Few shows have managed to make such a huge, lasting impact in such a short time asFirefly. Even though it only lasted a single season (or perhaps because of that fact), the show has become a pop culture cornerstone and an icon in science fiction. To this day, new viewers continue to pick up the show and become immersed by the lovable outlaws and space-western setting.
The clever dialogue and back-and-forth between the characters is one ofFirefly’s major appeals. One of the reasons it remains so popular today is its abundance of quotable lines, many of which come from the ship’s captain, Malcolm Reynolds.
6By My Pretty Floral Bonnet
Mal and crew are on a mission to rid a dusty, rural little town of some bandits that have been causing trouble. Disguised as humble folk traveling by wagon, the brigands ambush them, and the space swashbucklersimmediately turn the tables on the villains. Dressed in clothes befitting a pioneer woman, Mal takes the leader by surprise, staring down the barrel of his gun and warning:“I swear by my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you.”
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It may not be the pinnacle of wisdom, nor a deep insight into his character, but it’s a memorable line and a delightful example ofFirefly’s sense of humor. It also shows off Mal’s personality — despite being a criminal, he takes a certain satisfaction in executing vigilante justice when he can. Taking down bandits in a heroic shootout is Mal at his best, and this quip proves he’s at the top of his game.
5Kill ‘Em Right Back
In “Our Mrs. Reynolds,” Mal finds himself unexpectedly married to an ingenuous, pious young woman named Saffron —who later turns out to be part of a criminal ploy. Though her eloquent innocence is a charade, she plays her role perfectly. Mal, confused and frustrated, tries to find a way out of his unexpected marriage.
Saffron resignedly asks if he plans to kill her, mentioning men who have murdered brides who didn’t meet their expectations. Mal is immediately indignant, and gives Saffron some brief yet pithy wisdom about standing up for herself:“Someone ever tries to kill you, you try to kill ‘em right back!”
It’s not a gentle world that Mal lives in, but it’s taught him not to let anyone push him around. As he plans to send Saffron off into the ‘verse, he’s going to make sure she understands that too. Of course, in the end, all she needs to learn is that it’s not a good idea to try and play the crew ofSerenity.
4The Mark Of A Great Man
In the episode “Shindig,” Mal finds himself worse off in a duel against Atherton Wing, a wealthy client of Inara’s, after the snobby socialite insulted Inara and Mal came to her defense with his fists. Though he’s handy with a gun,Mal’s swordsmanship leaves something to be desired, and he quickly finds himself at a disadvantage. However, when Inara begs for Mal’s life, Atherton is distracted long enough for Mal to disarm him and pin him down.
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“Mercy is the mark of a great man,“he muses, staring down at Atherton’s furious face. Despite the established rules of the duel, he doesn’t bring down the killing blow — but he does jab his opponent in the stomach with his rapier, and decides,“Guess I’m just a good man.“Before walking away, he gets one last stab in, remarking,“Well, I’m all right.”
3A Monster Who Thinks He’s Right With God
“Heart of Gold,” the series’ penultimate episode, sees Mal and the crew come to the aid of Inara’s old friend Nandi, who runs an illegal brothel ona dusty backwater moon. One of the women there has fallen pregnant by a powerful local man, Burgess, who plans to take the baby from her by force. Upon arriving, Mal wants to face the man to know what he’s up against — and he doesn’t like what he sees. Mal warns Nandi and the rest that, should they plan to stand their ground, they have quite the fight ahead of them:“Nothing worse than a monster who thinks he’s right with God.”
The world ofFireflyis full of criminal scumbags, lying cheaters, and underhanded scammers — but most of Mal’s enemies don’t claim to be good or honest folk. Burgess, on the other hand, believes with all his heart that slaughtering a house full of innocent women to steal a child from its mother is the right thing to do. He believes that sex workers deserve no humanity, even though he himself partook of their services. Mal’s assessment of him still rings true, as our world today is still full of those who justify horrific acts through what they believe is righteous.
2If I Ever Kill You
Asthe show’s pilot episodedraws to a close, Mal invites the Tam siblings to join the crew, seeing the value in having a skilled doctor onboard. Simon, having been brought up in a life of privileged luxury, understandably has some reservations about traveling with a gang of criminals. He’s hesitant to trust Mal and his crew, and asks him, “How do I know you won’t kill me in my sleep?”
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Mal responds:“Listen son, you don’t know me, so I’m gonna say this once. If I ever kill you, you’ll be awake. You’ll be facing me, and you’ll be armed.“This line is key in establishing Mal’s personal code, not only to Simon, but to the audience as well. Mal will kill a man in a fair fight, he’ll defend himself and his crew with as much force as necessary — and of course, as in the case with Atherton, he’s more than willing to use non-lethal force to teach someone a lesson. But despite all that, he won’t harm someone who doesn’t pose a threat, especially someone who trusts him.
1What Makes Us Mighty
This line is one of the first things that viewers ever hear Mal say, and it’sone of his most-quotedeven now. In the prologue scene of the first episode, Mal and Zoe hold their position in the Battle of Serenity Valley. As they do, Mal encourages a frightened young soldier not to give up hope:“We’ve done the impossible, and that makes us mighty.”
Despite his confidence, the battle goes south, the war is lost, and Mal ends up roaming the ‘verse on a smuggling ship. Yet, he never seems to lose the attitude behind this line. No matter what impossible situation he faces, Malcolm Reynolds puts on a cocky smirk and manages to find a way to come out on top. He’s done the impossible before, and there’s nothing to stop him from doing it again.
