Firefly: Ranking Episodes From Worst To Best

9. Episode 7: Jaynestown

Wash: "We've gotta go to the crappy town where I'M the hero!"

In the most unlikely of unlikely events, the crew discovers that Jayne has become a folk hero to the town of Canton. In a hilarious reveal brought on by the townsfolk striking up "The Ballad of Jayne Cobb," they find that, years before Jayne was hired on Serenity, he (accidentally) dropped a case of money on the town after a heist went awry, and because of it has become a Robin Hood-esque legend to the Mudders. It seems no one on Serenity is less suited to be a hero than Jayne, but after realizing the benefits - namely the adoration of the townsfolk and all the alcohol and women he could want - he embraces the farce.

While this episode has many an unexpected and hilarious turn, it quickly sobers when Stitch Hessian, Jayne's former partner in crime, shows up to seek revenge. The issue of hero worship, what makes a hero and why we need heroes, becomes central when Jayne is exposed by Stitch as a fraud. Even after hearing the truth, one Mudder still gives his life to save Jayne's. We can see Jayne's confusion, shame and resulting anger at the townsfolk who still continue to believe in him. He doesn't understand why they would be willing to give their lives for someone who deceived them, and the guilt eats away at him. The most poignant scene comes at the end, when Jayne asks Mal why the young man sacrificed himself for him, muttering repeatedly, "Don't make no sense."

The weakest part of the episode is its villain, Stitch Hessian, but its strength lies in its portrayal of the power of heroes to give people something to believe in, whether the accolades are deserved or not. As Mal aptly puts it, "Ain't about you, Jayne. It's about what they need."