(S01E08) I know many fans of Firefly will disagree with me fiercely here, but I'll say it anyway. If I had to pick an episode where I thought Firefly really hit its stride, this would be the one. This episode kept me glued to the set. It had amazing effects, drama, many tense moments and a few splashes of humor thrown in for good measure. The only thing missing, really, was something for Book and Inara to do.
I'm simply amazed at the sets used on this show and in this episode in particular. The hospital they infiltrate feels very real, though very much something that we couldn't really conceive of seeing in today's world. Even the technology used to scan River's brain is something that seems not at all far-fetched.
What we learn about River in the hospital is interesting when applying it to what we already know about the future of this show.
The blue-hand guys have a very creepy appearance here. They seem very other-worldly this time, as they are not affected by that odd device they use to cause blood to pour out from every crease in a human's body. Their chase to get Jayne and the Tams was almost Halloween-like in that they walked, not ran, to find their targets.
Speaking of the blue-hand guys, someone in a past comment mentioned that in a Firefly comic book, it's explained that their hands aren't actually blue and they're wearing skin-tight blue suite under their clothes. So, maybe they are human after all.
A big part of what we learn in this episode is how much greed is flowing through Jayne's blood. I remember it being a shock to see him sell the Tams down the river (no pun intended) in order to be rich. The scenes at the end with Mal are where the real drama comes in, as we can see Jayne really does feel bad about what he did and even comes to accept that Mal would kill him for it.
Jayne-ism of the episode:
Mal: "Now all we need is a couple of patients."
Simon: "Corpses, actually. In order for this to work, River and I will have to be dead."
Jayne: "Heh. I'm startin' to like this plan."
The TV Squad Podcast: Vik Sahay of Chuck, Oprah talk, brutal timeslots, and more!
TV Squad Ten: Top Ten ESPN shows from worst to first
Andy Richter: The TV Squad Interview
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-28-2006 @ 10:10AM
Theologic said...
You're right! The scene at the end between Mal and Jayne in the airlock is one of the most intense exchanges of all time! Especially for a television show!
Reply
7-28-2006 @ 10:12AM
Julie said...
Well let me be the first to whole-heartedly agree with you. When I'm craving a little Firefly, this is the episode I rewatch more than the others, exception possibly being Jaynestown (which is just hysterical). I love that Jayne is a little ashamed of himself at the end...it proves what I knew all along...there is a heart beating in that big, testerone filled chest of his. Good review.
Reply
7-28-2006 @ 10:29AM
Akbar Fazil said...
While I feel Firefly hit its stride right out of the gate with the pilot (and then slipped back with Train Job) this episode is one of my favorites as well.
My favorite part is when Kaylee and Wash are in the junk yard. Pay close attention to the piece that Wash picks up and throws hitting the old ambulance. It's the same part that almost cost them their lives in the previous episode "Out of Gas"
However when thinking about these wonderful moments, it's just so sad to realize Joss ruined the entire Firfely story with Serenity.
Reply
7-28-2006 @ 12:40PM
Michael said...
The final scene of this one is superb. When I first saw it back when FOX was running the show, I wondered if Joss had enough guts to kill off a major character in the first ten episodes. He'd done it before, so why not do it again?
And the scene between Mal and Jayne was duplicated on Enterprise's third season..though it was not even close to as great as this one was.
Reply
7-28-2006 @ 6:23PM
Dorv said...
I'll chime in with my praise for that last scene. It was here that I finally really "got" both Mal and Jayne. More telling than his greed is not wanting to disapoint Mal (Granted, he didn't want to die, but I noticed more the emotion of disgrace).
Reply
7-28-2006 @ 11:40PM
SirNuke said...
I would note that Joss has stated that there are no aliens in the Firefly/Serenity universe (in a very clear, 'this is a fundemental aspect of this show and will not be broken' sort of way). So the blue-hand men are in fact humans.
As for favorites, I think (for the most part) the best episodes are when the show tried to be a Sci-fi with Western elements, rather than Western set in a Sci-fi universe. As such, my favorite episodes are probably a tie between Out of Gas, Ariel, and Objects in Space.
Reply