464 – Firefly – The Message

We pick up our coverage of Firefly with the episode, the Message.   Simon and Eugene discuss. Episode Synopsis: Stopping at a space station to take on supplies and attempt to fence the Lassiter, Mal and Zoe are surprised to receive a package in the mail. The package contains their dead friend and former war colleague, Tracey. His last request: To return his body to his parents on St. Alban’s. Of course, Mal and Zoe must take their comrade home. [expand title=”More…” swaptitle=”Less” tag=”strong”] Then things start getting interesting, Federal types are trying to locate the crate and they track it down to Serenity and give chase, finally catching up with it and demanding they turn over the crate. Mal realizes the crate is being used to smuggle something valuable but, after the search proves fruitless, has Simon perform an autopsy on Tracey to see what is inside of him. Turns out Tracey wasn’t dead and, luckily for him, getting cut into was sufficient to get him to wake up from his drug-induced artificial death. Tracey is smuggling organs. His insides have been scooped out and replaced with artificially grown organs. Once delivered, his own organs will be returned to him…. And I can EVEN see how that was supposed to work! Nonetheless, he has double-crossed the people he made the deal with and plans to sell the organs at a higher price to someone else. Someone else who doesn’t have his original organs to replace… and I can’t EVEN see how this is plan! Unable to elude their heavily-armed perusers, and having been played for a sap by his former comrade, Mal agrees to turn Tracey over to the rogue federals. Tracey doesn’t like that idea and holds the crew at gunpoint, taking Kaylee hostage. Until Mal kills him. The end [/expand]