Review of Firefly 1.2: "The Train Job" by Entilzha

FIREFLY EPISODE DISCUSSIONS

Review of Firefly 1.2: "The Train Job"

POSTED BY: ENTILZHA
UPDATED: Sunday, August 8, 2004 09:30
SHORT URL:
VIEWED: 2910
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Wednesday, June 23, 2004 3:51 PM

It's hard not to look at this episode without thinking of a similar situation: JMS' "Crusade", where the original pilot ("Racing the Night") was forced to run well after a network-mandated and vastly inferior second pilot ("War Zone"). Joss pulled it off a bit more smoothly, I think, and this episode actually works better following "Serenity" than it did on its own.

Here's my review of the DVD version of Firefly 1.2: "The Train Job":

http://www.entil2001.com/series/firefly/season1dvd/ff1-2.html

Overall, this episode is strong enough on its own merits, but it’s obviously caught between two very different needs: to serve as an introductory episode, and to build on what was revealed in the pilot. As a result, it sometimes manages to fail in one regard while excelling in the other. Even so, there are some important plot threads introduced along the way.

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Wednesday, June 23, 2004 4:24 PM

SOUPCATCHER

Thanks for posting this Entil'zha! I remember reading your reviews of the shows when I first found this site after the DVD came out and am eagerly looking forward to the updated ones.

I shaved off my beard for you, devil woman!

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Thursday, June 24, 2004 6:19 AM

SYDNI64

That was really interesting, Entilzha, thanks for directing us to it!

One thing this ep does a great job of, as you point out, is locating Mal along a moral spectrum. While he's not as morally depraved as Niska, he of course was willing to deal with him. While the idea of allowing innocents to go without medicine tugged at his conscience, he had zero qualms about offing one of Niska's men. (We as the audience are even invited to find humor in this, so that the ep actually involves us in the cutting of moral corners that typifies Mal's dealings.) I think it's admirable what a tidy job this ep does of avoiding the facile quality of a simple moral standing for Mal, while still giving us the sense that we understand a bit better what this guy is all about.

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Sunday, August 8, 2004 9:30 AM

WOLFE426

The best part of this episode that I laughed my butt off about, as it remains one of my favourites is when Jayne is having this meeting with the others aboard Serenity. This happens after Simon has given him this shot from a drug and Jayne is talking about leaving.

Jayne: You know what the chain of command is? It's a chain I go get and beat you with till you understand who's in ruttin' command here.

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