Well, I've seen the three unaired episodes, and I'm not overly impressed. I think it's because of a couple different reasons.

1) I built them up in my mind before I saw them and there was no way they could live up to my expectations.

2) I don't consider them to be bad episodes, but when compared to the other episodes at the end of the series (Out of Gas, Ariel, War Stories and Objects in Space) they just can't compare.

Plus, it probably didn't help that my favorite character (River) was barely featured much at all. I guess I prefer the episodes that deal with our core group more than featured guests.

See, I loooved "The Message." Loved it. That ending made me cry harder than anything since Oz left Willow. I have no idea why it hit me so strongly, but it did.

I thought "Heart of Gold" was the worst episode of the series. It was just one long cliche, and Inara behaves as though she's 12. My big disappointment is that I know she's still on the ship in the next episode. My biggest disappointment is that the last new episode I'll ever watch sucked so badly.

I liked "The Message", although I didn't quite buy that Tracy would try to sell the organs to the highest bidder while his are still missing, and I liked "Trash", even though there are logical holes you could drive a truck through. The dialogue made up for it, even if Mal obviously graduated from the Angel school of planning.

My big disappointment is that I know she's still on the ship in the next episode.

Well, she's on the ship, but leaving soon in the next ep. "Heart Of Gold" is the next to last episode in the proper sequence, and her leaving is addressed in the script for the next and final episode, which we saw edited, "Objects in Space."

I guess I thought it addressed the cliche rather well and made a few points, too.

Proper order list for this thread:

Serenity
The Train Job
Bushwhacked
Shindig
Safe
Our Mrs. Reynolds
Jaynestown
Out of Gas
Dead or Alive (not filmed)
Ariel
War Stories
Trash
The Message
Heart of Gold
Objects in Space (If restored)

Basically, it's mentioned in the script that she is leaving...but she hasn't told the rest of the crew. I don' remember the aired version, and that tape died, so...

her leaving is addressed in the script for the next and final episode, which we saw edited, "Objects in Space."

And which will be restored for the DVDs per Tim's post here -- Tim Minear "Firefly 2: You Can't Take the Sky From Me." Jun 14, 2003 9:16:41 am PDT -- "Joss made a minor adjustment in "Objects" when we aired it, and restored said change for the DVD order."

And which makes me wonder if, since Inara was apparently the least favorite character, Baccarin was being let go..?

And which makes me wonder if, since Inara was apparently the least favorite character, she Baccarin was being let go..?

I doubt it. Tim seemed to like her a lot. Which is too bad, because I absolutely hated the character. In HoG she's just useless and childish.

Some other things that bugged in HoG (white-fonted):

Wash, Zoe, and Mal leaving Serenity unguarded and unlocked when they knew they would need it. Mal shouldn't be that stupid, Zoe would never be that stupid, and Wash...

Wash trapping the bad guys by locking himself in the wrong end of the ship. Again with the making Wash look stupid and inept. Yeah, I know he isn't plan guy, but have some kind of clue.

Um. I didn't hate the character. But we know that already.

I was going to repost your eval of the unaired three a bit upthread, DX, and just nod. You pegged my opinions pretty well. I do agree on HoG as the worst of the whole series, for the reasons you listed. I liked Trash, primarily for the dialogue, and I loved The Message for the Jayne character expansion and the casting spoiler love.

My problem with the "Objects in Space" is the last episode concept is that in "The Message" Jayne refers to River as a "mind-reading genius", something he wouldn't have done before the conversation in OiS. Also, in "Trash" Simon takes River's inutuition as fact, even going so far as to confront Jayne based on it. Also, River's "threat" to Jayne isn't very convincing if her abilities haven't already been discussed by the crew.