Serial Serenity went on hiatus three months ago, but Rachel has returned to resurrect her column and we couldn’t be happier! Unless there was cheesecake involved, because cheesecake does have a way of increasing happiness levels. Here’s Rachel’s (cheesecake free) take on the Firefly episode Bushwhacked.
Synopsis
Ball Game
While playing a game involving a ball and a hoop that I don’t think the actors even understood the rules for, Serenity happens on a derelict ship floating in space, complete with floating corpses. “What is it?” Simon asks, to which River disturbingly replies, “It�s ghosts.”
Investigation
The crew decides to go over to the stranded ship, help any survivors (which it is unlikely there are), and take anything useful. During the investigation, Mal, Zoë, and Jayne find no people. However, there is food still on tables, a really freaky red balloon, and a ship’s log. As they start the recording, River wakes up screaming back on Serenity. Since there are no survivors to help (the life-ship launched more than a week prior, according to the log), Mal calls the rest of the crew over to begin a salvage operation.
Derelict
The crew splits up to search the ship, looking for loot. Inara is left on Serenity to look after River. One problem: River has vanished.
In the engine room, Kaylee and Simon discover that there is nothing wrong mechanically with the ship.
In the cargo hold, Mal and Zoë find supplies for 14 or more families. When those on board escaped, why didn�t they take any of the supplies? Mal can see that something is not adding up. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees River staring up into the vaulted cargo hold and realizes that no one escaped: She is staring at several bodies hanging from the ceiling.
Mal orders everyone off the derelict ship immediately. Unfortunately for Jayne, the warning comes a split second too late, and he is attacked by something.
Sole Survivor
After a struggle, the crew meets the sole survivor of the transport ship: a young man.
Back on Serenity, the man babbles some mighty crazy talk and Mal instructs Simon to sedate him. Locking the patient in the med bay, Mal informs the crew that Reavers hit the derelict.
[nms:Whedon Firefly,4,0]
The Reavers
As the crew freaks out, Mal decides that there is no need to run just yet, They will return for the supplies and put the victims to rest. Inara is impressed by his gallantry, but we soon learn that a “funeral” will keep the others busy while the core crew takes care of some business.
To Each His Own
This “business” we learn is to unhook Serenity from a booby-trap set by the Reavers to keep any unsuspecting ship (like Serenity) from leaving. In a montage, we see some crewmembers preparing the bodies for final rites, Jayne loading up the cargo, Kaylee crawling though the bowels of Serenity trying to set her free from the booby trap, and the survivor going a bit crazy and essentially turning into a Reaver in the medical bay. Kaylee succeeds in shutting down the booby trap, and the rest of the crew returns to Serenity, not knowing the extreme danger they were in.
Thinking they are in the clear, Serenity sets sail as alarms start to sound. Luckily, it is not Reavers, but an Alliance cruiser that, to the crew of Serenity, is just as bad.
Captured!
The Alliance Commander (Doug Savant of Desperate Housewives fame) leads a group of Alliance soldiers over to Serenity looking for the fugitives Simon and River, who are mysteriously missing when the Alliance boards. Commander Harkin takes all on board into custody (including the survivor) to interrogate them.
Cross-examination
Cross-cut with shots of Alliance soldiers rand-sacking Serenity, each crew member is interrogated as to their purpose and legality. The soldiers continue to search for Simon and River who, we learn, are in space-suits clinging onto the outside of Serenity.
Deadly Passenger
As Harkin questions Mal, it comes to light that the survivor might be a danger to anyone he come into contact with. Seeing what he did, he is slowly turning into a Reaver himself (the only way to deal with it, I suspect, is to become it). Mal tries to explain this to Harkin, but he does not believe him.
In the medical bay of the Cruiser, the survivor attacks the doctors and nurses, killing several, and escapes.
Finished with their search, the Alliance soldiers leave Serenity and Simon and River sneak back on board.
Harkin gets word of the survivors escape and orders a full lock-down of the cruiser (eerily commanding a full guard be placed at the nursery – yikes!). Mal, knowing that the survivor will try to get back to the derelict (familiar ground), offers to help.
Back on Serenity, River knows the survivor is there.
Uncivilized
Still in handcuffs, Mal returns to Serenity with Harkin and a few soldiers. Mal finds the survivor and kills him just before the survivor attacks Harkin. Without any questions, the crew and Serenity are released.
As she flies away, the derelict is blown up.
Rachel’s Two Cents
The interrogation scene is some of the best editing I have ever seen in a television show. It is very Joss (those fans out there know what I mean).
In way of trivia, I pulled the following off Internet Movie Database. It is the text from the computer screen of the ships log found on the derelict:
“Passenger 4352 – Schultz, Sharon I received a communication regarding the shipment and have been apprised of the situation awaiting us upon arrival at the docking bay as well. I have been assured that every precaution has been taken to insure the safe arrival and expedient dispersion of said materials. All is under control. Will contact representative upon arrival. Passenger 4399 – Robinson, Johann Today, my darling, for the first time I regret embarking on this journey.”
Also, you might be interested to now that the term “bushwhacked” can mean to travel through or live in the woods, or to fight as a guerrilla in the woods.
Sources (besides my brain, I mean):
Firefly – The Complete Series
Fireflyfans.net
Internet Movie Database
Serenity Official Visual Companion
You Can’t Take the Sky: A Firefly Site
Whedonesque
Rachel, originally from Oregon and currently living in Arizona, is a grant writer and consultant for non-profit arts organizations. She hopes to one day renovate an old theatre somewhere and turn it into an art house cinema joint. Rachel has a BA in Theatre and Media Arts and an MFA in Arts Administration. She enjoys movies, writing, using her label-maker, guacamole, and the Oxford Comma. She has been married for almost seven years to a self-proclaimed Zombie Cinema expert who enjoys the occasional Lego, and has been the mother to a self-proclaimed 2-year-old for, you guessed it, 2 years. She is also currently incubating a little girly-girl that will join the family in January of ’08. She hopes it turns out better for her than it did for Ripley.
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Authors bio is coming up shortly. 
Firefly was so cool. So was Serenity !