Firefly 1.05 (Safe)
I wouldn’t mind living in some hidden community out in the woods, but then I remember that I’m an atheist who’s very vocal in terms of sex and other provocative things and I know I would be killed within a day, probably a few hours.
Written By: Drew Z. Greenberg
Directed By: Michael Grossman
–I like the visits with the Tam’s in the past, it’s contrasted nicely with their present, but beyond that, I simply dig the looks into the pasts of River and Simon.
–Morbid and creepifying, yes!
–Oh, Simon, an idiot after my own heart.
–Once again, the world design at play is outstanding.
–I’m not gonna lie, I could watch Summer Glau dance all episode long and be a happy man.
–I love how every episode offers a teeny bit more insight into just how different River actually is.
–Safe serves a very important purpose, beyond its main one that I shall discuss later, it finally shows just how much Mal and the crew need Simon, even if he would never admit it.
–Hey, that nurse is Rachel from Justified, cool.
–Ah, the great mystery as to the origins of Book. They may have covered it in the comics, but I haven’t read the comics so I’m still in the dark, it’s quite the cool little mystery though.
Based on the final shot of Safe, one would assume that this episode is all about the family structure of the ship, however I don’t find that to be the case. Yes, that family structure is an important theme in Safe, but for my money Safe is about the lengths one man is willing to go to for his actual family. Wait, that really doesn’t make any sense, mainly because I am an idiot, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Let’s try this again, Safe is all about family, in three different ways. The first is Simon’s family of the past, the family he had to leave behind because ultimately they weren’t really what a family should be. Next is the family of Simon and River, and the fact that Simon will do anything and has given up everything for River, and she knows this. Finally you have the silent family in the form of the crew. We are able to identify them as a family unit from the pilot on, but they don’t always see themselves that way. Safe pushes the fact that they are a family on them & makes two key people, Simon and Mal, finally realize that the crew of Serenity is their family, warts and all. Watching all three of these family versions play off of one another was darn tootin’ awesome, I tell you what.
The only slight problem I have with Safe is the ending, specifically the arrival of Serenity. It isn’t exactly a deus ex machina ending because Serenity is an already known commodity, but it does feel a little too happenstance too me that Mal and company show up at that exact moment in time. It works, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a tad too coincidental for my liking. Otherwise, another splendid episode of Serenity, Safe offers up more character development, more world building, more sarcasm and more awesomeness.
Rating:
93/100
A
Cheers,
Bill
