It’s Serenity Sunday! Today we are watching episode 9 of Firefly. In this episode, Jayne is a jerk and we learn more about River.
Hello everybody. I hope you find serenity this Sunday. Today, we are watching episode nine of Firefly, Ariel. This episode is not necessarily centered around Jayne like Jaynetown, but he is a huge factor. We also get some new revelations about River, and why she is so traumatized. Let’s get into the episode. If you do not know our characters, click here. Allow me to give you a quick recap before we discuss a few things.
Going to the ER
This episode begins with the crew in a bad situation. There are not jobs and barely food. The food they are eating Jayne tells us, “tastes like crotch”. Inara needs to go to Ariel, which is a part of the elite central planets and is Alliance territory. She’s going to get her annual companion physical. Mal forbids anyone to leave this ship while on Ariel. It is too risky. While Mal is explaining this, River grabs a knife and cuts Jayne across the chest, out of nowhere. Jayne backhands her, hard. As Jayne is getting patched up by Simon, he tells Mal they should turn in the siblings and take the reward money. Of course, Mal refuses. Simon realizes he needs to find out what happened to his sister when she was locked away. He hires the crew to help him and River sneak into the sophisticated hospital on Ariel so he can conduct a brain scan. In exchange, he will show them a treasure trove of drugs they can sell for lots of money. The crew agrees to the mission.
You disappoint me, Jayne!
This episode shows Jayne at his most despicable. I know River cut him, but the slap of all slaps should have been enough punishment. But that wasn’t good enough. He decided to get rid of a pest and someone he didn’t like while making a little money in the process. So, Jayne decides to notify the feds that Simon and River are at the hospital. This backfires of course. He gets arrested along with Simon and River. What happens next makes him look like the scum of the universe. Once they are rescued and make it back to Serenity, Simon is hailing Jayne as a hero because he helped them escape. Simon doesn’t know that Jayne was the one that snitched. After Simon showers Jayne with praise, Jayne has the nerve to say how he did it because they are a part of the crew. Look, I know he didn’t want them to know he was the snitch. But you don’t have to pretend like you were thinking about their well-being and that’s why you helped. The opportunity presented itself, that was all. Mal didn’t buy his humility for a second. That is really low, Jayne.
The River mystery is solved
This episode explains what they did to River in that “school”. When Simon looks at her brain, he sees that the school cut into her brain multiple times. They were scraping away the part of the brain known as the amygdala. Explained less eloquently than Simon, it is the part of the brain that helps you control your feelings.
That is why River is so manic, she can’t help it. At the end of the episode, Simon gives River a treatment that may help her. I know we see some improvement in Serenity, where we see her at her absolute best.
Wrapping it up
We see the guys with the blue gloves again (I call them the Blue Hand Group). They are truly scary, like on the level of The Borg from Star Trek: TNG. I’m sure they would’ve been fearsome in later seasons. Well, that’s it for episode 9. Next week, we watch episode 10, War Stories. Until then, be sure to join me tomorrow for my thoughts on Angels of Death. I’m moving my anime post to Monday for the time being. It’s a day where I have time to watch and write about anime. Rod-Tino Tuesday will feature Kill Bill, vol. 1. I know I said we are doing the original Twin Peaks after Firefly. I’ve decided to go with a more current title. So, after Firefly we are watching Candle Cove. Candle Cove offers quite a bit that Twin Peaks does not provide. Like I said, it is more current. Also, the seasons are short with only six episodes per season. More importantly, I have only watched the first two or three episodes in the first season. A lot of the show will be new to me. Okay gang! I appreciate your support and I will see you tomorrow!
Couch Cruisin' 