#1.13 Heart Of Gold

[Gin]

From imdb.com and fireflywiki.org

#1.13 Heart Of Gold

Original airdate: unaired
Written by: Brent Matthews
Directed by: Tom Wright
Episode Cast
Nathan Fillion ... Captain Malcolm 'Mal' Reynolds
Gina Torres ... Zoë Washburne
Alan Tudyk ... Hoban 'Wash' Washburne
Morena Baccarin ... Inara Serra
Adam Baldwin ... Jayne Cobb
Jewel Staite ... Kaylee Frye
Sean Maher ... Dr. Simon Tam
Summer Glau ... River Tam
Ron Glass ... Shepherd Book
Melinda Clarke ... Nandi
Kimberly McCullough ... Chari
Fredric Lehne ... Ranse Burgess (as Fredric Lane)
Tracy Ryan ... Petaline (as Tracy Leah Ryan)
Heather Black ... Helen
Angie Hart ... Lucy
Doan Ly ... Emma
Sandy Mulvihill ... Belinda
Jim Lau ... Puppet Theater Narrator

Summary
When Inara asks the crew to help a friend (and erstwhile Companion) with a business problem, Mal immediately agrees. Jayne doesn't take much convincing once he learns the occupation of those in need, and Shepherd Book thinks he might be able to spread the good word.
Planetside, our heroes attempt to surmount loneliness, temptation (er, some of 'em do - there's a bit of plowing as well), jealousy, baby talk, childbirth, a hijacking, and ruttin' illegal lasers. It's just another day in the life...
Along with The Message, this episode was nominated for a Hugo award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) in 2004.

[Gin]

from wikipedia.org

Synopsis
At a ranch-like whorehouse in the middle of a barren land, a man in a hover craft, Rance Burgess, accompanied by thugs on horseback, approaches the madam, Nandi (played by Melinda Clarke), looking for "the girl." Despite Nandi's protest that "the girl" had left, the thugs drag Petaline, a nine-month-pregnant young woman, out to face him. He forcefully extracts a DNA sample from her to verify if the child is his, threatening to cut it out of her if need be. When the men leave, a group of women crowd around Petaline and Nandi, wondering who can protect the distraught mother-to-be from the ruthless tyrant.

Cut to Mal Reynolds, practicing his gun draw. Inara enters the dining area behind him and startles him with her greeting. He then claims that she didn't startle him and that "Bwaahh!" is a warrior's cry. As she leaves, he aims his gun and quietly growls "Bwah." Wash shortly arrives to announce a distress call, specifically asking for Inara. She talks to Nandi, an old friend, on vidscreen, and offers to ask the Serenity crew to help. Overhearing the conversation, Mal muses about "a whole house full of Companions", but Inara corrects him, reluctantly calling them "whores". Mal seems bemused that they, unlike Inara, are "independent", and uncharacteristically dismisses Inara's offer to pay for the assistance. Inara, however, insists on keeping this "strictly a business arrangement". Zoe assembles the crew to explain the voluntary nature of this mission. Jayne predictably objects to such a risky humanitarian endeavor. Book tries to appeal to his seemingly non-existent altruistic side, but Mal quickly gains his support instead by pointing out the women's trade.

Arriving at Nandi's ranch, the crew is warmly greeted by the proprietor and her employees. Jayne eagerly takes advantage of their hospitality, Shepherd Book shares an awkward moment with two women in need of spiritual counseling, Simon goes to examine the soon-due Petaline (with River in tow), and Kaylee bemoans her own lack of attention from the doctor. Mal and Zoe discuss the situation with Nandi, who describes the poverty Burgess enforces on the locals.

That evening, Mal and Inara take a trip into town to allow Mal to size up their opponent. The odious Burgess only confirms Nandi's assessment. He also takes a second to show Mal his laser pistol, with an auto targeting scope. Shortly after the Serenity couple departs, Burgess gets his own confirmation — he is the father of Petaline's baby.

Returning to Nandi's ranch, Mal announces that Serenity will depart forthwith, rather than face "a monster who thinks he's right with God" and who won't back down after only a single thrashing from some temporary help. Nandi diplomatically acknowledges his need to protect his own people, but Mal clarifies that he expects to evacuate Nandi's people as well. Nandi, however, refuses to leave her hard-earned property and way of life, and Mal reluctantly accepts the challenge, admiring the streak of stubborn independence they share.

The Serenity crew gamely spends the next day and night building up the brothel's defenses and preparing some surprises for the villains. Zoe and Wash have a tense conversation (clearly not a new one) about having a baby themselves in the near future, and Zoe puts her foot down on the subject — they will have this child soon. Nandi shows off a prized collection of guns to Mal, slipping in some subtle queries about Mal and Inara's relationship, and observing that the two shipmates share a dislike of "complications". She talks about the Companion training she shared with Inara on the latter's home world, Sihnon. She says that Inara was in the running to become "house priestess" of House Madrassa when she suddenly left, without explanation, to travel among the Alliance worlds. Nandi had left before then, however, straining at the restrictions of Companion life. She moved to this border world and assumed control of the whorehouse (implying a hostile takeover), cleaning it up and making it a better workplace for "the girls". Mal and Nandi gradually move toward sex, pausing only when Nandi says "I ain't her", which Mal deflects without directly acknowledging her implication of his feelings for Inara.

Meanwhile, Petaline approaches delivery with Simon and a nervous Inara attending, both of whom reveal that they've never delivered a baby before (River unhelpfully contributes some of her typical odd pronouncements and behavior). That evening, back in town, one of Nandi's girls, Chari, reports to Burgess on Mal's preparations. After making an angry speech to his men implying women's ordained place as submissive servants to men, he makes Chari kneel before him to perform "a few more chores".

The next morning, Mal arises from Nandi's bed and stumbles into Inara in the hallway. As he tries to make excuses, Inara calmly acknowledges his sleeping with Nandi, even thanking him for comforting her friend, and suggests that Companions don't feel embarrassed about sex because of the lack of puritanism that Mal exhibits on the subject. But later, she sobs deeply in private.

Mal reviews the state of their defenses with his people and gives some last-minute advice to the worried women. Nandi looks in on Petaline, whom Inara is coaching while Simon prepares for the delivery. The two Companions share a look, and Nandi realizes that Inara is much more attached to Mal than she let on. When Nandi starts to discuss this with Mal, they are interrupted by "imminent violence" from Burgess's approaching forces. Burgess's men have gained prior access to Serenity and ambush Wash and Kaylee as they board. Wash and Kaylee have their hands full avoiding fire and are unable to answer Mal's call for air cover assistance.

The battle begins, with the villains using automatic weapons and Burgess' laser pistol on the ranch house and its occupants. Jayne deftly takes out the machine gunner on Burgess' hovercraft, and Book works a Kaylee-rigged fire hose to put out fires caused by the laser pistol.

Back on Serenity, Wash lures the invaders into the rear hallway, and Kaylee locks them inside. The two shipmates belatedly realize, however, that they've locked themselves into their opposite's rooms — pilot Wash in the engine room, and engineer Kaylee pointlessly able to reach the bridge.
Character Mal confronts Burgess

As Petaline gives birth, the traitorous Chari lets Burgess inside. He quickly storms into the delivery room, taking the newborn boy. Nandi overhears Petaline's cry of despair and heads off the departing Burgess. Inara sneaks up behind him and puts a knife to his throat, allowing one of Nandi's girls to recover the child. Burgess gets the drop on Inara, however, shoots Nandi, and escapes. Mal arrives too late to save Nandi. He and Inara grieve for a moment over the fallen woman, then have a silent conversation of looks that impel the rage-filled ship captain to pursue the kidnapper and murderer. He ultimately captures the man and drags him back to the ranch, setting the unrepentant and unbowed man on his knees before Petaline and their baby. She cheerfully introduces baby Jonah to his father, then shoots him in the head, execution-style. Petaline tells the remaining thugs to "go on home", and orders the treacherous Chari to accompany them. The girls and the crew have a funeral for Nandi, during which one of the girls, Lucy, (played by Australian singer, Angie Hart) sings "Amazing Grace". Serenity then departs.

Back on the ship, Inara reiterates her gratitude that Mal was able to comfort Nandi on what turned out to be her last night, but Mal can only regret his failure to save her. As Mal tries to broach the subject of his and Inara's unacknowledged feelings toward each other, Inara muses about how Nandi created a family, and how that kind of shared strength and love makes people never want to break away. She then shocks Mal by announcing that she will be leaving Serenity.

[Gin]

from imdb.com and wikapedia.org

Trivia
* In keeping with the idea of fusion between the American and Chinese cultures, during the funeral in the episode "Heart of Gold", the predominant color is not black, but white; the Chinese color of mourning.
* In the theater scene, depicted on the screen in the background as shadow art, are ships leaving the planet Earth and arriving at various planets.

Goofs
* Revealing mistakes: In this episode, the "newborn" baby is shown holding its head up. This doesn't happen until around the third month.
* Continuity: The first shot we see of Nandi waking up shows her hair loose on the pillow, and her hand curled up on the sheet beside her; in the next shot, a close-up, her hair is mostly tucked behind her ear and her hand is closer to her face than previously.
* Continuity: When Nandi is killed, she falls to the floor on her back, her left arm by her side and her right on the floor by her head. We see her in this position a number of times, but when Mal and Inara look at one another at the end of this scene, Nandi's left arm is now lying across her chest.
* Revealing mistakes: As Ranse is backing out of Petaline's room in the Brothel and is startled by Nandi, the baby in his arms is obviously a doll.
* Continuity: When Ranse Burgess walks out of the birthing room carrying the baby and confronts the shunned companion, the baby is actually a doll for one very brief shot before switching back to a real baby.
* Crew or equipment visible: When Rance first steps out of the room with the baby, you can see that it's a doll and in the next shot, it's a real baby.
* Continuity: When Mal and Nandi are talking on the couch, Mal has his arm around her, but when the camera moves to show Nandi talking, his hand is next to her, and then his arm is around her again when the camera zooms back out.
* Miscellaneous: After escaping the Reavers by pulling a "Crazy Ivan"; Wash's (the pilot's) hands can clearly be seen in the position of holding the controls of Serenity despite him holding nothing.

Foreshadowing
* Inara announces her intention to leave Serenity; although she fails to act on it during the series' sole remaining episode, she has been off the ship for some time by the time of the events in the subsequent film, Serenity.
* The only scene from the TV broadcast of the subsequent episode "Objects in Space" which is not included in the episode as shown on the DVD set of the series is a dialogue between Mal and Inara regarding her decision to leave. The final episode as seen on the DVD alludes to her leaving the ship, while the broadcast version has alternate dialogue because "Heart of Gold" was never shown, so a reference to Inara leaving would make little sense to viewers.
* Mal's reluctance to express his true feelings for Inara to her, which is seen in this episode, is seen once again in the comic book series Serenity: Those Left Behind when he drops Inara off at the training house but doesn't give her the goodbye he would like. He is later caught by Shepherd Book reciting this goodbye to himself.

[Gin]

from fireflywiki.org

Quotes
INARA: Every well-bred petty crook knows: the small concealable weapons always go to the far left of the place setting.

INARA: I suppose you heard most of that?
MAL: Only 'cause I was eavesdropping.

JAYNE: Good. 'cause I don't know these folks. Don't much care to.
MAL: They're whores.
JAYNE: I'm in.
MAL (moving off): Wash -- plot a course.

KAYLEE: Look, they got boy whores! Isn't that thoughtful?

KAYLEE: Wash, tell me I'm pretty...
WASH: Were I unwed, I would take you in a manly fashion. \\ KAYLEE: 'Cause I'm pretty?
WASH: 'Cause you're pretty.

MAL: Then so will I. Inara, think you could stoop to being on my arm?
INARA: Will you wash it first?

Referring to Petaleen's womb, which she is intently staring at.
RIVER: Who do you think is in there...?



Chinese Phrases
* gun HOE-tze bee DIO-se
"engage in a feces hurling contest with a monkey" (Inara, about what the companion house could go and do.)

* TZOO-foo nee, mei-mei.
"Blessing on you, dear sister." (Nandi, addressing Inara.)

* Mei Mei
little sister {in script without English} (Nandi, addressing Inara.)

* (wuh doh juh man tzai ur choo)
"Little by little, the tribes used the Earth up. Barren, she had little left to offer them. / Swollen of her, they left." {just part of this} (Puppet Theater Narrator, about leaving Earth That Was, as Mal and Inara enter theater.)

* dong MA?
"Understand?" (Jayne {off-screen}, to prostitutes about proper shooting and punishment.)

* jen mei NAI-shing duh FWO-tzoo
"Extraordinarily impatient Buddha" (Nandi, to Mal about waiting to kiss.)

* Wang bao {sic} DAHN-- {Nandi sounds like Wung bao dahn}
"dirty bastard sons-of--" (Nandi, referring to Rance's man who just shot her male prostitute.)

* niao SE duh DOO-gway {Wash sounds like niao say duh goo-ay}
"p-ss-soaked pikers" (Wash, on trapping Rance's men on Serenity.)

* LAN-dan JIANG!
"Weak-ass sauce!" (Mal, referring to his fancy drink.)