Harrow: He’s down. You have to finish it, lad. You have to finish it. For a man to lie beaten, and yet breathing? It makes him a coward.
Inara: It’s humiliation.
Mal: Sure, it’s 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 in the stomach) Guess I’m just a good man. (stabs him again) Well, I’m all right.
Firefly — Episode 4 — “Shindig”
Mal: Don’t take his offer.
Inara: What?
Mal: Don’t do it. Because in the case it happens it means he’s the fella that killed me and I don’t like fellas that kill me, just in general. I said before I don’t have call to stop you, and that’s true, but anyways, don’t.
Firefly — Episode 4 — “Shindig”
Badger: Who’s that then? Here, look at me. What’s your story, love?
Simon: She’s … just a… just a passenger.
Badger: Yeah? Why ain’t she talking? She got a secret?
River: (with Badger’s accent) Sure, I got a secret. More than one. Don’t seem likely I’d tell ’em to you now, do it? Anyone off Dyton Colony knows better than to talk to strangers. You’re talking loud enough for the both of us though, ain’tcha? I’ve known a dozen like you. Skipped off home early, running graft jobs here and there. Spent some time in the lock down, but less than you claim. And you’re what? Petty thief with delusions of standing? Sad, little king of a sad, little hill.
Badger: Nice to see someone from the old homestead.
River: Not really. (to Simon) Call me if anyone interesting shows up. (leaves)
Badger: I like her.
Jayne: That there — exactly the kind of diversion we could have used.
Firefly — Episode 4 — “Shindig”
Jayne: What we need’s a diversion. I say Zoe gets nekkid.
Wash: Nope.
Jayne: I could get nekkid.
All: No!
Firefly — Episode 4 — “Shindig”
Mal: I thought he made it pretty clear he has no regard for you.
Inara: 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. Why’d this get so complicated?
Inara: Well, it’s about to get simpler. There’s a back door. Desk clerk is on alert. He’ll let us out.
Mal: Whoa, whoa, I’m not running 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 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 backing down from this one.
Firefly — Episode 4 — “Shindig”
Book: A duel?
Wash: With swords?
Simon: Captain’s a good fighter, he must know how to handle a sword.
Zoe: I think he knows which end to hold.
Firefly – Episode 4 – “Shindig”
Atherton: I accept.
Mal: That’s great! What?
Gentleman: There has been a challenge.
Atherton: I hope you’re prepared, Captain.
Mal: What? You all talking about a fight? That’s fine. Let’s get out of here.
Inara: It’s not a fist fight, Mal.
Gentleman: The duel will be met tomorrow morning at Cadrie Pond.
Mal: Well, why wait? Where’s that guard? He collected a whole mess of pistols.
Gentleman: If you require it, any gentleman here can give you use of a sword.
Mal: Use of a sw—what?
Firefly – Episode 4 – “Shindig”
(Mal collides with Inara while dancing.)
Mal: It’s possible you were right, and this ain’t mykind of party.
(Atherton grabs Inara by the arm and marches her away.)
Mal: Whoa now. Watch yourself. Ain’t no need for hands on.
Atherton: Excuse me, she’s not here with you, Captain. She’s mine.
Mal: Yours? She don’t belong to nobody.
Atherton: Money changed hands, which makes her mine tonight. And no matter how you dress her up she’s still a…
(Mal decks Atherton.)
Mal: Turns out this is my kind of party!
Firefly – Episode 4 – “Shindig”
(a group of rich, mean girls have been teasing Kaylee over her store-bought dress)
Murphy: Why Banning Miller. What a vision you are in your fine dress. It must have taken a dozen slaves a dozen days to get you into that getup. ‘Course your daddy tells me it takes the space of a schoolboy’s wink to get you out of it again.
(the rich girls storm off)
Murphy: (to Kaylee) Forgive my rudeness. I cannot abide useless people.
Firefly – Episode 4 – “Shindig”
Kaylee: I’m not saying the 80-04’s hard to repair, it just ain’t worth it.
Older Farmer: It’s a fine machine, you just keep it tuned.
Kaylee: Cai bu shi. [“No way.”] The extenders ain’t braced.
Murphy: I’ve been telling him to buy the 80-10 for years.
Kaylee: Those ‘tenders snap off, don’t matter how good the engine’s cycling.
Younger Farmer: Miss Kaylee, I wonder if I could request the honor of….
Murphy: Wait a minute. Let her talk. She’s talking. Dance later.
Kaylee: By the way, the 80-10’s the same machine, they just changed the plating and hope no one noticed.
(everyone laughs)
Firefly – Episode 4 – “Shindig”
The Love Pirate 