Firefly - Episode 2: 'The Train Job'
Recap: Mal accepts a gig from a creepy Eastern European dude named Niska: a train heist. As standard operating procedure, he doesn't ask questions. Mal, Zoe, and Jayne pull off a crazy heist, but only Jayne escapes, and Mal discovers that the cargo they stole was medicine needed for the inhabitants of the mining planet. Going against his deal, Mal returns the stolen goods and sends Niska's money back, not taking no for an answer.
Here's a relatively straightforward, procedural episode after the overwhelming double-length opener. There's not a ton to dissect from its main action.
The most important work going on here is the characterization. Mal can appear amoral and he certainly is fond of violence - he instigates a barfight, licks his chops at taking on a whole squadron of feds, and dives right into combat with Niska's henchmen - but when it comes down to it, his principles render him more fettered than he lets on. While awaiting investigation, Zoe reassures Mal that the train reason have no reason to suspect the pair of having stolen medicine... to which he responds that that wasn't what he was concerned about.
The theme that comes across here strongest is of seemingly victimless crimes having consequences, and of the danger of not looking beneath the surface. After all, as the lowly sheriff says, 'A man learns the details of a situation like ours, and he has a choice.' Mal's response is my favorite of his lines yet: 'I don't believe he does.'
There's a fair amount of fun this episode. Jayne has a ton of fun pulling off the heist, but he's extremely eager to get the hell out of Dodge. Sedated Jayne is absolutely amazing, especially when he's the last-minute hero of the fight: 'I wathaimin foreth head!' And of course, Mal continues to take shit from no one he doesn't have to take it from - when he's threatened by an uncooperative captive, Mal happily kicks Niska out the airlock and moves on to the next man in the pecking order.
The best is that initial cold-open-ish barfight, probably my favorite part of the episode. ('I didn't fight in no war,' grumbles Jayne, unwilling to be Mal's backup.) It's also our most interesting bit of world-building as we glean a little more information about the war. Given that this holiday is Union Day and that the Federation calls itself the Alliance, Mal's side seems roughly analogous to the Confederacy. That the representative of the Alliance is essentially the equivalent of the redneck chanting 'USA!' - is kind of minor subversion of expectations - normally we'd associate that behavior with people from the ex-Confederate states. Here, the 'browncoats' are the more civilized.
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* Don't love the brown-people-mysteriously-sexy parlor.
* Also don't love: Inara having feelings for Mal, and Mal's creepy insistence on barging into her quarters. Ugh.
* Not sure about the River plot. She's obviously valuable and going to play a big role, but the scenes with her tend not to be enjoyable. Also, I assume that we're meant to conclude Simon and River have different parents, right?
* Mal's cover story/contact is, er, blown. 'Blew the back of his head right off,' the sheriff informs him. Mal's response: 'So... would his job be open?'
* Favorite action moment besides the awesome lift: Mal using some MGS-style CQC on the one guard who finds him.
Here's a relatively straightforward, procedural episode after the overwhelming double-length opener. There's not a ton to dissect from its main action.
The most important work going on here is the characterization. Mal can appear amoral and he certainly is fond of violence - he instigates a barfight, licks his chops at taking on a whole squadron of feds, and dives right into combat with Niska's henchmen - but when it comes down to it, his principles render him more fettered than he lets on. While awaiting investigation, Zoe reassures Mal that the train reason have no reason to suspect the pair of having stolen medicine... to which he responds that that wasn't what he was concerned about.
The theme that comes across here strongest is of seemingly victimless crimes having consequences, and of the danger of not looking beneath the surface. After all, as the lowly sheriff says, 'A man learns the details of a situation like ours, and he has a choice.' Mal's response is my favorite of his lines yet: 'I don't believe he does.'
There's a fair amount of fun this episode. Jayne has a ton of fun pulling off the heist, but he's extremely eager to get the hell out of Dodge. Sedated Jayne is absolutely amazing, especially when he's the last-minute hero of the fight: 'I wathaimin foreth head!' And of course, Mal continues to take shit from no one he doesn't have to take it from - when he's threatened by an uncooperative captive, Mal happily kicks Niska out the airlock and moves on to the next man in the pecking order.
The best is that initial cold-open-ish barfight, probably my favorite part of the episode. ('I didn't fight in no war,' grumbles Jayne, unwilling to be Mal's backup.) It's also our most interesting bit of world-building as we glean a little more information about the war. Given that this holiday is Union Day and that the Federation calls itself the Alliance, Mal's side seems roughly analogous to the Confederacy. That the representative of the Alliance is essentially the equivalent of the redneck chanting 'USA!' - is kind of minor subversion of expectations - normally we'd associate that behavior with people from the ex-Confederate states. Here, the 'browncoats' are the more civilized.
---
* Don't love the brown-people-mysteriously-sexy parlor.
* Also don't love: Inara having feelings for Mal, and Mal's creepy insistence on barging into her quarters. Ugh.
* Not sure about the River plot. She's obviously valuable and going to play a big role, but the scenes with her tend not to be enjoyable. Also, I assume that we're meant to conclude Simon and River have different parents, right?
* Mal's cover story/contact is, er, blown. 'Blew the back of his head right off,' the sheriff informs him. Mal's response: 'So... would his job be open?'
* Favorite action moment besides the awesome lift: Mal using some MGS-style CQC on the one guard who finds him.
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