Open Thread

That first Firefly episode Christina Hendricks was in, Our Mrs. Reynolds, was built for Freudian explication: First, the ship, Serenity, is obviously shaped like a penis--because the show is, essentially, Mal Reynolds Swaggering Dick in Space. Saffron uses her feminine power to defeat Mal and other crew members. She tries to seduce Mal, and when he eventually gives in, she knocks him out with a poison kiss. Saffron disables the ship and sets it on a course to pass through a large gate or orifice, a figurative vagina, that will kill everyone inside, and she escapes. Saffron wins that round. But Mal and the crew win round two, partly because Saffron's feminine power is useless against Inara, who also has it.

While the ship is coasting toward the gate, they hosta a plan to disable it with a huge rifle (another phallic symbol). Jayne shoots the gate at the last second--shooting the rifle from waist level, like a large penis. The gate is disabled, and the ship is able to pass through unharmed. The people in charge of the gate die instead. There is a long shot of the ship passing through the gate.

So the ship's predicament is mirrored by the conflict within the ship--but with a different outcome.

In round three, Mal catches up with her. She immediately tries to seduce him again, but he has learned about her evil power and punches her in the face to knock her out. Then Mal goes back to "the good feminine power," Inara.

posted by rdbrewer at 09:16 AM

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