Man, I’m going to have to be faster!
This episode is, on the surface, about the comparison between two relationships: Zoe and Mal, and Zoe and Wash. And it works really well at doing that. However, I’m more interested in two other things:
First, Wash’s character just by himself. He really isn’t the soldier/fighter type that the others are. (He was fired… once… from a fry cook opportunity…) He thinks of himself as weak, and needs to prove himself. He would probably think he was proving himself to Zoe, but I think he’s trying to prove to himself that he’s worthy of her.
Second, the crew as a team and family. The way they just all automatically gang together - even Jayne, who calls it suicide - to make a stupid frontal assault on Niska’s. Like Kayle - who can’t even bring herself to shoot - says, the captain would come back for them. As Wash, who has already been tortured, says, no man left behind. The doctor, who has never shot anyone before (and still hasn’t, according to Book), takes up arms. Inara tries to use her influence with her clients (which she has done before). Jayne, of course, doesn’t say a word, just gets a big gun. (Probably looking forward to a night out with Vera.)
The preacher (as Fillion says in the commentary) is good enough with explosives and guns that it’s scary, but River is downright spooky.
Wash and Mal (uh, Fillion and Tudyk) are really funny on the commentary, talking about everything from Inara and her client (and why Jayne’s sponge bath scene was cut), singing along with the theme song (Alan apparently had something with an accordion in mind), to talking about how the torture scene, in spite of being acting, really was torturous - it was still two days in those uncomfortable metal things, clenching up the muscles and releasing them.
Wash delivering the “no man left behind” line with the tiny little gun is a scream, but then listening to him talk about it (it’s not his fault!) on the commentary was even funnier.
Overall, though, I think Wash steals the show this week.
