Firefly-"Heart of Gold"

Inara does some crying on "Firefly"
Credit: FOX

I continue my look back at the series Firefly with the episode "Heart of Gold". My thoughts on the episode are after the jump.

This was the last episode of Firefly that didn't air of FOX, and it's a downright shame that it didn't. This was an episode that nailed the high tension and high emotion that it brought into play. This wasn't the first episode to leave me sad that the series didn't last as long as it should have, but it brought those feelings into play. That's because the episode focused on the Mal and Inara relationship, which is something that doesn't play out much further then what was presented in this episode. But the material that they had in the episode was fantastic. The episode also featured a very good self-contained plotline, which had strong roots in the western aspect of the show's DNA.

This episode nailed the material between Mal and Inara. It didn't put them together, and we will never see them fully together, but it provided real obstacles for them. What I hate about most plotlines like this is that shows will often put artificial obstacles in the characters' way. In this episode, having Mal sleep with Nandi provided a real obstacle. The obstacle is something that hasn't been a presence in this story arc yet, heartbreak. Inara is heartbroken that Mal did this, and this heartbreak is what causes her to leave the ship.

This episode also nailed the self-contained storyline. This plotline seemed to have strong roots in the western DNA of the show. Fredric Lehne played a very creepy villain. His character played the role of the old western villain who is coming for what's his. The show then got to riff on the "defending the fort" western idea and did so in a very successful way. The plotline was a lot of fun to watch and made for some very entertaining television.

Some other thoughts:

• Morena Baccarin did a fantastic job in this one. The scene with her crying in her room was heartbreaking to watch. And she was amazing in the scene where she told Mal she was leaving. 
• I wish the series could have dealt with Zoe wanting to have a baby with Wash. I'm sad that the show never got to deal with this during its run.
• Nandi's funeral was a very sad scene. A sign of a great show is that I was able to connect with Nadi's character within the 42 minute timeframe.
• Petaline had a very badass moment with her shooting Burgess. 
• There were some great Kaylee moments in this one, like her opinion of male whores and her telling Wash to tell her that she's pretty.
• Oh Jayne, of course he would "partake in the trade" right away. 
• There was a lot of great Book material in this one as well. We got to see more of his skills that you would never think a shepherd would have, as well as seeing him talk to the whores.

Overall, this was a fantastic episode of television.. I loved the high emotional tension that was at play during this one. Morena Baccarin got to show off her acting capabilities in high style as the show dealt with the Mal and Inara relationship. This could very well be one of my favorites of the series, along with "Out of Gas", "Shindig", "Serenity" and "War Stories".

Next Up: We move on to the series finale of Firefly "Objects in Space"

For more information about the Old TV Watch Project, an archive of reviews of previous Firefly episodes, and information on the two series that launch this week please go to the home of the project right here.