Firefly - Ariel

As cool as Firefly has been up to this point, this is when it gets really good. For some reason the next three episodes feel a little bit more "about" something. Go look at Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In both of those shows mid-season is where the story kicked in. Where they went from "wacky fun" to "harrowing plot". Sadly, Firefly will be canceled in three episodes.

The River story comes back to the forefront here (another reason to have Safe later on). Again, some have said that the reason Jayne gets slashed is because he's wearing a Blue Sun shirt. Ok, sure.

It's a good old fashioned heist show. It's the best that Firefly ever did. Train job was ok, but not much about the heist. Trash wasn't as polished as it should have been. This one hit the sweet spot. Plus all the little character bits you could ask for. "Clear." "Could you not do that while we're--- EVER?!?" Wash at hte dump throwing away the life-saving catalyzer (guess it WAS a nothing part). The crew learning all the medical lingo - "If I'd wanted schooling I'd have gone to school!"

The character who really gets to shine here is Simon. When River slashes at Jayne he is so deferential to Mal, both because he's so surprised at River, but also because he'll do anything to keep her safe. Locked in her quarters, but not back in Alliance hands? Fine.

Then we get to see him determined and resourceful coming up with the plan to get into St. Lucy's, and then we get to see what Simon was like back in the World. Brilliant, and probably rather intimidating doctor. "Gifted" is the word.

Again - good River writing. "You're going to suspend cerebral and cardio-pulmonary activity in order to induce a proto-comatose state." "That's right." "I don't wanna do it." Brilliant and creepy but childish and ordinary.

The Blue Hand guys show up. Of all of my disappointments in Serenity (and there are a couple) the fact that these guys never showed up was a BIG one. Scarrrry. And going through airport security would never be the same. One does wonder in the land of the HUGE conspiracy, what attracts more attention - a few grunts that might talk about how they picked up a couple of kids or an entire unit of Alliance's finest? Kind of the Capricorn One school of silly government plots. (What worries me most is the people that think this sort of stuff goes on "all the time".)

Then there's Jayne. Most shows have a character what can't be trusted, you can usually trust them. Nobody's going to really do anything, this is episodic television. We also get to see Jayne's loyalty (for whatever reason) to Mal. He's still a goon and a thug, but he's got his own way of moralizing things. And the payoff with Mal at the end is perfect. (It's also the second Firefly I ever saw, BTW.)

Book and Inara are conveniently out of the way. So, it's like Serenity! Might have been interesting to see what Book would have had to say about the proceedings. Shepard Book, Man of Terrible Mystery would have figured out what was going on from the moment Jayne left the ship. AND had something to say about the Hands of Blue. Good thing he was meditating on his rock garden.

Like I said, this is where it got really good. Right before it ended. *SIGH*

Next up, let's tell some War Stories.