Jubal Early's survival by spikeandjezebel

FIREFLY EPISODE DISCUSSIONS

Jubal Early's survival

POSTED BY: SPIKEANDJEZEBEL
UPDATED: Monday, January 26, 2004 12:39
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Thursday, January 8, 2004 3:55 PM

Hello fellow Firefly Fans,

I've been reading this site for quite a while, but haven't posted anything until now. (Mainly because somebody else had usually posted a thread that echoed my thoughts before I had a chance!)

After watching Objects in Space again, I was thinking about Jubal Early floating off into space, and it seems to me that his potential survival could be explained rather easily. A bounty hunter as intelligent (although crazy) as Early would surely have a backup plan if he makes a habit out of leaving his ship floating in space on its own. Would it not make sense that he would have a remote control system for his ship built into his suit, in the event that he couldn't get back to it? This seems very logical to me, and would leave him alive to return to some future incarnation of the show.

Wishful thinking perhaps on my part?

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Friday, January 9, 2004 6:02 PM

ANJIN

I'm all surprised no I responded to this, if even to say the topic had been done to death. I haven't seen it before, so here's my two cents.

I was wondering the same thing, but from this perspective. Early's ship seemed rather small to me, which makes me think short range. I wonder if he's floating around close enough to something that he could get picked up.

It would give a different spin to his last line, "Yep, here I am," if he was saying it to an off-screen rescue ship.

--Anjin

---
Raven's Prayer
http://webpages.charter.net/anjinm

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Friday, January 9, 2004 6:25 PM

HEX20

I totally agree with the both of you. I think that Early's potential for survival would be high. I bet that Early would have been a returning character if the series was still on.

----------------------------------------
Jayne: "Dear diary: Today I was pompous and my sister was crazy... Today we were kidnapped by hill folk, never to be seen again. It was the best day ever."

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Friday, January 9, 2004 6:35 PM

PHLEBOTININ

I'm thinking after listening to Joss's audio commentary on OIS that sadly, Early probably won't survive. I think Joss says something to that effect on the commentary -- a sardonic comment about the chances not being good or something.

Based on Joss's existential musings on the OIS commentary I'd interpret Early's last line, "Yep, here I am," as a kind of coda/summation to one of the main points of the episode: that Early (and River) are both unusual people in that they see that we and all living and non-living things are just "objects in space." Any overarching significance or meaning to "objects in space" is added on after the fact, I guess by the perceptions and feelings of us crazy humans. Joss goes on about this for most of the commentary, tracing his thoughts to Sarte.

Jubal Early's last line and what he's doing while he says it is the perfect literal representation of Joss's point: Jubal has literally become an object in space, and because he's unusual, he can step outside the situation and see it.

Oh, heck, am I insane? Pompous, definitely.

A muscle cramp? In your...pants?

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Friday, January 9, 2004 8:37 PM

FEAELIN

I have to agree with Phlebotinin. I don't think Early would have survived...I think any return story would feel contrived and not fitting with the character's "closing" comment, which to me indicated his acceptance of his situation.

One thing that bothered me about the episode is that it appeared River kinda shoved Early's ship off somewhere and left it. I would have thought there'd be some value in hauling the thing to the nearest *cough* "used ship dealership" *cough*, or stripping it for parts, etc. etc.

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Friday, January 9, 2004 10:10 PM

KERNELM

Quote:
Originally posted by Feaelin:
One thing that bothered me about the episode is that it appeared River kinda shoved Early's ship off somewhere and left it. I would have thought there'd be some value in hauling the thing to the nearest *cough* "used ship dealership" *cough*, or stripping it for parts, etc. etc.

While Mal would certainly think of that, would River? Though it seems Mal doesn't try to stop her or anything. Fankwanks regarding this I've heard include the theory that River set it on a course to meet with Serenity later on where they can get at it easier, they don't want the liability of something that perhaps the Alliance could track, River sent it to rendezvous with Jubal since he's no longer an immediate threat and she doesn't want to kill anybody, etc.

Could be Mal was just happy the plan worked and wasn't thinking about the ship when River sent it off.

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Saturday, January 10, 2004 8:03 AM

SPIKEANDJEZEBEL

Perhaps they feared that the ship might be booby-trapped in some way, and didn't want to risk it....

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Saturday, January 10, 2004 8:04 AM

LTNOWIS

Let me say that Joss Whedon LOVES returning bad guys. He may have said something to this effect on the DVD. Just think about it:

Badger, Neska, and Saffron all return. (Badger isn't really Mal's enemy, but whatever.

It would've been perfectly logical to kill Patience and Neska, but Joss leaves them alive. The only big badguy he kills off is the guy in Heart of Gold.

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Saturday, January 10, 2004 8:19 AM

SAINT JAYNE

I'm not writing these stories, so I couldn't say if Early is coming back. What I can say is that Early most certainly could come back. Heck, in the RP he has come back. The only ones that might have trouble are Dobson, Crow and Tracey (et al) due to the lack of undead, time travel and magic; even then, anything's possible in Hollywood, right?

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Saturday, January 10, 2004 1:04 PM

TALONPEST

If he were going to die, I think they'd have shown him dying- the fact that they left the slightest possibility for his survival implies that they ment to bring him back. I don't think Joss would want to kill off such a great character after only one episode anyway. As for the "Well, here I am" line, I think that based on the commentary where Joss was paralelling Early and River, he could just as easily have had a line from River looking out at his body in space to the same effect.

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Saturday, January 10, 2004 3:09 PM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up

Quote:
Originally posted by spikeandjezebel:
A bounty hunter as intelligent (although crazy) as Early would surely have a backup plan if he makes a habit out of leaving his ship floating in space on its own. Would it not make sense that he would have a remote control system for his ship built into his suit, in the event that he couldn't get back to it?

I thought the same thing. "Well, here I am" could be a command for his ship to come and get him, although I don't recall any of the other ships or tech using verbal command systems.

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Saturday, January 10, 2004 3:35 PM

VETERAN

Don't squat with your spurs on.

Last time we discussed this someone said you can see the reflection of a ship in Early's faceplate. It looks like the ship is coming towards him.

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Saturday, January 10, 2004 3:39 PM

MANIACNUMBERONE

Note: this has been said before by others.

Have you all looked real close at the reflection in Early's helmet when he says his last words?

There appears to be a reflection that looks very much like a ship. Glad to finally have the dvd, so as to watch that part extra close and freeze frame it.

I am of the opinion that Early lives.

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Saturday, January 10, 2004 9:44 PM

A idea I've been toying with is the opening (and closing) scene of Trash, where we think Mal is being all ironical with 'Yep... that went well' as he sits nekkid in the middle of the dessert, only to find out at the end that he's talking to Inara, truly stating that it went well.

Anyhoo, Early's "Well, here I am..." might not be as distantly philosophical as we think. He might be talking to his employers (or whatever ship it is) just off-screen.

Then again, maybe he's frozen dead for all eternity, finally becoming what he has been obsessed with his entire life; just "Floating, an Object in Space".

________________________________________________

I threw up on your bed.

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Saturday, January 10, 2004 9:44 PM

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Tuesday, January 20, 2004 1:05 AM

CALHOUN

River would surely have known about any mechanism for Early to have his ship retrieve him. She has demonstrated knowledge of ships. And she would easily have read it in Early mind.

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Tuesday, January 20, 2004 6:57 AM

DHARMABUM

Does anyone abree that Early is so very confident in his abilities that he wouldn't bother with setting some kind of "recall" for his ship? In the whole show, he acts so superior to everyone else; I find it hard to believe that he could imagine that anyone could beat him.

Anyway, I believe that he ends up just floating.

--John

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Tuesday, January 20, 2004 8:38 AM

WINTERFELL

I definitly think early lives.. he's just to brilliant and too crazy not to have at least 12 contingency plans.. as far as river goes.. I don't think she is SO phychic as to know what early does and does not have as far as back up plans..

I mean if i were he (and i am not nearly as bright) I'd certianly have a way to survive if i was walking around on the top of a ship like that if i were to fall off.

OiS was one of the best episodes IMO.. i think joss would bring him back, he seemed very pleased with his perfomance.. here's hoping for Jubals return in the second series :)

~~Robb of Winterfell~~
~ http://winterfell.org ~
High Fantasy Heavy Metal

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Sunday, January 25, 2004 12:17 PM

MISGUIDED BY VOICES

Quote:
Originally posted by CB:
Anyhoo, Early's "Well, here I am..." might not be as distantly philosophical as we think. He might be talking to his employers (or whatever ship it is) just off-screen.

To add my (given the current pound/dollar exchange rate, I'm not sure what two cents is) four peneth, I take the view that Early's line was to the universe in general.

As to other recurring bad guys, I'm trying to recall the Serenity commentary - I got the impression they were expecting the Fed Agent back (or at least the actor). Given that make up wasn't a possibility, does this mean that the 'verse has cloning? Then again, I may have totally misheard.

"I threw up on your bed"

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Sunday, January 25, 2004 2:18 PM

UCCEMEBUG

He's far too engrossing a character - especially coming from Richard Brooks, whose character on "Law and Order" was so very different - for them to discard. In fact, when we watched that episode, we all guessed that Early was a product of the same experimentation as was done to River.

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Monday, January 26, 2004 12:39 PM

MISGUIDED BY VOICES

Quote:
Originally posted by uccemebug:
He's far too engrossing a character - especially coming from Richard Brooks, whose character on "Law and Order" was so very different - for them to discard. In fact, when we watched that episode, we all guessed that Early was a product of the same experimentation as was done to River.

Interesting angle - not sure I agree, given in particular JW's commentary, but certainly there must be more like River out there.

Apart from the fact it would be something of a stretch to bring him back, what would you do with him? To bring him back and go further into the character would seem self-defeating (in a terrifying Hugh of Early vein).

It is a shame, because Joss and Richard Brooks did create a very interesting character, but then again, all signs suggest coming up with good characters hasn't been a week point on any of the ME shows.

"I threw up on your bed"

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