The very odd thing is that I was almost completely unmoved by Wash's death in the preview. Sad, and sad for Zoe, but aside from Zoe's reaction it seemed kind of small and incidental until I saw the tombstones (okay, and THAT DRESS).

This time -- from the moment they began dodging and weaving, all I could think was "He has about ninety seconds to live. Oh, God, Zoe's glancing over at him in the pilot's seat, and she looks all queasy from the bumpy ride but utterly certain of him, and she's only got another sixty seconds to look at him, ever. Oh, dear Lord, he's so frightened and so sure and talking himself through this thing he can barely do but knows he's got to, and he has just thirty seconds. OH GOD NO PLEASE LET IT BE DIFFERENT NO NO NO." And with the sobbing.

His death still feels awful and pointless and is still a sheer misery, but I'm almost (almost) glad that if Wash had to die, ever, if he couldn't dodge death for all of eternity, that he died (quickly and likely near painlessly) in a moment of triumph, knowing he'd brought his boat and his wife and the rest of his chosen family down to land, that he'd dodged a thousand flying missiles and a cannibal ship and did it, brought them all in battered but safe. I'm all sorrowful and angry for everyone else, especially Zoe and the child that'll never be, but for Wash himself (if for no one else in his 'verse or ours) it wasn't a bad death.

Ahem. GalaxyQuest reference. I'm only slightly embarrassed.

Dude. No need for even slight embarrassment in this crowd.

Need to see it again this weekend.

I had honestly forgotten (blocked out, perhaps) the sequence that ends up with Wash's death. I mean, I remembered that he died, but had managed to COMPLETELY forget when/where etc. So, HSQ a second time.

So The Operative hunted and tracked and trapped Serenity and was *real* surprised when Serenity shows up lookin' all uglified and gross and towin' a passle o' Reavers.

I loved how the Operative was totally unflappable throughout the film and then he was suddenly OMGWTFREAVERS! As they say, everybody is afraid of something, and it would make sense that someone so focused on order like the Operative would be frightened of the sheer unreasoned chaos of the Reavers.

I loved how the Operative was totally unflappable throughout the film and then he was suddenly OMGWTFREAVERS!

I didn't particularly notice that. However shall I correct this moment of inattention?

But Book did know a lot about crime. He just smelled like a cop to me.

In suspicioulsy sharp clothing on a NYPD Detective's salary?

In suspicioulsy sharp clothing on a NYPD Detective's salary?

Now that you mention it...yeah! YEAH!

He was "on the take" as they say.

He was "on the take" as they say.

Clearly.

And groovy. We KNOW the shepherd was once groovy.

Last night, I found myself willing Serenity to not hit the pillars in the docking bay, to not lose an engine, and to not spin round so that the cockpit was facing the Reavers. And then willing Wash to bend down to tie his shoelaces up.

But it was still all the same. I was totally surprised how much impact it still had on second viewing - I had to fight off that allergy Daniel mentioned.

I'm with Kalshane on The Operative being calm all movie 'til the Reavers arrived, and then he absolutely bricked it. Very well done.

I'm with Kalshane on The Operative being calm all movie 'til the Reavers arrived, and then he absolutely bricked it. Very well done.

Well, yeah, wouldn't you? "Holy CRAP! There's four gajillion cannibal vampire space pirates in giant ugly ships that leak radiation! THEY'RE HEADED RIGHT FOR US!"

I, personally, would probably have crapped my pants, my shirt, my shoes and the pants, shirts and shoes of all the people on the bridge with me. We would be entirely crappified. Up to our chins.