Controversial Mal characterization
POSTED BY: SpaceAnJL
UPDATED: Saturday, January 3, 2009 06:12
VIEWED: 42749
PAGE 3 of 12
curses! i had to get zoner to help me post that! this FRACKING P.C.!
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Quote:
Originally posted by jetflair:
He's chosen a life he can live with. I think that given said baggage, he needs both constant challanges and the task of leading other people to keep him sane, keep his mind off the past and keep him from brooding about himself. Mal, financially secure on a peaceful little homestead somewhere farming tomatoes, would probably go insane.
we need to keep in mind that what makes Mal happy may well not be what makes the average person happy. Mal may not enjoy parts of it, but he *likes* his rabble-rousing life.
The problem arises when an author takes a steriotypical, average-person view on what constitutes a happy story or a happy ending for him. That's where we get Mal, Inara, 2.5 kids, and a ranch.
B]
Quite. I have an issue with the whole 'happy ending' concept, because life doesn't end neatly. After the party, the big shoot-out, the final battle...someone has to do the washing-up, patch up the wounded, or sit in an Alliance prison camp awaiting war crime charges. 'Firefly' tried to show that - small people who got rolled over by history picking themselves up and looking for the next job.
I also have an issue with the 'normal' concept of happy ever after. For the record, I am happily married myself, but only recently, and I'm in Mal's age bracket. Maybe because of this, I get rather weirded out by the 'mean old man' scenarios. It is possible to get to your mid-thirties or so with a minimum of possessions, and a quantity of emotional baggage, but without being so bent out of shape that you are not open to any new possibilities. It is also possible that the idea of settling down to a 'normal' job and popping out kids makes you come out in a cold sweat.
Just my personal take on it. I tried living the normal life, being the good little cog in a busy world. Recipe for disaster. Some people are not meant to wear a suit, sit in a workplace and be nice to folk all day. They would rather live with a little financial uncertainty, but find themselves able to look in the mirror...Just had a mental image of Mal in a call-centre, in some Alliance Retraining scheme after the war. I may have to go and write this.
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You know..it might do to wait for the "Better Days" comic to come out. By all descriptions, it's supposed to be about how the crew reacts to both a job well done, and the rewards that come with it. Granted, Firefly didn't show Mal having much success in anything...Inara, money, crew loyalty, etc. They get a huge take from robbing St. Lucy's, but lose the money soon after to Niska. They steal a priceless artifact (the Lassiter), but can't sell it anywhere. Even in the pilot, they ended up "selling" the goods to Patience at a huge markdown (presumably) from what was going to come from Badger. It would seem that post series, there was success somewhere (I'm guessing the sale of the Lassiter). Elseways, how do you explain the new mule? And "Those Left Behind" shows how jobs have been drying up left and right for Serenity's crew. Things are extraordinarily bad for this group most of the time. It might do to wait and see Joss's interpretation of "success".
I mean, in regards to writing about Mal's future.
Kaylee: "What's so damn important about being proper? It don't mean nothing out here in the black."
Simon: "It means more out here. It's all I have..."
http://manwithpez.livejournal.com
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I'm sure there is a mention somewhere that the new mule was bought from the proceeds of the Lassiter sale.
I'm always more amused by the everyday in the ff 'Verse; one of my favourite scenes is that beginning of 'Bushwhacked'. I know it goes against the grain a bit, but the whole McGuffin that is River's central importance to the Alliance actually twitches me a bit. Far more interesting to have people who are not central to every plot and machination at the very highest level negotiating their way through the world.
But...back on topic. Mal. I prefer the Mal of the series to the one of the BDM. A lot of subtlety was lost in the drive to get FF on the big screen. But maybe because I am aware of the darkness and despair in the past, I would just like to see people draw out of that a little, and have those small moments of happiness and/or normality. A life where 'success' is having some fresh food on the table, and happiness is measured by looking into the starfield and choosing where to fly.
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i love this thread! S.A. you rule!
my response to this thread is a
new fic called (ho ho) MALIFIC. just posted.
let me know what you thnk!
forgot to add:
one think i'm interested in TRYING to do (it's gorram hard!) is take a post-BDM Mal and gradually create a balance in the character half way between the F.F show and the movie. which'll mean i can do a FUN fic next time! - a big relief -
make someone a browncoat today - don't turn nobody away
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all too typical sequel material.. opening scene finds the Zo girl out kickin some backside someplace..lost in herself...still the soldier, still suffering the loss of her love..but she's on her own...save for a couple unknowns that have taken to running with her..interesting characters..could be important to the plot, or short term distractions. Where's Mal?..trying his best to settle down somewhere distant..war's long done..and he and his whore are attempting to make house...he's now the less willing. The Doc and sis are also back in civilization and the rest of our crew are scattered to the wind.
Into the plot walks some new faces...looks like Mal was not the only freelancer/privateer in the verse..and maybe a character from the Reav side of things..a realization that they are not all totally crazed..that there is some method behind some of the madness, that in fact, the teraform injection isn't what set them to the most extreme...that it was some corrupt local leaders on miranda that spawned a drug lord campaign..to build their version of an army capable of waging the confusion of war against the alliance, allowing them to do business under cover...and to this end, we find that our "assasin" and his belief were not so unfounded..and now Zo must seek him out with the help of her new found "non-Mal-contents". Ultimately the crew. or some of them can be pulled into the story line as much or as little as you want..but the saga can continue in a much more open frame.
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Quote:
Originally posted by SpaceAnJL:
I know Mal is probably short for 'maladjusted' rather than Malcolm
I think that it is just as River said "Mal means bad in the Latin."
Maladjusted actually means badly or unsatisfactorily adjusted, esp. in relationship to one's social circumstances, environment.
Malcontent works too. As in...
1. not satisfied or content with currently prevailing conditions or circumstances.
2. dissatisfied with the existing government, administration, system, etc.
–noun
3. a malcontent person, esp. one who is chronically discontented or dissatisfied.
Source: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/malcontent
I'm sure their are a few other mal words that work just a s well.
Though malodorous doesn't so much work for Mal but is probably better for Jayne.
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Quote:
Originally posted by SpaceAnJL:
But...back on topic. Mal. I prefer the Mal of the series to the one of the BDM. A lot of subtlety was lost in the drive to get FF on the big screen. But maybe because I am aware of the darkness and despair in the past, I would just like to see people draw out of that a little, and have those small moments of happiness and/or normality.
Me too. I felt that Mal's character arc was driven several steps backwards by the movie, so it could be replaced by a movie character arc. Maybe he did re-take that ground over the course of the movie, but it still felt artificial to me.
Perhaps the Mal in the movie was the darker Mal that Joss wanted all along, but after seeing a whole series of him being one person I grew to love and understand, the movie felt like a betrayal of that character. Like they changed the rules.
Sure, it can be explained. Not even that hard to explain it. But I, personally, do not choose to accept it 100%, and when I examine Mal's character I rarely include his actions in the movie. Some of those actions and moments I accept. Others I don't. Maybe that makes me hypocritical or something, but that's the way it is.
"Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down, tells you when she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home." .......We love you, captain.
"This is the captain. We may experience some slight turbulence and then.....explode"
www.serenityverse.com - Zoe necklace replicas, Serenity dogtags, jewelry, image gallery w/ custom DVD covers, other goodies!
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Thank-you Jetflair!!
That's exactly how I feel too. But when I tried to explain it, it always came out too wordy and too preachy.
Plus I don't subscribe to the whole "That's Joss's way" thinking. Maybe it's because I'm not a Buffy fan.
I think Mal has come to terms with his lot in life. Some else said he has a lot of baggage that he carries around and that is bound to affect anyone. I totally agree. Also that he is happiest when he's running down the corridor hollering at Kaylee is also spot on.
But then there I go maybe reading TOO much into a fictional spawn of someone elses imagination. 
P.S. Mal4prez and Wytchcroft, I like your takes on Mal. Keep it up.
_______________________________________________________________
"Got a headful of lightning
And a heart full of rain
And I know that I said
I'd never do it again
Oh and I love you sweet baby but I always take the long way home."
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Quote:
Originally posted by safeat2nd:
But then there I go maybe reading TOO much into a fictional spawn of someone elses imagination.
LOL! If any non-Firefly fan read my posts about Mal, examining his mental makeup as though he were a completely real person....there would probably be enough there to have me committed! I can see myself writing on a blackboard: "Mal is not real. Mal is fictional. Mal was invented by someone else. Mal does not exist. I do not love Mal. Mal is a movie character."
Talk about characters coming alive on screen......
Quote:
Originally posted by SpaceAnJL:
Quite. I have an issue with the whole 'happy ending' concept, because life doesn't end neatly. After the party, the big shoot-out, the final battle...someone has to do the washing-up, patch up the wounded, or sit in an Alliance prison camp awaiting war crime charges. 'Firefly' tried to show that - small people who got rolled over by history picking themselves up and looking for the next job.
I also have an issue with the 'normal' concept of happy ever after. For the record, I am happily married myself, but only recently, and I'm in Mal's age bracket. Maybe because of this, I get rather weirded out by the 'mean old man' scenarios. It is possible to get to your mid-thirties or so with a minimum of possessions, and a quantity of emotional baggage, but without being so bent out of shape that you are not open to any new possibilities. It is also possible that the idea of settling down to a 'normal' job and popping out kids makes you come out in a cold sweat.
Just my personal take on it. I tried living the normal life, being the good little cog in a busy world. Recipe for disaster. Some people are not meant to wear a suit, sit in a workplace and be nice to folk all day. They would rather live with a little financial uncertainty, but find themselves able to look in the mirror...Just had a mental image of Mal in a call-centre, in some Alliance Retraining scheme after the war. I may have to go and write this.
GREAT post! And you're spot on with the call-center. I have something very similar planned for both Wash and Mal when they get out of prison. It's on a grander scale for Wash, he gets to pilot an upscale luxury cruiser, but finds that he chafes against being used as an employee and having almost as little freedom to be himself as he did in the prison.
For Mal, I have it not a forced "retraining" scheme, but a job the Alliance sets him up with as a sort of benevolent "giving him a new start" sort of thing. Menial office work, probably customer service. Surrounded by happy people who dream of nothing more, and want Mal to join them at the company picnic and help design employee incentive programs.
You might get some idea of how that will end by listening to the Firefly theme....."Tell 'em I ain't coming back......."
"Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down, tells you when she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home." .......We love you, captain.
"This is the captain. We may experience some slight turbulence and then.....explode"
www.serenityverse.com - Zoe necklace replicas, Serenity dogtags, jewelry, image gallery w/ custom DVD covers, other goodies!
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