it off, as Dan is one of the few who shares Jayne's love of guns, and
admires Vera's, the care and maintenance Jayne has given her, and while he
prefers smaller, easier to hide firearms he does have his sword, tho he
hasn't given it a name, he thinks of it as an old friend, no, family.
----and between Dan and himself, his past, his dad, his beliefs in something
greater than himself, The Alliance, something he followed his dad, first
into the military and later as an Operative, and was confused and angry at
his father turning his back on it, furious at his ... betrayal ... only now
to understand, and to realize what was lost--and partly by his command. He
can't escape his own conscience in the still darkness of the night--now that
his God, the Alliance has been shown false. Even his new calling as an
initiate as a shepard, the path his father followed, he has doubts, doubts
that led him to beg off from taking his final vows.
Oh and we'd miss 'xplosions, things 'XPLODING real good.
-- Ken from Chicago
whodunit
post...oh, wait. You did. ;-)
Lots of good points there. Maybe some day we'll get to see them come to
pass.
Ken from Chicago
> Ken from Chicago wrote:
>> "whodunit" <pill...@sbcworldly.net> wrote in message
>> news:lqY%e.8148$oO2....@newssvr27.news.prodigy.net...
>>
<snip>
It worked for Spike who went from Big Bad to grudging ally and Lilah and
Lindsay. Both started out as major foes to Our Heroes only to end up allied
with them--some more than others.
-- Ken from Chicago
J. Clarke
That was some pretty intense grudging Spike and Buffy were doing behind the
Double Meat Palace.
> ally and Lilah and
> Lindsay. Both started out as major foes to Our Heroes only to end up
> allied with them--some more than others.
>
> -- Ken from Chicago
--
Dogstar
Yes, I thought that the Operative was well played by one of my
favourite English actors and just came off as a character with
poetential.
Plus swords are like totally cool.
I wonder if he will be questioning everything he has done for a better
world. every blood spilt in the name of a greater good. Could he find
solance in his broken faith.
Mayhaps the Abbey will be getting another lost and broken man sometime
soon.
______________________________________________________________________---
Sam Hutcheson
>I may be jumping the gun here, but I'd like to see resolution of a few
>more plot threads....
>
>The first flick solved the problem of who the Reavers are and what
>happened to them. It also answered the question of what, exactly, was
>wrong with River and appears to have fixed her (assuming her "I'm
>better now." is literal.)
>
>So what's left? Well, without introducing any new plot threads we still
>don't know what's the deal with Blue Sun. The dudes with the blue
>gloves don't appear in the first flick at all and they struck me as
>being way more dangerous than the Operative. So who do they work for?
the hands-of-blue gentlemen worked for blue sun / the alliance, and
they are dead. they were killed in the third of the three comics that
bridge the gap from /objects in space/ and /serenity./
s/
*****
"Charlie Kaufman's movies have been great science fiction, but without
being completely open and accessible to the mainstream audience.
Joss Whedon is not as artistically edgy, but is every bit as inventive,
and he has the common touch. Like Shakespeare, he doesn't have to show
off to prove himself an artist, he only has to tell the story his way,
and the art takes care of itself." Orson Scott Card on /Serenity/
nfway
thisisno...@bellsouth.net says...
more than just those two. I'd hope River is expressing fear of a small
army of blue-gloved guys coming at her 2x2, rather than just 2 of them
in the whole 'verse. If she's that afraid that she's willing to sedate
herself into oblivion rather than feel what they'd do to her, over just
2 guys wearing platex gloves, then her statement to Kaylee about no
power in the 'verse being able to stand against her, was bravado
innappropriate from someone with a scrambled brain.
There's probably a enough blue-hand guys to justify a warehouse of
playtex gloves.
--
"Whip me, beat me, make me read the 'Net"
Sam Hutcheson
>> the hands-of-blue gentlemen worked for blue sun / the alliance, and
>> they are dead. they were killed in the third of the three comics that
>> bridge the gap from /objects in space/ and /serenity./
>>
>> s/
>but weren't only 2 blue sun guys killed in the comics? surely there are
>more than just those two. I'd hope River is expressing fear of a small
>army of blue-gloved guys coming at her 2x2, rather than just 2 of them
>in the whole 'verse. If she's that afraid that she's willing to sedate
>herself into oblivion rather than feel what they'd do to her, over just
>2 guys wearing platex gloves, then her statement to Kaylee about no
>power in the 'verse being able to stand against her, was bravado
>innappropriate from someone with a scrambled brain.
>
>There's probably a enough blue-hand guys to justify a warehouse of
>playtex gloves.
you're probably right about the existence of more blue sun blue-handed
operatives, but the two from the series are dead.
also, i don't think it's unreasonable for river to be batshit afraid
of the blue-hands and not blink at a boatload of reavers. the
blue-hands are the men who, assumedly, hurt her. repeatedly. she
would internalize more fear of her torturers than she would other bad
guys. the terror of the blue-hands was one of the reasons she
couldn't get past her schizophrenic episodes, i'd guess. that's also
why mal killed them, rather then her.
that, or joss just wanted a less sci-fi, more human villian for the
film.
Dale Hicks
says...
> > they are dead. they were killed in the third of the three comics that
> > bridge the gap from /objects in space/ and /serenity./
> but weren't only 2 blue sun guys killed in the comics? surely there are
> more than just those two.
The quote from the comic is "Our independent contractors have
disappeared". Which really strongly implies that the entire cadre of
blue hands guys have disappeared, since he didn't say "Our independent
contractors lost a couple of agents, and have been very useless in
tracking our quarry".
Apparently the "two by two hands of blue" thing, while seeming
infinitely conspiratorial and spooky to us, was just a one-off comment
that Joss added to the pilot in order to satiate TPTB. Something that
he seems to regret (evidenced by him casting it away so easily).
He told the movie about the Operative following the Jubal episode.
Apparently he likes more "hands dirty" guys to spooky magic stick
weilding guys.
--
Cranial Crusader dgh 1138 at bell south point net
Sam Hutcheson
wrote:
bad guys should be human. the hands-of-blue guys were too, um, buffy.
in fact, i'm pretty sure one of them was the lead "gentleman" on the
silent episode of buffy. regardless, they were too otherworldly to
really fit in the dirt and grime of the 'verse.
nfway
thisisno...@bellsouth.net says...
also for the sequel (as far as I'm concerned, there will be one - no
maybees) maybe we've seen enough contrived camera angle shots of River's
feet? Not that I have anything against them (nor would I object to
anyone holding them against me) but I think we understand that Summer is
a dancer; that Summer bends and walks as if she's dancing ballet rather
than just stomping around. Its time to explore some other camera angles
and scenes that might not feature River's bare feet. There are other
parts of Summer's anatomy that would be equally acceptable bared. ;)
Joss has to get over his Summer-foot-fetish.
nfway
thisisno...@bellsouth.net says...
I thought that guy looked familiar too; maybe it would have worked
better if Summer made some non-verbal hadn gestures like Buffy did in
that episode.
> regardless, they were too otherworldly to
> really fit in the dirt and grime of the 'verse.
>
> s/
>
> *****
>
> "Charlie Kaufman's movies have been great science fiction, but without
> being completely open and accessible to the mainstream audience.
>
> Joss Whedon is not as artistically edgy, but is every bit as inventive,
> and he has the common touch. Like Shakespeare, he doesn't have to show
> off to prove himself an artist, he only has to tell the story his way,
> and the art takes care of itself." Orson Scott Card on /Serenity/
>
--
Commodore LXIV
"nfway" <m...@here.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1dacfa113...@news.giganews.com...
If Simon hadnt correctly interpreted her comment about her belly
to mean the belly of the ship... they probably would have gotten
in and retrieved River.
Ken from Chicago
<snip>
> also for the sequel (as far as I'm concerned, there will be one - no
> maybees) maybe we've seen enough contrived camera angle shots of River's
> feet? Not that I have anything against them (nor would I object to
> anyone holding them against me) but I think we understand that Summer is
> a dancer; that Summer bends and walks as if she's dancing ballet rather
> than just stomping around. Its time to explore some other camera angles
> and scenes that might not feature River's bare feet. There are other
> parts of Summer's anatomy that would be equally acceptable bared. ;)
>
> Joss has to get over his Summer-foot-fetish.
>
> --
>
> "Whip me, beat me, make me read the 'Net"
There is her long flowing silky ravenous hair, blowing in the breeze or
soaked with perspiration from killing a room full of reavers or knocking
around a few bar patrons.
-- Ken from Chicago
J. Clarke
>
> "nfway" <m...@here.com> wrote in message
> news:MPG.1dadf0696...@news.giganews.com...
>
> <snip>
>
>> also for the sequel (as far as I'm concerned, there will be one - no
>> maybees) maybe we've seen enough contrived camera angle shots of River's
>> feet? Not that I have anything against them (nor would I object to
>> anyone holding them against me) but I think we understand that Summer is
>> a dancer; that Summer bends and walks as if she's dancing ballet rather
>> than just stomping around. Its time to explore some other camera angles
>> and scenes that might not feature River's bare feet. There are other
>> parts of Summer's anatomy that would be equally acceptable bared. ;)
>>
>> Joss has to get over his Summer-foot-fetish.
>>
>> --
>>
>> "Whip me, beat me, make me read the 'Net"
>
> There is her long flowing silky ravenous hair
Her hair is hungry? I missed that part. Would explain much.
> , blowing in the breeze or
> soaked with perspiration from killing a room full of reavers or knocking
> around a few bar patrons.
>
> -- Ken from Chicago
--
nfway
kwicker1...@comcast.net says...
her crushing the good-but stupid crew members' members.
nfway
jclarke...@snet.net.invalid says...
Ken from Chicago
"raven-ous" as in like a raven not "rave-nous", as in raving for food.
-- Ken from Chicago