War Stories

Season 1, Episode 11
Written by Cheryl Cain
Directed by James A. Contner
Original Airdate: 6 December 2002

“I am a large, semi-muscular man. I can take it.”
Wash

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

Michael Fairman as Adelai Niska
Katherine Kendall as Councillor
Rolando Molina as Bolles

CO-STARRING

John Dunn as Torturer
Michael A. Bentt as Viktor
Adam Pilver as Vanilla Husband
Johnny Shakespeare as Torture Victim
Jason Van as Man

SYNOPSIS

In the infirmary, Book is talking to Simon as Simon looks at a brain scan of River. Book wonders if the people that did this to River were fans of the dark war poetry of the psychotic dictator Shan Yu. Book wonders if they did this just to see how much she could take in order to truly know her, as Shan Yu suggested. Simon thinks their purpose was much more specific.

The crew sits around enjoying fresh apples, the fruit of their newfound wealth from their drug heist from the Alliance hospital on Ariel. Mal says the ship is about twenty minutes from their last drop, then they can think about spending some more of their new money. Wash thinks they could’ve made even more, but Mal says he heard about his plan and thinks it’s best not to cut out middle men from the deal and make any more enemies.

Floating in space, we see Niska’s Skyplex. Inside, a man is being whipped as Niska looks on. He wants to know why the man being tortured skimmed off the top and lied to him. Just as Niska is about to go to work with a bad-looking knife, an aide interrupts and says they’ve picked up a read from the other side of the world: could be Serenity. This greatly excites Niska, who wants Mal brought to him. Niska gets back to work on his victim, asking if he’s familiar with the works of Shan Yu.

Serenity touches down on Ezra. Wash asks Zoë why she didn’t tell him that Mal shot down his plan to sell the drugs directly to local doctors, even though they could’ve made more money and ensured that the drugs got to the right people. Zoë agreed with Mal that the plan was too risky and could’ve gotten back to the wrong people. Wash tells Zoë she shouldn’t hide behind Mal, she should tell him herself if she doesn’t like the plan. Zoë says their marriage doesn’t need another shouting match, and Wash says that the marriage needs one less husband.

The crew is excited about Inara bringing a client onboard, since she never does. They all want to see who it is. It’s a woman. Her bodyguard and fine robes give away her importance. Jayne quickly retreats to his bunk for some privacy.

Zoë is preparing a shuttle to launch from Serenity. Mal loads the stolen booty into the shuttle. For some reason, Zoë can’t initiate the launch sequence. The reason would be that Wash has changed the sequences. He says he’s going on the mission with Mal, instead of Zoë. Mal just wants to get out of there, so he tells Wash to just get her started.

During the flight, Mal upbraids Wash for his stunt and say he needs Zoë around in case something goes wrong. Wash says he can learn on the job. Mal and Wash walk through barren land with Wash carrying the large crate of contraband until they meet up with three rogues. The goods are inspected and money is exchanged when Mal notices a red laser dot on the leader’s forehead and dives aside, tackling Wash. The rogues are shot down by snipers and military forces jump out from their hiding posts.

Back on the ship, Zoë tells Jayne to get his weapon: Mal and Wash are late. Book wants to go along too. The group comes across the rogues’ bodies. There is no sign of Mal or Wash, although they see some burn marks that indicate a shuttle from a space station. Zoë knows who has the boys.

Wash and Mal, blindfolded, are dragged into a holding cell on Niska’s Skyplex. Wash begins panicking and talking about how Zoë follows every one of Mal’s orders, but never listens to him. Mal says that’s not true: he ordered Zoë not to marry Wash, but she did anyway. Niska comes in and takes off Mal’s blindfold. Mal isn’t happy to see him.

On Serenity, the crew begins assembling money to give Zoë to turn over as ransom. She’s heading to the Skyplex. Deep inside the Skyplex, Mal and Wash are being tortured by electricity. In the midst of their torture, Mal and Wash argue over Zoë and Wash says that he wishes Mal had slept with her in the past so she’d be over him.

Zoë’s shuttle docks on the Skyplex. Armed guards greet her. She tells them that she’s unarmed and wants to speak to Niska. An aide relays the message to him, and Zoë is brought into the torture chamber. Niska tells Zoë that she doesn’t have enough money for both, but she does for just one. He relishes the quandary he’s put her in, but Zoë chooses Wash before Niska even has time to finish his proposition.

Wash is cut loose and begins walking away with Zoë. Before they leave, Niska says the money is too much and perhaps she should have a small refund. A henchman cuts off Mal’s left ear and Niska gives it to Zoë, saying they’re even. She takes it and drags Wash away as Mal screams in pain.

Wash can’t believe how strong Mal was. He wouldn’t break, which saved Wash. He’s devastated that Niska is going to kill Mal, but Zoë says he’s going to make it last as long as possible, days, if he can. Wash instantly resolves that he’s not going to give Niska the chance. He pilots the shuttle back to Serenity.

In the Skyplex, Mal’s torture continues. Niska has a special machine for Mal. One end attaches to his chest by digging metal tendrils into his flesh. That’s attached to a black cord, which begins electrocuting Mal.

On Serenity, Wash and Zoë load up with artillery. Jayne thinks they’re insane. Wash says they leave no man behind, which inspires the rest to arm up and join them. Even Book loads up, figuring he can blast kneecaps and still be on the good side of the Bible.

They may be too late, however, as Niska’s aide shoves Mal’s lifeless body and proclaims him dead. They bring him back to life in order to torture him some more. Niska says a lesson needs to be taught about people who cross him.

Serenity cruises toward the Skyplex. The crew prepares for their rescue invasion. Serenity docks and alarms sound on the Skyplex. The crew runs off Serenity and the shooting begins. Hearing the attack, Niska uses an intercom to ask what’s going on. When nobody is looking, Mal pulls the electric device out of his chest and attaches it to a bodyguard’s back, knocking him out. He then drills Niska with a punch, dropping him.

The Serenity crew continues fighting their way through the Skyplex. At the same time, Mal slowly moves in on Niska when his bodyguard comes to and jumps Mal from behind, choking him. Jayne, Zoë and Wash come in and blast the bodyguard, saving Mal.

Back on Serenity, Mal’s ear has been reattached, but Niska hasn’t been killed, a fact that bothers Mal.

TRIVIA

This episode was previously titled ‘Oaths of Loyalty.’

CONTINUITY

Niska returns, this time for revenge. He wants payment for the time that Mal returned his cash and killed his henchmen, events that happened in The Train Job.

There are numerous mentions to Ariel in this episode, firstly when Book, who was off ship at the time calls Simon a ‘criminal mastermind.’ Jayne’s contribution of fresh apples to the crew is in atonement for his betrayal of Mal and the Tams in the same episode.

Book again knows the details of weapons and strategy when Niska takes Mal and Wash. He also shoots without hesitation. Just who is this guy?

Mal assures Inara that no more of her clients will have trouble aboard Serenity, claiming that he’s over his sword-fighting these days. He’s referring to his duel with Atherton Wing in Shindig.

Zoë makes soup for Wash, which Saffron did for Mal in Our Mrs. Reynolds.

River’s callous shooting of the snipers targeting Kaylee is a direct hint to her psychic abilities, and Kaylee is clearly uneased. She mentions the events to the crew in Objects in Space.

GOOFS

Just before Jayne, Book and Zoë notice the burn pattern, two cars pass in the background. Shortly after Zoë says ‘they weren’t after the goods,’ look for a long shot of all three of them walking through the desert. To the middle-left of the screen, there’s a highway visible in the distance – one car going left, another going right.

In the scene where Mal has the torture device attached to his chest, his amputated ear is on the wrong side of his head. Obviously, the picture has been flipped (a mirror image), as the buttons on his shirt are on the wrong side, also.

When Jayne shoots the first guard in the hallway, when he is on the ground, you can see some wire or thin cable on the ground between him and the foot of the other guard who runs away, but you can’t see the wire in the shot just one second earlier, as he is falling to the ground.

When Simon sees a guard coming around the corner and says, “Book, we uh…” the actor playing a dead guard lying the floor of the hallway jerks his feet, apparently startled by the sound of a gun going off.

When River shoots the three guards dead, the shot of the docking bay (when Kaylee looks out) is reversed. The office with the window is on the left instead of the right.