Choose a Character and a Moment by snoopygubs

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Choose a Character and a Moment

POSTED BY: SNOOPYGUBS
UPDATED: Sunday, July 30, 2006 11:21
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VIEWED: 4314
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Friday, July 28, 2006 12:25 PM

Hi everyone! Thanks for all the warm welcomes to the community. I figured I'd jump right in and start a thread, if you all don't mind :D

I was thinking the other day about the specific moments I fell in love with each character. Not just liked them, and thought they were interesting...the actual moment where I was like, wow, I can't imagine Firefly without them. I thought it would be interesting to find out from everyone what those moments were for them as well. This is a daunting task because there were nine characters with whom to fall in love, and countless moments in each of their lives.

I'll start with one of my favs.

Simon - As much as Jaynestown was supposed to be about Jayne...I thought this was Simon's episode. You see how uncomfortable he is growing in his old skin, his old life, and how funny he could actually be. From the look on his face when he sees Jayne's statue to the open smile and stilted "You're pretty...pretty," to Kaylee he is changing. He's not concerned with his sister for the first time in the series, and the comfortable way he's holding Kaylee as they sleep in a rundown, dirty pub shows the beginning of his growth. He starts the episode in full suit, grabbing the ladder as he talks to Kaylee about swearing, almost as if he needs the support, and by the end, he's sprawled out in his bunk in a loose sweater with cuts and bruises on his face...and Kaylee sharing the bed with him. In the span of one episode he began to embrace his new life.

Well, that was that in a nutshell.

Any thoughts, anyone?

"Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!"

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Friday, July 28, 2006 12:35 PM

MSG

Welcome welcome :)
The one I'd pick is Jayne
Jayne-I'd have to say for me the moment would be in Our Mrs. Reynolds and it's two fold. First when Mal is yelling and freaking out and Saffron is crying and Jayne reaches out and gently rubs/pats her consolingly...and then when he ever so seriously says to Mal " I'd take good care of her" while offering to trade for Saffron and Mal ( who is usually reasonably disparaging of Jayne) says without hesitation" I know you would, but that ain't the point" It really shows that although he does stupid, thoughtless, and sometimes selfish things he's really not a bad person, just woefully out of step with what right and appropriate are.

I choose to rise instead of fall- U2

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Friday, July 28, 2006 12:41 PM

TEACHDAIRE

I have to say that my favourite character is Wash. He got me with the whole toy dinosaur scene a couple of minutes after the opening credits in the pilot (I live in the UK, so we actually got to see that first). It's probably something of a kindred spirit thing. I tend to be irreverent while still managing to do a serious task, as well as having the ability to "zone out" and perform well above my usual level of ability when in a desperate situation.

-------------------------------------------------
For every battle honour, a thousand heroes die along, unremembered and unsung...

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Friday, July 28, 2006 1:11 PM

DAYVE

So many moments to choose from.... i'll start with the pilot... just before Mal makes his run down to the Big Gun to try and bring down the Alliance skif, he "volunteers" Zoe for support....
Mal asks Zoe, "you ready?"
Zoe replies, "Always..."
That "always", to me, epitomizes the character of Zoe. She is a warrior woman, first and foremost. Even when she lets her guard down a bit while with Wash, she still has a firece determation about her that lets you know that she is all business.

"endeavor to persevere..." Chief Dan George as Lone Waite, Indian chief

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Friday, July 28, 2006 1:25 PM

JAYNESBOWIE

I would have to say River, in Safe.

Simons talking about how they broke into someones garden and picked their Berries, but didn't realize they were breaking and entering. He says, "We thought they'd grown wild......."

And then River, who moments before was full of laughter and smiles looks up and her face is sad and serious and she quietly says, "I took you away from there." Simons tries to say no, but she interupts him before he even starts, "I know I did. I understand. I know you don't think I do but, I get confused. I remember everything. I remember too much, and... some of it's made up, and... some of it can't be quantified, and... there's secrets. But I understand! You gave up everything you had to find me, and you found me broken. Its hard for you. Here, need to eat. Keep up your strength. Daddy will come and take us home, and I'll get better."

After I saw that, I loved River. River and Simon. Just, for some reason that part mae me love the charecters more then I ever loved any other charecters before. Maybe its because as the youngest child of 4 thats how I always wanted my older brother to be. Maybe because thats how I knew as a younger sister I should be. Somehting about it just reached in, and I was hooked, never to go back.

Jayne: "Testing, testing. Captain, can you hear me?"
Mal: "I'm standing right here."
Jayne: "You're coming through good and loud."
Mal: " 'Cause I'm standing right here."

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Friday, July 28, 2006 1:53 PM

TRAVELER

MSG beat me to it.

Because I am going with Jayne too. He is hard to like at first but then he will say something so unselfish. When Book is standing over the supposed dead compatriot of Mal and Zoe, Jayne gets up from weight lifting and actually apologizes for interupting Book. When Book tells him he was just saying a few words over the body Jayne praises Book and says that it is a good thing he is doing. Actually the conversation continues as Jayne reveals some of himself to Book. This scene made me reassess my attitude toward Jayne. It also shows how easy everyone one on the ship feels at ease around Book. But I will leave that for another thread.

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Friday, July 28, 2006 10:28 PM

PHOENIXROSE

You think you know--what's to come, what you are. You haven't even begun.

Well, I saw the movie first and really liked it, but I really fell in love with the characters while watching the series.
River; "No power in the verse can stop me." that's where it started. Then seeing hte movie again I completely flipped.
Mal I would have to say it was actually the second time through the movie, during the "I aim to misbehave" speech.
Wash; "The legs!"
Simon; "I just have to keep her safe"
Zoe was the character I was initially drawn to the most, starting right from "Do you know what the deininition of a hero is?"
Kaylee... I really couldn't say. I liked her most in Out of Gas when she blithely fixed the ship; that's my favorite Kaylee moment. I couldn't say I'm totally loving her whole character, though, even now. I like her, but she's low on my list of favorites.
Likewise with Jayne. Whatever may be argued, I think his redeeming qualities are few and far between. I did completely crack up during the scene in Out of Gas where he was recruited, though. That's when I started to like the character a lot, even if I still don't quite trust him. That doesn't mean he's not a good character who brings some important things to the table.
Inara... Meh. Honestly the character of Inara gets on my nerves. I like what she symbolizes, I like the place she holds, but I don't like the character that much and honestly think a better acress could ahve been found. The actress who played Nandi, for example. Or even Saffron. They both brought a lot of depth to their characters that seemed lacking in a lot of Inara's scenes. They also both seemed to have a lot more chemistry with Nathan. That's just my opinion, though.
Book I never liked that much. I don't understand why he stayed on the ship after booking one passage, and that niggly secret past starts to get on my nerves. The only reason I like Book at all is because I think he's incredibly well-acted. But there was never really a time when I thought "Wow, this show just could not exist without this character."

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Saturday, July 29, 2006 3:20 AM

ONEMANSHORT

Well I really fell in love with the show, not with the movie. Despite Joss' best efforts it was simply impossibly to add the depth in each character that he had in the series, of course I still liked it, but there wasn't any scene that popped out. The first episode I saw was Bushwacked, and I started going, "Huh, this show is really good, isn't it?" But at that point I hated Jayne for pulling one on Simon. I quickly followed that episode with the rest...

My favorite character and moment can be found (predictably) in Jaynestown. Mal says something like "Jayne, you care to explain?"-the look on Jayne's face is priceless! (I think this was the precise moment I fell in love with the show) And then he says somethign like "Look, I got no ruttin' idea." I also fell in love with Wash from just that look on his face when the Hero of Canton starts playing in the bar and when he says "We have to go to the crappy town where I'm a hero." Also with Kaylee when she says "Hamsters is nice"-that was so adorable. I also love the whole River/bible scene. Jaynestown is my favorite television episode of any show ever. And I like alot of shows...

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Saturday, July 29, 2006 3:56 AM

AGENTROUKA

Ooh, sweet topic! :D

I fell in love with it all justwatching the pilot episode, so... let me pick my moments from there.

The Show: that first silent space shot where they steal from the derelict. I was hypnotized. That quiet elegance, the attention to detail. Love.

Mal: His look during the war scene, when the guy at the radio is dead. Any typical, boring, everyday tv hero would have closed his eyes or done something Honorable. Mal just fades a little "Zoe." he let's her do the work. That was a nice twist.

Zoe: no one moment. Her grime-covered eyeroll in the war scene, maybe, or longing for a bath with her husband... it was the whole package.

Kaylee: "You just gotta have faith in people." That whole dopey scene of her trying to comfort Mal, being so forgiving toward Simon, seeing River for a girl, not a victim. So lovely.

Wash: Instant! *G* "And we will call it.. this land..."

Inara: Her scene with the client. That quiet, maternal control she had over him. Kind but distant. "I wanted to see the universe." Also, the "Hey, you." she shares with Kaylee because she positively glows in that scene.

River: Instantly, because she looked so messy and weak and scared. That was realistic. She wasn't super-pretty, she looked just like a terrified, confused young girl.

Simon: "How do I know you won't kill me in my sleep?" The awkward snark, even when he's so uncertain.

Book: "I thought the outfit gave it away?" Because, duh! He was funny, I liked him. Love didn't happen until the movie, though.

Whoa, sorry for the rambling!

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Saturday, July 29, 2006 4:07 AM

MAGDALENA

"No power in the 'verse can stop me!"

OK - let me really think about this - I too saw the series as it was intended on DVD for the first time and I think it started with the pilot - right away...

I fell in love with Mal when Kaylee kissed him on the cheek and said "I love my captain" His expression speaks volumes - he can't help adoring being adored! He already had me there but later when Kaylee was telling him he's a good man and he was disagreeing is when I fell in love with him even more and really loved Kaylee too!

We see the best of Mal through Kaylee - Kaylee has an air of positive faith in the 'verse and I love Mal protecting throughout the series - comments like "I ain't got no problem with the notion of you not shootin' anyone" Completely confirms his 'big brother' relationship with her. Also the way he speaks to her when she is so distressed in 'Out of Gas' - it speaks volumes of him and his relationships with his crew that he knows to approach Kaylee one way and Wash totally another under the circumstances... Kaylee really won me when she said "my ships the nicest" and really meant it! Also the look she gives as they close the doors on Persephone speaks of her love of the journey and that she's not waiting to arrive at the 'destination'.

It's the little things Jayne does that he thinks are smart but aren't - only he doesn't realise it! I loved him testing the walkie talkie right next to Mal and not takin' offence when Mal is stating the obvious (I'm standin' right next to you!)I loved that he was so scared of River telling on him after 'Arial'. I like that he notices Kaylees attraction to Simon - as if he's noticed Kaylee but knows there will never be anything between them. Again a bit of a little sister relationship - only he's the annoying big brother! Without him some of the others might not maintain a standard, but with him they are determined not to see themselves behave the same way...

I loved the way the imperious queen, Inara - whom we take to be an 'ambassador' - stepped down the stairs as if in a palace and looking at Kaylee, says, "hey you"! It took me a while to love Inara but I liked her in that moment! (sorry Gorgeous PR - don't entirely agree with you on the casting - the others were wonderful partly because their characters had the scope to be something other than companions... 'Inara' doesn't have that luxury!) I think I loved her when she looked at Mal at the controls of her shuttle in 'Out of Gas' and he looked at her but they went on with the pressing issues - not aknowleging their feelings.

Simon- took a while - holding Rivers hand, Telling her story so tenderly, feeling shock and devastation when he thought Kaylee died, though he barely knew her, all endeared him to me, but I agree that I really loved him when he was with Kaylee in that bar in Janestown. I like his fear of the things (flirting/taking a chance on the girl 'liking him') that come naturally to most good looking men - despite his bravery and strength when it comes to rescuing and caring for his sister.

I'll think some more on it and let you know the rest...

Sorry for the long post...and I'm not even done!!

Mwaaah - Magdalena x x x

"I love my Captain!"

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Saturday, July 29, 2006 10:12 AM

DEEPGIRL187

One of my favorite Jayne moments (there's so many, it's hard to choose

) has to be in Shindig.

"Had a problem with your attitude is why. Felt you was... what's the word?"

"Pretentious?"

The look on Mal's face is priceless. I think that scene really catches the idea that there is more to Jayne than most people see.

Have to think about some of the others.

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"Now they see the sky and they remember what they are."

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Saturday, July 29, 2006 11:52 PM

MAGDALENA

"No power in the 'verse can stop me!"

Actually my moment of real, true love with Jayne was when he asked Mal what he was going to tell the others at the end of 'Ariel'...

Mal: "about what?"

Jayne: "About why I'm dead..."

The look of concern on his face - it's not death that he's afraid of, but that he cares what people think of him even after he's gone... that little moment of insecurity and concern even when it's his imminent death we were all thinking about...

"I love my Captain!"

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Sunday, July 30, 2006 12:46 AM

ALLHAILJOSSWHEDON

Mal - When he shoots first and ask questions later(like that scene with Agent Dobson). I hate it when heroes always try to talk things out with villains who can't be reasoned with.

"The General has given me the pick of all the men that can be spared and ordered me to defend the Pass. I realize what a terrible task has been given me. And yet I feel that this is the most glorious moment of my life. What I do is done for my beloved country. No sacrifice can be too great." -- Gen. Gregorio del Pilar, Battle of Tirad Pass(Dec. 2,1899)

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Sunday, July 30, 2006 3:41 AM

JOHNTHETHEATREFREAK

I think i have to say every character.

Mal: hard to pick the one moment I fell in love with Mal I think it gradually built through the pilot and on the when I shoot you you'll be awake facing me and armed thing it was love

Zoe: When I watched the series with my friend the first time I didn't really understand what made Zoe her favorite character and then I saw War stories and it made sense. I think the personal decisions she makes in that episode really caused me to add Zoe to my list of favorite characters in Firefly (there's ten on the list)

Wash: First scene he's in with the dinosaurs that did it for me

Jayne: I saw Ariel first out of all the episodes and at the end of Ariel when he said to make up something i think I fell in love

Kaylee: "That's my girl" at the end of the pilot that did it

Inara: Hard one I have to with the man of mystery line

Simon: Safe one of the first episodes I saw that made me realise what he's given up and made me not only respect him but love him

River: Also Safe when she danced

Book: the special hell line

Serenity: I have to say first moment she zoomed of into space.

johnttf

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Sunday, July 30, 2006 4:17 AM

FELLOWTRAVELER

From the pilot, when Mal is told they are to lay down arms. I found the anguish conveyed in his expression to be truly moving and it made the character seem more real...

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Sunday, July 30, 2006 4:52 AM

SPACEANJL

BDM trailer - Mal and Wash, "Define interesting?" "Oh God, Oh God we're all going to die?"

So I thought I ought to get the box set, see what this was about before I saw the movie...

I'll admit to watching it for the Fillion eyecandy initially. And then I got hooked. The bicker, the snark, the psychotic humour, the big sexy man with the gun...

And then Mal opened the little box of crazytime.

The ball-game at the beginning of 'Bushwhacked' really gave me the sense of family there.

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Sunday, July 30, 2006 5:03 AM

DONCOAT

I saw The Train Job on Fox, the very day the series premiered.

While I enjoyed the show start to finish, I'd have to say that my major character revelation came at the end of the ep when Mal kicked Crow through the engine.

I shot right up out of my chair, yelling. That's when I knew this spaceship captain was no Jean-Luc Picard. (I almost missed the punch line with Niska's other henchman, I was yelling so loud. I don't think I've ever reacted quite like that to a scene of a TV show. I don't remember what I yelled, but it was probably something along the lines of "HO-ly S**T!!! HOOOOO-ly S**T!!!" And I am not one given to swearing much.)

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I'm pointin' right at it!

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Sunday, July 30, 2006 5:51 AM

QUIETSERENITY

Mal: Just focus! The Alliance said they were gonna waltz through Serenity Valley and we choked 'em with those words. We've done the impossible and that makes us mighty. Just a little while longer, our angels are gonna be soaring overhead raining fire on those arrogant cod, so you hold! You hold! Go! **During this little speach, I thought I loved him. But when he found out they weren't comin' for him, and the look on his face with people falling behind him...I KNEW I loved him.

Zoe: I think out of everyone, Zoe took me the longest. But I think that's almost how it was meant to be, because that's how she is, takes awhile to warm up to people. But what really got me was in "The Train Job", where Mal says "That's why we lost you know, superior numbers." And Zoe answers "Thanks for the reenactment sir." Small moment, but really gave me a sense of Zoe.

Wash: That's right, of course, 'cause they wouldn't arrest me if we got boarded, I'm just the pilot. I can always say I was flying the ship by accident.

Kaylee: I loved Kaylee from the moment she opened her mouth. "You are a nice man, Captain. You always looking after us. You just gotta have faith in people." and then "It's nobody's fault, okay?"

Jayne: Hah, Jayne! First I loved him because of well...well, have you seen Jayne? But I agree with a lot of people, it was when he said "Don't tell 'em what I did."

Book: I brought you some supper, but if you'd prefer a lecture, I've a few very catchy ones prepped. Sin and hellfire... one has lepers.

Inara: Inara took a little longer, almost as long as Zoe. But when she suggest to Book that he pray for them...and then says "Don't tell him. I never do."

Simon: Now really, Simon irks me, but you can't help but love his devotion to River, and I think that's what allowed me to let him in. When he says "Mei-mei, everything I have is right here."

River: River is wonderful, in an endearingly crazy kind of way. But when Simon asks if she knows who he is, and she shoots him a look and says "Simon." Underneath everything, she's still his sister. And I love that.

Mal: You know, you ain't quite right.
River: It's a popular theory.

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Sunday, July 30, 2006 6:36 AM

MANWITHPEZ

Important people don't do field work.

Ahhh...Sweet topic! I love these kinds of things, and have a tendency to go overboard. So...why fight it, I say!

Mal: I know we're supposed to pick one moment, but Mal is such a complex character that it's really hard to button down. My favorite for him is one from the movie. The fact that its boiled down from a longer, expanded scene doesn't bother me. The way its presented in the movie is beautiful. Mal, having ordered everyone to make Serenity look as much like as Reaver ship as possible, has a quiet, alone moment. You can see the weight of the task he has set before himself begin to crush his spirit, but, he waits until no one's around to see it. A close second occurs in the Battle of Serenity Valley sequence in Serenity pt 1. As Bendis is gunned down next to him (and he doesn't even blink) you can see utter defeat in a man who, up to this point, we have been shown is resistant to such things. (And, another would be from Out of Gas...The look of pure love he bestows on Serenity in the shipyard! Whatever they pay Nathan Fillion, it ain't enough.)

Jayne: Of course, there's so many moments to like about this character. And, for all his gruffness and hard exterior, he's easily the weakest willed and tempest tossed member of Serenity's crew. He's mediocre at being good, and very good at being bad. There are obvious ones (Ariel, Jaynestown), but Jayne's ability to put the right words...the truth to a situation is, again, displayed prominently in the movie. His argument with Mal over why River is still on the ship (Hey! I'm TALKIN' AT YOU!), coupled with the fact that Mal turns around and hears him out shows that the big man commands respect, even from the captain he serves under. Another, and, its very small and quick, occurs when Book is saying a silent blessing over the meal. The way he immediately bows his head, you can almost see him strain to come up with his own prayer. Jayne is another complex character, but moreso than most of the crew. (One more. In The Message, when Jayne is reading the letter from his mother...you can almost hear the respect he gives this woman in his voice.)

Zoe: Poor Zoe, always caught between the man she loves, and the leader she respects. Most people don't mention it, or if they do, they mention it in a negative why, but I liked the exchange between Zoe and Wash in Heart of Gold about having children. Zoe's earnestness on the topic is heartbreaking, and you can tell that this is a subject these two have covered before. It brings up a host of questions, and of course Wash is right about the environment they live in...That Zoe hears him out speaks though she wants a child badly speaks to how much she loves and understands her husband. (A personal favorite for me...When she socks Saffron in Trash...And then agrees to her plan! If a more succinct way to say Don't cross me again has ever been shown, then I missed it!)

Wash: He's so goofy! But, there is a kind of cementing in the crew with Wash. He does manage to hold things together, bringing practicality and logic in when it would appear no one else will. He's not really cut out for the mercenary for hire life, but, we all know why he's on that ship. Serenity pt 2 shows that he's calm under fire, and more than capable as the pilot of Serenity. (One more...in Trash, you can tell he's having problem keeping Serenity at the altitude the rest of the crew wants him to. When Zoe tells him they're clear his "Roger that!" could not have been more packed with relief.)

Book: Ah...our man of mysteries. Which is saying a lot because Firefly is loaded with them! Serenity pt 2...During the little town hall meeting where Mal indicates that he will throw Simon off the ship, no matter where it is at the time, warrants some hard speculation from the Shepherd: "I'll not stand idly by while there's..." And, you already know he can back up his claims. There is real threat from this supposedly peaceful man of God in that one statement. Beyond that...any conversation he has with Jayne is remarkable! That these two bond the way they do is a testament to the show, I think. Its obvious, and not so obvious.

Inara: Yeah, she's a hooker, but, this is the character that intrigued me the most on first viewing of The Train Job all those years back. Prostitution as elevated social status! Neat! I'm sure it'll be mentioned, if it hasn't already, but...Heart of Gold. When she falls to pieces after discovering Mal has slept with Nandi. Its just so heartcrushing! But, its a testament to her as a character that she did it in private. Also, anytime she tells Mal what to do on Serenity. He balks, obviously, but, you get the sense that she's sees Serenity as her home most in these moments, I think.

Kaylee: Oh...so, so many. But, in Out of Gas (And, no, I'm not going for her screwing Bester scene...geez!) the way she's so enthusiastic about the prospect of being Serenity's mechanic is infectious! Its the beginnings of a love affair with the ship that spans the show! Also, in Bushwhacked, the way she's so pleased with herself when she disarms the Reaver booby trap. Not before worrying Mal about it beforehand, though "Its not like you'll be able to yell..." (For as much as I love this character, there are times that shee frustrates the living hell out of me...mostly with Simon. When he's trying to express himself, and its obvious he's having trouble, she just won't give him the chance...)

River: Gosh...I know she took the movie with her, but it's River's quiter moments that get to me. In The Movie (And, yes, I think it should be refered in caps!) her "Make me a stone" speech coupled, not long after with her "I'm okay" to Simon melts me. Also, the look of abject terror in Ariel when she says "They're here" frightens me more than most horror films do!

Simon: This one's easy for me, because its my favorite scene in the entire block of Firefly/Serenity. In Serenity pt 1, after Kaylee's been shot, Simon's stubborn refusal to see to Kaylee until Mal changes course will always stand out for me. There is so much going on in this short scene. Its so tense, and packed with urgency. You can tell that the very idea of not helping someone in trouble weighing heavily on the young doctor, but you can also tells that he means it. His sister is the priority. Mal's look of homicidal, seething anger will not deter him from this course. And, the fact that it means different things to different characters makes this multilayered scene so powerful. For Mal, it means the spoiled doctor isn't getting his way, even if it means killing someone. For Inara, I think she could see that Simon was going to see to Kaylee anyway. And, I'm sure I wasn't the only that cheered when Simon's testes seemed to drop in the film. The hard life he has chosen for him and his sister is starting to wear on him, with disastrous results.

And, for me, and because I love her so much:

Serenity: It comes in the movie, just before the barnswallow scene. When Wash says "Hold on, we're coming to you" and Serenity crests the hill before blasting forward! It strikes me breathless everytime I see it! I know almost all Serenity moments have to be coupled to Wash, but, also, in the movie, was I the only one wounded to see her masked as a Reaver ship. It hurt my feelings that this was the only course they had, and they had turned my favorite ship into something ugly and fierce. Serenity's better than that, and I think Joss played on the browncoat's sense of love for the ship to great effect.

Well...like I say, I do go overboard about such things. But, I love these kinds of thread...even if I haven't been around much to answer to them.

Good topic!!!

And..good fight, good night!!!

Kaylee: "What's so damn important about being proper? It don't mean nothing out here in the black."
Simon: "It means more out here. It's all I have..."

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Sunday, July 30, 2006 6:37 AM

MANWITHPEZ

Important people don't do field work.

Quote:
Originally posted by DonCoat:
I saw The Train Job on Fox, the very day the series premiered.

While I enjoyed the show start to finish, I'd have to say that my major character revelation came at the end of the ep when Mal kicked Crow through the engine.

I shot right up out of my chair, yelling. That's when I knew this spaceship captain was no Jean-Luc Picard. (I almost missed the punch line with Niska's other henchman, I was yelling so loud. I don't think I've ever reacted quite like that to a scene of a TV show. I don't remember what I yelled, but it was probably something along the lines of "HO-ly S**T!!! HOOOOO-ly S**T!!!" And I am not one given to swearing much.)

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I'm pointin' right at it!

You know...that was my very same reaction back when I watched this episode back in 2002! I loved it! Good choice!

Kaylee: "What's so damn important about being proper? It don't mean nothing out here in the black."
Simon: "It means more out here. It's all I have..."

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Sunday, July 30, 2006 8:04 AM

DONCOAT

Quote:
Originally posted by manwithpez:
Quote:
Originally posted by DonCoat:
I don't remember what I yelled, but it was probably something along the lines of "HO-ly S**T!!! HOOOOO-ly S**T!!!" And I am not one given to swearing much.)

You know...that was my very same reaction back when I watched this episode back in 2002! I loved it! Good choice!

Thanks, PezMan. It was sorta fun reliving that moment.

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I'm pointin' right at it!

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Sunday, July 30, 2006 8:09 AM

SPACEANJL

I didn't warm up to Book until the 'Special Hell' speech.

The whole cast play off each other so well. Nathan has brilliant timing, and a wonderfully expressive face. As does Morena. Adam is brilliant at making a thug cuddly, giving him depth ( ie scene stealing.) Gina and Alan felt like a couple, and it was nice to see the woman as the 'strong' one. Jewel made Kaylee a sweetheart. And Sean - I just remember his expression in 'Jaynestown' and it makes me laugh. Summer - watching the killer angel dance in the BDM is the most beautiful and graceful thing I have seen in a long time. But when she smiled in OiS...heartmelt.

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Sunday, July 30, 2006 8:15 AM

GRRRARG

I've always liked Jayne, that sort of character always gets the best lines, and is the most unpredictable. When I really started cheering for Jayne was in Ariel, when he started beating the hell out of the Alliance security guard with his shoulders. Thats also the ep. that gave him a bit more depth than just the 'vulgar merc' character, because of the scene at the end when he knows he's going to die, and he says 'dont tell the others what I did, just make something up.' That made the character real.
And lets talk about Whedon badguys, because, well, I love his badguys, as long as they stay bad.
Niska complaining that he's tortured his nephew to death and he'll hear about it from his wife. That made the character real - worse, because he reminded me at that very point of someone I know - someone who really could be real.
Jubal Early threatening rape - not because he's a rapist, but because that is the precise thing that will hurt Kaylee - and everyone around her - the most. That was true evil.

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Sunday, July 30, 2006 8:22 AM

22CLAWS

Entirely pointy.

I loved River, dancing in Safe.

22

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Sunday, July 30, 2006 9:02 AM

SNOOPYGUBS

Okay, here's my second character...and this was a hard one.

Mal - most of you have said so many moments where you fell in love with him. And I agree with them all. I, too, saw the redemption in him most through Kaylee and how sweet his face looked when she kissed him and said, "I love my captain."

Which is why the scene where he tells Simon she's dead, and freaks him out, sending him running is the greatest.

It was one of those moments in tv where I knew I wouldn't see anything like that again any time soon. To go from the slow motion heart-wrenching run Simon does, to the cut scene of the crew hysterically laughing was utterly amazing to me. I had to watch it three times in a row because I kept thinking I'd missed something because I was in shock and laughing so hard at the same time.

Oddly enough, this is one of the scenes that made me realize I'd already fallen in love with Kaylee as well...because when Mal said she was dead, I highly considered stopping the series altogether since I'd rented it. Which was odd, because I'd known her character for all of 40 minutes.

But, there will be more on her later...

Like I said, choosing one Mal moment seems to be the struggle of everyone, and I think that speaks to the genius of how his character was written and portrayed. If you love him too soon, he's not the flawed hero he's supposed to be. If you love him too late, there's something wrong with the character. And most of us have said how much we love Mal through his interactions with his crew or the ship, which speaks volumes about his character. He's his most lovable through the eyes of those around him and his interactions. That, my friends, is a well-written character.

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Sunday, July 30, 2006 10:49 AM

MRSU

What a great topic!

Now let me see: the first characters which I really liked were Kaylee and Inara - from the very beginning, from the pilot.

Kaylee in that bright jacket with a parasol, Kaylee talking to Book, Kaylee eating a strawberry, Kaylee saying "My good girl" to Serenity - I loved her from those moments on. I adored her making a hit with engine talks in "Shindig".

And Inara - I loved how she could keep her ground around Mal, from their first scenes together. For some reason my heart went out to her and not to Mal in their relationship, and I accepted Mal only gradually. I fell in love with her when she was introduced to Book and Mal called her a whore but she still managed a composure and a smart retort - "why don't you make sure they see me first" etc. My love was cemented in "Our Mrs. Reynolds" and in "Trash": she's the only one who could stand up to Saffron in the end. :)

The next characters I fell in love with were Wash and Zoe - it was gradual, starting from pilot, dinosaurs and goofing etc., and with Zoe shooting that guy on Whitefall from the ground and being generally awesome, but really taking off in Shindig, with Wash reading that poetry, and in Jamestown - with Wash drank and Zoe amused about this whole Jayne issue. I already loved them before War Stories.

And then there was Safe were I fell for Simon who became my favorite character in the show. It's there where I saw the depth of his sacrifice and love for his sister: my favorite scene was confrontation with his father in that jail, and also all that scene from the moment River brings in those berries and their heartbreaking dialogue ("I understand... It's hard for you..." 'Everything I have is right here".). It's amazing how he tried to keep his cool after being seemingly abandoned by "Serenity", and still tried to shield his sister from all of this stuff, talking about those berries, comforting her while trying to keep their falling apart world together, working, finding a new place in life. It's where I started to love River too.
But then there was "Ariel" where I saw even more of who Simon really was: the key moment for me was Simon saving that guy in St.Lucy and River being so proud of him. Her words "It's where you should be" were so poignant and true, and ever since I became convinced that Simon shouldn't end up on Serenity and become content with it: I get mad at scenarious/fics suggesting such an outcome.
His vocation is to be a doctor and all the time he's not doing it full-time is betraying this gift. Which makes his sacrifice even more complete.

Now Mal - he really clicked for me in "Out of Gas", and I loved him ever since. Before that, I'm ashamed to say, I looked at him as an annoying bastard who always managed to make Inara unhappy.:) But that episode - vow. It showed his true love there: Serenity, and its crew.

And Jayne - I warmed up to him in "Our Mrs.Reynolds" and started really liking him after Ariel: he has the steepest character arc in the show, and very interesting one. I love his friendship with Book, and their talk in Message over dead body is my favorite.

Now Book: I liked him from the pilot, from the kick-ass scene when he knocks Dobson out and stands there all martial-arty, with that pony-tail of his - really cool. I liked him throughout the show, and warmed up to him even more when I realised how he was babysitting River, in Jamestown and Message, to let Simon some time for himself, to get out with Kaylee etc. :)

Now River - it started in Safe but Object in Space was the episode when I finally got her, I think. And the movie: it does a lot to show the hell she's living in, and also her strength. She is an amazing character, somewhat messianic, and she would have great potential in a sequel.

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Sunday, July 30, 2006 11:21 AM

SIMONWHO

The BDHs just grew and grew on me (though Mal kicking Crow into the engine was an instant "You're the Man!" moment).

One from the movie: the way the Operative asks the Doctor if he knows what his sin is; the doctor blusters for a moment and the Operative states so clearly, in a manner that is most like that of a loving father who must judge his child, "It's pride."

At that moment I knew this was no ordinary "bad guy" and for that reason alone I'd have to be even more afraid for our heroes than normal.

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