GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Is Mal independently wealthy?

POSTED BY: RALLEM
UPDATED: Wednesday, July 2, 2008 16:32
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Monday, June 30, 2008 2:13 PM

RALLEM


I was wondering if Mal was independently wealthy after I went to a web site looking up the different types of ships in the ‘verse, and one of the sections in that site discussed the money and economy in the ‘verse where it said that cattle must be a lot more valuable in that reality if people were willing to pay the price of transporting them from one planet to another. I believe in Our Mrs. Reynolds, Mal talked about growing up on a large ranch with lots of hands to help raise him so I wonder if he was independently wealthy and that was why he could ignore the ship salesman and buy Serenity when it did not work.



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Monday, June 30, 2008 2:53 PM

EVILDINOSAUR


seeing that he at one point discusses his "powerful need to eat, sometime this month" I would say he's definitely not wealthy

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Monday, June 30, 2008 3:19 PM

RALLEM


Ok, but where did he get the money to buy Serenity? I don't think a non commissioned officer pay in the rebellion would be enough even if I thought there was a chance at his collecting back pay from a defunct government, so he must have had lost of money. Also I would like to point out that he is paying what I believe is 10% to Wash, Zoe, Jayne, Kaylee, and maybe the Doctor, so that would leave him 50% to run the ship on and for himself. He did say he has a powerful need to eat, but is it possible that wasn't literal?



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Monday, June 30, 2008 3:29 PM

DAVESHAYNE


If you look at the Serenity Official Visual Companion you will note that Mal's homeworld of Shadow was given the nuke it till it glows treatment by the Alliance so while Mal might have been fairly well off before the war after unification he has nothing. Nothing worth having at any rate. As to being able to afford Serenity he probably got it a bit cheap on account of it not working at the time (see Out of Gas.)

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Monday, June 30, 2008 3:49 PM

RALLEM


I saw out of gas and to me the salesman didn't look like he ever gave anything away cheap.



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Monday, June 30, 2008 4:36 PM

ANONYMOUS1


Quote:

Originally posted by rallem:
I saw out of gas and to me the salesman didn't look like he ever gave anything away cheap.



Could be that since the ship was broke, he let Mal have it cheap. Like maybe the salesman made more money on the deal that it would cost the salesman to haul it away for scrap.

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Monday, June 30, 2008 5:02 PM

FUTUREMRSFILLION


Quote:

Originally posted by rallem:
I was wondering if Mal was independently wealthy after I went to a web site looking up the different types of ships in the ‘verse, and one of the sections in that site discussed the money and economy in the ‘verse where it said that cattle must be a lot more valuable in that reality if people were willing to pay the price of transporting them from one planet to another. I believe in Our Mrs. Reynolds, Mal talked about growing up on a large ranch with lots of hands to help raise him so I wonder if he was independently wealthy and that was why he could ignore the ship salesman and buy Serenity when it did not work.



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If he were wealthy would he let needed repairs go unrepaired? I think not.

I am on The List. We are The Forsaken and we aim to burn!
"We don't fear the reaper"

FORSAKEN original


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Monday, June 30, 2008 5:24 PM

NCBROWNCOAT


Mal may have been from a "land rich" family that built the ranch from the ground up only to see everything literally "go up in smoke" when the Alliance nuked Shadow

likely the money was cyclic, like most farmers. Lots of money has to be spent in order to ready the "crop" for sale, then the windfall when the "crop" is sold is put back into the ranch for next season.

A cycle of debt and $. I see it every day with business people and not just farmers (I work in a local bank). There would be lean years too when the market for cattle wasn't too good.

Also, I feel that Mal is very well educated, mainly due to his Ma making sure he had to tools to eventually run the ranch. He may have hated every minute, not being that inclined to "book learning", but he is very intelligent and knows good deal when he sees it.

I have my own ideas where Mal got the money for Serenity but I'm not saying quite yet. If my muse will make me sit down and write and not just have daydreams at work and make endless notes that accumulate next to my laptop you will find out one day.






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Monday, June 30, 2008 5:30 PM

RALLEM


Quote:

Originally posted by FutureMrsFIllion:
Quote:

Originally posted by rallem:
I was wondering if Mal was independently wealthy after I went to a web site looking up the different types of ships in the ‘verse, and one of the sections in that site discussed the money and economy in the ‘verse where it said that cattle must be a lot more valuable in that reality if people were willing to pay the price of transporting them from one planet to another. I believe in Our Mrs. Reynolds, Mal talked about growing up on a large ranch with lots of hands to help raise him so I wonder if he was independently wealthy and that was why he could ignore the ship salesman and buy Serenity when it did not work.



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If he were wealthy would he let needed repairs go unrepaired? I think not.

I am on The List. We are The Forsaken and we aim to burn!
"We don't fear the reaper"

FORSAKEN original




Good point, but could he have had to leave things in a state of disrepair because of his circumstances?



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Monday, June 30, 2008 5:57 PM

FUTUREMRSFILLION


Quote:

Originally posted by rallem:
Quote:

Originally posted by FutureMrsFIllion:
Quote:

Originally posted by rallem:
I was wondering if Mal was independently wealthy after I went to a web site looking up the different types of ships in the ‘verse, and one of the sections in that site discussed the money and economy in the ‘verse where it said that cattle must be a lot more valuable in that reality if people were willing to pay the price of transporting them from one planet to another. I believe in Our Mrs. Reynolds, Mal talked about growing up on a large ranch with lots of hands to help raise him so I wonder if he was independently wealthy and that was why he could ignore the ship salesman and buy Serenity when it did not work.



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If he were wealthy would he let needed repairs go unrepaired? I think not.

I am on The List. We are The Forsaken and we aim to burn!
"We don't fear the reaper"

FORSAKEN original




Good point, but could he have had to leave things in a state of disrepair because of his circumstances?



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no. uh uh.

I am on The List. We are The Forsaken and we aim to burn!
"We don't fear the reaper"

FORSAKEN original


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Wednesday, July 2, 2008 10:17 AM

TINFOIL


Just because your folks (or folk in Mal's case) is wealthy doesn't mean you are. And as for buying the ship, who says he isn't still making payments?

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Wednesday, July 2, 2008 10:22 AM

RALLEM


Quote:

Originally posted by TinFoil:
Just because your folks (or folk in Mal's case) is wealthy doesn't mean you are. And as for buying the ship, who says he isn't still making payments?



Do you really think a person trying to live under the radar of the alliance would be making payments on a ship, or worse not making payments?



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Wednesday, July 2, 2008 11:42 AM

MSB


Usually after an area is destroyed the government has to make reparations...maybe Mal used that money to buy Serenity... and being one job away from starvation ( raggety edge here) doesn't speak to him having money. Most ranchers are "wealthy" on the books, but have very little in the way of spending money. Other thought is mal's mom had either life insurance, or a nest egg set aside that he could access after her death...anyway my two cents:)

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Wednesday, July 2, 2008 11:52 AM

RALLEM


Quote:

Originally posted by MSB:
Usually after an area is destroyed the government has to make reparations...maybe Mal used that money to buy Serenity... and being one job away from starvation ( raggety edge here) doesn't speak to him having money. Most ranchers are "wealthy" on the books, but have very little in the way of spending money. Other thought is mal's mom had either life insurance, or a nest egg set aside that he could access after her death...anyway my two cents:)

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Love doesn't make the world go 'round; love is what makes the ride worthwhile.



Wouldn't that make him wealthy?



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Wednesday, July 2, 2008 12:09 PM

LEOPARDFLAN


I would say, that Mal was independently wealthy, and then spent all that money on Serenity.


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Wednesday, July 2, 2008 12:12 PM

RALLEM


Quote:

Originally posted by LeopardFlan:
I would say, that Mal was independently wealthy, and then spent all that money on Serenity.

]

I think you are right.



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Wednesday, July 2, 2008 1:42 PM

REDLAVA


I'm thinking that Mal probably lost everything before he joined the independents. Something tells me they didn't have 401K's on Shadow.And who knows what sorts of illegal or legitimate things that he may have done to earn a few bucks to buy Serenity. I don't recall ever hearing the time frame between Serenity Valley and his purchase of Serenity. For all we know it could have been several years. Plenty of time to save up money to purchase a ship in a state of disrepair.



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Wednesday, July 2, 2008 1:59 PM

RALLEM


Quote:

Originally posted by Redlava:
I'm thinking that Mal probably lost everything before he joined the independents. Something tells me they didn't have 401K's on Shadow.And who knows what sorts of illegal or legitimate things that he may have done to earn a few bucks to buy Serenity. I don't recall ever hearing the time frame between Serenity Valley and his purchase of Serenity. For all we know it could have been several years. Plenty of time to save up money to purchase a ship in a state of disrepair.





I don't think Mal was looking for a ship in disrepair because that salesman was puching hard to sell him the rocket he was pitching. I think Mal simply fell in love with Serenity and was not only willing to pay to buy it but also paid for the costs to get it running.



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Wednesday, July 2, 2008 4:32 PM

REDLAVA


You're absolutely right on that point. I guess that I was trying to say that Mal probably saved money by falling in love with Serenity instead of the other ship that he was supposed to be looking at. I'm sure the ship that the dealer was trying to sell him would have cost a tidy fortune compared to Serenity, which didn't fly at the time.

But my main point still stands. I think he was broke when he left Shadow to fight and was probably broke after Serenity Valley. Since there is no canon that I know of with a time frame between SV and his purchase of Serenity I have to assume that he made a few bucks somehow someway. Like somebody said before, being default on your payments ain't exactly the best way to keep under the radar.

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