Why You Can't Take The Sky From Me - Part I
Fingolfin Edit: this was totally not written by me. It was written by the multi-talented and great-big-fangirl Claudia Ferreira, better known for her Amazing Race and Survivor columns. Go read 'em.
There are many, many things to love about Firefly – its unique universe, its smart idealogical undertones and its sharp dialogue, just to name a few. But I find that the most appealing thing about the show is its characters.
What’s not to love, right? They’re a bunch of brave, funny space pirates who commit crime and do heroic things. And they’re all so damn pretty. Just look at them and tell me this isn’t the hottest group of lowlifes and criminals you’ve ever seen.
There is actually more to my love for them than their hotness though. It’s the characters themselves that appeal to me so much. Joss Whedon has managed to write a compelling cast of characters that are both larger-than-life and very real. They’re archetypical – you have the noble captain, the hooker with a heart of gold, wise old man – but they rise above their potentially stereotypical natures to be very real.
Let’s get down to the nitty gritty. The awesome space pirates themselves and the reasons I love watching them.
Mal: Just too damn pretty to die
Mal’s not the most obvious candidate for heroic captain. He lies, cheats and steals for a living. One of his favourite pastimes is to start brawls in bars. He’s got no qualms about killing someone if they threaten his crew and wellbeing. He can be a rude, grumpy bastard.
Not exactly someone you’d want running the Starship Enterprise. But he’s an antihero. They’re not exactly into uniting planets and bringing peace to the universe.
Mal is more than just a lowlife thief. If he was, he wouldn’t have his own show. He’s full of contradictions. One second he’s calling Inara a whore and the next he’s dueling to protect her honour. He’s perfectly willing to steal from the Alliance but he’ll risk the wrath of a murderous crimelord to return medicine to a struggling community. He seeks to avoid trouble with the law yet he’ll risk everything to take a couple of fugitives aboard.
He’s a thief with his own strict morality. He’s a killer who shows mercy when he can. He’s cynical but still believes in what he does. He’s a gritty future version of Robin Hood, only with tighter pants.
Mal: My work's illegal, but at least it's honest.
- from “Shindig”
It’s his internal conflict which makes Mal so interesting - watching him do his damndest to survive a harsh environment while sticking to his own quirky system of ethics; watching him struggling with his cynicism and his desire to do right, to change things for the better.
He’s a postmodern everyman – a man who lost his faith a long time ago, drifting through the universe, trying to survive on his own wits. He doesn’t have anything to guide him, not the pointless bureaucracy of the Alliance nor some faceless God. He trusts only in himself and his crew.
He’s also funny, handsome, daring and unpretentious. And who else can pull off a pretty floral bonnet like he can?
Mal: Mercy is the mark of a great man.
[He lightly stabs Atherton.]
Mal: Guess I'm just a good man.
[He repeats the poking.]
Mal: Well, I'm all right.
-from “Shindig”
Zoe: Have you ever been with a warrior woman?
Zoe is Mal’s stoic second-in-command. She’s tough, smart as a whip, wields a mean gun, and wears leather a lot. In other words, she’s a hot, kickass Amazon chick. What’s not to love?
She’s more than just a Lara Croft fanboy’s dream though. She certainly doesn’t wander around in skimpy clothes that barely cover up anything and she’d kick any man’s butt who made any unsavoury comments. In other words, she’s a warrior woman who’s a real, admirable character and not just wank material for drooling fanboys.
Unlike her talkative jokester of a husband, Zoe isn’t that much of a conversationalist. She’s not one for small talk but has a taciturn coolness to her. When she talks, she always has something worth saying. She’s got a deadpan sense of humour too.
She’s been with Mal since the days of the Unification war and it shows. She’s extremely loyal to her captain and will follow him to the ends of the universe. At the same time she’s not afraid to call him on his *bleep!*. If she doesn’t agree with something he says or does, she’ll make it known.
Zoe: You don't think that changes the situation a bit?
Mal: I surely do. Makes it more fun!
Zoe: Sir? I think you have a problem with your brain being missing.
-from “The Train Job”
There’s a softer side to our Zoe too, that’s best seen in her marriage to Wash. With him, she’s tender, flirtatious and sexy. Like Mal, she’s unendingly loyal to Wash but she can and will stand up to him if he gets out of line.
Zoe’s strength and sex appeal is her own and not defined by any man. At the same time, she’s more than willing to respect any man (or woman) that earns it. She’s the ultimate independent woman.
[After Zoe and Mal learn the cargo they have to steal is protected by an entire Alliance squad]
Zoe: Sir? I need you to take the helm, please. I need this man to tear all my clothes off.
[As she grabs Wash by the jacket and drags him off…]
Wash: Work, work, work…
- from “Serenity” (Pilot)
Wash: A leaf on the wind, watch how he soars
Every show needs a funny sidekick and Firefly’s is Wash. His greatest weapon is his razor sharp sense of humour. He’s not likely to get involved in gunfights, preferring to stay out of the fray. He’s not conventionally handsome like Mal or Simon nor does he have that raw animal sexuality of Jayne. He has an unfortunate tendency to wear Hawaiian shirts. He plays with dinosaurs.
Wash stands out among the epic crew of Serenity. But that’s the appeal of his character. He’s a regular guy among the crazy geniuses, brutish mercenaries and enigmatic space hookers. It’s easy to imagine yourself hanging with him at the local pub. Maybe he reminds you of your best friend. Maybe he reminds you of yourself.
That’s Wash. He’s one of us.
[Serenity's crew and passengers are playing a kind of basketball when an alarm sounds.]
Zoe: Proximity alert. Must be coming up on something.
Wash: [alarmed] Oh my god! What can it be? We're all doomed! Who's FLYING this thing?! [deadpan] Oh right, that would be me. Uh, back to work.
He’s a geek, but a different kind than you usually find on TV. He’s not some social retard who plays with his dinosaurs to forget the fact that he can’t talk to girls. He’s confident in his geeky abilities (his brilliant piloting skills) and himself. He’s not only able to talk to women but he’s got a hot wife.
He’s a geek all grown-up. He’s a geek who’s discovered his inner coolness yet still loves to play with dinosaurs and prefers to work behind the scenes than charge in, guns-a-blazing, like a macho man.
He was awesome enough to attract and marry Zoe. That says it all.
Wash: I don't want you to spare me, Mal! If you think you know what's happening, then you tell me. You wouldn't spare Zoe if she were in this situation with you, would you? You would be planning, and plotting and… possibly scheming. So, whatever Zoe would do in this instance is what I wanna do. Do you know why? No matter how ugly it gets, you two always come back… with the stories. So… I'm Zoe. Now… what do I do?
Mal: Probably not talk quite so much.
Wash: Right. Less talking. She's terse. I can be terse. Once in, uh, flight school, I was laconic.
-from “War Stories”
Inara: Space hooker with a heart of gold
Inara is a companion, a kind of futuristic Geisha/courtesan type. She is a master of seduction. She is beautiful and wears clothes that are just as lovely as she is.
But she’s not a sex object. Far from it. There’s much more to her than her sexuality. She is well-read, well-spoken and charismatic. She can wield a weapon if she needs to. A companion must be well-versed in far more skills than just the sexy ones.
Kaylee: So how many fell madly in love with you and wanted to take you away from all this?
Inara: Just the one. I think I'm slipping.
Though she sells her body for sex, there’s nothing sleazy about her. She chooses her clients carefully and is respected throughout the ‘verse. She doesn’t allow herself to be exploited. There’s a kind of powerfulness in the way she controls and sells her sexuality.
Yet her charming smiles and polite conversation mask a deeper ambiguousness. She may not be a downtrodden victim but there are hints she’s not as happy as she pretends to be.
Also, don’t call her a whore. She really doesn’t like that.
Inara: In that case, every well-bred petty crook knows that the small concealable weapons always go to the far left of the place setting.
Jayne Cobb: the man-ape gone wrong
Jayne is a loud, rude, not-very-bright lout whose only loyalty is to whoever pays him enough money. He enjoys violence, food and sex. His most meaningful relationship is with his favourite gun, which he has named Vera. He’s a boozing, whoring, swearing thug.
Man, do I love him.
Jayne is the trashiest character on the ship but he’s also the most fun. He’s a simple man with simple pleasures in life and not tied down with the concerns, doubts and fears that plague the other characters. He’s completely tactless and says exactly what he’s thinking.
Despite his violent tendencies, there’s something rather childlike about him. His fears are tangible, like being eaten by Reavers, and he doesn’t have that pesky moral code that the others have.
His goal is to make money and have fun. He’s not about deep thoughts – it’s all sex, violence, language and nudity for him. He’s a selfish pleasure-seeker, concerned only with sating his own base desires.
Jayne: Don't much see the benefit in getting involved in strangers' troubles without a up-front price negotiated.
Book: These people need assistance. The benefit wouldn't necessarily be for you.
Jayne: That's what I'm sayin'.
Zoe: No one's gonna force you to go, Jayne. As has been stated, this job is strictly speculative.
Jayne: Good! Don't know these folks, don't much care to.
Mal: They're whores.
Jayne: I'm in
He’s what we all secretly wish we could be – the ultimate hedonist, unconcerned with responsibility. He’s what we turn into after a night’s partying. He’s what happens when the Id beats the Superego to death with a chain.
Just when you think you know him and he’s nothing more than a violent, sex-obsessed ape, he shows these surprising flashes of humanity. He’ll do something you’d never expect.
He’s harmless as long as you give him cash and food. Then he’s yours.
Mal: How come you didn't turn on me, Jayne?
Jayne: Money wasn't good enough.
Mal: What happens when it is?
Jayne: [smiling] Well… that'll be an interesting day.
-from “Serenity” (Pilot)