River Ramblings (non-zoid post) by WhooDahn

FIREFLY EPISODE DISCUSSIONS

River Ramblings (non-zoid post)

POSTED BY: WHOODAHN
UPDATED: Saturday, August 27, 2005 08:49
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Monday, May 31, 2004 5:24 AM

Maybe this has been discussed before, but it never hurts to resurrect a good thread.

There has been a lot of discussion on River's abilities, the general consensus seems to be that she can feel or discern peoples thoughts and emotions. This is evidenced by the opening scenes in OiS where it's been concluded that most of the comments that she hears were said or done in the past. I'll have to rewatch to confirm when Simon first makes his comment to Kaylee but Zoe's and Wash's actions are obviously past, present and future. Jayne's comment is something that he had recently said to Mal. We all assume that Book, Inara and Mal all repeat comments that they said or heard in the past.

To revisit some of River's other premonitions. In Arial she tells Simon that the patient is being treated wrong. Was her premonition due to the people that were working on the patient? Did she feel their fear or lack of confidence and discern that they were giving the patient the wrong treatment? Or did she have a premonition of the future with or without the thoughts and emotions of those involved?

In OoG, River says 'Fire' just before the fire breaks out. No one else knew there was a fire and so River could not have sensed someone else's thoughts or emotions. It seems evident that she can discern the future of inanimate objects.

I think this is what the Alliance/Blue Sun/Blue Hands would want and is the basis of their experiments. They want someone that can tell the future of both animate and inanimate objects. That makes River more than a lie detector or empathic, it makes her a seer.

It seems then, that Book's, Inara's and Mal's comments in the opening scenes of OiS may be events that take place in the future, not in the past.

Picture this:

Another caper goes bad and Inara gets caught in the crossfire, she lies in the Infirmary with Simon, Jayne and Mal hovering over her.

Inara: "I'm a big girl, just tell me. How bad is it?"

Simon: "It's bad. I'm not sure I can do anything"

Jayne: " Mal, what about the job? Are we gonna finish the job or ain't we? What about the goods?"

Mal: "None of it means a damn thing, lets get Inara to a real hospital"

The bad guy that accidentally shot Inara is in the cargo hold with Zoë and Book.

Bad guy: "I didn't mean to shoot no Companion. I swear, I'm innocent!"

Book: "I don't give half a hump if you are innocent or not. Now where does that put you? You shot a Companion and if she dies, you aren't long for this world"

"I ain't crazy and I've got papers to prove it"

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Friday, August 26, 2005 10:04 PM

TEKIEWOLF

oooo

what an intriguing concept!

OIS is by far my favorite episode its so layered and mysterious.

"River...? .... Serenity?"

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Saturday, August 27, 2005 1:02 AM

PURPLEBELLY

IMHO: River reads the fears of both the young doctor and Kaylee, those fears become evidenced a little later but exist in their minds for River to read. River's reading of Simon mirrors his later vocalisation of a repressed thought that exists in his mind for River to read. Similarly, readings of other characters' repression would no doubt have figured in a continuing narrative. Come on in, z, you're not going to ignore a challenge like this, surely

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Saturday, August 27, 2005 8:49 AM

BATMARLOWE

Where is Zoid, anyway? I haven't seen a post from him in months.

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