Browncoats

Last Saturday, we were at my brother-in-law's birthday party, and Loki, me, Loki's sister Sue and her husband, (who I'll call Stinky, because he was smoking cigars all day), were trying to hook Loki's dad into the show Firefly, so we watched the pilot episode, "Serenity".

If you've seen it, the opening seen is a battle taking place in Serenity Valley. Our heroes, the Independents, are having a tough time fighting the Alliance. They are waiting for reinforcements, because they are badly outnumbered and outgunned. Sgt. Malcolm Reynolds isn't worried, though. He tells one of his charges that they are going to survive because they are too pretty for God to let them die. Just about then, they hear some ships flying in overhead. Sgt. Reynolds tells the young private he's talking to "Hear that? Those are our angels."

But they aren't angels. They are reinforcements for The Alliance. The leadership of the Independence is surrendering Serenity Valley, they say the battle is too hot for them.

At the end of that scene there is a beautiful and terribly sad shot. Sgt. Malcolm Reynolds stands up and sees the huge show of force The Alliance, and he stands there, despairing, losing his faith. We see the young private get shot and blown backwards, a hail of fire directed towards the small group of Independents. And still, Sgt. Reynolds stands there.

That scene captures what it feels like to be a progressive, liberal Democrat.