Firefly - Episode 4: 'Shindig'
Recap: Badger approaches Mal and offers him a job, if he can entice the client. To do so, he needs to go undercover at a high society ball on the planet Persephone. Also at the ball: Inara, accompanied by a rich client who wants her to stay with him. Mal jealously takes issue, and the client exposes his misogyny as he challenges Mal to a sword duel. Inara distracts the master duelist, allowing Mal to sneak-attack him and win. Mal wins the girl and the client's cargo: cows.
Almost unquestionably the worst episode of the series yet. Mal's creepy, jealous-possessive relationship with Inara is by far the worst part of the show so far, and it's kind of disgusting the way Inara responds to it positively. Whedon clearly wants us to ship the pair, though - the client turning out to be a Major Asshole conveniently forces us, essentially, into rooting for Mal during the duel.
But it's not like the show is entirely unaware of the fact that Mal is really the villain in this story and misogynistic in his own right. Zoe and Kaylee take massive issue when, disturbed by Inara's liaisons, he starts lashing out at the women during their dress shopping. Inara gets some 'touche' moments on him, and it's no coincidence that he only 'wins' the duel by blatant dirty play. The issue is that the show seems to excuse everything with a combination of 'he just has a crush and it's so cute!' and 'Well, he's not a rich asshole.' After all, we're expected to be fist-pumping when he holds his sword to the throat of the rich john.
Inara herself is also maddening. She says no; Mal violates her space; she complains; and then she keeps leading Mal on and letting him do whatever. It's understandable that she's attracted to him, but she allows him to cross boundaries she sets repeatedly, which is irritating at best and kind of rape-y at worst, due to the power dynamic between them. Maybe she's into being dominated, but it's an ugly look for the only 'unresolved sexual tension' storyline of the series thus far.
The rest of the cast has a lot more fun here. Kaylee's mix of childlike innocence and technical knowledge is always fun, though it inevitably sounds like Fred's bullshit babbling on Angel. She's especially great at the ball. 'Is that him?' she asks Mal, who looks. 'That's a buffet table.' Kaylee isn't satisfied: 'But how can we be sure unless we... question it?' Top two moment of the episode there. (Meanwhile, she encounters Whedon's stereotypical mean girls talk (demonstrating their shallowness with their focus on servant-tailored clothes), which is eventually shut down by a dude calling one of them a slut. Definitely not the flagship episode for gender relationships on the show.)
Mark Sheppard is back as Badger, and he's as fun as he was in the pilot episode. His decision to hold Serenity's crew hostage is flagrantly inconsequential, and also way more fun than the 'A-plot.' The lightness of it is part of what makes it fun - you know that nothing's gonna come from River's trash-talk of him, or Jayne's scheming to launch a freedom-regaining surprise-attack. Jayne's a huge oaf here, laughing hard when Badger mentions that you couldn't buy an invite with diamonds the size of testicles.
My other top-two moment of the episode: Jayne's obliviousness to the women's emotions. Dude laughs way hard when people don't know how spaceships work. Yet it takes everyone storming off on Mal's being a jerk for him to realize, 'Is she mad or something?' So good.
---
* Another episode, another bar cold open. I like it.
* The Mandarin seems to be emphasized more this episode - less complete clauses, but more short phrases inserted into the sentences. It's more amusing this way. Badger complaining about Mal's 'stick up your pigu' (ass) is one of the better moments, though the reference to Serenity's being 'goushi' (dogshit) is great, too.
* The name of the planet, 'Persephone,' is a Greek goddess who was abducted by Hades. Guessing this hints that Atherton is a bad dude and that Inara's getting trapped by him ain't a great idea.
Almost unquestionably the worst episode of the series yet. Mal's creepy, jealous-possessive relationship with Inara is by far the worst part of the show so far, and it's kind of disgusting the way Inara responds to it positively. Whedon clearly wants us to ship the pair, though - the client turning out to be a Major Asshole conveniently forces us, essentially, into rooting for Mal during the duel.
But it's not like the show is entirely unaware of the fact that Mal is really the villain in this story and misogynistic in his own right. Zoe and Kaylee take massive issue when, disturbed by Inara's liaisons, he starts lashing out at the women during their dress shopping. Inara gets some 'touche' moments on him, and it's no coincidence that he only 'wins' the duel by blatant dirty play. The issue is that the show seems to excuse everything with a combination of 'he just has a crush and it's so cute!' and 'Well, he's not a rich asshole.' After all, we're expected to be fist-pumping when he holds his sword to the throat of the rich john.
Inara herself is also maddening. She says no; Mal violates her space; she complains; and then she keeps leading Mal on and letting him do whatever. It's understandable that she's attracted to him, but she allows him to cross boundaries she sets repeatedly, which is irritating at best and kind of rape-y at worst, due to the power dynamic between them. Maybe she's into being dominated, but it's an ugly look for the only 'unresolved sexual tension' storyline of the series thus far.
The rest of the cast has a lot more fun here. Kaylee's mix of childlike innocence and technical knowledge is always fun, though it inevitably sounds like Fred's bullshit babbling on Angel. She's especially great at the ball. 'Is that him?' she asks Mal, who looks. 'That's a buffet table.' Kaylee isn't satisfied: 'But how can we be sure unless we... question it?' Top two moment of the episode there. (Meanwhile, she encounters Whedon's stereotypical mean girls talk (demonstrating their shallowness with their focus on servant-tailored clothes), which is eventually shut down by a dude calling one of them a slut. Definitely not the flagship episode for gender relationships on the show.)
Mark Sheppard is back as Badger, and he's as fun as he was in the pilot episode. His decision to hold Serenity's crew hostage is flagrantly inconsequential, and also way more fun than the 'A-plot.' The lightness of it is part of what makes it fun - you know that nothing's gonna come from River's trash-talk of him, or Jayne's scheming to launch a freedom-regaining surprise-attack. Jayne's a huge oaf here, laughing hard when Badger mentions that you couldn't buy an invite with diamonds the size of testicles.
My other top-two moment of the episode: Jayne's obliviousness to the women's emotions. Dude laughs way hard when people don't know how spaceships work. Yet it takes everyone storming off on Mal's being a jerk for him to realize, 'Is she mad or something?' So good.
---
* Another episode, another bar cold open. I like it.
* The Mandarin seems to be emphasized more this episode - less complete clauses, but more short phrases inserted into the sentences. It's more amusing this way. Badger complaining about Mal's 'stick up your pigu' (ass) is one of the better moments, though the reference to Serenity's being 'goushi' (dogshit) is great, too.
* The name of the planet, 'Persephone,' is a Greek goddess who was abducted by Hades. Guessing this hints that Atherton is a bad dude and that Inara's getting trapped by him ain't a great idea.
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