Firefly Friday: Jaynestown

[smock]

Let's talk about the hero of Canton!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh1RkW1of6E

[Wrath0fKuus]

I think this episode was my turning point for Jayne. He might be my favorite character now.

[smock]

I did really like Jayne's reaction to finding out he was a hero, but I do think the show could have done more with his speech at the end to the mudders, where he essentially said he wasn't a hero. I kept waiting for something like "people are going to take as much as they can, and it's up to you to protect yourself, and not wait for a hero to come help you." I wanted more of a push towards the mudders to stand up for themselves against the dick owner.

Also, mudder's milk sounds nasty.

[Wrath0fKuus]

I actually loved that his speech wasn't inspiring, because he isn't a hero. He doesn't have it in him. He tried to find it in himself, and he found something human and noble, but nothing truly heroic or inspiring.

How did you like the juxtaposition of the mudders' belief in Jayne and Shepherd Book's belief in his bible?

[smock]

I liked that juxtaposition a lot, but maybe not for the reasons the show wanted me to like it. I like your explanation of Jayne's speech revealing that he isn't a heroic figure, and I guess the death of his follower was supposed to demonstrate the importance of having figures or myths to believe in, regardless of their truth. Like how the Shepherd says you aren't supposed to reconcile the factual information in the bible, you're supposed to take it on faith.

Even though Jayne wasn't himself a hero, his story did help the mudders, I guess. And in some sense didn't matter to the mudders if Jayne was a hero or not, because his story motivated them to riot and to expect something better.

But I have my own personal hangups with faith and facts that make me skeptical of that narrative. For some reason I stubbornly feel that the mudders would be better served not by a folk hero but by a real leader that could advocate for them.

[Wrath0fKuus]

I think that point was made, too. After all, the money Jayne dropped was spent, and you see in the beginning that the mudders are still being worked as slaves. All the goodwill and belief in Jayne got them was some transient cash.

[Wrath0fKuus]

I especially love his dubious "you got the short end of the stick, but you took it, and... well, you took it, and I guess that's something." He's skeptical of the moral value of suffering, too.

[smock]

Yeah that quote was pretty funny.

So what did you make of Inara's "lesson" in this episode?

[gault]

I loved that River reorganized and edited Shepherd's bible for him. Noah's ark didn't make sense, yo! So many animals in so little space!

Yeah, this episode is awesome. I also love the overall theme of giving a previously one-dimensional character more depth, even if it's not likeable or positive.

[smock]

Also, you'd think the mudders would notice Jayne wasn't such a hero when his first instincts upon finding out they worshiped him was to get free booze and women, lol!

And yeah, I was laughing at River's biblical edits, and OMG Shepherd's hair! River hiding from him was awesome.

[smock]

[gault]

Black Einstein. Loved it. He should wear it down more often!

[Wrath0fKuus]

Feb 22, 2013 14:13:18 GMT -5 smock said:

Yeah that quote was pretty funny.

So what did you make of Inara's "lesson" in this episode?

I don't know how to say it without sounding like a huge ass, but... basically you swap pretty girl for black man, and you get the same Magic Minority trope that helps the white guy realize his true inner worth.  Meh.

[smock]

Yeah, I felt creeped out by Inara's storyline in this episode. Because as much as she tried explaining to the virgin that having sex didn't make him a man, it was her little "lesson" that made him feel like he could stand up to his father. It seemed like a storyline designed to give her something to do, and to resolve the pesky plot problem of the crew essentially walking off the planet with no resistance.

[Wrath0fKuus]

There was definitely something else undefinable that creeped me out about her storyline, too, something sexually icky about the father, son, and Inara.

[smock]

Oh, that's definitely true. The father was such an ass, and I'm not sure hiring a woman to sleep with your son could ever NOT be creepy.

[Wrath0fKuus]

The father was supposed to be creepy, I think, so I guess that was okayish, but the "nice guy" son being pretty much on board with it was super gross.

[gault]

I think it was the father's whole involvement in his son's devirginizing that's the skeevy part. And choosing the partner, despite that it's a profession in the series.

[Pibs]

Oh, I've been waiting for this episode!  That and the last episode, because of the Big Damn Heroes comment that Zoe makes - crazy school means I can't play on GBCN or this board as often as I'd like.

I PPH Jayne.  His speech was perfect for someone who has morals but doesn't know it.  Gault, you don't think that Jayne is likeable or positive?  He's kind of an ass, but I've always found him likable in . . . well, I guess in a way of someone who has morals but doesn't realize it.  Not that he's perfect by any means.

I think the random BSC character he played on Castle was completely unlikeable.  I was all like "YAY!  Jayne + Nathan on Castle.  This will be as good as the Halloween episode."  And I hated every second of it.  Not that they're related in any sort of fashion, except for the actors being in the same show twice.  You can ignore me.  Today was an exam day, and I've been drinking a bit.  

And Shepherd Book, how I love his hair!