Firefly: Jaynestown

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Episode Studies by Clayton Barr
enik1138-at-popapostle-dot-com

Firefly
"Jaynestown"
TV episode
Written by Ben Edlund
Directed by Marita Grabiak

Serenity visits a world where Jayne is considered a hero of mythic proportions.

Read the full episode summary at the Firefly and Serenity Database

Didja Notice?

The balladeer in the bar of Canton sings "The Hero of Canton". The lyrics are below and I've put a pieced-together version (with dialog overlapping) to listen to here: "The Hero of Canton"

Jayne!

The Man they call Jayne!

He robbed from the rich and he gave to the poor,

He 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 lament

And he saw that magistrate takin'

Every dollar and leavin' five cents

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

"You can't crush them under your heel"

Jayne strapped on his hat

And in five seconds flat

Stole everything Boss Higgins had to steal

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

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 sky

He dropped it onto our houses

He dropped it into our yards

And the man they call Jayne

He turned round his plane

And headed out for the stars

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!

At 15:50 on the DVD, it looks like there's a skull-and-crossbones on some piping on Serenity.

Jayne kills Stitch with his knife, but it's a different knife than the one he usually carries. The book Firefly: Still Flying, speculates that the production needed a prop knife that had a retractable blade since Jayne stabs someone with it, and his original knife may not have been made that way.

Chinese translations (Thanks to the Firefly-Serenity Chinese Pinyinary for the translations)
Time on DVD	Chinese	English
11:36	Wash says, "Je shr shuh muh lan dong shi!?"	"What is this garbage!?"
13:26	Jayne says, "Yeh-soo, ta ma duh..."	"Hay-soose-mother-of-jumped-up--" (obviously the word left unsaid is "Christ").
17:18	The bartender says, "shiong mao niao"	"panda urine"
17:20	Chinese symbol on whisky label	Neng (the brand of whisky)
18:03	Chinese symbol "ping" on a candle lit by Inara	peaceful
19:26	Jayne says, "guh jun duh hwoon dahn!"	"a real bastard!"
21:58	Zoe says, "Hoo-tsuh."	"Shut up."
26:52	Chinese writing on Jayne's t-shirt, "wan nao"	troublemaker
33:11	Chinese symbol tattoo on mudder	Tao (referring to Taoist philosophy)
39:21	Wash says, "Gao yang jong duh goo yang."	"Motherless goats of all motherless goats."