Serenity (Part 1)

Season 1, Episode 1
Written by Joss Whedon
Directed by Joss Whedon
Original Airdate: 20 December 2002

“We’re not gonna die. We can’t die, Bendis. You know why? Because we are so very pretty. We are just too pretty for God to let us die.”

Malcolm Reynolds

REGULAR CAST

Nathan Fillion as Captain Malcolm “Mal” Reynolds
Gina Torres as Zoë Alleyne-Washburne
Alan Tudyk as Hoban “Wash” Washburne
Morena Baccarin as Inara Serra
Adam Baldwin as Jayne Cobb
Jewel Staite as Kaywinnit Lee “Kaylee” Frye
Sean Maher as Dr. Simon Tam
Summer Glau as River Tam
Ron Glass as Shepherd Derrial Book

GUEST CAST

Carlos Jacott as Lawrence Dobson
Mark A. Sheppard as Badger
Andy Umberger as Dortmunder Captain
Philip Sternberg as Officer
Eddie Adams as Bendis
Colin Patrick Lynch as Radio Operator

CO-STARRING

Domingo Vara as Ensign
Stephen O’Mahoney as Man (Dortmunder)
Jamie McShane as Man
John F. Kearney as Old Man
Gabrielle Wagner as Slave #1

SYNOPSIS

Serenity valley in the year 2512. A group of rebels are fighting for control of the valley against a new Alliance set up by the Central Planets. The rebels are led by a Sergeant Malcolm Reynolds, and are losing fast. They need air support. Reynolds is optimistic, and he’s expecting reinforcements any minute. He prepares a fresh attack, with his second in command, Zoe, and begins a new assault against the Alliance troops. Mal is almost killed by a plummeting craft that he has brought down, but he recovers. Jubilant at their brief success, Mal reassures his troops, just in time to be told that their air support is not coming and that they have been ordered to surrender. As Mal watches, the Alliance troops take control of Serenity Valley and Mal’s fight for freedom ends with a hail of bullets.

Six years later… Mal and Zoë, along with Jayne Cobb, blow open a hatch on an abandoned ship in space. Mal is now the captain of a ship, Serenity, a Firefly-class vessel named after the battle six years earlier. Onboard, pilot Wash detects an Alliance ship, the Dortmunder, coming towards them. Detecting Serenity’s illegal salvage during a scan, the Dortmunder prepares to engage, until Wash instigates a procedure which projects a false distress call. The Dortmunder, concerned about the signal, follows it, allowing Mal and his crew to board Serenity and flee with their cargo intact. The Dortmunder takes Serenity’s details and alerts the government. Onboard Serenity, Mal is relieved at their successful theft, but is concerned at their narrow escape.

Opening the cargo, the crew find the food bricks they were hoping for. Mal finds a small problem: there’s an Alliance symbol on the cargo. He orders Zoë to inform their employer Badger of their success, omitting the information about the Dortmunder, and he expresses his concerns that they may have been detected and identified. Mal and Jayne hide the cargo onboard, and the Captain announces that he is planning to take on passengers at their destination, Persephone. The engineer, Kaylee, is thrilled, while Jayne thinks it’s a bad idea.

Zoë knows that something is wrong with the cargo, but her husband, Wash, tells her to relax. He wants a break so that the pair can enjoy each other’s company. Zoë wants to ask the captain’s permission, and Wash thinks they should just go. It’s evident that Mal comes between them. Mal approaches, and wonders whether their ‘ambassador,’ Inara, is returning soon. Wash offers to call her early, but Mal insists that someone earn an honest living.

Inara is a Companion, a perfectly legal prostitute and well-respected in the galaxy. She’s on Persephone, with a client who asks her to stay with him at his side. She declines his offer: she’s had many in the past. When she rejects him, her client insults her. After he leaves, she goes to the front of her room, actually one of Serenity’s shuttles, and confirms that she’s returning and rendezvousing with Serenity soon.

Serenity has docked at Persephone, and the crew prepare for their drop off. Mal takes Zoë and Jayne to deliver their cargo to Badger, while Kaylee is to scout for passengers. One such passenger enters the fray as Shepherd Book is looking for a ship to take him anywhere.

Meanwhile, Mal and company meet with Badger, who tells them that a Firefly-class ship has been detected stealing cargo. Zoë is fuming to discover the Alliance seal, and Badger refuses to pay Mal. He picked the cargo, but is unwilling to take the blame for the theft. Zoë and Jayne take offence at the lack of payment, but are outnumbered. Mal attempts to reason with Badger, who brings up the war that they lost. Badger sees himself as higher up on the social hierarchy than Mal, who he thinks looks down on him. Mal doesn’t care. He is refused his payment, but is allowed to take the cargo to sell elsewhere. Badger sends them to the outer planets, and Mal has to come up with a new plan.

Meanwhile, Shepherd Book is spotted by Kaylee who asks him if he wants to come aboard. Book knows about the Firefly-class, and confirms that he’s a missionary. He doesn’t really care where he’s going, he simply wants to experience the journey. Book makes his payment to get onboard Serenity with a box of an unknown commodity.

Jayne is not pleased about the lack of payment. Mal suggests they go to a moon named Whitefall, to try and sell the cargo to a woman named Patience who has previously shot Mal. Zoë suggests they dump the cargo, but Mal says they need to get paid for repairs and fuel. Zoë is not pleased about Patience, but Mal brings up that the other contacts are either lost or dead, with one hit by the mysterious Reavers, whom Jayne is afraid of.

Kaylee has selected three passengers to come aboard: Book, a doctor named Simon Tam, and a man named Lawrence Dobson. Zoë is apprehensive due to the stolen cargo they’re carrying, but Mal is unconcerned. Inara docks onboard, and with a full house, Serenity is ready to continue her journey, unaware that Simon is carrying a secret in his cargo… a large silver box.

Later, Mal displays the rules. They are to be escorted down to the Cargo Bay and are to keep away from the Bay at all other times. Simon wants the contents of his box, wile Mal tells them that they have been ordered to drop supplies off at Whitefall. Simon is again curious, and is getting on Mal’s nerves.

In the Cargo Bay, Simon checks his possessions, and Book meets Inara. He’s misled by Mal’s description of her when he calls her the ‘Ambassador.’ Inara is insulted when Mal calls her a whore. Mal and Inara clearly have an intense dislike of each other. In the kitchen, Kaylee unpacks Book’s payment and commodity: a box of strawberries. At lunch, Simon questions the Alliance ordering Serenity to Whitefall. Zoë tells them that the outer moons are as much like Earth as possible, but they haven’t got the resources. Jayne offends everyone by suggesting that Kaylee is attracted to Simon, and Mal orders him to leave the table. Jayne clearly is a loose cannon in the crew, and is not to be trusted.

Afterwards, Book brings some supper to Inara, who didn’t attend the gathering in the kitchen. Book claims that it’s from the captain, and the Shepherd makes comments that Mal is a mystery and is deeply concerned with his crew’s welfare. Inara displays some of the same interests in the captain as well.

Wash summons Mal to the bridge. Someone on Serenity has summoned the Alliance to their position: they have a mole onboard. Finding Simon in the Cargo Bay, Mal jumps to conclusions, until Book claims he’s wrong. Turning, they find Dobson holding a gun, and displaying his true identity as an Alliance federal agent. Dobson isn’t onboard for the cargo however, he’s here for Simon and his illicit possessions. Book attempts to defuse the situation, and the tension becomes uncontrollable. Mal is implicated for carrying Simon onboard, and Dobson prepares to take them all in. As they argue, Kaylee enters the room, and Dobson shoots her. Inara races to her side, as Book knocks Dobson out. As Simon rushes to Kaylee’s side, Book protects Dobson from Jayne, who is ordered to simply tie Dobson up. With the Alliance ship moving closer towards them, Mal is torn: he can either deliver Simon to them and let Kaylee die, or run with Simon to save Kaylee’s life. Inara protests and Kaylee’s cries for help change Mal’s mind and they run.

Taking Kaylee to the medical bay, Simon races to save her life, removing the bullet and patching her up. She’s still critical however, and Inara, Jayne and Mal all silently pray for their friend’s survival. Mal is determined to get to the truth about Simon and intends to search the doctor’s cargo. Against Simon’s protests Mal opens the silver box, and finds a naked girl inside. Confused, Mal’s only response is “Huh.”

TRIVIA

The nine series regulars for the entire series are, in credited order: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Adam Baldwin, Jewel Staite, Sean Maher, Summer Glau and Ron Glass.

Summer Glau played the ballerina in Angel‘s third season episode, Waiting in the Wings. That was her first professional role, and Joss was so impressed with her that he decided to cast her as River in Firefly.

Rebecca Gayheart was originally going to play Inara, but in the middle of production, Joss decided she was wrong for the role. He cast an unknown actress, Morena Baccarin in the role instead. Baccarin reportedly auditioned on Monday, got a call back on Tuesday and shot the pilot on Wednesday.

Mark A. Sheppard becomes the series’ first recurring character, as Badger. In the space of fifteen episodes, he appears in two episodes, this one and Shindig. Some sources suggest he appears in The Train Job, but this is not the case. Interesting, Joss Whedon was originally going to play the character himself.

This episode was originally to be aired as a two hour movie on FOX along with Serenity (Part 2). However, when the episode was completed, FOX asked Joss to rewrite the episode and to provide a new pilot with more action. The Train Job became the first episode aired, and as a result, the series was shown out of sequence, which is long thought to be a cause for it’s ultimate failure as a weekly television series.

Carlos Jacott appeared in Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s third season premiere Anne as the demon Ken, and also appeared in Angel‘s The Bachelor Party as Richard Straley, the demon fiancé of Harriet Doyle. Nathan Fillion, in his commentary of this episode, commented on how much he wanted Dobson to return later in the show. The character returns in the Serenity comic book.

Andy Umberger had a brief but memorable role on Angel in the first season episode I Fall to Pieces, in which he played Dr. Ronald Meltzer. He also played the recurring role of D’Hoffryn on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Originally at the end of episode when it aired on FOX was an image of Serenity that glowed. Since FOX don’t allow the names of executive producers at the end of their episodes, Joss changed the image to the names of his producers when the show was released on DVD.

CONTINUITY

The main body of the story is set six years after the Battle of Serenity Valley. Malcolm Reynolds and Zoë Alleyne battle in the valley, but are on the side of independence, the losing side.

This episode sees Simon, River and Book come aboard Serenity for the first time. They come aboard as passengers, but don’t seem to want to leave afterward. Lawrence Dobson, an Alliance agent also comes aboard.

While docked at Persephone, Kaylee tells Mal that she would really like to get a new compression coil for Serenity’s engine. She says that without it, they’ll be dead in space. The coil finally breaks out in Out of Gas, and it has horrific consequences for the crew.

GOOFS

When the crew is breaking into the hold of the derelict you can see some of the ‘sticky’ stuff used to “boil” the door lock before its even been applied.

After the crew lands on Persephone, you can see a prop guy’s hand show up at the bottom right of the screen to help pull the mule off of Serenity’s ramp.

When Inara flies her shuttle away after her client leaves, she holds the “steering wheel” upside down.

In the scene where Mal and Zoë discuss shooting the passengers “politely” if they get too nosy, Mal’s coat sleeve is ripped/patched, even though he has not been shot yet.

When Mal decks Simon, if you look closely or play it in slow-motion, you can see the hands of a man who catches Sean as he falls.