Synopsis
River wanders around Serenity, and we hear things from her point of view. She reads the minds of the various crew members, eventually reaching the ship’s lower deck where she picks up a branch — which is actually a gun. Mal disarms her, and scolds Simon for failing to keep an eye on his sister.
Synopsis
Some brothel women put out laundry when several baddies folks drive up. A gentleman demands to see a pregnant woman, saying the baby is his. He uses a device to sample the baby’s DNA. Meanwhile, aboard Serenity, Wash receives a distress signal for Inara.
Synopsis
The Serenity crew play tourist in a futuristic city. Simon and Kaylee visit a circus that has proof of alien life. They decide it’s just a mutated cow fetus. They flirt, but Kaylee doesn’t respond well to being his only option. Mal and Inara find two packages waiting at the post office. Jayne’s package contains a hat from his mother, while the large one, addressed to Mal, is a metal coffin containing a young man’s body.
Synopsis
Mal sits in a field — naked. Flashback to 72 hours earlier: Mal meets an old friend who introduces Mal to his new wife — Saffron. Mal isn’t happy to see her. The old friend questions her past history and leaves her with Mal. Not wanting to be left behind, Saffron claims to have information on a treasure.
Synopsis
Simon analyzes River’s medical records to learn what the Alliance did to her. Wondering if the intent was essentially malicious, Shepherd quotes Xiang Yu, a warrior who advocated torture. Cut to a space station where Niska (the criminal from the Train Job) is torturing someone while quoting Xiang Yu. An aide tells Niska that the Serenity is near.