Malcolm Reynolds Part 14: “Objects in Space” – Firefly, Episode 1:14 (December 13, 2002)

Mal learns more about River - both the danger and the blessing.

I have this episode in the Firefly 4-Disc DVD set.

Inara tells Mal of her intentions to stay on New Melbourne when they arrive to pick up cargo when a scene develops in the cargo bay – River has a gun. While some of the others try to talk to her, Mal steps in and takes it away before anything happens. Later, he has a “discussion” with Jayne about how she managed to get one of his guns.

In the mess hall, Mal talks with Simon, Book, Zoe and Wash about River’s condition, when Kaylee comes in and tells them about River’s actions during “War Stories”. Mal makes it clear that he’s aware that River is a danger to everyone, and admits to being fond of her himself. He also believes that she knows things she shouldn’t or couldn’t, and thinks she’s a “reader”. He tells everyone he needs time to think before deciding on a course of action, and they all retire for the night…except Mal who can’t sleep.

He wanders the ship and finds a stranger aboard. They fight, but Mal gets knocked out and wakes up locked in his quarters. He then hears River talking over the radio saying she’s Serenity and that the invader’s name is Jubal Early - a bounty hunter that has Simon hostage and is there to collect River. Mal starts to get his bearings when River speaks to him privately and asks him to trust her.

On River’s signal, Mal leaves his room, dons a spacesuit and waits for Jubal outside the ship near the airlock. When he gets there, Mal throws him off the ship and into space. River, who was on Jubal’s ship the whole time, spacewalks back to Serenity and asks Mal’s permission to come aboard. He smiles and helps her back inside.

Mal shares an awkward moment with Inara about the busted lip she got from Jubal and Serenity continues on her way to New Melbourne.

Notes of Interest:

1) At this point, Mal and River are the only ones who know Inara plans on leaving Serenity.

2) Jayne backs down immediately when Mal brings up the events from “Ariel”.

3) Mal has no issue with Kaylee not shooting/killing anyone, even while rescuing Mal from Niska.

4) It’s interesting that he won’t make any quick decision regarding River.

WTF? Moment:  Why would Mal tell Simon no one on the ship could help him if he was shot? It’s been shown throughout the series that Mal and Zoe know their way around the infirmary during a crisis. And even if they don’t know how to remove bullets, they’d do what they could until they found help.

WTF? Moment #2: Mal mentions that River knows things she shouldn’t or couldn’t know. Exactly when does Mal discover this? Could Simon have revealed how the siblings were almost burned at the stake?

WTF? Moment #3: Now for the big question: When River reads Mal’s mind, he says “None of it means a damn thing.” What is he talking about? The things he’s trying to say to keep Inara on board? Their relationship? Life in general? What the heck is it?