( continues...) ending, but it was a good place to leave them. Now Book and Wash are dead and it’s depressing. Maybe if I see it again, I’ll feel differently.

A Quebecois speciality.

And apparently "particularly unhealthy," according to Emeril. As it should be, I'm sure!

Maysa, I felt very much like you do after my first viewing. It took me a long time to accept Wash's death in particular, and what that would mean for my concept of the Firefly 'verse. In the end, I did come to accept both Book's and Wash's deaths, and I was able to watch it again this weekend without being totally emotionally undone like I was the first time. I think part of it is that I almost see the movie and the TV show as two separate universes, now. There's a clear divide between the two in my mind, that is helped along by the changes in Mal's and Simon's characterizations in the movie. So I appreciate them each on their own merits, but not as two parts of one continuous story, if that makes sense.

And apparently "particularly unhealthy,"

I'm not sure that phrase has any meaning with regard to quebecois delicacies. It seems to imply that there are some that lean more toward the healthy side.

ETA: Dammit, now I want poutine.

Also, and this probably is hypercritical, but I didn’t like the explanations we got. Has the Alliance really been after River because she knew about this Pax thing?

I think they were after her because they didn't know what she knew - they just knew she'd been in a room with many Alliance bigwigs with many secrets to keep.

Has the Alliance really been after River because she knew about this Pax thing?

No one but Mal (and what would he know?) said they were after River because of Miranda. The Operative said she was a risk because of what she might know. My impression is that he suggested the chase be ended because the damage was done -- I'm sure they have more important things to do right now. And also because his belief was shattered.

So I appreciate them each on their own merits, but not as two parts of one continuous story, if that makes sense.

This. I don't think a continuous story valuable to new people was possible outside of some genius I don't attribute to Joss. Or anyone.

So I appreciate them each on their own merits, but not as two parts of one continuous story, if that makes sense.

I think when I see it again, I might feel the same way. It does seem to be a separate story in a lot of ways, with a different vision and message.

Has the Alliance really been after River because she knew about this Pax thing? That seems...unnecessary. I know it’s supposed to be a big deal that they drugged people to their deaths and created Reavers, but it seemed like a standard government cover-up to me (the American government has done extraordinarily shady things, and having them revealed didn’t destroy our country or even our government). So, why are they exerting so much energy to capture her?

I also got the feeling of, "that's it?" I mean, we see earlier in the movie wholesale destruction of countless towns just to smoke out Serenity. Earlier than that we are introduced to medical experimentation/torture on innocent victims. So how shocked are we supposed to be by the reveal?

I'm not sure that phrase has any meaning with regard to quebecois delicacies.

Heh, it's funny cause it's true. Also - Franco-American rule of thumb: If it's a vegatable, boil the shit out of it to make sure it's really dead.

Although I will be eating Tourtiere until the day I die (and it will probably contribute).

No one but Mal (and what would he know?) said they were after River because of Miranda. The Operative said she was a risk because of what she might know. My impression is that he suggested the chase be ended because the damage was done -- I'm sure they have more important things to do right now. And also because his belief was shattered.

I don't see any reason why Mal's read would be wrong. We shouldn't expect someone from the other side to repeat what we surmise from Mal's read unless it contradicts him. I think we are supposed to assume this is the thing and the chase is over, which is basically what the Operative told us. Lack of resources never seemed to be an issue.