What did our Big-Damn-Hero's do durring the War? by galenfly

FIREFLY EPISODE DISCUSSIONS

What did our Big-Damn-Hero's do durring the War?

POSTED BY: GALENFLY
UPDATED: Tuesday, December 20, 2005 10:41
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Thursday, November 24, 2005 10:16 PM

So what did our Big-Damn-Hero's do durring the War? We know that Mal and Zoe fought in the war. So that is fairly obvious on how that affected them since it play's a big part for both of them in the Series and the movie, so I’ll leave that for another thread.

We know Simon was becoming a doctor, and River was going to school (but not the Academy yet). The war doesn’t seem to affect the core planets much other than it did happen. But i do wonder how they felt about it.

Kalee was on some backwater world helping out her parents. But we never know how involved they got, how her parents and community felt, or even if there was any fighting. Because she never shows any indication one-way or t’other I feel that the War missed her neck of the woods.

From the commentaries we know that Wash probably avoided any military involvement. We are never told what Wash actually did before flying with Serenity. I’d like to think he was a classic barn-stormier. Someone who took up flying for the sheer joy of it (and caused plenty of trouble at the same time). I’d like to think of him as a backwoods racer who would jump into anything that moved and fly buy the seat of his pants.

Inara was off being a Companion. Although I wonder how much the War affect her trade. Wartime often will see an influx of pregnancies. (side note: maybe the syringe Inara had was to avoid any Reaver offspring

) But how it affected Inara we never are really told.

Jayne would probably be doing what Jayne always did, mercenary work. But I don’t know if he actually was involved with the War. I don’t see him actually getting involved unless he was making money. Jayne was never one for ideals.

And finally we come to the mysterious Book. Only Joss really knows on that one. I’d like to think that Book was a high level Browncoat that took solace in the Bible after the end of Unification. Much like the Crusaders that became devout monks because of what they did.

I’d like to hear what my fellow Browncoats think happened.

“curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal FOX”

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Thursday, November 24, 2005 10:34 PM

AGENTROUKA

The show is set in 2517, as per "The Train Job".

In "Safe", during the 11-years-ago flashbacks, River is making war references, which makes it look like the War had at least started around that time.

Simon was probably just around 17 when the War was over, River was around 10. I'd say school and ballet recitals for them.

Kaylee a teenager, helping out daddy, during and after the war. Having a string of crushes and boyfriends, I bet!

Inara probably just started out in the Companion business. If we put her at maybe 27 on the show, she'd have been 21 when the war was over. She probably started working during the war and didn't see any differences until after it was over. I bet business was going well, though. *g*

Wash... was probably mid-twenties at war's end. How long does flightschool take? Maybe that's what he was doing? Maybe he just got done with flight school and got himself a series of nice and safe jobs, building up that leg-long reputation!

Book... entered the Abbey just after the War. What he did during it is anyone's guess.

Jayne... that highly depends on his age, which is debatable. He could be 40, he could be 30, for all we know, the actor's age notwithstanding. I personally favor a younger age, considering he's a mercenary which has a short life expectancy.

He says he did no fighting, so either it's mercenary work or jail or he just moved out from home, trying his hand at something legitimate before he turning to a life of crime.

I'd say one of the first two, hehehe.

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Thursday, November 24, 2005 10:52 PM

GIANTEVILHEAD

Book may have already been in the abbey before the war began. He said that he sailed in a Firefly before Kaylee was born which suggests that he had already quit his former job.

"I swallowed a bug." -River Tam

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Thursday, November 24, 2005 10:56 PM

AGENTROUKA

That is true... For some reason I thought I heard Book say he entered the Abbey six years ago, but that's probably just a brain hiccup of mine. :)

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Friday, November 25, 2005 11:29 AM

ZIGGY

I think Alan states in one of the commentaries on the dvd that he believes that Wash was taken as a prisoner of war early on in the conflict and spent the war making shadow puppets. I'm pretty sure that there is a reference to shadow puppets in one of the episodes but I can't recall which one.
Jayne says that he didn't fight in the war in the pilot so I'm assuming that rules out any mercenary work. I suspect he was involved in his criminal activities, probably in a partnership or working for someone. How long is it since he ditched the loot over Jaynestown? I wonder if he was working with Stitch during the war.
Book I think could well have still been in the abbey. It certainly seems he's been there for a long time and I think leaving the profession of operative or whatever it was that he did previously during a war could be considered treason. What are your views on that?
As for Simon, River, Inara, Mal and Zoe I agree with what has been said so far. Interesting thread btw!

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Friday, November 25, 2005 12:04 PM

JOSSISAGOD

I agree with you on all counts but one, IF Book was a high level Browncoat during the war, why would the Alliance, rush him into THEIR infermary in "Safe"!

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Saturday, November 26, 2005 7:10 AM

R1Z

Quote:
From the commentaries we know that Wash probably avoided any military involvement. We are never told what Wash actually did before flying with Serenity. I’d like to think he was a classic barn-stormier. Someone who took up flying for the sheer joy of it (and caused plenty of trouble at the same time). I’d like to think of him as a backwoods racer who would jump into anything that moved and fly buy the seat of his pants.

No one, none of the settlers in any episode seems to be astounded to see a spaceship, so clearly there's interplanetary commerce and some passenger traffic. This means spaceflight is no novelty and there's no market for a barnstormer. There is call, however, for the interplanetary equivalent of a truck driver and/or bus driver/airline pilot. We know Wash went to flight school. It makes sense he was recruited as a graduate into a job he discovered was not so exciting. He ends up on whatever world he meets Mal & Zoe on (do we ever hear which it is?) by going from job to job. Clearly Mal's pitch to him sounds like something he'd like to try. "Might do, might do."

To enjoy the flavor of life, take big bites. Moderation is for monks. --Robt. Heinlein

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Saturday, November 26, 2005 4:53 PM

SERENYTY

We all know what Mal and Zoe did. They were off fighting in the war.

Like in the commentary, I think that Wash was an ace pilot (for the independants, maybe that's why he wouldn't take many jobs from the Alliance), just got captured early on.

Inara was ending her training, and becoming a companion. Since she did her work in the Core, the war didn't effect her.

Jayne was a hired gun-hand. He fought equally for the Alliance and the Independants in seperate campaigns. All he cared about was who showed him the most coin.

Simon and River were in the core. Simon was finishing up school/medacad, while River was in her school. They were in the core, so fighting didn't effect them.

Kaylee was a teenager. She wasn't in the area of fighting: even so, she seemed to have a life that was pretty separated from the war.

Book, I think, was (for at least the beginning) fighting/working for unification. War veterans for the Alliance side are probably pretty well regarded, so if he was high-ranking during the war, that may be why he was given such priority when he got shot.

~A message from Serenyty~

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Monday, November 28, 2005 3:41 PM

NCBROWNCOAT

Jayne didn't fight. If you remember the first scene in "The Train Job", as Mal and Zoe begin to fight he remarks that he didn't fight in the war as he sits and keeps drinking. Yet he joined in the brawl just for the fun of it I guess.

I remember seeing somewhere, I think it's in the Visual Companion, it's mentioned that Innara was training as a Companion since age 12 on Sihnon.

It also mentions that Sihnon and Londinium didn't see any fighting except an odd protest or terrorist act or two.

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Monday, November 28, 2005 3:51 PM

CAPTAINSHINY

Yeah the reference to shadow puppets/ Alan mentioning the back-story was in War Stories

"That's why I never kiss 'em on the mouth."

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Monday, November 28, 2005 5:22 PM

SERENYTY

Quote:
Originally posted by ncbrowncoat:
Jayne didn't fight. If you remember the first scene in "The Train Job", as Mal and Zoe begin to fight he remarks that he didn't fight in the war as he sits and keeps drinking. Yet he joined in the brawl just for the fun of it I guess.

I remember seeing somewhere, I think it's in the Visual Companion, it's mentioned that Innara was training as a Companion since age 12 on Sihnon.

It also mentions that Sihnon and Londinium didn't see any fighting except an odd protest or terrorist act or two.

I thought he meant when he said "I didn't fight in no war." that he didn't have a side. Oh well.

He must have been doing something akin to mercenary work during the war time.

~A message from Serenyty~

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Tuesday, November 29, 2005 7:03 PM

R1Z

Actually, Jayne being a "mercenary" is from the action figure marketing. Jayne never describes himself as a mercenary, nor does anyone else in the series. Jayne is "hired muscle", in for a percentage of whatever the current scam is.

He says, "Hey, I didn't fight in no war. Best of luck, though." That makes it pretty clear, as fighting in wars is what mercenaries do.

To enjoy the flavor of life, take big bites. Moderation is for monks. --Robt. Heinlein

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Tuesday, December 20, 2005 2:54 AM

GRAYFURY

I'm more interested in what they were doing BEFORE the war. Especially Mal and Zoe... In saving Private Ryan... Tom Hanks' character was a school teacher... Who were our big damn heroes before they became heroes?

"Smellin' alot of IF comin' offa' this plan!"

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Tuesday, December 20, 2005 10:41 AM

ZIGGY

Now that's a good question? How long did the war last I wonder? Are we ever told?
I think Mal would have been helping his mum on the ranch on Shadow.
River and Simon have been well educated and privileged, and we have been shown snippets from their lives.
Kaylee again would have been growing up, tinkering with machines in her dad's scrap yard and discovering boys.
Inara probably would have been at the academy. I think she says she was born on Shihnon, though we know nothing of her family. Maybe there is no surviving family, or maybe they have to cut off all ties after entering the academy. Does anyone know if this would be the case with geisha?
Book was probably an operative or something very similar even before the war. He's a man who's known action and violence since he was a young man. His reactions are too instinctive for this not to be the case.
Wash would have been in flight school. I think he mentions growing up on a planet that's very polluted though I don't recall being told the name, or anything about any family he has.
Jayne probably has been a crook for a long time so possibly he still was before the war. He's always worked with someone or for someone as far as we know so I'll bet that this has always been the case. Prior to his life of crime he's grown up poor and badly educated brought up just by his hard-working mum I would say. He's got at least one sister who doesn't seem to keep good health and I would imagine he starting petty thieving to support his family. We know he still sends money home and I would think he's close to his family despite the time spent apart. I think he's had a very hard life and has had to fight to survive.
Strangely enough the one person we really have no clues about is Zoe. I don't get the impression that she has a mysterious past but it would be an interesting twist if she did. It is a bit odd that we've known her so long and yet really know so little about her. Maybe she was career millatary before the war. I can't imagine her ever doing anything else.

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