Why is Jayne Afraid of Mal?

POSTED BY: milford
UPDATED: Wednesday, May 3, 2006 13:42
VIEWED: 12656
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DONCOAT

Thursday, April 6, 2006 9:06 PM

I think the answer may be simpler than many of these suggestions (good though they are).

I'd say Mal has Jayne psyched out, and has since day one. Mal knows exactly how to push Jayne's buttons to keep him in line.

Evidence:

OoG (flashback): Mal knows exactly what to dangle in front of Jayne to get him to switch allegiences.

Serenity Pilot: Mal banishes Jayne from the dining table like a stern (but not abusive) father disciplining a child.

Serenity Pilot (later): Though Mal realizes that Jayne might betray him on Whitefall, he does nothing special to ensure his loyalty. He sends Jayne off to do a critical task, understanding that Jayne responds well to being placed in a position of trust. The discussion at the end of the ep shows how little Mal really feared that Jayne would turn on him.

OMR: Jayne doesn't just make a play for Saffron. Instead, he goes to Mal practically on his knees, trying to barter for her.

Various eps: Jayne repeatedly defers to Mal on the subject of Simon and River's presence on the ship.

OoG (near-real-time): watch Jayne's reaction when Mal gets physical with Wash. It's not so much surprise as, "Whoa, now's not the right time to get in Mal's way."

The common theme here is that Mal is right there in Jayne's head, and Jayne knows Mal is always two steps ahead of him. The only exception (Ariel) proves the rule. Mal slipped, not anticipating that Jayne would act. But in the end, Jayne fooled everyone else about the betrayal, but Mal showed him (with a great big wrench, no less) that he wasn't fooled for a second.

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I don't disagree on any particular point.

ZZETTA13

Thursday, April 6, 2006 9:43 PM

Yes,but Mal does include Jayne on some very important endeavors and empowers him on several occasions.

Serenity: Mal and Jayne in the oaty bar when River does her Bruce Lee imitation. Mal mutters "Jayne" almost as if to say "Jayne, back me up."
Zoe could have been there. But she was with Wash. " He likes it when you call him sir."

Shindig: Mal to Kaylee "What would you need that for in the engineroom. It'd be like a sheep standing on its hind legs." This gets an exspell of laughter from Jayne and gets from him "Are they mad or sumpin?" Male bonding in its mean and man-ly fashion, yep I know.

Again in Shindig: Badger "Invites are harder to get than diamonds the size of testicals. But I managed to get my hands on a couple." Mal and Jayne look at one another. Badger" OF INVITES!!"

Just things that seem to show something of the brotherhood relationship of Mal and Jayne. But yes there is also sibling rivalry.

Jayne kill Mal in his sleep? That would be the lowest of the low and have Zoey shoot him out of the airlock nomatter what he said.

AURAPTOR

Thursday, April 6, 2006 11:33 PM

Jayne's ability to stay alive has been, I believe, due to his own fighting skills, as well as his ability to size up his opponent. Mal did fight in the war, and he's earned the loyalty of Zoe. That trust must befuddle Jayne a good bit. Zoe's no push over, and yet she's following around Mal like....well, like he's earned her respect. He has. The whole Mal/Zoe/Wash equation doesn't seem to add up for him, so Jayne likely just leaves it be. Now, Jayne might be able to slip up and get the best of Mal, once, but then to get by Zoe too? Even Jayne can do the math on that not working out to his favor.

Plus, Mal's given Jayne far more than likely anyone has in his rough life. He's given Jayne a chance. Jayne seems like the 'smash and grab' type of character, and Mal extended a opportunity to Jayne that offers the potential for more. Maybe not much more, but at least he's got his own bunk! There's a bit of gratitude there for Jayne , even if he'll never come right out and say it.

People love a happy ending. So every episode, I will explain once again that I don't like people. And then Mal will shoot someone. Someone we like. And their puppy. - Joss

" They don't like it when you shoot at 'em. I worked that out myself. "

MILFORD

Friday, April 7, 2006 1:10 AM

Auraptor, I think you make some interesting observations. The gartitude angle is interesting. I think Jayne's a classic case of a guy who is simultaneously tough as nails, and also soft as, well, as a stuffed turtle. I think that one reason there's so much tension between them is that Jayne feels himself getting soft, and it's probably a little frightening. He's not sure what to do.

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Leaning into the wind that used to carry me-Stavesacre
That's why I don't kiss'em on the mouth- Jayne Cobb

BEAST

Friday, April 7, 2006 4:24 AM

there is a recurring theme that keeps running through my mind when I think about this question... In the pilot when Jayne is offered a bribe he asks "Would it mean turnin' on the Captain?" and when Jayne was in the airlock he insisted that he betrayed Simon and River but NOT THE CAPTAIN. These don't strike me as acts of fear. Indeed of he was afraid of Mal getting Alliance help to get Mal out of the picture would be fairly easily accomplished. I think Jayne is LOYAL to Mal. Loyal out of respect and admiration... and maybe a good dose of the psychology mentioned earlier.

I like the "Alpha Wolf" analogies mentioned here. I think Jayne has simply found his leader. I have seen the way dogs interact and there is something interesting to note. I have often seen a smaller weaker or even elderly dog make a bigger, stronger, faster, meaner dog back down... IF the dogs knew each other to the point that they had established a hierarchy. Why? because both dogs knew who was "in charge"... Just like both Mal and Jayne know.

WISHUPONAWASH

Tuesday, May 2, 2006 6:01 PM

Some good points and bad points here.

To say that Jayne is simply afraid of Mal is wrong. There would be no reason for Jayne to stay on the ship if he were. There is a certain element of fear, but no diffient to that between that of a Sgt and his men (which is how I see the relationship).

I personally wouldn't say that Jayne was abused (in strongest sense of the word) as a child, but he clearly had poor or little male role models as a boy. However Jayne sees in Mal a strong father/big brother figure. Mal knows which buttons to press in all his crew (see with Wash in War stories and out of gas as other examples).

ZZETTA13

Wednesday, May 3, 2006 3:22 AM

interesting WishuponaWash,

The key word is RESPECT. Jayne does command a degree of respect sometime. But he is no fool and knows in a pinch who he really counts on.

In "Jaynestown" after the mudders milk party the night before, Jayne acts surprised that Mal would want him to use his new found celebrity to cause a distraction in town. His new found "respect" has him questioning if its right to hoodwink ppl.

"Me Jayne Cobb" hero of Canton used to fool the groupies of my hero worship?

By shows end he does realize that his respect for Mal (not fear) isn't the same as for himself.

"Well there ain't people like that. Theres just people like me."

Inara also gives a clue as to how Jayne is viewed when talking to the young client after the night of his journey into manhood. "Jayne? Your talking about Jayne Cobb?" This after finding out the respectable Serenity crew member the young man was speaking of was Jayne and not Malcolm Reynolds.

MIRANDAN

Wednesday, May 3, 2006 1:42 PM

I'd like to look at this from a different angle if I may. Why does Jayne back down or not quite go too far?
Well, 'cos Joss(Hallowed be thy name)wrote it that way. Why?
To ramp up the tension on a particular occasion without destroying the group dynamic as a whole by making Jayne become an outcast. I also think that this allows Mal to display the inherent contradictions of a good man in a bad place which is in my opinion a recurring theme.
Alternatively there's just the tiniest overwhelming chance I'm talking complete goh se.

"We are all Mirandans today"
"3 full mags and my swinging cod"

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