Shooting the server might let Mal and the signal thingy escape, and he needed to stop the signal.

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.

You know I just thought of something. Everyone kind of had this theory that is a certain percentage of those that bought the Fierfly DVD went to see Serenity, everything would be just fine. Maybe that was a serious calculation after all are the people who buy DVDs the folks who go to the movies or the folks who prefer the stay at home movies such as DVDs!

By mere coincidence, I started watching "Da Vinci's Inquest" this evening and who did I see? Jewel Staite.

Heh, me too! She was a horny teenager before she became a horny spaceship mechanic!

I have a memory of something I was sure I'd seen in a trailer that was not in the movie that could've been a reference to Book's past. I'm gonna check the script before I speculate, though.

At the Premier Q and A Joss said that both Wash and Book would be back in the sequel, should there be one.

As vampires?

He was non-specific, merely said that they would be in any possible sequel. Perhaps a prequel? I don't know, just reporting what he said.

Ok, if we're talking plot holes... at the end, when everyone is hunkered down behind the locked door, why couldn't they have called the elevator and at least gotten further away? Sure, it may have only delayed the inevitable (i.e. being Reaver lunch) but in that case I'd think you'd try anything to survive (especially Jayne) as long as possible.

why couldn't they have called the elevator and at least gotten further away?

Inara says at one point, "The lift wont move!" or somesuch.

Inara says at one point, "The lift wont move!" or somesuch.

Hmm, Mal didn't seem to have any trouble using it. Oh well, we know Joss isn't big on the technology.