Or maybe the ultimate point was that death is random and sad and unexpected sometimes.

I thought Wash's death was random and pointless, but all death is. Death is unfair and unjustifiable and full of horror and meaninglessness. Book's death was easier on the stomach (for me) because he got to say something before he went, and we got to see Mal's reaction to it--how it steeled his resolve and set him on a course of belief he might not have found otherwise. In that way it felt more purposeful, but its very purposiveness almost cheapened it; it was there for a reason and it served a purpose. It was a plot point. Wash's death was a sucker punch to the gut, out of nowhere, surreal in its suddenness and finality. Tara was right--it's always sudden.

The death of someone we love so viscerally cannot ever be a plot point. Its function cannot be the thing that gives it meaning.

Good art makes you reel, makes you sob, makes you sick to your stomach, makes you ache. I think Wash's death did exactly what it was supposed to do.

Edit: Er, or What Scrappy Said.

Exellent post, Jen.

Also, like I paraphrased from something you said in your post, Book's death probably made everyone breathe a sigh of relief - no matter how someone got wounded at that point, you wouldn't think that Joss would kill someone else off, except possibly in a noble, sacrificing way. By doing Wash the way he did, all bets are off and anyone is fair game. Maybe it makes it too tense to enjoy for some, but I, for one, would have enjoyed the torture. Not so much now, however. Oh well - my choice.

I still can't believe Sean Maher and Morena Baccarin were in the theater with us watching the movie. They stayed afterwards and signed stuff; I didn't stick around but many, many people did.

Have there been reports of other cast members being at the screenings in other cities?

Edit: Thanks, Frankenbuddha!

EagainTA that my take on Wash's death shouldn't be seen as me saying it's the only way to feel about it. Just want to be sure that's clear.

AB in...Seattle I think I saw someone say.

Nathan and Ron in Austin.

I read Gina and Alan in SF, but have not had it confirmed.

No celebs in Chicago or Atlanta.

Somebody will correct me if I'm wrong, I'm sure.

I heard:

Joss & Summer in Vegas

Adam in Seattle

Yeah, I can't help feeling somewhat betrayed by Wash's death as well. I mean, separation of fiction and reality, blah blah blah, yes, and it's Joss's thing to do with as he pleases. But it just felt off to me. It felt wrong in a way that most other deaths in the various Jossverses haven't. And I don't feel that it served an important narrative purpose. It was a stunning scene, a beautiful sendoff, and had I believed it necessary to the story, I wouldn't have been quite as distraught. But it felt cruel to me, especially followed by the several other near-death fakeouts just afterwards. I was literally gasping during that part; I felt like I'd been punched, and I didn't know what I'd done to deserve it.

edit: Both Jen and Robin make excellent points, of course, that its very randomness and pointlessness is what makes it all the more affecting, and maybe with a little more distance, I'll come to see it that way as well. Right now, I'm just feeling the unfairness of it too keenly. We'd just gotten him (all of them) back, and then for him to die so suddenly... okay, I'm just repeating myself at this point, but it really, really hurt .

Also, Sean Maher is really quite astonishingly attractive in person! My goodness. That smile... *melts*

I think on your last point Kate, that may be the big reason it hurts/feels like a betrayal. If the series had lasted for 3-5 seasons before the movie, then it would probably be very different in effect.

But I still say that if everyone but Book had survived to the big finish, the tension of everyone getting injured or being in danger would have only had a fraction of the impact. Maybe that's too meta a reason to seem a good one. *shrugs*

I understand where all of you all coming from, but I'm feeling abused at this point. By Wash's death not by what you all are posting here. I feel like I'm being punished for liking a character. The other Jossverse deaths have hurt but they've never felt mean-spirited. This one does for some reason. And I know that's not what Joss intended but it just feels really, really brutal and makes me wish I didn't care.

And as Kate P. said, having it followed up with all the near-death fakeouts made it feel like we were having our chains yanked unneccessarily.