(Recorded on June 23rd, 2024) This week we’ve got “Bushwhacked,” episode three of Firefly. We’re finally seeing that space is actually scary and not just because of the mining activity that will turn you into soup. The Serenity crew comes across what they think is an abandoned settler ship and under the guise of checking for life they go to raid the ship. River walks barefoot (please get the girl some shoes) on to the settler ship following…voices? It’s unclear. Through her telepathic investigative work we find out the passengers on this ship have been tortured, strung up, and left for dead. They find one survivor (who is not well!) hiding in the air ducts and bring him back to Serenity. Mal finally tells everyone it was Reavers (who’s backstory is woefully underdeveloped) who attacked the ship and they should get out of dodge. Before they can, the Alliance docks and boards Serenity accusing them of stealing (correct) and harboring two adult siblings (also correct). The Alliance commander Harkin takes the Serenity crew (minus Simon and River who are hiding on the outside of the ship?) in for questioning, along with the lone survivor of the settler ship to medical treatment. Harkin does some lackluster interrogation work before being informed that the survivor has murdered the doctors helping him—not cool bro! Mal realizes the survivor has become a Reaver (see now this is an origin story) and has gone back to the Serenity ship. Mal, handcuffed, saves the Harkin’s life and the crew of the Serenity is allowed to go. I guess we just forgot all about the harboring fugitives bit, huh?

Also, Meaghan compares “Bushwhacked” to an episode of X-Files (though she confuses the name of the episode for a movie and doesn’t get the nationality of the ship’s crew correct—good work!); George won’t stand for Costner trash talk; and Meaghan blows George’s mind with her favorite Donald Sutherland movies. (Original network airdate September 27, 2002)

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