Firefly | Episode 9: Ariel | Full Reaction
Added 2025-01-23 14:00:09 +0000 UTCWow. From the very start, this episode just felt different. Calculated. Deliberate. Almost surgical in its pacing. Simon's unwavering love for River and what he will do to help her always hits me deeply. His continuous courage to risk everything for her is both beautiful and, somehow, devastating. And then Jayne... This felt like a sucker punch to the heart. Such a visceral reminder of how self-interest can poison even the strongest bonds. This episode was a turning point, a reminder of how high the stakes truly are in this universe and in our own lives when trust hangs in the balance. This show is truly brilliant.
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Link: https://youtu.be/M9tgC4B5YKM
I watched this on Disney Plus
Comments
Look out for the second part he picks up off the floor and throws, it’s definitely not the first part he has
James Hadden
2025-01-24 12:37:58 +0000 UTCI agree about the "previously on" scenes since I watched them a ton in The OC when I used to watch that show over and over again haha. It helped me remember timelines that happened a few episodes back and I remember thinking "Oooo they are gonna branch on that story, let's go!". But as a reactor, I can totally see why people don't want me to be 'spoiled' about what is next! That moment with Jayne hit me in the heart! When he said there was no grudge, I really thought he meant it.... It was such a gut punch to see him ringing up the feds. But you're totally right that his request for Mal to keep the secret shows a true level of vulnerability we haven't ever seen from him so far! It's like.. for the first time, ever, Jayne is acknowledging that he's part of something bigger than money. He's a part of the crew. The exchange between Simon and River at the end got me right in the feels.. Such a quiet, but incredibly emotional moment between them. And Simon's face!? My heart couldn't... "Time to wake up" will always get me now, too. There's so much weight in it. It was such a perfect encapsulation of their bond. One of the most amazing moments in this series by far!
Kali Wali
2025-01-24 03:27:48 +0000 UTCI loooove that you brought up the loyalty aspect with Jayne. It's so true! His loyalty can be bought, but it's also something that can be earned like we see with Mal and the crew. Mal didn't make it easy for Simon and River in the beginning. But over time, he began to see them as that true found family. And this is what makes Jayne's betrayal hit even harder because, for Mal, it's not just a betrayal of his crew but a betrayal of his own sense of loyalty and trust. AND HAHAHA the Zaeed reference nooooooo. Now I cannot unsee! 😭😂 You know how I felt bout Zaeed lol. Jayne definitely shares that "crew first... unless there's a better offer" vibe. It's really interesting to watch him struggle with loyalty, especially when money is on the line. Zaeed deserved every bit of that flamethrower btw hahahahhaa I also love your point about Simon and River. The "that's my brother" moment was so sweet and such a truly heartwarming moment. Simon is quickly becoming one of my favorites and seeing him actually be able to get into his work and what he was meant to do was awesome to see! It felt like such a quiet but meaningful little victory for them. I panicked so hard when I saw "previously on" lol. YouTube has been warning me since episode 1 and I thought I was in the clear on Disney since I haven't seen them yet! I'll try to be mindful on how to handle them from now on now that I know they are a thing haha!
Kali Wali
2025-01-24 03:20:55 +0000 UTCMal just gets better and better (if that's even possible???). I seriously thought he was going to kill Jayne and walk away. He takes his responsibility as a leader to the next level, and I absolutely love him for it! He doesn't just give orders; he holds everyone to a different and higher standard. Jayne's vulnerability in asking Mal to lie for him says so much about where he's at emotionally and it's so telling that this is what saves his life. It also shows that mal is willing to see the good in people.. even if it's buried way down deep. Your point about Mal's faith is super insightful. His loss of faith in God is very evident. But his ability to trust in his crew and to believe that people can truly change really shows that his core beliefs in human connection are still intact! He may be cynical at times, but he hasn't completely given up on the ones around him. The final scene was such a powerful moment that captured just how complex and layered Mal's character is. I loooooved this episode so much and can't wait to rewatch it later this weekend. Thank you for your awesome insight!
Kali Wali
2025-01-24 03:14:09 +0000 UTCI absolutely love and appreciate how you worded this! All of the breadcrumbs you discussed make me go "hmmm" and I honestly can't wait to sit and rewatch this one this weekend again so I can try to think even deeper into what could be going on with these "secrets". I love that they did that and how they went about doing it! So clever and genius! That level of detail just makes Firefly even richer in every way. Knowing there were always these hidden layers and plot points planned out for the future. It also furthers my dive into the Browncoats and the absolute disgust that this show was cancelled way too soon!! I'm really excited to go back when I rewatch this later this weekend, now. Firefly rewatches over the weekend from my watches during the week have become a new guilty pleasure haha. But this one is going to be an awesome one to rewatch now thanks to your insight! Very awesome and I really appreciate it!
Kali Wali
2025-01-24 02:56:09 +0000 UTCNot sure why people get hung up on the "previously on" stuff. Does it maybe hint at what the episode will be about? Yes, but it spoils nothing. I guess I grew up when this was very common for shows. Also in general most shows would have a "next time on..." segment after each episode along with multiple advertisements with scenes for the next episode during the week before it aired. They weren't really spoilers, but they upped the anticipation for each episode. All that said, there's no real good way to skip without loss of sync. It's not the end of the world though if you decide to skip. Not trying to be mean or anything. I just don't think the segments are that big of a deal. Now on to the good stuff! This is one of my favorites. I wasn't expecting Jayne to turn them in either. When he told Mal there was no grudge on the way to the hospital, I believed him. And yes I also believe him asking Mal not to tell the others the truth is what saved him. I think Simon and River's final lines is my favorite exchange of the whole series. "Time to go to sleep?" "No Mei-mei. It's time to wake up." Man, it brings tears to my eyes every time.
Marty McGee
2025-01-24 02:46:52 +0000 UTCAbsolutely, you got it! I had no idea there were versions that didn't have the re-cap so I'll be sure to be more mindful of this in the future!
Kali Wali
2025-01-24 02:45:21 +0000 UTCYes! I feel like every episode I love each crew member a little bit more. But Simon has quickly been growing on me lately. He absolutely shines here! It's such a rare chance to be able to actually see him in action as the brilliant doctor he is and I love how they were able to give us that moment with him and how incredible he could be if the circumstances were different. But his dedication to River is so clear and beautiful. And River! This episode gave us such a truly haunting glimpse into her past and the literal horror she has been through. She is seriously a force to be reckoned with! I feel like she is so full of potential, but Simon just needs to help her get there. And I don't really know what potential yet either, but I know it'll be amazing haha. As for Jayne, I absolutely 100% love your take on his growth. When we first met him he was all about money and violence. But like you said, he does start to think about the crew in a more meaningful way. His actual shame and fear of betrayal really was an incredible Jayne arc to see! I'm with you, though. It was heartbreaking to see he's put into that position, but it's also such a big step for him to actually sit with his own guilt and figure out (albeit the hard way haha) how to care about the crew more than his own selfish nature. I'm also really glad to hear you enjoy my writing! You're the second comment in here to say so.. Sometimes it feels like I am better at writing than talking. Which is crazy because of what I do haha. But thank you for your encouragement to keep on writing and it makes me excited to keep sharing more!
Kali Wali
2025-01-24 02:44:44 +0000 UTCOMG I didn't notice that! I can't wait to look out for that when I go back for my re-watches over the weekend haha. I absolutely love that this show does so much of this. And puts its so seamlessly into the entire journey! I'm glad you're okay with the possibly re-syncing! I think I may try to skip the "previously on" and just give you all a time code and a longer viewing window. We'll see though!
Kali Wali
2025-01-24 02:31:19 +0000 UTCAhh I see. A show I used to watch a lot of (The OC) did that to me and there were so many episodes and branching drama timelines that I actually enjoyed the recaps. But I can see for this reason that it could be a spoiler! I'll be sure to take my headphones out and just kinda make tea while the "previously on" for Trash is there haha
Kali Wali
2025-01-24 02:29:32 +0000 UTCI'm glad you enjoy my writing as well as my reactions! Sometimes I feel like I'm able to get so much more of what I actually mean out in words vs. talking about it. Could be that true introverted brain haha. I really hated and loved this episode. Which makes me love it even more haha.
Kali Wali
2025-01-24 02:16:57 +0000 UTCAhhh, makes so much sense!
Kali Wali
2025-01-24 02:15:14 +0000 UTCMy stomach actually ached when I saw he was calling the feds 😭😭😭
Kali Wali
2025-01-24 02:14:47 +0000 UTCThank you so much for refreshing Blue Sun for me! Now looking at this episode through your description OMG. The labels on the cans.. Now this. Makes so much more sense! Thank you for this awesome insight!
Kali Wali
2025-01-24 02:14:15 +0000 UTCSuch a thoughtful take on Jayne and Saffron! It's very true that their mistrust and self-loathing make them assume everyone operates with ulterior motives. Jayne's betrayal felt absolutely rooted in his insecurity.. Especially after those facial expressions when he realized 'he did bad'. It's almost like he is still trying to secure his worth through wealth or survival, not realizing he already is a part of something so much bigger until it's too late. Mal's line to Saffron absolutely sums up what makes Firefly so special. The crew's bond. That found family! They may not be perfect, but they can trust each other. And that's so rare in a 'verse full of betrayal. Jayne's struggle to accept that he is a part of something bigger adds so much more to him. And even though I HATED what he did walking out of this episode, I love the layer this added to him!
Kali Wali
2025-01-24 02:13:07 +0000 UTCVery awesome to know this!
Kali Wali
2025-01-24 02:10:07 +0000 UTCOh Jayne.... again.... This episode showed me that not only can loyalty be bought, in the case of Jayne, it also is earned, in the case of Mal. I'm thinking about his relationship with Simon and River, and how he couldn't stop punching Simon, insulting River, and always wanting to cast them out early on. But here he is now, considering them so much a part of his family that Jayne's betrayal of them, felt like a betrayal to himself Gotta say that Jayne reminds me a lot now of Zaeed from ME2 haha. In the sense that sure he'll care about his crew, but the moment an opportunity comes along that better aligns to his self-interests, he's all into that. Particularly recalling Zaeed's loyalty mission and consequences that may or may not have been rendered by you against him with a flamethrower LOL Also, the proud "that's my brother" smirk that River gives when Simon goes and saves the patient is so heartwarming. The older brother in me definitely felt that one For the "previously on.." sections, having just watched through the entire series on Disney+, I can say there are no egregious spoilers. Like maybe there will be a scene or two here and there with a quick voice line you haven't heard before, but the bigger issue is the foreshadowing telling you what the episode is gonna be about. Like this intro focused on River's past, and the hands of blue. So skipping them def makes sense, but in the interest of maintaining the Patreon sync and the timer, just popping your earbuds out and squinting your eyes will solve it easy! Since there's nothing too bad in them :)
M1 Maz
2025-01-24 01:31:54 +0000 UTCYou did an excellent job discussing a spoilery topic without giving any actual spoilers. Just wanted to say thanks for that.
Dude Longcouch
2025-01-24 01:19:56 +0000 UTCThere it is, my favorite episode! I love everything about this one from start to finish. The intense opener, the heist vibe, seeing more of the inner planets, learning more about what happened to River, the close call with the Blue Hands... gosh, they fit so much into this one episode! And it's also one of my favorite character moments for Mal, perhaps THE most important moment when studying his character. He is ready to outright kill Jayne for what he did, because that is how seriously he takes his responsibility to his crew. He sometimes asks a lot of them, but he gives it back in turn. We've heard him talk this talk before, but here we really see him walk the walk. Then, the only thing that saves Jayne's life is when he shows shame. Instead of spending his last moments begging for his life, he uses it to ask that Mal keep his betrayal a secret. Mal realizes this means that there is a spark of good somewhere in Jayne, and he's not irredeemable. So he chooses to let him live. And this tells us that even though Mal has lost his faith in God, he has not yet lost his faith in people.
Dude Longcouch
2025-01-24 00:27:40 +0000 UTCThere are some comics that continue the Firefly story. One of the comics goes more in depth to what they were doing to River and why, but don't read them until after you've watched the episodes and the movie.
McShades
2025-01-24 00:12:35 +0000 UTCI haven't read all of the comments on Patreon and YouTube, so I might be repeating some stuff that is already known. I'm going to be tapdancing around some spoilery stuff, but I'm going to do my best to stay on the right side of the line. Early in production, most/all of the cast were given secrets about their characters. These secrets were to eventually become storylines if the show ran multiple seasons. Since the show was cancelled in the middle of the first season, none of the secrets fully came to light during the series, though one is mostly wrapped up in the movie. The actors were privately told their character's secret, and they were told not to share the secret with the other cast members. The reason for the secrecy was so the writers could drop little breadcrumbs in scenes. The actor in question could give a reaction based on the secret, but the rest of the cast wouldn't know and their performances wouldn't be affected. In the decades since the end of the show, most/all of the secrets have come to light from the actors, writers, or just fans spotting the breadcrumbs after numerous watches. You've already spotted some of the more obvious breadcrumbs. River knows more than she should; maybe telepathy, maybe something else. And there's something going on with Shepherd Book's past and the Alliance. Those are the obvious ones at this point. I bring this up now because Ariel is packed full of breadcrumbs from several of the secrets. Obviously River's, but also Simon, Jayne, a little Mal, and some big stuff for Inara even though she's barely in the episode. You might even say there's a breadcrumb for Book even though he's not in the episode at all. I'm not going to go into what all the breadcrumbs in this episode are because spoilers(I'll do that during/after the last couple episodes and/or the movie), but every Firefly fan needs to rewatch the series at least once after learning all the secrets just to see how many possible storylines were quietly introduced in barely more than a dozen episodes. Also, many of the odd character interactions make a ton more sense once you know the secrets.
Michael Kemmet
2025-01-23 22:57:15 +0000 UTCHi Kali, Regarding syncing up the show, there are a lot of us who don't have the recaps or intro narrative at the beginning of any of the shows. This makes it really hard to try to sync up to a blurry screen. To get around this and the "previously before" problems. if you could make your screen clear for a few seconds when the new show for the week actually starts, that would solve the problem.
Glen Roberts
2025-01-23 22:15:36 +0000 UTCI really do love this episode for a bunch of reasons. First and foremost, I am ALWAYS here for a good heist :D Next it really is a simon episode! It shows how much he loves his sister but also how amazingly talented he is as a doctor. We never really see him shine, in the medical sense, but this ep shows him saving lives not bc he has to but bc that is who he is. Next, it highlights what river has been through, what she is capable of, and how scary the people are who are after her. Finally, it shows growth of Jayne. With the exception of the end of JayneTown he is just someone that is motivated by money and violence. And that definitely shows through here. But you nailed it at the end when he asked Mal to lie for him. He understands that his job and life is one of violence so he will probably meet a violent death. So, (imo) he quickly comes to terms with the fact that he will die which he is okay with but not the idea of the crew thinking he betrayed them. Did he? Sure, but he definitely feels ashamed about it. Bc for the first time he is thinking about other people more than himself. This is his crew and he is apart of it. The idea of them discovering his betrayal is worse than death. As mad as I was when I first saw this episode it showed growth in Jayne which I love. ps Maybe Ive just been noticing lately but you are an amazing writer! This can't be something you just happened on, but instead highlights actual work. I love it and look forward to seeing more of it! =)
MattN
2025-01-23 21:43:27 +0000 UTCAdorable photo of your cat at the end of your outro. Another great episode. I have no problem with you just skipping the “previously on” sections, it’s not that difficult for us to resync. My apologies if this has already been pointed out, I’ve mentioned it elsewhere, and I’m not 100% sure, but did a certain “scrap” part look familiar? The one Wash dismissively threw at the medi-shuttle in the scrapyard - a catalyser/compression coil that almost led to death of the entire crew last episode? If only Wash knew the value of such a tiny part in his hand! It’s a gem of a subtlety if true. With how great the writing is for this show, it must be, right?
James Hadden
2025-01-23 20:56:08 +0000 UTCThis is my favourite episode! You asked me before to mention it whenever we got to it. 😅 Jayne's betrayal is not fun, of course, but it sure is interesting! And I love a good heist! I truly believe Mal had every intention of letting Jayne die, but he sees the good that is in Jayne when Jayne asks him not to tell the crew what he did. Even after betraying them, he still wants them to think well of him. I suspect he's a product of his upbringing, which I'm sure was rough. I also love the humour in this one. Them rehearsing their lines over and over, only to not need them. The way Zoe says "Clear!" the same way doctors always do (on TV) when they use defibrillators, as she just defibrillated a guy unconscious. And this episode does a fair bit of world-building and moving the overall plot along, which, sadly, is quite rare for the few Firefly episodes we ended up getting. 😢
Onno Smits
2025-01-23 19:21:48 +0000 UTCThe following comment is spoiler-free for Kali, as it only contains info she already knows. I agree with you, but also actually fundamentally there is two instances where the "Previously On" actually contains scenes from future episodes, because the episodes originally aired in a different order. One of these she's already seen (and didn't notice). Specifically, the scene where Jayne says "One day you're gonna tell us how a preacher knows so damn much about crime." is at the start of the Previously On of episode 5 (Safe), but the scene doesn't occur until 38 minutes into episode 6 (Our Mrs. Reynolds). There's another instance still coming up in a future episode. It's no huge spoiler, but it sucks that Disney+ doesn't fix that stuff.
Onno Smits
2025-01-23 19:14:49 +0000 UTCI see what she was saying/panicking about now. It's not the show's recaps in particular, it's the fundamental nature of recaps in general that people take issue with ahhh (and I get the part about the recap of episode Trash, Kali, maybe don't watch that one, just take your earbuds out and hide your eyes from the screen, peeking out adorably :P)
Squeesher
2025-01-23 16:56:57 +0000 UTCSo my thoughts on watching the "Previously On" show recaps. You are not going to see anything you have not seen before. However, what they choose to focus on suggests clues on what you may see in the current episode. For example, the "previous on" preview for the Ariel episode showed you the Hands of Blue guys. This hinted that you might see something about them in this episode. The recaps may make it easier for you to remember key plot points at the risk of hinting who or what you will see in the episode. Understandably, you can't really fast-forward or skip these recaps for Patreon people who are trying to stay in sync with you. At least for the upcoming episode called "Trash", maybe don't pay too much attention to "Previously On" show recap.
Eric H
2025-01-23 16:47:59 +0000 UTCYou have a way with words, and I enjoy your well written synopsis on your Patreon posts. Also, i shared what many say about how this episode is one of the best. Its not quite my favorite, but its fantastic and very heavy and consequential.
Armchair Rizzard
2025-01-23 16:40:49 +0000 UTCHard to interpret what River says sometimes. When they were captured, my take is that "Christmas" is a metaphor for Jayne's big payday for handing in the fugitives. So the "bounty" is Jayne's Christmas present. But he did not get his present/payday, he got arrested (i.e. coal for the bad kids in his Christmas stocking).
Eric H
2025-01-23 16:35:51 +0000 UTCThere are certain episodes of Firefly that I eagerly anticipate with reactions. The first is Our Mrs. Reynolds, where I love to watch the reactor's face when the Saffron twist occurs. A second is this episode, when we realize what Jayne is doing; the feeling of shock and betrayal can be almost tangible!
Phil Stubblefield
2025-01-23 16:28:31 +0000 UTCThanks for the info! Never picked up on that after watching the show many, many times,
Ian Forbes
2025-01-23 16:08:59 +0000 UTCThere was a hidden reason why River slashed Jayne. Previously in a comment (after Shindig) I mentioned the "Big Bad" in the Firefly 'Verse is the Blue Sun Corporation. Blue Sun a mega-conglomerate that makes basically everything and has become more powerful than even the Alliance government (note how the "Hands of Blue" guys were unconcerned with killing government agents). You see their logos here and there around the show, usually in the background. The show implies (e.g. "two by two, hands of blue") that the Blue Sun Corporation was behind River's torture. So why did River slash Jayne? Look at the shirt he was wearing...it was a T-Shirt with the Blue Sun logo. Remember when River in "Shindig" episode was tearing off can food labels? The idea is that those were also labeled "Blue Sun". River was looking to get rid of the Blue Sun logo, it just happened to be on a shirt Jayne was wearing.
Eric H
2025-01-23 15:53:01 +0000 UTCJayne is a lot like "Saffron", they are people that don't like themselves. They can't believe that there are people in the verse that just care for one another because they feel like they are not worthy of that either. They think everyone has an angle. But as Mal said to Saffron, "... I got people with me, people who trust each other, who do for each other and ain't always looking for the advantage. There's good people in the 'verse. Not many, lord knows, but you only need a few."
Matthew
2025-01-23 15:34:53 +0000 UTCI love that... "I don't think it really occurred to him that turning on them was the same as turning on Mal" because YES. I actually went back and rewatched this episode immediately later last night because I felt like there was just so much being thrown down. There was something about this episode that just felt chalked full of emotions, arcs, and cryptic meanings. And on my rewatch I totally picked up on this, too. I don't think he really thought that he was hurting Mal. Just Simon and River. But he realized when he was about to be sucked out the airlock (and, in my opinion, even a bit before when Simon kept thanking him) that he had really messed up and made a huge gorram mistake. I love Jayne, still. But he is one of the characters that will always keep you on your toes. Which I appreciate and also feel uneasy about haha. Shows just how deep these arcs go and how incredible the storytelling is!! Awesome info about the 'previously on' scenes! I was kinda panicking haha because YouTube told me specifically NOT to watch those and I didn't know what to do. But I think I'll just skip and tell you where I start my episode and leave the sync screen up for a bit longer for everyone! Thank you!
Kali Wali
2025-01-23 15:27:18 +0000 UTCIt took me a couple rewatches before I picked up on Jayne's remorseful look, that you picked up right away. I think Jayne has the capacity to be loyal to those he feels are deserving of his loyalty. I think Mal has earned that loyalty with him. But Simon and River, not so much. And I don't think it really occurred to him that turning on them was the same as turning on Mal. Remember back in the Train Job when he told Kaylee that he was sure that Mal was waiting for the right time to do something himself with those two. I think Jayne is way more complex than he seems on the surface. Maybe there'll be a redemption arc for him. Who knows? Joss has a history of setting up characters for epic redemption arcs. We'll probably need to wait for season 2 though. Or maybe next episode. I can't say. We'll have to wait and find out. Regarding the spoilery previously on segments, the most egregious examples come in the next two episodes. If there is a way for you to skip them and we have to play a little with our syncing, I would vote for that. I think it would be a better experience for you. But it won't be the end of the world if you don't skip.
Aaron Chandler
2025-01-23 15:13:01 +0000 UTC
