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Post by TechnoSlut on Jun 14, 2004 12:35:58 GMT -5
Written by: Ben Edlund & Jose Molina
Directed by: Vern Gillum
Air date: Never Aired
Mal's "wife" Saffron resurfaces with a plan to steal a valuable gun from a collector, but the plan goes awry when the gun's owner turns out to be another of Saffron's former husbands.
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Post by Forgetful Rae on Sept 6, 2004 21:14:08 GMT -5
Durnit! I forgot it was Monday. My days are all curflewy this weekend. I watched this last week 'cuz I love it so but now I gotta rewatch if I wanna comment.
Will add my comments tomorrow night.
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Post by Queen E on Sept 6, 2004 22:45:44 GMT -5
Durnit! I forgot it was Monday. My days are all curflewy this weekend. I watched this last week 'cuz I love it so but now I gotta rewatch if I wanna comment. Will add my comments tomorrow night. Don't worry about it Rae; we're not doing a viewing this week because of Labor Day...so you're way ahead of the gang. |
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Post by Rachael on Sept 13, 2004 21:07:26 GMT -5
Huh. Well, whatever the theme was this week, I didn't get a great hold on it, but I'll wager it has something to do with nakedness. And also, how being naked doesn't bother Mal, maybe 'cause he's always kind of naked. . .as with the torture episode, what you see is what you get?
Naked Mal. . .getting a hold of naked Mal. . .where was I? Oh. Damn.
Also, the whole danged episode is about misdirection - you never know what you think you know. It starts with the teaser - "Yeah. That went well." We think Mal's being sarcastic, but really - he's dead on serious. It went well, from his point of view.
And then - after the fight with Inara, we think that she's driven him into the arms of another woman, and he's joined up with Saffron just to spite and hurt her, and to salve his wounded pride. But no. Inara's in on the caper from the beginning.
And THEN - Simon. We expect him to have Jayne all paralyzed so that he can threaten him. But no. He gives Jayne a lecture about trust and how he'll never harm him while he's under the knife. Not what we saw coming, at all.
And just when we're going, "Yeah, that makes sense; he's a doctor, after all", River pops back in with "Also? I can kill you with my brain." Which has GOT to scare the bejeezus out of Jayne.
Do we think that Simon was in on the threat? Does he know? And CAN River kill Jayne with her brain?
Fun stuff:
I just finally realized that I love Mal because he reminds me of Han Solo. And other reasons, but that association just managed to make it to the front of my brain. The whole scene in the beginning with his old smuggling buddy reminded me of a Han/Jabba thing from the original Star Wars.
Naked Mal.
GEISHA BOBBLEHEADS?
Zoë has a hell of a left cross. ;D Who didn't love seeing that?
Naked Mal.
"So. . .you guy's've met."
"Can't miss a place you've never been."
"Unlike the other. . .I'm gonna say hundreds. . .of men you've married. . . ."
"I appreciate your honesty. Not, you know, a lot, but. . . ."
"I hate to bring up our imminent arrest during your crazy time, but we gotta go."
Saffron: You must be loving this.
Mal: (shakes head no) Little bit. I seen you without your clothes on, but I never thought to see you naked.
And, of course, lest we forget - Naked Mal.
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Post by Lola m on Sept 13, 2004 21:11:26 GMT -5
My first thought was that this is a comic replay of Ariel – a parallel “funnier” version, if you will. Just look at it. It’s a primo job, stealing from the Alliance (in a way – an Alliance “big shot” according to YoSafBridge), brought to them by an outsider who was previously part of this world but is now an outlaw. We have fabulous scenes of plotting and action as the plan is carried out, including folks dressing up to play a part as a way “in” (florists instead of ambulance corps) and a discovery by the wrong people. And we have a double cross that happens during the job that complicates the escape. (Of course we actually have kind of a double double double cross here, but that’s ‘cuz it’s a funny ep. ) So it is very right and appropriate that we come full circle back to Ariel in this episode and have a “resolution” of sorts when Simon and River confront Jayne about his actions.
Other neat things:
* Nice little smutty lines between Saf and Mal after he searches her . . .rather closely. She says: “Missed a spot.” He says: “Can’t miss a place you never been.” **snicker, snicker**
* Mal is so sure that Inara is “using wiles” on him because he’s just finished having YoSafBridge try (and sort of succeed) to use wiles on him. Speaking of which, I love that we can just see her running through her bag of tricks trying each one out. First, just try to kill Mal. Then, try to lie to the current husband. Then, when she’s stranded, first try to be all girly and pouty and “aww, take me with”, then when that doesn’t work, she offers a job. Then, when that didn’t completely work, she must have sweetened the pot with the idea that the guy they would be stealing from is some evil Alliance guy. Plus, of course, now Mal is smarting from what Inara said (calling him a petty thief) and needs to prove that he’s better than the “wobbly headed doll caper”.
* One of my favorite lines: “Also. I can kill you with my brain.” Plus, I just love what Simon does with Jayne. All the creepy stuff about how he’s at Simon’s mercy while being doctored, and he’s strapped down and paralyzed, and then . . . “I will never ever harm you” and the very calm discussion about how they are in this together now and need to trust each other. Perfect. Just perfect.
* I was really enjoying watching the interplay between everyone when Inara comes in and they’re planning the job with YoSaffBridge. Inara just shows her contempt of YSB, who appears to be taking it all in stride, but I notice she keeps her eye on Inara. Kaylee looks a bit amused and sly, ‘cuz she can figure out all the relationship complexities and how they are playing out here. Wash just looks confused. Jayne is totally finding this funny (love how later he calls YSB the “blushin’ psychotic bride”) and Zoe is once again not very happy with this turn of events and a little disappointed in Mal. Practical enough to see that the job could be very profitable and so she’s gonna go along, but also smart enough to say “Inara’s not wrong” and to deck YSB.
Lola
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Post by Lola m on Sept 13, 2004 21:17:26 GMT -5
Huh. Well, whatever the theme was this week, I didn't get a great hold on it, but I'll wager it has something to do with nakedness. And also, how being naked doesn't bother Mal, maybe 'cause he's always kind of naked. . .as with the torture episode, what you see is what you get? Naked Mal. . .getting a hold of naked Mal. . .where was I? Oh. Damn. Oh. Was Mal nekkid? Gosh, how could I have missed that? ;D I love that the plan all along included Inara and pretty much counted on YoSaffBridge double crossing them. Love seeing our bumbling heroes not be so bumbling after all. Would scare the bejeezus out of me, that's for dang sure! ROTFLMAO! Yes! They're now the Wobbly-headed Doll Gang! Oh, and don't forget we got to see naked Mal. Wouldn't want to skip over that . . . . part.  Lola |
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Post by Rachael on Sept 13, 2004 21:35:25 GMT -5
My first thought was that this is a comic replay of Ariel – a parallel “funnier” version, if you will. Just look at it. It’s a primo job, stealing from the Alliance (in a way – an Alliance “big shot” according to YoSafBridge), brought to them by an outsider who was previously part of this world but is now an outlaw. We have fabulous scenes of plotting and action as the plan is carried out, including folks dressing up to play a part as a way “in” (florists instead of ambulance corps) and a discovery by the wrong people. And we have a double cross that happens during the job that complicates the escape. (Of course we actually have kind of a double double double cross here, but that’s ‘cuz it’s a funny ep. ) So it is very right and appropriate that we come full circle back to Ariel in this episode and have a “resolution” of sorts when Simon and River confront Jayne about his actions. Very cool observation, Lola! I woulda noticed it myself if I hadn't been so. . .distracted. . . . Oh, who am I kidding? I would never have noticed it myself.  But you're dead-on - it's a parallel to Ariel, and we're meant to notice it - hence the repeated references back to that episode. |
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Post by Lola m on Sept 13, 2004 22:13:49 GMT -5
Something else I'm left wondering after this ep. YoSafBridge says, in the shuttle after they've escaped from the cops: "I thought if I had everything, then I wouldn't want . . . "
Wouldn't want what? Wouldn't want more stuff? Wouldn't want the excitement of running scams? Wouldn't want a different life?
Lola
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Post by Lola m on Sept 13, 2004 22:15:07 GMT -5
Very cool observation, Lola! I woulda noticed it myself if I hadn't been so. . .distracted. . . . Oh, who am I kidding? I would never have noticed it myself. But you're dead-on - it's a parallel to Ariel, and we're meant to notice it - hence the repeated references back to that episode. Well, you had important nekkid Mal sightings to keep an eye out for. Of course you can't let anything else you away from that important duty.  Lola |
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Post by Rachael on Sept 13, 2004 22:45:09 GMT -5
Well, you had important nekkid Mal sightings to keep an eye out for. Of course you can't let anything else you away from that important duty. Lola Naturally not. |
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Post by William the Bloody on Sept 14, 2004 2:29:55 GMT -5
Folks,
I would just like to take a moment to remind you all that this episode never frikkin' aired on television. It was there...in the can.. a perfect "sequel" to one of the greatest episodes of anything on television: Our Mrs. Reynalds.
What the hell was FOX thinking? Does anyone get it? Not me. I truly, truly, soooo truly do not get how they didn't give this show a chance. I remember looking at hte ratings back then when it was under question. They weren't really that bad. As someone pointed out, they were somewhat better than X-Files were in their first season. The internet buzz on the show was jsut pumped! I do know that frequent "critics" ...from newspaper columns and the like seemed like they couldn't "get" the show...found hte "western in space" concept confusing... and I jsut kept going.. "Are you watching the show? At all? Like even two eps? pick any two from the first 5... did you watch them, cause if you did, you gotta "get it."
I have shown Firefly now to aobut 8 different folks (with a few more waiting in the wings, yet), a wide array of "tastes"... and every single one of them fell in love with it by two eps... and those werent even the best... I feel like the first 3 episodes were the weakest. Not bad at all, but the weakest. So I jsut love watching my test subject friends get more andmore involved.. them going: "There's more? Oh good..let's watch another....and another... and finally... "That's it? No more? But..but..but..."
Yes, my enjoyment is a perverse cruel thing...but somehow, it does make me feel better knowing... "It wasn't just me. This was hte good shit and management at FOX collectively are idiots."
Vlad
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Post by Nickim on Sept 14, 2004 16:29:38 GMT -5
I love this episode, it's so funny. I don't have much in the way of deep thoughts, but several funny lines: "That went well." "I shaved my beard for you." "Jayne's a girls name." "I keep trying to think of how you could be cruder, but it's just not coming." "Yosaffbridge." "Anybody there? Anybody else?" "I can kill you with my brain."
Loved how Simon seemed to be threatening Jayne, and then said he'd never hurt him, but you could tell Jayne wasn't sure.
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Post by Nickim on Sept 14, 2004 16:35:42 GMT -5
My first thought was that this is a comic replay of Ariel – a parallel “funnier” version, if you will. Just look at it. It’s a primo job, stealing from the Alliance (in a way – an Alliance “big shot” according to YoSafBridge), brought to them by an outsider who was previously part of this world but is now an outlaw. We have fabulous scenes of plotting and action as the plan is carried out, including folks dressing up to play a part as a way “in” (florists instead of ambulance corps) and a discovery by the wrong people. And we have a double cross that happens during the job that complicates the escape. (Of course we actually have kind of a double double double cross here, but that’s ‘cuz it’s a funny ep. ) So it is very right and appropriate that we come full circle back to Ariel in this episode and have a “resolution” of sorts when Simon and River confront Jayne about his actions. Lola Cool, Lola. |
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Post by Linda on Oct 14, 2004 6:20:04 GMT -5
Hi all! Wow, this post is over a month late. For some reason, I don't quite "get" this one. But still: fun, fun episode. Rachael, Lola & Nicki: I *really* like your insights (nekkid Mal) and comments on this episode (naked Mal). Oh, and the completion of Ariel's story arc thing, too -- *neat* catch, Lola. (Naked Mal.) I think there may be a theme (nekkid Mal), but for some reason, I can't concentrate enough to see it. (Naked Mal) Eeetah with Vlad on the ******* Fox network decisions. Well, OK, this is one thing that I noticed because of my "Aspect" obsession: I believe that YoSaffBridge could be considered, for this episode, Mal's inner criminal tendency. I don't believe that Mal is a criminal at heart, hence YoSaffBridge is not a permanent part of his crew. But when he does bring her on board after he ran into her again by chance, he made sure she was carefully boxed. He only let her out when he felt goaded by Inara's insult to his *petty* criminality. And note that in the end, she was once again boxed -- this time to be left off the ship with the rest of the trash. In this instance, for some reason, it was Inara who finally closed the lid. For the remainder of the series, Mal does not feel compelled to go after any criminal capers. (Although I don't believe he would turn away from any opportunity that presented itself.) One of the things that YoSaffBridge *did* do for Mal, I believe, was to help him get his mojo back. After all, this is the first episode to take place after his horrendous torture by Niska. Perhaps one of the reasons he chose the "wobbly-headed doll caper" was because he was not only avoiding the Alliance, but he was also avoiding Niska-like complications. Niska was the one, after all, who had hired him to carry out the first big criminal caper we saw in the series ( The Train Job) and who caught him as he was unloading the goods from his last *big* caper (from Ariel in War Stories). So out-smarting the Alliance guy as well as Saffron, with no organized crimelord anywhere in the picture, had to be confidence-boosting and reassuring at the least. There's so much more about YoSaffBridge that we don't yet know. For example, why does she feel compelled to marry and dupe all these men? Could it be the same sort of reason that Inara, too, has intimacy issues? They were both set up to be compared in this episode, I think. But I don't quite see why. Perhaps I am too distracted (nekkid Mal). One personal opinion -- feel free to skip: I didn't like the performance of the Alliance guy, Durren(?sp). He just seemed like such a wet squib compared to all of Saffron's other husbands. I didn't see what made him different to her, other than the wealth. So I didn't really see why she would have felt strongly enough to kill him or why she felt his opinion of her was so important. The exchange between Saffron and Mal in the shuttle afterwards seemed to give her feelings for the guy a whole lot more significance than I saw onscreen. Perhaps I just didn't like his delivery of the line "I appreciate your honesty. Not, you know, a *lot* ..." Wimpy. No fire. Funny in print, but didn't make me laugh in its execution. Monty's delivery of the less funny line: "I shaved off my beard for you, Devil woman!" made me laugh. OK, still makes me laugh. And I liked her reaction to him: the shouted Chinese imprecation: "BUN tyen-shung duh ee-DWAY-RO," meaning "Stupid, innate pile of meat!" (Courtesy of Much more chemistry here. Sigh. OK, I'm done now. One more Chinese quotation courtesy of the Pinyinary: "Shun-SHENG duh gao-WAHN." Meaning: "Holy testicle Tuesday." Uttered by Mal upon seeing Durren's fancy parlor with the view. I don't think I've said ![]() www.soulfulspike.com/membersavatars/smileys/badrazz.gif[/img] to the Fox executives lately. So:  to the Fox executives. Linda, avoiding Objects in Space for now, 'cause that'll mean it's over until April 22, 2005. (Yep, I still got my Erinland credentials. La la la la la. ) |
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Post by Lola m on Oct 14, 2004 19:50:57 GMT -5
Hi all! Wow, this post is over a month late. For some reason, I don't quite "get" this one. But still: fun, fun episode. Rachael, Lola & Nicki: I *really* like your insights (nekkid Mal) and comments on this episode (naked Mal). Oh, and the completion of Ariel's story arc thing, too -- *neat* catch, Lola. (Naked Mal.) I think there may be a theme (nekkid Mal), but for some reason, I can't concentrate enough to see it. (Naked Mal) Eeetah with Vlad on the ******* Fox network decisions. Well, OK, this is one thing that I noticed because of my "Aspect" obsession: I believe that YoSaffBridge could be considered, for this episode, Mal's inner criminal tendency. I don't believe that Mal is a criminal at heart, hence YoSaffBridge is not a permanent part of his crew. But when he does bring her on board after he ran into her again by chance, he made sure she was carefully boxed. He only let her out when he felt goaded by Inara's insult to his *petty* criminality. And note that in the end, she was once again boxed -- this time to be left off the ship with the rest of the trash. In this instance, for some reason, it was Inara who finally closed the lid. For the remainder of the series, Mal does not feel compelled to go after any criminal capers. (Although I don't believe he would turn away from any opportunity that presented itself.) One of the things that YoSaffBridge *did* do for Mal, I believe, was to help him get his mojo back. After all, this is the first episode to take place after his horrendous torture by Niska. Perhaps one of the reasons he chose the "wobbly-headed doll caper" was because he was not only avoiding the Alliance, but he was also avoiding Niska-like complications. Niska was the one, after all, who had hired him to carry out the first big criminal caper we saw in the series ( The Train Job) and who caught him as he was unloading the goods from his last *big* caper (from Ariel in War Stories). So out-smarting the Alliance guy as well as Saffron, with no organized crimelord anywhere in the picture, had to be confidence-boosting and reassuring at the least. There's so much more about YoSaffBridge that we don't yet know. For example, why does she feel compelled to marry and dupe all these men? Could it be the same sort of reason that Inara, too, has intimacy issues? They were both set up to be compared in this episode, I think. But I don't quite see why. Perhaps I am too distracted (nekkid Mal). One personal opinion -- feel free to skip: I didn't like the performance of the Alliance guy, Durren(?sp). He just seemed like such a wet squib compared to all of Saffron's other husbands. I didn't see what made him different to her, other than the wealth. So I didn't really see why she would have felt strongly enough to kill him or why she felt his opinion of her was so important. The exchange between Saffron and Mal in the shuttle afterwards seemed to give her feelings for the guy a whole lot more significance than I saw onscreen. Perhaps I just didn't like his delivery of the line "I appreciate your honesty. Not, you know, a *lot* ..." Wimpy. No fire. Funny in print, but didn't make me laugh in its execution. Monty's delivery of the less funny line: "I shaved off my beard for you, Devil woman!" made me laugh. OK, still makes me laugh. And I liked her reaction to him: the shouted Chinese imprecation: "BUN tyen-shung duh ee-DWAY-RO," meaning "Stupid, innate pile of meat!" (Courtesy of Much more chemistry here. Sigh. OK, I'm done now. One more Chinese quotation courtesy of the Pinyinary: "Shun-SHENG duh gao-WAHN." Meaning: "Holy testicle Tuesday." Uttered by Mal upon seeing Durren's fancy parlor with the view. I don't think I've said ![]() www.soulfulspike.com/membersavatars/smileys/badrazz.gif[/img] to the Fox executives lately. So: to the Fox executives. Linda, avoiding Objects in Space for now, 'cause that'll mean it's over until April 22, 2005. (Yep, I still got my Erinland credentials. La la la la la. ) [/quote] So, what did you like about the ep, Linda? ;D (nekkid Mal) Interesting idea about YoSaffBridge and the metaphor of Mal's criminal side. (naked Mal) I also really appreciate the translations of the Chinese. I know that Joss made sure that they wouldn't be crucial bits of dialog, (naked Mal), because he wanted to not subtitle them so that we'd see how much a natural part of their life it is, but I still find the translation adds to the atmosphere. (nekkid Mal, nekkid Mal) Lola |
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But you're dead-on - it's a parallel to Ariel, and we're meant to notice it - hence the repeated references back to that episode.
