(no subject)

[nonethefewer]

My favourite episode, insofar as I'm capable of choosing such a thing, of Firefly is "Out of Gas".  There are many reasons, but one is currently standing out, so lo, a post.

("Spoliere" is a random, yet well-liked by me, typo for "spoilers".)

It's flashback-middle tiems (-early is the crewing of the ship; -late is the present), just after the explosion, when Zoe is in sickbay.  Wash is resistant to Mal's "request" that he get to the front and figure out what's going on.

W: I'm not leaving her side, Mal. Don't ask me again.
M: I wasn't askin'. I was tellin'.
W: Chur ni-duh. [Screw you.]
M: ... *slams Wash against the wall*
M: You're gonna get to that bridge, and you're gonna get us back on our feet.

After a tense moment, Wash does this "I got this, screw you" shoulder-adjustment thing, and Mal immediately backs off.

That moment, to me, is purest social alchemy.  It's so clear to me how it goes:

M: I have this need.  It involves our survival.
W: I am emotionally bound to my partner, who may be dying.  I feel that my need is greater, and emotionally reject your reasoning.
M: I've quickly assessed the best way to demonstrate to you the needs of the many.  Sucks that it's violence*.
W: I accept your reasoning, but I can't be seen to capitulate to your reasoning, as that would be a sign that I don't love my partner^.
M: I will give you the respect (space) you're due, because you have chosen the many over your partner.
W: I will make faces and gestures, but I expect that you, understanding the emotional quandary I'm in, will not take it personally.
M: Indeed.

* One minute ago, he was gently cajoling Kaylee to go poke at the engines, so.

^ An alternate interpretation is to replace "emotionally affected by my partner" with "egotistically invested in not changing course", but I... choose to think better of Wash than that.  Though I do this myself an uncomfortable lot.

I love it.

As an aside:

Notice the ending:

M: Hey. Yall gonna be here when I wake up?

That whole scene, the camera is angled so that River and Simon don't appear in it.

Originally posted on Dreamwidth.  Number of comments so far:

Comments

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Lis made a fanvid of that episode to the Maroon 5 song "Harder to Breathe". Unfortunately, Youtube won't display it, of course.

[phaedra-lari.livejournal.com]

That's one of my favorite episodes too. Never noticed the camera angle! Nice catch.

I love the moment where Mal tells Inara that everyone dies alone.

[vito-excalibur.livejournal.com]

I feel dumb: why is it significant that River & Simon don't appear in the end there?

[the-xtina.livejournal.com]

I might not be interpreting it correctly, so no worries.

It's significant to me because while he sees the doctor as a doctor for his crew, he doesn't entirely see him -- certainly not River, who at that point was not that useful to him, o pragmatist -- as a part of his crew, which is his manly way of saying chosen-family.