(no subject)

[ivyfic]

Operative: Do you know what your sin is?
Doctor: ....
Operative: Pride ... You took key members of parliament - and put them in a room with a psychic.

I gasped when I heard this line. It's so...perfect. Here I was expecting that they wanted River back because she was the best and brightest whatever - like the doctor says to Simon - but no. They want her back because they fucked up. This is such a better story reason. River being hunted because she's this unique creation would be the science fictional reason (also a cliche). River being hunted because the Alliance screwed up royally - that's the human reason. And I can't say it enough, Serenity isn't about science fiction, it's about people.

I'd also like to point out that though the Operative says here that he doesn't care what secrets are, just about keeping, at the end of the film this is shown to be untrue. He learns the secret, and loses his belief (see belief! main theme of the film). Also a nice touch that Mal showing mercy to the murderer of children whose death would be demanded in most films is the only thing that saves them in the end. Had this still been a show, I would have fully expected him to join the regular cast.

Comments

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

Ack! I had a moment of panic that he was about to let him on the ship, too. But I realized in a second that that wasn't going to happen because...well, because he's not Jayne. He's not Book. He's something in between the two that makes him irreconcilable with Mal's beliefs. He's a man of faith in violence instead of just a man of violence or a man of faith. Plus, the Operative got his people killed, and I don't think that's something Mal's ever going to forgive him or himself for (which ties in with my understanding of why he kept the others on originally, was that, yes, useful, but also they proved willing to save the lives of his crew).