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Date Posted: 09:11:33 11/22/02 Fri
Author: Robert
Subject: Simon's attitude toward the guard (SPOILERS for Ariel)
In reply to: Philistine 's message, "Re: Speaking of..." on 00:11:18 11/22/02 Fri

>>> I don't think he intentionally spared the guard's life. I don't think he particularly cared about the guard's life at that point.

This is an interesting point. How did Simon see the guards? The garrison guards know nothing about River's past or why Simon and River are on the run from the law, and Simon knows that the guards known nothing. The guards are pawns of the state. The guards did not appear to be brutal with Simon and River. They just did their jobs. True, the garrison commander stiffed Jayne, though Jayne set himself up for that to happen. True, one of the guards stunned Jayne, though he was making a lunge for the commander. The guards might be thought of as front line troups in a war.

Simon is fighting a war with the Alliance. It is a currently a war of attrition, which he cannot win. He can only survive. When one is fighting a war, he must resign himself to the knowledge that people (innocent and otherwise) will die, some at his own hand. The difficulty is not kill anyone needlessly or cruelly.

None the less, Simon grew up in a safe environment, knowing that he would be a doctor, a healer, a saver of lives, a humanitarian. I submit that Simon has not lost these qualities in the span of a few short months since he rescued River. Note that I am assuming that it has only been a few months since Simon broke River out of the academy. Given the way FOX has scrambled the episodes, we may never find out the precise timeline.

Please recall that Simon saved the life of an unknown patient in the hospital just a few minutes before Jayne, River and he were captured by the guards. In doing so, Simon risked his sister, himself and his mission (possibly even the entire Serenity crew). Is it reasonable that the same man who did this would not care whether the guard lived or died?

>>> Do we know what was involved in breaking River out in the first place? What Simon has already had to do for her?

No we don't, and we can thank FOX and their gross mismanagement for that.

I would not be surprised if one or more deaths were involved and I would not be surprised if the doctor harbors remorse over such deaths. I would argue though that anyone guarding River at the academy would not be nearly so innocent as the garrison guards at the hospital. The primary purpose of the garrison guards is to protect patients and staff from violence. The academy guards, on the other hand, were aiding and abetting the willful torture of River, and maybe others.

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