"Mal, bad... in the Latin" what does it mean?

POSTED BY: Persteph
UPDATED: Monday, August 6, 2018 09:02
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SIGMANUNKI

Friday, May 14, 2004 1:46 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SPARRONI:
I've always taken it one of two ways. First, Joss probably threw it in to create a little suspicion about Mal's character, since it was the first episode aired. Second, technically Mal is indeed a 'bad guy.' He's an outlaw, a smuggler, a killer, and an occassional thief. To the Alliance, he's the villain. To us that know him better, we know different!

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"Forgive my rudeness. I cannot abide useless people."

Malcolm. Let me distort it.
Mal colm... Mal come...

Then wouldn't it be bad for Mal to come for you. I think we should as Niska, I think he has seen the real Mal

----
"Canada being mad at you is like Mr. Rogers throwing a brick through your window." -Jon Stewart, The Daily Show

PIERSNICA

Thursday, June 3, 2004 2:53 AM

Hello, first post here. I just got done watching the entire series and the commentary, and I love the show.

I think that River's comment was random synapses with the obvious connection between the prefix and its latin root. Kaylee said that Mal's a good man, though, and I believe her, despite whatever he may have become after the battle of Serenity Valley.

QUICKSAND

Thursday, June 3, 2004 6:52 AM

But, for mine own part, it was Greek to me.

JUMPY

Thursday, June 3, 2004 10:19 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Zoriah:
I think it was a dialogue gag (which still also fits with River's random synapse firing thing) - she says "Mal, bad." There's a pause and we think she is telling Simon that Mal is a bad man, that she is suspicious of him. But then of course she completes her thought: "in the latin." Which turns a potentially charged statement into a fairly innocuous/random one.

haha yes you are correct...

__________________________
There's no show I'd rather see, than the one with Serenity.
You can't take the sky from me...

SIGMANUNKI

Thursday, June 3, 2004 6:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Piersnica:
Hello, first post here. I just got done watching the entire series and the commentary, and I love the show.

Hi, always good to welcome another browncoat to our ranks

Quote:
Originally posted by Piersnica:

I think that River's comment was random synapses with the obvious connection between the prefix and its latin root. Kaylee said that Mal's a good man, though, and I believe her, despite whatever he may have become after the battle of Serenity Valley.

I was trying to have some fun with his name which I admit diverged from the intended meaning of River's comment (I do agree with you that it's a random comment and Mal is actually a good person), but, it does have some basis in truth, as we know how Mal deals with people sometimes (ie Niska and his men).

----
"Canada being mad at you is like Mr. Rogers throwing a brick through your window." -Jon Stewart, The Daily Show

PIERSNICA

Thursday, June 3, 2004 8:29 PM

Sure, I see what you're saying. There's definitely a darkness to him, because he lost so much on the battlefield (mercy, compassion, forgiveness, faith). With the Niska scene, he went to a very primal part to survive, which may have been exaggerated by what he saw in battle, or may've just gotten closer to the surface because of his lack of the aforementioned things.

RIVERGIRL

Tuesday, June 22, 2004 11:05 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SPARRONI:
I've always taken it one of two ways. First, Joss probably threw it in to create a little suspicion about Mal's character, since it was the first episode aired. Second, technically Mal is indeed a 'bad guy.' He's an outlaw, a smuggler, a killer, and an occassional thief. To the Alliance, he's the villain. To us that know him better, we know different!

----------------------
"Forgive my rudeness. I cannot abide useless people."

also at first I thought River just meant he was bad--ie an Independent since her family so obviously is Alliance--remember the game she & Simon place the Independents had them surrounded-using dinasaurs as they did

TALLCARDDEALER

Wednesday, June 23, 2004 6:05 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SPARRONI:
I've always taken it one of two ways. First, Joss probably threw it in to create a little suspicion about Mal's character, since it was the first episode aired. Second, technically Mal is indeed a 'bad guy.' He's an outlaw, a smuggler, a killer, and an occassional thief. To the Alliance, he's the villain. To us that know him better, we know different!

That's pretty close to what I was thinking. River's comment, random as it may have been, could simply have been her first impression of Mal. An outlaw, a smuggler, a thief, and a killer (she saw Mal shoot a lawman in cold blood). She may think the same thing that Jayne thinks, that Mal is going to turn them in for the reward at some point. Or maybe not (she can kind of read minds after all). And since she's all smart and well-educated and everything, she remembers the Latin root 'Mal' meaning 'bad' and saw fit to mention it.

Every well-bred petty crook knows that the small, concealable weapons always go to the far left of the place setting.

JCOBB

Wednesday, June 23, 2004 6:25 AM

I think it was more, (going along the same lines that some of you guys were posting) River just showing off her intelligence. Remember, this was the first episode that aired, and they were trying to, (artfully is how I think Joss worded it) cram all the exposition in he could. Granted she just got done rattling off all the information about the ship, (things Mal himself couldn't remember) but I think it was more reinforcement that River was just "different."

There might be some root wording behind it, but, as Mal said, "You're a part of my crew, why we still discussin' this?"

I don't care, I'm still free.

MANTICHORUS

Wednesday, June 23, 2004 8:45 AM

It also echoes one of Mal's lines from the original pilot...
MAL:"Oh... I'm a bad man."

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MAL: "Well, look at this! Appears them boys at Fox have decided to cancel us. What does that make them?"
ZOE: "Big damn idiots, sir."
MAL: "Ain't they just."
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