Serenity quotes

View Quote [Mal and the crew watch a holographic report on the Mirandans' fate]
Dr. Caron: There's thirty million people here, and they just let themselves die.
[Everyone jumps at the sound of a brutal attack in the distance.]
Dr. Caron: I have to be quick! About a tenth of a percent of the population had the opposite reaction to the Pax. Their aggressor response increased beyond madness. They have become...
[A crash is heard in the background, now closer]
Dr. Caron: [sobs] Well, they've killed most of us. And not just killed… they've done things...
Wash: [Realizes] Reavers... They made them.
Dr. Caron: I won't live to report this, but people have to know. We meant it for the best... to make people safer.

View Quote River was your greatest success. A prodigy. A phenomenon. The minds behind every military, diplomatic, and covert operation in the galaxy, and you put them in a room with a psychic. I never thought for a second you'd be stupid enough to come! There's thirty million people here, and they just let themselves die. You've always taken care of me. My turn. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take a boat in the air you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps her in the air when she oughtta fall down, tells you she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home. The Operative: River was your greatest success. A prodigy. A phenomenon. Until her brother walked in here and took her from you.
Dr. Mathias: It's not quite so simple.
The Operative: I'm well aware of that.
Dr. Mathias: There was no way that I could—
The Operative: No. No. Of course. The boy spent his entire fortune developing the contacts to infiltrate this place.
Dr. Mathias: Gave up a brilliant future in medicine as well. It's madness.
The Operative: Madness? Have you looked at this scan carefully, Doctor? At his face? It's love, in point of fact, something a good deal more dangerous.

View Quote People don't like to be meddled with. We tell them what to do, what to think. Don't run, don't walk. We're in their homes and in their heads and we haven't the right. We're meddlesome.

View Quote I am a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar.

View Quote I look out for me and mine. That don't include you 'less I conjure it does. Now you stuck a thorn in the Alliance's paw. That tickles me a bit. But it also means I got to step twice as fast to avoid them and that means turning down plenty of jobs. Even honest ones. Put this crew together with the promise of work, which the Alliance makes harder every year. Come a day there won’t be room for naughty men like us to slip about at all. This job goes south, there well may not be another. So here is us, on the raggedy edge. Don't push me, and I won't push you.

View Quote Kaylee: Don’t pay anybody in advance. And don’t ride in anything with a Capissen 38 engine, they fall right out of the sky.

View Quote Shepherd Book: [Last words] I don’t care what you believe. Just believe in... whatever she...

View Quote Book: Only one thing is gonna walk you though this, Mal. Belief.
Mal: You know I always look to you for counsel, but sermons make me sleepy, Shepherd. I ain't looking for help on high. That's a long wait for a train don't come.
Book: When I talk about belief, why do you always assume I'm talking about God?

View Quote Inara: This isn't the war, Mal.
Mal: You telling me that 'cause I don’t know?
Inara: You came to the Training House looking for a fight.
Mal: I came looking for you.
Inara: I just want to know who I'm dealing with. I've seen too many versions of you to be sure.
Mal: I start fighting a war, I guarantee you'll see something new.

View Quote Jayne: Captain's right. Can't be thinking on revenge if we're gonna get through this.
Zoe: Do you really think any of us are gonna get through this?
Jayne: [Sounding hopeful] ...I might.

View Quote Jayne: You dumb-ass hogs, the only people she's a threat to is us on this boat.
Mal: Look, we get back to Haven in a few hours' time—
Jayne: Oh, yeah. Hiding under the Shepherd's skirts, that's a manful scheme.
Mal: You wanna run this ship?
Jayne: Yes!
Mal: [Thrown] Well... you can’t.

View Quote Mal: Bit of a rockety ride. Nothing to be worried about.
Simon: I'm not worried.
Mal: Fear is nothing to be ashamed of, Doctor.
Simon: This isn't fear. This is anger.
Mal: Well, kind of hard to tell one from the other, face like yours.
Simon: Well, I imagine if it were fear, my eyes would be wider.
Mal: Mm, I'll keep a lookout for that next time.

View Quote Mal: Dear Buddha, please bring me a pony and a plastic rocket—
Inara: Mal, what are you doing here!?
Mal: You invited me.
Inara: I never thought for a second you'd be stupid enough to come!
Mal: Well, that makes you kind of a tease, doesn't it?

View Quote Mal: It ain't all buttons and charts, little albatross. You know what the first rule of flying is? Well, I suppose you do, since you already know what I'm about to say.
River: I do. But I like to hear you say it.
Mal: Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take a boat in the air that you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turnin' o' worlds. Love keeps her in the air when she ought to fall down. Tells you she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home.
River: Storm's getting worse.
Mal: We'll pass through soon enough.

View Quote Mal: Jayne, how many weapons you plan on bringing? You only got the two arms.
Jayne: I just get excitable as to choice — like to have my options open.
Mal: I don't plan on any shooting taking place during this job.
Jayne: Well, what you plan and what takes place ain't ever exactly been similar.
Mal: No grenades. [Jayne groans] No grenades!
Zoë: We crashin' again?
Mal: Go talk to your husband. Is the mule prepped?
Zoë: Good to go, sir. Just loading her up. [To Jayne] Are those grenades?
Jayne: Cap'n doesn't want them.
Zoë: We're robbing the place; we're not occupying it.