Our Mrs. Reynolds / Jaynestown
In "Our Mrs. Reynolds", after helping a barren town thwart bandits, the crew celebrates with a party and libations. The next morning, Mal discovers that he unwittingly participated in a marriage ceremony and meets his new wife Saffron. Mal admirably rejects the premise of a person being traded as payment, but eventually falls victim to her seducton. But Saffron has other plans. We discuss our reactions to Saffon's betrayal, and whether Jayne's trade for Vera is deplorable or a sign of growth.
In "Jaynestown", when the crew lands on Canton - a planet populated by enslaved mudders - they find that the inhabitants have built a statue to commemorate Jayne. Years ago, Jayne stole from the Magistrate and dumped the money (and his partner) in the chase. The Mudders believe that Jayne was giving them the money as a charitable Robin Hood act. While Jayne basks in hero-worship, the Magistrate makes plans for revenge. We debate over Simon's behavior as respectful or insulting, and Joe teaches us how to make Mudder's Milk at home.
PLUS! Joe from Wayne Manor Memoirs joins us in the Stacks.
Shindig / Safe
When Inara lands a date to a fancy "Shindig", she's looking forward to a night of sophistication and culture. It's a shame that Mal's gonna crash the party so he can woo a potention client of his own. Kaylee is enjoying the festivities, but the night goes awry when Mal inadvertently challenges Inara's suitor to a duel. The gunslinger must learn to swordfight while his crew is trapped on Serenity. Kristen and Mike discuss Inara's dillemna to live with Atherton full time, and the production value of shooting in Disney's backlot.
In "Safe", Mal encourages Simon and River to explore a new planet so he can sell his wares. When the deal goes sour, Book is injured and Serenity needs to leave the planet without the doc and his sister. Meanwhile, Simon is forced to treat the sick and injured of a small town, whose citizens don't taken kindly to River's abilities. We examine the Tam parents' indifference to their daughter's well-being, and the town's sudden yet ardent religious fervor.
PLUS! The Stackers' favorite Firefly characters!
The Train Job / Bushwhacked
In "The Train Job, when crime lord Adelei Niska hires the crew of the Serenity to steal goods off an Alliance train, Mal doesn't ask many questions. He'll regret that, however, when the plan goes awry and him and Zoe find themselves stranded on an indigent planet. How will the crew get them out? And what to do about this much-needed stolen medicine? Kristen and Mike discuss how this episode would have functioned as a pilot, and Mal's dillemna over returning the loot.
In "Bushwhacked", Serenity happens across a derelict and seemingly abandoned ship. While a closer inspection finds treasured goods inside, it also reveals evidence of a Reaver attack. The crew attempts to save the lone survivor, but he may be beyond help. And here comes the Alliance, ill-equipped and full of bad ideas. We look at the white-knuckle scenes that build tension in this ep, and examine the two Reaver origin stories.
PLUS! Which Firefly character scares the Stackers?
Serenity Parts 1 & 2
We're back! Firefly starts off with a bang in this 2-parter introducing us to the universe after Earth-that-was. Mal, Zoe, Jayne, and Kaylee live and work on a ship called Serenity, running less-than-legal jobs. When they're flagged by the tyrranical government The Alliance, their deal goes sour and they're forced to take on passengers. But at least two of the newcomers have secrets that could bring the crew's way of life to an end. Kristen and Mike discuss their histories with this series, the strange order in which these episodes were aired, and Mike's mysterious connection to Kaylee/Jewel Staite.
In Part 2, the crew starts off in a bad spot. There's a lawman on board, Kaylee's been shot, the Alliance is coming, and Simon has smuggled his sister onto the ship. Mal chooses to follow through with his deal, however, and sell his smuggled goods to Patience. But when Patience predictably and metaphorically stabs Mal in the back, Serenity needs to hightail it out of there and... oh, look - Reavers are coming. We talk about Mal's specific brand of morality, and our evolving opinions about the super stuffy Simon Tam.