Is There a Doctor in the House? (zoid post) by zoid

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Is There a Doctor in the House? (zoid post)

POSTED BY: ZOID
UPDATED: Thursday, June 10, 2004 07:26
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VIEWED: 9575
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Wednesday, June 2, 2004 12:37 AM

Since this whole shebang of a thread started talking about Simon and River's parents, let's get back to the heart of the matter.

I don't think that the Tams are infatuated with money. I think they already have money. They certainly shouldn't expect their children to enrich their lives that way. But their behavior doesn't indicate that they expect their children to enrich their lives with meaningful relationships either. I believe what motivates the Tams is position.

When young Simon is asking his father for a dedicated source box his father responds by bargaining the item with Simon becoming a brilliant doctor. Later when Simon is brought to the police headquarters his father is furious with him for not only making him leave a social function but also for making him enter the police headquarters, something that is entered into his permanent record. Given this penchant for social and political influence isn't it slightly possible the Tams bargained River away to the Feds? Perhaps they knew, or suspected what the "academy" River was sold on attending was really about. Maybe not even firm knowledge, but hints and allegations, hushed whispers about the Alliance's dirty little secrets.

Given this very eastern monomaniacal fixation on position, the foundation of which is proper thought and behavior, is it any wonder Simon is socially retarded? After all Simon isn't some slack roughneck child on a rim planet. He's a well-bred young man who aspires to be a doctor. No time wasted on social functions or dating. Certainly no time for idle time with peers, hanging out in parks or necking with the girls in his class. He was a prisoner of the ultimate soccer parents. Every spare minute of his day was probably planned and orchestrated to gain the maximum social advantage, the best scholastic position to assault the final admittance test to medical school.

All of this social repression has stunted Simon in his relationships with the fairer sex. As Mal said; "He'd have to relax for ten seconds to get his play." This strict formality is also reflected in his relationship with Kaylee. He says that when he is stiff and formal with her he is showing respect. Respect is something he doesn't seem to get a lot of from Serenity's crew. Or maybe he just doesn't speak their language yet, they're giving him respect by inviting him into their inner circle but he is still looking for that stiff formality.

So, there is one area where Simon is retarded, delayed in the strictest sense of the word. But all that effort produced a truly gifted doctor. In his element there is no hesitation, no uncertainty. His life is lived as if he existed in an operating theatre. There is a protocal and a procedure for behavior in a operating theatre and without his script, a guidebook for how to handle a given situation he flounders a little. He is as quick, decisive and efficient in healing injuries as Jayne is in dealing them out but outside this mileau he is a little lost. Does this make Simon a child?

I'm going to fall back on Heinlein's definition of a citizen. "A citizen makes the safety of the body politic his or her own personal responsibility". This is exactly what Simon does in rescuing River. It is the moral equivalent of Mal and Zoe fighting for the Independents during the war. Simon's personal Serenity valley is in Safe when he knows he can't win the fight, but he can die, and accepts that. Mal and Zoe show up and are Big Damn Heroes but Simon didn't know they were going to ride in.

This seems to be an action that Jayne can't wrap his head around. Looking at things this way, it seems Jayne is the boy and Simon is the man.

Now, as to whether or not Simon will ever relax, I think Kaylee should arm herself with a bottle of high proof spirits and use it to have her way with him. I.E. clobber him with it and then ravish him while he is unconscious.

The more I get to know people the more I like my dogs.

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Wednesday, June 2, 2004 1:31 AM

ECGORDON

There's no place I can be since I found Serenity.

I agree with Hardware. Simon is a lot like Rodney Dangerfield. He don't get no respect, but that needs to change.

wo men ren ran zai fei xing.

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Wednesday, June 2, 2004 7:53 AM

ZOID

Hardware:

Excellent post, if you don't mind my saying so. All the joshing aside, my intent with the thread was to examine how Simon's early environment has shaped him. I think you've done that admirably.

As to River, it has occurred to me (and I've posted the opinion/speculation elsewhere) that she is in fact a genetically engineered human, either surgically implanted into Regan Tam's womb, or placed into the Tam household as an infant. She was always going to be reclaimed by Alliance/BlueSun, and so the Tams wouldn't invest much in her emotionally, nor 'rescue' her from her proper masters.

If true (and I'm certainly not willing to risk gambling on it), this would open some thought-provoking relationship channels vis-a-vis Simon. She's already proposed marriage and child-rearing in one of the deleted scenes.

Simon is, as you said in more incisive phrasing, a 'medico-geek'. But is he a child, or does that make him a child, as you asked? No. But it doesn't make him a man either. As I said, River tells him that the patient in post-op on Ariel is going to die; he says no. She says they're going to kill him; he says no they're not. They turn the corner, and we hear the patient's EKG monitor go into alarm for cardiac failure (I could hear it, and I'm nearly deaf thanks to Judas Priest). Does Simon spring immediately into action? Nope. River has to prod him again, before he moves to save the man. He is indecisive, even in his metier. He figuratively denies his profession three times before the alarm crows, er, sounds.

This is even more telling for a doctor, and one who has stated that he was stationed in the ER of a major metropolis. Between that hesitancy and his outright shirking of his Hippocratic oath (which I assume they still have 500 years hence) when Kaylee is wounded, we have more proof that while he is not a child, he is not a man yet either. He seems not to understand that a man's word is his bond, and that the oath he has taken as a doctor is not mutable based on circumstances.

Still, for those who may be asking the simple question, "So, what are you driving at? Do you like Simon or not?", I will give a simple answer: Yes, I like him. I trust that he will grow up and become an honorable man because Mal trusts him, and if anything is true in Firefly, then Mal's judgement of character must be likewise true. In Mal I trust. Mal likes his crew -- with reasonable reservations -- and so do I.

On an unrelated note, I will not repeat the social gaffe of marking threads with 'zoid post'. In retrospect, it was a bad idea, regardless how innocent my intentions ("I don't give half-a-hump whether you're innocent or not..."). My apologies to any I may have offended (especially Whoodahn), and I will not try to defend myself. It won't happen again.

Respectfully,

zoid
_________________________________________________

"I knew a man once. History will never recall him, or what he gave to make us free. That's the way he wanted it. But as long as I live I'll remember, and he'll never truly die."

- River, from A Child Shall Lead Them: A History of the Second War of Independence Wilkins, Richard

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Thursday, June 3, 2004 4:37 PM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!

I REALLY wish I had the time to read this.
Maybe tomorrow.

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Friday, June 4, 2004 7:23 AM

SKYDANCE

Interesting thread. I liked Delia's turn of phrase with this line:

"the word I would choose for him is almost 'asexual.'"

The word, however, is 'Intellectual'.

Rewind a bit.

Simon isn't the son of Money; he's the son of Power. His father is Influential, probably Political ... even if that's not his job. A "doctor" who sits on a certification board or runs an arm of a hospital has a political influence on those around him. He makes things happen with deals, reputation, and by gathering followers who support his agenda. If Simon's father is a Politician, it's even more obvious.

A man playing that kind of game is always playing it, 24/7. Every mistake you make will come back to haunt you, every hand you shake is an opportunity, every word spoken at dinner is a gambit in some game, and even being seen at a table from across the room is a tool.

While it is likely that he loves his son and daughter, he is preoccupied with the constant battle against his peers. Given this situation, he doesn't have time for some foolishness about River sending secret messages from inside the "prison" of the ultimate (most prestigious, very "feather-in-a-cap") schooling any Alliance member can attend. Simon's family gains reputation from having a daughter in this school! Simon's going to challenge that bargaining chip ... based on some fantasy about coded messages??!? Ha!

So, we get a Son who only receives approval when he does something his Father can show off to others. Simon is very smart; he excels in school. These two things are a classic mix of human nature, and lead to someone who pours all his effort into achieving the peak of the most intellectual profession out there: he is not just a Doctor, but a Surgeon, working at The Best Hospital.

"But what about girls?" I hear you saying.

There's something you must realize about this situation. When you're a kid, pushed by your parents to absorb knowledge and excel in school, it can go one of two ways. One is, you can't do it, and you rebel. A human being needs a sense of self-worth, and if you're constantly failing, a fight-or-flight response is evoked.

The other way it can go, though, is that you succeed. Simon does. The moment when his father gives him the Cortex link is a very special moment for him: it's a sign of love from his father, and he got that sign of love by succeeding in school. All of his effort goes into that, and it rewards him.

Occassionally, girls are a distraction. He's been out of touch with his peers for so long, however, that he has no skills for dealing with girls by the time that happens. Any attempt at contact goes badly ("failure"), so he retreats from that part of his life and burrows more completely into the successful part of his life (intellectual pursuit).

Sorry. This is going on a very long time. Bear with me just a moment more.

What you're left with is someone who is extremely good at the things he's practiced, but who (1) doesn't know the first thing about women, and (2) doesn't even have any practice at talking to anyone less intelligent than himself. Kaylee is less intelligent than Simon. (That's one big way in which the characters are different from the actors.)

Furthermore, he doesn't even have the skills that a normal teenager would have developed. He hasn't practiced. So, he's making teenager-level mistakes when dealing with an adult.

That, my friends, is a four star turn-off. How many women out there want to teach a child how to be your boyfriend? At some point, it gets old. Not the first week, no, and if he's really cute, maybe not the first month. They've been together a pretty long while, though, and he's still making the childish mistakes. I can totally feel for Kaylee's frustration.

Simon's got the ultimate luck going for him, though: he and Kaylee are locked together on that ship, and he's going to have a lot of weeks to keep practicing, and get better at this. He just needs time.

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Friday, June 4, 2004 7:52 AM

ZOID

Skydance:

Very insightful. Brava, (female, I hope?)! I would merely add that the only things about love Simon has learned have been through his relationship with River, never his parents. Respect for authority, an understanding of power and status, an appreciation of the finer things in life, ya-da, ya-da, sure... But what about love? If Simon's weak attempts at romantic behavior are indicative of familial behavior, then Gabriel and Regan Tam have a very stiff and formal (non-existent?) relationship when it comes to marital love. It is crucially important to a child's development that his parents show her/him a proper picture of mature love. Simon's what? 26 years old? And this is what he's learned from his parental example? Does Gabriel ever talk to Regan, touch her intimately, kiss her with genuine affection? Not based on the evidence of Simon's social interactions with Kaylee or any other member of the crew. Sheesh!

I still say the quickest way to normalize Simon is for Kaylee to jump his overly proper bones. Hell, even a good kissin' oughtta loosen his tongue and unstiffen that upper lip...

Respectfully,

zoid
_________________________________________________

"I knew a man once. History will never recall him, or what he gave to make us free. That's the way he wanted it. But as long as I live I'll remember, and he'll never truly die."

- River, from A Child Shall Lead Them: A History of the Second War of Independence Wilkins, Richard

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Friday, June 4, 2004 9:05 AM

SKYDANCE

Oh, agreed on the point about River.

Now, this "brava" thingie ... are you questioning if I am female? No, no -- not a bit of it. I'm something of an intellectual, however, having lived the confusion of "success with books / failure with people." My story is rather different from Simon's though. I wasn't pushed by my family at all.

However, at the venerable age of 40, I've gathered an insight or two into lives outside my own, and it's easy to see the places Simon's development differed from my own. Coincidentally, we share a strong conviction about doing what is "right" -- or, perhaps it's not coincidental, and is actually a side-effect of the process of learning to connect with the rest of society on an individual basis. Got any developmental psychologists in the audience who have heard such a theory before?

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Friday, June 4, 2004 9:51 AM

ZOID

Skydance:

My apologies, sir. I always click on the poster's name to see if they've left any data about themselves on their Profile page. I did this on yours, and found nothing; but remembering someone with a screen name similar(?) to yours saying they were a female... Well, let's just say I obviously misremembered. Sorry, again.

Very lucid posts, though.

Respectfully,

zoid
_________________________________________________

"I knew a man once. History will never recall him, or what he gave to make us free. That's the way he wanted it. But as long as I live I'll remember, and he'll never truly die."

- River, from A Child Shall Lead Them: A History of the Second War of Independence Wilkins, Richard

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Friday, June 4, 2004 11:01 AM

PURPLEBELLY

A Doctor in the House? Simon is a Companion, of course. So much becomes clear, now.

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Friday, June 4, 2004 1:43 PM

HELL'S KITTEN

Wow. Okay. So, I’m really thinking that I shouldn’t bother jumping into this thread because you’ve all said so much and I hate repeating things. But I’m foolish and tired, so I’m clearly going to anyway.

So.

I have to first say that I agree with Zoid and Gunhand about Simon being “not quite right,” and I agree that there are plenty of people who can just know when they see it. There is something slightly odd about that boy.... What makes it worse is the fact that I can very much relate to him. At times, I can be just like him, which is kinda embarrassing to admit, but I apparently have no fear of embarrassment. (And I’m a girl, by the way. So that means either I’m a bit of a tom-boy or he’s a bit of a nancy-boy.) I would like to be able to expand upon why or how I think I understand the boy, but more often than not, it’s more abstract association than concrete evidence. I’m not at all sure anything I have to say would come out in any coherent or meaningful way. For me, that sorta discussion is better for a sit-down than a type-off.

There is not one thing about Simon that I find attractive. Nada. He’d only seem like a brother to me. And it’s not cuz he’s not attractive... I guess his features aren’t too hard to look upon... it’s just... one of those things... yeah, he’s “not quite right.” I can understand why there are a lot of Simon fangirls, though, cuz he does have some admirable qualities. Just none of those qualities are attractive to me in anything other than a “oh, that’s nice” kinda way.

As for the Simon & Kaylee thing... she is way too good for him. She deserves the best, and he is clearly not it. Not now, anyway.

Moving right along. I consider myself to be a fairly well educated chick – independent and doing well in a traditionally male-dominated industry – who appreciates being able to hold a conversation with a kind, sentient guy and having, maybe, some connection on an intellectual level...blah, blah, blah. But, for some reason – call me crazy – I would take Jayne over any of the rest of the guys. In. A. Heartbeat. And you can take “take” to mean anything you can think of at this moment. (For the record, Wash would be second, followed by Mal... then moving right along to Kaylee... heh... Book doesn’t even register on my radar.)

There are so many things I could say about Jayne.... That character is obviously (and admittedly) one of Mr.J’s (in)famous anti-heroes. Every show that aired – when re: Jayne’s character – made a point of emphasizing to the audience that he’s a not-so-good guy; he can’t be trusted; he’s only in it for the money; yada, yada, yada. Now, I’m no film student or expert on anything related... but... isn’t that classic misdirection? Or maybe I’m thinking of the term for the “making the character so bad that the 180 makes for a more effectual impact” thing? Anyway, Spike is the first / best example that comes to mind in the Whedon’verse. There are so many subtle things about Jayne throughout the shows (and in the scripts, drafts, etc.) that leads me to believe that he woulda been the Spike of the Firefly ‘verse. I doubt anyone, save Mr.J, could convince me otherwise.

Now for the female crew.... I love Zoe and Kaylee. It’s too hard for me to pick a favorite between those two because they both possess such different qualities, most of which I admire and respect. I hope to be just like them when I grow up.

River: While she’s had some good lines now and again, she’s nothing more than a device. The closest she’s come to being an actual character was in OIS. Unfortunately, that was the end of it all, so she remains an unrealized plot potential.

Inara. I have no idea. I like her well enough, I guess, but I’ve always been intimidated by good looking women. What can I say? I’m shallow and quite possibly, subconsciously, traumatized because of who-knows-what happened in my childhood. We’ll probably never know and I’m certain I don’t care. There’s also something about her career that puts me a little on guard – how could you ever be sure she was being honest with you? I just hate pretense.

What else... oh, Simon’s & River’s parents. Hard to tell since there’s so little that wasn’t shown almost exclusively from Simon’s perspective, and to say he’s a little paranoid wouldn’t be untrue. His dad seemed caring enough when they were young, and Simon said that River wanted to go to The Academy, so maybe once she got there, the folks were given an ultimatum. I s’pose that’d be a bit... what’s the phrase?... over-done?... I don’t think “cliché” is quite what I’m looking for, but I’ll just move right past that and let you figure out what I mean. Could be that the Big Bad at The Academy gave the Tams a choice between (a) their power, money, social standing, and son or (b) River. Possibly a hard choice, but not one that hasn’t been made previously. Just an idea without a whole lot to back it up, though.

Mm. I think that’s all. You can wake up now.

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Friday, June 4, 2004 5:29 PM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!

I think what Zoid and Gunhand see in Simon that irks them so is subtle dependency. They interpret him as chosing to be dithering and helpless. That way he avoids heavy lifting.

I don't happen to agree. I imagine his upbringing as being virtually cloistered. He was naturally of a disposition to please his parents, which focused him on doing those things well his parents chose, which got him through all levels of schooling. And a need and habit to do things well keeps him from venturing into new directions, like relating with people who aren't family. Beyond that, he's guiless. With him, it's in for a penny, in for a pound. Of all the characters, he's the one whose INTENTIONS I would trust most.

On the other hand I would put a lot of distance between River and myself, not that she's evil. I equate being around her to dealing with a really large animal who could squash you without noticing (oops). Self-preservation alarms go off at the idea.

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Saturday, June 5, 2004 9:06 AM

ZOID

rue wrote:

Quote:
I think what Zoid and Gunhand see in Simon that irks them so is subtle dependency. They interpret him as chosing to be dithering and helpless. That way he avoids heavy lifting.

Well, I can't speak for Gunny; but, the only thing that 'irks' me (too strong a word really) is Simon's youthful ignorance of his surroundings. He is unintentionally self-absorbed. He's not intentionally a peacock, vain, egotistical or uncaring of others' feelings. It just works out that way. Like many young people, he believes that the universe revolves around him. His rational process tells him that if he accidentally steps on another person's sensibilities, he's sorry, but it's not so much that he did something wrong, as it is that the universe -- while in the process of revolving around him -- stuck that person's feelings where he could trip over them.

After a man takes the final step to maturity -- be that at 16 or 46 -- he knows to be more aware of his environment than this. He also knows that if he steps on somebody else's feelings, it's nobody's fault but his own. They didn't ask for it (well, ok, sometimes they do) and it's not the universe's fault either.

Simon hasn't quite gotten that figured out yet. To borrow from my favorite source reference, he hasn't yet had the 'scales' removed from his eyes, he still sees the world through the eyes of a boy, not yet through those of a man. But as I said earlier, I believe he will, strictly because Mal appears to believe he will.

For the umptieth time, he needs to get laid. Becoming one with the female (especially one so openly female as Kaylee), even for those fleeting few seconds, will open his senses to the external world. Is there anything closer to total enlightenment, to heaven, than 'the little death'?

For all the Simon fans, then, just wait; the best of your favorite character is yet to come. Someday very soon, I predict, you will see a change in Simon, and get the gestalt, the 'ah-hah!' of what I and Gunhand and others herein have been talking about.

Either that or you will simply conclude that I'm full of sh*t. Either way, you'll be right. Life instructs, I just run the slide projector...

Respectfully,

zoid
_________________________________________________

"I knew a man once. History will never recall him, or what he gave to make us free. That's the way he wanted it. But as long as I live I'll remember, and he'll never truly die."

- River, from A Child Shall Lead Them: A History of the Second War of Independence Wilkins, Richard

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Saturday, June 5, 2004 11:36 AM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!

Zoid,

I have apparently stepped on your feelings, something I didn't intend.

I read all the posts and I couldn't figure out what the common thread was - except that something about Simon seemed to rub the wrong way - enough to irk. Since I couldn't see it, I truly endeavored to understand what was being said. I guess I didn't even get that right.

My apologies for my post that came across as contentious (?), or for whatever there was about it it that caused such a reply.

Rue

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Saturday, June 5, 2004 11:47 AM

ZOID

rue wrote:

Quote:
I have apparently stepped on your feelings, something I didn't intend.

Not in the least. I just wanted to point out that I don't find humans -- fictional or otherwise -- the least bit irksome, even when their inherent fallibility give me cause for reservation. My last statement in the post is not an indictment of others, it is an indictment of myself.

You're new hereabouts, correct? Ask anybody. I've been described as twisted, convoluted, conspiratorial... And those are just the nice ones

. But I ain't a 'hater'; I just see things from a different perspective (and so does zoid).

Ruefully,

zoid

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Tuesday, June 8, 2004 12:31 PM

NICOLACLARKE

At the risk of, um, flogging a dead horse...

I happened to be watching 'Ariel' a few evenings ago, and I have to say that I read the scene with the cardiac arrest guy rather differently than you, Zoid (and others) did. Simon's initial hesitation stems for the fact that it's River's precognition talking. Which he doesn't believe in. As soon as the other doctors become alarmed for the patient, Simon moves (I think the line is "Code Blue"). Before that, he assumes it to be only River's ramblings - back on Serenity earlier in ep, after all, the main thread of her complaints had been "going to die". Why should Simon immediately connect her words with reality? He's heard her say so many things that are crazy or appear to be, so why should he hear this any differently?

Compare the bit in 'Heart of Gold' where River announces "It's starting!", but no-one reacts until Petaline herself starts yelling.

Hmm, I'm beginning to sound like Simon's one-woman cheerleader squad ((obBuffyRef)"I'll really miss the intellectual thrill of spelling out words with my arms." (/ObBuffyRef)) I entirely agree that he's lacking in the grown-up emotional experience department, but then when you do your internship in 8 months you probably aren't leaving a whole bunch of time in your life for social interaction.

I still say he's more a fish out of water on Serenity than a deficient human being in general, though.

/ pure intentions, juxtaposed /

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Tuesday, June 8, 2004 1:06 PM

SHINYSEVEN

There's a very old joke--a limousine stops, the chauffeur gets out, opens the back door, and lifts a little boy out of the back seat and carries him. The kid's mother gets out of the limo, and a passerby says, "Oh, the poor little boy! Why can't he walk?" The kid's mother snaps, "Of course he can walk! But with his trust fund, he'll never have to!"

One characteristic of television shows is their predilection for employing attractive persons of less than stellar thespian talent. As far as I'm concerned, Jayne is a repulsive *character*, and Adam Baldwin deserves all the props in the world for excellent acting. I like Simon a lot as a character, but....

As for the Tam family background, I think it's the kind of family where one person gets officially designated as Nuts which allows everyone else to not concentrate on their own peculiarities.

"Sadistic crap legitimized by florid prose"

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Tuesday, June 8, 2004 1:36 PM

ZOID

NicolaClarke:

I didn't mean my statement to be read literally. When I said Simon denies his profession 3 times "before the alarm crows, er, sounds", I meant that his denial is symbolic of the apostle Peter's denial of Christ (3 times before the cock crows). Authors (and filmmakers) often use 'Christ figure' symbolism in their storytelling: to denote who the main character is, to show selfless suffering, etc. That scene certainly appeared to me to be reminiscent of Peter's denial.

Regardless, there can be no mistake that Simon did deny his Hippocratic oath when he refused to treat Kaylee's GSW until Mal agreed to turn the ship. So is he deficient? Oh, yeah. Now, refer me to the human being you think isn't deficient. As I said, I like Simon because Mal does. Mal's judgement of character has got to be right, because Firefly is Mal's story. It's his world, everyone else just lives in it.

BTW, do you know the apostle Peter's first name? Thaaaat's right: Simon.

But I'm sure this is all just a coincidence. I'm sure Joss never thought about any of this beforehand, aren't you? The whole Simon Peter thing is just happenstance, don't you think?

Respectfully,

zoid

P.S.
Riddle me this: When does flogging a dead horse become administering the horse CPR?

Answer: When they start filming the BDM! Keep flogging, Nicki...
_________________________________________________

"Burn the land and boil the sea, you can't take the sky from me." The Ballad of Serenity

Only 317 days, 5 hours, 33 minutes, and 3 seconds left until The BDM!

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Tuesday, June 8, 2004 6:04 PM

SHINYSEVEN

Well, considering that in the series finale of Angel, Angel says that someone is going to betray him, and Spike cheerily volunteers and offers to deny him three times too...I think we can assume that it's in the Jossverse playbook.

However, it's often a BAD idea to stop in the middle of a major felony to perform medical procedures when you have phony ID of dubious quality. I'm glad that it all worked out, but it would have been Typical Jossverse Luck for River to get killed in the kerfuffle that one would expect to occur.

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Tuesday, June 8, 2004 8:00 PM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!

Hello Zoid,

I'm glad I didn't offend.

Yes, I'm pretty new here and don't post often. (What's the name when you read but don't post much - a lurker? Then I am that.)

I have to say I relish the level of writing, wit, talent, knowledge, humor, wisdom, insight ... it seems to come naturally to so many people on this board. So I'll just keep on readin' ... with the occasional post.

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Thursday, June 10, 2004 5:25 AM

DELIA

Quote:
Originally posted by NicolaClarke:
Hmm, I'm beginning to sound like Simon's one-woman cheerleader squad ((obBuffyRef)"I'll really miss the intellectual thrill of spelling out words with my arms." (/ObBuffyRef))

I'll join the cheerleading squad, even if it does involve spelling words with my arms.

I'm enjoying this thread, though I think we are all starting to repeat ourselves.

I'm enjoying this thread, though I think we are all starting to repeat ourselves.

Still, I think I've gotten a lot of insight into the character. I'll be very curious to see what Simon is like in the movie, when (as near as I can keep the time line straight) he'll have been on Serenity for about a year. Should be curious to see how much of the proper doctor demeanor he's managed to shed (and he can shed all those shiny vests, too. And I'm not using shiny in the Firefly sense of the word).

Okay, Zoid, are you planning to get a conversation going on anyone else?

Delia

___________________________________________
ANGEL: People who don't care about anything will never understand the people who do.
HAMILTON: Yeah, but we won't care.

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Thursday, June 10, 2004 7:26 AM

MILORADELL

So I'm reading the posts, and I notice there's some contention as to if Simon is truly a dedicated dr, yada yada yada, since he hesitates.

So I began to thunk me a thought, and I realized - in what situations does he hesitate? It's where the training he's recieved (dr) runs into his decision to save his sister.

The whole bit with Kaylee being shot in Serenity. He starts to help her, and then realizes - 'I can use this'. I see it as him reacting the way he's been trained to react, smack-up banging into his newly chosen position of renegade, sister protector, etc.

In Ariel, he hesitates to help that cardiac man, not so much because he wouldn't want to help him, but he's there for his sister. He has a job to do. And the new job is conflicting with his old training.

How many here have ever had a job for a long time, and then moved into a different position with the same company? And say you're pulling a fax off the machine, and start to do what needs to be done with it, and then it hits you - that's not my job anymore, doh! So you put it in someone's mailbox, and feel a bit guilty about it? I see Simon being in that situation. Which is more important? The oath he swore to help people, or the oath he swore to help his sister? (Of course, I'm assuming oaths were sworn; he sang a song on the statue of Hippocrates, after all

.)

I don't expect those decisions to ever be easy or comfortable for him, but they sure are interesting to watch!

****
Human beings are animals. They are sometimes monsters, sometimes magnificent, but always animals. They may prefer to think of themselves as fallen angels, but in reality they are risen apes.

Desmond Morris, 1967

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