Firefly - Episode 10: 'War Stories'
Recap: Wash becomes jealous of Zoe's relationship with Mal and insists upon taking Zoe's spot for the medicine sale to gather some 'war stories.' Niska catches up with them and captures them. Zoe buys Wash's freedom, interrupting his and Mal's latest conflict-under-duress. The crew of Serenity regroups and rescues Mal.
Another episode of Firefly that demands you examine its gender dynamics. It's fairly ham-fisted this time. Wash complains that he's not an action guy despite being a reasonably muscular man. (The fact that the Shepherd is shown lifting weights and then being an action hero this same episode seems to confirm, intentionally or not, that this is indeed a failing on Wash's part.)
Wash also insists that perhaps there are 'too many husbands' in his relationship, which, alright, buddy. Fortunately (?), it turns out that he's mostly just jealous of the relationship that Zoe and Mal share. We've seen the way that Wash and Mal tend to be the two personalities most in conflict - Wash is the only crew member to disobey Mal to his face, notably in 'Out of Gas' - and here we find out it's a somewhat two-sided jealousy: Mal didn't want Zoe to marry Wash, either. There's also an amusingly antagonist, homoerotic thread between Mal and Wash, where Wash really wants to experience what Zoe does, 'forming war stories' with Mal.
In a B-plot, Inara gets it on with an attractive woman, leading to a lot of open jaws. As usual, Inara's dialogue is fairly cringe-y, but at least we get Jayne informing us, practically delirious with arousal, that he'll be 'in his bunk.'
This episode is highly symptomatic of an issue the show has had with Asians. It's a show that disproportionately uses Chinese culture and disproportionately excludes Asian characters. The characters talk in Chinese, visit bars with Asian dancers providing backdrops, and have Chinese characters as decoration. Yet the only main character who looks Asian is River, whose Asian-ness is explicitly suppressed by having a white brother. The ethnically ambiguous, possibly Asian dude who pays Mal for the medicine is immediately shot by Niska, while Mal and Wash get to be kidnapped (and rescued). Again, this is a show that wants this scrutiny.
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* Niska is massively over-the-top. He's hit-or-miss, leaning more toward the miss side most of the time.
* 'Eliminating the middleman... never as easy as it sounds.'
* Zoe, for God knows what reason, prevents Jayne from shooting the guy Mal is grappling with. 'This is something the Captain has to do for himself.' Mal is incensed. 'NO IT'S NOT!' / 'Oh.' I can't really explain why this exchange is here other than to subvert a cliche... but it's highly entertaining, so I don't begrudge it. Probably the best line of the episode.
* I do enjoy Wash's attempt to mess with the mission selection. The featured party often feels arbitrary, and this episode plays that up when it's disrupted. Mal: 'OK. I'm lost. I'm angry, and um, I'm armed.'
* Zoe cooks! Sometimes what a man needs is for his wife to massage his ego.
* More opening scene love - Jayne being unusually giving with apples (related to his feelings of guilt?) while River and Kaylee chase one another around Serenity. Adorable.
Another episode of Firefly that demands you examine its gender dynamics. It's fairly ham-fisted this time. Wash complains that he's not an action guy despite being a reasonably muscular man. (The fact that the Shepherd is shown lifting weights and then being an action hero this same episode seems to confirm, intentionally or not, that this is indeed a failing on Wash's part.)
Wash also insists that perhaps there are 'too many husbands' in his relationship, which, alright, buddy. Fortunately (?), it turns out that he's mostly just jealous of the relationship that Zoe and Mal share. We've seen the way that Wash and Mal tend to be the two personalities most in conflict - Wash is the only crew member to disobey Mal to his face, notably in 'Out of Gas' - and here we find out it's a somewhat two-sided jealousy: Mal didn't want Zoe to marry Wash, either. There's also an amusingly antagonist, homoerotic thread between Mal and Wash, where Wash really wants to experience what Zoe does, 'forming war stories' with Mal.
In a B-plot, Inara gets it on with an attractive woman, leading to a lot of open jaws. As usual, Inara's dialogue is fairly cringe-y, but at least we get Jayne informing us, practically delirious with arousal, that he'll be 'in his bunk.'
This episode is highly symptomatic of an issue the show has had with Asians. It's a show that disproportionately uses Chinese culture and disproportionately excludes Asian characters. The characters talk in Chinese, visit bars with Asian dancers providing backdrops, and have Chinese characters as decoration. Yet the only main character who looks Asian is River, whose Asian-ness is explicitly suppressed by having a white brother. The ethnically ambiguous, possibly Asian dude who pays Mal for the medicine is immediately shot by Niska, while Mal and Wash get to be kidnapped (and rescued). Again, this is a show that wants this scrutiny.
---
* Niska is massively over-the-top. He's hit-or-miss, leaning more toward the miss side most of the time.
* 'Eliminating the middleman... never as easy as it sounds.'
* Zoe, for God knows what reason, prevents Jayne from shooting the guy Mal is grappling with. 'This is something the Captain has to do for himself.' Mal is incensed. 'NO IT'S NOT!' / 'Oh.' I can't really explain why this exchange is here other than to subvert a cliche... but it's highly entertaining, so I don't begrudge it. Probably the best line of the episode.
* I do enjoy Wash's attempt to mess with the mission selection. The featured party often feels arbitrary, and this episode plays that up when it's disrupted. Mal: 'OK. I'm lost. I'm angry, and um, I'm armed.'
* Zoe cooks! Sometimes what a man needs is for his wife to massage his ego.
* More opening scene love - Jayne being unusually giving with apples (related to his feelings of guilt?) while River and Kaylee chase one another around Serenity. Adorable.
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