History Recap / FireflyE11Trash

* OnceMoreWithClarity: The episode opens up with Mal dryly observing that "[[SarcasmMode That went well.]]" Get all the way to the end of the episode, and [[spoiler: We learn that the crew was running a XanatosGambit on [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder YoSafBridge]]. Mal had been in fact [[DeadpanSnarker dryly observing]] that "[[AllAccordingToPlan That went well".]]]]

-->--'''Mal''', as he sits naked on a rock in the middle of a desert.

* BrutalHonesty: When Saffron attempts to invoke NotWhatItLooksLike (see the quote below), Mal diffuses the completely unrealistic expectation (she was holding a gun on him and he was holding a priceless gun) with this instead. Durren appreciates it.

* ObliviousGuiltSlinging: When Durren is thanking Mal for returning "Yolanda," you can just see the misery getting etched deeper and deeper on Mal's face. Though as it turns out, Durren knew something was going on the moment he saw them and was probably doing this deliberately.

* OutGambitted: The ''Serenity'' crew have various hooks in their plan depending on when Saffron betrays them ([[ReliableTraitor as they know she will]]); the crux of the one that works is a fake argument with Inara, which leads to everyone, Saffron included, dismissing her from the plot.

* ReliableTraitor: The fact that Saffron will ''definitely'' betray anyone she works with makes her predictable, and enables the crew to come up with countermeasures and contingency plans.

* EasilyForgiven: The crew seems surprisingly willing to work with Saffron, even after the whole lightningy-death thing from "[[Recap/FireflyE06OurMrsReynolds Our Mrs. Reynolds]]". But then, that doesn't mean they ''trust'' her.

This is a HowWeGotHere episode that begins with Mal sitting naked on a rock in the middle of the desert. We then go back in time three days to a rendezvous between Mal and an old war buddy named Monty. Both are working on part of a smuggling job, where Monty drops a cargo off on an uninhabited moon, only for Mal and crew to arrive shortly thereafter, pick it up, and move it along. While the two shoot the breeze, Monty cheerfully introduces Mal to his new wife Brigit. Mal recognizes "Brigit" as [[Recap/FireflyE06OurMrsReynolds Saffron]]. A furious scuffle ensues, and it only ends for good when Saffron is caught SayingTooMuch, confirming that she does in fact know Mal. A distraught Monty winds up leaving the two of them on the moon. This isn't a big deal for Mal, since he just has to wait for the crew to pick him up according to plan. Saffron, however, quickly sees that it would be the equivalent of being marooned on a rarely visited desert island.

After being picked up by the crew, Mal is told that Inara wants to speak with him, and he is put off by Inara actually being polite to him, and is soon accusing her of trying to use her "feminine wiles" on him. However, all Inara wants to talk about is business: she hasn't had a client in weeks because ''Serenity'' hasn't been anywhere near the sort of place where she could find a client. She accuses Mal of purposefully avoiding planets where they could both work, and after some more back and forth with tempers flaring, Inara calls Mal a petty thief. Mal's pride is stung by this despite Inara's apology (probably because he knows that it's true, as his last job was smuggling boxes of geisha dolls with bobbing heads) so he goes back to the cargo bay and opens up a crate with a very disheveled Saffron inside, and agrees to do the job with her.

The mark for the job is a wealthy Alliance official named Durren Haymer, who Saffron claims specialized in creating biological weapons, and used them during the war to kill off entire neighborhoods, then moved in to loot those neighborhoods for valuables. (Naturally that alone has Mal and Zoe seeing red.) One of those valuables is the target of their heist: a model of the first laser pistol ever invented, which makes it the forerunner of all those in use during the show's present, and since there are only two intact models of that laser known to exist, it's priceless. Inara vigorously objects to having anything to do with a plan laid out by Saffron, but Zoe (after a MyFistForgivesYou moment) agrees to go along. The job won't be a walk in the park, however, as Durren lives on what is essentially a private floating island, and if the laser is taken out any door of the house, it'll set off alarms that will have the Feds scrambling, and they'll be certain to get a look at ''Serenity'' before the crew can make their getaway... ''if'' they can get away.

Kaylee figures out a way around this problem: Durren's estate use a drone system that airlifts garbage dumpsters directly from the bottom of the island and flies it out to be incinerated. However, if the gun goes out through the garbage, it won't trip any of the door alarms, and if they can reprogram where the bin will be taken by the drone, they can send it anywhere and pick up the laser without being tracked. So while Mal and Saffron infiltrate the house during a big party Durren is throwing (blending in with the hired help) Kaylee, Wash and co. will fly to the latest such bin, and manually reprogram it to be flown to a stretch of empty desert, far from the police or any prying eyes.

The heist starts off well, but both parts of the crew run into problems: after Kaylee manages to reprogram the guidance for the trash bin, Jayne gets shocked trying to put it back in, knocking him out, (nearly making him fall to his death while unconscious) and while Mal and Saffron are in the study getting ready to take the gun, Durren walks in, but reacts with joy to see ''his'' long-lost wife Yolanda, (as Saffron was apparently calling herself back in those days) and starts thanking Mal profusely for bringing her home.

To Mal's shock, Saffron refuses to simply hit Durren and get him out of the way, instead insisting on telling him a story about her being abducted and sold into slavery when she disappeared six years ago. After a bit of babbling about making a new life with his precious Yolanda, Durren runs off to get a reward for Mal bringing her home. Mal bitterly recriminates Saffron for the lies she told about Durren as he goes to finish disabling the security around the laser, only to find that while he's had his back turned, Saffron has drawn a hidden gun and has it pointed right at him. Apparently, this is the part where she backstabs him and figures out a way to take the gun for herself. And in the middle of this, Durren walks back in, noticeably unsurprised and unfazed by the scene.

Saffron tries to launch into an ICanExplain[=/=]NotWhatItLooksLike but Mal shoots that down by simply telling the truth. Durren and Saffron begin a poignant confrontation, and Mal uses that opportunity to dump the laser into the garbage chute and signal for a pickup. Outside, Kaylee finally manages to return the reprogrammed guidance chip to the garbage bin JustInTime as the mechanical drone comes to pick up the bin. The drone takes it off to its destination, while ''Serenity'' flies off to return to a rendezvous point where Saffron and Mal are supposed to meet them.

Durren and Saffron continue their confrontation. Eventually, Saffron says that he's a complete fool for not calling the police the moment he saw her. Durren responds by saying that he did, then shows them a small button on his ring: it's a panic button generally used for situations such as kidnapping and the like. "I love you, Yolanda, but I couldn't think for a second that you actually came here for me." Sirens are now audible as the police begin touching down on the grounds of Durren's estate. Saffron attempts to seduce Durren and convince him to call the police off, but he stoically refuses and begs her to get the help she needs. Now out of other options, Saffron drops him with a kick to the head, then she and Mal run for the exit. On the way out they fight with a few of the Feds, but manage to get out of the house, (Saffron makes a brief stop to hack the house security system so that it will lock most of the police inside) get to their shuttle, and escape.

On the shuttle, Saffron begins shedding crocodile tears (with perhaps some touches of real regret) and begins a sad conversation with Mal about whether people can ever change. Mal is cautious, but eventually lets his guard down enough to get near her. Saffron promptly steals his gun, forces him to take his clothes off, and dumps him in the desert while she flies the shuttle over to where bin was dropped. However, despite an increasingly frantic (and messy) search for the laser she can't find it. Saffron finally concludes that it's gone... and turns to see that Inara (laser in hand) has snuck up beside the bin and been watching Saffron in amusement. Turns out Mal and crew figured on a double cross, and during all the fuss with getting past the Feds, Inara got to the bin first, retrieved the laser, and let Saffron climb in and make a fool out of herself trying to find it. Inara seals Saffron into the bin, cheerfully telling her that the authorities should track it down in a few hours and take things from there.

Back on the ship, Jayne finally comes to in the med bay, unable to move. Simon lets Jayne thinks that he's paralyzed for a few seconds (during which Jayne is clearly terrified) before explaining that it's a temporary situation to make sure that Jayne wouldn't injure himself upon coming to, and then has a nice chat with Jayne about [[Recap/FireflyE09Ariel what happened on Ariel]], and how they really should trust each other and live together instead of looking for opportunities to back stab each other. He promises never to hurt Jayne, despite all the times that Jayne is likely to be helpless and under Simon's knife due to the wounds that Jayne tends to pick up in his line of work, and then Simon leaves. River then informs Jayne that she can kill him with her brain.

First Inara and then the rest of the crew eventually find a still naked Mal in the middle of the desert, who acts as if nothing is out of the ordinary, and begins making arrangements to leave the planet and fence the laser. As the cargo bay doors of Serenity close, Mal reflects on how well the day went.

* AxCrazy: We always knew that Saffron was a little off, but when she starts screaming at Durren we realize for the first time just how thin her composure is and how close she is to going full out psycho.

--->'''Wash''': I'm confused.\\
'''Saffron''': You're asking yourself if I've got the security codes, why don't I go in, grab it for myself?\\
'''Wash''': No. Actually, I was wondering... '''what's she doing on this ship?''' ... We're in space! How'd she get here?\\
'''Mal''': She hitched.\\
'''Wash''': I don't recall pulling over!

* DarkActionGirl: Saffron shows that she can fight against Mal, (bloodying him up some in the process), takes out Durren with a single kick, and helps fight a few cops during the escape from Durren's estate.
* DumpsterDive: After Saffron betrays them to pick up the loot herself , she is seen inside the dumpster looking for it, except Inara got there first and already has it. She then seals the dumpster with Saffron inside to wait for the authorities while ''Serenity'' makes their getaway.
* EasilyForgiven: The crew seems surprisingly willing to work with Saffron, even after the whole lightningy-death thing from "Our Mrs. Reynolds". But then, that doesn't mean they ''trust'' her.
* FailsafeFailure: The primary plan is that Mal and Saffron will pick up the Lassiter using the shuttle. The backup plan is that ''Serenity'' will pick it up if they are delayed. Saffron's machinations prevent both Mal and the ship from making it there. Averted in the end, as the crew had anticipated Saffron's betrayal and had stationed Inara at the dumpsite in order to collect the Lassiter before Saffron got there.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: When River says that Saffron is a liar, Jayne remarks that in that respect she's no different from everyone else on Serenity. The specific thing they're all lying about is that they trust Saffron this time.
* GoodCopBadCop: The Tams pull a non-police variant on the incapacitated Jayne. Simon assures him that he will never harm him and it's in everyone's best interest to just let sleeping dogs lie (insinuating that as the crew's medic, pissing him off is a bad idea since he'll inevitably get injured). River just flat-out tells him "Also? I can kill you with my brain" to screw with him and watch him squirm.

* IHaveManyNames: Saffron is up to three aliases now, none of which are her real name. At one point Mal combines them all and calls her [=YoSaffBrig=].
* INeverToldYouMyName: Mal is introduced to a pilot friend's new wife- who is a con artist that Mal has previously had a rather severe run-in with. They commence fighting, and the pilot demands to know what's going on. Mal shouts accusations at her, to which she responds "You're a liar, Malcolm Reynolds!" The pilot had never told her Mal's full name.
* LargeHam:''' ''AH SHAVED MAH BEARD FER YOU, DEVIL WOMAN!'' '''

* MotivationalLie: It's highly likely that everything Saffron said about Durren was a lie that would make Mal and Zoe feel justified in robbing him. (She even specifically noted early in the episode that Mal and Monty were Browncoats together, and what would fire up a Browncoat more than an Alliance officer using chemical weapons and stealing from the helpless?)

* NakedPeopleAreFunny: Kaylee is amused watching Mal naked.
** In fact, she's the only one unfazed by it...

-->'''Saffron:''' [Holding Mal at gunpoint] Congratulations. Anything else you want on your tombstone, you piece of crap?!\\

'''Saffron:''' [Hesitates for a moment] Durren, this isn't what it looks like...\\
'''Mal:''' Unless it looks like we're stealing your priceless Lassiter cause... that's what we're doing. Don't ask me about the gun though, because that's new.\\

* ObliviousGuiltSlinging: When Durren is thanking Mal for returning "Yolanda" you can just see the misery getting etched deeper and deeper on Mal's face. Though as it turns out, he knew something was going on the moment he saw them and was probably doing this deliberately.

* UnspokenPlanGuarantee: The ''Serenity'' crew expect Saffron to double cross them and come up with an unspoken counter. Naturally it works, although Inara reveals that she was supposed to be the fail safe in case Saffron managed to make everything else go wrong for the ''Serenity'' crew.

* XanatosGambit: Saffron betrays Mal and disables Serenity, taking away both the initial plan and the back-up. However, Inara is already at the rendezvous point in a plan that they'd cooked up as yet another failsafe, and had been working on the entire episode.
* XanatosSpeedChess: Saffron holding him at gun point and Durren walking in certainly weren't things that Mal expected, but he manages to make it work by getting them to concentrate on each other. This lets him dump the gun while they argue, then pull a gun right back on Saffron.

<<|Recap/{{Firefly}}|>>

* ObliviousGuiltSlinging: When Durren is thanking Mal for returning "Yolanda" you can just see the misery getting etched deeper and deeper on Mal's face.

* BaitAndSwitchComment: Durren's "You!" seems to be targeted at Mal, who's in the middle of trying to get to the Lassiter, but is actually aimed at Saffron.

* ToThePain: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]]. Simon explains that he will ''never'' hurt Jayne. He just happens to say it in a tone [[ParentheticalSwearing usually reserved for death threats]]. Although River is a little more straightforward about it. ("Also, I can kill you. With my brain.")

-->Yeah. That went well.

Back on the ship, Jayne finally comes to in the med bay, unable to move. Simon explains that this is temporary, and then has a nice chat with Jayne about [[Recap/FireflyE09Ariel what happened on Ariel]], and how they really should trust each other and live together. He promises not to hurt Jayne, and then leaves. River then informs Jayne that she can kill him with her brain.

%%* BaitAndSwitchComment: "You!"

%%* TheCaper

%%* NotWhatItLooksLike

%%* HowWeGotHere

Back on the ship, Jayne finally comes to in the med bay, unable to move. Simon explains that this is temporary, and then has a nice chat with Jayne about [[Recap/FireflyE09Ariel what happened on Ariel]], and how they really should trust each other and live together. He promises not to hurt Jayne, and then leaves. River then informs Jayne that if he ever sells them out again, she’ll kill him with her brain.

* BaitAndSwitchComment: "You!"

* TheCaper

* FailsafeFailure: The primary plan is that Mal and Saffron will pick up the Lassiter using the shuttle. The backup plan is that ''Serenity'' will pick it up if they are delayed. Saffron's machinations prevent both Mal and the ship from making it there. [[spoiler:Averted in the end, as the crew had anticipated Saffron's betrayal and had stationed Inara at the dumpsite in order to collect the Lassiter before Saffron got there.]]

* HowWeGotHere

-->'''Saffron:''' I tried. I actually tried. I thought "This is a decent man. The genuine article..." Yeah, he had money. I thought it would help. I thought if I had everything I wouldn't want...
-->'''Mal:''' Heinrich the security programmer?
* NotDistractedByTheSexy: When the crew picks up a naked Mal, ''everyone'' is a little discombobulated by it, and by how utterly casual he is about the whole thing. Except Kaylee, who talks to him as if it were just another day and everything was normal.

* NotWhatItLooksLike

'''Mal:''' (Slowly, and with obvious guilt) Well... then this is a day I'll feel good to be me.

* ToThePain: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]]. Simon explains that he will ''never'' hurt Jayne. He just happens to say it in a tone [[ParentheticalSwearing usually reserved for death threats]].
** Although River is a little more straightforward about it. ("Also, I can kill you. With my brain.")

-->'''''I SAID DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT!'''''
* XanatosGambit: [[spoiler:Saffron betrays Mal and disables Serenity, taking away both the initial plan and the back-up. However, Inara is already at the rendezvous point in a plan that they'd cooked up as yet another failsafe, and had been working on the entire episode.]]

--> '''Mal:'''"They killed Heinrich? Guess he wasn't useful anymore."

-->'''Saffron:''' I tried. I actually tried. I thought "This is a decent man. The genuine article." Yeah, he had money. I thought it would help. I thought if I had everything I wouldn't want...