Coping with Serenity's Ending

POSTED BY: stonearch
UPDATED: Tuesday, March 13, 2007 13:15
VIEWED: 6065
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STONEARCH

Friday, March 9, 2007 2:26 AM

Since I'm guessing pretty much everyone on this MB has seen "Serenity", I don't think I need to say it, but SPOILER!!!

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Ok, so the vast majority of you saw Serenity well over a year ago and have already talked about this topic more than a little bit, but seeing as I just saw it a few days ago, I'm grievin' something fierce...

How did you all feel about the death of Wash? If you were as crushed as me, how did you cope? LOL I've been totally depressed for like DAYS!!!

I know that sometimes characters die (or at least, the producers, etc. feel they have to die), but really, why did he have to die?!?!?

I feel like I could have had about half of the cast die, and I would have been able to accept it, but Wash? One of my 3 favorite characters, and the fact that he leaves behind a love, well that's like a million times worse! It's just plain cruel!

I know Joss seems to enjoy killing off major charaters now and then, as done in Buffy, but at least with those shows it was feasible to bring them back...or when they couldn't be brought back, there were at least subsequent episodes that allowed you, the viewer, to grieve with the characters and move on. With Serenity, its like BAM, rug is pulled out from under me and there's no way to get over it.

I know having all the favorite characters live may be corny, but at least then I can have my shiny imagination of them going on to adventures in the future. The future in my imagination as it ends with Serenity is so bleak and depressing...

Were any of you as crushed with Wash dying? I need a support group here!!

Jillian

FUTUREMRSFILLION

Friday, March 9, 2007 2:36 AM

It sucked. But I prefer to pretend that he didn't die, that Mr Universe is on Holiday and Book is back at the Abbey.

Denial works for me!

If you do not want to wallow in the sadness DO NOT GO TO YOUTUBE ANS SEARCH FOR THE FIREFLY FANVID THAT USES THIS WOMAN"S WORK as the background song. Someone posted it recently - be sure to have tissues handy!

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Bestower of Titles, Designer of Tshirts, Maker of Mottos, Keeper of the Pyre, Owner of a too big Turnippy smelling coat with MR scratched in the neck (thanks FollowMal!)

I am on The List. We are The Forsaken and we aim to burn!
"We don't fear the reaper"

FORSAKEN original

DAVESHAYNE

Friday, March 9, 2007 2:58 AM

How did I deal with Wash dying? I cried. Have you ever seen a grown nerd cry? Not pretty.

Book and Wash died because for the movie to seem real there had to be real peril. Can't have that if all of the characters are given plot immunity. Sad but true when people shoot at each other people often die. And frequently it's the good guys that do the lion's share of the not living any more.

That having been said Joss has repeatedly said that if there was a sequel (and I continue to believe there will be) both Wash and Book could return. He is cryptic on just how that would be acomplished but he knows a way; a way that doesn't involve magic even.

David

"Not completely as well as the series of Firefly..." - From a review of Serenity at amazon.de

BULLETINTHEBRAINPANSQUISH

Friday, March 9, 2007 12:45 PM

I choose to believe the plot point that someone posted on this site some months back (can't actually remember who it was now, but I love them for their contribution to my denial of Wash's death). It's a little disturbing though, so if you're a person of faint-heart (what Browncoat would be though!) turn away NOW. If I remember correctly, the gist of this argument is that when Zoe tried to get Wash to respond to her, he had been seriously injured instead of killed. The poster cited examples of people surviving serious trauma (for example being shot in the head, being shish-kebab-d {?} by objects in real life accidents). Essentially, this person argued that Wash was later found by the Alliance in this condition after possibly being nibbled on by Reavers (which may have led to the belief that he had been completely eaten, what with the possible, for want of a better word, scraps scattered around and all). He was then taken by the Alliance to be questioned about River and Miranda, but it will be discovered that he is still alive, which will in turn lead to a Big Damn Rescue! It works for me, cos I live on a river called De Nile. And should anyone attempt to dissuade me from this fabrication of reality, I will stick my fingers in my ears and sing loudly "I can't hear you!".

So yeah, that's how I don't cope with Wash's 'death'.

Mal gives control of the ship to Zoe...
Mal: If I'm not back in an hour, you come, and you rescue me.
Zoe: What? And risk my ship?

MRBEN

Friday, March 9, 2007 1:43 PM

Every time a thread like this comes up, I feel a little sad. But not for _that_ reason (although I am sad that Wash died) but more because it is always like Book's death was somehow less important, or had less of an impact.

Don't get me wrong - I like Wash well enough. But I liked Book equally. And I miss them both.

mrben

"Carpe Aptenodytes"
http://www.jedimoose.org

DAVESHAYNE

Friday, March 9, 2007 2:48 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mrben:
Every time a thread like this comes up, I feel a little sad. But not for _that_ reason (although I am sad that Wash died) but more because it is always like Book's death was somehow less important, or had less of an impact.

Well it did have a little less impact. Firstly because Book being an older gentleman can be said to have lived a reasonably full life. Wash was really just starting out on life's grand adventure. Second, Wash's death was more sudden and random. Book at least got to give his dying speach and died from actively defending his town. Sad but heroic. Wash died with the look of relief from the landing still on his face and just because he was struck by a randomly shot harpoon. Not very heroic. Third Wash's death strongly affects Zoe (and of course the beautifull baby they can't have now) so it's extra sad there.

David

"Not completely as well as the series of Firefly..." - From a review of Serenity at amazon.de

MSG

Friday, March 9, 2007 4:43 PM

I try not to think about it. When it happens ( as I watch the movie again) I cry and feel awful and then take heart that Joss promises Wash and Book will come back. So they aren't dead, just in limbo:)

"I'm not all that interested in the mental health of people who want to kill me. "- Leroy Jethro Gibbs

CAUSAL

Friday, March 9, 2007 5:13 PM

I know just what you're going through--Wash was my favorite character all the way through the series. When that spike came through the canopy, well, yeah. I thought they might all die.

I have to respectfully disagree with all the "Wash lives" posts, though. I think Wash is dead, and will remain dead in any sequels (though we may get more of him in flashback form). It feels very inauthentic to insist that he's still alive, and harbor resentment at Joss for killing him off, and spin wild theories about how he could return from the the grave (or the not-grave, depending on your favorite theory). But to me, that just feels fake. I have always loved Joss's work because even though it's fantastical, it feels very genuine. In life, people die. Just look at what happened in Buffy: people--important people, people we cared about--died. And I think that makes the Jossverse a more real, richly texture place to live in. So I grieve over Wash and Book, because I loved them, and was saddened by their passing. But I accept that that's part of living, and part of loving people. Eventually, you'll have to let go. Demanding script immunity for favorite characters just seems inauthentic to me--I'd rather have a real world of peril than a false world where you just know that the heroes will come out of it in the end. Because often times they do not. That's why you hear Medal of Honor winners insisting that they're not heroes: to them, the heroes are the guys that didn't walk off the battle field. That's the reality of war, the reality of conflict and the reality of life. And to me, that's what makes Joss not just a good story teller, but a great one.

/ Rant

SPACEANJL

Friday, March 9, 2007 5:16 PM

What he said.

(Though my favourite guys are Mal and Jayne.)

CAPTAINCOUPI

Friday, March 9, 2007 6:07 PM

Quote:
It works for me, cos I live on a river called De Nile.

Ah, De Nile. I like to take a quick swim in that river every day. It's relaxing and good for my mental health, (which at the best of times I only have a tenuous hold on).

I always thought that as Joss and Ron saw Book as the conscience of the ship that in any sequel he might come back as the conscience of Mal. A guiding hand when he needed some direction.

I know lame and cliché. Me all over.

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http://www.bigdamnthankyou.com/

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