Broancoat War Atrocities?

POSTED BY: Sardonica
UPDATED: Thursday, July 29, 2004 23:01
VIEWED: 8613
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SARDONICA

Wednesday, July 28, 2004 5:13 AM

I just rewatched Bushwacked and was struck by something that the Alliance Commander said while interrogating Mal.

Referring to the "survivor" of the Reever-hit derelict ship, the Alliance CO said something to the effect of, "I haven't seen such mutilation since... well, since the war." From the tone of his voice it's obvious (at least to me) that he we referring to atrocities committed by The Browncoats against the Alliance, not the other way around...

This adds much depth to the history of the Firefly universe. When you come to think of it, aside from the experimentation on River (which may not be an "Alliance" project at all, but simply a privately funded science group or even Blue Sun) the Alliance really hasn't done ANYTHING to show that they are any sort of "evil dictatorship." Sure they're uptight and and beaurocratic and by-the-book, but evil power-mongers? Upon rewatching the series for the fourth time, I don't see any evidence for it. Sure we only really get the viewpoints of the main characters, but they are most certainly jaded--after all, they (Mal and Zoe, at least) fought on the other side of the war. And for that matter, Book doesn't seem overly opposed to the Alliance and their rule...

Could it be that the Browncoats weren't exactly the good guys that we think they are? We're never really even were told what it was that they were fighting for, ony who they were fighting against... the Alliance.

I'm sure that, as with everything, each side has it's own beliefs and motives. But it seems that there might be less to dislike the Alliance for (other than that they seem to uphold the law and crack down on criminals, which is what the Serenity crew are!) and a credible shade of doubt for the actions of the Browncoats (Mal certainly didn't even try to deny the Browncoat atrocites--in fact, his expression was one of admittance).

Something to think about...

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Edit: Excuse the typo in the title of this post--the edit feature doesn't seem to apply to titles...! "Browncoat" NOT "Broancoat." D'oh!

PURPLEBELLY

Wednesday, July 28, 2004 5:17 AM

Welcome, fellow Purplebelly

SUPERFLY

Wednesday, July 28, 2004 5:25 AM

Browncoat war atrocities?

War in and of itself is an atrocity. Can anyone here think of a war that didn't involve torture, mahem, the loss of innocent lives? I'm sure both the Browncoats and the Alliance did their fair share of murdering, tourture, civilian killing, and other dark deeds.

I don't think that reflects on Mal and Zoe though. I think they believed in something and fought for it. I just don't see Mal cutting up little girls for fun.

Also, I can kill you with my brain.

APEX

Wednesday, July 28, 2004 5:26 AM

It was a war. Lotsa' people do lotsa' stupid things in wartime. I dont doubt some Alliance-type did stuff on par with it and worse, and vice-versa. Doesnt mean it was authorised by command-types.

PBI

Wednesday, July 28, 2004 5:36 AM

It could also have been a simple general reference to what modern weapons do to a human body.

If you can survive death, you can probably survive almost anything.

DARKSTAR351

Wednesday, July 28, 2004 5:54 AM

Don't forget that in trash the the guy that the crew robs the laser from, wiped out neighborhoods with chem/bio weapons (I froget witch) to get what he wants.

APEX

Wednesday, July 28, 2004 5:56 AM

Saffrin/Yolander was arguably lying about that, tho... who knows.

WHISPERING

Wednesday, July 28, 2004 6:39 AM

Independents wanted to be independent. It was in Serenity that Mal sayd, "they just throw people in to the boarder planets with nothing but blankets, some do ok and some, well... not."

Basicly the independents wanted people to be free, alliance is more like a "big brother" government that wants to control people and doesnt really care about the poor. But it was the alliance that attacked independents, not the other way around. Browncoats were defending, alliance attacking. Well anyway thats how i saw it.

SOUPCATCHER

Wednesday, July 28, 2004 6:46 AM

Granted there is not much detail about the Independents to go on from the 14 episodes. But I've always held the belief that the Browncoats were probably as diverse a group as you could find. More of a coalition, so to speak. The only thing they had in common was their desire to not be controlled by an outside agency. I've pictured the higher ups in the Independents as containing people like Patience and Niska. People who ruled their own little world, or controlled some aspect of organized crime. For every small time rancher from Shadow, like Mal, there was probably a slave who had been "volunteered" by their owner, or a smuggler who didn't want increased oversight in the sector they operated in, etc.

In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if some of the people who ended up becoming Reavers started out as Independents and just fled as far as they could from the Alliance after defeat because their actions during the war would lead to automatic execution.

All sorts of people don't want to have someone tell them how to do things. Just because the cause is just does not mean that those who fight for the cause are just.

I shaved off my beard for you, devil woman!

PERSON

Wednesday, July 28, 2004 9:38 AM

One man's freedom fighter is another's terrorist.
You live where I live, you figure that out real quick.

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