Serenity: Better Days Issue #3 Wednesday 5/14/2008 Told ya it was a Firefly/Serenity episode! Here be SPOILERS!

POSTED BY: Anonymous1
UPDATED: Friday, August 22, 2008 03:05
VIEWED: 19851
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DAVESHAYNE

Saturday, May 17, 2008 12:52 AM

Select to view spoiler:

Quote:
Originally posted by nbz:
which would have been *after* his prior negotiations.

Firefight/robbery seemed to take place at around the same time.

Right. So when did he negotiate with Ephraim and co.? Easier to suggest that he arranged with a third party to loot the ship when a distraction ad been arranged. The Alliance looking for Dust Devils became the diversion probably by accident.

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As for he crew 'fessing up - or not - their reactions were not shown. Did River alert the other to the guy she had kicked? no idea.

Suggesting that they didn't do anything of note.

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So my main question asking where Simon/Kaylee/River is still very important.

But not very relevant.

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For 1, the possibilities seem to be a0 they were told,

Which is the only one we have textual evidence for.

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b) they guessed based upon the crew's lavish holiday,

Everybody on that planet was having a lavish holiday.

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or c) they were stalked through the past, maybe by whoever the original money belonged to. (Jayne was recognised by the monk...)

That would work if there was any part of the comic showing, I don't know, a group of people looking for their money. Which, by the way, wasn't that hard to get to so if the original owners were still in a position to get it why did they wait for our BDHs to get it and then follow? Makes no real sense.

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For 2, a) they were told,

Again the only option with textual evidence.

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or b) they tracked the signal.

The signal that led to the rendezvous spot way the hell away from Serenity?

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For 3, a) they were told,

Again the only explanation for which we have textual evidence

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or b) they were especially good at searching/knew where to look in fireflys, the money has some how trackable.

That one I may have to give you since with 40000 of those wrecks in the air somebody else may have figured out that as a good hiding place.

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Another possible scenario: Jayne set up a trust fund for himself. Hired a few goons to get the money when he knew it would not be defended. Something to fall back on if times get rough for him.

A) Jayne isn't that smart.
B) Even if he was that smart there is no way he's going to trust a group of random strangers to give him back his share.
C) Jayne should remember what happened the last time he got stupid regarding money and turned on Mal.
D) Jayne really isn't that smart.

Also spoiler tags are there for a reason. It's probably to late for this thread but in the future....

Edited to add:

I do appreciate your many and creative attempts to redeem our captain's good name. I just think it's to far of a stretch to be at all likely.

David

'Geeks can't admit that anything worthwhile was invented before 1981. Soon, "making cocoa" will be called "milk hacking."' - Lore Sjoberg

http://xkcd.com/386/

I has myspace - http://www.myspace.com/daveshayneforpresident

NBZ

Saturday, May 17, 2008 3:37 AM

No probs. (as for spoiler tags - I would expect the people vary of them to get out of here as soon as the discussion got into the details... probably not a good assumption.)

Mal giving it away is the scenario hinted at, yet it makes no sense to me. I am not trying to clear his name - I know his character has dark sides. He robs not just from the rich, he kills and a lot of other stuff too. Just, having him give the money away does not seem to fit. There were probably less costly ways to keep the crew together.

Throwing "creative" theories around, Simon was the only one not comfortable with taking the money from a monastry. We know (ok, I think) him and Inara are Buddhists and they got sort of caught sneaking around together. Maybe it was them? (well, not likely as Inara seemed to think Mal losing the money was... sweet. Weird.)

ANONYMOUS1

Saturday, May 17, 2008 5:19 AM

Inara is wrong.

She said

Select to view spoiler:

"Without looking anywhere else"

Inara thinks it was Mal. But there is no evidence it was Mal. Only Inara's thinking and she is not a good Mal
reader.

Inara thinks the bad guys never looked anywhere else. Inara doesn't know a guy came heading for the cockpit with
a real big knife and tried to sneak up on River...on the upper deck far from the cargo bay.

Kaylee is talking about incoming at three o'clock and River goes into the hallway. Same time as the missles hit
the ground and open up.

The guy was heading to the cockpit with a big knife to convince whoever was on board to show where the money was.

Wouldn't have had to do that if Mal had told them where the money was. Wouldn't have had to done that if they
just knew which compartment it was in. Too many hiding places on a Firefly. "Bushwacked" episode. As soon as
they open the compartment and saw how much money was in it they would have taken it. Too tempting to let one
guy haul it out while the other searches hallways with a knife looking for more riches.

They did not know where the money was. And they knew there was money because Jayne tried to overpay every
companion on the planet with way too much money. Captain said as much at the restaurant when that was held up.

In Shindig, Mal talks about the cattle and how it makes them a target for every scavenger out there. Mal knew
the money was making them a target cause of the restaurant. And that means River knew it. Can River also use
math to predict the future? Real good odds that the money is going to get them all killed before they can split
up and go there separate ways.

River kicks the guy in the chin or throat...maybe just like she kicked Simon in the throat to keep him from
talking.

She just saved Simon and Kaylee from getting tortured by robbers trying to find the money.

River told them where the money was to save them. And I think Mal figured it out and is covering for River.
Because it could be nobody else but River. And her motive was to keep the crew safe. Remember that is why
she left Serenity in the movie.

DAVESHAYNE

Saturday, May 17, 2008 4:39 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Anonymous1:
Inara is wrong.

Or you could go with the simpler explanation that Inara was right. Elsewise Joss and Brett are guilty of the worst storytelling ever.

David

'Geeks can't admit that anything worthwhile was invented before 1981. Soon, "making cocoa" will be called "milk hacking."' - Lore Sjoberg

http://xkcd.com/386/

I has myspace - http://www.myspace.com/daveshayneforpresident

ANONYMOUS1

Saturday, May 17, 2008 5:52 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by daveshayne:
Elsewise Joss and Brett are guilty of the worst storytelling ever.

Now that sounds impossible.

We will know for sure if Inara is right or wrong in a future episode of Firefly/Serenity. Stay tuned!

NBZ

Saturday, May 17, 2008 10:34 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by daveshayne:
Elsewise Joss and Brett are guilty of the worst storytelling ever.

heh, I have been debating this. It would have taken but two or three panels to clear this all up. But then, I guess if there was more space they would want to concentrate on other stuff.

Another thing is it can be hard (for me atleast) to judge the tone of a scene in a comic. If OMR was a comic and we had not seen how Inara was "taken down", Mal's assumption would have been the natural thing to assume.

Back on topic

Select to view spoiler:

even though I think it was a little late for these... if it WAS Mal - a better explanation than selfishness would be the need for freedom from his captors.

Either way, one thing which is not clear is why they left without Mal and Zoe. "bonding" over a little fire fight does not cut it for me.

Then again this issue has managed to get quite a bit of discussion, so maybe it is genius. A masterstroke in storytelling.

DAVESHAYNE

Saturday, May 17, 2008 11:33 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by nbz:
Back on topic
Select to view spoiler:
even though I think it was a little late for these... if it WAS Mal - a better explanation than selfishness would be the need for freedom from his captors.

Either way, one thing which is not clear is why they left without Mal and Zoe. "bonding" over a little fire fight does not cut it for me.

Select to view spoiler:

So what you are saying is that Mal cracked under torture and bribed his captor into releasing him with the location of the loot? Does that seem likely to you? Besides the whole implacable enemies find respect for each other after being attacked by a third party has a rich history in the literature of the western.

David

'Geeks can't admit that anything worthwhile was invented before 1981. Soon, "making cocoa" will be called "milk hacking."' - Lore Sjoberg

http://xkcd.com/386/

I has myspace - http://www.myspace.com/daveshayneforpresident

CHRISISALL

Saturday, May 17, 2008 11:39 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Anonymous1:

River told them where the money was to save them. And I think Mal figured it out and is covering for River.
Because it could be nobody else but River. And her motive was to keep the crew safe. Remember that is why
she left Serenity in the movie.

Fascinating...good brainworking there, A.

Impressed Chrisisall

NBZ

Sunday, May 18, 2008 12:00 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by daveshayne:
Select to view spoiler:
So what you are saying is that Mal cracked under torture and bribed his captor into releasing him with the location of the loot? Does that seem likely to you? Besides the whole implacable enemies find respect for each other after being attacked by a third party has a rich history in the literature of the western.

Nope.

Select to view spoiler:

I am suggesting that IF it was Mal - he could have bribed them to not go after him and Zoe.

Zoe more or less broadwaved to the whole world that She was a dustdevil - a terrorist (granted not everyone would understand the message...). That would not be something to easily ignore for Alliance "justice" hunters.

I do not buy the respect line much. It may be so, but what difference would it make? less torture on the way to a courthouse? (ofcourse going down this line of thought more or less guarantee's Mal's involvement...)

@Chrisisall, Anonymous1: If River was the leak, how would Mal find out, and why would he "cover"?

It too was my first thought that it was River (

Select to view spoiler:

even before I got the Inara mal convo part

), but that does not mean her actions need to be covered for. Nor does it mean that they were rational.

Is there a chance this will be revisited in A Shepherd's Tale? Any idea when that is supposed to take place?

And then there is the whole Inara/Simon subtext which started in the pilot episode. What is their story? (a year ago a speculated that Inara was the "in" for Simon choosing Serenity for that particular leg of the journey... that she also has her own business that she is conducting under Mal's radar. Sounds very much like a conspiracy, but the new info does not detract from it.)

ANONYMOUS1

Sunday, May 18, 2008 3:50 AM

I can't figure out what part to put a spoiler tag on anymore.

May be SPOILERS below. If you haven't read Better Days 1-3 or want to figure this stuff without reading others' theories...get out of this post. Quick!

Quote:
Originally posted by nbz:
Anonymous1: If River was the leak, how would Mal find out, and why would he "cover"?

The very reason Inara gave. How did they find the money in the best hiding place? Someone had to tell them. Mal knows it wasn't Jayne...Jayne would not have trusted anyone with the money. Only ones on the ship...Simon, River and Kaylee. Mal knows it wasn't Kaylee. That leaves Simon and River. Mal knew the money was making them a target. Mal could have actually accused Simon of removing the threat and River stunned them both by saying it was her. Or Mal could have just been thinking and trying to figure out who revealed the secret hiding place and River walked by and said it was her. Can't you just see the stunned look on his face. She wouldn't have had to mention that she can kick people in the throat.

River's actions need to be covered for the reason Inara gave. To keep the crew together. Mal kept quiet about Jayne turning on Simon and River.

Mal kept quiet about Simon visiting Inara and suggested she do that too.

Mal is good at that. Covering for his crew.

On why let Mal and Zoe go.

Mal never heard Zoe's you don't have what you want speech. He was not awake. Zoe said Spike knew that he didn't have what he wanted.
Still he was going to take Zoe and put her on trial. And Spike said that stuff at the beginning about getting a fair trial and all. Zoe stood a much better chance at trial than Mal. Mal wasn't going to confess or plead innocent or anything. But if Zoe was on trial, Mal might just start making some speeches. Be bad for the Alliance if Zoe won the case.

So he was going to take Zoe away and then they fought on the same side. Band of Brothers stuff. They worked together. Mal had just saved them all by bringing down the ship.

Also in Better Days #1, Spike said to Inara "Still hunting the same independents for the same masters. I's just less honest now our uniforms and pride replaced with suits and lies." So Spike wasn't too happy with what he was doing anyways.

Mal said "you shooting at the right thing for once" to Spike. And Spike beating up Mal. Why? To get him to confess to being a Dust Devil maybe.

Might be some history there. To be shown in a future Firefly/Serenity episode.

How about that side look Wash gave Mal before the punching? Thinking Wash misses that he never punched Niska.

Also in Issue #2, River says the hotel isn't safe. Did she mean just the hotel or the whole stay on the planet? Still thinking she can predict/see the future.

Did anybody else pop in Firefly DVD Shindig episode to check out the scar to see if it was the same scar as the bad guy with the robots. Seemed different. But hmmm, that scar could have come from a sword. Guy knew Mal's name. Maybe Ath is going around marking up people's left side of their face because he has a scar there.

On Serenity: Better Days #1 With Inara and Spike, did you think when the "KKRAKK" happened, that maybe Inara knows how to snap someone's neck for like real. She knows a lot and could probably really hurt someone if she decided she should.

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