Firefly/Serenity, Layer 2
The primary mind, body, and spirit characters in Joss Whedon's "Firefly" television series. The second layer characters will be described in this post.
Many times, people in medical professions, like doctor, coroner, etc., operate as body characters, but not in "Firefly." He shows this in the pilot episode when Kaylee is shot by a bounty hunter. Rather than immediately moving into action to save her life, as a body character would, he bargains with Mal for protection for himself and his sister, River.
Like Zoe, Simon often acts as a devil's advocate, questioning the logic of actions taken by other characters. He also brings a different perspective on core planets (planets controlled by the Alliance), knowledge that lets the crew get away with a hospital heist.
Simon is not just a doctor, he is one of the best. He was top of his class and brilliant in everything he attempted. He engineered River's rescue when she was held by the most powerful organizations within the Alliance.
Finally, Simon puts all of his efforts throughout the series into studying what happened to River in the attempt to discover why she had been so adversely affected by her treatment at the hands of the Alliance. He ignores the advances and flirtation from Kaylee, until the motion picture that closed out the story, after River is "cured."
Kaylee has a special bond with the ship, so much so that she is a vital part of the mechanical operation. Even when she is seriously wounded, she is placed in a hammock in the engine room to help the crew escape a ship full of Reavers.
Kaylee also loves the idea of having extra 'bodies' (passengers) aboard the ship. She wants entertainment and gets very excited when Shepherd Book offers fresh strawberries as part of his payment for passage. She also spends a lot of time with and shows a lot of interest in the life and lifestyle of the third level body character, Inara.
Kaylee is sexually attracted to Simon and does not try to hide it. In fact, she does and says a lot in order for Simon to notice. When Simon threatens to leave the ship, Kaylee complains that she never had the opportunity to 'be with' Simon. She complains aloud to Mal and the crew that she's only been able to - let's say 'occupy herself' - while she was waiting for Simon to notice her.
Wash is the pilot of the ship. While waiting for the first layer characters to complete a mission, Wash plays with dinosaurs. He uses a very advanced imagination with lines such as, "Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal." (Spoken from a Stegosaurus to a Tyrannosaur)
Wash is also very romantic, a contrast to Kaylee's physical lust. When describing what he wants from time alone with his wife, Zoe, he says, "You with the bathing; me with the watching you bathe..."
When Zoe is on a mission, he says, "Zoe's out on a deal, I always worry." His romantic spirit is never broken when it comes to Zoe, even when he goes through a fit of jealousy over her close (but professional) relationship with Mal.
Wash speaks in emotion and tone, not detail. Calling Mal when there's trouble, he simply says, "You might want to get up here." When the crew is out on a deal and trouble comes along, he says, "Come on! Come on! Where the hell are you guys?!"
In the motion picture that closed out the story, Wash flies the injured ship into a rough landing, all by instinct, the whole time repeating the line, "I'm a leaf on the wind, watch how I soar." That line alone is the very definition of a spirit character.
The final layer of Firefly characters consists of Inara Serra (the body character), River Tam (the mind character), and Shepherd Book (the spirit character). Respectively, a prostitute, a prodigy, and a man of the cloth.
The Mind Character: Simon Tam (Sean Maher)
Many times, people in medical professions, like doctor, coroner, etc., operate as body characters, but not in "Firefly." He shows this in the pilot episode when Kaylee is shot by a bounty hunter. Rather than immediately moving into action to save her life, as a body character would, he bargains with Mal for protection for himself and his sister, River.
Like Zoe, Simon often acts as a devil's advocate, questioning the logic of actions taken by other characters. He also brings a different perspective on core planets (planets controlled by the Alliance), knowledge that lets the crew get away with a hospital heist.
Simon is not just a doctor, he is one of the best. He was top of his class and brilliant in everything he attempted. He engineered River's rescue when she was held by the most powerful organizations within the Alliance.
Finally, Simon puts all of his efforts throughout the series into studying what happened to River in the attempt to discover why she had been so adversely affected by her treatment at the hands of the Alliance. He ignores the advances and flirtation from Kaylee, until the motion picture that closed out the story, after River is "cured."
The Body Character: Kaylee Frye (Jewel Staite)
Kaylee has a special bond with the ship, so much so that she is a vital part of the mechanical operation. Even when she is seriously wounded, she is placed in a hammock in the engine room to help the crew escape a ship full of Reavers.
Kaylee also loves the idea of having extra 'bodies' (passengers) aboard the ship. She wants entertainment and gets very excited when Shepherd Book offers fresh strawberries as part of his payment for passage. She also spends a lot of time with and shows a lot of interest in the life and lifestyle of the third level body character, Inara.
Kaylee is sexually attracted to Simon and does not try to hide it. In fact, she does and says a lot in order for Simon to notice. When Simon threatens to leave the ship, Kaylee complains that she never had the opportunity to 'be with' Simon. She complains aloud to Mal and the crew that she's only been able to - let's say 'occupy herself' - while she was waiting for Simon to notice her.
The Spirit Character: Hoban 'Wash' Washburne (Alan Tudyk)
Wash is the pilot of the ship. While waiting for the first layer characters to complete a mission, Wash plays with dinosaurs. He uses a very advanced imagination with lines such as, "Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal." (Spoken from a Stegosaurus to a Tyrannosaur)
Wash is also very romantic, a contrast to Kaylee's physical lust. When describing what he wants from time alone with his wife, Zoe, he says, "You with the bathing; me with the watching you bathe..."
When Zoe is on a mission, he says, "Zoe's out on a deal, I always worry." His romantic spirit is never broken when it comes to Zoe, even when he goes through a fit of jealousy over her close (but professional) relationship with Mal.
Wash speaks in emotion and tone, not detail. Calling Mal when there's trouble, he simply says, "You might want to get up here." When the crew is out on a deal and trouble comes along, he says, "Come on! Come on! Where the hell are you guys?!"
In the motion picture that closed out the story, Wash flies the injured ship into a rough landing, all by instinct, the whole time repeating the line, "I'm a leaf on the wind, watch how I soar." That line alone is the very definition of a spirit character.
The final layer of Firefly characters consists of Inara Serra (the body character), River Tam (the mind character), and Shepherd Book (the spirit character). Respectively, a prostitute, a prodigy, and a man of the cloth.
Comments
Post a Comment