Television Review: Safe (Firefly, S1X05, 2002)
Safe (S1X05)
Airdate: November 8th 2002
Written by: Drew Z. Greenberg
Directed by: Michael Grossman
Running time: 43 min.
Even in the relatively short-lived television series like Firefly, not every episode is created equal. Among the array of episodes, Safe unfortunately falls into the category of weaker instalments.
The plot picks up directly where Shindig left off, with the Serenity crew delivering cattle to the border planet of Jiangyin. What should have been a simple transaction quickly escalates into chaos when the buyers turn out to be wanted criminals, and a firefight with local law enforcement ensues. In the midst of the chaos, Shepherd Book is accidentally shot, and his life hangs in the balance.
To make matters worse, Simon and River Tam have wandered off the ship and been abducted by the inhabitants of a hill settlement in desperate need of skilled labour. In this case, they require a physician, which means Simon must put his medical skills to use. Meanwhile, Mal, the ship's captain, is forced to leave the Tams behind in search of proper medical attention for Book, even if it means seeking help from an Alliance cruiser.
The plot of Safe is generic and, to make matters worse, repetitive. Shepherd Book finds himself in a similar predicament to Kaylee in the pilot episode, which is a disappointing rehashing of a previously explored scenario. The parallel abduction plot serves only to prevent Simon from providing the same resolution to this situation. Instead, help comes from the Alliance in the form of officers who notice Book's identification card and are apparently in awe of him. Book's past is revealed to be an intriguing mystery, but sadly, this remains unsolved due to the series being cancelled before more episodes could be produced.
The plot surrounding the Tams' abduction is also resolved in a predictable and somewhat deus ex machina manner. However, it does serve as an opportunity for writer Drew Z. Greenberg to provide some background on the Tam family through flashbacks. Unfortunately, these scenes don't offer any new information to the audience, and those who had seen the pilot will be familiar with the details. On the other hand, they might be interesting to the fans of Zac Efron who had his screen debut as playing young Simon Tam in the episode’s opening.
It's also worth mentioning that the episode appears somewhat cheap, and the direction by Michael Grossman is uninspired. The production values don't quite match up to the best episodes of Firefly, which is a shame.
On the other hand, it would be unfair to say that Safe doesn't have its moments. One such instance occurs when River, seeing the village dance, gets caught up in the moment and starts to dance herself. This is a rare opportunity for Summer Glau, a trained dancer, to showcase her talents. Fans of the actress will appreciate this display of her abilities.
While Safe has interesting details, it ultimately falls short due to a generic and repetitive plot, underwhelming production values, and uninspired direction.
RATING: 4/10 (+)
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