BLUE SUN ROOM

Simon - who IS he??

POSTED BY: WYTCHCROFT
UPDATED: Thursday, September 27, 2007 13:29
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VIEWED: 6092
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Tuesday, September 4, 2007 12:24 PM

WYTCHCROFT


Ok, so - just as in the show itself, Simon Tam has lurked in and around the edges of the action here - the various posts and threads... generally related to someone or some thing else.

Who is the enigmatic Dr Tam exactly?

I've stated elsewhere that i don't trust him entirely - and tried to point out how many of the events witnessed by the viewer are actually subjective P.O.V. from him... I also think he manipulates Kaylee at times - in the same way as the man from The Message.

I did try to dig a little in my last fic - as he watched scenes from serenity over and over on the screens of Mr Universe. Especially the moment when the Operative mentions his motivation as being LOVE.

what IS love? Does Simon FEEL love - he is often caled emotionless and compared to Mr Spock even!

I think he is FULL to the brim with feeling. I also think this may be dangerous.

I think his views on 'making people better' - 'fixing' them, could actually clash with the ideals of our BDH's... and most intriguingly that he may approve of River's modifications - he is in obvious awe of her - though not the methods used...

BUT BUT BUT - Simon is a slippery customer - and I am writing TWO different takes on him at the moment just to TRY and catch him!

so all character analysis - pointers from the show - are welcomed...

make someone a browncoat today - don't drive nobody away

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Tuesday, September 4, 2007 1:30 PM

LEIASKY


Quote:

I've stated elsewhere that i don't trust him entirely - and tried to point out how many of the events witnessed by the viewer are actually subjective P.O.V. from him... I also think he manipulates Kaylee at times - in the same way as the man from The Message.


How do you think he manipulates Kaylee? This intrigues me as I've never thought about that at all. Please tell! :)

I think he's just comepletely at a loss being surrounded by these criminals in the beginning, so different from how he was raised.

Look at us (well, most of us I'd say are middle class or lower) and how we look at the rich and snobby? Now reverse that and that's probably how Simon feels (at least in the beginning) toward the crew.

But they aren't all he expects them to be. He doesn't expect to like any of them. He wants them to be a waystation (as Mal says in the film) and nothing more. But he's stayed. There's a reason, or more, that wasn't spelled out for us.

Mal has morals, however deeply buried Simon may think them to be.

Kaylee is nice and sweet (on him and I think he knows it - at least a few episodes down the line. Though he has his sister to care for and doesn't reciprocate any of her advances) and treats him and his sister like normal people.

Inara is from his 'world' but she is very down to earth, where I imagine the people in his society are very 'Hollywood'. Only giving to get something back in a very 'its who you know' society.

Jayne is everything Simon expect from Rim world people and doesn't like him at all.

Quote:

what IS love? Does Simon FEEL love - he is often caled emotionless and compared to Mr Spock even!


I imagine he's one of those people who internalizes many things. A product of the society he was born and raised into, I assume.

As far as him capable of feeling love. It's very clearly love that motivated him to give up everything he had for his sister.

At some point, he probably grew to love other portions of his new life as well, but the series didn't go on long enough to really delve too deeply into whatever those feelings may have become.

Quote:


I think his views on 'making people better' - 'fixing' them, could actually clash with the ideals of our BDH's... and most intriguingly that he may approve of River's modifications - he is in obvious awe of her - though not the methods used...



Again, I assume a product of how he was raised. But something he probably would have changed his mind about being forced to live on the Rim with the motley crew of Serenity.



"A government is a body of people usually notably ungoverned."

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Tuesday, September 4, 2007 1:50 PM

WYTCHCROFT


Quote:

Originally posted by Leiasky:
But he's stayed. There's a reason, or more, that wasn't spelled out for us.



WHY? exactly - why not hide out with the 'underground' he claims to have contact with???


Quote:

Kaylee is nice and sweet (on him and I think he knows it - at least a few episodes down the line. Though he has his sister to care for and doesn't reciprocate any of her advances)


Simon KNOWS kaylee is sweet for him - does he use her affection to bond him with the crew because he is a lonely outsider? because it will stop them looking at him too deeply?? or because like Kaylee he too is simply affection starved?

Quote:

I imagine the people in his society are very 'Hollywood'. Only giving to get something back in a very 'its who you know' society.


i really wish you would contribute a 'working for the man' piece - i'd love to read your version of core/aalliance life - i'm only just starting to grapple with it. lower class myself, see.

.
Quote:


It's very clearly love that motivated him to give up everything he had for his sister.



are you... sure? we only have his and the operative's word for that - but more interestingly what is Simon's kind of love - three years he waited to get River back... oh - but - hmmm - still thnking 'bout that one.

thanks for the great reply L.S.!

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Tuesday, September 4, 2007 2:49 PM

NBZ


I pretty much trust Simon. With the caveat that River matters more to him than anyone else (and that is one of the few things I have not questioned about Firefly, even if others have).

Why did he decide to stay with the ship? Probably because he did not have all that much faith left in the underground. For one there was a mole on the very ship he chose (or was told to choose - but that is another topic for another day. I do not believe in too much coincidence in a fiction setting. How did Book, Inara AND Simon end up ion the same boat? I can at most allow one coincidence, but not all three). Secondly, why would they protect him further? Did they want River for themselves?

(I did suggest on another forum that the "underground" may be just one guard who needed quick money to pay off his gambling debts... Saw Simon as an easy avenue for the cash, and did not care for what happened to Simon afterwards... Just think of the irony.)

A second question arises from Safe "If it is money that you want, I can arrange something". Now that does not ago along with "He ain't rich. The 'lliance crashed all his accounts when he broke River out."

Or with that he must have had a plan of where to go when he decided to leave Serenity in the BDM - fugitives do not stay out in the open for too long. Either they hide or get pinched. And he is bonafide genius to boot. He had a plan, of that I am positively sure.

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Tuesday, September 4, 2007 2:58 PM

WYTCHCROFT


Quote:

Originally posted by nbz:
I pretty much trust Simon. With the caveat that River matters more to him than anyone else



i don't question that exactly more... in what way - and why - i know they were close etc... but it's also complex (to me)

Quote:

Why did he decide to stay with the ship? Probably because he did not have all that much faith left in the underground.


and, again, what 'underground'? the more i think about it - the less i believe in it - or atleast the way simon makes it sound - if there is an underground of sorts - then, judging by his access , demeanor etc in BDM opening... it is perhaps darker - and Tam a bigger player - than we know.

Quote:

(I did suggest on another forum that the "underground" may be just one guard who needed quick money to pay off his gambling debts... Saw SImon as an easy avenue for the cash, and did not care for what heppened to Simon afterwards... Just think of the irony.)


LOL! delicious!

Quote:

A second question arises from Safe "If it is money that you want, I can arrange something". Now that does not ago along with "He ain't rich. The 'lliance crashed all his accounts when he broke River out."


again, with the not believing a word the man says...

thanks for the reply!

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Tuesday, September 4, 2007 2:59 PM

BROWNCOAT2007


'Bout the only thing I can offer at this time to this conversation is that I, too, belive that Simons nature is because of where he was raised... I personally see the core as being much more chinese than english based, culturaly and emotionally, than the rimmers... just my 2 platinum's worth... but thanks a ton for bringing up a new topic for me to think on in Firefly... not that I didn't have enough of 'em to begin with... lol

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Tuesday, September 4, 2007 3:16 PM

NBZ


Quote:

Originally posted by wytchcroft:
Simon KNOWS kaylee is sweet for him - does he use her affection to bond him with the crew because he is a lonely outsider? because it will stop them looking at him too deeply?? or because like Kaylee he too is simply affection starved?



I am of the opinion the only shield Simon hides behind is River. It's not that he wants something, but that River needs it. Even if she doesn't.

Then there is the fact that Simon pines over what he decided to leave behind. He does want his old life back.

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Tuesday, September 4, 2007 3:21 PM

WYTCHCROFT


Quote:

Originally posted by nbz:

Then there is the fact that Simon pines over what he decided to leave behind. He does want his old life back.



you mean back before his gambling debts forced him to sell his sister to medical research... HA HA HA!

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Tuesday, September 4, 2007 3:23 PM

WYTCHCROFT


Quote:

Originally posted by BrownCoat2007:
'Bout the only thing I can offer at this time to this conversation is that I, too, belive that Simons nature is because of where he was raised... I personally see the core as being much more chinese than english based, culturaly and emotionally,



you have a very valid point. i just wish i was educated enough to bring that into my fics in a genuine way... hhm - time for some MORE book learning!

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Tuesday, September 4, 2007 3:27 PM

NBZ




I meant the "underground" AKA a guard at the academy is the one with the gambling debts.

Simon is looking for a way into the facility. The guard contacts him with a big ass story about how his movement has infiltrated the academy. A way for him to remain anonymous.

Another reason to trust Simon is that River is a reader. And I do not buy into this "masking" ability that many fics lead into. You cannot control what you think. If it was Simon's fault or if Simon bore some responsibility, she would know.

Instead, she thinks very highly of him.

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Tuesday, September 4, 2007 3:34 PM

WYTCHCROFT


Quote:

Originally posted by nbz:

Another reason to trust Simon is that River is a reader. And I do not buy into this "masking" ability that many fics lead into.


not read that one - sounds ghastly!

Quote:

You cannot control what you think. If it was Simon's fault or if Simon bore some responsibility, she would know.

Instead, she thinks very highly of him.



but nonetheless - the question goes begging that 'Gifted' simon may indeed have abilities we don't know of - blocking of a sort after all. How do we even know he wasn't at an academy...
"no, dad, i was uh, underground'."
i keep thinking of fray and how the twins get their abilites split between them.

sure she thinks highly of him - in fact often states that she is loking after HIM - so again, what does she know?

i'm just following a thread here - don't necessarily buy it - just seeing how it plays...

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Tuesday, September 4, 2007 5:42 PM

MERRYK


Since you asked, I'll give you my analysis of the character from what Joss gave us. I immediately identified with Simon as a character, even though I didn't particularly like him then, so I didn't find him at all hard to understand. My analysis will be chronological to Simon's life, not the episode order.

When we first see Simon, he's preteen/young teenager, at home, and studying. His little sister is playing by him, and he's distractedly humoring her at first, but then drops what he's doing to play more fully. This scene tells us much about Simon's character: he's studious, probably precocious, but a warm and loving brother. We also see a very open and emotionally honest boy. Whatever you can say about his relationship to River later, at this point Simon has no particular reason to care for her, yet he obviously does. This is perfectly normal for someone of his personality type, if we can judge from this short scene.

Two important things to note: River is playing as the Alliance, not Independents; and the set, clothing, and speech patterns show the Tams to be wealthy. After his father comes in, we learn that Simon respects his father, and by his looks it seems plain that Simon seeks his approval as well. He's excited about the idea of getting a dedicated source box to better aid him in his studies—clearly a precocious child. The last shot of him is a warm smile as he turns to play with River again.

The next we see of him, he's confronting his parents over the letters River sent. More than his looks have changed: though his emotions are still strongly expressed, with concern foremost, he's hiding more of them. This is typical for someone raised in a high-class society, but it makes Simon a little more enigmatic, though here it is clear what he's thinking.

We get more hints of his intelligence because he could break River's code: I doubt a girl who corrected his textbooks when she was about 6 wrote a simple code. His parents are, understandably I think, concerned about his mental health (don't know if the Tams have watched A Beautiful Mind, but it's not unreasonable to jump to certain conclusions when conspiracy theories are being voiced). Gabriel Tam gives an important line here, that he wonders if Simon is lost without River around. Simon seems incredulous, but considering the great love we saw in the first scene, it is likely that he greatly missed her. Though he was very interested in his studies in the earlier scene, at this point every mention of the damage to his career is met by Simon with disdain; he prizes his sister’s safety above his career. Though he may have learned to hold himself with dignity and cool removal, he still has a loving heart.

Next, we see him being bailed out from an Alliance prison. If it was not clear from the earlier scenes, Simon is growing bitter, and clearly does not favor the Alliance (and their representative in his father) anymore. Like Mal, he has lost his faith. Still, he has not entirely lost his desire for his father’s approval, and for a moment as he tries to convince him we see that his bitter sarcasm is still a bit of a mask over his true emotions. Important to note is that he has been among some criminal company.

Next, we see him actually rescuing River from the Academy. He is calm, cool, and collected, and as the part he must play is hardly worse than his usual mask, it is not hard to imagine him pulling it off. Once the weapon goes off, however, he drops the mask once again, and is anxious for River’s safety. The rest of the scene we see him concerned, but not frantic, and always careful of River. Any hesitation that he had in earlier scenes are gone here.

We don’t see what happens after that until he actually boards Serenity. He’s wearing the same mask here, if not the inspector’s uniform, and is chill and reserved. Though he strives to appear impassive, a bit of uncertainty is on his face, and with Serenity’s oddities, it’s not surprising.

We see him next as Mal tells them about “the job”. Simon the doctor responds first, questioning Mal’s lie, but he pulls back quickly. At the dinner table, he’s still incredibly reserved, but Kaylee’s charm appears to open him up a little. Despite his mask, he still gives off a little bit of the honest emotion we saw in him as a boy, and it’s not until Jayne’s crudity that he withdraws again.

When we next see him, after being punched by Mal, he’s incredulous and clearly nervous, but his body language still has the marks of his emotional mask. It’s not until things get violent that he starts to lose it a little. Then Kaylee gets shot, and he immediately goes into doctor mode, and appears quite competent. When Mal makes it plain that he’s to be turned into the Alliance, however, his mask fails him completely. He’s frightened, and will do anything to keep them away, even bargain with Kaylee’s life. This is more ruthless than we’ve seen Simon, who didn’t even kill anyone when rescuing River, but from his point of view these people are betraying him, and we can see from his attitude that he’s certain that he won’t have to go through with his promise. The moment Mal gives, Simon shows concern for Kaylee, and is quick and competent to deal with her wound. His ease in the infirmary and with its equipment shows his prowess.

Next, Mal decides to investigate the large blue box. Once again, Simon drops his aloof air, and is honestly frightened. When River comes out, he becomes downright vulnerable, choking up and trembling. It is likely that he was required to put River out and in cryo quickly after her rescue in case she acted up, and this is the reception he couldn’t give her while making their escape. There is fierce love in Simon’s eyes here and nothing else: he is bared in this scene.

The explanation shortly after has some of his reserve again, but he is also clearly overcome by emotions. Unlike all his scenes before, he stumbles with his words and loses his train of thought. There is love in his relation of River as she was before, and bitterness as he talks of the Academy and what he had to go to to get her out. The same is true of the little clips of him taking care of River, as he tries to reassure her, or just strokes her hand while she sleeps. Though we knew from before that Simon loved River, he expresses it differently here. As a boy he was warm and playful, just enjoying her company, but now his every move is protective and comforting, as he is no longer a playmate but a guardian.

Interesting to note is the information Simon gives. He’s remarkably open to people he knows to be criminals who would have given him up before, but he does not mention the name of the underground movement, or the fact that he had a hand in the escape. After his reunion with River when she climbs from the box, we never get a look at Simon’s bare emotions; there is always two sides of him, his affectionate nature and his trained dignity and reserve.

Looking at the next episodes, Simon’s character does not change dramatically. His body language and speech patterns and actions show that he is protective of River, though we also see an occasional moment of the more playful affection they used to share. With the rest of the crew he wears his mask and is collected and reserved, with his bitterness towards his misfortunes manifesting in his sarcastic wit. Even this, though, is held back. Through the first few episodes he is obviously uncomfortable with his position on Serenity, and is passively aggressive towards everyone in the crew but Kaylee. At this early stage it is clear that she has a crush on him, and he finds her attractive and comfortable to be around, but nothing else is apparent.

By the episode Safe, Simon is feeling more at ease, which means that he is letting down some of his guard. On a bad day, this leads him to irritate Mal and insult Kaylee, though with the latter he quickly tries to mend the situation. Here we see that, though Simon is capable and competent in his element, he is entirely out of that with someone like Kaylee. He cannot simply converse casually, which is probably due to growing up in a society much like historical aristocracy, where conversation is limited and mostly scripted.

But though his communication is poor, he still expresses genuine emotions, of regret and confusion here. Later in the episode when River is dancing, we see a wide joyful smile like how he looked when we first saw him as a boy, but when the situation turns sour he repeats the cycle that he showed before: bitterness, passive aggressive behavior, and sarcasm, with extreme protection towards River.

The next thing to note about Simon’s character is in the episode Jaynestown. First we see him fail to play the part of mud buyer, more out of his element than anything so far, and then we see his genuine disbelief about Jayne’s status, which when drunk leads him to expose more tender feelings towards Kaylee. Those lead somewhere, and we see them again in the morning in a relaxed and affectionate position, but Simon quickly jumps to put his mask back and also assure Mal that Kaylee was well treated. Though Simon never seems to actively trust and respect Mal, he looks up to him in some sense as an authority figure and Kaylee’s guardian.

And then, at the end, we see him explain to Kaylee that he attempts to be polite not because he is emotionless, but because it’s his element, and his way of showing respect. Simon has forgotten how to be completely open, but through Kaylee he is becoming more like his natural self; he just can’t let go of twenty years of training in a month.

Next in development is the episode Ariel, where we see the competent side of Simon again. He plans a hospital heist with ease (understandable, since the hospital must have less but similar security to the Academy), and is able to be a doctor for a few moments again. Unlike in earlier episodes where Simon was uncomfortable with the situation, here in his environment, with a solid plan, he is smooth and collected.

We see a bit of emotion as he discovers what was done to River and chokes up, but after they get captured, it is “business” Simon again. Simon avoids violence, is poor at it when he must take part, and even here when he must protect River refrains from actually killing his opponent. It is important to note that he is very genuinely thankful at the end of the episode, without any of the usual barbs for Jayne.

There are two more small but important scenes for Simon in the next few episodes. The first is in War Stories, where he is quick to protect Mal with next to no fear, even though he is a hopeless shot. The second is his confrontation with Jayne when he figures out what happened on Ariel. True to his nature, Simon does not threaten, but offers Jayne a break while at the same time letting him know that Simon is not weak. Even though he is opposed to violence, Simon has shown himself to have a strong inner sense of self and position that makes him mostly invulnerable.

His only large weakness is his poor communication skills, as is shown in the episode The Message. Though slowly growing more open, Simon tries too hard here, and fails miserably with Kaylee. Though this episode is not about him, the character of Tracey is in a similar position to Simon, and when the two are compared Simon comes out on top. While Simon was secretive and even threatened Kaylee, Tracey does so only to save his own skin, while Simon seems like he’s constantly putitng his own self in danger for River’s sake.

Simon has a loving heart, and that’s even more clear in the episode Objects in Space. By this point, Simon has learned how to relax, and we see him open up almost completely with Kaylee, until River’s episode. He’s a little bitter again, but almost conquers his problem with Kaylee by kissing her—unfortunately the moment is interrupted. Still, the most important part of the episode is his confrontation with Early, where Simon must choose between Kaylee and River. If it wasn’t clear before, we now know that Simon doesn’t care for his own life as long as his loved ones are protected (much like Mal in that aspect, as in many others). He responds to threatening with his normal passive aggressive sarcasm, but when it comes to it, he once again puts himself in extreme danger.

The movie doesn’t show us much more about him, except that, though he has added Kaylee to his heart’s family, he thinks that River needs him more, and he is willing to give up Kaylee to keep River safe. When it comes to the end, though, he bares himself to both Kaylee and River, and it is likely that things will be clearer for him in the future.

So that’s how I see Simon: by nature genuine and open-hearted, but driven by training and circumstances to wear a mask. Let me know what you think, and I apologize in advance for the length.

"My way of being polite, or however...well, it's the only way I have of showing you that I like you. Of showing respect." Simon Tam, Jaynestown

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Tuesday, September 4, 2007 5:56 PM

WYTCHCROFT


thank you for such a wonderful considered reply. i don't agree with all of it
(a great deal of the neutral facts we supposedly 'see' as a viewer are actually things being 'told' by simon etc) -
but that's why i stuck a post up - to hear people's opinions -
you laid yours out perfectly.
thanks again - this is all useful to a fic writer.

this shiny shiny site

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Wednesday, September 5, 2007 5:02 AM

SHINYSEVEN2


merryk, I love your post!

I don't think it's fair for the poster upthread to say that Simon "waited" three years--I think it took part of that time for him to be absolutely sure that drastic means were necessary, and the rest of the time to arrange the drastic means! And in "Safe," I really wouldn't blame him for lying to kidnappers. (The real plot hole is how they know he's a doctor; I handwave this by assuming that River said something about it.)

Unfortunately we don't have the other four seasons that would really explore it, but I don't see how cutting into someone's brain could *add* a capacity like telepathy or clairvoyance--I think The Academy searches out people who already have psychic abilities, and that the abilities have a psychic component. So one reason Simon is so bad at dealing with people is that he was always encouraged to stay away from nasty common people who'll just fog up his genius brain with their petty little problems.

And, since it's the future and they have all kinds of shiny gadgets, my pet theory is that Simon and River are twins, they just thawed him out first.

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Wednesday, September 5, 2007 6:04 AM

SCHOONER


Quote:

Originally posted by shinyseven2:
merryk, I love your post!

I don't think it's fair for the poster upthread to say that Simon "waited" three years--I think it took part of that time for him to be absolutely sure that drastic means were necessary, and the rest of the time to arrange the drastic means! And in "Safe," I really wouldn't blame him for lying to kidnappers. (The real plot hole is how they know he's a doctor; I handwave this by assuming that River said something about it.)



Actually, earlier when Simon and Mal are talking, Mal refers to Simon as a doctor. the scene then cuts to leaves rustling for a second. The kidnappers were in the bushes, scouting out Serenity, and overheard. They followed Simon to town and snatched themselves a doctor.

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Wednesday, September 5, 2007 6:06 AM

LEIASKY


>(The real plot hole is how they know he's a doctor; I handwave this by assuming that River said something about it.)

The kidnappers were hiding in the trees when Mal calls Simon a doctor and tells him to take River somewhere not there. You can see the trees rustle for a moment. That's the clue that they know what Simon is.

And that long, long post was wonderfully laid out!

"A government is a body of people usually notably ungoverned."

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Wednesday, September 5, 2007 6:13 AM

WYTCHCROFT


Quote:

Originally posted by shinyseven2:
merryk, I love your post!


Unfortunately we don't have the other four seasons that would really explore it, but I don't see how cutting into someone's brain could *add* a capacity like telepathy or clairvoyance--



ask yourself - how do we know that river's brain got cut?
who was Simon explaining this to - when we, as the audience, learned the 'fact'...

Quote:

my pet theory is that Simon and River are twins, they just thawed him out first.


back to Fray again... heh heh

stay shiny

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Wednesday, September 5, 2007 6:21 AM

SHINYSEVEN2


schooner, leiasky: thanks--good observation!

If Simon's lying about the brain scan, he sure went to a lot of trouble for not much result. And God knows I can't read even a plain ol' Earth MRI, much less a space!MRI, but I bet if we froze the frame we could see some kind of mark on the brain scan.

As for twins of different ages, I think Fray got it from Podkayne of Mars.

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Wednesday, September 5, 2007 6:27 AM

WYTCHCROFT


Quote:

Originally posted by shinyseven2:


If Simon's lying about the brain scan, he sure went to a lot of trouble for not much result....



oh no, i'm sure he got a result - it's just WHAT result? we only know what he SAID he was looking for - and most of his explanation was to JAYNE (snort).

Quote:

we could see some kind of mark on the brain scan.


yeh but we wouldn't know what it meant - could be a genetic thing, alien tumour theorize ad finitum. not saying you're wrong, don't forget.


keep yr signal strong

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Wednesday, September 5, 2007 7:07 AM

SHINYSEVEN2


replying to wytchwood: I think that the fact he was basically talking to Jayne is evidence that we can assume Simon was on the level on this point (which doesn't prove he's truthful and accurate about everything, of course).*

Sure, people lie about things, but only if they have something to hide and can gain something by lying or concealing the truth. What does Simon get out of the caper, other than a chance to use the diagnostic scanner (and, OK, maybe annoy Mal a little by planning a more successful robbery than he usually does).

There are lots of points in the series where we see Simon do something intelligent, so I don't think the point is that he's a dumb sneaky person who can't figure out that Jayne might sell him out--the point is that Simon is basically guileless and tends to be trusting. Which is one reason why it took so long to rescue River--because most people, if their kid sister got a scholarship to a sort of Harvard-meets-West-Point-meets-Juilliard program would NOT assume that their sister was going to get turned into a psychotic, not to mention psychic, assassin.



*I think of the movie as a separate canon, with its own necessities to speed up the story-telling, so I can say that within the frame of the series, Simon was telling the truth about getting River from the Academy. Also, Simon looked REALLY TASTY in that blue jacket.

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Wednesday, September 5, 2007 7:10 AM

WYTCHCROFT


neatly argued, shipmate!

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Wednesday, September 5, 2007 7:15 AM

SCHOONER


Remember, though, Simon does not keep his scans a secret. In "War Stories", Simon has River's scans in the lightbox in his infirmary and is apparently unconcerned that Book is examining him. Now, I could believe Simon not being worried about Jayne or Mal seeing through a deception, but Book has shown too much knowledge in too many areas to be allowed to examine the evidence.

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Wednesday, September 5, 2007 8:51 AM

WYTCHCROFT


good point -
though i still feel the 'truth' was left open enough for future seasons (now fics) to explore.

as for Simon - i have almost two completely contradictory takes on him!
hence - i'm writing two stories (one light n comic/one very dark) to try and address this and explore both sides that i see. with some fairness, hopefully!


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Thursday, September 6, 2007 1:11 PM

NBZ


Where is the motive?

Once you answer that question, everything else will conveniently slot into place.

So, what is the motive for Simon to be untrustworthy. To protect River? I have suggested that and it explains a lot.

For some other reason? I will need to hear it and possible explanation.

(btw when I said masking, I meant the same as blocking. I do not buy that. The same as I do not but that River can surf a brain like we do the 'net.)

I will also pose another question here. Did Simon know Inara before boarding Serenity?

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Thursday, September 6, 2007 1:21 PM

WYTCHCROFT


Quote:

Originally posted by nbz:
Where is the motive?

Once you answer that question, everything else will conveniently slot into place.



working on it! i don't want to set my thinking in stone yet - am still playing around with this one.

Quote:

So, what is the motive for Simon to be untrustworthy. To protect River?


not a motive - just a reason. I don't mean to sound semantic (can you, actually, sound semantic??) but if i can grasp all the possible 'reasons' i can deduce the motive. (may be)

Quote:

For some other reason? I will need to hear it and possible explanation.


gawd, you make me sound like jetflair but - its coming ok i promise, i'm just WRITING it at the moment! LOL!

Quote:

(btw when I said masking, I meant the same as blocking. I do not buy that. The same as I do not but that River can surf a brain like we do the 'net.)

aw crap. rumbled. hoped you hadn't spotted that one. my bad.

Quote:

I will also pose another question here. Did Simon know Inara before boarding Serenity?


yes - his father payed for Inara to be Simon's 'first'.

still, at least he didn't get 'triggered in the maidenhead' eech.

- note to nbz - d'you read the sherlock holmes anecdote yet? -

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Thursday, September 6, 2007 1:35 PM

NBZ


It's ok to have different opinions. I thrive on this.
Quote:

note to nbz - d'you read the sherlock holmes anecdote yet? -


"Life in the core" topic? Haven't seen that Sherlock Holmes show.

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Saturday, September 8, 2007 7:27 AM

RIVERFLAN


Oops, double post

"The human body can be drained of blood in 8.6 seconds, given adequate vaccuuming systems." -River

"It's just an object. It doesn't mean what you think -River

Bwaa!

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Saturday, September 8, 2007 7:27 AM

RIVERFLAN


MerryK, I love your analisis. So detailed, and very logical! And I agree with what everyone has been saying about him, too.

Sorry I don't have much to add- you guys said it all for me!



"The human body can be drained of blood in 8.6 seconds, given adequate vaccuuming systems." -River

"It's just an object. It doesn't mean what you think -River

Bwaa!

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Monday, September 17, 2007 2:28 PM

RIVERFLAN


Quote:

Originally posted by wytchcroft:
what IS love? Does Simon FEEL love - he is often caled emotionless and compared to Mr Spock even!



Oops

Guilty!

Quote:

Originally posted by nbz:

A second question arises from Safe "If it is money that you want, I can arrange something". Now that does not ago along with "He ain't rich. The 'lliance crashed all his accounts when he broke River out."



I think he would have emptied his accounts before he got River out, so he would have some cashy money. Otherwise, how would he be able to pay the passenger fare?

Or, he could be bluffing. There's always that possibility.



"The human body can be drained of blood in 8.6 seconds, given adequate vaccuuming systems." -River

"It's just an object. It doesn't mean what you think -River

Bwaa!

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Monday, September 17, 2007 9:19 PM

WYTCHCROFT


what i like about simon is that he can be shaded sooo many different ways!

keep flyin:)

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Thursday, September 27, 2007 1:29 PM

RIVERFLAN


Thanks .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My favorite quotes:



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