|
Post by TechnoSlut on Jun 14, 2004 12:39:37 GMT -5
Written by: Joss Whedon Directed by: Joss Whedon Air date: 12/20/02
After taking aboard a group of passengers bound for another planet, the crew of the spaceship Serenity encounters lawmen, double-dealers and savages as they attempt to rid themselves of precious - but easily traceable - cargo salvaged from a wrecked vessel adrift in space.
|
|
|
Post by raenstorm on Jun 21, 2004 15:10:55 GMT -5
*ahem* Ok, Erin asked how we should handle the "two parts" of tonight's viewing. For those who don't realize, Serenity isn't actually split into two parts even though it is labeled that way. I honestly didn't even think about it since my real goal in making this week and next week the viewing dates for this episode were just to ensure that those still gone on travel for S'cubiefest wouldn't miss out on the opportunity to watch the next episode with us. Ok, decision has been made. Here's the plan: We're watching Serenity halfway through tonight and finishing up next week. Mal's, "Huh" is our stopping point.
|
|
|
Post by Nan-S'cubie Mascot on Jun 21, 2004 17:11:27 GMT -5
I'm here. I watched read all of Serenity and found the STOP marker of Mal's "Huh" at discovering River. Have I found the right place for discussion and why is nobody else here, discussing?
|
|
|
Post by Sara on Jun 21, 2004 17:12:25 GMT -5
I'm here. I watched read all of Serenity and found the STOP marker of Mal's "Huh" at discovering River. Have I found the right place for discussion and why is nobody else here, discussing? Exactly what I was just wondering.
|
|
|
Post by Nan-S'cubie Mascot on Jun 21, 2004 17:13:38 GMT -5
Exactly what I was just wondering. Hi, Sara. How's by you at the moment (nobody else here, so do I HAVE to be on topic?)?
|
|
|
Post by Sara on Jun 21, 2004 17:17:03 GMT -5
Hi, Sara. How's by you at the moment (nobody else here, so do I HAVE to be on topic?)? Not too bad. I've had dinner, I've got "Serenity" on the t.v., and I've written down some actual words for my review of this episode. Things could definitely be worse. How 'bout by you?
|
|
|
Post by Nan-S'cubie Mascot on Jun 21, 2004 17:19:46 GMT -5
Well, I can start.
Zoe has hung onto her role as Mal's subordinate from the battle of Serenity (is that the right name)? It's not clear when she hitched up with Wash, but Wash is jealous of her relationship with Mal, sexless though it apparently is. It's *strong,* and Zoe will follow it whether Wash likes it or not. She's "career military" and is Mal's supporter first, Wash's wife second. However it's not clear how Mal views this, or if he takes it for granted and doesn't think about it at all. Zoe's simply there when he needs her, and it's one less thing he has to worry about. It seems they trust one another unconditionally (*very* unlike Mal's relationship with Jayne or even Wash himself, since Mal is also a pilot).
Is that a start?
|
|
|
Post by Nan-S'cubie Mascot on Jun 21, 2004 17:20:22 GMT -5
Not too bad. I've had dinner, I've got "Serenity" on the t.v., and I've written down some actual words for my review of this episode. Things could definitely be worse. How 'bout by you? I've taken my meds (so to speak). I'm fine.
|
|
|
Post by Sara on Jun 21, 2004 17:28:32 GMT -5
Well, I can start. Zoe has hung onto her role as Mal's subordinate from the battle of Serenity (is that the right name)? It's not clear when she hitched up with Wash, but Wash is jealous of her relationship with Mal, sexless though it apparently is. It's *strong,* and Zoe will follow it whether Wash likes it or not. She's "career military" and is Mal's supporter first, Wash's wife second. However it's not clear how Mal views this, or if he takes it for granted and doesn't think about it at all. Zoe's simply there when he needs her, and it's one less thing he has to worry about. It seems they trust one another unconditionally (*very* unlike Mal's relationship with Jayne or even Wash himself, since Mal is also a pilot). Is that a start? That's definitely a start. I'd say Mal takes their bond for granted and never gives it a second thought. And I really did not need to see the vendor selling dogs. Just thought I'd share.
|
|
|
Post by Nan-S'cubie Mascot on Jun 21, 2004 17:30:39 GMT -5
That's definitely a start. I'd say Mal takes their bond for granted and never gives it a second thought. And I really did not need to see the vendor selling dogs. Just thought I'd share. Are the dogs part of the (unexplained) Chinese motif? I understand plump young pups (rather than adult dogs) are/were items on the human menu there (don't know if this is current or bygone practice, or merely a canard. Do you?)
|
|
|
Post by Sara on Jun 21, 2004 17:38:46 GMT -5
Are the dogs part of the (unexplained) Chinese motif? I understand plump young pups (rather than adult dogs) are/were items on the human menu there (don't know if this is current or bygone practice, or merely a canard. Do you?) I presume they are part of the Chinese motif--I have no idea if it is/was a dining practice in China. As to why the Chinese motif at all, it was explained on the old Firefly site thusly according to the excellent Firefly timeline: The United States and China, the two great superpowers of the Earth, gradually grow together (from 2004-2459) and form the Anglo-Sino Alliance, rather than killing each other as originally predicted. Over time, American and Chinese culture meld together to the point that English and Mandarin even become integrated languages.
[Firefly website. In an interview on the site, series creator Joss Whedon explained that this was his contextual justification for including Chinese dialogue in the series, and this history is implicit in the design of the Alliance flag, a combination of the present-day flags of the two countries in question. Although the characters we see over the course of the series speak primarily in English, with the occasional Manadarin interjection, one can presume that at least some of their contemporaries prefer the reverse.]If anyone's interested, you can check out the timeline here: www.mts.net/~arphaxad/firefly.html I think it's a terrific and comprehensive resource that fills in some gaps very nicely.
|
|
|
Post by Nan-S'cubie Mascot on Jun 21, 2004 17:39:06 GMT -5
I'd say that Dobson, the Alliance agent, is the least successful thing in part one: he's an unadorned baddie, with no complexifying although we see him up close and personal, as it were--unlike the Reavers. However, so much is going on in this (half)ep, with so many characters at odds and to keep track of, maybe it was felt we needed a really simple baddie to make the sides sort out so we could follow them.
Through Dobson's shooting Kaylee, we realize that just about everybody (except Jayne, perhaps) is genuinely fond of Kaylee, and Mal calls her "little sister" in Chinese. We find that Jayne is out for himself and corruptable for the right price. We find out Book knows something about medicine and that Simon is extremely protective of his sister. So Dobson *does* serve to sort the sides out...I'm just not sure that's enough to justify the character. He's too much a function of the plot, not enough of a character in his own right (as the Master is, for instance).
Any thoughts about Dobson?
|
|
|
Post by Julia, wrought iron-y on Jun 21, 2004 17:41:29 GMT -5
Are the dogs part of the (unexplained) Chinese motif? I understand plump young pups (rather than adult dogs) are/were items on the human menu there (don't know if this is current or bygone practice, or merely a canard. Do you?) I think in some parts of southern China dogs were a food item, and may still be- this is the same parrt of China where tree civets were sold as food up until the SARS virus. It's true, however, that "dog-eater" is one of those species-wide human insults, so the feeling that it is a canard instead is well founded. I'd be discussing but I watched Serenity all in a chunk and didn't take notes so I'm out of sequence with events. However, what struck me most strongly from the in-port scenes was Kaylee's approach to Book: she noticies him, and analyses his behavior, and makes a connection with him based on what she sees which turns out, over all, to be a good thing for the Serenity, passengers and crew. But who brings the bad guy aboard? Julia, not a lot of abservational powers after the party
|
|
|
Post by Queen E on Jun 21, 2004 17:47:14 GMT -5
I'd say that Dobson, the Alliance agent, is the least successful thing in part one: he's an unadorned baddie, with no complexifying although we see him up close and personal, as it were--unlike the Reavers. However, so much is going on in this (half)ep, with so many characters at odds and to keep track of, maybe it was felt we needed a really simple baddie to make the sides sort out so we could follow them. Through Dobson's shooting Kaylee, we realize that just about everybody (except Jayne, perhaps) is genuinely fond of Kaylee, and Mal calls her "little sister" in Chinese. We find that Jayne is out for himself and corruptable for the right price. We find out Book knows something about medicine and that Simon is extremely protective of his sister. So Dobson *does* serve to sort the sides out...I'm just not sure that's enough to justify the character. He's too much a function of the plot, not enough of a character in his own right (as the Master is, for instance). Any thoughts about Dobson? Actually, my thoughts were of Kaylee. I think that Kaylee is a little bit of a soft spot for Jayne, as will see him watching and worrying later on in the episode.
|
|
|
Post by Nan-S'cubie Mascot on Jun 21, 2004 17:48:05 GMT -5
I presume they are part of the Chinese motif--I have no idea if it is/was a dining practice in China. As to why the Chinese motif at all, it was explained on the old Firefly site thusly according to the excellent Firefly timeline: The United States and China, the two great superpowers of the Earth, gradually grow together (from 2004-2459) and form the Anglo-Sino Alliance, rather than killing each other as originally predicted. Over time, American and Chinese culture meld together to the point that English and Mandarin even become integrated languages.
[Firefly website. In an interview on the site, series creator Joss Whedon explained that this was his contextual justification for including Chinese dialogue in the series, and this history is implicit in the design of the Alliance flag, a combination of the present-day flags of the two countries in question. Although the characters we see over the course of the series speak primarily in English, with the occasional Manadarin interjection, one can presume that at least some of their contemporaries prefer the reverse.]If anyone's interested, you can check out the timeline here: www.mts.net/~arphaxad/firefly.html I think it's a terrific and comprehensive resource that fills in some gaps very nicely. Thanks for that resource, Sara. I hadn't read up on Firefly's backstory and have never actually seen the pilot: only read it, tonight. So a lot of the nuances undoubtedly escape me.
|
|