The Significance of the Serenity Crew

[Whitestar]

After watching Firefly and Serenity on DVD again, I've come to better understand the characters and their significance to the show. In the very first episode, we're introduced to Mal, who is a very good leader, tenacious and a firm believer in God, the latter being the most importance to him. However, within moments, he and what's left of his platoon badly lose the war against the Alliance due to superior firepower. Six years later, we see Mal as a cynical, bitter, and sad individual. He's a defeated, broken, and very lonely man who has lost faith not just in God, but in human beings, especially himself. When he hired his crew, he did so for various reasons.

For instance, he hired Zoe as his second-in-command because she was a fellow soldier who fought with him in the war against the Alliance. He keeps her around because he needs someone who has been in the same boat as himself from a soldier's perspective, and have at least one person who will remain fiercely loyal to him without question. He keeps Wash around because he needs an excellent pilot, as well as someone with a sense of humor. He keeps Kaylee around because he needs a great mechanic and someone to remain hopeful. He keeps Simon around because he needs a doctor who can patch up his crew in his dangerous line of work and help him heal from within. He keeps River around because she's a mindreader and needs someone who possesses a sense of wonder. He keeps Book around because he needs someone who has faith and also serve as his conscience. He keeps Inara around because he needs to love and to be loved. He keeps Jayne around because he needs the extra muscle when the going gets tough, and while Jayne is a self-preservationist, he has also shown to be unexpectedly generous at times when it involved the safety of the crew. The Serenity crew has become Mal's family and it is through them that he ultimately pieces back together his broken life by rediscovering the things that he lost: loyalty, humor, hope, peace of mind, sense of wonder, faith, love, and generosity.

That's my two cents.

[Joel007]

I've heard it somewhere before that the crew of serenity all represent parts of Mal that he's lost. It one thing that makes the episodes and film so interesting. Most character studies have each character with one trait blown out of proportion, so the viewers can immediately identify with it, and see how it affects the people around them. Firefly has complex characters who each have a variety of opinions and conflicts. While they may appear at first to have a single characteristic which is their "niche" in the show, several of them can unexpectedly share the same attribute (i.e. naiveté or lateral thinking), causing them to conflict and/or support each other. This makes them more believeable.
Mal is very similar to Pratchett's Granny Weatherwax or Commander Vimes. They're fundamentally good people who want to be bad, since their independant nature causes them to rebel against both good and evil. In the things of importance, they'll eventually choose what's best for others, as their generous nature remains intact.
I wanna watch it all again now

[Brown Rat]

I agree with you two: Whitestar, your sense is more than two cents; and Joel, you're right that the multifaceted nature of all the characters makes them believable.

I wonder, though, about your analysis of Simon, Whitestar. I don't see Simon as someone who helps heal Mal's insides--at least, not more so than any of the other characters helps Mal heal psychologically. Maybe what Simon represents is family itself, the importance of family, in his determination to help his sister. Simon is willing to yell at Mal and get up in his face about values in a way that the other characters don't usually do, sort of like a brother might.

[Joel007]

Simon is the one longing for home, another thing that Mal has lost: he lives on and for Serenity. All Mal cares about is keeping her flying, he has no other home.
Simon also adds to the integrity, but there are many voices who act as the conscience of the group. I think that Simon's role is actually reminiscent of the traditional 'mother' role put as a male persona to throw us off the scent. Traditionally the character longing for constants, stability, and security would be a female/mother role. Also it was usually the mother who would patch up the kids in a household injury situation Simon cares for River as a big brother, but you could easily alternate that with a mothering position, they would appear very similar.
What do you think?

[Brown Rat]

Hmmm. Well, he's kind of a hot mama, then.

[Whitestar]

Originally Posted by Brown Rat

I agree with you two: Whitestar, your sense is more than two cents; and Joel, you're right that the multifaceted nature of all the characters makes them believable.

I wonder, though, about your analysis of Simon, Whitestar. I don't see Simon as someone who helps heal Mal's insides--at least, not more so than any of the other characters helps Mal heal psychologically. Maybe what Simon represents is family itself, the importance of family, in his determination to help his sister. Simon is willing to yell at Mal and get up in his face about values in a way that the other characters don't usually do, sort of like a brother might.

Well, based upon my observations, I have found Simon to be a level-headed individual, who possesses a certain kind of calmness. In addition, he is quite mature and wise for his age (except when it comes to dealing with women) which makes him suitable to provide additional advice or counsel, especially now more than ever since Book is now dead. As for Simon symbolizing family for Mal, well, I've come to think of the Serenity crew as Mal's family, its what makes him whole, not a particular crew member.

[Sahnny]

Yeah, every Firefly Character represents something Mal wants, has lost, or has failed to do.

Although I must disagree on the Simon point. He doesn't want to go home- he wants to protect his sister. Simon's need to protect his sister is akin to Mal's need to protect his platoon back in Serenity Valley- comething he failed to do.

The ship itself represents Mal's home. As the ship is very much a character in its own right.

[Steve Jordan]

Another take on the Firefly crew is that they are a future-day retelling of the Robin Hood legend, to wit:

Mal = Robin
Inara = Marion
Zoe = Will Scarlett
Jayne = Little John
Book = Friar Tuck
Wash = Alan-A-Dale
Kaylee = Much, the loyal simpleton (Richard Carpenter version... or, if you prefer, one of Robin's anonymous "Merry Men")

River Tam, in a way, plays much the same role as Carpenter's Herne the Hunter, the mystic guiding force behind Robin or simply as Mal's conscience. Her precog and intuitive abilities have aided the crew in making the right decisions.

Simon could be seen as the embodiment of the "poor and downtrodden," good people struggling to survive, that Mal/Robin is bound to help.

And Serenity itself is Sherwood Forest, a place where Mal and his crew can live their lives free of Alliance interference.

[clovis-man]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Another take on the Firefly crew is that they are a future-day retelling of the Robin Hood legend...

I like this scenario. Seems to fit quite well. My own take has been absorbed from a notion espoused by a UC Santa Barbara film history professor. She feels it's patterned after the 1939 John Ford movie Stagecoach.

Character parallels:

Mal = The Ringo Kid (John Wayne)
Wash = Buck (Andy Devine)
Inara = Dallas (Claire Trevor)
Simon = Doc Boone (Thomas Mitchell)
River = Lucy Mallory (Louise Platt)
Book = Samuel Peacock (Donald Meek)

And of course, Serenity is the stagecoach.

Other character comparisons would be too much of a stretch. But the notion is fun. I think Joss Whedon's vision incorporates much more than this, but it's a good starting point.

Jim

[BladeOfFire]

River Rules!!!! She is my favorite character, even though she is a little cracked.

[Steve Jordan]

Originally Posted by clovis-man

I like this scenario. Seems to fit quite well. My own take has been absorbed from a notion espoused by a UC Santa Barbara film history professor. She feels it's patterned after the 1939 John Ford movie Stagecoach.

That's a good one, too. I think it's indicative of how certain common archetypes tend to reappear in literature (and film and TV). In this case, considering Whedon's "SF western" theme, Stagecoach may be more directly appropos than Robin Hood, but I think both share similar elements. And Stagecoach's subplots of characters dealing with their own issues, while staying together during the ride, is probably closer to Firefly's subplot themes.

[Essie]

Originally Posted by Joel007

I've heard it somewhere before that the crew of serenity all represent parts of Mal that he's lost.

I've never thought about it before but its absolutely true.