Saturday, May 24, 2008

Episode 11 - Trash

Saffron is back. She has a scheme to steal a rare antique weapon from a wealthy landowner. Unfortunately for Mal, she neglects to mention just how she came across the information needed to break into the landowner's home. This episode invites more action from Inara.



This episode begins with the end. The cameras zoom in on a desert scene where Mal is sitting on a rock naked and defeated. Sometimes that's the best place to start. Go ahead and clean out the trash in your life and start naked in the desert. Of course, he's not there long. The crew comes and picks him up. When they do he talks and walks around like there is nothing unusual about being naked in front of his crew as they try to carry on without laughing.

Here's what I'm thinking when I see that scene: In life we accumulate baggage, trash, the stuff from our past that goes with us. Then something happens and we feel stripped of all our security blankets and identity - we're vulnerable. We can be ashamed of that, try to get our trash back or carry on with our vulnerability in the community that welcomes us just as we are. I'm thankful for a few friends who've been there when I'm naked in the desert, realizing I made a mistake and trusted the wrong person, put hope in the wrong relationship and they've kept the "I told you so's" to themselves. I sure am thankful.

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