I didn't find Jaynestown as funny as Our Mrs. Reynolds, and it lacks the excellent rug pull plot twist of Our Mrs. Reynolds. It is however a funny, solid, and much loved entry.
The thing I love about Jaynestown is that unlike other stories where a man returns to a town and discovers he's mistaken for a hero, Jayne doesn't get to become a true hero by the end. He just leaves knowing that they're likely to continue glorifying him for an accident, and he's completely unworthy of their devotion. It's much more realistic, and feels true to the character. It's a shame things didn't get to go further, because seeing Jayne's continued development would've been really interesting.
I'm a geek.
Jayne! The man they call Jayne!
I love this episode so much, but on your comment of not thinking a Shepard would say something like that? You are right. And we do not know enough about Book to know the full details, but I was always under the impression from the show and movie that he was NOT a real Shepard. Just pretending to be one. Whether that was because he was playing a role for some ulterior motive, or because he was trying to move on but did not want to actually try to become a Shepard, we will never know. Or heck, maybe he WAS a real Shepard, but his past made his views a little "radical". In any case, I think this was the funniest over all episode and while re-watching the series over and over gets a smile out of me for other ones, Jaynestown still makes me actually laugh.
Joss Word of God'd Shepard's backstory in the end (or it was released in a comic?), it was pretty much what you'd expect from the way the show was hinting and it would have been a good reveal for a seasons long storyline but naturally I didn't find it quite as amazing reading a wiki summary of it =D (as someone pointed out in the comments to another seasons review, Inara's backstory got revealed too. That one was really interesting) Nevertheless you've hit the right points here. With more series I think they could have made the moment fit, but there was clearly something complicated going on with Book's faith because he holds a strong ground on it at other points
Leave a Comment:
Jaynestown - 3rd best episode
And only because of that queer societal quirk where drama is rated over comedy. Because Jaynestown is pretty much the funniest 40 minutes of TV I can ever remember seeing. You can't jump straight in, it's important to know who Jayne is first, but when you've done the groundwork... Every line is incredible and at all moments your aware of the concept of what you're watching which is so unbelievably funny by itself. Jaynestown probably represents the genius of the Firefly idea best and even of Joss Whedon writing (not that it was written by him) because by being funny and having strong easy to understand characterisation driving everything, and because everything is simply and unassuming and normal and strangely real feeling, the series allows you to grow attachments to the characters that can allow even the mention of an idea like this to be smile inducing. In Jaynestown, I feel like I'm in the position of the crew, gobsmacked, watching this person I know have this happen to them. I'm not an outsider, I'm insider sharing a joke amongst friends.
Yet unbelievably Jaynestown is not just about the comedy. This is an important character moment for Jayne because it, for a moment, turns him round and introduces him to something more complex and noble than he normally lets past. And it's a lovely step forward for Kaylee and Simon's relationship, they go deeper here
And it's so quotable 'I swear, when it's appropriate' 'Simon, the whole point of swearin' is that it ain't appropriate.'
'We gotta go to the crappy town where I'm a hero.' and even 'I tore these out of your symbol and they turned into paper,'
But that's not all! It's got thematic depth and something to say as well. It even says it interestingly! The idea of the A plot and it's events only make full sense when considered in conjunction with the lessons of the B and C plots as well. It's not about the symbol itself, it's the belief that people have in that symbol and the way it transforms them and allows them to act in a way better than they could ever have done. In the end they did what they did for Jayne not because he was worth it but because their belief was worth it. This brings on the blemish of the episode, a Shepard would probably not quite have said that but it's a small thing.
And it has a song! And did I mention it was funny? Go watch it. Again =D