Firefly Reflection: Episode Five

Stick a varied cast of characters with a varied set of professions on one spaceship. Watch what happens. Firefly is heavily character-driven, and at this point it comes as no surprise that I love that. As I have gotten further into the series, my focus has begun to change from Mal and Inara to the other characters. Each has his job, his personality, and his own set of problems. This episode, "Safe", honed in on Shepherd Book and Simon, the young doctor, characters who have as yet remained relatively unexplored. I enjoyed the episode, and found it quite entertaining.

Shepherd Book was critically injured during a shootout between outlaws who had bought Mal's cattle and the local planetary law enforcement. Simultaneously, Simon and River were kidnapped by locals because of their desperation for a doctor. As the siblings struggle, we see flashbacks to his childhood with River, and to his distress when he realized she was being tortured at her school. In these flashbacks we see the change in River, and how she began to get better once she was in the village. It is amazing how much more sane she seemed to be. Even then, though, River was still able to see into others' minds. Because of this, the townspeople deem her a witch, and she is sentenced to be burnt at the stake.

During this time, the ship is in crisis mode. Due to Simon's absence on Serenity, Mal was forced to bring Shepherd Book to an Alliance ship's infirmary, risking their interference upon Serenity and among his crew. It seems apparent that Book has some sort of Alliance connection, something that causes Mal concern and wonder.

This episode may be my favorite so far because of the theme of sacrifice, and the true agape love that Simon displays for his sister. Through his flashbacks, we see that Simon became estranged from his family in order to save his sister. Not only did he sacrifice his family, but he also willingly became an outlaw for her sake. And once the townpeople sentence her to be burnt alive as a witch, Simon gives his life to die alongside hers.

Thankfully, the "big damn heroes" of Serenity swoop in at the last moment, saving the Tams from the very flames. I believe that this furthers my hypothesis about Mal: his name, "bad" in the Latin, is a contradiction. He is faithful to his crew. This faithfulness and sacrifice, on the parts of both Simon and Mal, made me emotional and brought home a very touching theme.

Firefly Reflection: Episode Four

"You have a strange sense of nobility, Captain. You'll lay a man out for implying I'm a whore but you keep calling me one to my face."

The focus of this episode is on Mal and Inara's relationship and interactions. Mal has continuously implied that Inara is simply a whore, and yet he fights a duel in an attempt to defend her honor. He secures much more than this. Because of this sword fight, Mal has the opportunity to communicate to Inara his respect for her, and to obtain the property he has been hired to scavenge.

The sexual tension between Mal and Inara is painfully obvious, leaving no room for subtlety. Rather than peacefully doing his job at a party and winning the property he sought, Mal lands a punch squarely in the jaw of the rich man (Atherton) who wanted Inara as his personal companion. This foolhardy action lands Mal at the mercy of Atherton's blade.

Accidentally accepting the challenged sword fight means that Mal has little time to hone his narrow knowledge of dueling. Inara, deeply worried about the captain, visits him secretly in the night to help him prepare. In a rare vulnerable moment, Mal begs Inara not to leave Serenity for Atherton. This moment is my favorite of the episode, because the hard and cocky shell that Mal has constructed for years is finally worn away by his fear and desire. He is honest, telling Inara that although he may not respect her job like Atherton does, he respects and sees her as a person.

During the duel, things look bad for Mal. Furthering the character and relational development of the episode, Inara offers herself to Atherton, promising to stay as his companion if only he spares Mal's life. Mal bares his metaphorical fangs and downs Atherton, winning the duel but refusing to kill him.

As the episode draws to a close, another tender moment seals this episode as a winner in the realm of character development. Inara and Mal sit together for wine, looking over their cargo of scavenged cattle. (Only in a space western would cows seem altogether fitting on a space ship!) Inara opens up to Mal a bit further. "I wasn't gonna stay, you know...Why would I want to leave Serenity?" "Why indeed?" They smile, things feel mushy, and the episode draws to a close.

Firefly Reflection: Episode Eight

I'm four episodes ahead tonight. Oops. After being assigned to watch episode eight for class, I chose to write my reflection immediately rather than waiting to enter it chronologically. So I'm skipping around a bit. Forgive me.

As far as entertainment goes, this episode was, as usual, great. I found the mixed storylines (many of the scenes were out of chronological order) and the recap of Serenity's history, as well as the threat of her eternal loss, to be relatively gripping. I say relatively because of course everything was alright in the end--it's a TV show. What more can we expect?

I believe that this episode discusses commitment, and does so with aplomb. Were the scenes strung together linearly, we would have seen Mal's journey with his ship, Serenity, in chronological order. From his "love at first sight" purchase of the broken, run down thing, to his firing of a mechanic in favor of the man's girlish lover and her talent, to his refusal to leave the ship's side, to his heroic last-ditch effort to save and protect her, Mal is dedicated. He will not give up, not if bullies or engine failure or a near-death wound try to make him.

I think that Mal's dedication and commitment to his ship are admirable, and present this theme or concept in practical, applicable terms. Once you make a promise, you keep it--you don't leave. It's that simple. Your life on the line, it is duty and responsibility that call you to stay true to your word and to those in your keeping.

I do not think that this episode moved the story arc forward, not really, but it certainly did further character development. Although Mal was labeled "bad" just a few episodes previously, he continues to prove himself and to earn my respect. I find his actions remarkable and praiseworthy, though his occupation still troubles me some. Because I am partial to the progression of character development, even at the cost of the storyline, I liked this episode quite a bit and would recommend it to others.

Firefly Reflection: Episode Three

"We're all running from something, I suppose." Inara to Simon

This episode focuses on a young man who was running from his own memories after he witnessed an attack by Reavers, people who have wandered the edges of space and become horribly gruesome rapists and murderers. After watching his family and thirteen others be brutalized and killed, his own mind turned on him. During this episode, his whole demeanor changes from that of a frightened child to a purely evil creature. He becomes the darkness and hatred that he was forced to witness.

I don't necessarily think that this concept parallels a modern issue, but it certainly presents an interesting psychological and perhaps even theological dilemma. Does exposure to evil and darkness somehow taint us? Some claim that violent video games can warp minds and turn children into killers who perpetrate school shootings. Whether or not this claim is accurate (evidence varies on the topic), it does seem clear that as Christians, we should use caution in choosing what we see and hear.

Tyler Joseph of the popular music group twenty one pilots commented on the topic on his Twitter account, saying, "Evil is really 'in' right now. I'm all for darkness. But a shred of hope is vital." As a follower of Christ, I can experience and learn about dark things, but I should not allow myself to be ensconced in those things. Some exposure to light, some hope in the darkness, must always be including in the media that I partake of. Thankfully, this show itself is not all dark and hopeless.

An interesting note that furthers the character development and plot is that River Tam clearly had a psychological or mental question with the man who became a Reaver. Her emotions were heavily connected to his and you could see pain, suffering, and fear in her reactions.

As far as entertainment value in this episode, I was holding my breath near the end. It built a lot of suspense and though it was not my favorite episode so far, it was very interesting.

Firefly Reflection: Episode Two

"Mal. 'Bad', in the Latin."

This comment from River, the gifted and tortured young girl stowing away aboard the Serenity, brought my focus during this episode to Captain Mal Reynolds and his moral character. Soon after River comments upon the meaning of his name, Mal tells the Pastor taking passage on the Serenity (Shepherd Book) that he has room for a pastor on his ship, but not for God. Although this statement does not signify the way Mal lives his life, it says a lot about his beliefs. Following this scene, Mal challenges the moral behavior of the ship's visiting prostitute--or "companion"--although he himself is a professional thief and outlaw. Does this mean that he has a moral compass, or that he's hypocritical? Time will tell. Early in the episode, Mal told Shepherd Book that he was allowing River and Simon Tam to stay aboard because it's "the right thing to do." Jayne, however, threatens this comment by telling Kaylee that Mal "has a move he ain't made yet" and that Mal is considering trading the Tams in for a profit. Again, this suggests that Mal is conniving and self-centered. But is he?

The newest character introduced in this episode was a man named Adelai Niska, a kingpin whose evil deeds make Mal look like a fairy godmother or some other benevolent creature. Was Niska's purpose to foil the viewer's increasing confusion about Mal's character? If so, Whedon certainly succeeded with this devilish man.

As it turns out, the evil Niska hired Mal and his crew to steal medicine that was on a train, bound for sick people who desperately needed it. Mal's response to learning this? "Son of a bitch." The man has a heart, folks! And that same heart chose to return the medicine to the needy people of Paradiso. I still can't speak for his ethics, but I like him and I hope this compassionate side continues.

A note: in terms of a "space western", jumping from a spaceship to a moving train is one heroic--and fitting--feat.

Firefly Reflection: Episode One

I've never watched Firefly before, but I found this pilot to be very entertaining. As Joss Whedon planned, it really is a western set in the context of science fiction. It’s fast paced, a little bit intense, and character-driven. I realized as the action grew more violent towards the end of the episode that I was very heavily invested in what was happening, and that I was truly worried about the characters. When I feel that way about a TV show, I know I like it.

Lately I have been considering the philosophical principle of utilitarianism, and so it’s not surprising to me that I found similar themes throughout the episode. The story of River Tam, the gifted girl who was tortured at a government school, was in my opinion the most riveting part of the episode. Her safety after running away from her tormentors was at great risk, but because she found refuge on the Firefly, the entire set of crew and passengers were also endangered. The “fed” or government mole, Dobson, wanted to get rid of her. The passengers and crew could have gone along with this idea, but instead chose to sacrifice themselves in order to save her life. Of course, this led to questions as I watched the episode. What would I have done? What is the right thing? In this instance, as well as others, I believe that the end never justifies the means, and that River’s life should have been protected at all costs. Thankfully, it was. I believe that, although it was subtle and not blatant, the discussion of the utilitarianism concept was well done.

Other areas of interest after this episode include seeing what will happen to the rest of the passengers. There were some very interesting moments surrounding the presence of a prostitute on the ship and her interactions with the other characters. I look forward to seeing how she will affect the captain and the reverend, as well as watching the rest of the passengers and crew interact and develop as characters.