Serenity: It's Never Easy Comic - read it here

POSTED BY: two
UPDATED: Thursday, January 12, 2017 14:02
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EBFIDDLER

Monday, May 14, 2012 9:11 PM

So here's a thought for a new thread of discussion on the "It's Never Easy" comic:

What has happened to Mal to put him in this position? a place where

(A) he doesn't anticipate trouble coming to the ship, and so doesn't allocate personnel appropriately
(B) he doesn't anticipate trouble from Frosty
(C) he's trusting of a stranger, rather than suspicious
(D) he doesn't remember that he's a faster draw and a more accurate shot than most people
(E) he lets other people do the leading

Seems to me that something must have happened either as a result of Miranda, or afterwards, to make him act this way (which strikes me as somewhat out of character). Is he still not recovered from the injuries? Is he depressed? Has he lost confidence in himself? Why?

BYTEMITE

Monday, May 14, 2012 10:03 PM

Quote:
Medical practices and technology can and should change over the course of 500 years.

Hopefully not in reverse, but okay.

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He's a trauma surgeon, not a psychiatrist or radiologist or pharmacologist.

I don't know. You'd think regeneration technology would be crazy useful for a trauma surgeon, like with the whole opening people up then closing them deal, it'd kind of help accelerate healing and recovery. I'd be surprised if Simon HADN'T heard of it, however I'll concede they may just not have access to any and that he doesn't have much reason to mention it if it's beyond their means.

And maybe even that stuff can't work miracles, hence Wash and Book. Or maybe it can, and Joss has a surprise in store for us.

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I'm less concerned with the question of exactly what skills, abilities, illnesses (curable or otherwise) River might have, and instead I'm interested in how she solves problems.

Well, sure. It just seems to me like characterization is also an important part of the equation. And part of her characterization, for me, is how she deals with her psychological issues and works through them/ despite them.

BYTEMITE

Monday, May 14, 2012 10:10 PM

Quote:
Is he still not recovered from the injuries? Is he depressed? Has he lost confidence in himself? Why?

I was thinking a lot of this probably applies. After Wash and Book, I wouldn't be surprised if he was questioning himself. Maybe even self-punishing a little, and letting someone shoot him wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility.

But Mal also has limits to what he can know, expect, and plan for - I remember Patience managed to catch him by surprise and shoot him too. Maybe Mal just instinctively trusts his elders, a lot more than he should.

M52NICKERSON

Monday, May 14, 2012 10:47 PM

Bytemite I mentioned the Limbic system thing because it seemed you were implying that it was an very integrated system. I was not kicking you in the groin. Yes I disagree with you arguments, but I don't think you ignorant or stupid.

As you said we don't know what other damage, or what else was done to Rivers brain. We also don't know what drugs Simon is giving River. We also don't know how those drugs work. We also don't know that in 500 years if it is possible through treatments to have other parts of the brain begin doing the rolls damaged parts use to. This is not even that far fetched an idea.

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/brain-language-0301.html

http://www.thebrainwizard.com/braindevelopment/whole_brain_integration

I do not fear God, I fear the ignorance of man.

BYTEMITE

Monday, May 14, 2012 11:47 PM

Quote:
Bytemite I mentioned the Limbic system thing because it seemed you were implying that it was an very integrated system.

Well, no, mostly I was just using the term because it's a easy way to refer to the emotion processing parts of the "reptile" brain. I'd actually say I've probably been arguing that it's not all that integrated, otherwise I'd have heard about rewriting parts of it to pick up the slack from damaged parts. All the areas are fairly specialized from my understanding.

Quote:
As you said we don't know what other damage, or what else was done to Rivers brain. We also don't know what drugs Simon is giving River. We also don't know how those drugs work. We also don't know that in 500 years if it is possible through treatments to have other parts of the brain begin doing the rolls damaged parts use to. This is not even that far fetched an idea.

Hmm. I guess so. I still think that changing/fixing River has serious ramifications for her character. And I also almost wonder how much she'd want to be changed back or go through to be normal. While I'm sure there's some aspect of her that would like to go back to the way she once was, she might choose holding on to the memory and results of what was done to her, as further motivation to fight against the Alliance/Blue Sun.

RIONAEIRE

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 2:25 AM

Whatever science they may or may not have discovered in the future stable River = boring and Mary Sue in my opinion. Again read stories in fanfic all you like that are like that, just don't make me do it. And if cannon goes that way I don't know what I'm going to do. If cannon goes that way then everyone's fanfic will turn boring I'm sure, except cool people like Byte, even though she's a stickler for cannon I don't think she'd cave to this. See my subject line.

Eb, as far as Mal's lack of Malness in this new comic I don't trust those cannon writers anyways. Firefly has become more than Joss or anyone else could have thought, its its own thing and can't be contained in imperfect forms such as new cannon, shouldn't be anyway, because its gotten so big and important to so many people. That's my opinion.

I assume you're my pal until you let me know otherwise.

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya.

EBFIDDLER

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 3:49 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by RionaEire:
as far as Mal's lack of Malness in this new comic I don't trust those cannon writers anyways. Firefly has become more than Joss or anyone else could have thought, its its own thing and can't be contained in imperfect forms such as new cannon, shouldn't be anyway, because its gotten so big and important to so many people.

Maybe canon writers should immerse themselves in the fanfic world for a while before writing anything new to add to canon :-)...over the years, so many thoughtful people have given deep consideration to the characters, their motivations, and what they would do and how they would react in any given situation. It would be a pity to ignore such thoughtfulness and thoroughness. There's some really fantastic and high quality fanfic out there.

BYTEMITE

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 4:02 AM

Hmm. I just looked at the articles you posted Nick...

One of them is the whole right-brain left-brain thing that is a major overgeneralization, and the other one... I've seen some studies that suggest that most readings of brain activity are not sensitive enough and that the brain lights up in many regions for every task. Not 100% because that would be a grand mal seizure, but I'm starting to wonder if a lot of things about our understanding of brain function is too generalized.

Well, anyway, Diablo 3 comes out tonight, hope you enjoy it. I got to play the beta and it is fantastic. It's concentrated nostalgia.

TWO

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 12:23 PM

. . .

M52NICKERSON

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 8:38 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BYTEMITE:
Hmm. I just looked at the articles you posted Nick...

One of them is the whole right-brain left-brain thing that is a major overgeneralization, and the other one... I've seen some studies that suggest that most readings of brain activity are not sensitive enough and that the brain lights up in many regions for every task. Not 100% because that would be a grand mal seizure, but I'm starting to wonder if a lot of things about our understanding of brain function is too generalized.

Well, anyway, Diablo 3 comes out tonight, hope you enjoy it. I got to play the beta and it is fantastic. It's concentrated nostalgia.

There is simply a lot we don't know about the brain. It is like a lot of things, the more we seem to find out the more questions it raises.

Oh, I have not gotten D3 yet and don't know if I will. I simply refuse to buy a game that I must play online. If they change that, or someone creates a server emulator I may get it.

I do not fear God, I fear the ignorance of man.

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