Firefly blows my mind
Jul. 13th, 2005 02:11 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
exsequarAgenda for this post: 1) Talk about Firefly episode "Out of Gas" and 2) Talk about Harry/Hermione, why I love it, and why I believe it WILL happen. Whether in HBP or the 7th book. (For ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
novafairy who actually said she'd enjoy reading that if I wrote it, so I'm writing it!)
1) "Out of Gas" was my favorite episode by far out of the ones I've watched so far (up through episode 10, I think). I've loved the whole series, but this episode really sticks out for me. Generally, the show is very light hearted, with the crew of Serenity getting into mildy serious scrapes, yes, but always coming through them with a grin and a witty remark. Don't get me wrong, that's one of the many things I love (just like Buffy, or to some extent The X-Files) because humor is SO essential. But I didn't feel like I knew the characters well on a human level until this episode. It's emotionally very intense, and the characters are put through a lot in 40 minutes. And that's why I loved it.
For the curious who are actually reading this but haven't seen the show (yeah, like 1 of you, but whatev :)) the episode is complicated, but I'll try to explain. chronologically, what happens is that there's an explosion on the ship, all life support (including the auxiliary system) is killed, and the ship is dead in the water (so to speak). There's one engine part broken that needs to be replaced, but they don't have a replacement and it can't be fixed. So Mal (the captain) sends everyone else out on their two shuttles, in opposite directions, because there's more air on the shuttles and they might be able to find some help. Mal stays on board, and a ship replies to his distress call; they have the replacement part, but when they come on board they have guns and say they're going to take the ship. They shoot Mal in the side, who then gets a gun, turns it on them, and kicks them off the ship, forcing them to leave the replacement part behind. Yay Mal. *smishes him* But anyways, he stumbles to the engine, gushing blood, fixes the part, and passes out. His crews come back cause Zoe is smart (has a hunch, or something), and they save him and all is good and happy.
Now, one of the best parts of the episode is how it's constructed. We START with Mal on the floor, bleeding his guts out, alone and looking rather pale (oxygen deprived AND shot.. not good) but holding a mysterious engine part. Throughout the ep we get flashes of him stumbling around, really really bloody (god it's intense) and obviously trying to get somewhere with that part. We have no idea how he got injured until about 30 minutes in (my working theory for a while was that he tripped and fell on something pointy - hey, I was way off, shows there was lots of suspense, yes?) so that was intense. But then interwoven with the present and future is the PAST. Little vignettes about how he got his crew together originally (Zoe had a "bad feeling" about Wash (her future husband), Kaylee was actually screwing the mechanic in the engine room when she showed she could fix it, etc. Brilliant.) serve to add a sense of history and dimension that the show was somewhat lacking to this point.
But the most affecting part was everyone being scared to death, thinking they were about to slowly asphyxiate together. Of course, situations like that always create unique interactions, tensions, emotions, basically just bringing out sides of people that aren't seen usually. Inara comforts Simon, which was a lovely moment between two people who don't interact much... Mal has to slam Wash against a wall to bring him to his senses when he's nearly crazy with worry over Zoe (who was injured in the explosion)... Inara begs Mal to come with them on the shuttles because she loves him but can't say it. The acting is all phenomenal. I am so impressed with this cast. It was just so affecting and intense.
My favorite part, though, is the flash-forwards to Mal, when he's wounded and struggling. Nathan Fillion's acting here blows my mind... he looks so terribly in pain, so desperate to get to his destination, that it yanks at my heart strings. Yanks very hard.
Then the ending is sweet, but not sickeningly so. Wash is giving Mal blood, but they don't draw attention to it... it's just there, and you notice it or you don't. Zoe is awake and engages in some affectionate banter. Kaylee looks so happy to see that Mal's okay, and Mal just brightens up when she comes in. I love their rapport, it's very father-daughter. They're really becoming one big family, and it's lovely. Of course, in the next ep, there is betrayal and attacks and near killings (amongst the crew), but hey, can't be happy fuzzy all the time.
2) Ummm I take that back. I'm so tired that I'm getting that dizzy swimming feeling behind my eyes that means I REALLY need to go to bed, ASAP. So. I'll write the HHr thing tomorrow, kay Steff? Sorry!
novafairy who actually said she'd enjoy reading that if I wrote it, so I'm writing it!)1) "Out of Gas" was my favorite episode by far out of the ones I've watched so far (up through episode 10, I think). I've loved the whole series, but this episode really sticks out for me. Generally, the show is very light hearted, with the crew of Serenity getting into mildy serious scrapes, yes, but always coming through them with a grin and a witty remark. Don't get me wrong, that's one of the many things I love (just like Buffy, or to some extent The X-Files) because humor is SO essential. But I didn't feel like I knew the characters well on a human level until this episode. It's emotionally very intense, and the characters are put through a lot in 40 minutes. And that's why I loved it.
For the curious who are actually reading this but haven't seen the show (yeah, like 1 of you, but whatev :)) the episode is complicated, but I'll try to explain. chronologically, what happens is that there's an explosion on the ship, all life support (including the auxiliary system) is killed, and the ship is dead in the water (so to speak). There's one engine part broken that needs to be replaced, but they don't have a replacement and it can't be fixed. So Mal (the captain) sends everyone else out on their two shuttles, in opposite directions, because there's more air on the shuttles and they might be able to find some help. Mal stays on board, and a ship replies to his distress call; they have the replacement part, but when they come on board they have guns and say they're going to take the ship. They shoot Mal in the side, who then gets a gun, turns it on them, and kicks them off the ship, forcing them to leave the replacement part behind. Yay Mal. *smishes him* But anyways, he stumbles to the engine, gushing blood, fixes the part, and passes out. His crews come back cause Zoe is smart (has a hunch, or something), and they save him and all is good and happy.
Now, one of the best parts of the episode is how it's constructed. We START with Mal on the floor, bleeding his guts out, alone and looking rather pale (oxygen deprived AND shot.. not good) but holding a mysterious engine part. Throughout the ep we get flashes of him stumbling around, really really bloody (god it's intense) and obviously trying to get somewhere with that part. We have no idea how he got injured until about 30 minutes in (my working theory for a while was that he tripped and fell on something pointy - hey, I was way off, shows there was lots of suspense, yes?) so that was intense. But then interwoven with the present and future is the PAST. Little vignettes about how he got his crew together originally (Zoe had a "bad feeling" about Wash (her future husband), Kaylee was actually screwing the mechanic in the engine room when she showed she could fix it, etc. Brilliant.) serve to add a sense of history and dimension that the show was somewhat lacking to this point.
But the most affecting part was everyone being scared to death, thinking they were about to slowly asphyxiate together. Of course, situations like that always create unique interactions, tensions, emotions, basically just bringing out sides of people that aren't seen usually. Inara comforts Simon, which was a lovely moment between two people who don't interact much... Mal has to slam Wash against a wall to bring him to his senses when he's nearly crazy with worry over Zoe (who was injured in the explosion)... Inara begs Mal to come with them on the shuttles because she loves him but can't say it. The acting is all phenomenal. I am so impressed with this cast. It was just so affecting and intense.
My favorite part, though, is the flash-forwards to Mal, when he's wounded and struggling. Nathan Fillion's acting here blows my mind... he looks so terribly in pain, so desperate to get to his destination, that it yanks at my heart strings. Yanks very hard.
Then the ending is sweet, but not sickeningly so. Wash is giving Mal blood, but they don't draw attention to it... it's just there, and you notice it or you don't. Zoe is awake and engages in some affectionate banter. Kaylee looks so happy to see that Mal's okay, and Mal just brightens up when she comes in. I love their rapport, it's very father-daughter. They're really becoming one big family, and it's lovely. Of course, in the next ep, there is betrayal and attacks and near killings (amongst the crew), but hey, can't be happy fuzzy all the time.
2) Ummm I take that back. I'm so tired that I'm getting that dizzy swimming feeling behind my eyes that means I REALLY need to go to bed, ASAP. So. I'll write the HHr thing tomorrow, kay Steff? Sorry!
