Trash (S1X11)
Airdate: June 28th 2003
Written by: Ben Edlund & José Molina
Directed by: Vern Gillum
Running time: 43 min.
The Fox Network's cancellation of Firefly in late 2022 was a blow to the show's dedicated fan base. Adding insult to injury, they chose not to air three of the already produced episodes, which were only made available a few months later on Sci-Fi Channel. The first of those episodes, and the eleventh in the show's internal chronology, is Trash. While most of the episodes of Firefly have become connected, Trash can be viewed as a direct sequel to Our Mrs. Reynolds.
The episode boasts a rather impressive and memorable opening scene featuring Mal sitting naked in the desert-like Isis Canyon on the planet Bellerophon. The plot then turns 72 hours back in time to reveal the events that led Mal to this point. It begins with Mal reuniting with his old war comrade and fellow smuggler, Monty (played by Franc Ross), who introduces him to his new bride, Bridget. However, it is soon revealed that Bridget is actually Mal's treacherous "wife," Saffron (played by Catherine Hendricks). This surprise leads to a violent encounter, but Saffron manages to talk Mal into helping her with her latest scheme.
Saffron's target is Lassiter, an old and precious prototype of a laser gun from Earth-That-Was, which is currently owned by Durran Haymer (played by Dwier Brown), a wealthy and influential former Alliance military commander who lives at a luxurious floating estate on Bellerophon. Saffron has obtained the security codes and can easily get the gun, but she requires Serenity to get out. Despite questioning Mal's decision to trust Saffron, Serenity's crew works out the plan and puts it into motion.
Saffron, by this point, is the most memorable of all villains in the show, and the decision to use her as a recurring character is more than justified. Catherine Hicks delivers a strong performance, playing the character who is seductive, violent, and mentally unstable. The script by Ben Edlund and José Molina adds further complexities to the character, as well as a series of interesting plot twists.
Those plot twists aren't convoluted and are relatively easy to follow, thanks to very capable direction by Vern Gillum. The action scene, which takes place at the luxurious futuristic estate, so different from the rough frontier setting of the rest of the show, is handled very well. Gillum also succeeds in establishing a proper balance between action, drama, and black humour.
Gillum also allows some space for character exposition, especially in the scenes that explore the complicated and not always harmonious relationship between Mal and Inara, whose professional interests from time to time go in opposite directions. The episode also ties some of the loose ends from Ariel, having Sam and River deal with Jayne's treachery in that episode; they handle the problematic mercenary in an effective and darkly humorous way.
In the end, Trash, which begins and ends with Mal in his birthday suit, is a very good episode that will be remembered by fans for more than this unusual detail. It is a testament to the show's ability to create complex, intriguing storylines and characters, even in the face of cancellation.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
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