Firefly – Episode Guide
Main cast: Nathan Fillion as Captain Malcolm ‘Mal’ Reynolds | Gina Torres as Zoe Alleyne Washburne | Alan Tudyk as Hoban ‘Wash’ Washburne | Morena Baccarin as Inara Sera | Adam Baldwin as Jayne Cobb | Jewel Staite as Kaywinnet Lee ‘Kaylee’ Frye | Sean Maher as Dr. Simon Maher | Summer Glau as River Tam | Ron Glass as Derrial Book
Episodes: (listed as they were intended rather than as they were originally aired) 1. Serenity Parts 1 & 2 | 2. The Train Job | 3. Bushwacked | 04. Shindig | 05. Safe | 06. Our Mrs Reynolds | 07. Jaynestown | 08. Out of Gas | 09. Ariel | 10. War Stories | 11. Trash | 12. The Message | 13. Heart of Gold | 14 Objects in Space
1.1 Serenity Parts 1 & 2
SYNOPSIS | GALLERY | COMMENTARY | SCRIPT | TRANSCRIPT
Written By: Joss Whedon
Directed By: Joss Whedon
Air date: 20 December 2002
Heist:
Guest stars: Carlos Jacott as Lawrence Dobson | Mark A. Sheppard as Badger | Andy Umberger as Dortmunder Captain | Philip Sternberg as Inara’s Client | Eddie Adams as Bendis | Colin Patrick Lynch as Radio Operator | Bonnie Bartlett as Patience | Domingo Vara as Ensign | Stephen O’Mahoney as Man (Dortmunder) | Jamie McShane as Man | John F. Kearney as Old Man | Gabrielle Wagner as Slave #1
Summary: The crew of Serenity is eager to rid themselves of an easily traceable cargo they salvaged from a vessel adrift in space, totally unaware that a passenger has brought an even more dangerous cargo aboard.
1.2 The Train Job
RECAP | GALLERY | COMMENTARY | SCRIPT | TRANSCRIPT
Written By: Joss Whedon | Tim Minear
Directed By: Joss Whedon
Air date: 20 September 2002
Heist:
Guest stars: Tom Towles as Lund | Andrew Bryniarski as Crow | Michael Fairman as Adelai Niska | Gregg Henry as Sheriff Bourne | Valerie Red-Horse as Deputy | Kevin Will as Officer | Lina Patel as Ensign | David Reynolds as Henchman | Jeff Rickets as Man | Denis Cockrum as Other Man | Eric Lange as Fed | Tawney Rene Hamilton as Immigrant Woman #1 | Michelle Ferrara as Immigrant Woman #2
Summary: Mal has second thoughts after discovering that two boxes of Alliance goods his crew has been hired to steal are full of badly needed medical supplies headed for the mining town of Paradiso
1.3 Bushwacked
SYNOPSIS | GALLERY | SCRIPT | TRANSCRIPT
Written By: Tim Minear
Directed By: Tim Minear
Air date: 27 September 2002
Heist:
Guest stars: Doug Savant as Commander Harken | Brandon Morgan as Survivor | Jared Poe as Ensign | Lancer Dean Shull as Radio Operator
Summary: After encountering a booby-trapped spacecraft the lone crew member of a horrific Reaver attack, Serenity is boarded by an Alliance commander looking for Simon and River
1.4 Shindig
SYNOPSIS | GALLERY | SCRIPT | TRANSCRIPT
Written By: Jane Espenson
Directed By: Vern Gilum
Air date: 1 November 2002
Heist:
Guest stars: Mark Sheppard as Badger | Edward Atterton as Atherton Wing | Larry Drake as Sir Warwick Harrow | Carl Bresk as Wright | Larry Pennell as Murphy | Michael McMillian as Younger Hopeful | Joshua Grenrock as Porter | Kim Onasch as Banning | Janora McDuffie as Cabott | Casey Piotrowski as Older Farmer | Hunter Cochran as Younger Farmer | Roy Werner as Gentleman
Summary: In order to secure a job transporting cargo off planet for a client, Mal attends a social event where a dance with Inara leads to him being challenged to a sword fight in defence of her honour.
1.5 Safe
SYNOPSIS | GALLERY | SCRIPT | TRANSCRIPT
Written By: Drew Z. Greenberg
Directed By: Michael Grossman
Air date: 8 November 2002
Heist:
Guest stars: Isbaella Hofmann as Regan Tam | William Converse-Roberts as Gabriel Tam | John Thaddeus as Stark | Gary Werntz as Patron | Andy A. Rolfes as Older Grange | Mathew C. Ferreira as Younger Grange | Joel Steingold as Head Cop | Erica N. Tazel as Doralee | Ron Ostrow as Commander | Morina Prierce as Ruby | Skylar Roberge as Young River | Zac Efrom as Young Simon
Summary: When Simon is kidnapped by a group of villagers in need of a doctor, Serenity is forced to make contact with an Alliance ship in order to seek medical help for the critically wounded Book
1.6 Our Mrs Reynolds
SYNOPSIS | GALLERY | SCRIPT | TRANSCRIPT
Written By: Joss Whedon
Directed By: Vondie Curtis-Hall
Air date: 4 October 2002
Guest stars: Christina Hendricks as Saffron | Benito Martinez as Corbin | Erik Passoka as Bree | Bob Fimiani as Elder Gommen | Alex Stemkovsky as Bandit #1
Summary: After a celebration in which the crew is honoured for ridding a planet for a group of bandits, they return to Serenity to find a woman named Saffron who claims Mal married her during the festivities.
1.7 Jaynestown
SYNOPSIS | GALLERY | SCRIPT | TRANSCRIPT
Written By: Ben Edlund
Directed By: Marita Grabiak
Air date: 18 October 2002
Guest stars: Gregory Itzen as Magistrate Higgins | Daniel Bess as Mudder | Kevin Gage as Sitch Hessian | Zachary Kranzler as Fess Higgins | Jordan Lund as Foreman | Bob McCracken as Well-Dressed Man | Ronald Craig Williams as Busker | John Jabaley as Bartender | Laura Niemi as Woman | Simon Brooke as Prod | Clement Blake as Mudder Elder
Summary: When the crew returns to a planet where Jayne participated in a heist gone bad, they’re shocked to discover that Jayne’s past actions have turned him into a local hero of Robin Hood like mythic proportions.
1.8 Out of Gas
SYNOPSIS | GALLERY | SCRIPT | TRANSCRIPT
Written By: Tim Minear
Directed By: David Solomon
Air date: 25 October 2002
Guest stars: Steven Flynn as Captain Sash | Ilia Volok as Marco | Lyle Kanouse as Salesman | Dax Griffin as Bester | Roderick L. McCarthy as Lacey #1
Summary: After an explosion leaves Serenity crippled, Mal orders everyone to abandon ship while he stays behind in an attempt to make repairs – and reminisces how he found the ship and picked his crew.
1.9 Ariel
SYNOPSIS | GALLERY | SCRIPT | TRANSCRIPT
Written By: Jose Molina
Directed By: Allan Kroeker
Air date: 15 November 2002
Guest stars: Blake Robbins as Agent McGinnis | Jeff Ricketts as Man | Dennis Cockrum as Other Man | Tom Virtue as Pompous Doctor | Roma Chugani as Receiving Doctor | Ira Steck as Young Intern | Michael Nagy as Particularly Dressed Man | Alex Connie as Patient | Cate Cohen as Crash Team Nurse
Summary: Simon offers the crew a proposition: if they help him sneak River into a hospital so he can run tests on her, he’ll tell them where to find medical supplies that will fetch an enormous price on the black market.
1.10 War Stories
SYNOPSIS | GALLERY | SCRIPT | TRANSCRIPT
Written By: Cheryl Cain
Directed By: James Contner
Air date: 6 December 2002
Guest stars: Michael Fairman as Adelai Niska | Katherine Kendall as The Councellor | Rolando Molina as Bolles | John Dunn as Torturer | Michael A. Bentt as Viktor | Johnny Shakespeare as Torture Victim | Jason Van as Man
Summary: Wash regrets insisting he be allowed to accompany Mal on a mission after the two men are captured by Adalai Niska – the client who previously hired Mal to steal the medicine bound for Paradiso.
1.11 Trash
SYNOPSIS | GALLERY | SCRIPT | TRANSCRIPT
Written By: Ben Edlund & Jose Molina
Directed By: Vern Gillum
Air date: 21 July 2003
Guest stars: Christina Hendricks as Bridget/Saffron/Yolander Haymer | Franc Ross as Monty Reynolds | Dwier Brown as Durran Haymer | John Eric Bentley as Police Sergeant
Summary: Mal is shocked to discover his friend’s new bride is Saffron who, although furious after Mal blows her cover, offers to cut Mal in on what she calls the perfect big-time, scam.
1.12 The Message
SYNOPSIS | GALLERY | SCRIPT | TRANSCRIPT
Written By: Joss Whedon & Tim Minear
Directed By: Tim Minear
Air date: 28 July 2003
Guest stars: Jonathan M. Woodward as Tracey Smith | Richard Burgi as Lieutenant Womak | Al Pugliese as Amnon | Tod Nakamura as Fendris | Craig Vincent as Skunk | Morgan Rusler as Barker
Summary: While Jayne opens a mail package from his mother that contains a wool cap with ear flpas and a pom-pom, Mal and Zoe open their package to discover the body of their old war buddy, Tracey.
1.13 Heart of Gold
SYNOPSIS | GALLERY | SCRIPT | TRANSCRIPT
Written By: Brett Matthews
Directed By: Thomas J. Wright
Air date: 23 June 2003
Guest stars: Melinda Clarke as Nandi | Kimberley McCullogh as Chari | Fredric Lehne as Rance Burgess | Tracy Ryan as Petaline | Heather Black as Helen | Angie Hart as Lucy | Doan Ly as Emma | Sandy Mulvihill as Belinda | Jim Lay as Narrator
Summary: The crew comes to the aid of a bordello when its madam, an old acquaintance of Inara’s asks for help after a gunslinger claims a prostitute’s baby is his and he’s taking it because his wife is barren.
1.14 Objects in Space
SYNOPSIS | GALLERY | SCRIPT | TRANSCRIPT
Written By: Joss Whedon
Directed By: Joss Whedon
Air date: 13 December 2002
Guest stars: Richard Brooks as Jubal Early
Summary: The crew is caught off guard when a bounty hunter, eager to claim the enormous reward on River’s head, sneaks aboard Serenity and methodically begins taking the crew prisoner one by one.