Firefly (TV series)/Recap/E05 Safe

Arriving at a planet with a load of cattle for sale, Mal tells Simon and River to walk into town during the negotiations because "She makes things not be smooth". Simon becomes temporarily separated from River, but is relieved to find her enjoying herself for once, dancing a reel with the townsfolk. At the end, the two are captured and hauled off by settlers from another town, desiring to shanghai Simon as their doctor.

In the meantime, the negotiations are disturbed by a group of lawmen come to arrest the cattle buyers. A gunfight breaks out in which Book is wounded severely. Unable to find the Tams, Serenity takes off without them to find help for Book. The only advanced medical facility within days of travel is an Alliance vessel; they are at first refused, but a mysterious blank ID card in Book's pocket suddenly changes the military's mind, and he is rushed into care.

In the meantime, River reveals knowledge about the life of a mute child that she should not have, thus getting her accused of witchcraft and hauled out to be burned at the stake. She adds to this imprudence when the villagers are gathered by very strongly implying that the headman had murdered the previous headman. Simon tries to shame and even fight off the mob, but finally believing there is no hope, he chooses to die with River. Just as he says "light it", Serenity arrives to rescue them.

This is an endearing one and shows the close relationship between Simon and River. It's also the first hint dropped about Book's murky past.

Tropes

 * Arbitrary Skepticism: Is believing in witches all that more odd than believing in mind-readers?
 * Mind-readers don't typically get tied to poles and burnt alive. Simon is biased.
 * Armour Piercing Question: "If home isn't here, then where is it?"
 * Big Brother Instinct: And how!
 * Big Damn Heroes: Trope Namer
 * Ain't we just?
 * Burn the Witch: A lot of the plot.
 * Cattle Drive: A cattle drive in space, no less.
 * Calling the Old Man Out: Simon snarking at his father in a Flash Back.
 * The Caretaker: Simon.
 * River tries to return this just a little with the hodgeberries.
 * Cheerful Child: Hints are shown that River had traces of this still left in her, despite her suffering. One can see why someone might be willing to die for her.
 * Dances and Balls: The folk dance that River joins.
 * Determinator: Simon. Because he is such an awesome Papa Wolf.
 * Determined Homesteader: But rather strange ones to be sure.
 * Flash Back: Simon has several of these showing the Tams before they set out into the Black, including the time when Simon began to be concerned about River's safety.
 * Foe-Tossing Charge: Simon attempts this unsuccessfully but very awesomely.
 * Gentleman Snarker: "I would never have tried to save River's life if I had thought there was a DINNER PARTY at risk."
 * "Right...I'm very sorry she tipped off anyone about your cunningly concealed herd of cows."
 * Heroic Sacrifice: "Light it."
 * Hey, It's That Guy!: Zac Efron plays young Simon.
 * I Have No Son: "I won't come for you again".
 * I Owe You My Life: "You gave up everything..."
 * I Will Find You: Simon's search for River as glimpsed in the Flashbacks.
 * It Has Been an Honor: "Postholer... for digging holes."
 * Mysterious Past: Where did Book get that card?
 * Obstructive Bureaucrat: The Alliance captain.
 * Papa Wolf: Both Simon and Mal.
 * Both subverted and played straight in the Flash Back scenes. The actual papa is a Dirty Coward (or worse), so big brother has to be the Papa Wolf without any help.
 * Pint-Sized Powerhouse: Simon knocks THREE townsfolk out of the way in a Foe-Tossing Charge. Never hurt Mei-Mei. Papa Wolf will be mad at you.
 * The Power of Friendship: Simon and River.
 * Psychic Powers: Deliberately kept ambiguous, but somehow River knows things only one other person knows...
 * Reading the Enemy's Mail: Inverted. River's attempt at getting mail through without the Academy reading it is shown in a Flash Back.
 * Saying Too Much: For heaven's sake, shut up, River!
 * Schoolmarm: The lady who accuses River of witchcraft is this. Simon is understandably skeptical of her qualifications.
 * Shaming the Mob: Subverted. The mob remains notably unshamed.
 * The Sheriff: Appears after the gunfight at the beginning. Simon is also shown passing his office nervously.
 * Think Nothing of It: "Mei-Mei, all I have is right here."
 * Through His Stomach: "Hodgeberries...You have to eat."
 * Town with a Dark Secret: The town that kidnaps Simon and River and tries to burn them.
 * Undying Loyalty: Simon and River.
 * Upper Class Twit: Simon, out of culture shock and homesickness, hurts Kaylee's feelings with a bit of UpperClassTwittery.
 * Wasteland Elder: The headman or "patron". This is a villainous example.