(no subject)

[trinityvixen]

I can see why Our Mrs. Reynolds is on everybody's favorite Firefly episodes list. It was pretty hysterical, and one of the first plots in the episode that didn't seem totally obvious from the get-go. The ones before that on the collected series disc two, Shindig and Safe(I think that's what the witch one was) were less than stellar, but Jaynestown was almost as funny and awful at the same time as Our Mrs. Reynolds.

More random notes now that I am officially halfway through the series:
- I continue to love Mal as much as I loathe him. In "Shindig," I had the same raised eyebrow over his being all upset that Lord Fussypants treated Inara like a whore despite the fact he repeatedly called that to her face and poked mean-spirited fun at her business every chance he got. He only partially rescues his hypocritical behavior with that line about 'I don't respect your profession but I respect you' crap. If you respected her so much but disliked what she did, shouldn't you encourage her into other paths rather than denigrating the one she's on? I know, I know, sit you rabid Firefly-fan friends, it wouldn't be in-character for Mal. I get it. I do love a wounded man, though.

- Speaking of, Simon: grow. some. testicles. Kaylee almost comes right out and says it at the end of "Jaynestown," the second episode on the disc in which Simon has managed to stumble into someone's fists, but her approbation is slight and voiced from the point of view of a fawning girl rather than a tough-and-practical friend (were she Jayne, she probably would have not only made the point but also smacked him around some to make sure it was driven home). Again, however, I contradict myself because Simon at the end of "Jaynestown"? Teh hotzors, to borrow a page from feiran's annoyifying slang speak.

- ::giggles:: I am not loving the cursing in Chinese too much, and gorram doesn't have the punch of a good 'frell!' but I ::heart:: you, Joss, for your second greatest contribution to the degradation of the English language after Buffy's "age" nounifying. Oh...damn.

- River has only gotten weirder--her interaction with Badger as a Cockney was well-timed and humorous--but her powers/abilities remain elusive and just frustrating. It might not be so bad if this were a full season of show, where I could reasonably accept this kind of tease. Seeing as the show's over in another two discs and the movie is still puzzling out her abilities (so it seems from the trailer), grrr. Also, Simon is a weeeeeee bit too attached to her. "Safe" made me a little squicky about how quickly he was willing to die with her. I was getting enough incest creep-outs from Arrested Development's first season (man, another series to finish).

- I still love Steve the Pirate and wife (I really didn't catch her name until the second disc because, well, having a husband named Steve the Pirate is a little bit distracting). Lisa was home for one part of an episode, saw the actress and knew who she was. I still operated in the dark, going 'yeah, she looks familiar,' and eventually gave up an IMDB'd it. Damn you woman and your useless appearance in The Matrix sequels! Yes, I'm bitter, but I forgive her for Firefly's duration. Yeah, loving Steve the Pirate and wife's interaction, even the pointless post-coital hangout, but especially loved Steve's refusal to be seduced by space vixen because marital fidelity in the face of crisis like that makes me go a big rubbery one.

- Called it with Inara and Saffron's interaction. One step away from kissing...wait for it...wait for it. "Oh, you're good." T-vixen does triumphy dance. Also, ::heart:: scene where Inara swoops in on Mal and kisses him, gets knocked out. Seemed a very Farscape-y moment. And Mal not figuring it out? ::MEGATONBERRY HEARTIFYING::

At this point, as was promised by all who read my first missive on Firefly's first quarter season, I am seeing more emotional development and character progression, but it's tending to build/modify characters who are already pretty well established: Mal as the less-than-scrupulous, honorable thief; Inara as the confident hooker with a heart of gold and a soft spot for the innocent and the noble hidden behind her patrician facade; Simon as haughty and arrogant and hurtful as a result while being simultaneously regretful, awkward, and backwards about it. The minor changes introduced so far--Preacher as more-than-he-seems; Jayne having doubts-about-his-cold-heart; River coming-out-of-her-shell-at-crucial-yet-seemingly-innocuous-moments; haven't really paid off yet. Wash and Zoe (must not call them Steve and Cas any more, must not call them Steve and Cas) haven't really been given their fair shake as yet, nor has Kaylee. Will see.

In other related musings, I'm already debating my 'ships. Someone on my friends list, either alizzy or linaerys I think, posited that in "Serenity," Simon and Mal's first interaction is a long, lusty sizing up, and, at the time, I didn't disagree (it was pretty hot, I'll say that much). I'm going to take a stab and assume that Simon/Kaylee is pretty well established by now, as is Mal/Inara, but I'm sure Mal/Simon is a pretty deep slash pool at this point. I have no problems with that. But, according to the law of badfic, all available characters must pair off when there are an equal number of men and women, that would mean it's Jayne/River which can't end well for him. Oh, sorry, Shepherd, you don't qualify as available because of profession and oldness.

I'm being good and avoiding fanfic at this point. By being good, I mean "for my own safety" more than I mean "to avoid spoilers." I've already had to cut myself off from looking up quotes because of potential spoilage, but that's not what scares me about reading Firefly fanfic. On the other hand, it's a small but dedicated fandom. Maybe it's not that bad. Thoughts on this, ivy03? Anyone? Bueller?

Comments

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

Second ship of sex. I still say Moya had them beat for sexual deviance--"Won't Get Fooled Again" had Rygel in dominatrix gear. It. Is. Scary.

Also, I notice that all the men on the ship, save for Wash, seem to have gay-readings (not saying they are, but their behavior could be interpreted as such, and blame this stupid Batman-analysis book I'm reading for the 'multitextual reading' crap I spew from here on). Jayne seems to be covering, but his biggest problems with Mal seem to be macho confrontational and jealousy over Mal's refusal to let him have reign. Mal and Simon both, thus far as I am into the series, have rejected female advances. That Mal rejected Saffron saying "it's been a long, long time since..." and his implied erection in response to naked lady throwing herself at him is indicative of heterosexuality, but not conclusive. Likewise, Simon puts off Kaylee in "Jaynestown" by flipping out and assuring Mal he would 'never with Kaylee' and later saying he isn't flirtateous and cheap with her because that's 'his way of showing her he likes her.'

Let's take a minute to roll our eyes at that one collectively.

The femmeslash, on the other hand, I totally get as one reading of how intimate Kaylee and Inara are together. Kaylee isn't quite scornful of Inara and not quite jealous of her either in her admiration and awe. Inara is indulgent of a supposedly innocent (I have my own theories) girl, more than willing to give her a buck-up of confidence. And we all know what buck rhymes with.

I don't like slash so much, tis true, but I'm a sucker for slashy romance without sex, and I love slashy sexual tension (I do watch Smallville after all). Simon/Jayne? Meh, not hawt enough.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

Let's take a minute to roll our eyes at that one collectively.

I tend to read this as his total ineptitude at social interactions. We all know the type - brilliant, but dumb as a post.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

There's that, but I think my GAFF side is showing. Most characters who are written as sweet but bumbling where it comes to love and physical stuff are therefore classified as virginal. Suethors try to be the woman of X's dreams who will graduate him to manhood (oh, I loved that poor guy Inara got off at 26, my heart really ached for his embarrassment). As such, I'm resistent to that reading of characters I like, including Simon.

That said, I actually do think there's a case to be made for highly inexperienced, possibly virginal Simon. His interactions with Inara are among the most illuminating, and pity there's not really been many that I've seen. In "Serenity," he comes to requisition her sterilized kit for treating Kaylee, and he's completely comfortable and not curious about her in a way that he's not capable of being with just about anyone else. With his background, I suspect he'd have been exposed to Companions long ago and is fully apprised as to what function they serve. The presentation would have probably been at a ball like the one from "Shindig" in which the seedier aspects of Companion work would have seemed less important in the face of a glorious and glamorous escort. His familiarity with that, coupled with his fish-out-of-water problems with everyone else's function aboard the ship, makes him most capable of comfort with Inara.

That comfort could be also from relief that he doesn't have to worry about any romantic/physical problems with her--as a Companion, it would have to be a business arrangement, and as long as he doesn't ask to do business, he'll be fine. Conversely, if he wants to do business, it would be straightforward and without the lingering discomfort and embarrassment he gets every time he shoots off his mouth in front of poor Kaylee.

All this translates to a man who, as a doctor and son of money, is familiar with the mechanics and business of sex and who might be most comfortable dealing with that subject in those terms only. That's the reading I get out of his faulty attempts to relate to women. You can also use all these arguments, his calm around obviously beautiful women and indifference to the one source of guaranteed sex on the boat as gay-day blips. You can keep it within the hetero paradigm and say that he's very experienced but that he's just not interested at present with life as a fugitive and River to worry about.

Then again, you can just say River's the problem in more ways than one, and leave it at that as I'm finding out a lot of people do...squickage.