Firefly 111, "The Message"

[kate_nepveu]

One more episode to round out the weekend.

"The Message" (111): In which Mal and Zoe get a dead body through the post.

This was decent, but not great. For it to really work, I thought it needed an explicit statement from Zoe and Mal, to Tracey, of the form "we trust Book." (There's one in the shooting script, but I just double-checked the episode and it wasn't there.) Also, the repeated voiceover at the end was ham-handed.

(I miss not having transcripts for the unaired episodes. If I want really good cat-vacuuming some day, I might see about editing the shooting scripts appropriately.)

My first reaction on seeing the voice recorder, by the way, was, "Hey, iPod Shuffle!" (Yes, I know the script predates it.)

I did like the Simon/Kaylee here, though. Simon's trying to loosen up, he's just hapless at romantic banter. Kaylee might be over-sensitive regarding social status and respect, but I think this episode reminded her of the ways in which Simon isn't hapless, the ones that count.

Book knows fed procedure and command stripes, which is no longer surprising; Jayne loves his mom and doesn't expect to live that long, which isn't exactly surprising either but rounds him out a little more, which is nice.

We also watched the deleted scene from "Our Mrs. Reynolds," which was indeed both funny and squirmy, and the little feature on Serenity the ship. When the statement, "We designed the ship very carefully," is followed by a description of the color schemes, you really know that this ain't hard sf. Chad just looked pained.

Next and last, "Heart of Gold" and "Objects in Space." (Have to watch them together, because I'm expecting not to like "Heart of Gold.")

Comments

[cheshyre]

I really enjoy reading your takes on the episodes.

BTW, if you're interested, I did find online one script for an unfilmed episode: Dead or Alive

[kate_nepveu]

Hey, thanks. I'm not shooting for any deep analysis--partly because we're not done yet, and partly because some of it wouldn't hold up, and I want to keep liking the show--but it's good to know that these little reaction posts are interesting to others.

Very interesting script, thank you for the link. Doesn't quite fit with the flashbacks in "Out of Gas" (Mal remarking that Inara probably supported the Alliance, where she said so explicitly in "Out of Gas"), and overlaps quite a bit with 'The Message." The little bit of Simon subplot at the end might have made it more interesting than "The Message," but it's so hard to say just from reading. I like the idea of Jayne with a plush turtle, though.

[marykaykare.livejournal.com]

Jayne often strikes me as a very very large child -- all id and no superego -- so a plush turtle would not be at all out of line in my view.

MKK

[kate_nepveu]

Yes, and I think his comments about not expecting to live long, so might as well have fun while he's there, fit in with this nicely.

He also has little self-consciousness about physical appearance, I think--witness the hats--so walking around with a plush turtle would fit too.