History Recap / FireflyE04Shindig

* HonorBeforeReason: Although Mal didn't know he was signing up for a swordfight in the process.

* AlphaBitch: The RichBitch who insults Kaylee. Quickly shown up by way of CoolOldGuy.

* SlutShaming: The old man defends Kaylee from the ritch bitch by alluding to the latter's easiness.

''Serenity'' arrives at Persephone. Inara chooses from among a number of offers for her Companion services, eventually settling on repeat customer Atherton Wing, who wants her to escort him to a formal ball. While she prepares, Mal and the others go out shopping, but are accosted by the smuggler Badger (who worked with the crew previously, during the pilot). Badger knows of a client, a rich man named Warrick Harrow, who has cargo that needs to be moved offworld but refuses to associate with Badger. Badger's {{plan}} is to have Mal drop in on a dance Harrow will be attending - the same one Inara and Atherton are at.

Mal, along with Kaylee, arrive at the ball, and Mal is able to reach ''Sir'' Warrick Harrow, though he is unable to work out a deal. Inara wanders over and they exchange some small talk, until Atherton comes to pull her away, claiming that since "money changed hands", Inara is his for the night. Mal immediately decks him over the perceived insult; unfortunately for him, under the rules of society on Persephone, this means he must face Atherton, a master duelist, in a sword fight.

In the morning, Mal and Atherton, accompanied by Inara and Harrow, face off at the dueling grounds. They fight, appearing to be evenly matched, until Atherton reveals he is merely toying with Mal, and easily injures and then disarms the captain. Inara pleads with Atherton to spare Mal, saying she will stay with Atherton if he does. Mal uses the distraction to disarm Atherton and punches him, then recovers Atherton's sword. Mal spares Atherton and leaves with Inara and Harrow. Atherton claims he will use his influence to ruin Inara's reputation, but Inara counters by placing a Black Mark on him in the client registry, which has the effect of putting him on the Companion blacklist; meanwhile Harrow, impressed by Mal's commitment, offers him the cargo job. Mal and Inara arrive back at ''Serenity'' and Badger promptly leaves, with the crew claiming they were "just about to spring into action".

!!Tropes

-->'''Kaylee:''' These girls have the most beautiful dresses. ''(gestures at her dress)'' And so do I! How about that?

* BreakingLecture: River delivers an unsettling one to Badger.
* CombatPragmatist: Mal's victory over Atherton involves [[ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks a thrown sword blade]] and a punch to the gut; in an ''honor duel''.

* DancesAndBalls

--->'''Distinguished Old Man:''' Why, Banning Miller! What a vision you are in your fine dress. It must have taken a dozen slaves a dozen days just to get you into that getup. 'Course, your daddy tells me it takes [[SlutShaming the space of a schoolboy's wink to get you ''out'' of it again]].

* ModelingPoses: Tthe crew are in the shopping district in a town. Kayle admires the frilly dresses in the windows, which are worn by [[FashionModel live mannequins]] who move between different poses every few seconds.

* SheCleansUpNicely: Kaylee.

* PimpedOutDress:

-->'''Kaylee:''' These girls have the most beautiful dresses. ''(gestures at her dress)'' And so do I! How about that?\\

'''Mal:''' Yeah, well, just be careful. We cheated Badger out of good money to buy that frippery, and you're supposed to make ''me'' look respectable.

* GeekyTurnOn: Kaylee, at the ball, eventually finds herself discussing spaceship mechanics to an audience of rapt old men.

* GeekyTurnOn: Kaylee, at the ball, eventually finds herself discussing spaceship mechanics to an audience of rapt young men.

* SlutHaming: The old man defends Kaylee from the ritch bitch by alluding to the latter's easiness.

--->'''Distinguished Old Man:''' Why, Banning Miller! What a vision you are in your fine dress. It must have taken a dozen slaves a dozen days just to get you into that getup. 'Course, your daddy tells me it takes the space of a schoolboy's wink to get you ''out'' of it again.

** CallBack: Kaylee keeps the poofy dress; it's seen again in "The Message".

!Tropes

* GoodOldFisticuffs

* UpperClassTwit: Atherton.

''Serenity'' arrives at Persephone. Inara chooses from among a number of offers for her Companion services, eventually settling on repeat customer Atherton Wing, who wants her to escort him to a formal ball. While she prepares, Mal and the others go out shopping, but are accosted by the smuggler Badger (who worked with the crew previously, during the pilot). Badger knows of a client, a rich man named Warrick Harrow, who has cargo that needs to be moved offworld but refuses to associate with Badger. Badger's plan is to have Mal drop in on a dance Harrow will be attending - the same one Inara and Atherton are at.

Mal is put up for the night in a hotel suite, where he familiarizes himself with the sword he will use against Atherton. Inara sneaks in to help him, but the two end up arguing, as usual. Meanwhile, on ''Serenity'', Badger and his thugs arrive to ensure the crew doesn't interfere with the coming fight, figuring that such interference would ruin the deal with Harrow. The crew devises a plan to escape, provided they can distract Badger. River promptly arrives and lectures Badger in his own accent (giving a hint of her psychic abilities), but the crew is also distracted and misses the opportunity.

* CombatPragmatist: Mal's victory over Atherton involves [[ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks a thrown sword blade]] and a punch to the gut. In an ''honor duel''.

* HannibalLecture: River delivers an unsettling one to Badger.

* PimpedOutDress: Oh, was it ''ever''.

* ImpossibleMissionCollapse: The crew spends hours coming up with a complicated plan to overpower Badger's men and save Mal... only for Mal to return to the ship just before they put the plan into action.

In the morning, Mal and Atherton, accompanied by Inara and Harrow, face off at the dueling grounds. They fight, appearing to be evenly matched, until Atherton reveals he is merely toying with Mal, and easily injures and then disarms the captain. Inara pleads with Atherton to spare Mal, saying she will stay with Atherton if he does. Mal uses the distraction to disarm Atherton and punches him, then recovers Atherton's sword. Mal spares Atherton and leaves with Inara and Harrow. Atherton claims he will use his influence to ruin Inara's reputation, but Inara counters by putting him on the Companion blacklist; meanwhile Harrow, impressed by Mal's commitment, offers him the cargo job. Mal and Inara arrive back at ''Serenity'' and Badger promptly leaves, with the crew claiming they were "just about to spring into action".

* SheCleansUpNicely

* TheLibby: The RichBitch who insults Kaylee. Quickly shown up by way of CoolOldGuy.

* CoolOldGuy: The old man who steps in to help Kaylee with TheLibby, also Sir Warrick Harrow.

* CombatPragmatist: Mal's victory over Atherton involves a thrown sword blade and a punch to the gut. In an ''honor duel''.

In the morning, Mal and Atherton, accompanied by Inara and Harrow, face off at the dueling grounds. They fight, appearing to be evenly matching, until Atherton reveals he is merely toying with Mal, and easily injures and then disarms the captain. Inara pleads with Atherton to spare Mal, saying she will stay with Atherton if he does. Mal uses the distraction to disarm Atherton and punches him, then recovers Atherton's sword. Mal spares Atherton and leaves with Inara and Harrow. Atherton claims he will use his influence to ruin Inara's reputation, but Inara counters by putting him on the Companion blacklist; meanwhile Harrow, impressed by Mal's commitment, offers him the cargo job. Mal and Inara arrive back at ''Serenity'' and Badger promptly leaves, with the crew claiming they were "just about to spring into action".

The episode closes with Mal and Inara discussing the day's events in the cargo hold, zooming out to reveal Harrow's cargo of... cattle.

Tropes featured include:

* GeekyTurnOn: During the ball scene, Kaylee is busy showing off her tech savvy to an audience of rapt young men.

* UpperClassTwit: Atherton, in the twittiest form possible.
** No, the twittiest form possible would probably be a RalphWiggum. Atherton's not stupid (at least, not exceptionally so), just a JerkAss.
** Although he isn't given any specific title, may well be (some) AristocratsAreEvil.
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