2. Saffron
Saffron, or you could call her Bridget or Yolanda or even Yo-Saf-Bridge, who knows her real name? Saffron is the alias for a black widow-esque con artist played by a young Christina Hendricks. What makes her such a great character? It's her wit and ability to out manoeuvre the crew. She tricks each of the crew in her first appearance (Our Mrs. Reynolds) by playing the role of the naive, subservient wife of Mal, hiding her true intentions. She seduces Mal and disposes of him with a narcotic in her lipstick before knocking out Wash and setting the ships course towards an electric net which will kill all those on board and capture the craft. Saffron is an intriguing character, always playing a game and never revealing her true self. The audience never know what to expect from her, having seen the fake-side of her throughout Our Mrs. Reynolds we think we see her true self in Trash. Even when Mal offers her redemption though, she betrays him, only to find that the crew had played her all along. They couldn't have cast a better actress as the temptress femme fatale, and Hendrick pulls off a pitch perfect performance of the multifaceted Saffron who feels the need to prove that she is smarter and better than others. A queen of seduction, Saffron frequently makes Mal look the fool. She is smart and devious, a potent combination for the crew of Serenity to deal with.