Does it help the perception at all by saying, "ah, new guy fresh from the stork's beak"?

I knew he was a new writer (at least to ME), and I'm sure that accounts for some of it. But not all, because I'm sure that Joss and Tim were overseeing. The poor (IMO) characterizations could be certainly be rookie mistakes. He seemed to be going out of his way to make Wash seem completely inept. About the only person he seemed to get right was Jayne. The basic plot is the same that been used in a bunch of westerns, which is fine because ME usually takes a cliche and twists it somehow, but it didn't happen this time. Plus, the dialogue wasn't a snappy as the other eps.

I think the Joss and Tim part of the problem is the whole concept of Companions, which still makes no sense to me, and the character of Inara. I cannot figure for the life of me why she is on that ship. It makes zero logical sense. She and Mal even talk about it in "Trash". For all the talk about Companions being so highly respected, they haven't exactly shown us that in the series. Even the folks who give lip service respect to the Companions still treat them like pieces of meat. The only time there appeared to be genuine respect for a Companion that I can remember was in "The Train Job". The concept also gives them lots of opportunities to stick hideously misogynistic bastards into their stories, which get tiring after awhile.

Does it help the perception at all by saying, "ah, new guy fresh from the stork's beak"?

Not really. Because the story is such -- I'm trying not to spoil, maybe we should revisit this when the Brits have had it aired -- that certain social and character implications are unavoidable, and those implications felt downright insulting to me. Also, an unfortunate (maybe accidental, I don't know) reference to another text that makes the primary text look laughable in comparison.

I don't know -- maybe those are the kinds of errors a new guy makes. Maybe it seemed less obnoxious in the script (which I didn't read) than on the screen. But ten minutes of discussing it with a skeptical mind (say, yours truly) would have enlightened the author as to certain problems with it.

I really need to see HOG again, or read it again. I saw it in slightly squished widescreen and there were digital artifacts.

I look forward to discussing the ep with the UKers.

Two weeks, right? The 28th.

I wonder if, of the last three there was a little less time to rework the script for HoG and indeed all three as they were rushed back into production, then demoralized by the whipsawing by the network.

I may be misremembering the time frame. Sigh.

Still, I did enjoy them, and I may not have been critiquing them, because after a few months of drought, I was seeing the characters again, and I was still happier with seeing them than watching other shows.

Still, I did enjoy them, and I may not have been critiquing them, because after a few months of drought, I was seeing the characters again, and I was still happier with seeing them than watching other shows.

Actually, I agree with that for the most part. I enjoyed two of the three. It's just that HoG really left me cold.

On the other hand, HoG had this priceless exchange:

Kaylee: "Wash. tell me I'm pretty."

Wash: "Were I not wed, I would take you in a manly fashion."

Kaylee: "Because I'm pretty?"

Wash: "Because you're pretty."

It made me happy.

Huh. I actually liked HoG. It wasn't anything spectacular but it was enjoyable all the way through.

The Message was my least favorite of the three, with the over-the-top evil cop, the implausible "Let me sell these high-tech body parts when my own are stored elsewhere" scheme and Kaylee's far-too-quick interest in Tracy. Her actions with the recorder made me expect a flashback or some mention of her having known him before. I mean, I realize she was upset with Simon, but still. That said, I still enjoyed the episode.

I read the Dead or Alive script last night. Now there's an episode I really wouldn't have cared to watch. Very little humor, and the storyline is fairly generic. The only real twist was Simon's doubts at the end. Of course, the cast probably could have added more to it with their perfomances to make it enjoyable.

I assumed that Simon spoke to River more in depth after the scene >where she said what she said, and before the injury later in the ep.

Plus? River's been a threat since she stabbed jayne in "Aiel"

But remember, until OiS, Simon saw River as intuitive, but delusional. I'm not sure he would have had an in-depth discussion of Jayne's behavor with her before that.

And Jayne sees her as a physical threat because of Ariel, he doesn't see her as a "supernatural" threat until after OiS.

OIS was ment to be at the end, and then it was re-shot to change some scenes. I do not know if any of this was in the changes.

the implausible "Let me sell these high-tech body parts when my own are stored elsewhere"

I think "The Message" would've worked better if Tracy had found out that the organleggers weren't actually planning to reunite him with his own organs once the job was done. Would've made more sense from their point of view, one less witness, all they'd need to do is dispose of the body, and they wouldn't have to smuggle Tracy's organs anywhere. Because as written, Tracy's plan was pretty stupid. (Not that Tracy was exactly Einstein.)

Right. Selling the contents of your thorax only works for you if you have access to the original contents of your thorax. He should have been carrying his own guts around in a jar. Which, on the whole, is kind of cool imagery.

Moral of this story: let nobody else hold your own guts, especially if there's the chance they'll stiff you (heh) on the deal.