Here's a plot hole I need help closing. When the Operative was stunned by the flashbang, why did Mal not kill him before fleeing? It makes sense to me that the Operative was not trying to kill Mal during the fight -- he wanted Mal to give River up, or lead him to her. But I can't figure out what changed for Mal during the fight that he wouldn't finish the Operative off.
Okay, um, I'm lost. Uh, I'm angry, and I'm armed, so if you two have something that you need to work out --
Mal ,'War Stories'
Firefly 4: Also, we can kill you with our brains
Discussion of the Mutant Enemy series, Firefly, the ensuing movie Serenity, and other projects in that universe. Like the other show threads, anything broadcast in the US is fine; spoilers are verboten and will be deleted if found.
dcp - Oct 02, 2005 8:06:12 pm PDT #5668 of 10001
The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know.
Gandalfe - Oct 02, 2005 8:07:45 pm PDT #5669 of 10001
The generation that could change the world is still looking for its car keys.
When the Operative was stunned by the flashbang, why did Mal not kill him before fleeing?
Simplest reason? It was mentioned previously that there was backup in the other room, and he knew they would be alerted.
dcp - Oct 02, 2005 8:12:11 pm PDT #5670 of 10001
The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know.
I dunno. If there was time to get away at all, there was time to cut the guy's throat.
eta: Or shoot him some more. We know that Mal recovered his pistol.
Gandalfe - Oct 02, 2005 8:17:06 pm PDT #5671 of 10001
The generation that could change the world is still looking for its car keys.
Depends. Do we really know how far back he was blown? Could Mal even see him?
Mr. Broom - Oct 02, 2005 8:23:09 pm PDT #5672 of 10001
"When I look at people that I would like to feel have been a mentor or an inspiring kind of archetype of what I'd love to see my career eventually be mentioned as a footnote for in the same paragraph, it would be, like, Bowie." ~Trent Reznor
For all he knew, the backup was en route that very moment and he and Inara wouldn't make it out of there alive. Not a moment to waste.
tommyrot - Oct 02, 2005 8:28:20 pm PDT #5673 of 10001
Sir, it's not an offence to let your cat eat your bacon. Okay? And we don't arrest cats, I'm very sorry.
Plus he had to stop and find his gun....
Allyson - Oct 02, 2005 8:45:22 pm PDT #5674 of 10001
Wait, is this real-world child support, where the money goes to buy food for the kids, or MRA fantasyland child support where the women just buy Ferraris and cocaine? -Jessica
A friend mentioned to me today that he couldn't figure out why The Operative didn't shoot the shit out of the server. It wasn't gonna fight back.
dcp - Oct 02, 2005 9:01:19 pm PDT #5675 of 10001
The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know.
Hmmm. Good one.
All I can come up with is: maybe his dinky little stun gun couldn't get the job done from the distance where the fight started. Once they were on the central platform, he didn't have time while fighting Mal. Once he thought Mal was defeated, there was no need to destroy the transmitting equipment.
Lee - Oct 02, 2005 9:08:02 pm PDT #5676 of 10001
The feeling you get when your brain finally lets your heart get in its pants.
Shooting the server might let Mal and the signal thingy escape, and he needed to stop the signal.
libkitty - Oct 02, 2005 9:28:30 pm PDT #5677 of 10001
Embrace the idea that we are the leaders we've been looking for. Grace Lee Boggs
How so in terms of the movie as a whole?
Jen, you make good points about Book versus Wash, plotwise. In both cases, an important part of the point is the emotional impact. I guess part of the problem for me is that while I understand the difference between plot and character development, they are so entwined with each other for me in good entertainment, that it's hard for me to pull them apart, but I'll try.
Without Book's death, the scene at Haven could have worked out basically the same, but it wouldn't have had the same emotional impact and so it would be less believable that Mal would exhibit the reaction that he did. Without Wash's death, the fight with the reavers could have worked out basically the same, but again, it wouldn't have had the same emotional impact. I know I was worried that they would kill them all off at that point, and I wasn't before Wash's death. So, it affected a different type of believability, as well has having a huge impact on character development, particularly with Zoe. When I type it all out like this, I guess that Book's death may have had an every so slightly increased affect on plot, but because character development and, frankly, emotional impact, are so much more important to me, I think that the affect on the movie from Wash's death was much greater.