Problems with Simon's story?
POSTED BY: cait
UPDATED: Tuesday, September 25, 2007 23:32
VIEWED: 9879
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I've read all the threads to this and here is my, I hope, logical answer. The fact is, they were making a TV show with different writers on each script. While there must have been some supervison from Whedon and other producers, sometimes things get missed, as we all know from our own fanfic writings. And Whedon was running two other shows at the same time so the man was quite busy. So mistakes in the story line happened. If you just look at the Simon/Kaylee subplot you can see them going up and down with no real explanations between episodes. Like what happened to them between Heart of Gold and Objects in Space? Hmmmm. As for Simon being the one who rescues River, the idea that he never told the crew because he didn't quite trust them yet sits well with me. Whedon's explanation about why he did it in the movie makes perfect sense also, from a two-hour movie point of view. Did the crew know River was a reader earlier on? It seems that Safe showed us she clearly was, that Simon saw it and that Mal even called her "our witch" which might have been non-related. Simon certainly must have known she was a reader after the events in Safe. Jayne even calls her a "mind reading genius" in the Message. Again, I fault the lack of clear supervison in the writing process where these little discrepancies cropped up and were missed at the time of production.
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The Message was initially set after OiS. It was the last episode filmed. That is why Jayne makes that remark.
In the original airings, Heart of Gold, Trash and The Message would have been aired after Objects in Space.
When the show got cancelled, this was moved to the end to give a sort of "conclusion".
There will always be discrepancies. Some easily explained, others not so.
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Quote:
Originally posted by InpedendantLissa:
OK here is another problem with the whole story that really bugs me. In Objects in space where they are all talking in the dining area. Mal said he thinks River is a reader. Book agrees with him and Simon just sits there looking stunned like he doesn't believe it however in the movie when Simon rescues River the guy tells him that River can read minds. Does that make sense to anyone else?
It makes sense, if you consider that Simon has been slightly deceptive (i.e., protective) of River all along. He doesn't go into full detail about River's rescue, and tries to gloss over any reference to her being psychic. A big example of the latter would be when River "reads" the girl Ruby in Safe and fumbles with an explanation for it to Dora Lee.
When Mal suggests that River is psychic Simon stumbles for an explanation, because he doesn't want to admit it to the crew. Also, he tells the crew in Ariel that he wants to find out what the Alliance did to River, when we know from the film that he already knows What they did... but not How, or to what extent. Getting River into the Holo Imager helped him determine a course of treatment.
The end result plays right into the tone of the film. There is increased tension between Mal and Simon. Three good reasons for that would be:
Mal's stress over other issues (Book and Inara being gone, bits falling off the ship, et al.);
Mal guessing that Simon has been less than forthcoming;
And Simon resenting that Mal is doing exactly what he feared would happen if River's abilities were exposed.
***********
Sure, It's conjecture on my part, but it makes a lot of sense. Joss seems to be leaning that way now, so... what the heck.
"Might have been the losing side, still not convinced it was the wrong one." -Mal
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I disagree that Heart of Gold would have been after Objects in Space. In Heart of Gold, Inara decides to leave Serenity. In Objects in Space, she and Mal talk about when she's leaving and about telling the rest of the crew. Now Fox may have wanted to air them that way, but they wouldn't have made sense.
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You are better at dying
Hmmm... okay 
I don't buy it, but I see your point.
I'm not going to elaborate on the why, though, as that would mean taking yet another prolonged trip off topic, which I did just about off lately 
(genuine euphemism, I think I'm starting to get a rep 
). Still, I think that deserves a fair argument. At which point does the crew become aware of River's habilities? Anybody wants to post a thread?
TAM: Nickname for Scottish/Gaelic Tomas, meaning, "twin"
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Quote:
Originally posted by cbsteve:
I disagree that Heart of Gold would have been after Objects in Space. In Heart of Gold, Inara decides to leave Serenity. In Objects in Space, she and Mal talk about when she's leaving and about telling the rest of the crew. Now Fox may have wanted to air them that way, but they wouldn't have made sense.
Yes, Heart of Gold would have aired before Objects in Space.
That's precisely why the Mal/Inana dialogue which River overhears was changed for the broadcast version of OiS: Because in the proper version (the DVD version), they are discussing her decision to leave. They changed it for airing because HoG wasn't going to be aired at all.
So, you're quite right. HoG would have aired prior to OiS.
-----
"I beat up a couple of false b!Xes earlier."
-- Joss, 28 June 2007
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yeah. The original version is also on the DVD's - as an extra - if you want to compare. In it she is threatening to leave from what I can remember.
And then the scene in the Message, where Inara cuts Mal off from asking would the detour be too much for her? I have a feeling that was also a hint at her leaving - Inara did not want the rest of the crew knw yet.
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similar conversation in Those Left Behind as well -
almost TOO similar as i remember!
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By TLB it is different IMO. She has already decided and seemingly announced her impending departure, so IMO it is different (unless you mean a different scene to what I am thinking of...)
Of course, Mal gets the blame.
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no - you're right - it's just the 'pastiche' element of that scene that bugs me -
i don't agree with those that say Inara is served badly by the BDM but,
unlike Book, Inara in Those Left behind didn't work for me - the pic of Mal 'agonising' is a stunner though:)
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