Malcolm Reynolds Part WTF: Serenity: The Shepherd’s Tale (November, 2010)

I have this issue.

This story is obviously about Derrial Book, but Mal does make an appearance…in all of three panels…on a single page. He and Zoe are on Serenity working an arms deal when their contact pulls a gun on her. Mal tackles the guy to the ground while Zoe covers him. Book walks in at this point…and walks right out.

Notes of Interest:

1) Absolutely no character development here, since it’s a flashback memory Book has while he’s dying on Haven, but there’s a conflict…

WTF? Moment: …because according to the story this interaction Book has with Mal takes place two years ago, while the preacher is on Serenity. However, in the film, Mal states that only eight months have passed from when Simon and River boarded Mal’s ship to the events of the movie. And we know Book joined the ship the same day as River and Simon. I consider this a typo, since Joss wrote the film and only outlined this story.

WTF? Moment #2: Other than that, it’s clear that the main part of this story – where Book is shot and dying on Haven - takes place during the film, and Mal arrives in time to speak with him before he passes. But as to the flashback, there’s no frame of reference to tell exactly when Book walks in on the busted arms deal, which is okay, but firmly places this story – in terms of Mal anyway – as a W…T…F.

Malcolm Reynolds Part 22: Serenity: Those Left Behind #3 (September, 2005)

 Remember the name of the guy Mal shot in “Serenity”? Me either, but he sure remembers Mal....

I have this issue in the Serenity: Those Left Behind Trade Paperback.

Mal, Zoe and Jayne enter the room of the ship where the money is stashed, and instead of finding money they find Agent Dobson…the guy Mal shot in “Serenity”. Dobson’s there for revenge, because after Mal and Jayne dumped his body off Serenity the law saw him as dead. He decided not to correct the mistake, and has been itchin’ for payback.

Zoe makes a move, and Mal gets the draw on Dobson and shoots out his other eye. After the rest of Dobson’s men are dead, Mal shoots him one more time – just to be sure.

Mal contacts Wash to tell him the trio are heading back to Serenity, but it’s not where it’s supposed to be. Wash brings the ship back to them and they have to grab onto the side because another ship is on their tail. Once Mal and the others are inside, he tells Wash to “step on it” and they get away safely.

Serenity finally arrives on New Melbourne and everyone says their goodbyes. Back on the ship, Mal’s caught talking to himself by Book, who tells him the shepherd is also planning on leaving. Mal admits that he didn’t care about Book hitting him, but the preacher explains that if he doesn’t leave soon he wouldn’t care either.

Later on, Mal’s sitting in his room when Zoe calls down to him asking what course Wash should set.

Mal’s reply?

“The same as always. Forward.”

Notes of Interest:

1) Well, for one thing, Mal learns Dobson wasn’t dead.

WTF? Moment: Mal (sort of) says goodbye to Inara, learns Book is leaving, has very little money at the moment and no longer trusts Badger enough to ever take a job from him again. Yet he continues. This really says a lot about the guy. He never gives up.

WTF? Moment #2: We never learn what Mal says to Inara, only what he wanted to say to her. Makes me wonder if he said anything at all.

Malcolm Reynolds Part 21: Serenity: Those Left Behind #2 (August, 2005)

Mal and company revisit the past as another job comes their way.

I have this issue in the Serenity: Those Left Behind Trade Paperback.

The crew are at a station somewhere for fuel and supplies when Badger arrives and tells Mal and the others about the Battle of Sturges, a browncoats defeat during the war. He tells them that the battle took place over money…money that’s never been recovered.  He offers Mal the job of retrieving the money and even provides the exact coordinates of its location. Mal takes the job, and Inara sees it as yet another excuse for keeping her on board. Book speaks up and calls Mal on the value of his promise to her, and Mal fires back about his recent un-preacher-like actions. Book responds by punching Mal in the face.

They reach the Battle of Sturges and find the location of the money - a derelict vessel floating amongst hundreds of abandoned spacewrecks. Mal, Zoe and Jayne suit up and board it.

Notes of Interest:

1) Mal clearly doesn’t trust Badger by this point, which makes sense given their relationship throughout the series.

2) We learn that both Mal and Zoe fought at the Battle of Sturges.

3) Despite the battle’s reputation of being the bloodiest of the war, Mal calls it a distant second.

4) Mal is one tough hombre to take a shot like that from Book without missing a beat…even after he got up off the floor.

5) He also doesn’t seem the least surprised Book hit him.

6) Wash makes it clear that he knows Mal’s doing everything he can to keep Inara around.

WTF? Moment: What’s the deal with Mal and Book? Why are they on each other’s nerves?

WTF? Moment #2: Mal never says what the Battle of Sturges is second in bloodiness to, but my money’s on Serenity Valley. 

Malcolm Reynolds Part 20: Serenity: Those Left Behind #1 (July, 2005)

Mal loses a job and his patience, but keeps his gun.

I have this issue in the Serenity: Those Left Behind Trade Paperback.

Mal, Zoe and Jayne find themselves in a bank vault standoff against another gang of thieves. Outgunned, Mal lets the other group take the money. But when their leader also asks for Mal’s gun, he kicks it in the man’s face, causing all kinds of disruption.

The other group gets away clean, and Mal’s crew are left behind to take the blame by the locals. Not wanting to get shot, killed or captured, they make a run for it in a vehicle Book – who was leading a sermon/causing a diversion at the time – provides. Mal calls Wash to bring Serenity in for a much needed rescue, and after some dampening heroics, everyone gets aboard safely.

Mal retires to the mess hall for a beverage and to lick his wounds when he finds River hiding under the table. Inara comes in and tells him she’s been keeping an eye on the girl. She also mentions…again…that she’s trying to schedule her leaving and Mal walks off in a huff.

Notes of Interest:

1) The other group is led by Ott, a man Mal shares some history with.

2) Mal acknowledges that there are only two things that got him through the war and stuck with him afterwards…his gun, and Zoe.

3) He’s obviously taking his time in getting Inara to where she wants to go.

WTF? Moment: I’ll mention it again – when will we learn how he met Zoe and what made her stay with him after the war?

WTF? Moment #2: He seems to like pushing Book’s buttons and I have no idea why.

Malcolm Reynolds Part 19: The Other Half – Web Comic (August, 2008)

Mal gets a bad feeling over a job and uses all of his available resources to see it through.

I don’t have this story, but you can read it online here. (You’ll just have to scroll to Issue 13.) It’s also reprinted in the Serenity: Better Days and Other Stories Trade Paperback.

Mal’s on a transport fighting off a Reaver attack along with Zoe and Jayne. The cargo they’re protecting is a man who hired them to take him to a specific location for a meeting. Inside the transport with the man are Simon - which is a good thing because the client/cargo is wounded - and River.

Along the way, Mal runs out of ammo and tries to knock a Reaver off the ship with his gun…which doesn’t work. Fortunately, Zoe saves Mal’s life by shooting the Reaver. Wash comes in with Serenity and shoots the Reaver ship out of the sky, but the client/cargo dies before they reach the rendezvous point. Mal decides to leave the body behind, but before boarding his ship, Mal tells River that he saw her drop a gun, and that he intentionally put her in with the client/cargo because the man paid Mal half the fee up front…which nobody ever does.

Notes of Interest:

1) Mal officially welcomes River to the crew in this story.

2) This is the first time Mal makes constructive use of River’s reading ability.

WTF? Moment: The Other Half is another web comic that could occur in several places within the Firefly/Serenity timeline. This website places this story after Those Left Behind and before the film. Again, some of the joys of being a dork are argument, debate and personal preference, but I place this story here for two reasons:

1) The argument can be made that since we don’t see or hear mention of Inara or Book at all, they must have left the ship already, which would put this story closer to the film. Here’s my counterpoint: There’s no mention of Kaylee at all either. We assume she’s on Serenity, since Wash obviously is, and I believe Book could be there too. Plus, there’s nothing saying Inara isn’t on the ship, and from the angle of the few shots we get of Serenity both shuttles could either be there or gone. If they’re both gone, Book could be using the other one – getting supplies or whatever.

2) The comment Mal makes here about getting a chance to earn their money strikes a stronger chord coming on the heels of Better Days.

WTF? Moment #2: If you look at Mal’s face when they learn the client/cargo is dead, he’s looking at Simon. Could he be checking Simon’s reaction to seeing his sister kill someone?

Malcolm Reynolds Part 18: Serenity: Better Days #3 (May, 2008)

Looks like Mal’s better days are ahead of him…

I have this issue in the Serenity Better Days Trade Paperback.

Mal is taken prisoner by Ephraim Sanda from Alliance Special Ops who believes Mal is a dust devil – a group of browncoats who continued to fight the Alliance after the war ended. After taking a beating just this side of Niska, he sees a transmission of Zoe saying they’ve got the wrong man. She offers herself in exchange for the captain and calls Sanda out for the trade.

Mal is brought with Sanda and his troops to the location, and just as they start the exchange Sanda’s ship explodes. An incoming ship is to blame, and after laying down some strafing fire it shoots several missiles into the middle of the battlefield. Instead of exploding, the missiles open up to reveal robots that continue to attack everyone. Mal witnesses Book decapitate one of them and is saved from another by Sanda, who realizes that survival is more important than dust devils.

Sanda gives cover fire while Mal runs to a hook and winch. He throws the hook into the air and catches the vessel, which is pulled to the ground and destroyed. In return for saving Sanda’s life, he lets Mal and Zoe go.

They return to the ship to find it’s been looted…all their hard earned stolen money is gone.

Later on, Mal talks with Inara about Simon. She dodges the issue by telling him she knows that it was Mal who told the thieves where the money was hidden. She also knows that while the others were talking about what they’d do with their money, he’s already doing it. By losing the money, Mal’s plan to keep everyone together works.

Notes of Interest:

1) Mal never learns that the man who attacked them here was the same man they stole the big mean machine from in issue #1.

2) Mal doesn’t deny Inara’s accusations.

WTF? Moment: Who the heck did Mal tell about the money? Sanda? That would look too much like bargaining for his life, and I don’t see Mal doing that. Ever. The thieves from the restaurant in issue #2? Some random thieves he met on his way to Inara’s shuttle? Gotta call B.S. on that one.

WTF? Moment #2: While it’s never said outright, I’m sure Mal knows of Zoe’s dust devil days. I also think they stopped around the time he bought Serenity.

Malcolm Reynolds Part 17: Serenity: Better Days #2 (April, 2008)

Mal discovers a relationship brewing between Inara and another member of his crew.

I have this issue in the Serenity Better Days Trade Paperback.

Mal listens as Jayne tells everyone his plans for spending his share of the money they took in Better Days #1. Wash tells them his plan, and then Zoe gives Mal his turn. He declines to answer and tells Wash it’s time to land as they’ve arrived at their vacation location. He makes his way to Inara’s shuttle to let her know they’re landing and asks her what her spending plans consist of but she changes the subject by asking what a “dust devil” is. He tells her that they’re strong minded people who continued to fight the Alliance after the war ended.

After checking in, Mal gives the hotel room a once over. At a thousand credits a night it looks it, but Mal makes it clear that fancy things tend to make people forget themselves. Later on, Mal’s having a meal with Zoe, Wash and Jayne at a fancy restaurant when the festivities get interrupted by thievery. The captain and his crew disrupt the event and are cheered by their fellow diners.

Afterwards, Mal mentions to Zoe that he saw an Alliance ship land just far enough away to cause concern. She tells him Wash checked it and it belongs to Ephraim Sanda, most likely a member of Alliance Special Ops, and was seen headed towards Inara’s shuttle. Mal tells her Sanda’s presence could be about dust devils and decides to stakeout the shuttle.

Hoping he doesn’t find Sanda leaving her shuttle, Mal instead sees Simon coming out. But before he can react, Mal gets knocked unconscious from behind.

Notes of Interest:

1) Mal knows a thing or two about dust devils, and doesn’t seem to mind them.

2) He’s obviously uncomfortable with Inara “working” during their R-n-R.

3) He also knows a thing or two about weapons…beyond his own gun, Vera and that cannon he fired in “Serenity”.

4) Living the good life doesn’t seem to sit too well with him…

5) …in fact, Mal looks happiest before they even land; when he’s watching his crew at the table in the mess hall.

WTF? Moment: I can understand his issues with luxury, being raised on a farm and fighting in trenches for independence and all, but you gotta wonder what Mal does to unwind. There’s got to be more to him than just playing horseshoes and sticking it to the Alliance, right?

Malcolm Reynolds Part 16: Serenity: Better Days #1 (March, 2008)

Mal finally gets paid…a lot.

I have this issue in the Serenity Better Days Trade Paperback.

Mal’s in a museum with Zoe, Jayne and Simon as they use the doctor’s knowledge of all things fancy to pick the most expensive items to take. The job goes smoothly…until they leave the building, when some very big and very mean piece of machinery chases after them. Mal leaves the mule and heads in a different direction to lead it away from the others, and just as it prepares to open fire on him, Kaylee comes out of nowhere and slaps something onto it that shuts it down.

The museum robbery was just a side job necessary to lure out the big mean machine, which was the real target all along. They load it onto Serenity and make the delivery, and Mal makes sure to hold onto the memory core (which runs the thing) until they get paid. Their contact confesses that he doesn’t have the money, but tells Mal where they could get it – inside a Buddhist temple not too far away. The agreement being that once they have the money, Mal would send him the core. Mal debates the plan with Simon, who’s against the idea, and Book suggests Mal make a donation to the temple after the fact in order to calm the doctor down, which Mal agrees to do.

Mal, Zoe and Jayne head inside the temple and take the money, but are interrupted by a monk who enters the room. Mal puts his gun away and apologizes for the disturbance as he leaves. Back aboard Serenity, he starts counting the money and finds a lot more than he thought they had. In fact, it’s millions. They're finally rich.

Notes of Interest:

1) If I’m not mistaken, this is the first time we see Mal driving something…with wheels.

2) His lack of knowledge regarding valuable museum pieces is reminiscent of his trouble learning medical speak in “Ariel”.

3) Just look at Mal’s face when he’s holding the money. Isn’t he ever happy when he’s not bugging the Alliance?

WTF? Moment: I understand why Mal would leave the mule during the getaway, but how did he know the machine would go after him and not the vehicle carrying the valuable museum trinkets? Weren’t they the reason the machine was chasing them in the first place?

Malcolm Reynolds Part 15: Downtime – Web Comic (November 11, 2010)

Mal does absolutely nothing in this story, but it still counts!

I don’t have this story, but you can read it online here, and it’s reprinted in the Serenity: Better Days and Other Stories Trade Paperback.

Mal’s anxious to get into the black now that they’ve loaded up Serenity with some “mighty precious cargo”, but they can’t on account of the weather. So everyone is stuck cooling their heels in the mess hall with little in the ways of food (since Mal has no intention of returning to the outpost to stock up on supplies) when Simon comes in and lets Mal and the others know that Jayne has a venereal disease. Mal processes the information as River comes in and tells her brother that she saw a blackbird outside. Taking the news as a sign that the weather’s clearing up, Mal tells Kaylee to fire up Serenity, and they take off.

Notes of Interest:

1) Not much character development here, but it’s clear that it takes place before Inara leaves the ship – which brings me to…

WTF? Moment: …figuring out exactly when this story takes place. Time is wibbly-wobbly at best, and there’s really no specific comment of frame of reference to help with Downtime so there’s bound to be some disagreement. Case in point: this website places Downtime before the events of “Trash”, and makes a valid point as to why, but I respectfully disagree. I believe that River’s comment to Book in this story shows that she’s already read his mind – which we know she did in “Objects in Space”. This is strictly my opinion, and have no other facts to back it up, but this is my blog so what I say goes. Discussions and comments are welcome.

WTF? Moment #2: Why exactly does Mal not want to return to the outpost for provisions? Better question: Why doesn’t he have Jayne or Zoe make the run? It’s possible that all three of them were involved in the acquiring of the goods, but there’s no proof that the level of danger was so high that Wash or Kaylee couldn’t have gone.

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?

Malcolm Reynolds Part 13: “Heart of Gold” – Firefly, Episode 1:13 (Never Aired)

Mal makes a new acquaintance, and loses much more.

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

 

Mal’s cleaning his guns in the mess hall when Inara comes in and surprises him. They share some petty yet meaningful banter until Wash interrupts them with news of an incomming wave for her from someone asking for help. Mal admits to eavesdropping and learns that her friend Nandi, a former Companion now running a whorehouse, is in some trouble with a local man. When asked about payment, Inara tells him Nandi’s people have no money and offers to pay him herself. He tells her to keep her money, but she insists…preferring to keep their relationship strictly professional. Mal lets the crew in on what’s going on, and they meet with Nandi.

She tells Mal, Zoe and Inara about the cause of the fuss: Rance Burgess, a man who insists that Petaline (one of Nadine’s girls) is carrying his child. He wants the child badly enough to burn Nadine’s place to the ground along with anyone sitting inside it. Mal tells her he wants to meet the man so he can size Burgess up before taking the job. Nadine tells him the where and when, and Inara agrees to go with him. They arrive at the event, and after a five minute conversation with Burgess, Mal leaves. Inara chases after him asking what he thought, and Mal tells her they should leave as soon as possible.

Back at Nadine’s, Mal lays it out to everyone - Burgess is too powerful a man to be reasoned with. Nadine assumes Mal’s turning down the job, but he’s actually inviting Nadine and her people to load up Serenity and start over somewhere else. She refuses to leave, and after some convincing by Book, Zoe, Wash and Jayne, Mal agrees to take the job. He stays with Nandi to get acquainted with the layout and they get…friendly.

The next morning, Mal wakes up in Nandi’s bed, and as he leaves her room (half-dressed) Inara appears. She tells him she’s glad Mal was with her the night before the fight of her life, but he’s worried about Inara thinking he took advantage of her friend.

Mal and Nandi prepare for the upcoming battle, and she hints that there’s more going on between him and Inara than he let on. Mal starts to respond, but is cut off by Burgess’ posse heading their way. During the gunfight, Mal hears laser fire inside the Heart of Gold. He bursts into a hallway to find Nandi dead and Inara kneeling over her body. Guessing what happened, Mal mourns, locks eyes with Inara for a moment and then charges after Burgess.

He catches up with the man responsible for Nandi’s death and they fight. Mal gets the upper hand and beings Burgess back to the house to get tied up with the others, all the while calling out to Petaline to bring him his son. Mal watches as Petaline comes out carrying her son in one arm and a gun in the other. She shoots her baby’s father dead, and tells Burgess’ men to leave and never come back. She also has another of the girls go with them, presumably a spy that helped Burgess get into the building.

Mal attends Nandi’s funeral, and as Serenity heads back into the black he has a conversation with Inara. He tells her he feels guilty for failing Nandi, and tries to open up about his feelings for Inara when she tells him she’s leaving Serenity.

Notes of Interest:

1) Who knew Mal startles so easily?

2) He does a good job keeping focused on the task at hand despite being surrounded by attractive women, and is clearly embarrassed at Jayne’s behavior.

3) Mal admires Nadine for her willingness to fight and possibly die for what’s hers.

4) He learns that Nandi left the companion house on Sihnon before Inara did, and for a while Inara had her eye on becoming house priestess.

5) Mal’s emotions towards Inara are becoming clearer. He looks hurt when she mentions keeping their relationship professional – to the point of making a jab about it when introduced to Nandi – and again when she tells him she’s leaving the ship.

6) Anyone else catch the reference to “Serenity” when Mal mentions not shooting horses?

7) How about Mal’s comment about passing out? That’s damn funny.

WTF? Moment: Why would Mal overreact when Petaline goes into labor? If he was raised on a ranch, wouldn’t he have been exposed to horses and cattle having babies?

WTF? Moment #2: Without looking too much into it, could it be that Nandi…in some way…reminds him of his mother? A frontierswoman holding her own against impossible odds without backing down and building a family out of strangers? Then again, could Nandi remind him of himself as well? “My kind of stupid”, indeed…

I think I'm going to keep this pic for when I have nothing to say...

...because why the hell not?

Malcolm Reynolds Part 12: “The Message” – Firefly, Episode 1:12 (Never Aired)

Mail Call in the ‘verse is not as simple as you’d think.

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

After trying unsuccessfully to fence the Lassiter he successfully stole last episode, Mal and the crew collect their mail. One of them is a crate addressed to him and Zoe, and they open it to find a dead body. The body belongs to Tracey, a fellow soldier they met seven years ago at the Battle of Du-Khang. Mal was a sergeant at the time, and tells Zoe to regroup the troops after assuming command from a shell-shocked lieutenant. Mal acts quickly to redirect incoming fire, and saves Tracey’s life.

Back in the now, Mal and Zoe reseal the crate and take it on board Serenity. He listens to a recording Zoe finds on the body – it’s Tracey, asking Mal and Zoe to take him to his family on St. Albans. He’s about to ask Wash to plot a course, but he’s already on his way to the bridge. Mal then turns to Inara and asks if the change will affect her client schedule but she’s tells him that it isn’t a problem.

Mal deals with Tracey’s situation by sharing an old war story with Zoe and Inara, but they’re interrupted by an explosion outside the ship. Mal gets to the bridge and Wash tells him there’s an Alliance Enforcement officer on their tail that made that warning shot. The officer calls them and orders them to prepare for boarding. Mal speaks with him and learns that they’re looking for stolen property. Mal assumes it’s the Lassiter they’re after, but further conversation makes it clear that they’re after the crate containing Tracey’s body.

Mal, Zoe and Jayne search the crate and the body for anything worth the fuss but they come up empty, and Mal tells Simon he’ll have to do an autopsy to hopefully take out whatever it is they’re wanting. They all head to the infirmary, and just when Simon starts his procedure…Tracey wakes up.

After settling down, Tracey tells Mal that he is carrying something – cloned human organs, which are banned by Alliance. The plan was for Tracey to go to a hospital on Ariel and get them removed and his original organs put back, but someone made him a better offer, and Tracey never went to the hospital. When Tracey arrived at the new location, his contact was dead and he was on the run. So he faked his own death and sent himself to Mal and Zoe to get him home so his family would get the money from the organs. What Tracey wasn’t counting on was the Alliance officer closing in on them.

Mal contacts the officer and agrees to meet on St. Albans, but then has Wash try to lose them in the mountains. He shakes the tail long enough to reach a cave, but the Alliance ship starts bombing the area, threatening a cave-in.

On the bridge, Book suggests they meet with the officer and Mal agrees, but Tracey overhears the discussion and pulls a gun on Mal. Mal orders Wash to contact the officer and send Book’s message and Tracey shoots at Wash. He misses, but Zoe doesn’t. Wounded, Tracey backs off the bridge but takes Kaylee as a hostage. Mal catches up with them, gun drawn, and tries to talk Tracey down. Jayne and Zoe, also armed, close in from other directions and cause a distraction. Mal takes the shot, and kills Tracey.

After meeting with the officer, who was running the illegal organ business on the side and saw Tracey’s bloody body as “damaged goods”, Mal makes good on Tracey’s wishes and returns his body to his family.

Notes of Interest:

1) Mal’s savvy enough to know when he’s being pinched by a pickpocket.

2) He’s authorized to sign for mail for his entire crew – except for Simon and River of course.

3) During the Battle, we learn Mal’s philosophy of war: Everyone dies, and even has a bullet sitting somewhere with their name on it. The trick is to die of old age before it finds you. It seems Mal had Tracey’s bullet all along.

4) Even though he took command, Mal made sure that no record was made that would damage the lieutenant’s record. In fact, he’s not surprised in the least that an officer got taken out of commission by fear.

5) Mal’s character really shines during the Battle, where he’s brash enough to tell the advancing Alliance troops where he is even though he’s well aware his side is falling apart. He seems to thrive amidst chaos.

6) He's never heard of the Mona Lisa.

WTF? Moment: Mal turned down Inara’s offer to fence the Lassiter because he didn’t want her to “jeopardize her career”. Is this the same career that Mal’s been disrespecting throughout the series? He even said as much in “Shindig”. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to say he didn’t want her “neck deep in trouble”, or “running from Alliance”? Could it be that Mal’s starting to see her Companion-ship as an asset to his work?

WTF? Moment #2: Mal has another philosophy of war: When you can’t run, you crawl. When you can’t crawl, you find someone to carry you. This sums up the Browncoats in that they’ve lost every battle we’ve seen so far. They’re either retreating, like at Du-Khang; or surrendering, like at Serenity Valley. By the way - Mal gets in a minor victory both times.

But it also sums up Mal’s life since the war. Think about it, he’s got Serenity – a ship that allows him to stay “a little bit farther” away from the Alliance; he’s got Zoe – someone who carried him (or he carried her or both) through the war; and he’s got a crew he has defended and protected repeatedly (and have, in “War Stories”, rescued him). Let’s face it – each member of the crew is either carrying or is being carried by everyone else, and Serenity herself is carrying them all. While it seems he’s been happiest during the war, Mal’s been the most at peace since he found Serenity.

WTF? Moment #3: Kind of makes everything all the more tragic since it was during the making of this episode that Fox decided to pull the plug, doesn’t it?

Malcolm Reynolds Part 11: “Trash” – Firefly, Episode 1:11 (Never Aired)

We find Mal sitting on a rock in the middle of nowhere…naked…going over events of the past seventy-two hours that got him to this time and this place.

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

Mal is on his own on another piece of nowhere collecting the cargo for his leg of a smuggler’s run from Monty, a fellow smuggler that Mal met during the war. Monty drops the news that he’s married, and Mal is introduced to Bridget only to discover that the woman is Saffron from “Our Mrs. Reynolds”. They draw guns on each other and then fight for a spell until Monty breaks it up. Mal explains that ‘Bridget’ married him a while back and went by the name Saffron, but Monty doesn’t buy it until Bridget/Saffron gives it away by calling Malcolm by his full name – which Monty never gave. Heartbroken and furious, Monty leaves Bridget/Saffron behind while Mal waits for Serentiy to arrive and load the goods.

Mal wants nothing to do with her and tells her to start walking. She tells him she’s working on a score that she’s willing to cut him in on for a ride, but he tells her to keep walking. Serenity arrives, and Mal leaves the crew to load the shipment while he sees Simon to treat his still-bloody nose.

Inara invites him to her shuttle and offer him tea. Mal smells a butter-up and she tells him that she needs clients, which she hasn’t been able to do for a while thanks to his attempts at high-thievery. They argue, and Mal takes offense that she calls his work petty. He leaves her shuttle, goes to the cargo bay and opens one of the crates to ask Bridget/Saffron for more information about the score she’s planned.

The two of them meet the others in the mess hall as she goes over the details: the mark, the prize, the layout, the place and the time. Inara tells them all not to trust her, and Mal offers to listen if there was any other job they could do at the moment. After convincing Wash and Zoe, they all agree to help.

Mal and Bridget/Saffron sneak into the place disguised as workers and make it to the prize: an antique laser pistol called The Lassiter. Mal starts working on disabling the security around it when the mark, a man named Durran, walks in…and hugs Bridget/Saffron. It turns out he knows her as Yolanda, his wife who disappeared six years ago. He thought she died along with a computer programmer who went missing at the same time. Durran goes to the kitchen to make them some tea, and while he’s gone, Mal finishes up and removes the Lassiter. Yolanda/Bridget/Saffron pulls a gun on him, but is interrupted by Durran’s return. Mal ditches the gun in the trash (which was part of the plan), comes back and pulls his gun on her. Durran tells Yolanda that he never believed she loved him, and called the police while he was away. She and Mal manage to escape the building, reach the shuttle and set course for the rendezvous point in Isis Canyon.

Along the way, Mal tries to comfort Yolanda/Bridget/Saffron, knowing that she really cared for Durran despite being the kind of person who’ll take any advantage she can…which she does…when she pulls Mal’s gun on him. She gets him to strip, and leaves him naked in Isis Canyon, not far from the drop-off.

Serenity arrives, and Mal learns that everything went according to plan. He told his crew about Yolanda/Bridget/Saffron and her score before ever opening the crate. They expected her to double-cross them and had Inara pick up the Lassiter first and contain Yolanda/Bridget/Saffron for the authorities.

Pleased as pie on a job well done, Mal walks onto Serentiy…naked…and tells his crew to prepare to leave orbit.

Notes of Interest:

1) Mal cares about what Inara thinks of him.

2) He also knows how to fly a shuttle.

3) Mal bites his nails.

4) Modesty is not an issue for him – not only in terms of his nakedness in front of others, but his willingness to do any smuggling job he can get. Bobble-headed Geisha Dolls anyone?

5) He’s obviously impressed by Kaylee once more when she figures out how to get the gun out of the complex.

6) Mal has a tattoo on his right hip, but I can't tell what it is.

WTF? Moment: This episode was eventually shown on the Sci-Fi channel on June 28, 2003. While I like this episode a lot, the timing of seeing this after Ocean’s Eleven may have given some viewers a case of the “I’ve already seen it”’s.

WTF? Moment #2: Mal showed real fortitude by constantly turning Yolanda/Bridget/Saffron down at the beginning of the episode, so why does he feel sorry for her later on? It’s clear that Mal isn’t a James T. Kirk sort of “space-whore”, but doesn’t Mal turn into sort of a softy around women?

Malcolm Reynolds Part 10: “War Stories” – Firefly, Episode 1:10 (December 6, 2002)

We (finally) get to meet the real Malcolm Reynolds.

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

Mal’s having a discussion with Inara about a client that prefers to visit her shuttle while still docked to Serenity. Mal isn’t against the idea, he just insists on meeting everyone that boards his ship. She relents, but reminds him that her client is a high standing member of the planet’s government and expects privacy while aboard.

He grabs an apple from the basket that Jayne was nice enough to buy for everyone and tells Wash that his idea of delivering the last of the medical supplies they stole in “Ariel” directly to the local MD’s would cause more problems than solve. He wants to play nice with the local fences, even if it means the crew’s cut is a little smaller.

Mal waits patiently enough for Inara’s guest to arrive, and introduces himself when he does…only the man entering Serenity isn’t the client, it’s the client’s security guard who gives the all clear for the client to come aboard. Mal’s struck speechless as Inara sweeps the woman away before he can wrap his head around it.

He and Zoe then prep the other shuttle to take the remaining supplies to the rendezvous when she tells him that the controls are all switched around. Wash comes in and admits to the task, saying he’d rather go with the captain on this run. Mal senses something’s up but doesn’t have the time or patience to deal with it, so he leaves Zoe in charge of Serenity while he and Wash make the drop. Along the way, he tells Wash that while this is a quick and easy exchange, Mal’s taking Zoe on every job is standard procedure.As payback, Wash is made to carry the goods to the site.

The deal goes south (as usual) and their contacts are killed. Armed men pop up out of nowhere and take Mal and Wash off-planet.

They’re blindfolded and taken to a room where Mal tries to get their bearings. Wash is freaking out and even accuses him of endangering Zoe. They get into an argument, but are interrupted when someone enters the room. Mal’s blindfold is removed and he finds himself facing Niska, who’s after revenge since Mal reneged on “The Train Job”.

Mal and Wash are electrocuted…repeatedly…and all the while Mal keeps arguing with Wash. Most of the discussion is about Zoe, and Wash tells him that the sexual tension between his wife and his captain should be resolved so everyone can get on with their lives. Mal tells him that he’ll take Zoe to his bed when they get out of their current situation.

The door opens and Zoe comes in, with all the money the crew had so she could buy both men back. Niska tells her that there’s only enough money for one man, and she immediately chooses Wash. Mal stays behind as Zoe makes her way out with her husband but Niska stops them, and offers to make change…with Mal’s left ear.

The torture continues until Mal makes them stop - by dying. Niska and his man resuscitate Mal’s heart and continue their fun until alarms go off. Making the most of the distraction, Mal uses one of the devices on Niska’s man and hunts Niska through his office. But before he can get his hands on the cause of his distress, Niska’s man grabs him from behind. They struggle until Jayne, Wash and Zoe enter an adjacent room. Mal tells Zoe this ain’t the time for him to finish this alone, so all three of them shoot his opponent dead.

Back on board Serenity, Mal thanks Simon for reattaching his ear and asks the doctor how he felt about taking up arms for his rescue. Simon tells him he’s never shot anyone before, and Book comments that he still holds that record. Mal gets to the mess hall and finds both Wash and Zoe there. He tells his second-in-command that her husband requested that they sleep together to get rid of the sexual tension between them. Obviously uncomfortable as they try to kiss, Mal and Zoe are interrupted by Wash, who takes his wife to their room. Mal is left with the bowl of soup Wash left behind when Jayne enters and digs in.

Notes of Interest:

1) Mal doesn’t have a problem with Kaylee and River running around his ship…unless they fall and hurt themselves.

2) Nice sword-fighting reference to “Shindig” by the way.

3) His time growing up on Shadow must have influenced his concern for the “blue-collar working man” since he’s willing to share his fortune with the local middlemen.

4) Mal admits to ordering Zoe not to marry Wash.

5) It seems that Mal has issues with members of his crew having relations. He isn’t against love, but sees it as a potential problem should it conflict with the chain of command.

6) Mal deals through the torture with humor, which tells me he’s been tortured before.

7) It’s established here that while Mal and Zoe have a long-standing relationship – to the point of trusting each other with their lives – they’ve never had, nor will they ever have, sexual relations.

8) Mal cuts his apples before he eats them.

WTF? Moment: He does everything he can to keep Wash awake while they’re tortured. Could something have happened during the war that compels Mal to do that? Or is it simply that he cares about his crew (and Zoe especially) to keep Wash with it until help arrives?

WTF? Moment #2: The gesture Mal has with Kaylee as he walks past her on the stairs shows his casual comfort with her once again. It’s obvious that Mal is supposed to end up with Inara, but he seems more affectionate with his mechanic. What was his opinion about crew members having relationships?

Malcolm Reynolds Part 9: “Ariel” – Firefly, Episode 1:9 (November 15, 2002)

Mal gets a highly lucrative job from the last person he’d expect to work for, and almost loses a crew member over it.

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

Inara has to go to Ariel, a core Alliance planet, for her annual physical as part of being a Companion. Mal instructs everyone else to stay on the ship, but River – for no reason whatsoever – attacks Jayne, cutting him deep enough to require stitching. Mal oversees Simon stitching him up, then tells the doctor that his sister is confined to quarters to the extent that any trips to the mess hall or infirmary need to be approved beforehand.

Mal listens to Wash and Jayne complain that they’ve been without work for the last three places they’ve visited when Simon comes to them with a job offer while they’re waiting on Ariel: Sneak both River and himself into St. Lucy’s Hospital so he can get some medical scans done to better understand what’s wrong with her. The payment would be highly lucrative medicines that they could steal while they’re there.

Mal, Zoe and Jayne pose as paramedics and get Simon and River into the hospital. Jayne stays with the siblings, while Mal and Zoe go after the medicine. They’re stopped by a doctor on the way, but manage to get to the pharmacy and make it back to Wash free and clear. Unfortunately, Jayne and the others are missing. Worried that they’ve been caught by the Alliance, Mal and Zoe head back to rescue them. They meet up, and make it back to Serenity. Inara’s already back on board, so Mal has Wash prepare to take off while he and Jayne unload the cargo. When they’re alone in the cargo bay, Mal takes a wrench and knocks Jayne out.

Mal puts him outside the airlock with a walkie-talkie, and once Jayne wakes up they have a little chat. Mal knows Jayne called the feds on Simon and River, and threatens to leave him where he is until they break atom, at which time Jayne’s body gets squeezed through the open door out into space. He tells Jayne that anytime he decides to turn on one of his crew, Mal takes it personal. Mal shuts the outer door in time, but leaves Jayne trapped in the airlock and walks away.

Notes of Interest:

1) Mal’s commitment to his crew continues.

2) Despite confining River to her quarters, Mal shows some genuine concern for her welfare.

3) Apparently, Mal knows how to play horseshoes.

4) Mal’s first thought after learning about the medicine is how useful it would be for people living on the outer rim.

5) In order to get into the hospital, Mal has to learn some high-falootin’ medical speak…and it ain’t easy.

6) He complains yet again about how the job never goes smooth.

WTF? Moment: Why does Mal hug Kaylee? Until this episode, I thought they had an “older brother/younger sister” type relationship, which worked just fine. But that move seemed more like a Nathan Fillion gesture than Malcolm Reynolds.

WTF? Moment #2: Why would Mal let Jayne back in? Because he wasn’t sure how to tell the others what happened? Was he worried about how they’d react?

Malcolm Reynolds Part 8: “Out of Gas” – Firefly, Episode 1:8 (October 25, 2002)

Mal’s dying, and (some of) his life pass before his eyes.

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

Mal collapses on the floor of Serenity and his mind wanders back to when he first showed her to Zoe. It is clearly some time after the war, and he tells her that with this ship they can be free to live life on their own terms, without Alliance interference. Back in the present, we see why Mal’s mind wandered – he’s bleeding.

His mind goes back again, but not as far, as he remembers Simon’s birthday party. Everyone’s there having fun, and Wash tells him that the course they’re on will keep them out of Alliance’s sensors…and anyone elses, since they’re traveling through the middle of nowhere. There’s a small explosion, followed by a fireball that enters the mess hall and knocks out Zoe. Mal acts quickly, telling Jayne to seal off most of the doors while he runs to the bridge and opens the outer hatch so the air pushes the fire out into space.

Back in the Now, Mal works his way to the infirmary, where Zoe was taken Then - and Mal tells Kaylee to get to the engine room and find out what happened, and orders Wash to leave his wife’s side and get to the bridge to find out where they are, and to keep him out of Simon’s way.

Back in the Way Then, Mal remembers interviewing Wash for the piloting job. Zoe tells him that the stranger makes her feel uneasy. Mal explains that the guy is in demand, and with a pilot like him and the genius mechanic they have, they’ll be up and running in no time. The mechanic, overhearing this, is flattered; saying nobody ever called him a genius before.

Then - Mal remembers giving Simon a syringe full of adrenalin, which saves Zoe’s life.

Now - Mal dresses his gunshot wound and gives himself a shot of adrenalin to keep from passing out from blood loss.

Then – Has a discussion with Kaylee about the engine. She explains what happened, but he doesn’t understand and makes her put it into simple words: they’re dead in the water. What’s more, auxiliary life support has failed. Between the fire and what was needed to put it out, all the air they’re got is all the air they’re breathing. Hours at most.

Mal checks in with Wash on the bridge, who tells him that an SOS has been sent, but nobody will get the signal on account of their flight plan. He tells Wash that there are things can be done to boost the signal, and after arguing for a minute Wash agrees and gets to work.

Now – Mal works his way towards the engine room with a piece of equipment in his hands.

Way Then – Mal enters the engine room to find his mechanic Bester having intimate relations with a local woman. He tells Bester to finish fixing what’s broke so they can get to their next job, but Bester says they don’t have the part they need. The young woman disagrees, and shows both men what’s wrong, how to fix it, and does so right in front of them. Mal is so impressed, he offers her a job. Kaylee accepts.

Then – Mal finds Kaylee in the engine room. She tells him the part that broke can’t be fixed, it needs to be replaced. She shows him where the piece belongs, and he understands that without it, Serenity won’t fly.

Now – Mal makes it to the engine room, the part in his hands. He struggles to put it where it belongs, and drops it.

Then – Mal gathers everyone together and tells them his plan: Split up. Book, Kaylee and Jayne go with Inara on her shuttle, while Zoe, Wash Simon and River take the other. Mal will stay with Serenity in case someone gets their signal.

Inara tries to talk him into going with them, but he ignores her and warns her not to let Jayne take over. He also reminds her that she’s paid up through the end of the month, so the shuttle is hers…but he may have to owe her the security deposit.

Way Then - Mal’s looking to rent out the second shuttle, and is giving the latest applicant a tour. Inara explains the conditions of their arrangement – and that he’ll rent her the vessel for less than he’s asking because of her reputation as a Companion.

Then – Mal still gives her orders while Inara still tries to bring him with her. Wash meets him on the bridge and shows him the button to press that’ll let both shuttles know the signal’s been answered. As everyone loads up, Jayne tells him that (among other things) a space suit’s been prepped in case Mal needs it. The shuttles depart, and Mal makes his way back to the bridge, closing rooms off as he goes. He settles in by the monitor and dozes off…to be awoken by a vessel that’s responding to the signal. Mal reaches an agreement with the other captain, and heads to the docking bay to let them in. He opens the hatch to get a gun in his face.

Way Then – Mal and Zoe are facing several armed men on some planet looking to find out where they hid some loot. After some smooth talking involving a fair share of the money, free access to the mess hall and a private bunk, Mal persuades Jayne, the biggest and meanest of the bunch, to join his side.

Then – The unwelcome guests confirm the severity of Mal’s situation, and he offers them anything they find they think is fair trade. The visiting captain shoots him, and tells him they’ll take Serenity. Mal gets up and pulls a gun on the captain. He tells them to leave the part and get off his ship. They do, and as soon as the hatch closes, Mal collapses on the floor.

Now – Mal picks up the part he dropped, reattaches it to where it belongs and gets the engine started. He makes his way back to the bridge to call the others back, but passes out before he can reach the button. He wakes up in the infirmary to find everyone around him. Zoe’s awake, Wash is hooked up to give Mal some of his blood, and Simon is watching over all of them. At first, Mal thinks he called them back, but learns that when Zoe came to in their shuttle, she made Wash turn around and call Inara back too. Happy that everyone’s together, he passes out again.

Way Then – Mal is at a shipyard, looking for a vessel. The salesman pitches about the one in front of them, but Mal looks in the distance and finds Serenity…just waiting for him.

Notes of Interest:

1) Mal names the vessel himself, but it’s not explained why.

2) Zoe doesn’t like Serenity at first but Mal convinces her; which is good considering he already bought the ship.

3) Mal wants to hire Wash on the spot, which tells us he doesn’t give a damn about dress codes or facial hair.

4) Kaylee impresses the hell out of Mal, since she’s always willing to do whatever she can to keep Serenity flying.

5) It’s obvious he likes Inara right away, and knows there’s more to her than she’s telling.

6) Mal’s ability to read people pretty quickly comes in handy again when he sees Jayne as the most manipulative member of the gang.

7) If ever a connection can be made between man and machine, it exists between Mal and Serenity, and nobody takes her away from him.

WTF? Moment: Why doesn’t Mal press the “call back” button once he’s done talking to the other captain? Maybe he thought the other ship would notice the signal and call off the deal?

WTF? Moment #2: We learned how Mal meets Simon, River and Book in “Serenity” and this episode – easily my favorite – shows us how he met the rest of the crew...except for Zoe. I really want to know how that happened.

WTF? Moment #3: This is a side note. Serenity has always been considered by us fans as the tenth member of the cast and crew, and I gotta wonder: how did the ship wind up in that lot in the first place?