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[[folder: Recaps ]]
: [[{{Recap/Firefly}} Index]] | [[{{Recap/FireflyE01Serenity}} 1]] | [[{{Recap/FireflyE02TheTrainJob}} 2]] | [[{{Recap/FireflyE03Bushwhacked}} 3]] | [[{{Recap/FireflyE04Shindig}} 4]] | '''5''' | [[{{Recap/FireflyE06OurMrsReynolds}} 6]] | [[{{Recap/FireflyE07Jaynestown}} 7]] | [[{{Recap/FireflyE08OutOfGas}} 8]] | [[{{Recap/FireflyE09Ariel}} 9]] | [[{{Recap/FireflyE10WarStories}} 10]] | [[{{Recap/FireflyE11Trash}} 11]] | [[{{Recap/FireflyE12TheMessage}} 12]] | [[{{Recap/FireflyE13HeartOfGold}} 13]] | [[{{Recap/FireflyE14ObjectsInSpace}} 14]]

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'''Original air date:''' 11/8/2002

Arriving at a planet with [[Recap/FireflyE04Shindig a load of cattle for sale]], Mal tells Simon and River to walk into town during the negotiations because "She makes things not be smooth." Simon becomes temporarily separated from River, but is relieved to find her enjoying herself for once, dancing a reel with the townsfolk. At the end of the jig, the two are captured and hauled off by settlers from another town, desiring to shanghai Simon as their doctor.

In the meantime, the negotiations are disturbed by a group of lawmen come to arrest the cattle buyers. A gunfight breaks out in which Book is wounded severely. Unable to find the Tams, ''Serenity'' takes off without them to find help for Book. The only advanced medical facility within days of travel is an Alliance vessel; they are at first refused, but Book's ID card suddenly changes the military's mind, and he is rushed into care.

In the meantime, River reveals knowledge about the life of a mute child that she should not have, thus getting her accused of witchcraft and hauled out to be [[BurnTheWitch burned at the stake]]. She adds to this imprudence when the villagers are gathered by very strongly implying that the headman had [[KlingonPromotion murdered the previous headman]]. Simon tries to [[ShamingTheMob shame]] and even fight off the mob, but finally believing there is no hope, he chooses to die with River. Just as he says "light it," ''Serenity'' [[BigDamnHeroes arrives to rescue them]].
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This episode shows the close relationship between Simon and River. It's also the first big hint dropped about Book's [[MysteriousPast murky past]].

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!!Tropes in this episode:
* AccidentalTruth: The headman states that River can [[{{Telepathy}} read minds]], long before the crew of ''Serenity'' learn this is true.
* ArbitrarySkepticism: Is believing in witches all that more odd than believing in mind-readers?
* ArmourPiercingQuestion: Simon is arguing with the {{schoolmarm}} about the village's recruiting methods (kidnapping), while she tries to make the case that he and River could be happy there. "If home isn't here, then where is it?"
* BeliefMakesYouStupid: Simon sure holds this view. Needless to say, it doesn't go down well with the angry mob.
* BerserkButton: Simon, in a hurricane of angry snark, insults ''Serenity''. In front of Kaylee.
* BigBrotherInstinct: Simon sacrificing everything to save River, even if his parents won't bother helping him.
* BigDamnHeroes: TropeNamer. Ain't they just?
* BurnTheWitch: Once the locals become convinced River's a witch. The local leader is initially skeptical, but decides to go along with the idea once he realizes that River's mindreading ability threatens his [[KlingonPromotion dirty secrets]].
* CallingTheOldManOut: Simon snarking at his father in a {{Flashback}}, for caring more about a dinner party than the fact that his daughter's being tortured.
* TheCaretaker: Simon. River tries to return this just a little with the hodgeberries.
* CassandraTruth: The flashbacks show Simon tried to warn his parents that River might be in trouble at the Academy, but they ignored him.
* CattleDrive: A cattle drive in space, no less.
* CheerfulChild: Hints are shown that River has traces of this still left in her, despite her suffering. One can see why someone might be willing to die for her.
* CuteMute: Ruby, the little girl whose "voice was scared away" by her mother's desperation-driven murder of her sister, attempted murder of Ruby herself, and subsequent suicide.
* DancesAndBalls: The folk dance that River joins.
* DeclarationOfProtection: Mal, for River. Sure, she might be a witch, but she's ''their'' witch. And she and Simon are on his crew. He even seems confused when Simon asks why he saved them.
* DescriptionCut: We go from Simon yelling at his kidnappers about his sister, to Mrs. Tam telling Simon his sister's fine.
* {{Determinator}}: Simon. Because he is such an awesome PapaWolf.
* {{Determined Homesteader}}s: But rather strange ones to be sure.
* FiveSecondForeshadowing: Not even that much. River realises that the crew have come to save them. Cue BigDamnHeroes.
* {{Flashback}}: Simon has several of these showing the Tams before they set out into the Black, including the time when Simon began to be concerned about River's safety.
* FoeTossingCharge: Simon attempts this unsuccessfully but very awesomely.
* GallowsHumor: River giggling at the absurdity of being tied to a post so she can be burned at the stake on the same day as she learns what a "post-holer, for digging holes for posts" looks like.
* GentlemanSnarker: Simon has a tendency to snark at anyone who interferes with his caring for River.
-->'''Simon:''' ''[to his father]'' I would never have tried to save River's life if I had thought there was a ''dinner party'' at risk.\\\
'''Simon:''' ''[to Mal]'' Right... I'm very sorry if she tipped off anyone about your cunningly concealed herd of cows.
* GunshipRescue: Serenity itself isn't armed, but Jayne [[{{BFG}} is]].
* HeroicSacrifice: Nearly, but averted by Mal and Zoe's BigDamnHeroes moment. "Light it."
** A non-fatal example, Simon sacrificed his career, his personal fortune, and his relationship with his parents to rescue River.
* {{Hypocrite}}: The {{schoolmarm}}. When Simon accuses her town of engaging in kidnapping (which they do), she invokes the Lord's command to "judge not". When she learns about River's apparent telepathy, she immediately condemns her as a witch and summons the townsfolk to burn her at the stake.
* IHaveNoSon: Simon's father threatens to disown him in {{flashback}}, saying he will refuse to bail Simon out if his son's efforts to help River land him in jail again. The implication is that he went through with it later.
* IndyPloy: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by Zoe when she and Kaylee are worrying about Book after he's been shot:
-->'''Zoe:''' Captain will come up with a plan.\\
'''Kaylee:''' Well, that's good...right?\\
'''Zoe:''' Possible you're not recalling some of his previous plans.
* InsaneTrollLogic: The {{schoolmarm}} tries to justify Simon and River being forced to join their village by arguing that because they are travelers they have no reason to object to where they end up. It's touchy enough without the fact that she also completely refuses to engage the ethical issue of using kidnappers to "recruit" tradesmen for the community.
* IOweYouMyLife: In a rare moment of lucidity, River tells Simon that she's perfectly aware he gave up everything to go and find her. She breaks down in tears over it.
* IWillFindYou: Simon's search for River as glimpsed in the {{Flashback}}s.
* {{Irony}}: The schoolmarm tells Simon that the town is "quiet and safe" for him and River. She's the one who gets the townfolk whipped up into an angry mob.
* ItHasBeenAnHonor: "Postholer... digging holes for posts." Also IronicEcho.
* ItsProbablyNothing: The Tams dismiss Simon's worries about River's health as a game.
* {{Jerkass}}: The minute Simon and River go missing, Jayne raids Simon's stuff. He hurriedly returns what he took after Simon and River are saved.
-->'''Jayne:''' ''[looking through Simon's journal]'' Dear diary, today I was pompous and my sister was crazy. ''[turns page]'' Today we were kidnapped by hill people, never to be seen again. It was the best day ever.
* KickTheDog: The Alliance commander seems perfectly happy with sending Serenity packing and letting Book die. He only decides to help after running [[DarkAndTroubledPast Book's ID card]].
* KidnappedDoctor: Simon is kidnapped by a village on a rural planet to tend their people and live there forever. He isn't very happy about it.
-->'''Hoban Washburne:''' I went by the sheriff's office. Seems if we had checked the posted alerts for this rock, we might've known it. Settlers in the hills take people sometimes. Usually tradesmen and the like.\\
'''Capt. Malcolm Reynolds:''' And now they got themselves a doctor. And we don't.
* MysteriousPast: Where did Book get that card?
* ObstructiveBureaucrat: The Alliance captain, though he changes his tune right quick once he sees Book's ID.
* OhCrap:
** When Shepard is shot, we get Mal and River's reaction, followed shortly after by everyone else's.
** Simon, when he sees ''Serenity'' taking off without him and River.
* PapaWolf: Both Simon and Mal. Both subverted and played straight in the {{Flashback}} scenes. The actual papa is a DirtyCoward (or worse), so big brother has to be the PapaWolf without any help.
* PoliceState: Shades of the Alliance being this are alluded to in a flashback. Simon's dad is upset not just that his son got arrested for being out after curfew with undesirables, but because it meant he had to go to the police station to pick Simon up. Apparently, just walking through the doors of a police station goes on your permanent record.
* PoorCommunicationKills: Simon would likely have helped the locals if they'd just ''asked'' for help, and does so anyway, making their kidnapping really, really stupid.
%%* ThePowerOfFriendship: Simon and River.
* RageBreakingPoint: In a sense, Simon's frustration at his and River's situation all gets unleashed on Kaylee in the store.
* ReadingTheEnemysMail: Inverted. River's attempt at getting mail through without the Academy reading it is shown in a {{Flashback}}.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: The headman is this, trying to calm the situation down... at least until River starts revealing his own dirty secret, at which point he rolls with it.
* RoadApples: Simon steps in a cow patty on his way out of the ship. Later, Mal mutters as he is stepping around the cow patties, "This is the last time... last time with cows..."
* SayingTooMuch: River can't help but read the mind of the man trying to calm the mob down. And then she can't help but talk out loud about it.
* {{Schoolmarm}}: The lady who accuses River of witchcraft is this. Simon is understandably skeptical of her qualifications.
* ShamingTheMob: Subverted. The mob remains notably unashamed. One villager even says that Simon's attempted HeroicSacrifice "isn't going to stop [them]" from burning River.
* SheKnowsTooMuch: The Patron is willing to hear River out, until she starts talking about the suspicious death of his predecessor, then he immediately declares her a witch and whips the mob into a burnin' frenzy.
* TheSheriff: Appears after the gunfight at the beginning. Simon is also shown passing his office nervously.
* SickbedSlaying: Implied to be the fate of the previous patron. He was sick, but he was getting better, and then suddenly he was dead after his successor was alone in a room with him.
* ASimplePlan: All Mal had to do was sell the cattle to the people who had arranged to buy it. Instead, lawmen come to arrest the buyers, and there's a shootout Mal, Jayne, Zoe and Book get caught up in. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by Mal; "It never goes smooth. How come it ''never'' goes smooth?"
* SkewedPriorities: In the flashbacks, Simon chews out his parents for being more concerned about dinner parties and their social status than the possibility their daughter is being abused at the Academy.
* SpottingTheThread: Simon already mentioned spotting messages from River in her mail. Here we see his immediate reaction, trying to warn his parents.
* TakeMeInstead: Simon proposes the sacrifice himself to save his sister but the inquisitor refuses.
* {{Telepathy}}: Deliberately kept ambiguous, but ''somehow'' River knows things only one other person knows...
* ThinkNothingOfIt: Simon's response to River's IOweYouMyLife speech.
-->'''Simon:''' Mei-Mei, everything I have is right here.
%%* ThroughHisStomach: "Hodgeberries...You have to eat."
* TownWithADarkSecret: The town that kidnaps Simon and River and tries to burn them.
* TrueCompanions: Mal has decided that Simon and River are this, whether they like it or not;
-->'''Simon:''' Captain, why did you come back for us?
-->'''Mal:''' You're on my crew.
-->'''Simon:''' Yeah, but you don't even ''like'' me. Why'd you come back?
-->'''Mal:''' You're on my crew. Why're we still talking about this?
* UndyingLoyalty: Simon, for River.
* UngratefulTownsfolk: Simon and River are kidnapped by a town in need of a doctor. He hates being kidnapped and calls the townsfolk on it, but grows to like being able to help the townsfolk and having a stable place to house River. However, they become convinced she's a "witch," and plan to burn her at the stake. Nothing Simon says will stop them, so he gets up on the stake too. ''And they were getting ready to burn them both!'' The same people who went to great lengths to get a doctor were perfectly willing to go back to their high mortality rates if it meant burning a mentally damaged girl.
* UpperClassTwit: Simon, out of culture shock and homesickness, hurts Kaylee's feelings with a bit of Upper-Class Twittery.
* WastelandElder: The headman or "patron." This is a villainous example.
* WouldHitAGirl: The headman slaps River when she nearly reveals he may have murdered his predecessor, then orders her burnt alive.
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