In 'Safe' Kaylee sums up very neatly the emotion behind Inara's expression when Mal says, "I don't respect your job, he doesn't respect you; that's the difference." "If that's what you think of this life, then you can't think much of them that choose it."
They’ve all treated Kaylee as the “little sister”, whenever Kaylee was shot by the lawman in the first episode, Inara yelled out and called out to Kaylee by addressing her as “Mei-Mei” and in mandarin means “little sister”.
I actually always saw malcolms disgust for inaras work as part jealousy (duh) and part selfhatred: he hates himself for dealing with all those peoples of low morale, he hates that he has to be polite, and do stuff for them in order to insure his freedom, and everytime he sees inara do the same it reminds him of his own compromises, so he searches for some flimsy way to separate his compromises from hers, to avoid thinking to much about the similarities, as you often say: he is complex ;)
A very good insight! As my social worker wife regularly reminds me, behavior is always functional. Mal tearing and poking at Inara’s profession serves a purpose for him, and I think that your thought comes closest to the truth of the matter... in that Mal feels bitter about the choices he has had to make, and seeing Inara’s comfort with her own choices makes him jealous of the freedom she has. So he childishly tries to make her uncomfortable through his insults so as to bring her down to his level, merely illustrating just how much unresolved internal conflict he really has.
Thanks for the feedback. I just wondered...could it also be a bit of anger at the world, forcing both or them making those choices..i love it when a show makes it possible to really think about a complex character, because that is what humans are, complex
That makes a Great deal of sense, both from a psychology standpoint AND from a storytelling standpoint. And we all know from Heart of Gold that both Mal and Inarra hate complications, so that's his way of making a stand, so to speak, against the complications that both of their lives entail.
I think these Firefly guides might be my favorite because there’s always SO MANY layers of subtle symbolism and nuance that I haven’t ever caught before. It just makes the show that much richer
I think the most telling interaction between Mal and Kaylee is when they separate at the party and Kaylee goes over to the buffet. Mal tells Kaylee not to make herself sick which is something that a parent / guardian / older sibling wold say to someone under their care. Love the channel and all your episode guides!
I love that you included the scene of Mr. Darcy being a well-spoken asshat who is so socially awkward that he can't tell when he's put his foot in his mouth. Intersplicing Inara looking all "lets see where this trainwreck goes" only makes it better.
5:12 I love how they write River. She's troubled, and the torture she's been through makes it hard for her to express what she knows through her gifts, so seeing the ways the writers have her act is always a fun exercise in symbolism. Right here, in a episode so much about socials labels and dressing up, both in Kaylee's arc and Mal and Inara's, River sees the issue and is removing the labels herself... Even editing it right next to the mean girls scene where they talk about dresses (and how the girl's fancy dresses hide a horrible inside and Kaylee's cheaper one hides her sparkling personality) is amazing. I've been reading the Firefly books (they're pretty good, if a bit too exposition-y, but it's great to see more stories in this world, they feel true to the plot and the characters) and they show this very well, with having some chapters from River's POV, where we know what she's thinking and so we understand why she acts so strangely, even if we do also see it from the others' POV where she just looks crazy.
The Rich Old Man who saves Kaylee from from the rich mean girls is my favourite minor character in this episode. Kaylee: Hello. Rich Girl: Don't um...Have we been introduced? Kaylee: Oh, I'm Kaylee. Rich Girl 1: Banning. And this is Dester, Cabott, and Zoe. Kaylee: Don't you just love this party? Everything's so fancy, and there's some kind of hot cheese over there. Rich Girl 2: It's not as good as last year. Kaylee: Oh really? What'd they have last year? Rich Girl 2: Standards. Rich Girl 1: Who made your dress Kaylee? Kaylee: Oh do you like it? When I saw the ruffles I just couldn't resist. Rich Girl 1: You ought to see your girl. Kaylee: Shu muh? (What?) Rich Girl 1: Your girl. She's not very good. She made you a dress looks like you bought it in a store. Kaylee: Oh. I didn't know. Rich Old Man: Why Banning Miller. What a vision you are in your fine dress. Must've taken a dozen slaves a dozen days to get you into that getup. Course your daddy tells me it takes the space of a schoolboy's wink to get you out of it again. *All rich girls rush away* *Kaylee smiles* Rich Old Man: Forgive my rudeness. I cannot abide useless people.
@@joannafinn7155 Agreed, although considering how strict gender roles seem to be in that society, it makes sense that is what he would chose to insult her with and what would likely have the most impact on her.
@@joannafinn7155 While there was a certain amount of slut-shaming to it, the underlying message was more "who are you to talk about standards when you flaunt them all the time?"
Whatever chain of incidents lead me to land here, I am thankful for them... It warms my soul to know that there are others out there who admire this show as much as I do, even if they aren't in my immediate vicinity... what a wonderful analysis of a beautiful episode! Thank you so much for this video. I'm in my annual 'Fox Sucks, bring back Firefly' slump... This video made me feel better... Very much like Serenity, this show wasn't the biggest, most expensive one money could buy but it was shiny, perfect for those who loved it and kept flying on the power of Love when it should have fallen out of the sky...
I took it another way entirely. Mal and Jayne are two "Good Ole Boys" who've slept with every female aboard Serenity. Well, probably not Zoe, who would at a minimum Slapped them Silly for propositioning, and Killed them if they pushed it! (Both probably know not to even risk it, well, Mal in particular.)
Badger: Who's that then? Here, look at me. What's your story, love? Simon: She's just, uh...just a passenger. Badger: Yeah? Why ain't she talkin? She got a secret? Simon: No, I'm... River: *In Cockney Accent* Sure. I got a secret. More than one. Don't seem like that I tell 'em to you now, do it? Anyone off Titan colony knows better than to talk to strangers. You're talkin loud enough for the both of us, though, ain't ya? I met a dozen like you. Skipped off-home early. Minor graft jobs here and there. Spent some time in the lockdown, but less than you claim. And you're, what, a petty thief with delusions standing? Sad little king of a sad little hill. Badger: Nice to see someone from the old homestead. River: Not really. *To Simon* Call me if anyone interesting shows up. *Walks away* Badger: I like her. Jayne: That there. Exactly the kind of diversion we could've used.
This is my personal favorite episode from Firefly! I love the aesthetic of the pretty dresses (especially Kaylee's floofy cake dress), the ballroom dancing, and the fencing! The fact that this episode has Jane Austen vibes just makes it all the more excellent! Also love that Kaylee got to have fun in a way that goes completely against convention! Also love River basically reading Badger like a book AND imitating his accent (word has it Summer got major props from Mark Sheppard on how well she did Cockney). Evidence for how Hamilton ruined my life: I can never look at a duel (whether by guns or fencing) without thinking of the Ten Duel Commandments.
I feel a little dumb for not seeing the Austen parallels. There is a line from P&P where Darcy says "I was given good principles, but left to follow them in pride and conceit." (ch58). There is something Mal in that. The essence of the novel (to me) is that seeing ourselves honestly through another's eyes offers us an opportunity to grow. From growth comes love, but never in haste. And now I am sad that Mal and Inara didn't have the time for that growth to unfold. Well, such is life. Beautiful video as always my friend.
Kaylee is adorable. Like she isn't firing on all cylenders... but she does so in her own way that makes her superior to those that just fits the norm. :)
The idea of the Inara focused episode being a Jane Austen-like historical romance rather than pure Western makes me wonder if all of the characters can be tied to different genres. Here's my attempt: River and Simon are most the Sci-Fi dystopia characters, being from higher society and used to more advanced society while also being well-aware at the human cost of advancement, though Simon's scenes often have hints of medical dramas. In later episodes, River's scenes almost seems like a Superhero/villain origin story. Kaylee is in a young adult adventure story, with her leaving home, getting to do work she enjoys, while falling in love with a man she would never have met otherwise. Wash is in a rom-com/sit-com with a laugh track constantly going on in his head. Zoe is in a military/action movie, and her moments with Wash are calms between storms. Shepard is hard to pin down, but arguably a little bit more of a mystery. I would almost say he's similar to some Western/Samurai protagonists who wander the world looking for redemption, eventually mentoring a young companion or something similar. Jayne is more living in a crime story, where he's constantly trying to balance between choosing money and loyalty because he thinks everyone else will turn on him in a heartbeat. Nishka and Badger are living in gangster movies. The Alliance is a mix of dystopia, crime, and spy movies. Mal is the one who probably fits most securely in the Space Western genre, which makes sense since he's the main character and the audience is generally expected to see things from his perspective. 4:25 "He could have taken Zoe (to the ball)." I'm sorry, but I'm having flashbacks (flashfowards?) to "Our Mrs. Reynolds" and the idea of Zoe in a frilly dress. Zoe would have hit him with the butt of her shotgun if he tried to get her into that pink dress.
@@userasdf I agree that if Mal took Zoe he would have bought her a different dress than the one he got Kaylee, however I don't think Mal could have taken Zoe and preserved crew morale. Imagine how Kaylee, Zoe, Inara and even Wash would feel about Mal buying Zoe a dress and taking her to the shindig only one or two short hours after belittling Kaylee for wanting those things. It would've been a slap in the face for Kaylee.
What amused me so much was seeing Jewel Staite in Stargate Atlantis in the episode called, "Brainstorm." When she's on the plan with Rodney, she savors the strawberries in much the same way she does in Firefly. This show will live in Sci-fi forever.
The vowels of goushi, dog poo, are pronounced ... mostly correctly by Atherton . He just pronounces the “sh” like “s,” which is actually a kinda slang way to say it. Like the rural accent, in a way.
I checked your channel earlier today for updates when it dawned on me it had been so long. I was about to start my internal complaint monologue and then this dropped and it's so good I feel like an ass for getting impatient. Can't rush this process
Goddamit I just wish we were given more time with Mal and Inara. There's so much that could have been developed there, and I think she's the only one we ever see Mal be truly vulnerable with.
Possible spoilers, but couldn't that initial line about the labels also be a reference to Blue Sun, the corporation that has its name on everything in the Verse and also had a hand in messing with River's brain? Great video, as always!!
I'm not crying! YOU'RE crying! Lol Beautiful episode! I love how wonderfully crafted your analyses are. You could just take them apart examining the parts before putting her back together but you do it with style that sometimes plucks at my shiny heart strings! Well done!
Yer jawin’ ’bout Shindig was sure ’nuff as shiny as the show, and I thank ya kindly fer sharin’ yer cogitations. I reckon I wouldn’t mind travelin’ fer a spell with ya on a Firefly-class “space can” seein’ as yer such an insightful fella. May the random, or seemingly so, elements of life take a turn in yer favor durin’ these tryin’ times!
Excellent commentary! I do not always agree with your take on the symbolism and subtext for Buffy, Angel & Firefly - sometimes a cigar is just a cigar - but I always enjoy your work and look forward to your episodes. Thank you for sharing your perspective as it is always thought provoking. And on a less "pretentious" note, I just love to hear another fan talk about my favorite shows! ;-)
Joss and co. are HEAVILY into symbolism and metaphor. That's pretty much the entire structure of his shows. MOST of the time, with Joss, a cigar isn't just a cigar.
Yea...this is my favorite youtube channel now. Small enough to be intimate and understand the audience, big enough to have good quality. Beautiful breakdowns which parallel my thought process to a large degree but introduce new concepts and evidence I was yet to consider. Keep chugging out videos!
Great job Ian! Your comment about how strong each episode of Firefly was really hit home with me, I completely agree. Shindig was never my favorite but there are so many great and memorable scenes in this episode! :)
I love the look Inara look on her face when they announce kaylee full name at the ball Kaywinnet Lee Frye and guest. I also love how all the men congregate around Kaylee as well.
You got me to finally watch Firefly and I loved it! Excited to follow along with your analysis of it now that I’ve seen it all. Also, really like the animated intro.
Excellent take, this episode is one of my favorites! That being said, what do you think of instead of sash guy being Mal's second, Inara was. And then Mal refuses to duel, and Inara fights Atherton. She is the *actual* insulted party. And the one who knows how to sword fight. And Ath would've hated being beaten by a piece of property. I suppose we 'd have missed out on the "well, I'm ok" line. But it would've been an interesting twist. 😏
Joanna Finn I think it’s just not Inara’s way. She finished Atherton off her own way, after the duel, when she said he was gonna be blacklisted among companions. They show her capable to hold her own in a sword fight, I think, to show us that she is not a violent person by conscious choice and not because she’s incapable, which can often be the assumption about women. She doesn’t think it solves anything, while Mal tends to think it does. And the beauty is they’re both right, in the end.
I really enjoy your Firefly videos - looking forward to the next ones! Firefly is my favorite show, and you pointing out a lot of things I never realized is great!
I am terrible at remembering to like videos. That said, as I watch your Videos there will always be a moment early on that has me hit that thumbs up. The downside of this, is that the many other moments in your videos that prompt me again keep happening and I get disappointed I can’t like it more than once. Thank you for your wonderful content, immaculate filmmaking and golden voice. Your videos always make my day. Hope you are coping ok in these difficult times.
Inara is also wearing silver. I might be reading to much into this. But it reminds of the saying: 'Why be someone's silver when you can be someone's gold.' She's a mistress to Egerton, not something he or his society truly value even though they desire it.
Was River's original line meant to refer to the fact that the Blue Sun logo is on everything? She's having a PTSD flashback at the sight of the symbol which everyone else just tunes out.
FANTASTIC video as usual. Though I wish I didn't have to wait 5 months for the next video. Though it is hard to complain too much given the final product. and I just realized that I have Jane's shirt at the 16:40 mark, that's pretty cool.
You do good work. I'm getting the feeling I'm going to be unreasonably unhappy for ever when this Firefly run is over, just as I am with the show itself.
@@PassionoftheNerd lol. You both did. Definitely. Also it was interesting either way. OMG, I called you Liam! Sorry Ian. I've been talking to 2 different Liams recently, so some chunk of my brain made the completely reasonable assumption that you must also be a Liam. I totally know you're Ian. I have for years. I guess I've just said the words "Great video, Liam" so many times lately that it will come out at any time for no reason. Geez Louise, brain. lol. "Welcome to Boston Pizza. Can I take your order?" "Great video, Liam. Sorry. I meant to say 'fettuccini alfredo'."
You are a far better person than I for not going completely out of the way in your commentary to make a Darkman reference (as Larry Drake will forever be Durant in my mind).
Wow, this had such a nice look!...this show had the blessing of a nice budget rare for a sci-fi series, although FOX was known to fund expensive looking if doomed shows (Terra Nova, Human Target, Almost Human)
That BBC Pride and Prejudice edit with Inara was so great! Your part about the characters’ views of freedom was an amazing analysis! Yet another fantastically-strong episode! I wish modern TV and movies dealt with gender as well and subtly as they did in this episode, way too much finger wagging or manicuring peerless representation in media, now. As a feminist, as a lover of good character work, I’m sick of it.
Lovely episode and a lovely analysis. "Shindig" was the first episode of Firefly I ever saw, completely out of context, and I didn't understand all the hype around it at the time. (Though I LOVED the idea of transporting a heard of real cattle through space on a ship. A "space western" indeed!) It just serves to stress the *importance* of watching the episodes in order if it's your first time through.
Wow, that final line really hammered in why I liked this series so much, even though I'll never claim that I was aware of all the details you brought to light with this video essay. It's funny, back in high school I used to hate having to analyze texts and stories (I'm looking at you HC Andersen and your gorramed red shoes, and don't get me started on Kirkegaard). Maybe because I really sucked at Danish back then, but somehow I doubt it. I realize that you might not make a living off of these videos and you probably have a day job, but please don't take so long in making these little concentrated snippets of delight. I don't know the situation of the rights to firefly, but as far as I remember they bought Fox, so maybe they can do something about getting the crew back together and making a clone of shepherd Book that they rescue along the way, and hire Wash's cousin who'll be the ships cook, who'll look exactly like Wash but falls for Kaylee making all sorts of trouble along the way. Wishful thinking. Unless Star Lord crashes into Serenity there's no chance of that happening. Btw, an idea for future videos, maybe Dollhouse? It's all kinds of crazy awesomeness, would love to hear what you make of that. A great admirer
I always had this fan theory that if the show went on, we'd find out Mail was actually rich as a child, he lost his wealth and lands in the war. I think his "common man" disdain of upper class is kind of an act. That would explain why he knows the dance. He doesn't know the rules of core world society, he was in the outer rim, the rules were different as far as sword fights etc... but he was fancy enough to dance.
The sad part of embracing Mal & Inara as a couple is the knowledge that in the end they never stayed together. In Firefly: A Celebration there's an epilogue that tells you what happened after the Signal was sent. It's kind of heart breaking.
I never thought of it as a box of strawberries that Kaylee got from Book. I thought of it as one single strawberry in a box. That made it more special. And also if it was a box full of strawberries, I think Kaylee would have been compelled to share them with the rest of the crew.
I'm convinced by the writing about sex workers in both Firefly and Dollhouse that JW knew someone in the industry... I don't know if he was an admirer, or just had friends who were providers. But what Inara says at the end of the episode exists in real life. High-end Providers maintain a blacklist for their safety. Unfortunately, it's become more difficult to maintain those since SESTA-FOSTA...
In 'Safe' Kaylee sums up very neatly the emotion behind Inara's expression when Mal says, "I don't respect your job, he doesn't respect you; that's the difference."
"If that's what you think of this life, then you can't think much of them that choose it."
good pairing.
They’ve all treated Kaylee as the “little sister”, whenever Kaylee was shot by the lawman in the first episode, Inara yelled out and called out to Kaylee by addressing her as “Mei-Mei” and in mandarin means “little sister”.
I actually always saw malcolms disgust for inaras work as part jealousy (duh) and part selfhatred: he hates himself for dealing with all those peoples of low morale, he hates that he has to be polite, and do stuff for them in order to insure his freedom, and everytime he sees inara do the same it reminds him of his own compromises, so he searches for some flimsy way to separate his compromises from hers, to avoid thinking to much about the similarities, as you often say: he is complex ;)
yeah. very good! The sex-worker and the smuggler are in some ways two sides of the same coin.
You just blew my mind. Great insight!
A very good insight! As my social worker wife regularly reminds me, behavior is always functional. Mal tearing and poking at Inara’s profession serves a purpose for him, and I think that your thought comes closest to the truth of the matter... in that Mal feels bitter about the choices he has had to make, and seeing Inara’s comfort with her own choices makes him jealous of the freedom she has. So he childishly tries to make her uncomfortable through his insults so as to bring her down to his level, merely illustrating just how much unresolved internal conflict he really has.
Thanks for the feedback.
I just wondered...could it also be a bit of anger at the world, forcing both or them making those choices..i love it when a show makes it possible to really think about a complex character, because that is what humans are, complex
That makes a Great deal of sense, both from a psychology standpoint AND from a storytelling standpoint. And we all know from Heart of Gold that both Mal and Inarra hate complications, so that's his way of making a stand, so to speak, against the complications that both of their lives entail.
I think these Firefly guides might be my favorite because there’s always SO MANY layers of subtle symbolism and nuance that I haven’t ever caught before. It just makes the show that much richer
I think the most telling interaction between Mal and Kaylee is when they separate at the party and Kaylee goes over to the buffet.
Mal tells Kaylee not to make herself sick which is something that a parent / guardian / older sibling wold say to someone under their care.
Love the channel and all your episode guides!
I love that you included the scene of Mr. Darcy being a well-spoken asshat who is so socially awkward that he can't tell when he's put his foot in his mouth. Intersplicing Inara looking all "lets see where this trainwreck goes" only makes it better.
Juan Casado Y Barton Perfect way to phrase it. He can be so painfully awkward while also being really forthcoming, which is a dangerous combo.
5:12 I love how they write River. She's troubled, and the torture she's been through makes it hard for her to express what she knows through her gifts, so seeing the ways the writers have her act is always a fun exercise in symbolism. Right here, in a episode so much about socials labels and dressing up, both in Kaylee's arc and Mal and Inara's, River sees the issue and is removing the labels herself... Even editing it right next to the mean girls scene where they talk about dresses (and how the girl's fancy dresses hide a horrible inside and Kaylee's cheaper one hides her sparkling personality) is amazing.
I've been reading the Firefly books (they're pretty good, if a bit too exposition-y, but it's great to see more stories in this world, they feel true to the plot and the characters) and they show this very well, with having some chapters from River's POV, where we know what she's thinking and so we understand why she acts so strangely, even if we do also see it from the others' POV where she just looks crazy.
The only thing I love as much as Firefly/Buffy/Angel is TPN talking about them.
The Rich Old Man who saves Kaylee from from the rich mean girls is my favourite minor character in this episode.
Kaylee: Hello.
Rich Girl: Don't um...Have we been introduced?
Kaylee: Oh, I'm Kaylee.
Rich Girl 1: Banning. And this is Dester, Cabott, and Zoe.
Kaylee: Don't you just love this party? Everything's so fancy, and there's some kind of hot cheese over there.
Rich Girl 2: It's not as good as last year.
Kaylee: Oh really? What'd they have last year?
Rich Girl 2: Standards.
Rich Girl 1: Who made your dress Kaylee?
Kaylee: Oh do you like it? When I saw the ruffles I just couldn't resist.
Rich Girl 1: You ought to see your girl.
Kaylee: Shu muh? (What?)
Rich Girl 1: Your girl. She's not very good. She made you a dress looks like you bought it in a store.
Kaylee: Oh. I didn't know.
Rich Old Man: Why Banning Miller. What a vision you are in your fine dress. Must've taken a dozen slaves a dozen days to get you into that getup.
Course your daddy tells me it takes the space of a schoolboy's wink to get you out of it again.
*All rich girls rush away*
*Kaylee smiles*
Rich Old Man: Forgive my rudeness. I cannot abide useless people.
I would've been ok if we hadn't had any slut shaming in the episode. Wish they'd come up with a more original way to insult a young woman.
@@joannafinn7155 Agreed, although considering how strict gender roles seem to be in that society, it makes sense that is what he would chose to insult her with and what would likely have the most impact on her.
@@joannafinn7155 I think it's less about slut shaming, in this case, than it is about appearances and hypocrisy.
It's actually "shenme?" "What?" in Mandarin.
@@joannafinn7155 While there was a certain amount of slut-shaming to it, the underlying message was more "who are you to talk about standards when you flaunt them all the time?"
Whatever chain of incidents lead me to land here, I am thankful for them... It warms my soul to know that there are others out there who admire this show as much as I do, even if they aren't in my immediate vicinity... what a wonderful analysis of a beautiful episode! Thank you so much for this video. I'm in my annual 'Fox Sucks, bring back Firefly' slump... This video made me feel better... Very much like Serenity, this show wasn't the biggest, most expensive one money could buy but it was shiny, perfect for those who loved it and kept flying on the power of Love when it should have fallen out of the sky...
Bless you for the clips of Colin Firth, the One True Darcy.
1pknail It is known!
"has anyone on this ship *not* slept together?" [cuts to Mal and Jayne giving each other naughty looks]. Well, I ship it now.
I took it another way entirely. Mal and Jayne are two "Good Ole Boys" who've slept with every female aboard Serenity. Well, probably not Zoe, who would at a minimum Slapped them Silly for propositioning, and Killed them if they pushed it! (Both probably know not to even risk it, well, Mal in particular.)
@@paladinsix9285 Not Zoe, not Kaylee, and not river, so... none of them?
@@Visplight Mal and Jayne could have shared Saffron, though...
Badger: Who's that then? Here, look at me. What's your story, love?
Simon: She's just, uh...just a passenger.
Badger: Yeah? Why ain't she talkin? She got a secret?
Simon: No, I'm...
River: *In Cockney Accent* Sure. I got a secret. More than one. Don't seem like that I tell 'em to you now, do it? Anyone off Titan colony knows better than to talk to strangers.
You're talkin loud enough for the both of us, though, ain't ya? I met a dozen like you. Skipped off-home early. Minor graft jobs here and there. Spent some time in the lockdown, but less than you claim. And you're, what, a petty thief with delusions standing? Sad little king of a sad little hill.
Badger: Nice to see someone from the old homestead.
River: Not really. *To Simon* Call me if anyone interesting shows up. *Walks away*
Badger: I like her.
Jayne: That there. Exactly the kind of diversion we could've used.
haha They were all diverted by her.
This is my personal favorite episode from Firefly! I love the aesthetic of the pretty dresses (especially Kaylee's floofy cake dress), the ballroom dancing, and the fencing! The fact that this episode has Jane Austen vibes just makes it all the more excellent! Also love that Kaylee got to have fun in a way that goes completely against convention! Also love River basically reading Badger like a book AND imitating his accent (word has it Summer got major props from Mark Sheppard on how well she did Cockney).
Evidence for how Hamilton ruined my life: I can never look at a duel (whether by guns or fencing) without thinking of the Ten Duel Commandments.
I feel a little dumb for not seeing the Austen parallels. There is a line from P&P where Darcy says "I was given good principles, but left to follow them in pride and conceit." (ch58). There is something Mal in that. The essence of the novel (to me) is that seeing ourselves honestly through another's eyes offers us an opportunity to grow. From growth comes love, but never in haste. And now I am sad that Mal and Inara didn't have the time for that growth to unfold. Well, such is life. Beautiful video as always my friend.
My work of fiction, I knew I loved this series for a reason.
Alas, for unrealized visions...
Kaylee is adorable. Like she isn't firing on all cylenders... but she does so in her own way that makes her superior to those that just fits the norm. :)
The idea of the Inara focused episode being a Jane Austen-like historical romance rather than pure Western makes me wonder if all of the characters can be tied to different genres. Here's my attempt:
River and Simon are most the Sci-Fi dystopia characters, being from higher society and used to more advanced society while also being well-aware at the human cost of advancement, though Simon's scenes often have hints of medical dramas. In later episodes, River's scenes almost seems like a Superhero/villain origin story.
Kaylee is in a young adult adventure story, with her leaving home, getting to do work she enjoys, while falling in love with a man she would never have met otherwise.
Wash is in a rom-com/sit-com with a laugh track constantly going on in his head.
Zoe is in a military/action movie, and her moments with Wash are calms between storms.
Shepard is hard to pin down, but arguably a little bit more of a mystery. I would almost say he's similar to some Western/Samurai protagonists who wander the world looking for redemption, eventually mentoring a young companion or something similar.
Jayne is more living in a crime story, where he's constantly trying to balance between choosing money and loyalty because he thinks everyone else will turn on him in a heartbeat.
Nishka and Badger are living in gangster movies.
The Alliance is a mix of dystopia, crime, and spy movies.
Mal is the one who probably fits most securely in the Space Western genre, which makes sense since he's the main character and the audience is generally expected to see things from his perspective.
4:25 "He could have taken Zoe (to the ball)."
I'm sorry, but I'm having flashbacks (flashfowards?) to "Our Mrs. Reynolds" and the idea of Zoe in a frilly dress. Zoe would have hit him with the butt of her shotgun if he tried to get her into that pink dress.
(Mal tries to put Zoe in a girly dress)
Zoe: I swear by my pretty floral bonnet...
Mal (while ducking): Hey! That's my line!
Oh he would have gotten her a dress with some slink ;) And we would all be happier for it. :)
@@userasdf good point.
@@userasdf I agree that if Mal took Zoe he would have bought her a different dress than the one he got Kaylee, however I don't think Mal could have taken Zoe and preserved crew morale.
Imagine how Kaylee, Zoe, Inara and even Wash would feel about Mal buying Zoe a dress and taking her to the shindig only one or two short hours after belittling Kaylee for wanting those things. It would've been a slap in the face for Kaylee.
That's actually a really good thought. Makes a great deal of sense.
Yay! Firefly guide!
I always assumed River saw the Blue Sun logo on those cans....Like they were the Blue Sun generic-brand black beans or something.
Same.
They probably are. Which makes that line that was cut even more telling, IMO.
That is correct, and is also why River Cut Jain later His shirt had that logo.
"A little more gooder with the word thing parts" great just great, comedy is in the timing, I have coffee driping from my nose hole parts
What amused me so much was seeing Jewel Staite in Stargate Atlantis in the episode called, "Brainstorm." When she's on the plan with Rodney, she savors the strawberries in much the same way she does in Firefly. This show will live in Sci-fi forever.
This series is spaced out such I've almost forgotten it exists when a new episode comes out, so each one is a fresh delight.
The vowels of goushi, dog poo, are pronounced ... mostly correctly by Atherton . He just pronounces the “sh” like “s,” which is actually a kinda slang way to say it. Like the rural accent, in a way.
really great observations, presented in a fun and entertaining way. thanks!
This is a great episode.
Or a good episode.
Eh, it's alright.
(I'm kidding this is a great episode and that moment was so great)
I checked your channel earlier today for updates when it dawned on me it had been so long. I was about to start my internal complaint monologue and then this dropped and it's so good I feel like an ass for getting impatient. Can't rush this process
Yes!! Keep pumping out that content !!!!
Goddamit I just wish we were given more time with Mal and Inara. There's so much that could have been developed there, and I think she's the only one we ever see Mal be truly vulnerable with.
Possible spoilers, but couldn't that initial line about the labels also be a reference to Blue Sun, the corporation that has its name on everything in the Verse and also had a hand in messing with River's brain?
Great video, as always!!
You are correct... that is also why River cuts Jain. His shirt has that logo.
Shindig is one of my favorite Firefly episodes and one of my favorite episodes of anything ever.
Yay, another episode guide. While this has never been my personal favorite, it's very very good. I also think it's the last time we Badger.
I'm not crying! YOU'RE crying! Lol Beautiful episode! I love how wonderfully crafted your analyses are. You could just take them apart examining the parts before putting her back together but you do it with style that sometimes plucks at my shiny heart strings! Well done!
These videos leave a warm little glow in my heart.
Yer jawin’ ’bout Shindig was sure ’nuff as shiny as the show, and I thank ya kindly fer sharin’ yer cogitations. I reckon I wouldn’t mind travelin’ fer a spell with ya on a Firefly-class “space can” seein’ as yer such an insightful fella.
May the random, or seemingly so, elements of life take a turn in yer favor durin’ these tryin’ times!
Another excellent review! Also I'm so glad that the Austen clips used were from the 90s adaptations 😊😊😊
Every one of these episodes is a treasure. Thank you for taking such care and time to make them!
My pleasure. We'll bring them back eventually and finish the series.
I see Passion of the Nerd, I watch. Them's the rules.
Mercy is the mark of a great man. ..... Guess I'm just a good man. .......Well, I'm all right...
Freaking love that line.
14:48 "My teen-aged doppleganger".😂 I also liked the line about how both men need to leave Inara alone!✌
Glad I stumbled across this while rewatching the series. 🙂
Excellent commentary! I do not always agree with your take on the symbolism and subtext for Buffy, Angel & Firefly - sometimes a cigar is just a cigar - but I always enjoy your work and look forward to your episodes. Thank you for sharing your perspective as it is always thought provoking. And on a less "pretentious" note, I just love to hear another fan talk about my favorite shows! ;-)
Joss and co. are HEAVILY into symbolism and metaphor. That's pretty much the entire structure of his shows. MOST of the time, with Joss, a cigar isn't just a cigar.
Yea...this is my favorite youtube channel now. Small enough to be intimate and understand the audience, big enough to have good quality. Beautiful breakdowns which parallel my thought process to a large degree but introduce new concepts and evidence I was yet to consider. Keep chugging out videos!
Chills at that last line. Thanks for the good work.
Great job Ian! Your comment about how strong each episode of Firefly was really hit home with me, I completely agree. Shindig was never my favorite but there are so many great and memorable scenes in this episode! :)
What an absolutely fantastic breakdown. You pull more out of this episode that I had ever actually noticed. Well done.
I love the look Inara look on her face when they announce kaylee full name at the ball Kaywinnet Lee Frye and guest. I also love how all the men congregate around Kaylee as well.
You got me to finally watch Firefly and I loved it! Excited to follow along with your analysis of it now that I’ve seen it all.
Also, really like the animated intro.
Great job as always, Ian! I've followed your guides for probably 5 years now and you never disappoint.
Excellent take, this episode is one of my favorites! That being said, what do you think of instead of sash guy being Mal's second, Inara was. And then Mal refuses to duel, and Inara fights Atherton. She is the *actual* insulted party. And the one who knows how to sword fight. And Ath would've hated being beaten by a piece of property. I suppose we 'd have missed out on the "well, I'm ok" line. But it would've been an interesting twist. 😏
Joanna Finn I think it’s just not Inara’s way. She finished Atherton off her own way, after the duel, when she said he was gonna be blacklisted among companions. They show her capable to hold her own in a sword fight, I think, to show us that she is not a violent person by conscious choice and not because she’s incapable, which can often be the assumption about women. She doesn’t think it solves anything, while Mal tends to think it does. And the beauty is they’re both right, in the end.
Just discovered these Joss Whedon show deep dives. Rediscovering my love for all these shows.
This is my favorite episode of firefly and I love all of them.
I really enjoy your Firefly videos - looking forward to the next ones!
Firefly is my favorite show, and you pointing out a lot of things I never realized is great!
Fantastic assessment of Shindig! Makes me miss this show even more!
The Austen of it all makes me deeply happy. ❤
Heart warming, please keep this up
I cannot wait for you to get to my favorite episode... Out of Gas. Keep these up. I hope you're staying safe in these times of COVID.
One of the best episodes of Firefly.
I am terrible at remembering to like videos.
That said, as I watch your Videos there will always be a moment early on that has me hit that thumbs up. The downside of this, is that the many other moments in your videos that prompt me again keep happening and I get disappointed I can’t like it more than once.
Thank you for your wonderful content, immaculate filmmaking and golden voice.
Your videos always make my day. Hope you are coping ok in these difficult times.
I can’t believe UA-cam waited three whole days to alert me to one of your videos. You see so much. They are always a pleasure.
Inara is also wearing silver. I might be reading to much into this. But it reminds of the saying: 'Why be someone's silver when you can be someone's gold.' She's a mistress to Egerton, not something he or his society truly value even though they desire it.
Thank you for the wonderful video!
You do such an incredible job, breaking down and showing inner meanings I had never caught even after so many viewings. Love your work.
You’ve done a great job at convincing me to watch Firefly 👏👏 love your videos keep it up :)
I have been waiting for this since I found the channel. Shindig is one of my very favorite episodes on tv. Of any show.
Excellent video. Thank you. I'm always excited to see these posted.
I love how Inara gets annoyed with Mal's stealing during the pool scene at the beginning, but still sticks the money in her bra to hide it.
Was River's original line meant to refer to the fact that the Blue Sun logo is on everything? She's having a PTSD flashback at the sight of the symbol which everyone else just tunes out.
I've been waiting for the next Firefly vid to drop. Always glad to hear your thoughts on it!
Liked before watching, always get excited when one of these is posted!!
I just got that "leaf in the wind" reference at the beginning :'(
Me dumb too. Shame on both of us. Best. Leo.
It hurts us.
tanuvazi Is it wrong that I immediately read that in Sméagol’s voice? (Or perhaps so right...)
This very well could be the most quotable entry in the entire series, and for this franchise, that's really saying something.
I need the next episode as soon as possible; I love this series!
1995 P&P! You're a man of culture.
FANTASTIC video as usual. Though I wish I didn't have to wait 5 months for the next video. Though it is hard to complain too much given the final product.
and I just realized that I have Jane's shirt at the 16:40 mark, that's pretty cool.
You do good work. I'm getting the feeling I'm going to be unreasonably unhappy for ever when this Firefly run is over, just as I am with the show itself.
Great analysis of this episode and the others I've seen, please do more.
Another amazing episode, worth the wait.
Great video, Liam.
They really went hog wild with the clothing/coverings/wrappers theme.
Or I did. You never know with these things.
@@PassionoftheNerd
lol. You both did. Definitely.
Also it was interesting either way.
OMG, I called you Liam! Sorry Ian.
I've been talking to 2 different Liams recently, so some chunk of my brain made the completely reasonable assumption that you must also be a Liam.
I totally know you're Ian. I have for years. I guess I've just said the words "Great video, Liam" so many times lately that it will come out at any time for no reason.
Geez Louise, brain. lol.
"Welcome to Boston Pizza. Can I take your order?"
"Great video, Liam. Sorry. I meant to say 'fettuccini alfredo'."
You are a far better person than I for not going completely out of the way in your commentary to make a Darkman reference (as Larry Drake will forever be Durant in my mind).
I love your stuff man. You keep making and I will for sure keep watching and liking.
Wow, this had such a nice look!...this show had the blessing of a nice budget rare for a sci-fi series, although FOX was known to fund expensive looking if doomed shows (Terra Nova, Human Target, Almost Human)
Sometimes duel of wits and words is more entertaining than with swords. As a Bond fan I always enjoy a good dry witted insult joke.
That BBC Pride and Prejudice edit with Inara was so great! Your part about the characters’ views of freedom was an amazing analysis! Yet another fantastically-strong episode! I wish modern TV and movies dealt with gender as well and subtly as they did in this episode, way too much finger wagging or manicuring peerless representation in media, now. As a feminist, as a lover of good character work, I’m sick of it.
Lovely episode and a lovely analysis. "Shindig" was the first episode of Firefly I ever saw, completely out of context, and I didn't understand all the hype around it at the time. (Though I LOVED the idea of transporting a heard of real cattle through space on a ship. A "space western" indeed!) It just serves to stress the *importance* of watching the episodes in order if it's your first time through.
Wow, that final line really hammered in why I liked this series so much, even though I'll never claim that I was aware of all the details you brought to light with this video essay.
It's funny, back in high school I used to hate having to analyze texts and stories (I'm looking at you HC Andersen and your gorramed red shoes, and don't get me started on Kirkegaard). Maybe because I really sucked at Danish back then, but somehow I doubt it. I realize that you might not make a living off of these videos and you probably have a day job, but please don't take so long in making these little concentrated snippets of delight.
I don't know the situation of the rights to firefly, but as far as I remember they bought Fox, so maybe they can do something about getting the crew back together and making a clone of shepherd Book that they rescue along the way, and hire Wash's cousin who'll be the ships cook, who'll look exactly like Wash but falls for Kaylee making all sorts of trouble along the way.
Wishful thinking. Unless Star Lord crashes into Serenity there's no chance of that happening.
Btw, an idea for future videos, maybe Dollhouse? It's all kinds of crazy awesomeness, would love to hear what you make of that.
A great admirer
And when I say they I of course mean Disney. Everybody knows that 😅
I watch ads all the way through for Passion of the Nerd!
I also love the TV series Chuck. Where Adam Baldwin (Jayne) player almost the same character. Just a little smarter.
This is the episode that really made the show click with me. It made me realise that this could actually be as good as Buffy and Angel.
I always had this fan theory that if the show went on, we'd find out Mail was actually rich as a child, he lost his wealth and lands in the war. I think his "common man" disdain of upper class is kind of an act. That would explain why he knows the dance. He doesn't know the rules of core world society, he was in the outer rim, the rules were different as far as sword fights etc... but he was fancy enough to dance.
Great job, my third favorite episode, can't wait till you do Ep 8 my second fav; and definitely can't wait till Ep 14, but I don't want it to end....
Out of Gas is definitely my favourite episode. :)
The sad part of embracing Mal & Inara as a couple is the knowledge that in the end they never stayed together. In Firefly: A Celebration there's an epilogue that tells you what happened after the Signal was sent. It's kind of heart breaking.
Oh, well said, sir! Loved it!
I never thought of it as a box of strawberries that Kaylee got from Book. I thought of it as one single strawberry in a box. That made it more special.
And also if it was a box full of strawberries, I think Kaylee would have been compelled to share them with the rest of the crew.
I'm convinced by the writing about sex workers in both Firefly and Dollhouse that JW knew someone in the industry... I don't know if he was an admirer, or just had friends who were providers. But what Inara says at the end of the episode exists in real life. High-end Providers maintain a blacklist for their safety. Unfortunately, it's become more difficult to maintain those since SESTA-FOSTA...
Anyone notice if Crowley ... err ... I mean Badger’s men all carry Winchester’s?
Alright, gotta rewatch Firefly now.
I'm new to your channel and I really appreciate your insight.
Show idea: Nathan Fillion and Sean Bean as two ageing cowboys in the 1900/10s coming to terms with the death of the American Frontier as they know it.
"An abundance of freedom devoid of any structure leads to..." me binge watching tv shows and eating far too much junk food. :)
The strawberries are also used in Jane Austin (Emma) and used for opulence and luxury as they are in this.
Thank you for the work in progress. Too many characters are required to be finished paragons,