The Marshal and one of the convicts were taken prisoner by
the escapee they were pursuing. The
escapee grabs the Marshal’s gun and uses it to get them into the house where
her partner is waiting with hostages and a shotgun. After some taunting and some outright
panicking on the convict’s part trying to convince the escapees not to kill
him, the other Marshals arrive and take everyone prisoner.
The Marshal tells the convict that it was all part of a plan. He’d emptied his gun of bullets and knew the others were tracking his phone.
Convict: Plan?
Plan! What about the bullets in
his gun?
Marshal: (pauses, tilts his head and shrugs) Fair
criticism.
I loved that moment. I love all that it implies, that the Marshal was flying more by the seat of his pants than following a detailed plan; how he recognizes that things got dangerous and out of control and the combination of respect for and dismissal of the convict’s concerns. It suggests a real partnership despite their differences but keeps the line between them intact.
I am a sucker for great dialogue moments. I love Joss Whedon for his ability to craft
words like a wood sculpture, knocking away the unnecessary bits and leaving you
with something unique, elegant and comprehensible. That’s great writing.
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