I'm with those that see a distinction between the Western genre (which has bloodthirsty attackers) and a depiction of the American West. Space Western only need draw from the former.

OTOH, I could see a Reaver story where we get the full "why" of it all. Which need not be as simple as what we've seen so far.

Megan -- it's where Shrift keeps her stuff.

I really! liked th pilot, although I was amused by the description of Kaylee as 'zaftig'-- although knowing Joss he really wanted zaftig and ended up with not-skinny.

The pilot explained TONS of stuff that I was confused about, and unless the acting was really bad, I don't see why they didn't air it. There was a ot of exposition, but alot of action, too.

Also, it explicates Jayne in a way I'm not sure I should share until more people have read it.

Megan -- it's where Shrift keeps her stuff.

I don't seem to have that bookmarked. Could someone send it to my profile address?

Shrift has it online? As in, the show?

the script. I read it where rayne keeps the pdfs, though. I don't seem to have shrifts site marked either.

As in the words.

"Hmm - it is worth remembering that the Old West's more bloodthirsty American Indian tribes were fighting to recover stolen land. Not that it excuses the rapes and such, but more Indians were victims than were victimizers... Is it possible that in drawing these historical comparisons, Joss does not know any actual history? I thought he was a lit major of some sort, which usually involves learning some history as well?"

Well Joss may be drawing the reavers from earlier Native American history-before the whites arrived. There is evidence of attacks from cannibalistic bands on agricultural native tribes in the American southwest. I'm fuzzy on the details at this point (European history is more my home ground), and the evidence remains controversial among athropologists and historians, but The New Yorker ran an interesting article on the subject a couple of years ago as I recall. That is quite possibly where Joss got the idea.

IIRC, the Chaco Canyon area in the American southwest is where they've found skeletons that point to possible cannibalism.

You guys have never seen the movie How Tasty Was My Little Frenchman. It's Portuguese/Brazilian, and it's about the cannibal Tupi of coastal Brazil. And it's sort of affectionate; by the end it's clear that ritual cannibalism is regarded within the tribe as an honorable thing to be a victim of. Of course, the Tupi were all completely wiped out before 1650, so it's mostly conjecture.

But also, the Tupi weren't nihilists, and we've got evidence the Anasazi cooked what people they ate.

So, with the number of times Book mentions in the pilot that he's never married, think confirmed bachelor is a safe assumption? (We know that Companions are thought of highly, but what's the thought on homosexuality in the Fireflyverse?)