Chain of Command by scarecrow866

FIREFLY EPISODE DISCUSSIONS

Chain of Command

POSTED BY: SCARECROW866
UPDATED: Friday, February 23, 2007 01:46
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Wednesday, December 13, 2006 6:49 PM

Hi! Sorry if this was already discussed before but I've always been curious about this. What is the chain of command on Serenity? Mal and Zoe are the top two officers. But who would be third in command? Whenever Mal and Zoe are offship, Jayne keeps insisting that he's in command. Especially in the Train Job when he's ordering Wash to leave behind Mal and Zoe. If it was based on seniority, wouldn't Wash be third in command since he was already there before Jayne? Or was there some other basis for Jayne assuming command if Mal and Zoe aren't there?

Annie
You can't take the sky from me.

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Wednesday, December 13, 2006 7:49 PM

PHOENIXROSE

You think you know--what's to come, what you are. You haven't even begun.

I think Jayne was basing it on his big-ass guns and the fact that the only people able to intimidate him were Mal and Zoe. Just my guess, though.

[]

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Thursday, December 14, 2006 2:51 PM

TRAVELER

I do not think Mal has thought that through. But since Wash can pilot the ship and Jayne can't, I would personally give him the next spot. Jayne can't even set the ship up to do a Crazy Ivan without Kaylee telling him what to do.

Traveler

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Tuesday, December 19, 2006 8:56 AM

INDIGOSTARBLASTER

Regardless of who's been around longer, it may be that Jayne considers himself third in command of their little "jobs", since Wash tends to stay on Serenity and not get that involved in the actual heist or in handing goods over to the buyers. The guy driving the getaway car rarely gets to be in charge.

Indigo S.

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Tuesday, December 19, 2006 9:06 AM

MSG

I'd say it'd depend on the situation. If it was one calling for thinking or reasoning ...Wash
But if it called for protecting the crew and getting them safely out of a jam...Jayne
'Cause let's just face it, any man who can use lambie toes in a sentence is not who you'd want with you in a battle

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."- Albright

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Tuesday, December 19, 2006 10:02 AM

SIGMANUNKI

There is no ridged structure on the ship. But, from what I gather, it's:

Mal
Zoe
Jayne

At least when there's a situation and they're all together. The rest of the crew has no apparent structure.

When Mal and Zoe are out and about, Jayne likes to think he's in command. But, the problem with that is that to actually be in command, people have to be willing to follow you. Which, when Mal and Zoe aren't there, no-one trusts and and thus they aren't willing to follow him. In that case, it seems to falls into a democracy.

e.g.

In out of gas, Jayne stops Simon from going below deck and Simon listens. But, in the train job, Simon sedates Jayne b/c he wasn't comfortable with Jayne in charge.

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

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Thursday, December 21, 2006 2:56 PM

BAGHEERA

The chain of command begins and ends at Mal.

Not because he is large and in charge and everything...

but rather that he doesnt believe he is commanding people so much as representing their interests... which he takes VERY seriously...

Jayne's insistence on his being 'next in command' only serves to highlight that he is NOT a part of the crew, and foreshadows his treachery in Ariel.

"You turn on any one of my crew, you turn on me."

Mal is at times the anti-River. Where everyone else's thoughts and concerns come to her and she cant block them out... Mal cant help but thinking about his crew and acting out of concern for them.

To a certain point, there is no crew, only other aspects of Mal... or rather.. the ship.

Ok, I got this whole post messed up.

The chain of command begins and ends at Serenity.

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Tuesday, December 26, 2006 3:30 PM

BROWNCOATGIRL08

The chain of command is the chain i beat you with until you understand who is in command.

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Wednesday, December 27, 2006 10:17 AM

DARKKNIGHTJRK

Quote:
Originally posted by Browncoatgirl08:
The chain of command is the chain i beat you with until you understand who is in command.

I was hoping someone would say that at one point.

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Wednesday, December 27, 2006 8:10 PM

PEULSAR5

We sniff the air, we don't kiss the dirt.

I was reading the responses hoping no one said it!!

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Friday, February 23, 2007 1:46 AM

CHAZZER

I actually think Jayne would come somewhere near the bottom of the chain of command, proceeding maybe only River (and that would probably change post BDM.)

It's fair to say that Jayne is someone you want to follow in a dangerous situation, so if they are out on a job and are seperated from Mal and Zoe, the rest of the crew would probably follow Jayne and trust his instincts.

But if, as in the Train Job, the crew are on Serenity Mal-And-Zoe-less, I think Jayne has no authority other than his intimidation skills.

I would put Wash as the highest ranking, for a few reasons. He's one of the older crew members, he's married to Zoe, he's experienced, and he can fly them out of a tight spot if needed. Mal respects and trusts Wash - plus, Wash's line "don't I usually stay with the ship' in Jaynestown implies to me that he is usually left in charge of the ship.

However, Train Job does demonstrate how the crew usually interact in the absense of authority - as a democracy. Simon, Inara and Book are the voices of practicality and reason, Wash and Kaylee the voices of experience and know-how. Jayne had little to contribute other than his gun-hand when it comes to making desicions. He is a man of action.

I get the feeling though that in the case of the Train Job, if Kaylee and/or Wash forbade Inara to carry out Book's plan, they would have obeyed reluctantly, simply because at that point Kaylee and Wash are more CREW than the others.

xx

Love Chaz

*Firmly grasps the Chain of Command*

What?

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