What are your *least* favorite Firefly moments?
POSTED BY: Okkay
UPDATED: Saturday, February 14, 2004 16:39
VIEWED: 28282
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This is sort of a weird question, I know, but I was wondering if you guys had any least favorite moments. Although this show is as close to perfect as there ever was, there are still some moments that bug me every time I watch it.
One reason that The Message has always bugged me was that the whole episode could have been resolved peacefully if Mal just *explained* to Tracey that their plan wasn't to turn him over to the cop. He didn't have to keep the plan secret, but he did, there was a big misunderstanding, and bad things happened because of it, and Tracey died. Yes, the episode needed Tracy to die, but they way it happened just bugs me every time.
Another time Mal caused an understanding by not explaining himself was in Bushwhacked, when they're caught by the Alliance and he asks Simon to get River, Simon gets mad because he thinks Mal's selling them out. Why couldn't have Mal just said "Simon, get your sister, we're going to hide you guys."?
Just little things that bug me. So I wondered if other people had similar moments that they either didn't like or didn't get.
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When some jerk wrote a crappy pseudo intellectual tirade accusing my fav show of having icky and evil subtext. Oh wait... you mean on the show. 
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I see your point but I personally would have to disagree- While it would be easy for Mal to just 'stop and explain,' he shouldnt have to- He gives the orders and expects the others to do what he says, not have a debate- People in charge rely on their underlings to trust them (think of other shows you have seen- do those Captains/whatever stop to always explain? I just finished B5 s4, and Sheridan almost never reveals his hand like that) -
As for a least fav. moment, it would to me be the 'magic door' blooper in Trash - When Mal and Saff escape through a door, it has a different handle when the feds try to go through that same door- Most bloopers pass me by unnoticed, but that one eats at me for some reason-
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He looked bigger when I couldn't see him.
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Mal isn't that kind of guy. He's too internalized. If Tim Minear writes him that way then it's one of his substantial character flaws...and one of his coolest traits. Does batman explain himself? Heeeeellll no!
Plus that way we have no idea what's going to happen.
My least favorite moments...
1) The weirdly edited Inara bathing scene in the final version of the pilot...what happened guys? Big technical weirdness. That was more of a glitch then bad Firefly though.
2) There are the eps of the show that are good instead of great...Safe, Heart of Gold, Bushwacked, Message, Train Job. All of these have great scenes but the ratio to kind of "meh" scenes is higher. These are scenes like Jayne tricking Simon into a spacesuit to board the derelict...it's very necessary, and it does its job, but I don't enjoy it nearly as much as, say the entirety of the pilot. Or Our Mrs. Reynolds, or especially Out of Gas, which I finally watched all the way through. That opening scene BLOWS MY FREAKING MIND!!
Anyways, the only other thing I can think of is that when Serenity makes her "full burn" it doesn't look as flashy and cool as we've come to expect from sci-fi. I like the smoke and glowing beams of light coming from her behind but something about the way she leaves lacks that little something. I do firmly believe that was the point. She's not entering Hyperspace. She's not going warp. She just made a huge explosion and she's travelling very fast.
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Regarding the Message, if you read the script, they originally had Mal/Book about to try to explain things to Tracey when he interrupts them and threatens them with the gun. It makes Mal come off as a little less unreasonable, but I suspect it reduced the tension because it lets the viewer in on the fact that they weren't planning to hand Tracey over to the Feds.
RIVER
Purple elephants are flying.
MAL
Good. Thanks for the update.
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My least favorite moment comes at the end of 'Objects in Space' when I go to view the next episode...only there is no next episode.
Also I've never been particulary happy with the cheesy landspeeder and laser gun in 'Heart of Gold'. I think they could have done better in the props department with those two items.
I would have given him a sleeker weapon and instead of a landspeeder, some kind of vtol/personal helicopter thingy (there's plenty of 'concept' personal flyers on the net). Then he's runnin, gets in, start it up, takes off, looks down and there's Mal who shoots right through the fuel tank making it explode. Yup, it could have been better.
And what was that thing River was eating in 'The Message'. Looked like a combination of a mace and cotten candy. They just did it to work in the line about it being "problematic". Being so smart it could have been just as funny to show her having trouble with something simple like chopstiks, or eating peas with a fork, or peanut butter, or maybe getting a suger high (that would have been funny).
H
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My least favorite moment.....when an episode ends, and when Fox cancelled it.
Oh you meant in the show itself....oh.
My least favorite moment would have to be in Jaynestown when they keep cutting to the characters and their comments when the mudder is singing the Hero of Canton. I kept missing parts and it got just a bit irritating. I know it was necessary for the plot and scene, just a pet peeve like talking in the movie theatre. Special Hell and all that.
As to Mal explaining why he does things or letting everyone in on his plans, that is the problem w/ command. The second you start informing everyone what you are doing, then everyone will put in their two cents, questions, and suggestions. You have a debate on your hands then and at times like in "The Message", they simply did not have time to talk things over. I guess it boils down to he is the captain and he always does what is best for everyone concerned.
"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."
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I loved the thing River was eating in "The Message"!
Anyway, Mal losing his ear. 'Nuff said. It was like "Reservoir Dogs" all over again.
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Quote:
Originally posted by Enderspawn:
Mal isn't that kind of guy. He's too internalized. If Tim Minear writes him that way then it's one of his substantial character flaws...and one of his coolest traits. Does batman explain himself? Heeeeellll no!
I agree that Mal was probably written with that particular character trait, and I can understand him not explaining his actions in Bushwhacked, but in The Message, Tracey has a gun pointed at Wash and Kaylee. I'm thinking those are extreme circumstances where the story just feels stupid by not having Mal explain himself. One line: "Tracey, we're not going to turn you in", would have been enough to take care of the situation and not get his crew killed.
Batman doesn't explain himself, but I'm sure if one of his friends had another of his friends at gunpoint, he would explain himself so no one would die.
But that's just my opinion.
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Quote:
Originally posted by Hero:
And what was that thing River was eating in 'The Message'. Looked like a combination of a mace and cotten candy. They just did it to work in the line about it being "problematic". Being so smart it could have been just as funny to show her having trouble with something simple like chopstiks, or eating peas with a fork, or peanut butter, or maybe getting a suger high (that would have been funny).
I think the humor lies in the fact that we as an audience can't really figure out how to eat that thing (ice planet I think they called it) either. It's like in Demolition Man with the 3 shells.
Plus in this future, I'm sure everyone knows how to eat with chopsticks. River is crazy, but she wouldn't forget how to do that.
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