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is en-route to
Greenleaf, with the crew assembled in the kitchen to celebrate Simon's birthday. Suddenly, the ship's compression coil blows out, disabling the engine and critically injuring Zoe. With the engine offline, the main life support system has no power, and Kaylee soon reports to Mal that
290:, who uses her high status as a Companion to bargain for a 25% discount on the rent. She also insists that Mal never call her a "whore" again (a promise that he makes without ever keeping it). During one of their first jobs as a crew, Mal and Zoe are held up by a crew of bandits, including gunman
239:
for scrap. Mal is able to pull a hidden gun, and forces the salvagers to drop the catalyzer and leave the ship. Despite outnumbering him, they comply and promptly depart. Bleeding from a stomach wound and on the verge of passing out, Mal manages to get the new catalyzer installed and restarts the
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Spread throughout the episode is a sequence of flashbacks showing the events that led to each crew member joining the ship. Flashbacks are intercut with the two more recent timelines based on spatial relationships, contrasting past events in certain areas of the ship with current ones. First,
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rewatched the episode. Bowman was impressed by the episode as a whole that was "structured creatively and executed with panache." Murray was interested not only by the unusual structure but how it was used to expand and deepen the history of the characters.
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Furthermore, the differences between the second two timeframes (not including the flashbacks) become more subtle as the storyline goes on, as the story catches up with itself, the 'present' becomes the past and the 'future' becomes the present.
195:. It differs stylistically from the rest of the series, in that it tells its story alternately in three timeframes: events in the present, events in the near-past that led to the present, and events in the past that led to the formation of
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The episode closes with a final flashback, as Mal and the ship dealer are inspecting a vessel. As the dealer waxes poetic about his offerings, Mal's eye suddenly spots a neglected old transport ship in the rear of the dealer's yard -
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when she regained consciousness, against Mal's orders. Mal thanks her for disobeying him and falls back asleep, though not before asking
Shepherd Book to assure him that the crew will still be there when he wakes back up.
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Hours later, a salvage ship arrives and makes contact with Mal. He offers to trade the captain anything in the cargo hold for a new catalyzer, but the salvagers shoot Mal in the chest and attempt to commandeer the
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the backup system was disabled by either the explosion or the ensuing fire. With only a few hours of oxygen left, Mal orders the crew to divide into two groups and head off in opposite directions in the
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Scenes that are shown in the present and/or near future (again, depending on perspective) are lit with a blue/purple tint, oblique light-sources, and extremely sharp lines and contrast.
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Flashbacks that take place in the distant past are lit with warm, dark tones; yellows, reds, golds, but all with a lot of shadow, shaded and blurred lines, and dark areas.
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In order to distinguish between the three timeframes and clarify events for the audience, the three timeframes were shot using drastically different lighting:
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Scenes that take place in the present and/or near-past (depending on perspective) are shown with relatively normal lighting, bright, with vivid color.
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set and presented it to Joss Whedon, telling him that if Whedon managed to get the series renewed, he could press it to call the cast back.
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engine just as the ship's oxygen runs out. He then staggers up to the bridge, but falls unconscious before he can recall the shuttles.
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Investigating
Firefly and Serenity: Joss Whedon's Worlds Beyond: Science Fiction on the Frontier (Investigating Cult TV Series)
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294:. Mal, realizing that Jayne is being exploited by his greedy comrades, talks him into betraying them and switching sides.
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lists "Out of Gas" as one of the "three favorite projects he's ever been involved in," the other two being a
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He wakes up in the infirmary, surrounded by the rest of the crew while Wash is hooked up to him as part of a
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s two shuttles, while he stays behind with the ship in case someone picks up their distress signal.
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339:'s expertise as a director with the success of the episode's daring three-timeline structure.
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Finding
Serenity: Anti-heroes, Lost Shepherds and Space Hookers in Joss Whedon's "Firefly"
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suffers a catastrophe that leaves her crew with only hours of
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Steven Flynn as the
Captain, who tries to steal the disabled
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Television episodes directed by David
Solomon (TV producer)
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570:Wilcox, Rhonda V.; Cochran, Tanya (20 May 2008).
555:. Glenn Yeffeth. Dallas, Texas: Benbella Books.
652:The Complete Series: Commentary for "Serenity"
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8:
631:Whedon, Joss; et al. (25 August 2006).
612:Whedon, Joss; et al. (25 August 2006).
270:to sign on as his first mate. He then hires
633:Firefly: The Official Companion: Volume Two
614:Firefly: The Official Companion: Volume One
527:Noel Murray; Donna Bowman (3 August 2012).
210:, flashbacks show how Mal and Zoe acquired
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314:took the big red "recall" button from the
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1083:Television episodes written by Tim Minear
474:Learn how and when to remove this message
409:In 2012, Noel Murray and Donna Bowman of
437:This article includes a list of general
388:as Marco, a bandit Jayne once worked for
16:8th episode of the 1st season of Firefly
593:Serenity: The Official Visual Companion
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329:and they were away on their honeymoon.
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360:Show creator and executive producer
266:from a used-ships dealer, convinces
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443:it lacks sufficient corresponding
321:Also according to the commentary,
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1068:2002 American television episodes
650:Whedon, Joss (December 9, 2003).
589:Whedon, Joss (1 September 2005).
310:According to the DVD commentary,
214:and assembled their motley crew.
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179:" is the eighth episode of the
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1:
1073:Firefly (TV series) episodes
547:Espenson, Jane, ed. (2005).
495:Desta, Yohana (2016-04-18).
106:Steven Flynn as Captain Sash
574:. I B Tauris & Co Ltd.
260:, having just obtained the
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952:Serenity Role Playing Game
85:October 25, 2002
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945:Firefly Role-Playing Game
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654:(DVD). 20th Century Fox.
391:Lyle Kanouse as Salesman
370:episode and comic book.
367:Buffy the Vampire Slayer
115:Lyle Kanouse as Salesman
529:"Firefly: "Out Of Gas""
458:more precise citations.
286:s shuttles, and meets
928:Boom! Studios comics
966:Done the Impossible
635:. Titan Books Ltd.
616:. Titan Books Ltd.
597:. Titan Books Ltd.
920:Leaves on the Wind
327:Laurence Fishburne
128:Episode chronology
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906:Those Left Behind
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777:Our Mrs. Reynolds
642:978-1-84576-372-5
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604:978-1-84576-082-3
581:978-1-84511-654-5
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534:The A.V. Club
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509:on 2021-04-10
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937:Other media
913:Better Days
819:The Message
805:War Stories
756:Bushwhacked
456:introducing
395:Dax Griffin
362:Joss Whedon
323:Gina Torres
288:Inara Serra
280:Kaylee Frye
193:Joss Whedon
191:created by
119:Dax Griffin
54:Directed by
1062:Categories
975:soundtrack
866:Characters
791:Out of Gas
784:Jaynestown
513:2024-03-08
439:references
420:References
386:Ilia Volok
374:Guest cast
333:Tim Minear
312:Alan Tudyk
306:Production
292:Jayne Cobb
177:Out of Gas
144:Jaynestown
110:Ilia Volok
89:2002-10-25
68:Tim Minear
64:Written by
24:Out of Gas
879:River Tam
716:TV series
710:franchise
464:June 2009
405:Reception
284:Serenity'
229:Serenity'
121:as Bester
49:Episode 8
1047:Category
1011:(vessel)
1009:Serenity
998:Alliance
991:Universe
973:Serenity
855:Serenity
742:Serenity
734:Episodes
502:Mashable
381:Serenity
335:credits
300:Serenity
263:Serenity
249:Serenity
237:Serenity
224:Serenity
218:Synopsis
212:Serenity
204:Serenity
197:Serenity
139:Previous
112:as Marco
41:Episode
1028:Con Man
1020:Related
1003:Reavers
763:Shindig
724:Firefly
707:Firefly
452:improve
316:Firefly
188:Firefly
152: →
137:←
87: (
36:episode
33:Firefly
893:Comics
639:
620:
601:
578:
559:
441:, but
399:Bester
276:Bester
208:oxygen
202:After
77:1AGE07
812:Trash
798:Ariel
156:Ariel
847:Film
770:Safe
670:IMDb
637:ISBN
618:ISBN
599:ISBN
576:ISBN
557:ISBN
222:The
150:Next
668:at
397:as
268:Zoe
258:Mal
43:no.
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