Firefly: Ranking Episodes From Worst To Best

14. Episode 11: Trash

River: "I can kill you with my brain."

"Trash" begins and ends with a naked Malcolm Reynolds stranded in the middle of the desert; in between is a flashback of the 72 hours leading up to this predicament. The trouble starts, of course, with Saffron, the antagonistic figure introduced in the wonderful episode "Our Mrs. Reynolds"; Christina Hendricks reprises her role here, her fantastic performance easily becoming the highlight of the episode.

The overarching theme of the episode seems to be deceit, especially with Saffron/Bridget/Yolanda's penchant for marrying unsuspecting men and then stealing them blind. The plot unfolds in deception after deception: Saffron marries Monty under the guise of "Bridget," tricks Mal into helping her rob her husband Durram's estate, and leaves Mal stranded - sans clothing, for no reason but her own amusement - as she flies off to collect the pay-off from their heist.

It's Mal who gets the last laugh, however, with the final plot twist. While I'm not completely convinced that the crew's acting would be good enough to pull off such a stunt, it's a sound ending for an episode full of twists and turns.

Contributor
Contributor

She is a student at the Ohio State University with a major in English and a minor in Film Studies. She loves watching 'Sherlock' and 'Doctor Who' and is an aspiring author currently working on her first novel about the Paris catacombs. Follow her on Twitter @sherlocked1058 or email her via coane.1@osu.edu. View more of her musings on Sherlock and Doctor Who at 221bbc.blogspot.com.