Cult-TV Blogging: Firefly: "War Stories." (December 6, 2002)

Aboard Serenity, Simon (Simon Maher) seeks answers about River’s (Summer Glau) medical condition following the group’s visit to Ariel. 

At the same time, Inara (Morena Baccarin) worries that Mal might interfere with her next appointment, involving a prominent councilor. 

Wash (Alan Tudyk), meanwhile grows ever more concerned about Zoe’s (Gina Torres) seemingly unquestioning loyalty to Mal.  He says that their marriage needs “one less husband.”

On a trip to sell the stolen medical goods acquired at the Alliance Hospital, Wash replaces Zoe as Mal’s enforcer, and both he and Mal are captured by the forces of a gangster named Niska, who Reynolds betrayed recently.

When the captain and Wash do not return on time from the deal, Zoe plans a rescue mission to save both men, but is faced with a difficult challenge when she attempts to buy their freedom from Niska. 

He says he will release one and only one prisoner.

Who will it be: Captain Reynolds or Wash?

“War Stories” is another solid, well-executed Firefly (2002) story, and one that, like virtually every other entry in the canon, succeeds in exploring interactions between the main characters.

For instance, we saw in “Our Mrs. Reynolds” that Wash and Zoe had some marital discord.  Nothing major, perhaps, but it was present nonetheless…and Saffron (Christina Hendricks) was able to drive a wedge into the gulf.  

Here the gulf widens, as we learn that Zoe obeys Mal’s orders without question, while lying to preserve Wash’s feelings about matters of some import (like how to conduct business).  Zoe’s history with Mal is the problem of course, since they served in the war together, and remain, more or less, comrades in arms.  Wash can’t hope to compete with this history, and so constantly feels that Zoe is choosing the Captain over him.

When captured, Mal plays up this “love triangle” so as to keep Wash’s mind off the physical pain of the torture, and, finally, Zoe chooses her husband as the man who will be released.  She does so without question, and the matter is settled. 

What’s interesting about Zoe’s selection is that she may have picked Wash because she, simply, loves him more.  

Or, perhaps she chose Wash because she knew that Mal would bear up under torture better.  It’s an intriguing moment to think about.  At first, it seems like an acknowledgment of Zoe putting her personal life ahead of her professional one, but it could be, simply, a matter of survival.  Wash won’t endure; Mal would. It’s that simple.

What doesn't quite succeed about this plot-line for me is that Wash picks up guns, and goes into battle like Rambo in the third act to save "his" captain after being saved, and after realizing that Mal kept him alive.  

Sure, Wash should be loyal and grateful, but his strength is as a brilliant pilot, not as a warrior.  People should help out where their expertise is, and Wash's rests in the cockpit of Serenity.  

And in fairness, Wash manages a brilliant docking at the station.  That should be enough, and I don't think it's strictly necessary to see him leading the charge as a soldier, afterwards, issuing macho one-liners.  

Jayne and Zoe fit that "puzzle" piece in the crew -- as soldiers -- it isn't entirely believable to me that Wash is so handy (and apparently so comfortable...) using fire-arms in a pitched fight. Wash is a great character, and can be a hero without wearing a sleeveless shirt and brandishing a pistol in a gun fight. 

“War Stories” also provides the first evidence of River’s fearsome fighting  abilities, which come to full flower so memorably in the motion picture Serenity (2005).  

Here, River is called upon to protect Kaylee (Jewel Staite) during the gun-battle with Niska’s goons.  She takes Kaylee’s gun, “senses” her targets, and shoots them dead in the blink of an eye.  I love this moment, as it hints at what River is becoming, and I love that Kaylee is the one who witnesses it.

“War Stories” is also important because it demonstrates that, in the universe of Firefly, actions have consequences.  In “The Train Job,” Niska is established as a corrupt gangster who will go to the ends of space to punish those who have wronged him.  In the course of that tale, Mal does wrong him…surrendering the medicine he procured for the gangster.  Mal made the decision because the medicine was needed on the planet, or families would die.  But here the decision to be a good person comes back to bite Mal, and nearly costs him an ear.  Niska has not forgotten his betrayal…

Finally, I love the running gag in "War Stories" regarding Jayne.  He keeps saying "I'll be in my bunk," and what inspires that phrase is the thought of Inara with the councilor...another woman.

These and other moments in "War Stories" are inspired, but occasionally this episode plays as a little bit cheesy, especially vis-a-vis Wash.  He suddenly sees the light about Mal, and makes that decision to go all Rambo.  Most Firefly episodes proceed without such whiplash-provoking turnarounds, and without the beloved crew-members acting out of character (and out of their experience...)  For once, a character arc doesn't quite work as well as it should.

Next week: "Trash."