FIREFLY EPISODE DISCUSSIONS

RE: I can kill you with my brain

POSTED BY: LAWMAN
UPDATED: Thursday, April 12, 2007 15:36
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Thursday, March 15, 2007 4:07 PM

LAWMAN


At the end of Trash, while Simon patches up Jayne's hurt, Simon talks about doing Jayne no harm, but does infer that Jayne betrayed or came down hard on the Tams... and also, River says her famous line, i can kill you with my brain. does this mean that the tams suspect, or actually know jayne betrayed them in ariel? i don't remember any incident inferring that simon or river actually know of jayne's betrayal. my guess is that river suspects that jayne is not telling the truth, and simon feels that jayne doesn't trust them. just wanted to feel this one out.

i'll be in my bunk

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Thursday, March 15, 2007 4:13 PM

PENGUIN


Earlier in that episode...

SIMON - Great. Another exciting adventure in sitting.

RIVER - Afraid.

SIMON - We'll be okay. Why the captain is trusting that [BOO hway-HUN duh PUO-foo] is
beyond --

RIVER - Not her. Jayne.

SIMON - Araid? Since when?

RIVER - Since Ariel. Afraid we’ll know.

River knows Jayne betrayed them...and now Simon knows...





King of the Mythical Land that is Iowa

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Friday, March 16, 2007 12:12 PM

ASORTAFAIRYTALE


Yeah, River could read Jayne's mind, so she knew all along. Then in Trash she tells Simon who confronts Jayne.

-------------------
What's so amazing about really deep thoughts?

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Monday, March 19, 2007 11:26 AM

LAWMAN


so river can read other people's thoughts. is this ability something that was enhanced by the alliance, or was it something inate, or did the alliance basically do something to her brain for her to be able to read thoughts. her ability to learn all skills/abilities seems to be inate. simon says everything was like just breathing to her. so i believe that her ability to learn is instinctual. and that her physical strength is enhanced. is her ability to feel (unable to not feel- as per ariel) part of what makes her a reader?

i'll be in my bunk

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Tuesday, March 20, 2007 3:42 AM

DONCOAT


In a certain sense, anytime someone deliberately kills someone else, it could be classified as "killing them with their brain". The finger that's on the trigger doesn't pull itself.

We certainly saw River kill three people with her brain in "War Stories".

So yes, she could, if it ever came to that. But of course, what she's really after with that line is the freakout factor, and that she achieved masterfully.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm pointin' right at it!

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Tuesday, March 20, 2007 3:54 AM

MAVOURNEEN


I have always taken this to mean "I know what you did (on Ariel), and if you ever do anything like that again I will kill you (with my brain)."

She's a reader...a psychic, and she read Jayne's mind and understood who was behind the botched Ariel job.

If you've watched the Joss produced River Tam sessions that were done just pre BDM, we actually see River kill someone telepathically.

She call kill you with her brain, really.



------------------------------------------------

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Tuesday, March 20, 2007 9:01 PM

BAGHEERA


Quote:

Originally posted by DonCoat:
In a certain sense, anytime someone deliberately kills someone else, it could be classified as "killing them with their brain". The finger that's on the trigger doesn't pull itself.

We certainly saw River kill three people with her brain in "War Stories".

So yes, she could, if it ever came to that. But of course, what she's really after with that line is the freakout factor, and that she achieved masterfully.



thats my interpretation of the quote to a tee. River has a way of being overly literal about things to the point where the other characters are intended to believe she is being silly, crazy, or lying... but the viewers are allowed to perceive the irony of truth in her observations.

In regards to the initial question in this thread, I believe that River not only KNEW of Jayne's betrayel (i mean, why else would she freak out about "I cant go back I cant go back" even before being caught), but that she INITIATED the betrayel at the beginning of the episode by slashing him.

"You look better in red", brings to mind the murder of Julius Caesar, when the culprits marched through the streets with their hands soaked in red. Their deeds and emotions laid bare for all to see.

River recognizes that Jayne is currently in a bleak state, and that the only way he can be helped past his insecurities is if he lays them bare for Mal to see and betrays Simon and herself.

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Thursday, March 22, 2007 10:45 AM

LAWMAN


WHAT are the river tam sessions, and where can i get a hold of it?

i'll be in my bunk

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Thursday, March 22, 2007 11:13 AM

KAYNA

I love my captain


Quote:

Originally posted by Mavourneen:
If you've watched the Joss produced River Tam sessions that were done just pre BDM, we actually see River kill someone telepathically.


I don't recal her killing anyone telepathically. She stabbed the guy (played by Joss) in the throat with a pen. He even gave it to her.

As to what the River Tam sessions are...
They were a series of shorts involving River's time at the Academy, made as a viral marketing deal before the BDM came out. You get to see her as she was before she went there and watch her madness progress. There are only two people in them. River who faces the camera, and across the table from her is a man who sounds like a shrink. We only see the back of his head but he is played by Joss.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Op: You're fighting a war you've already lost.
Mal: Yeah, well I'm known for that.

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Thursday, March 22, 2007 2:22 PM

DONCOAT


They're on YouTube:



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm pointin' right at it!

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Thursday, March 22, 2007 10:07 PM

AGENTROUKA


Quote:

Originally posted by Bagheera:

In regards to the initial question in this thread, I believe that River not only KNEW of Jayne's betrayel (i mean, why else would she freak out about "I cant go back I cant go back" even before being caught), but that she INITIATED the betrayel at the beginning of the episode by slashing him.

"You look better in red", brings to mind the murder of Julius Caesar, when the culprits marched through the streets with their hands soaked in red. Their deeds and emotions laid bare for all to see.

River recognizes that Jayne is currently in a bleak state, and that the only way he can be helped past his insecurities is if he lays them bare for Mal to see and betrays Simon and herself.



I do agree that River's actions initiate Jayne's betrayel, but.. that she did it intentionally seems a little unlikely, considering how truly terrified River is, how she begs Simon not to send her to "that place" and how she struggles before they are caught.

She downright freaks out when she's on the exam table and when the hands of blue arrive.

Seems like an awful lot of very real fear and terror to be part of some plan to help Jayne - the most hostile crew member and a relative stranger - past some of his insecurities. Also, it needlessly endangers Simon, gets innocent hospital security staff killed..., which I don't think River would risk for something so relatively trivial.

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Friday, March 23, 2007 8:14 AM

KAYNA

I love my captain


I've got to go with Rouka on this. As to why she slashed him in the first place there is a much simpler expaination.She tends to freak out in the presence of Blue Sun items, like when she tears all the labels off of thier food. When she goes after Jayne with a knife he's wearing a Blue Sun t-shirt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Op: You're fighting a war you've already lost.
Mal: Yeah, well I'm known for that.

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Thursday, April 12, 2007 3:36 PM

TRAVELER


Jayne Blue Sun tee is the most popular reason for River's assault with the knife. Strange she did not realise the consequences of her act. She appears not to have complete control of her abilities. They come and go. Get stronger and weaker.

I get the feeling she would be better able to use her psychic abilities if she was not so afraid of them. The fear is reasonable considering the depraved treatment she received in captivity.


Traveler

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