Assorted general Firefly/Serenity questions

POSTED BY: Anna
UPDATED: Wednesday, March 8, 2006 22:45
VIEWED: 6897
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ENGINEANGEL

Tuesday, March 7, 2006 9:15 PM

hey anna! welcome welcome!! if you have the chance come join us in the chat sometime.

now to answer questions:

in regards to the first question, mal said that quote in serenity: the pilot. A lot has changed since then, most for the worse (unfortunatley, that's like usual) and he's under tons of stress. Inara's left the ship, he has this huge problem with river now, and he's still trying to operate under his moral code. That's a lot of stuff to deal with, even under the best of circumstances (which he doesn't have) so eventually something would have to go. There's also the fact that Mal said that to Simon, who's definatley a lot different and definatley a lot better than the operative. I'm thinking he might have seen a difference.

question #2: yes, i myself think river was psychic before the academy. I actually thought that before the river tam vids came out, but they really do confirm it. I think that's one of the reasons they were so eager to have her at the academy - because she had that psychic ability added onto the geniusness. I think they stripped her amygdala because it made her one heck of a fighting machine, and that's really what the allience was trying to make - a fighting machine. and also take what simon said: "She feels everything, she can't not." what would feeling everything mean to a psychic? what would not being able to filter anything out mean to a psychic? It would mean that she would be unstoppable, would be able to hear everyone's moves without giving a second thought to it at all. That kind of ties into the whole "was river psychic before the academy?" question. I think she was a psychic, but less so. By stripping her amygdala, blue sun amplified it signifigantly.

(by the way, if you haven't seen the river tam vids, go here: http://www.session416.com/)

For question #3, there was a thread that was started that kinda encompasses it: http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=13774#190129 it's entitled How do Reavers pilot ships, them being insane cannibals and such? It basically gives some ideas, and i think touches on the one you asked. I think they don't eat or kill each other it's the pack mentality. Because they are pack, they stick together and help each other bring a person down for the kill. Wolves don't eat their own kind even though they are carnivores....of course, wolves also wouldn't rape that other wolf to death and then wear it's skin....ah heck i don't know, i'm on a rant now. I think the reavers do fine with each other however, but if ya ask me why, i'll probably just go on another rant again And i suppose revers could breed and create other reavers if the pax changed their genetic structure or something, just a theory though, i'm also thinking they might just die out.

question #4 - lol, i like this question. i don't have so much a craving for them as much as i have the song stuck in my gorram head. and when you have memorized the whole song.....well....then you have a problem.... lol

question #5 - i think they wanted to set her off so they could find her. If they couldn't find her, then they wouldn't be able to get her and kill her, and they didn't know she was on serenity at that time, had basically no info to go on, except that she was with simon tam (and they didn't know where he was either :P)

hope this helped, and none of the questions were stupid
stay shiny,
EngineAngel

SIGMANUNKI

Tuesday, March 7, 2006 9:50 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Anna:

Hello! New member, not super-new to the 'Verse, but new to this here forum.

Welcome

Quote:
Originally posted by Anna:

In the Serenity movie, what happened to Mal "if I ever shoot you, you'll be awake, you'll be facing me, and you'll be armed" Reynolds during the scene with the Operative in the companion training house? Sure, I know the Operative should be taken out ASAP, but...I don't know, although, I guess he also left a man behind.

Joss changed the character. Originally (I believe) Joss wanted Mal "darker" but F*X told him to tone it down. I'm going to have to agree with F*X on that one. <- Well, that doesn't happen often now does it?

Quote:
Originally posted by Anna:

River...do you think she was psychic before the Alliance got their hands on her? Or was it only as a result of their meddling?

In the series, it was debatbly if she was psychic or not. In OiS, Mal said something like "or near enough."

Quote:
Originally posted by Anna:

Why did they strip her amygdala? What good would it do? Give her fear and adrenaline to fight with??
This is probably very stupid, but were River and the others made to combat the Reavers? Or, just made anyway?

Gonna have to ask the Alliance for answer to those questions

Quote:
Originally posted by Anna:

Speaking of Reavers, since they travel in packs, wouldn't they just start to kill and rape and torture each other? I doubt they have any sort of loyalty amongst themselves. If the Reavers were a result of Miranda, will there ever be more of them, or will they run out? How could they create more? I guess the unfortunate soul left to watch will turn Reaver, but is that enough to sustain the race (for lack of a better word)?

*shrugs* Anything would be speculation. The Reaver societal structure hasn't been explored one bit.

Quote:
Originally posted by Anna:

...Who here has a craving for fruity oaty bars?

Strangly enough, I am too

Quote:
Originally posted by Anna:

Oh, actually, that's another thing: why were they broadcasting that ad? Did they WANT to set her off?? I really can't think of any reason, but maybe I'm missing something.

Yes. If they instructed her to cause a massive ruccus, then that would show up in the security feeds and they'd know where she is.

Quote:
Originally posted by Anna:

Anyway, it's mighty nice to be here and to make acquaintance with you folks! I doubt I'll be posting much (of value, at least ) but even from the glimpse I've gotten, I love reading what you all have to say.

Don't think that anything you have to say doesn't have any value. Every different perspective adds to the community.

So, post damn it!!!

----
"We're in a giant car heading into a brick wall at 100 miles/hr and everybody's arguing about where they want to sit."
-David Suzuki

STORYMARK

Tuesday, March 7, 2006 9:50 PM

Just a thought, directed at no-one in particular, regarding the reavers.

What if, the reason they do not eat each other has something to do with the Pax? Operating on such a purely feral level, could it be possible that they avoid each other's flesh because they can taste the Pax in the flesh? It would explain why we didn't see chewed-up bodies all over Miranda as well.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

ENGINEANGEL

Tuesday, March 7, 2006 10:13 PM

Quote:
Written by SigmaNunki:
Joss changed the character. Originally (I believe) Joss wanted Mal "darker" but F*X told him to tone it down. I'm going to have to agree with F*X on that one. <- Well, that doesn't happen often now does it?

what you are forgeting, SigmaNunki, is that mal said this in the original pilot (serenity). That is the one that Fox (damn you Fox!!) saw and told Joss to change. In Serenity: the pilot, Mal was how Joss wanted him to be. They filmed that original ep before hand, and it was in the train job that the change was made.

and storymark, wow, that's a cool theory...and it could be true, i like it.

keep flyin'
EngineAngel

TH1RT3EN

Tuesday, March 7, 2006 10:53 PM

Some good questions and answers...My take on the Reavers is this: They are a society unto themselves. Like a cannibalistic tribe with a pack mentality. They are extreemely violent and agressive, (the antithesis of the 'order' of the Alliance) but they still retain knowledge and skills. You could surmise they have some sort of group social order; They pilot and somewhat maintain ships, they coordinate raids and so on...I didn't see any reason that they may not procreate amongst themselves as well. Even the most agressive and violent of species have means to procreate. I'm not sure what Miranda's population was, but if it was 100 million, then you have a significant reaver population to deal with...which could sustain themselves and grow, (at the expense of others of course).

A little suffering is good for the soul...

SIGMANUNKI

Tuesday, March 7, 2006 11:26 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by engineangel:

what you are forgeting, SigmaNunki,

Saying someones name this way creates a condescending tone. Just pointing that out so you can avoid it in the future

Quote:
Originally posted by engineangel:

is that mal said this in the original pilot (serenity)

I am aware of the name of the original pilot. And again, saying the name of the episode here again creates a condescending tone.

Quote:
Originally posted by engineangel:

That is the one that Fox (damn you Fox!!) saw and told Joss to change. In Serenity: the pilot, Mal was how Joss wanted him to be. They filmed that original ep before hand, and it was in the train job that the change was made.

This still doesn't explain the very different character seen in the movie vs the series. Also, I didn't see much of a change between Serenity and The Train Job. None actually.

What exactly did they change about Mal that can be seen in these episodes?

----
"We're in a giant car heading into a brick wall at 100 miles/hr and everybody's arguing about where they want to sit."
-David Suzuki

GIXXER

Tuesday, March 7, 2006 11:43 PM

Chill.

This is Anna's first thread. We don't want to give a bad impression.

I emphatically do not see any condescension. As there are generally a few people involved per thread, it's nice to know to whom the reply is being offered.

Similarly, there's absolutely nothing wrong with referring to Serenity the Pilot, Serenity the Movie or, I hazard, Serenity herself.

I get confused my own self.

ENGINEANGEL

Tuesday, March 7, 2006 11:56 PM

sorry, didn't mean for there to be a condesending tone. is just how i write.

Quote:
This still doesn't explain the very different character seen in the movie vs the series. Also, I didn't see much of a change between Serenity and The Train Job. None actually.

What exactly did they change about Mal that can be seen in these episodes?

and it does explain the different character in the movie vs. series...maybe i didn't explain it well, it makes sense in my head, but i can't always get that onto paper. you see, the character in the movie is how joss wanted him to be originally, which is the same as in "serenity the pilot." (i do admit he was harsher in the BDM but that's to be expected when things have started going wrong for a person. as i said in my earlier post, mal has lost inara, has lots of troubles on his mind, is still trying to go through his moral code, and now has a whole heap of new troubles raining down on him. it's enough to make anyone insane, and cause them to become harder and darker) they changed mal in the train job from what he was like in serenity.

and you didn't see any change in mal from serenity to mal from the train job? huh...*shrugs* well, there is a change. i didn't really notice it too much until it was pointed out to me i don't think, but mal is a lot less hard and dark in the train job. he makes a lot more witty jokes, has a brighter outlook on life experience as a whole, he seems to have lost less of his faith as in the pilot. if you watch the pilot and then the train job with this in mind, i'm pretty sure you'll find a difference. (just pointing it out, not trying to sound condesending again

)

i think it also seemed like he was darker in the movie because we had seen him be at ease with his family, his crew, and had watched the series god knows how many times, and had gotten used to that.

well, keep flyin', hope i explained it better this time...
EngineAngel

MATTCOZ

Wednesday, March 8, 2006 12:08 AM

I decided to do a bit of research on the amygdala, there's actually been a number of studies on the effect of removal on primates, although they say the effect would not be the same in humans. If I find anything useful I'll post it here.

SIGMANUNKI

Wednesday, March 8, 2006 12:19 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Gixxer:

it's nice to know to whom the reply is being offered.

IMO, that is what the Written by xxxx is for in the quote. Of course if that isn't there, then you are right. The name should be in there. But, there is also how it is put in there. Certain ways have different tones. That's all I was getting at.

Quote:
Originally posted by Gixxer:

Similarly, there's absolutely nothing wrong with referring to Serenity the Pilot, Serenity the Movie or, I hazard, Serenity herself.

This is similar to my previous comment. Saying "Serenity (ep not movie)" is explaining things. But, IMO, putting "the original pilot (Serenity)" to another fan, who would know the name, is condescending.

Especially when this is the first sentence in the post. It sets the tone for the rest.

All I'm saying, is that with such a variety of people here, we should watch how we word things. And if no-one points out some potentially really bad wordings, then nothing improves. Also, if used in an already tense situation, that could start a whole thing that very well could be avoided.

I've seen many flame wars start this way.

Quote:
Originally posted by engineangel:

sorry, didn't mean for there to be a condesending tone. is just how i write.

No worries

It's just, as I said above, I've seen a lot of flame wars start because of misunderstandings. Just trying to point that out so that people don't misunderstand you and bad things happen. Usually when one of the people involved is having a bad day.

And if all it takes is flipping some words around, little effort, great reward

Just trying to do my part to keep things shiny

Quote:
Originally posted by engineangel:

and you didn't see any change in mal from serenity to mal from the train job? huh...*shrugs* well, there is a change.

...

if you watch the pilot and then the train job with this in mind, i'm pretty sure you'll find a difference.

I'll keep that in mind the next time I watch the series

----
"We're in a giant car heading into a brick wall at 100 miles/hr and everybody's arguing about where they want to sit."
-David Suzuki

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