Blog 4 - Firefly Pilot

Watching the pilot of Firefly gave me further insight into the character of the captain, Malcolm Reynolds. At the beginning of the episode, we are introduced to a man whose courage and apparent lack of fear makes him able to do what others cannot. We are also introduced to Zoe, a match for the captain on all levels.

The main theme of the pilot is that affection which everybody on board the serenity has for each other. Some may be stronger than others, but all of them are very important to the story. At the beginning there is the bond between the captain Mal and his first-mate Zoe. Zoe, maybe his subordinate, but in almost every other way than in rank, she is his equal. She seems to be the more logical of the two, often keeping the captain in check and acting as a sounding board for any of his ideas. Then there is the more obvious link between the pilot, Wash, and Zoe, as they are married.

The link between  Kaylee, the engineer on board and Mal is important as well. Mal seems to be her father on board, talking harshly sometimes but most times affectionately to her. Their bond influences the storyline seriously as it is what stops Mal from giving the doctor, Simon up. The bond between the companion Inara, and Mal is more complicated: Both of them are clearly drawn to each other, yet their pride and stubbornness keeps them apart. Only when it seems like they might die do they acknowledge that they care.

 The connection between the preacher and Mal is one of begrudging respect. Both do not really care for each other, but tolerate each other. The preacher seems to connect more with Kaylee and surprisingly, Inara. Jayne and Mal also seem to share the same kind of begrudging respect. While they work together, Mal shows his superiority during the table incident when he orders Jayne to leave the table. There seems to be something stronger between them though: Jayne sticks with Mal even when offered quite an amount of money. Jayne seems to respect and admire Mal’s proficiency in battle, and so sticks with him.

And one of the strongest bonds among the crew of the Serenity, the one between the doctor Simon and his Sister River is truly something to admire. He lost everything he had: his standing in society, his money, all to make sure his sister was safe. His love for his sister was worth more to him than all that.

The pilot of Firefly showed that even in the most unlikely of circumstances, between the most unlikely of people, bonds can grow: bonds of friendship, bonds of love, bonds of marriage. And these bonds can persevere, no matter the difficulty.