SKYSCRAPER'S BLOG
*Spoiler* An interesting look into Simon.
Friday, October 14, 2005 3:41 PM
I really enjoyed watching Firefly… and unlike most TV shows I used to watch, I really liked all the characters. But we all have our favorites. Wash being my favorite character and Simon being my least favorite. It’s like comparing nine light bulbs. Wash would be 100 watts. Simon would be 98 watts. Everyone else in between. Not much difference. But, even Book (who started below Simon but jumped up with the whole mystery of who he really his. Not to mention the “Special Hell” bit) had less airtime then Simon, and yet Simon remained 98 watts. Maybe, its because I saw him protecting River as being a little too obsessive. I liked that he sacrificed everything he had to save her, don’t get me wrong. And she needed special attention at the time. But, all we mostly saw Simon do, is deal with River, and maybe occasionally do other stuff, and I guess subconsciously I started thinking that Simon is only good for taking care of River, and fixing the occasional wound. The Firefly episode Ariel surprised me a bit. And it wasn’t until after I watched the movie Serenity that I started to take a deeper look into his character. The book highlighted even more things.If you get the opportunity to, and only after you see the movie, read the movie novelization. It’s based on the first version of the finalized script. As with almost any movie, what’s written and what gets shot is sometimes different. The same holds true for this book. In my opinion, books based on movies are usually weaker then the movie (the opposite being movies based on books usually plain suck.) But if you’ve seen the movie, there is a lot of back-story the book includes. How Simon set up rescuing River was very useful info. In the end, I enjoyed the book far more then any other based-on-movie book I’ve read. Just the different “Point-of-Views” made it way more dynamic. The Firefly back-stories and the movie really blend well in this book. Hats off to Keith R.A. DeCandido. I think he did a fine job on the book. I’ve also enjoyed many of his other books. Either way… back to the point.
On a thread in the Sluggy Freelance fan board, some people felt the movie prologue was different from what Simon said, about River’s rescue in the pilot episode. They said he paid people to rescue River. The movie shows Simon doing most of the rescue. There was also a point made about Simon’s character during River’s rescue and how it was really… out of character for him. Reading the books and watching the show provided some clues as to how both versions are true.
First off, once he rescued River, he can’t just walk down the sidewalk with her. (Zoe mentions that central planets are full of feds and sensors in one episode of Firefly.) The people Simon paid a “huge” amount of money to, already had the contacts in the academy. They’d gotten a hold of an Alliance military uniform and credentials. Very good credentials too, for him to get that deep into the academy. The stun weapon hidden inside the baton I’m sure cost a pretty penny. They’re the ones who rescue him and River from the ventilation shaft with the flying vehicle. And in that vehicle, contains a portable cryo-unit (also expensive) that he puts River in so he can move around safely. I’m sure that cryo unit was disguised to look like something else as well. I imagine most people would get questioned dragging a giant freezer around. The flying vehicle that his contacts rescue him in, drops him and the frozen River off at the Eavesdown (sp?) Docks. This is where the Firefly pilot episode Serenity begins.
Also to note… When Simon was telling the story of River’s rescue to Mal and the crew in the Firefly Pilot episode (Serenity) he didn’t know who he was dealing with. A fed had just shot Kaylee because of him. River was let out of cryo early, and the feds we’re now aware they onboard the ship. Simon probably felt it was safer to under state his part in River’s rescue. After all, the crew knew they we’re after Simon for some reason “probably” dealing with his moon-brained sister.
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