Firefly Marathon #9: Ariel

Since when did Firefly become a medical drama?

The crew are travelling to Ariel, a technologically advanced core planet, so Inara can undergo her compulsory annual medical examination. During the journey, River unexpectedly slashes Jayne with a knife. Not long afterwards, Simon proposes that the crew help him break into the local hospital so he can determine what the Alliance did to his sister. The job comes with the additional task of stealing surplus medicines which would fetch a great price on the frontier planets. However, Mal is wary that Jayne may try and get even during the job.

Okay, so stealing from a hospital doesn't sound like the most noble goal (that's the government's job). And it is definitely a shift in aesthetic. But does that make it a bad episode? Not at all. It's actually nice to see the crew come out on top for a change. It's especially cool to see Simon acting like he belongs in what was once his natural environment. It also provides a greater focus on the the relationship between Jayne and the Tams, whom Jayne has been antagonistic and hostile towards since the beginning of the series.

I think my favourite joke is actually a minor one; while Kaylee and Wash are salvaging parts to restore an old ambulance, they find a compression coil amongst the scrapheaps. The same part which served as an important plot device in the previous episode, now gets casually thrown away.

Speaking of continuity, we have the return of "The Hands of Blue" from "The Train Job". After Simon, River, and Jayne are ambushed and arrested, these two men in suits arrive to collect River. However, they're also tasked with eliminating anybody who has had contact with here, even if they're Alliance personnel. And elimination involves showing them a blue light which causes them to hemorrhage to death.

This one is definitely a departure from the typical Wild West-style frontier setting, but it's still a good episode with a good twist.

Firefly Marathon #8: Out of Gas

After two comedic episodes, we've got a more dramatic one today. It's also presented in an unusual order.

The episode opens in medias res, with an injured Mal collapsed in the cargo bay of the deserted Serenity drifting aimlessly through deep space. Through flashbacks, it's revealed that the ship's compression coil blew (something which Kaylee nagged Mal about in the pilot episodes), knocking out the engines. To make matters worse, the ensuing explosion had knocked out the auxiliary power (including the life support), while a fire had used up most of the remaining oxygen. With no other options, Mal sends the rest of the crew away in Serenity's two shuttles while he remains aboard in case somebody picks up the distress signal.

As stated above, the events of this episode are not shown in chronological order. We switch between a wounded Mal trying to repair the ship in the present, and the crew trying to deal with their troubles in the near-past. The episode is also interspersed with other flashbacks showing how Mal and Zoe obtained Serenity and recruited the rest of the crew. However, the story still flows, as the three different time-frames transition seamlessly.

I think my favourite flashback is how Mal first met Kaylee. Bester, the previous mechanic who was hired around the same time as Wash, is not the most competent person around. While the ship is grounded, Mal finds Bester in the engine room having sex with Kaylee. After Kaylee fixes an problem she noticed during the sex which Bester didn't notice while he was actually working, Mal hires her on the spot. Bester's expression when he realises he's been fired is priceless.

Speaking of Kaylee, seeing her depressed over her inability to fix the engine is absolutely heart-wrenching. There's also the fact that Zoe was incapacitated by the explosion, which has an effect on Wash. Mal has to physically threaten him to get him back to work. This episode is probably has most of the characters at their bleakest. That said, it does result in two moments of black comedy: the first is when Jayne (of all people) acts as a voice of reason, by chastising Mal and Wash for having a loud argument because it's using up the oxygen. The other is when River tries to comfort Book by saying they're not going to suffocate; they'll freeze to death first.

While it may be sudden shift in tone from the previous episode, it's nonetheless a strong one. Joss Whedon himself has even gone on record saying that it was one of his favourite projects he'd ever worked on. It's a poignant story, which shows us all how we got here.

Firefly Marathon #7: Jaynestown

This is probably one of the funniest episodes of Firefly, and is also one of my personal favourites.

During a smuggling run, Jayne is anxious when the crew are due to collect goods from Canton, a company town he'd pulled off a heist in four years earlier. To the surprise of the crew, they discover that Jayne is hailed as a hero by the "mudders", Canton's community of labourers who toil in the world's clay pits. Which includes a statue of him in the town square, and a folk song depicting him as a Robin Hood figure. Mal tries devising a plan to move the contraband they've come to collect by using the people's hero worship as a diversion. Meanwhile, word of Jayne's return reaches Magistrate Higgins - whom Jayne had robbed on his previous visit - and he plans to get even while also hiring Inara to sleep with his son, Fess.

The notion of an amoral mercenary like Jayne being hailed as a hero is just hilarious. It's also nice to give him some depth. He's intially reluctant to draw attention to himself, especially as he's recognised by some of the mudders, but he does warm up to the idea when he gets special treatment like the local saloon's finest whiskey. He actually gets teary-eyed and emotional when he learns that the mudders rioted after the Magistrate tried to take the statue down, and even expresses doubts about using his status for Mal's plan. The whole scenario is similar to concepts explored in Unforgiven, about how myths surrounding people often emerge from more complicated truths. This gets discussed deeply near the end of the episode, so I won't spoil it here.

In a subplot, Book volunteers to look after River as Simon joins the crew on their adventure (growing closer to Kaylee in the process). There's a brief discussion about the concept of faith after River tries to "fix" the bible, but a funnier moment occurs when River discovers Book's Einstein-style hair (which he normally keeps in a tight bun). She ends up hiding in the smuggler's compartment, and the normally stoic Zoe can't help but crack up over it. While that moment is hilarious, it doesn't seem to add much to the main story.

I think my favourite moment has to be a discussion between Inara and Fess. When Fess mentions he's due to attend the hearing of a Robin Hood figure who crossed his father, she assumes he's talking about Mal. She begins speaking of how she knows this man and his sense of honour. When Fess interrupts by asking if she really knows Jayne, her expression is priceless. The musical build-up during her monologue even abruptly stops.

That song is great too.

Firefly Marathon #6: Our Mrs. Reynolds

This is one of the more comedic episodes of Firefly.

After ridding a frontier town of a bandit problem, Serenity's crew are hailed as heroes by the townspeople and a celebration is thrown in their honour. When they leave the following morning, Mal discovers a stowaway; a young woman named Saffron, whom he'd unwittingly married the previous night. Unfortunately, one of the bandits they'd killed was the nephew of a prominent government official, preventing them from taking her back.

The first half of the episode is mostly comprised of comedic misunderstandings. The bulk of these stem from Mal trying to respect Saffron as a person, but her sheltered upbringing makes her all too eager to be a subservient housewife. This rubs off on the rest of the crew in various ways: it causes Wash and Zoe to argue; Inara becomes jealous, alluding to her suppressed romantic feelings for Mal; Book lectures Mal on "the special Hell" if he takes advantage of Saffron; Jayne wants Saffron for himself, even offering Mal his favourite gun (Vera) in trade.

Now, this kind of humour wouldn't carry an episode. Fortunately, it doesn't have to; the second half reveals that Saffron's naivete and subservience is merely a facade, and she has more nefarious plans for the crew. Even in the perilous moments, there is still some hilarious conversations. Plus another example of Book's "forbidden knowledge".

Just to recap on Book: he's proficient in hand-to-hand combat; he knows of Adelei Niska's infamous reputation; he can get medical treatment from the Alliance with no questions asked; now he seems to know about some of the hardware used by chop shop gangs in space (and it's not pleasant). Yeah, not the kind of things you'd get to know when sequestered in a monastery.

One notable absence is River. She's still on the ship, and appears in the background, but she doesn't have any lines. Although I have read that there was a scene where she asks Book to marry her to Simon, and she later hints at Saffron's true nature. Unfortunately, these scenes had to be cut due to time constraints.

Overall, the first half mostly plays like a romantic comedy (which may not be everybody's thing), but there's still a good perilous situation in the second act.

Firefly Marathon #5: Safe

Yep, it's the one with that famous line.

Following the events of the previous episode, Serenity has arrived on a backwater colony with Sir Warwick Harrow's cargo; a herd of cattle. Simon and River are sent to the nearby town, where they get abducted by settlers from a remote village. Meanwhile, Mal's business transaction is disrupted when a posse shows up to arrest their buyers. A gunfight breaks out, during which Shepherd Book is seriously wounded. With Simon missing, he's forced to seek medical aid elsewhere.

Again, this one is a tense one, with Mal forced to seek help from the Alliance to treat Book, and their bureaucratic refusal to do so. Until Book asks them to scan his identity card. Yeah, I'm spoiling it, but it leaves more questions than it answers regarding Book's mysterious past.

This episode also gives Simon and River a day in the limelight. As River wanders off, she finds herself at a maypole dance. She's brought up to the stage, stares at the dancers for a moment as if she's processing what's happening, and is then happily dancing along with them. It's nice to see her enjoy herself (and for Summer Glau to show off her dancing talent). It's also revealed that she's psychic (although this was hinted at in the previous episode when she meets Badger). However, this causes trouble in the village they get taken to when she identifies the cause of a young girl's muteness without speaking to her, prompting them to label her as a witch. This also gives Simon a chance to develop, when he tries to protect her when the villagers decide to have her burned at the stake. He tries to talk them down, actually lays three of the villagers out, and is even willing to be burned with his sister.

To further focus the story on the Tams, the episode is interspersed with flashbacks to Simon and River's childhood, along with the life and career Simon gave up when he broke River out. It also shows his parents were oblivious (or possibly even complicit) to River's experimentation.

It wraps things up nicely, and also establishes Simon as a fully-fledged member of the crew.

Also, that's Zac Efron as a young Simon. Apparently this was his first role.

Firefly Marathon #4: Shindig

Today's episode shifts the tone from horror to costume drama. However, I consider this to be one of my favourite episodes.

The crew returns to Persephone (which they'd previously visited in the pilot episode) to re-supply, when Mal and Jayne are approached by Badger with a special job; a local aristocrat named Sir Warwick Harrow is struggling to obtain permits to move cargo off-world, and refuses to deal with Badger. Mal and Kaylee gain access to a ball which Sir Warwick is attending, and have to try and convince him to hand his cargo over to them. Coincidentally, Inara is attending the same ball with Atherton Wing, another aristocrat and regular customer who wishes to keep her on retainer. He also becomes jealous of Mal, who punches him when he insults Inara. Unfortunately, such an act is regarded as a challenge to a duel. And Atherton is a master duellist. And Badger invades Serenity so the rest of the crew can't intervene. However, the duel also offers an opportunity for Mal to work with Sir Warwick, who wasn't overly fond of Atherton.

This episode provides an excellent "fish out of water" story, while also exploring the...complicated relationship between Mal and Inara. It's suggested that there's meant to be some romantic tension between them, but they want to keep their relationship a professional one. Which means they spend most of the time bickering while Inara gives Mal a fencing lesson.

While our favourite captain and companion are the focus of the episode, we can't forget the rest of the crew. For example, Kaylee attends the ball wearing a frilly pink dress she'd coveted in a shop window earlier. Her attempt to mingle with a group of debutantes fails when they insult her dress, until an older gentleman masterfully insults the debutantes. We then find her at the centre of a group of gentlemen discussing spaceship engines. It's kind of touching, seeing Kaylee being courted for her practical knowledge rather than her looks or social status. Unlike the debutantes whom the gentleman sees as "useless people".

On top of that, you have the crew contemplating their options when Badger holds them hostage. Jayne, who has always treated Simon with hostility, actually seems eager when the doctor suggests taking them by surprise. It also gets one of my favourite laughs of the episode (well, one I can talk about without spoiling all the surprises) when Jayne suggests a diversion.

It's a good episode with a mix of jeopardy and humour, and the payoff is equally fantastic.

Firefly Marathon #3: Bushwhacked

Firefly's going all Ridley Scott on us today.

During some downtime, the crew stumbles across a derelict transport ship and decide to check in search of survivors (and valuables). They rescue a survivor and soon discover that the ship had been attacked by Reavers, feral humans said to have been driven mad by isolation. Unfortunately, they're halted by an Alliance cruiser who board Serenity in search of Simon and River.

This episode really plays up the horror atmosphere as the crew board the deserted ship. People seem to have left quickly, but there are no signs of any struggle and the lifeboat is said to have launched. It gives you a hope spot, but that gets dashed as it's discussed that the lifeboat wouldn't be able to hold everybody. A confined location like a spaceship is a pretty good setting for these kind of stories (which is partly why Alien worked so well). And the fact that there is no clear threat on board the ship plays up the the paranoia.

One thing I like about Firefly is that it doesn't use aliens. As savage and brutal as the Reavers are, it's established that they were once human. It avoids the typical science-fiction cliches while also exploring some of the worst things humans can be capable of. But the Reavers never actually appear. They're mentioned in the pilot episode, and the crew encounters a Reaver ship later on, but they escape. That time they were playing up fears of what the Reavers could do. This time around, we're looking at the aftermath of a Reaver attack, and the psychological effect it has on a survivor.

There is even more tension as the Alliance arrive, as Simon fears that Mal will hand him and River over (but it does surprise you and show how truly loyal Mal is to his crew). However, this does bring about one of the episode's funniest moments as the Alliance officer is interrogating Mal's crew but isn't getting anything useful from them: Inara answers her questions politely, Zoe is curt and belligerent, Wash enthusiastically raves about his marriage to Zoe, Kaylee rants about how Serenity's engines are superior to those of the Alliance ships, Jayne stares menacingly, and Book is vague.

If horror isn't your thing, this probably won't be your favourite episode. But it's still a good one.

Firefly Marathon #2: The Train Job

As I said yesterday, Fox weren't too happy about Firefly's original pilot episode, so we have a more action-packed one today.

Mal's crew is hired by a ruthless crime boss named Adelei Niska to steal a consignment of Alliance goods off a moving train. Eager to steal from the Alliance, Mal takes the job. Travelling as a passenger with Zoe, they break in to the baggage car and open the roof, allowing the goods to be airlifted out on Serenity. Unfortunately, they're surprised by an Alliance soldier who triggers a smoke trap. Jayne is wounded in the scuffle, while Mal and Zoe are left behind. While being detained at the station, they learn that the cargo they had stolen is actually a supply of medicine used to treat a degenerative disease which afflicts most of the townspeople.

Because this was written as another pilot episode, we're introduced to most of the main cast again. Instead of a battle scene, we open with Mal, Zoe, and Jayne sitting in a bar when another patron calls a toast to celebrate the anniversary of the end of the civil war between the Alliance and the Independants. Mal, who had fought for the Independants, goes to get another drink when the patron confronts him for his brown coat (a symbol of the Independants) and not joining in the toast. Mal cheerfully baits him, allowing his old war buddy Zoe to get the drop on the belligerent drunk. When the other patrons begin to stand, Jayne, who hadn't fought in the war, puts his feet up and wishes them look. And is later seen joining the fight for the fun of it.

One major difference is that they make Mal slightly more moral in this episode. Mal was quite ruthless in the previous one, threatening to kill Simon if he didn't treat Kaylee, and even planning on leaving him and River on Whitefall. Although he did eventually let them stay on board Serenity, realising that the crew could use a medic. That said, he gets his ruthless moments in this episode too; after learning about the cargo, Mal decides to return it to the local sheriff, but they're met by Niska's henchman, Crow. A shootout ensues in the cargo hold, and Crow is subdued. Mal gives him back the advance payment, and tells him to return it to Niska. When Crow threatens his life, Mal simply says "Darn" and kicks him into the engine intake. He then repeats his speech to one of Crow's goons, who cuts him off by agreeing. As sick as that sounds, it's probably one of the funniest moments in the episode. Either that or the part when Simon dopes Jayne after treating him so he can't take over the ship.

The episode also maintains some of the continuity of the previous one:

• Kaylee reminds Malcolm about trying to replace a compression coil, warning that it will cause them trouble if it blows.
• Shepherd Book, who previously demonstrated an unusual proficiency in hand-to-hand combat for a Christian preacher, also seems to know about ruthless crime lords like Adelei Niska

Furthermore, River has a moment where she raves about "Hands of Blue". The episode ends with two mysterious men in suits with blue gloves quizzing an Alliance officer about River's whereabouts.

All in all, it's pretty good.

Firefly Marathon #1: Serenity

"Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!"

To start the marathon, I'll look at the pilot episode, Serenity (not to be confused with the film of the same name). Presumably, this was a two-part episode, but most releases present it as a single feature-length one.

Like Star Wars, the show opens during a period of civil war. Sergeant Malcolm Reynolds and Corporal Zoe Alleyne are Independants fighting the Union of Allied Planets (The Alliance) until their defeat at the Battle of Serenity Valley. Six years later, Mal is the captain and owner of a tramp freighter named Serenity, with Zoe serving as his second-in-command. The rest of the crew include: Zoe's husband Wash, the ship's goofy pilot; Kaylee Frye, the overly optimistic mechanic; and Jayne Cobb, a crude and power-hungry mercenary. Also travelling with the crew is Inara Serra, a high-class escort known as a Companion who rents one of the shuttles on board Serenity.

Anyway, first part follows the crew as they loot cargo from a derelict, avoiding an Alliance cruiser in the process. On the planet Persephone, they attempt to deliver the cargo to their contact, a local crime boss named Badger. Unfortunately, Badger reneges on the deal because he doesn't like how Mal looks down on him and has seen an Alliance bulletin about a Firefly-class transport carrying stolen goods. Mal opts to take the goods to another associate named Patience on the frontier planet Whitefall. to supplement their income, they take on several passengers: an aloof doctor named Simon Tam, who has brought aboard a mysterious box; a wandering preacher (Shepherd) named Book; and a clumsy man called Dobson. However, they soon discover that these passengers aren't what they seem, and when Wash blocks a call to the alliance, they discover a mole on board.

This portion of the episode tries to build up that Simon is the mole. Since the opening credits give things away, I might as well spoil it. Dobson is revealed to be an Alliance agent, and he's after Simon rather than Mal. When Kaylee is shot during the confrontation, Book subdues Dobson and they're forced to flee the Alliance when Simon refuses to treat Kaylee if he hands them over. The crew then discover that Simon has been transporting his younger sister River, a teenage prodigy whom he had broken out of an Alliance research facility.

Anyway, the second part mostly deals with the aftermath of this while the crew still travel to Whitefall to meet with Patience. En route, they encounter a passing ship crewed by Reavers. It creates a tense scene as they're unsure whether or not the Reavers will attack, and you can feel the terror the crew are feeling as they discuss it. There's also a good source of tension as Simon tries to keep Kaylee alive to avoid being killed himself (which comes brings with it a comedic payoff).

Upon arriving at Whitefall, the episode piles on the jeopardy as Patience tries to backstab Mal and Zoe, Dobson escapes from his restraints and captures River, and the Reaver ship turns around to follow Serenity.

Overall, it's a pretty good pilot episode. It establishes the main characters really well, and you can sympathise with their plights even if they're not the most heroic people around. My favourite moment (other than the payoff to Simon's struggle) is probably Wash's introduction shown by the image. Sure, he's goofy when he's playing with plastic dinosaurs, but when the Reaver ship chases Serenity he becomes calmer and more collected than anyone else on the crew.

Unfortunately, Fox weren't too happy with the pilot episode (except for the payoff to Simon's struggle) and asked for something more action-packed. I'll look at that one tomorrow.

Firefly Marathon

Well, I've handed in all my January assignments now. Since I have a bit of breathing space, I figured that I'd do another review marathon. I've already looked at a long running film series and a longer-running comic series, so this time I'd like to look at a shorter-running TV series.

I've previously stated on this blog that Firefly is one of my favourite shows of all time. I love the imagination behind the world they created, along with the great dynamic between the characters. And with the current politcal climate, the show's theme of independance is one that appeals to me both in real life and in my writing. I'd love to jump into a Firefly and drift the space lanes to live away from the government, even though I'm really not prepared for the hardships which come with it.

Over the next few days, I figured that I'd watch through each episode and give my views on them. I'll try and keep my spoilers to a minimum, but I may not always be able to help that.

Anyway, I'll post my first review later today.

New Year, New Plans

It's 2020. Happy New Year. No, I don't have resolutions. You can't break promises if you didn't make them to begin with.

That said, something I would like to do is try and get more people interested in the Savage Worlds roleplaying system. This isn't necessarily a resolution, as it's more of an ongoing thing.

Back in Freshers' Week, I was manning the stands for the university's Game Society. During this time, I was approched by the owner of a board gaming cafe which caters to the tabletop roleplaying game community, who asked if I wanted to run a weekly game there. Seeing an opportunity to expand my player-base to "public" games as well as Society-exclusive ones, I accepted. Unfortunately, I didn't get any players, so I discontinued my sessions.

I put this down to a need to promote things a little more, combined with existing brand loyalties. The bulk of games running at the venue were predominantly using 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons (5e), which seems to be the most ubiquitous system at the moment. Those games were also mainly sword-and-sorcery fantasy. I was told another person who was running a science fiction game had trouble getting players.

Another major issue was character creation. I lost four potential players at my first session because they were put off by the character creation mechanics of Savage Worlds. I think the main issue is that Dungeons & Dragons uses set classes, whereas Savage Worlds doesn't. While this allows more freedom and versatility, I can see why it would scare some people away.

With this in mind, I've been looking at running tutorials for new players, especially those who are accustomed to 5e. While this would mean running a simple D&D-style fantasy setting, it's as simple as saying "Tell me your race and class, and I'll talk you through it from there".

Fingers crossed I get some takers.

Happy writing.