A non-linear storyline with events unfolding in three separate points in time. A little birthday celebration for Simon is interrupted by an explosion that injures Zoe and cripples the ship. The crew works furiously to save Zoe's life and repair the damage to the engine, but the catalyzer's broken, and the engine ain't running.

Which means no life support.

Which means they're literally running out of gas - that gas being oxygen.

Original air date: 10/25/02
Written by: Tim Minear
Directed by: David Solomon
Read the script

Highlights

• We see (through flashbacks) how Inara, Jayne, Kaylee and Wash originally became a part of the crew, as well as the original purchase of Serenity by Mal.
• Mal does a great job of keeping the others under control - and alive - against the odds.

Quotes

MAL: You are very much lacking in imagination.
ZOE: I imagine that's so, sir.

ZOE: Get her running again?
MAL: Yeah.
ZOE: So not running now?
MAL: Not so much. But she will.

BOOK: None of the brethren had the heart... he was just so *proud* of it.

WASH: What was Natty? I want to hear about the Natty thing.

WASH: Monastic humor. I miss out on all the fun.

JAYNE: Yeah, 'cos sick people are hi-larious.

RIVER: "Day" is a vestigial mode of time measurement based on solar cycles. It's not applicable. (beat) I didn't get you anything.

KAYLEE: Come on, Doc. Give a good blow.

MAL: I need that in Captain Dummy talk.

SIMON: It was my birthday.

WASH: I guess the news that we're all gonna be purple and bloated and fetal in a few hours has made me little snippy.

WASH: Right. Because teenage pranks are fun when you're about to die.

MAL: Everybody dies alone.

MAL: Well. Looks can be deceiving.
JAYNE: Not as deceiving as a low down dirty... deceiver.

MAL: Offering to shoot us might not work so well as an incentive as you might imagine.

MAL: I mean, let's say you did kill us. Or didn't. It could be torture. Whatever.

MAL: Zoe, I'm paying you too much.

MAL: You all gonna be here when I wake up?

Chinese Phrases

• fei-oo
  

• Chur ni-duh.
  

• What the guay do...
  

• Jeo-shung yong-jur goo-jang. Jien-cha yong-chi gong yin {sic}."**
  

• suo-yo duh doh shr-dang
  

• Dong-ma?
  

• go se {Invading Captain sounds like go-suh}
  

For more information and a pronunciation guide, see the Firefly Chinese Pinyinary.

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