I can't keep saying they're all my favorite episode! Episode 11 is planned for Tuesday September 3rd, and full length reactions for the series are already available on Patreon. I'm also currently watching both THE EXPANSE and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER on Patreon. Thank you! ❤
They're all amazing episodes, but the next one, Episode 11, is literally my favourite one of the series. I've enjoyed watching your reactions to this show, honestly it's been like rewatching it for the first time for me in many ways. I can't wait to see your reaction to the next one, too.
@@CheesyLameDuck they’re all amazing but Out Of Gas is my favourite. That’s the amazing thing about this series - almost every episode is someone’s favourite and there isn’t even a consensus on which the best ones are. Just highlights how brilliant every one of them is.
"I'm pretty sure you didn't shoot anyone yet" Besides being funny, Book here also protects Simon from possible moral trouble. What sounds "unkind" is actually the opposite.
Same reason why Mal was giving Wash shit about Zoe. To keep him going. And telling kaylee that he does not like the idea of her killing any one, when she said she ran away.
book is awesome in this episode...i think it's funny when he tells them to respect innarra's wish for privacy but jumps up to look as soon as the ambassador arrives lol...
Hold him over a volcano, and on that day you will finally meet the man. "Don't tell them what I did." - Jayne Cobb, while being held over a metaphorical volcano
I've watched this episode countless times but I never noticed the use of sunlight on Zoe and Wash until you pointed it out! Thanks for the added insight. My god, this show.
same here. I also noticed for the first time (because she said "Nice shot!") that The Preacher actually shot the gun out of one of the bad guy's hands. If you know, you know, but she doesn't yet so say no more.
This is a line I used to say to my older nephews until he parroted it back to my sister and she was horrified. He was sitting on a bar stool on top of a rolling dining room chair at the age of six. She told him he shouldn't do that. he took a dramatic sigh and said, " I know. I'll fall and die and Auntie Vamp won't clean it up."
Friend of mine had her kid fall overseas and he didn't even realize he'd gotten stabbed in the arm until she made sure she checked him. Four emergency rooms later he was able to get 4 stitches.
Zoe: "We're gonna go get the captain." Kaylee: "Oh... Good. Can they do that?" Jayne: "No." A minute later when Jayne shows up, armed and ready to join in, everyone looks at him, surprised he'd step up. Jayne: "What?" As much crap as everyone throws at him, Jayne pitches in and more than pulls his own weight when it counts. Can Zoe and Wash save the captain? No, they wouldn't stand a chance. With Jayne's help? That's another story. Jayne's a crass, cantankerous Neanderthal of a man, and he doesn't always do the right thing, but he's saved everyone's butts multiple times over. Seriously underrated and underappreciated character, especially by his shipmates.
One of my first impressions of this show was that there are very few things that Mal, Zoe, and Jayne could not accomplish while working together. They are a formidable team.
Alas, if only Firefly could have landed on Showtime or the WB or UPN or even the Sci-Fi Channel or USA Network. Then we might have gotten at least 3-4 seasons.
I've always given big props to Gina Torres' non-verbal acting. Whedon used her to perfection to set the mood of every scene she was in. If you watch the camera will often pan to Gina and her expression and body language tells you everything you need to know about the level of tension or threat. Often she'll do something very simple like place her hand closer to her pistol or move slightly to keep a clear line of sight all the while keeping her eyes laser focused on with whomever Mal is dealing. She really is a master at simultaneously emoting and not pulling focus. It's a very difficult thing for an actor to do.
And that, as I tell people who get squeamish about Jayne's repeated trips to his bunk, is the whole reason for "I'll be in my bunk." He's a known horndog. If even HE finds Mal/Zoe "downright unsettling," that should close the book for good on the idea of sexual tension.
Which ironically is in Firefly a reference to earlier works too. Not sure who used that line for the first time, but in scifi specifically, it had already appeared in Blake's 7!
Besides "space cowboy" (th-cam.com/video/ZaGzyXUGqcc/w-d-xo.html) and "shiny" (th-cam.com/video/NPmqTjMPtbY/w-d-xo.html), my favorite is probably when Castle explains that his ability to speak Chinese comes from "a TV show I used to love" (th-cam.com/video/gY-rTUt7_70/w-d-xo.html). 🤣
What I love about Firefly... There's a video that's just gone live on TH-cam; a snip from an interview between Katie Sackhoff and Jewel Staite (Kaylee). Jewel pointed out that Firefly was 6 months of her life, 24 odd years ago (!) - and yet, she made life-long friends, as well as learning from Nathan Fillion how to set the tone for working on set. She said she still sometimes sends him a text asking advice. I think that is beautiful... even though it was only 6 months, a quarter of a century ago (fork I'm old!) - they are still great friends... which just cements the chemistry that the cast on this show had.
I love that video where Alan and Nathan call Sean, Morena, Jewel, and Summer's panel, Nathan implying that he stole and crashed Alan's car and Alan calling asking if they've heard from Nathan. And then at the end, after all but Summer's phones were called, some multiple times, Morena hangs up on Nathan with a singsong "You are the weakest link, goodbye!"
“LISTEN TO ME!” Anyone else’s respect for Mal go through the roof when you realized what he was doing? Hurting Wash to keep him alive? Essentially did the same thing in Out of Gas. Forced him to focus instead of letting him descend into despair.
@@Audra1964 That line is so powerful. Followed by Wash in the shuttle saying "Bastards not gonna get days." As much as this episode is about Wash, it's also about showing the kind of man Mal is and the kind of strength and loyalty he inspires in others.
I don't understand how almost no reactors pick up on this immediately. It's so blatantly obvious what he's doing and yet they're always confused as to why Mal is talking about Zoe and trying to make Wash angry.
In the pilot episode we caught the first hint of Wash being annoyed with Zoe's loyalty to Mal. "Instead of asking Mal for R & R, why can't we just tell him?" , "Don't forget to call him "Sir" , he likes that." Mal has almost superhuman fortitude when it comes to protecting his crew. Yes, keeping Wash distracted and focused during the torture kept Wash from succumbing and probably dying. A side bonus was how it robbed Niska slightly from any "joy" over torturing them. His torture was just an 'interruption' during their discussion over Zoe.
This episode deals with loyalty. Wash learns on a deeper level why Zoe has such strong loyalty to Mal. Zoe learns she has to prioritize her loyalty to husband first. Although Simon didn't shoot anyone, he was willing to break his doctor's oath for Mal. Also - Let's take note of what a sharp shooter & crime scene tracker Shepherd is. Wash trying to look and sound tough when holding up the smallest pistol ever is a nice little visual joke. Jayne's loyalty is the biggest change here. The first time we saw Niska, Jayne was willing to leave Mal & Zoe behind and make the deal. Then "maybe later" he would rescue them. This is how much Jayne has changed since then. He kicked in his money to buy back Mal & Wash. Zoe especially noticed how unusual this is for Jayne. Later, Jayne is even willing to help on what he called a suicide rescue mission. The entire crew took pause at this. In the pilot episode we heard Mal say "No power in the 'Verse can stop Kaylee from being cheerful". It seems River can do just that. "No power in the 'Verse can stop me" said by Kaylee in the stolen apple game. Now, River kills 3 trained men with closed eyes & superhuman accuracy. River repeated Kaylee's playful line as if she doesn't see the difference between the game & killing 3 people. This frightens the once cheerful Kaylee.
The delivery of "You want to meet the real me, now?" is one of the most haunting deliveries in the series. It's a very small glimpse to let the viewer know that Mal is hiding his true power level. There's only a few other times we see that and even after everything, I believe that we never get to see Mal's true potential as a force to be reckoned with. If he has the resources, there is nothing in the verse that can stop him.
It is foreshadowing to THAT scene. I think you know which one I mean. After seeing Fillion as Caleb in Buffy, his delivery of that line IMO is reminiscent of that character.
Mal had his "Frankenstein Monster" moment, considering he had been tortured and reanimated. He killed the servant but not the tormentor (because Nishka fled in the chaos). The same endurance that he had in the Battle of Serenity Valley, (that only Zoe had known), was demonstrated on that skyplex.
“this is something the captain has to do for himself.” “NO, NO ITS NOT!” “Oh” That’s my favorite subversion moment in the whole damn series, it’s hilarious 🤣
@@BeOurGeist Yeah I love that line. I'd love to see a reactor spit out their drink at that line. I think it's the kind of line that might have that effect.
16:26 I just love how Ron Glass manages to make Chinese sound almost Klingon when spoken in anger. Also, 23:00 - can we all take a moment to appreciate the acting chops required to make a rather handsome man and a striking Amazonian woman have absolutely NO sexual chemistry here?
This is hands down my favorite episode, because it shows the contrast between men like Mal and worms like Niska. Niska is cold and dead inside, and so when he breaks people down, that's what he expects to find. But as he starts stripping away Mal's armor, it becomes clear that that armor wasn't meant to protect Mal from the world; it was meant to protect the world from Mal. As soon as the opportunity presents itself, Mal drops all pretense, and suddenly Niska's facing the kind of steel and fire that comes from losing a war you believed in. Niska's just made himself Mal's enemy, and it ends with Niska crawling away whimpering.
"What kind of human creates his own policeman?" "One who fears the dark." "And so he should," said the entity with satisfaction. "Indeed. But I think you misunderstand. I'm not here to keep the darkness out. I am here to keep it in."
@@Audra1964 Yep there were to be a number of recurring characters in the following 2 planned seasons, Serentiy was to be an event split between the end of Ch 2 and intro of Ch 3. And ya know....2 things that wouldn't have happened if it had been that way.
Somewhere there is an alternate timeline/reality where Firefly ran seven seasons before launching into a successful movie franchise. The second I learn how to jump over to that reality, I am outta here!
The kneecap line is a great foreshadow to the admission to who Book truly was. It's much harder to land a solid hit on a leg than a torso. The off the cuff shot by Book was extremely skilled. No panic at all.
2:08 "A government is a body of people; usually notably ungoverned." Love Ron Glass. I recently happened upon a random episode of Barney Miller. Miss him very much.
He was excellent as Detective Harris. I've been rewatching that show on DVD and loving it. I think he was underrated as an actor, even if he had a particular comfort zone of acting. Loved him so much as Book too.
@@shallendor Apparently a lot of real life cops consider it the most realistic police show. A bunch of people sitting around a dingy room, doing paper work and complaining about the coffee, a couple leaving for a few hours at a time to patrol or work a case, then coming back and telling every one what happened, and filling out more paper work on it. A parade of random suspects in temporary holding and citizens walking through to make statements or complaints. Most of the cases are mundane: security, follow-ups, some robberies or assaults. No big action shoot-outs: only one episode in which a cop shoots some one, which ends with said cop crying alone in his apartment.
@@xzonia1 And at the time voted the most realistic portrayal of what being a cop was like. It was an excellent show and it broke a lot of ground for the seventies too.
The Captians line, “You wanna meet the real me now?” is one of my favorites from the show in part because it was delivered so well but in part because it reminds us that the war did leave a rather dark persona in Mal’s depths. I always felt that was one of the barriers between him and Inara, the refusal to get close enough to someone to expose them to that aspect of his personality.
No spoilers, but this episode always stands in contrast to me against "Heart of Gold" and Mal's initial reaction. Maybe I just read it wrong or because he was already in a situation here and not yet perhaps in one there... I dunno.
One of the things this show actually does so well is platonic love. The relationship between Simon and River, with Zoe and Mal. A lesser show would have Mal and Zoe have some old fling for cheap drama in their past. A lesser show would of had Simon and River not be brother and sister, with Kaylee as the love triangle. I really respect it's decision not to add cheap drama into it.
There's a lot of examples of it in this series, but I like how they handle "noncombatant" characters in this episode. Only a few characters on the crew are comfortable fighting, and the others have varying degrees of inexperience, clumsiness, and cowardice, BUT they all have merit outside of the fight. It's brave for a writer to put a character that the audience is meant to like and identify with in such an unfavorable light. It also helps to elevate a character like Jayne who has a LOT of flaws, but he is reliable in a fight. The more normal path in fiction is to write every character as if they are accustomed to combat, and that's just not realistic.
Only part I disagree with is, I don't think "being bad at fighting and killing" is an unfavorable light. I'd say it's a more favorable light than being so used to killing that it doesn't bother you anymore.
LoL The Art of War is Sun Tzu. Shang Yu is made up entirely as far as I know. "This is something the Captain has to do for himself.." "No.. No it's not!"
Chanyu was a title used by the kings of the pre-mongol nomads. Disney used that for the name of Shan Yu, the villain of Mulan. Maybe in the world of Serenity, that is the misremembered name of a Genghis Khan-like figure in the history of Earth-that-Was.
@@smartalec2001 there's speculation as to the original inspiration for the Mulan character and the Shan Yu here in Firefly. From a LiveJournal post: "Secondly, though pointing out that the antagonist Shan Yu is definitely fictional, Tunzelmann suggests a link between him and the Chinese warrior Xiang Yu (who fought against the Hun in the third century), or even a member of the Xiongnu tribe." Looking at Xiang Yu, from Wikipedia: "Xiang Ji (c. 232- c.January 202 BC[1]), courtesy name Yu, was the Hegemon-King of Western Chu during the Chu-Han Contention period (206-202 BC) of China. A noble of the state of Chu, Xiang Yu rebelled against the Qin dynasty, destroying their last remnants and becoming a powerful warlord. He was granted the title of "Duke of Lu" (魯公) by King Huai II of the restoring Chu state in 208 BC. The following year, he led the Chu forces to victory at the Battle of Julu against the Qin armies led by Zhang Han. After the fall of Qin, Xiang Yu was enthroned as the "Hegemon-King of Western Chu" (西楚霸王) and ruled a vast area covering modern-day central and eastern China, with Pengcheng as his capital. He engaged Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Han dynasty, in a long struggle for power, known as the Chu-Han Contention, which concluded with his eventual defeat at the Battle of Gaixia and his suicide. Xiang Yu is depicted in the Wu Shuang Pu ("Table of Peerless Heroes") by Jin Guliang." "Xiang Yu's might and prowess in battle has been glorified in Chinese folk tales, poetry, and novels, and he has been the subject of films, television, plays, Chinese operas, video games and comics. His classic image is that of a heroic and brave, but arrogant and bloodthirsty warrior-king. His romance with his wife Consort Yu and his suicide have also added a touch of a tragic hero to his character." That sounds like someone who could have written a text like the one both Book and Niska refer to, and the character is apparently shown in 5 Chinese TV series and 2 Chinese movies, as well as 2 Hong Kong TV series and 1 Hong Kong movie. So someone in the writer's room might have heard of him. Who knows? But Xi is pronounced "sh" so there's that.
@@smartalec2001 Or maybe in the world of Serenity, there’s going to be a mad dictator named Shan Yu who’s still in our current future (like Khan in Star Trek).
@@aboubenadhem9066 both can be true. Namesakes can be a confusing tradition. I sometimes wonder if naming son after father lead to legends of 800 year old men.
16:06 There's a perfect quote from Doctor Who that describes men like that and there was a whole story arc built up around it. "Demons run when a good man goes to war." Full poem (which I believe was written for the show): Demons run when a good man goes to war Night will fall and drown the sun When a good man goes to war Friendship dies and true love lies Night will fall, and the dark will rise When a good man goes to war Demons run, but count the cost The battle's won, but the child is lost
Made up for the show or not, the phrase "Demons run when a good man goes to war" is just such a powerful message on its own that I hope it continues to inspire people forever.
Another similar sentiment I've heard is the saying, "There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in a storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man."
Written for the show. "The child is lost" is too on the point for them to have claimed otherwise. But I am rather fond of the line about men who need rules
"Not exactly Sophie's Choice for her." It really wasn't. Wash is her husband, was less likely to hold up under torture and was essential for the rescue effort while Mal wasn't (Zoe commanded it herself, but she couldn't fly the ship well enough to pull that off.) From every angle, it had to be Wash.
"Don't the Bible have some pretty specific things to say about killing?" "Quite specific. It is, however, somewhat fuzzier on the subject of kneecaps." I love Book. He's such a badass, but most of the time you would never know it.
@@joshuawiedenbeck6944 'yah is a warrior'... and 'turn the other cheek' has been pussified...it literally was a story about defiance...if you are slapped for speaking truth, give the other cheek to be slapped and keep speaking truth...and it's also MURDER that's bad...killing in self defense is permissible...'sell your cloak and buy a sword' as the road is dangerous and we have to defend against thieves and other bad people...bear independent reads the bible on his channel and i've learned so much and how churchianity lies.....
@@kimmypfeiffer9130 The Bible is very much a product of it's time, whenever that was. The church leaves out the parts that don't fit into modern moralities. The extreme parts about how you should stone people to death for infidelity and such. If they stuck to that too there would be even less people going to church.
For Book's back story there's the Dark Horse graphic novel, "Serenity: The Shepherd's Tale". Since the story is by Joss and Zack Whedon we might be able to consider it canon. Certainly that back story would have been part of the original five-year story arc plan cut short by FOX myopia, so this graphic novel may have been part of Joss Whedon's attempt to complete the story like he did through the movie, "Serenity". To avoid spoilers, don't read it until after you've watched the movie. BTW, nice that you're bringing your schooling to bear.
It is officially cannon, but it raises more questions and answers none of them about why Book is Book. That backstory ignores his esoteric knowledge and the reception his ID received.
On every Firefly reaction channel I find, I make a post about these graphic novels because I'm convinced that many of the fan base are not even aware of them. Since 2018 to March of this year, there have been over 70 such novels. That's a whole lot of canonical narrative that loyal fans deserve to know about and shouldn't be dismissing. Since NOONE ever responds to me,, it seems VERY FEW even care of their existence...that's an absolute shame, but major kudos to you for your commitment to the 'Verse'...I don't have them all, but I do own a BUNCH of them...our wonderful little space western lives on!!!!
For those who say the comic's story is sloppy, that's indeed true, but IMHO that in large part because they crammed into one comic what would probably have been spread over many flashbacks and confessions by Book, if the show had lived.
i didn't like it..i prefer to believe he was either an operative or someone in that agency...and did something horific he was sorry for and retired and became a shepard to atone..maybe even knew about miranda...
Alan Tudyk has always been my favorite Whedonverse actor. From the moment I saw him make plastic dinosaurs talk, but also very much so because of this episode.
15:11 Well…after that analysis I desperately want to find the reality in the multiverse that Gina Torres played Storm in the X-Men movies. I don’t know why that’s the first place my mind went
"I'll be in my bunk" is probably the most famous Firefly line. Personally, I'm partial to "this is something the captain has to do by himself -- No! No it isn't! Shoot him!", but I do see the intricate intelligence of "I'll be in my bunk."
Mal is not insulting Wash nor arguing with him. He's distracting him and making him mad to help him deal with the torture. Just another thing that makes Mal so great.
During an interview once, Tudyk had said he kept arguing for a big gun to use as he was finally going to get to have a good old gunfight scene. He was told the one they were giving him would have a bigger impact, even if he did not see it right now. We all can see his big speech, then chambering a weapon you almost can't see is very poetic....and Wash.
My favorite Castle quote is "There are no cows in space". It goes well with what River said about cows forgetting to be cows when they can't see the sun
Two things I wanted to add. First, you skipped the misdirect where Wash says "He's crazy", and we're meant to think he's talking about Niska when he's really talking about Mal. The second is the fact that throughout the torture they made sure to emphasize Mal's character as being the same as always, showing that the "real him" is the same Captain Sassypants he always is.
Between River’s three shots, three kills AND Zoe: “…the Captain has to do this for himself.” Mal: “No, no it’s not!” I enjoyed your “blinks” and your laugh for these scenes!
I''ve watched this show so many times and haven't noticed the play with (sun)light in War Stories until I saw this! :D Love that these analysis/reaction vids are giving me a whole new way to enjoy a show I love.
The characters are all so ridiculously good, I love seeing the various permutations of "pairings" of characters, and watching how they each relate to one another singly. Like Book and Simon, Mal and Wash, in this one, and so many others in other episodes. (And I often think about the various pairings that never happened because they just never got the chance...Uggh!)
To state the obvious... one of the joys of reaction videos is getting to relive what it felt like to 'discover' for the first time the depth, humor, creativity, immersive world, superior snark, exquisite one-liners and out and out fabulous television that Firefly is. Thank you (!) for providing that. When the subject is something so multi-faceted, in turns serious and fun... it's just a roller coast ride that leaves you somewhat scared, fairly impressed and with cheeks that hurt from laughing (screaming?) so much. One potential good thing about the travesty that is the early cancellation of Firefly -- at least the show never got the chance to have a bad episode or jump the shark.
@@noppornwongrassamee8941yeah, they never even completed season 1. I believe we could have gotten the secret of Inara in season 1, that she was dying. That's why she went to a medical exam last episode.
They cancelled it and then didn't even air the last 3 episodes. they were eventually shown on various cable channels and I first saw them on the DVD. Fox ran 15 years of American Idol but somehow couldn't let Firefly run for a full season on Friday nights.
I think that final scene with Zoe and Mal is my favorite one of the two, pretending to embrace and lean in awkwardly for a 'kiss' as a means of trolling Wash. It has so many layers of comradery, sarcasm, respect but also a guise of challenge for Zoe's attention, and it's so clear that nothing has ever happened between Mal and Zoe because there has always been a 'professional' siblings-in-arms relationship with them. Mal understands his place as Captain when it matters, but also will take the sassy route when there's room for clowning around.
I think its great. I have served in a military setting with some "Zoes". I think Id have a similiar reaction if their SOs accused me the way wash does.
As much as i like the show, i've never rewatched Serenity since the theatrical release (that i actually saw before hearing about the TV Show) because of what happen to one of the characters in the movie. Trying not to spoil for others here.
@@HuntingViolets Right. Good point. SPOILERS Not knowing the characters beforehand, the death of Wash in the movie still hit me hard, because i immediately took a liking of him and the chemistry with Zoey was palpable. Having become a fan of the show since then, i think i just don't want to watch it again. I thinking of rewatching the movie just before watching Jacqui reaction to it, but i may just pass this scene.
i am certainly not a professional, but definitely an enthusiastic amateur fan of filmmaking. though i have watch the firefly series probably a dozen times, your comments always bring something new to my enjoyment of the series, and appreciation of how it is crafted. keep up the good work.
The lighting as a force of nature is something I had never consciously noticed but it's absolutely true. Also Gina Torres is an absolute badass and I LOVE her gun. It's a rifle cut short for close combat and tight quarters. Also just LOVE that when it comes to Wash or Mal there's just NO hesitation, chooses her husband. And the whole time she's ice cold (complimentary)
Since you're now practically a browncoat, I'll share a tidbit with you. The lesbian sex scene with Inara was not put in gratuitously. It was supposed to set up a later scene where, after Mal and Wash are taken, Inara rushes to the counselor's flat to ask her for help and the counselor's husband answers the door leaving Inara with the choice of violating the companions vow of discretion, or abandoning Mal and Wash to their fate. I forget if the scene was written and not shot or shot and edited for time, but it was supposed to be an important character development moment for Inara. That's why Companions were so well respected and influential in this universe, They serviced the rich and powerful, they knew where all the bodies were buried and they NEVER talked.!
Pointing out the lighting stuff is why I watch this. Well, watching Firefly reactions create Browncoats is also nice, but the film student stuff makes you stand out in agood way.
Also, Alan’s Tudyk and Nathan Fillion did a web series called Con Man in which a lot the Firefly family appear. Might be a fun watch once you’ve finished Firefly/Serenity.
I love the way this series (and the movie) loves to poop on tropes. The whole "this is something the captain has to do for himself" "NO!!! NO IT'S NOT!!" had me cracking up.
Lets take a moment to appreciate Summer Glau. Go back to 5:45 and think about the first time you read those words in the script. How the hell do you take the mouth salad and make it actually coherent and emotional. Then she goes and does it.
I am SO glad your channel came up on my feed. Your reactions are absolutely spot on and the commentary from your film student/maker side not only helps me appreciate the series more but also inspires me in my creative projects. So thank you! I have to say, your eye blinking reaction to River was THE BEST EVER. I was literally laughing out loud. I'm looking forward to completing the Firefly experience, so keep 'em coming!
I love how you describe all the subtle details from a director’s perspective. When I watched this the first time I just felt what is created by all these details. Now I understand why 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
In the Firefly version of the card game Fluxx (which I think is currently out of print) they have two different goals with almost the same name. One is No Power in the 'Verse Can Stop Me and the other is "No Power in the 'Verse Can Stop Me" (One with quotation marks, the other without). The keepers for the goal without the quotes is Kaylee and Fruit. The keepers for the goal with the quotes is River and Guns. It was a rather clever move by the people making the game.
There’s quite a few leadups in early episodes showing Wash’s tension about not going out on excursions and not being a part of the heroic stories and feeling conflicted about Zoe and Mal. There’s also the bit in out of gas where Mal drags Wash away from Zoe. The soup thing is a call back to Our Mrs Reynolds where Zoe wouldn’t cook for Wash.
21:03 I love the editing with the blinking sound effect! and a very proper reaction! 23:12 And a great conclusion to "We'll be in our bunk" with the comedic rule of three!
Notable thing about the show in general but especially in this episode is the frisson created by casting against type. Here you have a personable actor like Nathan Fillion as a war vet with PTSD, and when done right it's super fun to watch. Ironically another good example was Alan Tudyk as a hitman in Justified. RE: Joss Whedon's fall from grace... "Seems like any one ever had a statue built to 'em was some kinda sonuvabitch or another."
16:00 "There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man." -Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man’s Fear, and Niska pissed off more than one of those. And as an extra unfortunate turn of events one of them likely wasn't always gentle, if past evidence suggest anything at all.
Your comment brought to mind the character Benjamin Martin in Mel Gibson movie The Patriot. Martin was a peaceful man until he was met with brutality earlier in his life; then, he waged war in ways to strike fear into his enemies. But then he was overwhelmed with regrets over the things that he had done; he swore that he would never be the sort of man that he had become in that war. But, one day, a particular colonel came to his home, arrested one of his sons and shot another. Then, this colonel met the "real" Benjamin Martin. And like with Mal in the Serenity movie, the Brits found out what happens when "peaceful"/"gentle" men start to fight a war.
The Art of War was written by Chinese philosopher and general, Sun Tzu. Shan Yu is a fictional psychotic dictator who existed in some time frame between current day us and current day Serenity. Which is why Simon had to ask for clarification - for the audience's sake. The writers needed someone to have a belief that no current historical psychotic dictator held, so they had to invent one.
The look of shock when River _Does Her Thing_ will get me every time. I remember vividly my reaction when my brother took me through _Firefly._ I sat up and said 'Sorry....WHAT?!? RIVER?!?!? WHAAAAAT!'
One of my favorite bits of Chinese occurs during the scene @7:30, although it didn’t make the edit. Mal says something long in Chinese and finishes in English with “…and I don’t have time to unwind it.” As I understand it, the Chinese translates to “this is a knot of self-indulgent insanity”, which is a marvelous phrase that I dearly hope I can use in anger at least once in this life. :)
It takes a special kind of person to be killed, be resuscitated, and still have the wit to come back with such sass.... That's our Captain. Several reactors I have seen needed it explained to them after the fact why Mal was continuing to push Wash during the torture scene. If your mind is focused on being angry at him, you don't register the pain so much, and you won't give up. Anger is a passion, and this anger is about Zoe, whom Wash is passionate about. Mal's been through a lot, and he's seen what happens to people who break. He probably had men under his command that broke, and they were his responsibility. Some reactors didn't pick up on it until Wash explained in show, others didn't even after posting. But some did catch on during the torture, what Mal was up to. (You were faster than many, slower than a few. I honestly can't remember when exactly it hit me what he was doing the first time I watched)
I love the "camera" work in the CGI space scenes. You can easily do it perfect, but go with off center - often without the whole ship- and with "lens flares." Oh, I usually point out if he had killed Jayne last episode, They all die in this episode.
Re: Whedon's fall from grace - His big shows (Buffy, Angel, Firefly) we're on when I was in middle/high school, and pretty formative for me. I think that if Joss Whedon's work turned me into the kind of man who can look at Joss Whedon's actions and think, "what a piece of shit" then there must be some merit in the work.
Thats where I kind of settled with it as well. Still sucks but i think even if he didnt live up to th kind of standard he aspired to in some ofhis writing he at least showed a different kind of male/ female character that was out of the norm of the time.
16:13 "You push them too far, they become your worst nightmare." - The best phrase ever uttered in a TV show expressing that sentiment: "Demons run, when a good man goes to war."
Reprising Kaylee, who said it in the opening after River failed to catch her. I think the whole point of that line was to cast light on how the different context changed the meaning for Kaylee. Did you notice how she reacted when River said it?
@@auldrick When Kaylee said it she was playing. It isn't about the context as much as to show River doesn't understand she shouldn't be treating shooting people as the same as playing. The context did change but River's perceptions of the two did not. To *her* there was on change in context. Only to Kaylee.
@@HeedTheLorax That isn't how they saw it. Kaylee saw River say it in the same manner, "Like we were playing" Kaylee isn't scared because River means she can't be stopped. River doesn't believe she is all-powerful or unstoppable and Kaylee doesn't see it that way either. Kaylee is scared because River thinks what she did was a game.
9:12 To help with the scene Alan Tudyk asked the props department to make the case heavy. That way it would be easier for him to "act" like he was struggling to carry it. They made it a bit too heavy, and you do see him legitimately struggling to carry it.
This episode is one of my favorites. The show is so smart because it sets the table for future issues and doesn't let story strands dangle. The Wash/Zoey/Mal issue was present from episode one. "Don't forget to call him Captain. He likes that.", from Wash suggesting they just tell Mal they need some days off instead of asking in episode 1 comes back in this episode. Just an amazing show way ahead of its time, especially for network television. A great reaction as always!
“Can we vote on the whole murdering people thing?” Wash has always been just a little uncomfortable under Mal’s rule. After this episode, he understands why Zoe is so comfortable there.
@@patrickkenyon2326 I haven't been through SERE, but I have gotten some training on the subject before deployment. Always figured that it was good to pay attention, just in case.
@@RoastedOpinions My father was a veteran of WW2, Korea, and Vietnam. He always said it is better to know something, and not need it, than need, and not know how.
The corporate world adopted Sun Tzu when Mark McNeilly wrote his bestseller and it sort of diluted Tzu’s potency in popular culture. However - taking out the paradigms between war capabilities of his day and those of ours - he has never been proven wrong. For those of us who read him before McNeilly’s book (we, the Sun Tzu hipsters), understand how timeless and insightful his treatise was. His wisdom, equally unflinching in brutality and mindful of compassion, seems like common sense now but it was a seminal documentation of successful warfare principles, and its impact has thus far been unparalleled. The Western world embraced Machiavelli but he wrote of rulership. Sun Tzu remains the apogee of war doctrine.
Watching River shoot those guys always reminds me of the film Equilibrium to an extent. Which I think would make for an entertaining future reaction video for you (especially if you've have not already seen it.) I love these reactions and can't wait to see more.
There is a very similar scene by Bruce Willis in the movie The Fifth Element. He peeks around a corner to see where the enemies are, ducks back, then leans out and shoots several of them. It is actually a military technique. Locate the targets. Visualize in your head where they are. Then pop out and shoot. It is faster than looking, aiming, and shooting all in one go. That leaves you exposed too long.
People usually pick other episodes, but this is truly, surely, my absolute favorite of them all. Its an episode that REALLY shows how much Zoe and Mal were affected by the war. It's the episode that finally grapples with the horror that River has been dealing with this whole time. It shows how far Malcolm would go for his crew, in that he never once even mentions the fact that Zoe left him behind, as he absolutely wanted that to be the choice made. Never even enters his mind that it's an issue. It shows so much more depth to the characters in a way I'm sure the show wanted to explore but never got a chance to. This is the episode that makes me think of where they might have gone.
I was always under the impression that Niska was loving every minute of watching the two of them argue. He just needed to zap them every once in a while to keep the show going. That's what it appeared to be, to me. Great episode. I'm glad you love this series too.
I can't keep saying they're all my favorite episode! Episode 11 is planned for Tuesday September 3rd, and full length reactions for the series are already available on Patreon. I'm also currently watching both THE EXPANSE and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER on Patreon. Thank you! ❤
They're all amazing episodes, but the next one, Episode 11, is literally my favourite one of the series. I've enjoyed watching your reactions to this show, honestly it's been like rewatching it for the first time for me in many ways. I can't wait to see your reaction to the next one, too.
Shan Yu wasn't a real person, but he was based on Attila the Hun. Sun Tzu was the person who wrote the Art of War.
When will Buffy get to youtube? 🙂
@@CheesyLameDuck they’re all amazing but Out Of Gas is my favourite. That’s the amazing thing about this series - almost every episode is someone’s favourite and there isn’t even a consensus on which the best ones are. Just highlights how brilliant every one of them is.
You CAN keep saying every episode is your favorite episode. My favorite episode is whichever episode I'm watching.
"I'm lost. I'm angry....and I'm armed!"
I love how he delivers that line.
That should be a meme.
Communicating your feelings is an important life skill.
It's also sounds like a play on what Mal told Simon. You'll be awake, you'll be facing me, and you'll be armed.
Yeah, the scripts are amazing, but the delivery, at least from the main cast, boosts it even further.
"I'm pretty sure you didn't shoot anyone yet"
Besides being funny, Book here also protects Simon from possible moral trouble.
What sounds "unkind" is actually the opposite.
Wow. I hadn't considered that. Thanks.
Same reason why Mal was giving Wash shit about Zoe. To keep him going. And telling kaylee that he does not like the idea of her killing any one, when she said she ran away.
book is awesome in this episode...i think it's funny when he tells them to respect innarra's wish for privacy but jumps up to look as soon as the ambassador arrives lol...
I love the layers of that line: It's a joke, it's a bantery acknowledgement of a comrade-in-arms, and it's an assurance that he didn't kill anyone.
I mean he is a doctor. “Do no harm” and all that.
Hold him over a volcano, and on that day you will finally meet the man.
"Don't tell them what I did." - Jayne Cobb, while being held over a metaphorical volcano
Very good!
I've watched this episode countless times but I never noticed the use of sunlight on Zoe and Wash until you pointed it out! Thanks for the added insight. My god, this show.
same here. I also noticed for the first time (because she said "Nice shot!") that The Preacher actually shot the gun out of one of the bad guy's hands. If you know, you know, but she doesn't yet so say no more.
I noticed the lighting was funky but I never really clocked what was going on. Very cool!
It looked like watching a distant storm approaching. That's why I watch every new reaction to Firefly. Always something new to learn.
Definitely appreciating these reactions too!
oh I guess this happened to a bunch of us :D
Jayne: "I'll be in my bunk."
Zoe: "Jayne, grab your weapon."
Funny how they both kinda said the same thing right there
Jayne: "Well that's sorta the point ain't it?"
“This is my rifle! This is my gun!”
Mal: "Jayne, go play with your rainstick."
It is offensive.
“One of you is gonna fall and die, and I’m not cleaning is up!” is something I say to my kids FREQUENTLY.
It’s my mom’s text tone in my phone 🤣
This is a line I used to say to my older nephews until he parroted it back to my sister and she was horrified. He was sitting on a bar stool on top of a rolling dining room chair at the age of six. She told him he shouldn't do that. he took a dramatic sigh and said, " I know. I'll fall and die and Auntie Vamp won't clean it up."
I used to say it to my high school students when they goofed off in the hallway. Lol
Friend of mine had her kid fall overseas and he didn't even realize he'd gotten stabbed in the arm until she made sure she checked him. Four emergency rooms later he was able to get 4 stitches.
Zoe: "We're gonna go get the captain."
Kaylee: "Oh... Good. Can they do that?"
Jayne: "No."
A minute later when Jayne shows up, armed and ready to join in, everyone looks at him, surprised he'd step up.
Jayne: "What?"
As much crap as everyone throws at him, Jayne pitches in and more than pulls his own weight when it counts. Can Zoe and Wash save the captain? No, they wouldn't stand a chance. With Jayne's help? That's another story. Jayne's a crass, cantankerous Neanderthal of a man, and he doesn't always do the right thing, but he's saved everyone's butts multiple times over. Seriously underrated and underappreciated character, especially by his shipmates.
the hero of canton!
agreed. watching him develop over a few seasons would have been such a treat
And it is a nice contrast to his behavior in Arial. A continuation of his redemption arc.
One of my first impressions of this show was that there are very few things that Mal, Zoe, and Jayne could not accomplish while working together. They are a formidable team.
@@crazybox7326 The Man They Call JAAAAAAAYNE!
25 years later, we will still not let Fox ever forget they canceled this show.
/peggy carter in the hospital : has it been so long?
@@kimmypfeiffer9130 I thought it was 2002?
22 years (in a couple of weeks). But yeah
Alas, if only Firefly could have landed on Showtime or the WB or UPN or even the Sci-Fi Channel or USA Network. Then we might have gotten at least 3-4 seasons.
Sci fi definitely should have picked it up
I've always given big props to Gina Torres' non-verbal acting. Whedon used her to perfection to set the mood of every scene she was in. If you watch the camera will often pan to Gina and her expression and body language tells you everything you need to know about the level of tension or threat. Often she'll do something very simple like place her hand closer to her pistol or move slightly to keep a clear line of sight all the while keeping her eyes laser focused on with whomever Mal is dealing. She really is a master at simultaneously emoting and not pulling focus. It's a very difficult thing for an actor to do.
The idea of Mal and Zoey having any chemistry whatsoever is such a crazy concept that even "I'll be in my bunk" Jayne finds the idea unsettling.
I know, right? Lol
And that, as I tell people who get squeamish about Jayne's repeated trips to his bunk, is the whole reason for "I'll be in my bunk." He's a known horndog. If even HE finds Mal/Zoe "downright unsettling," that should close the book for good on the idea of sexual tension.
Favorite Firefly reference on Castle - "I was aiming for his head!"
Which ironically is in Firefly a reference to earlier works too. Not sure who used that line for the first time, but in scifi specifically, it had already appeared in Blake's 7!
Besides "space cowboy" (th-cam.com/video/ZaGzyXUGqcc/w-d-xo.html) and "shiny" (th-cam.com/video/NPmqTjMPtbY/w-d-xo.html), my favorite is probably when Castle explains that his ability to speak Chinese comes from "a TV show I used to love" (th-cam.com/video/gY-rTUt7_70/w-d-xo.html). 🤣
@@philstubblefieldI appreciate ABC for giving more love to Firefly than Fox ever did.
Goes back to The Magnificent Seven "Ah, that was the greatest shot I've ever seen. The worst! I was aiming at the horse."
@@ilmari1452 Would not surprise me in the slightest if Blake's 7 turned out to be an influence for this show.
What I love about Firefly... There's a video that's just gone live on TH-cam; a snip from an interview between Katie Sackhoff and Jewel Staite (Kaylee). Jewel pointed out that Firefly was 6 months of her life, 24 odd years ago (!) - and yet, she made life-long friends, as well as learning from Nathan Fillion how to set the tone for working on set. She said she still sometimes sends him a text asking advice. I think that is beautiful... even though it was only 6 months, a quarter of a century ago (fork I'm old!) - they are still great friends... which just cements the chemistry that the cast on this show had.
The full interview is up and is very worth watching.
I love that video where Alan and Nathan call Sean, Morena, Jewel, and Summer's panel, Nathan implying that he stole and crashed Alan's car and Alan calling asking if they've heard from Nathan.
And then at the end, after all but Summer's phones were called, some multiple times, Morena hangs up on Nathan with a singsong "You are the weakest link, goodbye!"
Mal was trying to keep Wash going, thats why he was antagonizing him.
“LISTEN TO ME!” Anyone else’s respect for Mal go through the roof when you realized what he was doing? Hurting Wash to keep him alive? Essentially did the same thing in Out of Gas. Forced him to focus instead of letting him descend into despair.
@@Audra1964 That line is so powerful. Followed by Wash in the shuttle saying "Bastards not gonna get days." As much as this episode is about Wash, it's also about showing the kind of man Mal is and the kind of strength and loyalty he inspires in others.
And Wash knows it. He pretty much spelled it out when Zoe got him into the shuttle.
I don't understand how almost no reactors pick up on this immediately. It's so blatantly obvious what he's doing and yet they're always confused as to why Mal is talking about Zoe and trying to make Wash angry.
@@Audra1964 And that's why he's the Captain.
In the pilot episode we caught the first hint of Wash being annoyed with Zoe's loyalty to Mal. "Instead of asking Mal for R & R, why can't we just tell him?" , "Don't forget to call him "Sir" , he likes that."
Mal has almost superhuman fortitude when it comes to protecting his crew. Yes, keeping Wash distracted and focused during the torture kept Wash from succumbing and probably dying. A side bonus was how it robbed Niska slightly from any "joy" over torturing them. His torture was just an 'interruption' during their discussion over Zoe.
This episode deals with loyalty. Wash learns on a deeper level why Zoe has such strong loyalty to Mal. Zoe learns she has to prioritize her loyalty to husband first. Although Simon didn't shoot anyone, he was willing to break his doctor's oath for Mal. Also - Let's take note of what a sharp shooter & crime scene tracker Shepherd is.
Wash trying to look and sound tough when holding up the smallest pistol ever is a nice little visual joke.
Jayne's loyalty is the biggest change here.
The first time we saw Niska, Jayne was willing to leave Mal & Zoe behind and make the deal. Then "maybe later" he would rescue them. This is how much Jayne has changed since then. He kicked in his money to buy back Mal & Wash. Zoe especially noticed how unusual this is for Jayne. Later, Jayne is even willing to help on what he called a suicide rescue mission. The entire crew took pause at this.
In the pilot episode we heard Mal say "No power in the 'Verse can stop Kaylee from being cheerful". It seems River can do just that.
"No power in the 'Verse can stop me" said by Kaylee in the stolen apple game. Now, River kills 3 trained men with closed eyes & superhuman accuracy. River repeated Kaylee's playful line as if she doesn't see the difference between the game & killing 3 people. This frightens the once cheerful Kaylee.
Nice summary. It’s a good thing this show is so rewatchable. One picks up insights they hadn’t seen before.
The thing is, Niska seemed to be enjoying the conversation. He was making joyful faces and waiting for lulls in the conversation to shock them.
Let's also take note that Sheppard shot the guy in the kneecap....while shooting from the hip.
@@plothole181 yeah, probably he thinks this is their real feelings, now that they are being held over the volcano's edge
@@allenraylemmons4291 Yup and that kneecap was moving. A very difficult shot - like I said - Book is a sharp shooter.
The three blinks with sound effects is one of the better reactions I have seen to that scene.
21:05
Easter egg reference to "Our Mrs. Reynolds"?
The delivery of "You want to meet the real me, now?" is one of the most haunting deliveries in the series. It's a very small glimpse to let the viewer know that Mal is hiding his true power level. There's only a few other times we see that and even after everything, I believe that we never get to see Mal's true potential as a force to be reckoned with. If he has the resources, there is nothing in the verse that can stop him.
It is foreshadowing to THAT scene. I think you know which one I mean.
After seeing Fillion as Caleb in Buffy, his delivery of that line IMO is reminiscent of that character.
The other was the line that Joss wasn't sure COULD be delivered "Everyone dies alone', But he pulled it off brilliantly.
I think we see it in the fight with the agent when the rest of the crew are fighting the reavers. In the movie I mean.
@@TheReturnOfSak
Like "I'm gonna have to go with 'wrath' " from _Serenity_
Mal had his "Frankenstein Monster" moment, considering he had been tortured and reanimated. He killed the servant but not the tormentor (because Nishka fled in the chaos).
The same endurance that he had in the Battle of Serenity Valley, (that only Zoe had known), was demonstrated on that skyplex.
“this is something the captain has to do for himself.” “NO, NO ITS NOT!” “Oh”
That’s my favorite subversion moment in the whole damn series, it’s hilarious 🤣
@@BeOurGeist
Yeah I love that line.
I'd love to see a reactor spit out their drink at that line. I think it's the kind of line that might have that effect.
@@UTU49 By this time in the watch list they would probably know better than to be drinking anything while watching. lol
There is one on Serenity (movie) in a similar vein that I think tops this. Won't spoil it, just in the rare case that she hasn't seen the movie yet.
One of my favorite digs at classic movie tropes ever, and super iconic of the show. Just get it done!
Last episode Mal held Jayne "Over the volcanos edge".
Didn’t he though! Good point.
@@Audra1964 Yeah I agree... hadn't ever thought of it that way.
Interesting. Thanks for sharing.
And met the real Jayne... who's ashamed of what he's done and doesn't want people to see him the way he sees himself.
16:26 I just love how Ron Glass manages to make Chinese sound almost Klingon when spoken in anger.
Also, 23:00 - can we all take a moment to appreciate the acting chops required to make a rather handsome man and a striking Amazonian woman have absolutely NO sexual chemistry here?
"Screw you!" - "Get in Line!" - I love the conversations between those two.
This is hands down my favorite episode, because it shows the contrast between men like Mal and worms like Niska. Niska is cold and dead inside, and so when he breaks people down, that's what he expects to find. But as he starts stripping away Mal's armor, it becomes clear that that armor wasn't meant to protect Mal from the world; it was meant to protect the world from Mal.
As soon as the opportunity presents itself, Mal drops all pretense, and suddenly Niska's facing the kind of steel and fire that comes from losing a war you believed in. Niska's just made himself Mal's enemy, and it ends with Niska crawling away whimpering.
And then what? THEN WHAT? Because you know that wasn’t the end of the story. 😢
@@Audra1964 Niska would have lasted multiple seasons I think...
so well written. thank you.
"What kind of human creates his own policeman?"
"One who fears the dark."
"And so he should," said the entity with satisfaction.
"Indeed. But I think you misunderstand. I'm not here to keep the darkness out. I am here to keep it in."
@@Audra1964 Yep there were to be a number of recurring characters in the following 2 planned seasons, Serentiy was to be an event split between the end of Ch 2 and intro of Ch 3. And ya know....2 things that wouldn't have happened if it had been that way.
Somewhere there is an alternate timeline/reality where Firefly ran seven seasons before launching into a successful movie franchise. The second I learn how to jump over to that reality, I am outta here!
There's a book based on this idea.
That reality has cookies.
The best cookies. And always a full glass of ice cold milk to go with it.
When you do, please take me with you.
@@hkpewRobert Heinlein's "The Number of the Beast"
The kneecap line is a great foreshadow to the admission to who Book truly was. It's much harder to land a solid hit on a leg than a torso. The off the cuff shot by Book was extremely skilled. No panic at all.
And from the hip too. Not the easiest way to aim.
2:08 "A government is a body of people; usually notably ungoverned." Love Ron Glass. I recently happened upon a random episode of Barney Miller. Miss him very much.
He was excellent as Detective Harris. I've been rewatching that show on DVD and loving it. I think he was underrated as an actor, even if he had a particular comfort zone of acting. Loved him so much as Book too.
Barney Miller was such a fun series!
@@shallendor Apparently a lot of real life cops consider it the most realistic police show. A bunch of people sitting around a dingy room, doing paper work and complaining about the coffee, a couple leaving for a few hours at a time to patrol or work a case, then coming back and telling every one what happened, and filling out more paper work on it. A parade of random suspects in temporary holding and citizens walking through to make statements or complaints. Most of the cases are mundane: security, follow-ups, some robberies or assaults. No big action shoot-outs: only one episode in which a cop shoots some one, which ends with said cop crying alone in his apartment.
I loved watching Barney Miller as a kid; such a funny show! :)
@@xzonia1 And at the time voted the most realistic portrayal of what being a cop was like. It was an excellent show and it broke a lot of ground for the seventies too.
The Captians line, “You wanna meet the real me now?” is one of my favorites from the show in part because it was delivered so well but in part because it reminds us that the war did leave a rather dark persona in Mal’s depths. I always felt that was one of the barriers between him and Inara, the refusal to get close enough to someone to expose them to that aspect of his personality.
No spoilers, but this episode always stands in contrast to me against "Heart of Gold" and Mal's initial reaction. Maybe I just read it wrong or because he was already in a situation here and not yet perhaps in one there... I dunno.
He's kind of like Dr Who, in that way. A good man with rules, because he knows what darkness lurks beneath when he doesn't follow them.
One of the things this show actually does so well is platonic love. The relationship between Simon and River, with Zoe and Mal. A lesser show would have Mal and Zoe have some old fling for cheap drama in their past. A lesser show would of had Simon and River not be brother and sister, with Kaylee as the love triangle. I really respect it's decision not to add cheap drama into it.
There's a lot of examples of it in this series, but I like how they handle "noncombatant" characters in this episode. Only a few characters on the crew are comfortable fighting, and the others have varying degrees of inexperience, clumsiness, and cowardice, BUT they all have merit outside of the fight. It's brave for a writer to put a character that the audience is meant to like and identify with in such an unfavorable light.
It also helps to elevate a character like Jayne who has a LOT of flaws, but he is reliable in a fight.
The more normal path in fiction is to write every character as if they are accustomed to combat, and that's just not realistic.
I wouldn't say "accustomed to" but rather "strangely adept at". Otherwise, I agree.
Only part I disagree with is, I don't think "being bad at fighting and killing" is an unfavorable light. I'd say it's a more favorable light than being so used to killing that it doesn't bother you anymore.
LoL The Art of War is Sun Tzu. Shang Yu is made up entirely as far as I know.
"This is something the Captain has to do for himself.."
"No.. No it's not!"
Chanyu was a title used by the kings of the pre-mongol nomads.
Disney used that for the name of Shan Yu, the villain of Mulan.
Maybe in the world of Serenity, that is the misremembered name of a Genghis Khan-like figure in the history of Earth-that-Was.
@@smartalec2001 there's speculation as to the original inspiration for the Mulan character and the Shan Yu here in Firefly. From a LiveJournal post:
"Secondly, though pointing out that the antagonist Shan Yu is definitely fictional, Tunzelmann suggests a link between him and the Chinese warrior Xiang Yu (who fought against the Hun in the third century), or even a member of the Xiongnu tribe."
Looking at Xiang Yu, from Wikipedia:
"Xiang Ji (c. 232- c.January 202 BC[1]), courtesy name Yu, was the Hegemon-King of Western Chu during the Chu-Han Contention period (206-202 BC) of China. A noble of the state of Chu, Xiang Yu rebelled against the Qin dynasty, destroying their last remnants and becoming a powerful warlord. He was granted the title of "Duke of Lu" (魯公) by King Huai II of the restoring Chu state in 208 BC. The following year, he led the Chu forces to victory at the Battle of Julu against the Qin armies led by Zhang Han. After the fall of Qin, Xiang Yu was enthroned as the "Hegemon-King of Western Chu" (西楚霸王) and ruled a vast area covering modern-day central and eastern China, with Pengcheng as his capital. He engaged Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Han dynasty, in a long struggle for power, known as the Chu-Han Contention, which concluded with his eventual defeat at the Battle of Gaixia and his suicide. Xiang Yu is depicted in the Wu Shuang Pu ("Table of Peerless Heroes") by Jin Guliang."
"Xiang Yu's might and prowess in battle has been glorified in Chinese folk tales, poetry, and novels, and he has been the subject of films, television, plays, Chinese operas, video games and comics. His classic image is that of a heroic and brave, but arrogant and bloodthirsty warrior-king. His romance with his wife Consort Yu and his suicide have also added a touch of a tragic hero to his character."
That sounds like someone who could have written a text like the one both Book and Niska refer to, and the character is apparently shown in 5 Chinese TV series and 2 Chinese movies, as well as 2 Hong Kong TV series and 1 Hong Kong movie. So someone in the writer's room might have heard of him. Who knows? But Xi is pronounced "sh" so there's that.
@@smartalec2001 Or maybe in the world of Serenity, there’s going to be a mad dictator named Shan Yu who’s still in our current future (like Khan in Star Trek).
@@aboubenadhem9066 both can be true. Namesakes can be a confusing tradition. I sometimes wonder if naming son after father lead to legends of 800 year old men.
Watching your reactions to the series has been so much fun. I absolutely cannot wait to see your reaction to Serenity. It’s a wild ride!
Like a leaf on the wind.
@@TBoring Don't.
@@jmnemonic99 watch how i soar
I knew someone would, and there you are.
16:06 There's a perfect quote from Doctor Who that describes men like that and there was a whole story arc built up around it. "Demons run when a good man goes to war."
Full poem (which I believe was written for the show):
Demons run when a good man goes to war
Night will fall and drown the sun
When a good man goes to war
Friendship dies and true love lies
Night will fall, and the dark will rise
When a good man goes to war
Demons run, but count the cost
The battle's won, but the child is lost
"Good men don't need rules. Today is not the day to find out why I have so many."
Made up for the show or not, the phrase "Demons run when a good man goes to war" is just such a powerful message on its own that I hope it continues to inspire people forever.
Wow, that's kind-a profound.
The comments section for this series of videos is the best I've ever read! 🤗
Another similar sentiment I've heard is the saying, "There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in a storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man."
Written for the show. "The child is lost" is too on the point for them to have claimed otherwise. But I am rather fond of the line about men who need rules
"Not exactly Sophie's Choice for her."
It really wasn't. Wash is her husband, was less likely to hold up under torture and was essential for the rescue effort while Mal wasn't (Zoe commanded it herself, but she couldn't fly the ship well enough to pull that off.) From every angle, it had to be Wash.
"Don't the Bible have some pretty specific things to say about killing?"
"Quite specific. It is, however, somewhat fuzzier on the subject of kneecaps."
I love Book. He's such a badass, but most of the time you would never know it.
The best part is that the actual Bible had numerous examples of justified killing.
@@joshuawiedenbeck6944 'yah is a warrior'... and 'turn the other cheek' has been pussified...it literally was a story about defiance...if you are slapped for speaking truth, give the other cheek to be slapped and keep speaking truth...and it's also MURDER that's bad...killing in self defense is permissible...'sell your cloak and buy a sword' as the road is dangerous and we have to defend against thieves and other bad people...bear independent reads the bible on his channel and i've learned so much and how churchianity lies.....
@@kimmypfeiffer9130 The Bible is very much a product of it's time, whenever that was. The church leaves out the parts that don't fit into modern moralities. The extreme parts about how you should stone people to death for infidelity and such. If they stuck to that too there would be even less people going to church.
This is my favorite quote in the series and the movie.
If it's good enough for James Cameron it's good enough for Joss Whedon. Although I've always presumed it's homage rather than theft.
For Book's back story there's the Dark Horse graphic novel, "Serenity: The Shepherd's Tale". Since the story is by Joss and Zack Whedon we might be able to consider it canon. Certainly that back story would have been part of the original five-year story arc plan cut short by FOX myopia, so this graphic novel may have been part of Joss Whedon's attempt to complete the story like he did through the movie, "Serenity". To avoid spoilers, don't read it until after you've watched the movie.
BTW, nice that you're bringing your schooling to bear.
I found the story sloppy.
It is officially cannon, but it raises more questions and answers none of them about why Book is Book. That backstory ignores his esoteric knowledge and the reception his ID received.
On every Firefly reaction channel I find, I make a post about these graphic novels because I'm convinced that many of the fan base are not even aware of them. Since 2018 to March of this year, there have been over 70 such novels. That's a whole lot of canonical narrative that loyal fans deserve to know about and shouldn't be dismissing. Since NOONE ever responds to me,, it seems VERY FEW even care of their existence...that's an absolute shame, but major kudos to you for your commitment to the 'Verse'...I don't have them all, but I do own a BUNCH of them...our wonderful little space western lives on!!!!
For those who say the comic's story is sloppy, that's indeed true, but IMHO that in large part because they crammed into one comic what would probably have been spread over many flashbacks and confessions by Book, if the show had lived.
i didn't like it..i prefer to believe he was either an operative or someone in that agency...and did something horific he was sorry for and retired and became a shepard to atone..maybe even knew about miranda...
Alan Tudyk has always been my favorite Whedonverse actor. From the moment I saw him make plastic dinosaurs talk, but also very much so because of this episode.
I hope she reacts to Resident Alien. I love Tudyk in that show so much. X)
@@xzonia1 I don't know if there is a better casting than Tudyk for someone who is uncomfortable being in a human body
@@iambicpentakill971 Lol, true! :D
15:11 Well…after that analysis I desperately want to find the reality in the multiverse that Gina Torres played Storm in the X-Men movies.
I don’t know why that’s the first place my mind went
Fantastic idea, though!
You're not alone!
Torres would have been an excellent Storm.
I think she could have done it.
"I'll be in my bunk" is probably the most famous Firefly line.
Personally, I'm partial to "this is something the captain has to do by himself -- No! No it isn't! Shoot him!", but I do see the intricate intelligence of "I'll be in my bunk."
Mal is not insulting Wash nor arguing with him. He's distracting him and making him mad to help him deal with the torture. Just another thing that makes Mal so great.
Wash did tell him, if I'm not going to talk, you have to! So Mal knew he had to keep talking to Wash to help him.
Even under torture, Mal's first concern is taking care of his crew.
During an interview once, Tudyk had said he kept arguing for a big gun to use as he was finally going to get to have a good old gunfight scene. He was told the one they were giving him would have a bigger impact, even if he did not see it right now. We all can see his big speech, then chambering a weapon you almost can't see is very poetic....and Wash.
My favorite Castle quote is "There are no cows in space". It goes well with what River said about cows forgetting to be cows when they can't see the sun
Two things I wanted to add. First, you skipped the misdirect where Wash says "He's crazy", and we're meant to think he's talking about Niska when he's really talking about Mal. The second is the fact that throughout the torture they made sure to emphasize Mal's character as being the same as always, showing that the "real him" is the same Captain Sassypants he always is.
Well, we got to see this time Captain Scarypants to...
Between River’s three shots, three kills AND Zoe: “…the Captain has to do this for himself.” Mal: “No, no it’s not!”
I enjoyed your “blinks” and your laugh for these scenes!
I''ve watched this show so many times and haven't noticed the play with (sun)light in War Stories until I saw this! :D
Love that these analysis/reaction vids are giving me a whole new way to enjoy a show I love.
The characters are all so ridiculously good, I love seeing the various permutations of "pairings" of characters, and watching how they each relate to one another singly. Like Book and Simon, Mal and Wash, in this one, and so many others in other episodes. (And I often think about the various pairings that never happened because they just never got the chance...Uggh!)
To state the obvious... one of the joys of reaction videos is getting to relive what it felt like to 'discover' for the first time the depth, humor, creativity, immersive world, superior snark, exquisite one-liners and out and out fabulous television that Firefly is. Thank you (!) for providing that. When the subject is something so multi-faceted, in turns serious and fun... it's just a roller coast ride that leaves you somewhat scared, fairly impressed and with cheeks that hurt from laughing (screaming?) so much.
One potential good thing about the travesty that is the early cancellation of Firefly -- at least the show never got the chance to have a bad episode or jump the shark.
Biggest crime of television is that we only got 1 season of this show.
More like half a season. 13 episodes and one 2 hour movie. Seasons back then ran for 22 episodes or so.
@@noppornwongrassamee8941yeah, they never even completed season 1. I believe we could have gotten the secret of Inara in season 1, that she was dying. That's why she went to a medical exam last episode.
Technically speaking, since this is network tv, Firefly is only half a season.
true true...based on episode count it's half a season, but you know what I meant lol
They cancelled it and then didn't even air the last 3 episodes. they were eventually shown on various cable channels and I first saw them on the DVD. Fox ran 15 years of American Idol but somehow couldn't let Firefly run for a full season on Friday nights.
"I'll be in my bunk" is one of the greatest lines ever in a TV show.
One of mine is, "The SPECIAL Hell."
The delivery was perfect.
@@Banzai51 especially people who TALK AT THE THEATER! They definitely deserve special treatment...
@@Banzai51 Too. Much. Hair!
I think that final scene with Zoe and Mal is my favorite one of the two, pretending to embrace and lean in awkwardly for a 'kiss' as a means of trolling Wash. It has so many layers of comradery, sarcasm, respect but also a guise of challenge for Zoe's attention, and it's so clear that nothing has ever happened between Mal and Zoe because there has always been a 'professional' siblings-in-arms relationship with them. Mal understands his place as Captain when it matters, but also will take the sassy route when there's room for clowning around.
I think its great. I have served in a military setting with some "Zoes". I think Id have a similiar reaction if their SOs accused me the way wash does.
"Of course we're going to be watching Serenity" + "I'm going to be really sad when this is over" = oh Jacqui, you sweet, summer child. 😢
As much as i like the show, i've never rewatched Serenity since the theatrical release (that i actually saw before hearing about the TV Show) because of what happen to one of the characters in the movie. Trying not to spoil for others here.
@@davidlacoste Maybe put SPOILERS after the parenthetical and then hit Enter a few times like SPOILERS
this.
@@HuntingViolets Right. Good point.
SPOILERS
Not knowing the characters beforehand, the death of Wash in the movie still hit me hard, because i immediately took a liking of him and the chemistry with Zoey was palpable.
Having become a fan of the show since then, i think i just don't want to watch it again.
I thinking of rewatching the movie just before watching Jacqui reaction to it, but i may just pass this scene.
I was there, son. I'm fairly sure you haven't shot anyone yet.
Such a great line!
i am certainly not a professional, but definitely an enthusiastic amateur fan of filmmaking. though i have watch the firefly series probably a dozen times, your comments always bring something new to my enjoyment of the series, and appreciation of how it is crafted. keep up the good work.
"The bastard is not gonna get days"
Wash embodies "When a good man goes to war" in this episode.
The precious torture machine the creepy bad guy uses on Mal reminds me of The Machine used in The Princess Bride on The Dread Pirate Wesley.
SAME!
Kaylee says "No power in the verse can stop me". Then River repeats it. But Mal said no power can stop Kaylee in EP 1
...from being cheerful, yeah.
The lighting as a force of nature is something I had never consciously noticed but it's absolutely true. Also Gina Torres is an absolute badass and I LOVE her gun. It's a rifle cut short for close combat and tight quarters. Also just LOVE that when it comes to Wash or Mal there's just NO hesitation, chooses her husband. And the whole time she's ice cold (complimentary)
Since you're now practically a browncoat, I'll share a tidbit with you. The lesbian sex scene with Inara was not put in gratuitously. It was supposed
to set up a later scene where, after Mal and Wash are taken, Inara rushes to the counselor's flat to ask her for help and the counselor's husband
answers the door leaving Inara with the choice of violating the companions vow of discretion, or abandoning Mal and Wash to their fate. I forget
if the scene was written and not shot or shot and edited for time, but it was supposed to be an important character development moment for
Inara. That's why Companions were so well respected and influential in this universe, They serviced the rich and powerful, they knew where all
the bodies were buried and they NEVER talked.!
I didn't know this. Thanks.
Pointing out the lighting stuff is why I watch this. Well, watching Firefly reactions create Browncoats is also nice, but the film student stuff makes you stand out in agood way.
Also, Alan’s Tudyk and Nathan Fillion did a web series called Con Man in which a lot the Firefly family appear. Might be a fun watch once you’ve finished Firefly/Serenity.
I love the way this series (and the movie) loves to poop on tropes.
The whole "this is something the captain has to do for himself" "NO!!! NO IT'S NOT!!" had me cracking up.
10:01
"Jayne, grab your weapon."
"That's what I was about to go do."
Lets take a moment to appreciate Summer Glau.
Go back to 5:45 and think about the first time you read those words in the script. How the hell do you take the mouth salad and make it actually coherent and emotional.
Then she goes and does it.
I am SO glad your channel came up on my feed. Your reactions are absolutely spot on and the commentary from your film student/maker side not only helps me appreciate the series more but also inspires me in my creative projects. So thank you! I have to say, your eye blinking reaction to River was THE BEST EVER. I was literally laughing out loud. I'm looking forward to completing the Firefly experience, so keep 'em coming!
I love how you describe all the subtle details from a director’s perspective. When I watched this the first time I just felt what is created by all these details. Now I understand why 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
"Take me sir, take me hard" the way she says it gets me every time
In the Firefly version of the card game Fluxx (which I think is currently out of print) they have two different goals with almost the same name. One is No Power in the 'Verse Can Stop Me and the other is "No Power in the 'Verse Can Stop Me" (One with quotation marks, the other without). The keepers for the goal without the quotes is Kaylee and Fruit. The keepers for the goal with the quotes is River and Guns. It was a rather clever move by the people making the game.
this episode alone has some of the best lines. "No power in the verse can stop me" .. damn, chills.
There are a bunch of Firefly cast members cameoing in, "The Rookie" too.
There’s also the convention film spoof Conman
@@Oleoay great
"No power in the 'Verse can stop me!"
From Kaylee, adorable and endearing.
From River, morbid and creepifying.
when kaylee says it, we understand that she's playing. when river says it, we suspect it might be true.
There’s quite a few leadups in early episodes showing Wash’s tension about not going out on excursions and not being a part of the heroic stories and feeling conflicted about Zoe and Mal. There’s also the bit in out of gas where Mal drags Wash away from Zoe. The soup thing is a call back to Our Mrs Reynolds where Zoe wouldn’t cook for Wash.
21:03 I love the editing with the blinking sound effect! and a very proper reaction!
23:12 And a great conclusion to "We'll be in our bunk" with the comedic rule of three!
Jacqui-"battle mode activated" spongebob narrator-"one moment later" River Tam steps into frame
“One, two, three, four,
Put the baddies on the floor.”
Notable thing about the show in general but especially in this episode is the frisson created by casting against type. Here you have a personable actor like Nathan Fillion as a war vet with PTSD, and when done right it's super fun to watch. Ironically another good example was Alan Tudyk as a hitman in Justified.
RE: Joss Whedon's fall from grace...
"Seems like any one ever had a statue built to 'em was some kinda sonuvabitch or another."
16:00 "There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man." -Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man’s Fear, and Niska pissed off more than one of those. And as an extra unfortunate turn of events one of them likely wasn't always gentle, if past evidence suggest anything at all.
Mal is a good man, but he’s not a Tame Lion.
Your comment brought to mind the character Benjamin Martin in Mel Gibson movie The Patriot.
Martin was a peaceful man until he was met with brutality earlier in his life; then, he waged war in ways to strike fear into his enemies. But then he was overwhelmed with regrets over the things that he had done; he swore that he would never be the sort of man that he had become in that war.
But, one day, a particular colonel came to his home, arrested one of his sons and shot another. Then, this colonel met the "real" Benjamin Martin.
And like with Mal in the Serenity movie, the Brits found out what happens when "peaceful"/"gentle" men start to fight a war.
@@Audra1964 Well, he's alright...
I just got to meet Alan Tudyk at Dragoncon. He was a super nice guy!
The Art of War was written by Chinese philosopher and general, Sun Tzu. Shan Yu is a fictional psychotic dictator who existed in some time frame between current day us and current day Serenity. Which is why Simon had to ask for clarification - for the audience's sake. The writers needed someone to have a belief that no current historical psychotic dictator held, so they had to invent one.
7:20 BUNKMASTER JAYNE!!!
The look of shock when River _Does Her Thing_ will get me every time. I remember vividly my reaction when my brother took me through _Firefly._ I sat up and said 'Sorry....WHAT?!? RIVER?!?!? WHAAAAAT!'
One of my favorite bits of Chinese occurs during the scene @7:30, although it didn’t make the edit. Mal says something long in Chinese and finishes in English with “…and I don’t have time to unwind it.” As I understand it, the Chinese translates to “this is a knot of self-indulgent insanity”, which is a marvelous phrase that I dearly hope I can use in anger at least once in this life. :)
There's a big book of Firefly screenplay with notes. It might be in there...
I have never been so sorry it was only one season than after watching your reactions❤
That is the most heartbreaking compliment I can imagine. Thank you, and also...I'm so sorry! 😅💔😭
Half a season. Big difference.
@@dougearnest7590
11 of 14 is more than half a season
@@dougearnest7590
11 of 14 is more than half a season.
@dougearnest7590
11 of 14 is more than half a season.
It takes a special kind of person to be killed, be resuscitated, and still have the wit to come back with such sass.... That's our Captain.
Several reactors I have seen needed it explained to them after the fact why Mal was continuing to push Wash during the torture scene. If your mind is focused on being angry at him, you don't register the pain so much, and you won't give up. Anger is a passion, and this anger is about Zoe, whom Wash is passionate about. Mal's been through a lot, and he's seen what happens to people who break. He probably had men under his command that broke, and they were his responsibility. Some reactors didn't pick up on it until Wash explained in show, others didn't even after posting. But some did catch on during the torture, what Mal was up to. (You were faster than many, slower than a few. I honestly can't remember when exactly it hit me what he was doing the first time I watched)
This is the episode that really made Shepard Book one of my favorites.
"Don't interrupt me when I'm torturing" unalived me. Well played, Jacqui. Well. Played.
I love the "camera" work in the CGI space scenes. You can easily do it perfect, but go with off center - often without the whole ship- and with "lens flares." Oh, I usually point out if he had killed Jayne last episode, They all die in this episode.
Re: Whedon's fall from grace -
His big shows (Buffy, Angel, Firefly) we're on when I was in middle/high school, and pretty formative for me. I think that if Joss Whedon's work turned me into the kind of man who can look at Joss Whedon's actions and think, "what a piece of shit" then there must be some merit in the work.
Interesting take, I like it
Thats where I kind of settled with it as well. Still sucks but i think even if he didnt live up to th kind of standard he aspired to in some ofhis writing he at least showed a different kind of male/ female character that was out of the norm of the time.
...and my anticipation for you watching the Big Damn Movie has now increased...
"Know yourself, and know your enemy, and in a hundred battles you will not be in peril."
Now THAT, is Sun Tzu.
Jayne: "I'll be in my bunk"
Zoe: "Jayne ... grab your weapon"
Jayne (thinking): "I was just gonna do that..." 🤣
16:13 "You push them too far, they become your worst nightmare." - The best phrase ever uttered in a TV show expressing that sentiment: "Demons run, when a good man goes to war."
"No power in the verse can stop me" River Tam
Reprising Kaylee, who said it in the opening after River failed to catch her. I think the whole point of that line was to cast light on how the different context changed the meaning for Kaylee. Did you notice how she reacted when River said it?
@@auldrick
When Kaylee said it she was playing.
It isn't about the context as much as to show River doesn't understand she shouldn't be treating shooting people as the same as playing.
The context did change but River's perceptions of the two did not. To *her* there was on change in context. Only to Kaylee.
@auldrick definitely, but when Kaylee says it, it's in a joking manner, when River says it she means it.
@@HeedTheLorax
That isn't how they saw it.
Kaylee saw River say it in the same manner, "Like we were playing"
Kaylee isn't scared because River means she can't be stopped. River doesn't believe she is all-powerful or unstoppable and Kaylee doesn't see it that way either.
Kaylee is scared because River thinks what she did was a game.
@@ChibiHoshiDragon not how I see it.
9:12 To help with the scene Alan Tudyk asked the props department to make the case heavy. That way it would be easier for him to "act" like he was struggling to carry it. They made it a bit too heavy, and you do see him legitimately struggling to carry it.
This episode is one of my favorites. The show is so smart because it sets the table for future issues and doesn't let story strands dangle. The Wash/Zoey/Mal issue was present from episode one. "Don't forget to call him Captain. He likes that.", from Wash suggesting they just tell Mal they need some days off instead of asking in episode 1 comes back in this episode. Just an amazing show way ahead of its time, especially for network television. A great reaction as always!
“Can we vote on the whole murdering people thing?” Wash has always been just a little uncomfortable under Mal’s rule. After this episode, he understands why Zoe is so comfortable there.
14:06 The technique is indeed distraction. It's a resistance technique against torture, and it is somewhat effective. Mal is keeping Wash strong.
Sounds like someone has been thru SERE.
@@patrickkenyon2326 I haven't been through SERE, but I have gotten some training on the subject before deployment. Always figured that it was good to pay attention, just in case.
@@RoastedOpinions My father was a veteran of WW2, Korea, and Vietnam.
He always said it is better to know something, and not need it, than need, and not know how.
And now we've seen my top 3 episodes. I love seeing people discover this for the first time. It's like seeing it again for the first time.
Victory belongs to the most persevering.
The Art of War was by Sun-Tzu; and he wasn't a dictator, just an adviser. 🙂
Stories tend to change after 500 years
The corporate world adopted Sun Tzu when Mark McNeilly wrote his bestseller and it sort of diluted Tzu’s potency in popular culture. However - taking out the paradigms between war capabilities of his day and those of ours - he has never been proven wrong.
For those of us who read him before McNeilly’s book (we, the Sun Tzu hipsters), understand how timeless and insightful his treatise was. His wisdom, equally unflinching in brutality and mindful of compassion, seems like common sense now but it was a seminal documentation of successful warfare principles, and its impact has thus far been unparalleled.
The Western world embraced Machiavelli but he wrote of rulership. Sun Tzu remains the apogee of war doctrine.
11:15 to this day "Once, in flight school, I was laconic." will forever be one of my all-time favourite lines from both the show and Alan Tudyk😂😂
Watching River shoot those guys always reminds me of the film Equilibrium to an extent. Which I think would make for an entertaining future reaction video for you (especially if you've have not already seen it.) I love these reactions and can't wait to see more.
Oh yes!! Equilibrium is a fantastic movie that suffered from a horrific lack of marketing so hardly anyone heard of it.
There is a very similar scene by Bruce Willis in the movie The Fifth Element.
He peeks around a corner to see where the enemies are, ducks back, then leans out and shoots several of them.
It is actually a military technique. Locate the targets. Visualize in your head where they are. Then pop out and shoot.
It is faster than looking, aiming, and shooting all in one go. That leaves you exposed too long.
People usually pick other episodes, but this is truly, surely, my absolute favorite of them all. Its an episode that REALLY shows how much Zoe and Mal were affected by the war. It's the episode that finally grapples with the horror that River has been dealing with this whole time. It shows how far Malcolm would go for his crew, in that he never once even mentions the fact that Zoe left him behind, as he absolutely wanted that to be the choice made. Never even enters his mind that it's an issue. It shows so much more depth to the characters in a way I'm sure the show wanted to explore but never got a chance to.
This is the episode that makes me think of where they might have gone.
I was always under the impression that Niska was loving every minute of watching the two of them argue. He just needed to zap them every once in a while to keep the show going. That's what it appeared to be, to me. Great episode. I'm glad you love this series too.
Oh, yes. Spot on!
You can tell that this is just grand entertainment to Niska. How often does he get to see this kind of show when torturing people?
See, I always got the impression that he was confused by what he was seeing, that he was asking himself "How are they ignoring me like this?"
"Ive never shot anyone before."
"I was there, son. I'm fair certain you haven't shot anyone YET."
😆🤣😂