ok, here's one thing about Firefly that doesn't make any sense to me (in regards to the 1st half of the pilot) by onetransmission

FIREFLY EPISODE DISCUSSIONS

ok, here's one thing about Firefly that doesn't make any sense to me (in regards to the 1st half of the pilot)

POSTED BY: ONETRANSMISSION
UPDATED: Thursday, April 20, 2006 19:08
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Thursday, April 20, 2006 1:06 PM

LOTS OF SPOILERS HERE (in regards to the Firefly series and the Serenity comic books)

Ok,

So Dobson calls the feds and an Alliance ship closes in on Serenity and hails them, and asks them to prepare to be boarded.

The crew decides to run because Simon won't fix up Kaylee othewise.

What I don't understand is, wouldn't the Feds now know the name of the ship that is harboring Simon? I mean, Serenity and the crew RUN from this Alliance ship, which makes it mighty suspicious. I know that Wash said he "killed the signal" pretty quickly, so maybe the Alliance ship didn't get all the info, so I guess that could explain that.

*SPOILER AHEAD*

ANNNNDDDD... since Dobson happens to be alive according to the Serenity comic books, wouldn't he be able to contact the Alliance and tell them "hey, Malcolm Reynolds and the crew of Serenity have Dr. Tam!"...?

This is kind of a big hole for me and has always bothered me about this series. I mean, I LOVE this series to death, but this seems like one of those things that was a major oversight.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

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Thursday, April 20, 2006 1:20 PM

SAMEERTIA

Dang! Dobbs is alive in the comics? I thought the buzzards were the only ones gonna find him now! Guess I'm gonna have to rewrite my fanfic about that, huh?

I think, in the comics, a good reason that Dobbs doesn't squeal is probably fear. To admit he so badly screwed up his mission (I mean, getting beat up by a preacher, shot by a pirate and thrown out in the desert for the Reavers to eat-- that doesn't look so good on a service record, does it?)

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Thursday, April 20, 2006 1:20 PM

DAVESHAYNE

Quote:
Originally posted by onetransmission:
I know that Wash said he "killed the signal" pretty quickly, so maybe the Alliance ship didn't get all the info, so I guess that could explain that.

Yes as confirmed by Jayne durring the interogation, "Aww, they don't know a damn thing. It's all over your face...."

Quote:
ANNNNDDDD... since Dobbs happens to be alive according to the Serenity comic books, wouldn't he be able to contact the Alliance and tell them "hey, Malcolm Reynolds and the crew of Serenity have Dr. Tam!"...?

He could have. However if you re-read the comic in question you will notice that the Alliance just wrote him off for dead after which he didn't think he owed the alliance much of anything by way of explanations.

David

"Not completely as well as the series of Firefly..." - From a review at amazon.de

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Thursday, April 20, 2006 1:30 PM

RKLENSETH

For the first part, like you said, Wash killed the signal so they might only have bits and pieces. Like it is said in another episode that there are hundreds of Fireflys out there so it would almost be impossible for the Alliance to find and search every one of them and would be a real waste of resources. That is why the Alliance specifically sends their best man in the form of the Operative that we see in Serenity. We don't know how long the Operative was searching for the Tams. The events in the record room could have occurred right after the Tams escaped or it could have happened right before the events in Serenity. So if we say the latter is correct, the Alliance's best man couldn't even track the Tams down in over that year. Plus there is the fact that Serenity flies under the radar more often then not.

Onto the second part. Dobbs is no longer working for the Alliance and cares little about the Tams. Dobbs instead wants revenge against Reynolds and so instead of working with the Alliance he is now working with the Hands of Blue (whom we all assume is working for Blue Sun). The Hands of Blue want the Tams and claim that they can get Dobbs close enough to Reynolds for his revenge which would (either way) distract Reynolds and his crew long enough for the Hands of Blue to get to the Tams before anyone could do anything about it.

That is how I have interpreted it.

Oh, and play Cantr II at www.cantr.net.

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Thursday, April 20, 2006 3:13 PM

ROLANDREYNOLDS

Dobson. DobSON. Lawrence Dobson.

EDIT: I apologize for being picky if ya'll are simply using an abbreviated form of his name on purpose.

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Thursday, April 20, 2006 3:20 PM

BITTERBIERCE

Quote:
What I don't understand is, wouldn't the Feds now know the name of the ship that is harboring Simon?

Why wouldn't it be just the fix on their position and heading? I don't see why Dobbson would need to tell them anything- just come where I am and get us.

Quote:
ANNNNDDDD... since Dobbs happens to be alive according to the Serenity comic books, wouldn't he be able to contact the Alliance and tell them "hey, Malcolm Reynolds and the crew of Serenity have Dr. Tam!"...?

Well, he was supposed now to HATE them and go after them in later episodes. It became revenge for him losing his right side of his face- he didn't want to turn River in, he wanted to kill them ALL. So he wasn't working for the Alliance anymore, he was a revenge seeker.

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Thursday, April 20, 2006 3:26 PM

BITTERBIERCE

Oh, by the way- remember, Wash said the only thing he knew Dobson sent was, and I quote, "a pin on us for sure".

So really, they did just get a fix on them and that's how they knew to come get 'em. Serenity ran while they were still far enough away so they didn't know what ship it was Which seems normal- remember the "Trans U" that came? They seemed to identify ships in a more general manner, not by some ID markings. And in Bushwacked, the Alliance guy only knew to fine them for not having appropriate ship markings when Serenity got real close. Which also suggests they don't have very good ID to begin with.

I cannot believe I am arguing this like a nerd.

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Thursday, April 20, 2006 3:36 PM

ONETRANSMISSION

Quote:
Originally posted by RolandReynolds:
Dobson. DobSON. Lawrence Dobson.

EDIT: I apologize for being picky if ya'll are simply using an abbreviated form of his name on purpose.

Ah yes, my mistake (and what an amateurish mistake it was!). I was in a hurry to type all that out, I didn't even proof read it. It's fixed now!

And thanks all for your feedback on this issue! Everything makes sense now EXCEPT for one thing!

More SPOILERS from the comic books:

Ok, so we know the Hands of Blue come looking for Mal and the crew in the comics. The HoBs even find Mal and co. with Dobson's help, yet they STILL don't make any communication with the Alliance at all! Not even a quick wave saying "hey, we found the Tams... they're on a Firefly class ship named Serenity, captained by Malcolm Reynolds."

Don't you guys think they would've at least done that?

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Thursday, April 20, 2006 3:41 PM

INDYBLUES

No, I don't think they would have contacted the Alliance at all. They were hired guns, and if they tell the Alliance where they can find the Tams, they are no longer needed, and won't get the bounty on their capture.
'Blues

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Thursday, April 20, 2006 6:42 PM

NOSADSEVEN

Quote:
Originally posted by rklenseth:
Like it is said in another episode that there are hundreds of Fireflys out there so it would almost be impossible for the Alliance to find and search every one of them and would be a real waste of resources. That is why the Alliance specifically sends their best man in the form of the Operative that we see in Serenity. We don't know how long the Operative was searching for the Tams. The events in the record room could have occurred right after the Tams escaped or it could have happened right before the events in Serenity. So if we say the latter is correct, the Alliance's best man couldn't even track the Tams down in over that year. Plus there is the fact that Serenity flies under the radar more often then not.

Actually, we see the Op get the assignment in the last couple of pages of the comics, after the HoBs have failed. In the records room scene, the Op references River's escape as occuring eight months prior, lining up with Mal's eight months reference to Simon during the one-er. (Let's just put aside the bothersome fact that Serenity's 'eight months' timeline doesn't jive well with Firefly's.)

But your point about Serenity's obscurity and flying under the radar still stands. Remember, the Op didn't track down the ship, he drew out River. Mal, and subsequently the ship, only came up on the Op's radar after (and by way of) his already locating River.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ain't. We. Just.

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Thursday, April 20, 2006 6:58 PM

NOSADSEVEN

Quote:
Originally posted by onetransmission:
More SPOILERS from the comic books:

Ok, so we know the Hands of Blue come looking for Mal and the crew in the comics. The HoBs even find Mal and co. with Dobson's help, yet they STILL don't make any communication with the Alliance at all! Not even a quick wave saying "hey, we found the Tams... they're on a Firefly class ship named Serenity, captained by Malcolm Reynolds."

Don't you guys think they would've at least done that?

You mean the same HoBs that calmly and coldly murdered at least six Alliance officers just for hearing River speak? I think they had their own agenda (the key-members-of-Parliment's agenda) that would preclude them from sharing information with the local bureaucratic authorities. And, as IndyBlues points out, it wouldn't necessarily be in their best interest to share their leads with their bosses/clients, either.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ain't. We. Just.

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Thursday, April 20, 2006 7:07 PM

ONETRANSMISSION

Quote:
Originally posted by nosadseven:
You mean the same HoBs that calmly and coldly murdered at least six Alliance officers just for hearing River speak? I think they had their own agenda (the key-members-of-Parliment's agenda) that would preclude them from sharing information with the local bureaucratic authorities. And, as IndyBlues points out, it wouldn't necessarily be in their best interest to share their leads with their bosses/clients, either.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ain't. We. Just.

EXCELLENT point.

Wow, this discussion has totally cleared up some of my perceptions on things. Thanks guys!

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Thursday, April 20, 2006 7:08 PM

ONETRANSMISSION

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