Firefly/Jaynestown

Jaynestown
Season 1, Episode 4
Airdate	October 18, 2002
Production Number	1AGE06
Written by	Ben Edlund
Directed by	Marita Grabiak
← 1x03 Our Mrs. Reynolds	1x05 → Out of Gas
Firefly — Season One

Jaynestown is the fourth episode of the first season of Firefly.

Starring: Nathan Fillion (Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds), Gina Torres (Zoe Washburne), Alan Tudyk (Hoban "Wash" Washburne), Morena Baccarin (Inara Serra), Adam Baldwin (Jayne Cobb), Jewel Staite (Kaylee Frye), Sean Maher (Dr. Simon Tam), Summer Glau (River Tam), Ron Glass (Shepherd Book)

Guest Starring: Gregory Itzin (Magistrate Higgins), Daniel Bess (Mudder), Kevin Gage (Stitch Hessian)

Co-Starring: Zachary Kranzier (Fess Higgins), Jordan Lund (Foreman), Bob McCraken (Well-Dressed Man), Ronald Craig Williams (Busker), John Jabaley (Bartender), Laura Niemi (Woman), Simon Brooke (Prod), Clement E. Blake (Mudder Elder)

Plot Overview

Serenity sets down at the mudder colony of Canton where it turns out Jayne is a hero for having dropped a bunch of money there years ago that he and his partner Stitch stole from the local magistrate. The drop was unintentional but Jayne doesn't turn down the attentions. Meanwhile, Kaylee and Simon dance, River rewrites Book's bible, and Inara beds the magistrate's son, a virgin.

Notes

The Hero of Canton Lyrics

Jayne...

The man they call Jayne...

(Chorus)

He robbed from the rich

And he gave to the poor

Stood up to the man

And he gave him what for

Our love for him now

Ain't hard to explain

The Hero of Canton

The man they call Jayne...

Our Jayne saw the mudders' backs breakin'

He saw the mudders' laments

And he saw the magistrate takin'

Every dollar and leavin' five cents

So he said "You can't do that to my people"

He said "Can't crush them under your heel"

Jayne strapped on his hat

And in five seconds flat

Stole everything Boss Higgins had to steal...

(Chorus)

Now here is what separates heroes

From common folk like you and I

The man they call Jayne

He turned 'round his plane

And let that money hit the skies

He dropped it onto our houses

He dropped it into our yards

The man they called Jayne

He stole away our pain

And headed out for the stars...

(Chorus)

Arc Advancement

Characters

• Jayne: About four years prior to this episode, Jayne was involved in the theft of 60,000 platinum from the magistrate of Canton. While he was escaping with his partner, Stitch, their ship was shot and they attempted to decrease the weight of their craft. Eventually, after everything was gone, Jayne threw his partner out and ultimately the money. Because of this misunderstanding, he became a folk hero of Canton.

Trivia

Behind the Scenes

• Ratings: This episode was given a rating of 2.7/5 during its first airing according to the Nielsen overnight report.

Quotes

• Simon" (to Jayne) My god, you're like a trained ape—without the training.

• Simon: (looking at a statue to Jayne) This must be what going mad feels like.

• Jayne: Hey, I got an idea. Instead of us hangin' around playin' art critic until I get pinched by the man, how's about we move away from this eerie-ass piece of work and get on with our increasingly eerie-assed day. How's that?

• Jayne: (singing) My love for me ain't hard to explain. The hero of Canton, the man they call me.

• Jayne: (addressing crowd) Far as I see it, you people been given the shortest end of the stick ever been offered a human soul in this crap-heel 'verse. But you took that end and you—well, you took it. That's... well, I guess that's something.

• Mal: It's my estimation that every man ever had a statue made of him was one kind of sumbich or another.