Serial Serenity: Shindig

Serial Serenity: A recap with a bit a trivia thrown in for good measure
Episode: Shindig
Original Air Date: 11-1-02
Written by: Jane Espenson
Directed by: Vern Gillum

Remember, kids, we’re doing these in the order Joss intended, not the order Fox arbitrarily placed upon them. Can you tell I’m still bitter?

Synopsis
Bar Brawl
Once again, our space western begins in a bar with some thieving and a brawl. Nothing like a pool stick to the face.

Companion’s Delight
Having witnessed the un-pleasantries in the bar, Inara makes plans to accompany one of her more civilized clients to a ball on the planet of Persephone. (Although the other crew members are itching to get off the ship for a while, Mal doesn’t want to stay long on terra firma; just long enough to get a job and avoid those that need avoiding.) Inara and Mal, as usual, share barbs about their chosen professions (Companion and thief) and the sexual tension builds. Sorry, folks, it’ll keep building with no real pay-off. Damn you, Fox!

Favored Guests
On planet, the crew passes a dress shop on their way to get supplies. With his lack of tact, Mal insults Kaylee’s desire to have one of the dresses: “look like a sheep walking around on it’s hind legs.” Unfortunately (or fortunately) for him, Badger shows up wanting to talk.

Last time they saw Badger, they screwed each other over pretty good, but now he has another smuggling job for Mal and his crew. Mal doesn’t trust him at all, but they need the money. Funny thing is, the contact will be at the very same ball Inara is attending. Huh.

[nms:Whedon Firefly,4,0]

Attractive Couples
The ball is very fancy-schmancy, with poofy dresses, extravagant food, and a stuffy guy announcing your name when you walk in. Inara and Atherton Wing (Edward Atterton) are enjoying the festivities. Atherton tries to persuade Inara (as he has many time before, I gather) to be his permanent Companion, an idea which she neither accepts nor rejects. She doesn’t really have time to answer what with the entrance of Kaylee and Mal dressed to the nines (ah, the birth of “Captain Tight-pants”). As Mal looks for their contact, Kaylee is enamored with all the finery around her. Her eyes land on the buffet table and Mal realizes he’s lost her completely.

Poker Game
Back on ship, while Jayne, Book, and Simon play a poker game with chores on the line, River goes a bit crazy ripping all the labels off the canned food, ranting again about the “hands of blue.” Zoë and Wash, meanwhile, have more husband-wifey things to do, if you know what I mean.

Care to Dance
Mal finds the contact and approaches Sir Warwick Harrow (Larry Drake) who acts as if there is no smuggling job. Disheartened, Mal asks Inara to dance. More barbs and insults mark the music’s time. Inara tells Mal of Atherton’s offer. Mal is visibly worried.

My Kind of Party
Kaylee has found her place with a group of men talking mechanics and space ship. She has them all wrapped around her strawberry stuffing fingers.

Ending the dance, Atherton charges forward to seize control of Inara. Mal, finding this rude (and who wouldn’t?) ends up punching the guy. Unfortunately, Mal in unaccustomed to the ways of Persephone high society: with his punch, he has challenged Atherton to a duel at dawn. When asked if he needs to borrow a sword for the event, he replies “A s-what?�

Sir Warwick Harrow is impressed by the craziness of Mal (almost as much as he dislikes Atherton) and agrees to be Mal’s Second. He explains that Mal will be put up in lodging of the night so he doesn’t run. He also agrees that if Mal survives, he has a big smuggling job for the crew of Serenity.

Apparently, word travels fast because Badger shows up at Serenity with Kaylee. He wants to make sure there is no rescue mission mounted so his “good” name isn’t smeared. Whatever.

Under watch, the crew makes hushed plans to overtake Badger and his goons. All they need is a diversion. River enters and gives a long speech in a Cockney accent (the same as Badger’s) about Badger’s life and motivations. Good diversion – too bad they were all so shocked they didn’t use it.

Swordplay
Back at Atherton’s house, Inara sneaks into Mal’s room to teach him a bit about swordplay (she is very good, by the way). The anger between them builds as she teaches him how to fight with swords. Finally, Mal suggests she take Atherton’s offer and she storms out.

The Duel
At dawn, the duel begins. Mal seems to be doing well, but Atherton is just playing with him. After Mal is stabbed several times and is about to be killed, Inara can no longer stand it. She jumps in front of Atherton and accepts his offer if only he will let Mal live. This is the chance Mal is looking for to overtake Atherton. He gains the upper hand and, with a few little stabs for good measure, walks away. As Atherton slings insults at Inara, she informs him that he will be black-listed on the Companion registry. Impressed with both Inara and Mal, Sir Warwick Harrow agrees to hire Mal for the big smuggling job.

Exciting New Crime
Still trying to figure out a way to break free of Badger, the crew is shocked to see Mal and Inara walking onto the ship. And the smuggling job? Cattle. Lots and lots of cattle. Sounds like a Western, doesn’t it?

Rachel’s Two Cents
Some trivia:
1. According to Jane Espenson (the writer) on the DVD commentary, the first scene was meant to show how Inara does not fit into Mal’s world, and the rest of the episode shows how Mal does not fit into Inara’s.
2. According to Shawna Trpcic (the costume designer and, yes, I spelled her last name right) on the DVD commentary, Zoës necklace represents her marriage bond to Wash and that why she never takes it off.
3. As the crew wanders through the streets of Persephone, the Starlight Intruder from the Star Wars graphic novel series “Dark Empire” lands in the background. The ship has an oval front section with two square sections behind.
4. According to the DVD commentary, the character of Badger was initially to be played by Joss Whedon himself.
5. According to the DVD commentary, Inara’s dress at the ball is the re-worked wedding dress of the costume designer.

Sources
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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