Serenity: A Question

[butterfly]

Okay, how is the Operative like Jubal Early? I do not get it. To me, they seemed like completely, utterly different characters.

Jubal was a bounty hunter who was clearly nuts and who liked causing pain and threatening people, the Operative was an assassin who was very rational and straight-forward. And Jubal didn't Believe in much of anything (is it still River's room if River isn't in it?), much less a better world. And the Operative was exceedingly polite and open-minded, even while killing people (Young miss?). I can't picture the Operative threatening to rape Kaylee. And Jubal tried to deny to himself that he was a monster, tried to claim that it was just his job, whereas the Operative was just doing his job and was aware that that choice did make him a monster.

Seriously, I just really want someone to explain to me how they're alike.

Comments

[bhadrasvapna.livejournal.com]

I don't think he is quite like Jubal as an evolution of the existential "villian" (for lack of a better word).

All of Joss' shows are existential masterpieces. I doubt anyone could question this after listening to Joss' commentary on "Objects in Space." Since Jubal appears in "Objects in Space," he is cast as the existential villian.

What is paramount in Existentialism is free will. Without free will, we cannot give anything meaning. That meaning is given to us. Sartre wrote about this throughout his career. So did Camus and many of the French existential. Seeing as Nausea is what turned Joss onto existentialism (per himself in "Objects in Space") I feel it is proper to say his existentialism is not the earlier German camp, but the later French one.

Now with Jubal we have someone who is willing to take away someone's free will, which is systematically does by taking care of each member of the crew. River triumphs by taking control of Jubal's ship. This control wigs him out.

Transfer this to The Operative. He is taking free will away left and right. Murder is the ultimate usurption of free will. Unlike Jubal he has a belief that fuels this. Jubal was doing it for money. Various characters state how imporant/dangerous belief is. It is belief that fuels how we use our free will.

So this is the evolution I see. Both men take away free will. Jubal does it for money. The Operative does it for belief. Both men are dangerous, The Operative more so because belief is stronger than money.