Ariel: Simon's Strength

POSTED BY: GoramMan
UPDATED: Wednesday, December 15, 2010 10:43
VIEWED: 14357
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JEWELSTAITEFAN

Monday, January 28, 2008 5:18 AM

Not only is Ariel Simon's turf in terms of the medical facilities, and how they work, but also because this is a core planet - a rarity for Serenity. Simon is comfortable, knows how things work here, better than anybody else besides Inara and Book, who are not present.
here he is a fish in water.
I've said before, but (after seeing Serenity on opening day) the last 10 minutes of Ariel were my introduction to the series, and the Mal/Jayne scene made me take notice, and got me hooked.

ASARIAN

Monday, January 28, 2008 5:21 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by jewelstaitefan:

Not only is Ariel Simon's turf in terms of the medical facilities, and how they work, but also because this is a core planet - a rarity for Serenity. Simon is comfortable, knows how things work here, better than anybody else besides Inara and Book, who are not present.
here he is a fish in water.

Good point, too. :) Yes, Ariel is Simon's world, in more than one way.

--
"Mei-mei, everything I have is right here." -- Simon Tam

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Monday, January 28, 2008 6:23 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by shinyseven2:
asarian said:

Speaking of Simon's confidence, a very telling scene, IMHO, is when Simon is fiddling with that neural imaging scanner [...] I can't imagine any other circumstance when Simon would get physical with Jayne and... win. :)

In Serenity the Pilot, Jayne doesn't do a very effective job of keeping Simon from running toward the cryochamber, and not for lack of trying.

I think it sort of makes sense that Simon would show his strength in Ariel because, to paraphrase Safe, he forgot how to be a surgeon before and now in his own environment, he remembers.

But in StP, no matter how he got River to Serenity, he GOT her there, and he jumps off the catwalk when Dobson grabs her--that's pretty much like jumping out a second-story window, which takes some nerve even if you're not agoraphobic. Simon *is* as we can see from Bushwhacked.

Regarding the Pilot, Jayne holds Simon until his attention is sufficiently diverted by "little naked girl" - and this is also what the script states.

LAWMAN

Tuesday, January 29, 2008 12:38 AM

All very good points. I have always liked Ariel because it seems very well paced and the job goes off fairly well. I don't remember the crew getting a haul this well ever. The happy ending is almost giddy except for Jayne's betrayal. Simon's strength is quite evident as far as his element. Its easy to see he is so in charge and knows exactly how things should be at all times inside the hospital, even when being interrogated by the feds. Simon presents the job in an extremely logical fashion and ends the episode by complimenting Jayne: the protagonist throughtout.
I do find it interesting that Simon's entry into criminal enterprise starts when Book is not around. Perhaps Book is also Simon's moral compass?
I think the one reason Ariel is my favorite episode is because everyone gets what they deserve. You see success on many different facets. my 2 cents worth.

i wish you would stop flapping that pretty mouth of yours...

GORAMMAN

Tuesday, January 29, 2008 1:11 AM

First of all I, wanted to thank everbody for their comments, opinions and insights.--

Quote:
Originally posted by Lawman:

I do find it interesting that Simon's entry into criminal enterprise starts when Book is not around. Perhaps Book is also Simon's moral compass?
I think the one reason Ariel is my favorite episode is because everyone gets what they deserve. You see success on many different facets. my 2 cents worth.

i wish you would stop flapping that pretty mouth of yours...

That is strange about Book being absent that episode. I'm not sure what the signifigance of it is. Plenty people out there think Inara's absence was important.

ASARIAN

Tuesday, January 29, 2008 4:34 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by GoramMan:

That is strange about Book being absent that episode. I'm not sure what the signifigance of it is. Plenty people out there think Inara's absence was important.

They dropped Book off at the Abbey:

MAL
Could've gotten off with Shepherd
Book at the Bathgate Abbey. You
could be meditating over the wonders
of your rock garden right about now.

And Inara was hardly absent:

MAL
(...) We're
here to drop Inara off, that's it.

(...)

INARA
It's Guild law. All Companions are
required to undergo a physical exam
once a year.

She's got other lines, too:

WASH
(to Inara)
Could you please tell my wife the fun
she's missing out on.

INARA
Ariel's quite nice, actually. They
have some beautiful museums, not to
mention some of the finest
restaurants in the Core.

--
"Mei-mei, everything I have is right here." -- Simon Tam

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Tuesday, January 29, 2008 5:30 AM

The timeline suggests this is around Christmas time. River makes a number of references to Christmas and gifts. Since they still have observations of Earth-based religion, Christmas would appear to be observed as well.
Inara has this need to go to the central Planet, it is a pre-scheduled activity in a preset location. This seems the perfect opportunity for Book to spend a few days in a religious observance or meditation while knowing how long it will last, and when Serenity will be back to pick him up. I would not be surprised in the 2nd and 3rd seasons if Book was off-ship during each of Inara's exams, being they all occur during this time of religious celebration.

As seen in the teaser, River is not getting a lot better. Simon is getting desperate, trying to find a way to diagnose and treat River. If Inara or Book was present, they would not have altered his goal with moral restraint - his deciding factors here are opportunity, location. He's on a central planet with an accordingly level of medical facility, he knows what he needs, he is at this point desperate for a new way to help River, and best of all: he has a crew that is disreputable and clever enough to pull this off - how many other ship's crews could do the same?

ASARIAN

Tuesday, January 29, 2008 5:33 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by jewelstaitefan:

The timeline suggests this is around Christmas time. River makes a number of references to Christmas and gifts. Since they still have observations of Earth-based religion, Christmas would appear to be observed as well.
Inara has this need to go to the central Planet, it is a pre-scheduled activity in a preset location. This seems the perfect opportunity for Book to spend a few days in a religious observance or meditation while knowing how long it will last, and when Serenity will be back to pick him up. I would not be surprised in the 2nd and 3rd seasons if Book was off-ship during each of Inara's exams, being they all occur during this time of religious celebration.

A good observation! And a plausible explanation for WHY Book is at the Abbey.

--
"Mei-mei, everything I have is right here." -- Simon Tam

GORAMMAN

Tuesday, January 29, 2008 6:21 AM

Asarian,

I knew he was at the Abbey and Inara was getting the physical (or whatever). My meaning was that they were absent from the action in the episode. Everything that occured happened without any contribution or input from them. Inara's only part in it was putting them at the setting.

Not trying to be testy. Just saying I know my Firefly plots, fellow browncoat.

On a completely different topic I wonder if it is possible for someone to program a browncoat emoticon into the boards. I loves me some emoticons! Yeah Baby...

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Tuesday, January 29, 2008 8:26 AM

I was interrupted during the above post.

Another item to ponder (particularly for those fanfic people enthralled with the mystery of Inara). Is there some connection with Inara's exam occuring near Christmas? Since it is every year, it may be reasonable that this is the anniversary of her entry into the Guild. Is this when she chose to enter? Or, since she was trained since a child, did she enter upon her 18th birthday? Could she be born on Christmas Day? Could she be our symbol of the Savior? Although Jayne has the intitials JC, Inara seems more religious that the others, even "tending" to Book.
Further, the timeline thread proposes some subtrefuge regarding Inara's official departure date from Madrassa House, versus her actual renting of Shuttle I. Could these events or discrepancies be related?

refined timeline:
http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=4&t=32184

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