Serenity (Firefly episode) - Definition

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"Serenity" is the two-hour series pilot for the Firefly science fiction television series created by Joss Whedon. It wasn't shown until the end of the series's run. The episode introduces the viewers to the universe the show takes place in (a future of humanity after Earth became uninhabitable) and all of the main characters.

Synopsis

Back story scene

Sgt. Malcolm Reynolds and Zoë and several fellow soldiers are part of an attempt to hold off the Alliance from taking Serenity Valley. Mal sends a squadron up to high ground while he, Zoë and Bendis are to capture an alliance artillary in order to take out a skiff. Despite Bendis' impotence, Zoë is able to provide the cover fire Mal needs and he succeeds in commandeering the weapon and shooting down the skiff. However, the air support that they need to get out of the valley does not arrive; the Alliance has taken the valley and the rebellion has surrendered.

Six years later

Mal (now captain of his own transport ship, Serenity), Zoë and Jayne are attempting to melt open the hatch of an abandoned wreck of a carrier. Wash is on Serenity in the pilot's station, keeping watch while playing with plastic dinosaurs when he detects an Alliance cruiser (I.A.V. Dortmunder) coming towards them and the wreck. He contacts Mal and the others, who tells him to go dark. Wash relays the command to Kaylee who runs to the engine room and shuts everything down. Passively, the cruiser detects some residual heat from the wreck (or Serentiy) and they actively begin scanning. Caught in the act, the Serenity crew double times the cargo on board while the cruiser deploys gunships to stop them. Mal has Wash engage the "crybaby", a coffee can orbiting somewhere else but wired to pretend to be a personnel carrier in distress. Mal gets his team and cargo on board and signals Wash, who turns Serenity away from the cruiser and speeds away. The cruiser halts deployment of the gunships so that it can go help the personnel carrier, but does put out a bulletin that a Firefly-class ship is carrying stolen Alliance goods.

The crew inspects the cargo, and while most think it's a "shiny" deal, Mal is a little troubled. The crew starts hides away the cargo and Mal has Zoë contact Badger, their contact on Persephone, that the job is done. Zoë and Wash leave to the bridge. Mal announces that they will be taking on passengers on Persephone before heading to Boros. Zoë and Wash have a small squabble about needing a vacation and her strong connection to Mal. Mal interrupts to ask if Inara has checked in (she hasn't) and to ask them to let her know that a speedy departure from Persephone might be needed.

Inara finishes up her session with a young Alliance officer who is obviously not very worldly. The session was apparently much better for him than it was for her, yet he offhandedly accuses Inara of shorting their session before he leaves. Inara contacts Serenity and finds out from Wash where to meet up (the "Eavesdown Docks"), and launches her shuttle.

Serenity lands on Persephone and the various crew members split up; Kaylee stays around to find passengers, Wash takes a 4x4 to get supplies, and Mal, Zoë and Jayne go to speak with Badger. Badger is not happy that Mal's team got caught in the salvage operation, even though they weren't ID'd, because the cargo is molecularly stamped and can be traced. He refuses to take the cargo or pay for it.

After turning down the possibility of traveling on the Brutus, Book encounters Kaylee. She notices that he's looking at the ships and not their destinations, and they chat. He tells her that he's a shepard from the Southdown Abbey, been there for awhile and it's time for him to be in the world. He's got a little bit of money, but he also has... something in a small box which he shows her.

Mal and company discuss how to unload their cargo while returning to Serenity. Despite being shot by her in the past, Mal decides to try Patience on Whitefall. Zoë tries to convince Mal that tere must be someone else they can sell to, but eventually gives in. Arriving at Serenity just as Wash does and while Dobson is getting on board, Mal is introduced to Simon. Zoë is not happy about having a bunch of passengers sitting on top of their stolen cargo, but Mal quietly laughs it off. Inara arrives in her shuttle, and the crew and passengers preare to take off.

In flight, Mal, Kaylee and Zoë lay out the ground rules. Mal learns that Book is a shepard, but Kaylee insures all that it's not a problem. Wash arrives and Mal let's the passengers know that the ship's been ordered to take some medical supplies to Whitefall (the fourth moon of Athens), so they'll be going their before heading off the Boros. Simon (being a doctor) asks what the supplies are, but Mal doesn't know. Zoë offers that it could be plasma or insulin or whatever else they don't have enough of on the border moons. This settles things, and she shows the passengers to the cargo bay so thy can retrieve their personal effects.

In the cargo bay, we see that Dobson's a bit of a klutz. Book hands a sack and his box to Kaylee. Inara comes out of her shuttle and Mal introduces her to Book, calling her an ambassador. Book takes this literally, which Mal finds amusing. Mal calls her a whore, but Kaylee corrects him that the term is "Companion". Mal goes on to explain that in some ways a Companion is an ambassador since there are places that won't let you dock without one. Mal baits Book (and Inara) a little more, before she politely returns to her shuttle, although she does have a few stinging words for Mal.

Kaylee starts making dinner and we find out that Book's box contains ripe strawberries, and Kaylee eats one, lovingly. Later, the passengers and most of the crew settle down to dinner, Zoë taking a plate to Wash on the bridge. Book offers to say Grace, and Mal (who is already eating) doesn't mind if the grace is unspoken. After grace, Simon asks if the Alliance often commandeers Serenity, and the passengers and crew talk about the political climate and physical difficulties of the border worlds. Kaylee seems to be taken by Simon, and Jayne makes some rude comments, causing Mal to order him out of the kitchen.

Inara is in her shuttle giving herself a sponge bath when Book arrives with some supper. He's a little embarrassed and Inara covers up, expecting a sermon on her wickedness. He puts her at ease with slightly self-deprecating humor, and they move on to discussing the mystery that is Malcolm Reynolds. Meanwhile, Wash summons Mal to the bridge. Arriving on the bridge, Wash tells Mal that someone sent a message to an Alliance cruiser. He scrambled it as best he could, but still, there's a mole on board.

Thinking the mole is Simon, Mal finds Simon in the cargo bay inspecting a large high-tech crate and confronts him in triplicate: with his fist, with words, and with the point of his gun. Mal accuses Simon of being a fed. Book, who must have also been in the cargo bay, informs the captain of his error, and points out Dobson up on a catwalk, pointing a gun at Mal and Simon. Mal drops his gun and raises his hands, until Dobson gives Simon the Firefly version of the Miranda rights reading: "Simon Tam, you are bound by law to stand down." Simon puts his hands up, and Mal, recovering from a bit of confusion, puts his hands down and asks if there's a reward. As he walks down a stairway, Dobson orders Simon to get on the ground, but he instead asserts that Dobson's making a mistake. Mal to reason with Simon, thinking getting down would be a good idea. Book attempts to calm everyone down, particularly Dobson, while coming closer to the group. Mal tries to help Dobson out, and reaches for his gun on the floor, which only irritates Dobson further. Dobson accuses Mal of smuggling Simon across interplanetary borders, and thinks that everyone on the ship is culpable. Book continues to talk Dobson down, who informs the other three that he has a cruiser coming and escalates more threatening to shoot Book when he continues to try to calm Dobson down. Mal attempts to grab Simon for Dobson, then Kaylee and Jayne enter, and Dobson swings around, not knowing who is entering, and shoots Kaylee in the gut. Inara eners. Mal grabs his gun and Book punches Dobson, knocking him out. Simon runs to inspect Kaylee's wound and Mal joins him. Kaylee's in shock. Jayne grabs his gun and goes to shoot Dobson, but Book stands in the way. Jayne draws on Book, but Zoë (who appears up on the catwalk) tells him to tie Dobson up. Simon starts to take Kaylee to the infirmary, but the cruiser arrives and orders Serenity to prepare for prisoner transfer. Simon tells Mal to change course, to run. Mal disagrees, saying he's gonna dump Simon with the law. Simon says that Kaylee will die unless he helps her, and again ask Mal to turn the ship around. Inara steps in and tells Mal to do it. Mal starts to tell Inara not to tell him what to do, but Kaylee whimpers in pain and Mal orders the course change. Mal, Simon and Inara help take Kaylee to the infirmary.

Time passes as Simon works on Kaylee, removing the bullet as some of the crew watch on from various distances. Finally, Simon finishes until Kaylee can heal up some. Inara asks what's going on and Mal goes to find out, towards the cargo bay. Simon runs to stop him but is intercepted by Jayne. As the crew looks on, Mal goes to Simon's crate and, against Simon's protests, unlatches it before kicking the lid off. Peering inside he finds a naked woman.

Simon wants to check her vitals, but Jayne holds him back. Mal accuses him of slave trade, but is interrupted by the woman in the box screaming and sitting bolt upright. She then, panicky, climbs out of the crate and sits on the floor. Jayne finally releases Simon who goes over to her and calms her a bit while she talks wildly. Simon then introduces the woman as his sister, River.

Later, Simon address the crew and Book. Telling how incredibly smart River is - comparing her intelligence to his and being dwarfed by her. He tells the tale of how River found a special government-funded academy tht would challenge her brilliance. Coming from a wealthy fmily, she could go anywhere, and that's what she wanted, and thats where she went. After months her letters stopped coming until one did finally arrive that made no sense. Simon deduces it was a code and that River was being hurt and needed his help to rescue her. With Zoë's prodding, Simon tells how money, luck, patience and an underground movement that agreed with Simon's assessment and helped to free her. Simon doesn't know if she'll be alright, and doesn't know what was done to her, or why, but he doe know that he has to keep her safe. Mal and the others take stock of the situation and decide that for now, they finish the job (stolen cargo to Whitefall). If Kaylee turns out to be okay, Simon and River will be allowed to leave at Whitefall. If not, they'll have to leave sooner. The pronouncement causes a stir among the crew and Book, until Mal shuts everyone up. Inara tries to show Mal the error of his decision, and says if he throws them off, she's leaving too. Mal agrees to that before storming off. Simon, however, confronts Mal about his fear of the feds, and gets another punch to the jaw.

Mal and Jayne go to a tied up Dobson and Mal explains that he needs to know how much the Alliance knows about them, and leaves it to Jayne to find out. Dobson lies badly and Jayne knows it. Dobson then offers Jayne a large bribe. Mal goes to the bridge apparently summoned by Wash. A ship is apporaching, but it's not Alliance. It's a reaver raiding party. Mal informs the crew and passengers. Luckily, the reavers don't attack, they just pass on by. Mal then goes to the infirmary and Kayless wakes up. Mal comforts her for a bit and, before she falls back to sleep, she notices River but seems unperturbed by the newcomer.

In her shuttle, Inara gives Simon some of her supplies to help him survive on Whitefall. Simon apologizes for his part in the current situation. Inara explains that he fits in with the rest of the crew. Mal interrupts and acts like a jerk some more. Simon leaves while Mal and Inara throw a few barbs at each other, then Mal leaves and catches up to Simon and confronts him and tells him he's out of time, that Kaylee's dead. Simon runs off, confused at having lost a patient and finds Book chatting with a very much alive Kaylee.

Mal relays his joke to Jayne, Wash and Zoë on the bridge. Patience from Whitefall hails and she and Mal exchange pleasantries and agree upon the deal and a place for it to happen before signing off. Mal, however, thinks she's planning to shoot him again. The crew agrees and tensions start to run high again as they try to figure out another option, but Mal talks them down. Meanwhie, Dobson is cutting trough his bindings.

Serenity arrives and lands on Whitefall. Jayne takes the 4x4 with the cargo, while Mal and Zoë survey the meeting site from a plateau. Jayne arrives, informing mal that the cargos safely buried and the 4x4 is back on the boat. Mal susses out how the ambush will go down, including where the snipers will be, then sends Jayne to take the snipers out quietly.

Mal and Zoë arrive at the meeting site just as Patience and her gang do. Patience approves of the sample cargo, which turns out to be food bars, and pays up, but the deal goes sour. Mal gives the money back and, on cue, Jayne starts shooting from his sniper position. Mal and Zoë take down Patience's gang without much trouble, although Zoë gets hit once in the chest (but is saved by bullet-proof armor) and Mal's arm is grazed. Mal takes the money after all is said and done.

At the same time, Book goes to inform Dobson that he's in more danger than he thinks but Dobson is free and attacks Book, knocking him out, and then hitting him a few more times before stowing him in his bunk. Wanting to call more Alliance help, Dobson finds his cortex link, but it can't connect to the system. Frustrated, he throws it aside and goes to the infirmary, where he grabs River. While Simon and Wash chat on the bridge, Kaylee crawls out of the infirmary bed to the intercom and calls Wash, telling him that Dobson's got River. Simon and Wash rush to stop him, but Wash is immediately turned back by an alarm that goes off. Simon jumps Dobson from the catwalk over the cargo bay.

Jayne catches up with Mal and Zoë with news from Wash - the reavers have follwed them. They make haste back to Serenity.

Simon and Dobson struggle and fight, both of them ending up with a gun and Dobson using River as a shield. Mal arrives and quickly shoots Dobson, then he and Jayne throw him off. Zoë tells Wash all are on board and they take off with the reavers right on their tail. Wash asks that Kaylee go to the engine room and Mal orders the passengers to Inara's shuttle. Jayne carries Kaylee to the engine room. Book goes with Jayne and Kaylee, believing he'll be able to help, which he is able to do much more than Jayne. With their help and Wash's superb flying, Serenity escapes from the reavers.

Book goes to Inara and, in essence, confesses that he's terribly lost and might be on the wrong ship. Inara thinks he just might be exactly where he ought to be. Simon tucks in River for the night.

On the bridge, Jayne tells Mal that River's trouble and that Dobson told him that the Alliance will keep after. Mal asks if dobson bribed him, to which Jayne let him know it wasn't enough of a bribe, and that it'll be an interesting day if the bribe is ever big enough. Jayne leaves as Simon enters. Expecting to be dumped, Simon is surprised that if he can keep his sister from going crazy, he can be ship's medic. When questioned as to why, Mal replies it has been a good day.