Firefly Wednesday: The Message
Jun. 26th, 2013 03:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
osprey_archerI haven't posted about Firefly for a while, because we missed a couple of weeks and also because there are only so many ways that I can say "I wish Mal and Inara would never speak to each other again, because the fact that we're supposed to find their relationship romantic makes me weep for humanity."
But we have arrived at "The Message," and I hate everything about "The Message" except Jayne's hat and that weird ice cream thing that River is trying to eat.
But once Tracy shows up, the episode is pretty much an exercise in idiot plotting. I hate it because his death is just so pointless and avoidable, because none of it would have happened if they had just told him their plan.
Normally I would just blame Mal for this, given that Mal has a history of not explaining his plans for no apparent reason just to assert his masculinity. But I can't, because it's Shepherd Book's, and everyone else on the crew (except Kaylee) knows about it. Why, during two lengthy stand-offs, does no one even try to explain "We have a plan to save you"?
And then the other characters, who never explained their plan to Tracy, tell him it's all his fault he died. Um, no, it's your fault for not explaining anything and for being trigger happy!
Moreover! If the plan is as simple as telling the Feds "We know you're out of your jurisdiction, go away," why didn't they just do that over the com system? Sure, the Feds might have just gone ahead and shot Serenity out of the sky, but they could do that just as well once they get their ship back in the air. In fact, now that the Feds have actually been on Serenity, they know right where it is which will make destroying it easier.
And the Feds have plenty of reason to destroy it! There's no longer anything they want on the ship to stop the Feds from blowing it up; and the crew does have information that could get the Feds in a ton of trouble if it gets out. They have very good reason to destroy Serenity.
Worst. Episode. Ever.
But we have arrived at "The Message," and I hate everything about "The Message" except Jayne's hat and that weird ice cream thing that River is trying to eat.
But once Tracy shows up, the episode is pretty much an exercise in idiot plotting. I hate it because his death is just so pointless and avoidable, because none of it would have happened if they had just told him their plan.
Normally I would just blame Mal for this, given that Mal has a history of not explaining his plans for no apparent reason just to assert his masculinity. But I can't, because it's Shepherd Book's, and everyone else on the crew (except Kaylee) knows about it. Why, during two lengthy stand-offs, does no one even try to explain "We have a plan to save you"?
And then the other characters, who never explained their plan to Tracy, tell him it's all his fault he died. Um, no, it's your fault for not explaining anything and for being trigger happy!
Moreover! If the plan is as simple as telling the Feds "We know you're out of your jurisdiction, go away," why didn't they just do that over the com system? Sure, the Feds might have just gone ahead and shot Serenity out of the sky, but they could do that just as well once they get their ship back in the air. In fact, now that the Feds have actually been on Serenity, they know right where it is which will make destroying it easier.
And the Feds have plenty of reason to destroy it! There's no longer anything they want on the ship to stop the Feds from blowing it up; and the crew does have information that could get the Feds in a ton of trouble if it gets out. They have very good reason to destroy Serenity.
Worst. Episode. Ever.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2013-06-26 08:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-27 02:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-27 09:11 pm (UTC)AND I KIND OF LOVE THE EPISODE BECAUSE I LOVE THE TRACY-MAL-ZOE THING, BUT.
SO FUCKING STUPID.
no subject
Date: 2013-06-27 10:00 pm (UTC)And it's soooo frustrating, because under other circumstances I would have loved more information about the Brownshirts and their political stances and battles etc. etc.
no subject
Date: 2013-07-01 08:55 pm (UTC)