Objects in Space (13 Dec. 2002)

The Alliance has placed a bounty on River Tam's head and a bounty Hunter named Jubal Early sets out to claim the bounty and tracks down the Serenity crew. Jubal sneaks on-board the Serenity... See full summary »

Director:

Joss Whedon

Writers:

Joss Whedon (creator), Joss Whedon

Stars:

Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Nathan Fillion	...	Captain Malcolm 'Mal' Reynolds
Gina Torres	...	Zoë Washburne
Alan Tudyk	...	Hoban 'Wash' Washburne
Morena Baccarin	...	Inara Serra
Adam Baldwin	...	Jayne Cobb
Jewel Staite	...	Kaylee Frye
Sean Maher	...	Dr. Simon Tam
Summer Glau	...	River Tam
Ron Glass	...	Shepherd Book
Richard Brooks	...	Jubal Early

Storyline

The Alliance has placed a bounty on River Tam's head and a bounty Hunter named Jubal Early sets out to claim the bounty and tracks down the Serenity crew. Jubal sneaks on-board the Serenity while the crew is asleep to capture River and Simon and return them to the Alliance, so he can be paid for their capture and only River can stop him.

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Plot Keywords:

bounty hunter | shot in the leg | eavesdropping | heroine | game | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Mandarin

Release Date:

13 December 2002 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mutant Enemy

Technical Specs

Runtime:

44 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The boots that Jubal Early wears are made by New Rock, a Spanish brand that specializes in metal-plated leather goth boots.

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Goofs

When Jubal Early has landed on Serenity after leaving his craft, he looks into the Galley through the external windows (at around 45 mins). He crawls forward on the exterior of the hull and places his hand on the window frame just before his head appears from the top of the window. He is in Free Space but his hand is bare, not in the Space suit glove he was wearing when he closed the Airlock on his own craft.

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Quotes

Jubal Early: Yeah, well, you know me real well.
River: Wish I didn't. You like to hurt folk.
Jubal Early: It's part of the job.
River: It's why you took the job. Power, control, pain. Your mother knew. Sadness in her when she aved good-bye. She's relieved. Saw darkness in you. You're not well.

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Connections

Referenced in Firefly: Trash (2003)

User Reviews

Serenity, choices and existential Angst

The visceral quality of Jubal Early's interactions with Firefly remind us with force how important is this ship. It is the tenth actor often neglected and unspoken; firefly makes this crew come together, live together and work together; is the glue that holds them. No wonder that in the last shot as we go from one to the other member of the firefly crew, in the end we have travelled most of the ship's inner world...

It is a story of existential angst. Jubal Early goes from knowing who he is in the beginning of the episode into losing his control. River, often lost and confused, by the end of the episode is clearer about herself, who she is and where is her place among the firefly crew.

It is also a story of choices. In the beginning River has insights to the choices the others have made or have to make in their lifes. Then she chooses to see Nature and beauty where there is death. Jubal Early chooses to be a bounty hunter. In the end Malcolm chooses to accept River as one of the crew for better or for worse.

Brilliantly done, peppered with doses of dry humour from Richard Brooks it remains one of my favourite Firefly episodes.