Firefly (TV Series)

Shindig (2002)

Nathan Fillion: Captain Malcolm 'Mal' Reynolds

Photos 

Quotes 

• Sir Warwick Harrow : You have to finish it, lad. You have to finish it. For a man to lay beaten... and yet breathing? It makes him a coward.

  Inara Serra : It's humiliation.

  Mal : Sure. It would be humiliating. Having to lie there while the better man refuses to spill your blood. Mercy is the mark of a great man.

  [lightly stabs Atherton with the sword] 

  Mal : Guess I'm just a good man.

  [stabs him again] 

  Mal : Well, I'm all right.

• Mal : 'Kay, help me find our man. He's supposed to be older, kind of stocky, wears a red sash crossways.

  Kaylee : Why does he do that?

  Mal : Maybe he won the Miss Persephone pageant. Just help me look.

  Kaylee : Is that him?

  Mal : That's the buffet table.

  Kaylee : Well, how can we be sure, u-unless we question it?

  [smiles widely] 

• Mal : How would you even set up a meet, man won't deal with you?

  Badger : Know a place he'll be. Safe place. Using some new tech gun scans. High class, too. Won't let me in there. You might slip in. Of course, you couldn't buy an invite with a diamond the size of a testicle. I got my hands on a couple.

  [Mal and Jayne struggle to not laugh] 

  Badger : Of invites.

• Sir Warwick Harrow : Whom do you represent?

  Mal : Represent isn't exactly the...

  Sir Warwick Harrow : Don't waste my time.

  Mal : Fellow called Badger.

  Sir Warwick Harrow : I know him, and I think he's a psychotic lowlife.

  Mal : And I think calling him that is an insult to the psychotic lowlife community.

• Badger : Captain Reynolds. Heard you was in town. Thought we might have a bit of a sit-down.

  Mal : Prefer a bit of a "piss off".

  Badger : I'm very sorry. Did I give you the impression I was askin'?

• Mal : Does, uh... does this seem kind of tight?

  Kaylee : Shows off your backside. Did you see the chandelier? It's hovering.

  Mal : What's the point of that, I wonder?

  Kaylee : Oh, mangos!

  Mal : I mean, I see how they did it. I just ain't gettin' the why.

  Kaylee : These girls have the most beautiful dresses. And so do I. How 'bout that?

  Mal : Yeah, well, just be careful. We cheated Badger out of good money to buy that frippery, and you're supposed to make me look respectable.

  Kaylee : Yes, sir, Cap'n Tight-Pants.

• Mal : You backed out of a deal last time. Left us hangin'?

  Jayne : Hurt our feelings.

  Mal : You recall why that took place?

  Badger : Had a problem with your attitude, is why. Felt you was - what's the word?

  Jayne : Pretentious?

• Mal : Beg pardon, but would you be Mr. Warrick Harrow?

  Sir Warwick Harrow : *Sir* Warrick Harrow. The sash.

  Mal : The sash?

  Sir Warwick Harrow : It indicates lord-hood.

  Mal : And it's - it's doing a great job.

• Inara : You have a strange sense of nobility Captain. You'll lay a man out for implying I'm a whore but you keep calling me one to my face.

  Mal : I might not show respect to your job, but he didn't respect *you*. That's the difference. Inara, he doesn't even see you.

  Inara : Well, I guess death will solve the issue to everyone's satisfaction.

• Mal : Resupply, look for work, move along. We sniff the air. We don't kiss the dirt.

  Zoë : Wasn't planning on the dirt kissin', sir.

  Wash : I wouldn't stand for it anyway, Captain, jealous man like me.

• Hoban 'Wash' Washburne : [off an alarm sounding from the console]  Closing in.

  Zoë Washburne : Planet's comin' up a mite fast.

  Hoban 'Wash' Washburne : Ah, that's just 'cause I'm goin' down too quick. Likely crash and kill us all.

  Mal : Well, that happens, let me know.

• Mal : Now, you taking on this job - being my second - does this mean we're in business?

  Sir Warwick Harrow : It means you're in mortal danger. But you mussed up Atherton's face, and that has endeared you to me somewhat.

• Inara : I am grateful, you know, for the ill-conceived and high-handed attempt to defend my honor, although, I didn't want you to.

  Mal : Gracious as that is...

• Mal : Whoa, whoa, I'm not runnin' off. I don't know what you got in your head, but I didn't do this to prove some kind of point to you. I actually thought I was defending your honor. And I never back down from a fight.

  Inara : Yes, you do. You do all the time.

  Mal : Well, yeah. But, I'm not backin' down from this one.

• [Inara is teaching Mal how to fence; Mal just missed and got smacked on the behind] 

  Inara : How did I avoid that?

  Mal : By being fast like a freak?

• Inara : Are you in pain?

  Mal : Absolutely, I got stabbed you know, right here.

  [lifts shirt to show a bloodstained bandage on side of abdomen] 

  Inara : I saw.

  Mal : I don't care much for fancy parties. Too rough.

  Inara : It wasn't entirely a disaster.

  Mal : [lifts his shirt again]  I got stabbed. Right here.

• Jayne : [drinking tea]  This ain't bad.

  Badger : There's a trick to it. Wood alcohol.

  Mal : Now, we're favored guests, treated to the finest in beverages that make you blind.

• Inara : I've seen him before.

  Mal : Oh, I never did. Not what I pictured. Young. Must be rich, to afford your rates.

  Inara : I suppose. He has engaged me for several days.

  Mal : Days? Boy must have stamina.

  Inara : Mmm. He does.

• Mal : It sounds like the finest party I could imagine gettin' paid to go to.

  Inara : I don't suppose you'd find it up to the standards of your outings. More conversation and somewhat less petty theft and getting hit with pool cues.

• Inara : Atherton's a heavy sleeper the night before a big day. He's got that killing in the morning, and a haircut later.

  Mal : Such a comfort, having friends visit at a time like this.

• Mal : [to Inara, after his duel with Atherton]  Mighty fine shindig.

• Mal : See how I'm not punching him? I think I've grown.

• Mal : In the case that it happens, it means he's the fella who killed me. And I don't like fellas who kills me, not in general.

• Mal : Might ought to clear out before too much longer. Seems there's a thief about.

  Inara : A thief?

  Mal : Took this right off him.

  [Shows Inara a wad of money he stole from a group of slave-traders] 

  Mal : Now they earned that with the sweat of their slave-trading brows.

  Inara : [Inara states in disapproving shock]  Mal!

  Mal : Aw, terrible shame. Course they won't discover it till they go order their next round of drinks.

• Jayne : [to the crew, about their plan to take out Badger's people and rescue Mal]  Doc is filling Shepherd in on the plan. Doc is the diversion.

  Mal : [Entering the ship]  Did you ever see such a lazy crew.

• Mal : [after being told that use of a sword will be provided for a duel]  Use of a s-what?

• Sir Warwick Harrow : You didn't have to wound that man.

  Mal : Yeah, I know, it was just funny.

• Inara Serra : Besides, why would I wanna leave Serenity?

  Mal : Can't think of a reason.

• Mal : It's good to have cargo. Makes us a target for every other scavenger out there of course, but, sometimes that's fun too.

• Inara : Good afternoon, Captain.

  Mal : Morning. We're downing, and in case that Wash don't kill us all, local time's going to be in the a.m.

• Inara : These people like me and I like them. I like Atherton too by the way.

  Mal : Well sure, what's not to like. I'm liable to sleep with him myself.

• Inara : [about Atherton]  You did manage to push him into saying something, yes. Made a nice justification for the punch.

  Mal : Well, he insulted you. I hit him. Seemed like the thing to do.

• Mal : Ath - can I call you Ath?

• Atherton Wing : [after Mal punches Atherton]  I accept!

  Mal : [confused]  Good!