Inara is invited to a high profile function on the planet Persephone by a man who wishes her to remain his Companion forever. Unfortunately, Mal isn't keen on his treatment of her and gets himself into trouble as a result.

I've long thought that the best person on the Buffy writing team is Jane Espenson, so I'm delighted that she's also working on Firefly. She really does have a superb grasp on characters and situations with a deft flair for comedy that brings scripts to life. This one is no exception, containing some great material for almost all of the characters, but particularly Mal and Inara.

Morena Baccarin shows once again that she hasn't been employed solely for her incredible beauty, as she demonstrates a touch of swordplay and brings more dimensions to Inara, some of which we've seen hints of before. She's certainly one of the most interesting characters among the crew, with the sheer strangeness of a woman who is paid for sex being one of the most respected people around, and carrying a lot of weight with those high up. As demonstrated in the last episode, there's a touch of sexual tension between Mal and Inara, and it's still going on between them in some incredibly well-observed scenes. Both seem attracted to each other, but neither is sure what to do about it.

Nathan Fillion, meanwhile, is becoming far and away the star of this show (even though he is, strictly speaking). His dry asides, witty comebacks and lack of a massive amount of intelligence in certain situations make him every more endearing, and he's certainly not the typical hero. We expect him to win the duel he manages to get himself into, but he does so by cheating, and his reaction to his victory is superb, as he stabs his opponent a couple more times to demonstrate that he's not a great man for showing mercy, but merely an average one.

We also see a little more of some of the other crew members. Kaylee just gets sweeter every week, and the way she is rescued when she is taken to the ball by Mal is just delightful. Zoe and Wash come across a lot better as a couple here, thanks to a short scene with the pair of them in bed, and we even get a bit more of a hint into River's abilities when she talks to one of the men holding the crew at gunpoint.

Best of all, though, everyone gets funny lines. Jayne suggesting he get naked as a distraction, Kaylee's line about the buffet table, right through to the final pull-back shot to reveal just what Mal's cargo is, this is a very funny episode, and even if the plot itself isn't especially packed, it's great fun to watch, and brings the viewers that much closer to loving the characters.

****

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