For some reason, all I can think of are song titles....

"Cry me a Reaver,""Old Man Reaver"....

bobster | December 02, 09:30 CET

well, you know that Old Man Reaver, that Old Man Reaver, he just keeps reavin' along...

Thanks bobster, that was hilarious! I love me a silly giggle every now and then (and NickSeng, nice find! Alliteration? always a hoot).

gorramit | December 02, 09:36 CET

Oh man. I'm lmao at #1 and at Old Man Reaver. Thanks! That was much needed. =)

einral | December 02, 09:51 CET

My brain is now stuck in the recursiveness of reaving the reaver that reaved the reaver before...ouch...

dcubed | December 02, 10:29 CET

I've wondered if or how Reavers would procreate. If they don't procreate, the Reaver population would die off eventually. If they do procreate, don't you think they'd eat their own young anyway? The Bushwhacked episode brought up an interesting idea that they can make more Reavers using mental torture. Maybe they've been doing that because they can't spawn. What do you guys think?

electricspacegirl | December 02, 10:32 CET

Um...is reaving a reaver anything at all like smurfing your smurf in public?

The_Joker | December 02, 11:28 CET

I think that's probably what the Alliance hopes (that they'd die out).

I think you're right though. Why else would they leave that guy in Bushwhacked alive.

NickSeng | December 02, 11:35 CET

In Safe, River was 5-6 years old, and Simon was what? 14-16? I am referring to the "11 years ago" flash backs. That must have been before Miranda, and still Simon heard about reavers as a child. Hm.
(Sorry, its a personal flaw getting stuck in numbers.. numb nerd?)

I think reavers, in their rage state, is all about hurting as much as possible. And jugding from what they do to themselves, a reaver does not feel hurt. Therefore they do not make good victims.

onesnailshort | December 02, 13:26 CET

OMG, I didn't think about that. The timeline is all wrong. Wow, I wonder if that's a goof or what.

electricspacegirl | December 02, 14:39 CET

Simon said he'd heard "campfire tales about men gone savage on the edge of space". I don't think he was 14-16 in the "Safe" flashbacks, looked a lot younger to me. Maybe 8 or 9, 10 even. But that's besides the point, since teens go to camp or go camping on their own anyway (or maybe minimum military service is required by the Alliance or on Simon's home planet in particular, so there might've been lots of campfire storytelling there). Simon could've heard about Reavers later and it'd still keep the Miranda timeline intact and in sync. Though it would be okay if it wasn't, since Jane Espenson states in Finding Serenity that the origin of Reavers in the series wasn't quite the same as what Joss came up with in the film (man we need a Q&A session with him).

Kris | December 02, 16:33 CET

OK, I'm relieved now.
(I thought the actress who played River looked about 8. But I do not know children that well, so I choose to go with you, Kris. Thanks)

onesnailshort | December 02, 16:48 CET

If Reavers could procreate, think about what their kids would be like! And more importantly, I think that could be the basis for an awesome Verse spin-off from Firefly called Reaver High School! It would be like Welcome Back Kotter but with teenage Reavers.

Vinnie Barbarino (Played by John Travolta of course) would be the good looking Reaver and dancing fool. You couldn't forget the Purto Rican-Jewish Reaver, Juan Epstein...."I got this giant hunk of flesh stuck in my face hooks, Oy."

alexreager | December 02, 18:02 CET

I would say that River is about 9 in the flashback on Serenity, with the other kids 3-4 years older. In Safe, Simon is not more than 12 at the most, I think.
But in fact, don't Reavers reave each other? When Serenity is first going through Reaver territory, don't we see one Reaver ship tear apart another one?

Lioness | December 02, 18:16 CET

This brings to mind a funny anecdote. After one of my several viewings of the movie during its opening weekend, as the (insanely packed) theater emptied, two guys were left sitting talking about the movie. I can only assume that they had never seen Firefly.

"So, uh, why didn't the zombies eat each other?"
"I don't know. And why the hell were they flying ships? They wouldn't be getting along like that."
"Yeah, I know. But, I guess they weren't really zombies. That's weird."

I wanted to interrupt this conversation so much, to enlighten them with my knowledge of the 'verse. But that probably would've really scared them.

UnpluggedCrazy | December 02, 18:19 CET

I figured it would be impossible to reave a Reaver because they move too fast and don't seem to wear out. "They never lay down…"

As for the "tearing apart" ship in Serenity, seems to me they were tearing apart a ship that they'd stolen. There's gotta be a better way to salvage parts…

brownishcoat | December 02, 22:10 CET

Reavers wobble but they don't lie down?

[ edited by bobster on 2005-12-02 22:43 ]

bobster | December 03, 00:41 CET

Refresh my memory: When do River and Simon discuss Reavers in Safe? Beyond that, the only Miranda timeframe hinted at is when Mal says the message is "Maybe ten years old." Zoe mentions off-hand that Miranda was settled before the war.

The Dark Shape | December 03, 01:37 CET

Bobster old chum, quip of the week.

SoddingNancyTribe | December 03, 03:37 CET

Well done, Bobster...

Reave...a new verb..."Pick up your damn room or I'll reave you from Miranda and back, you little snot!"

Chris inVirginia | December 03, 04:38 CET

And with that, more song titles come to mind..

"I'm Reaving on a Jet Plane"

"Reaving Las Vegas"

I'll stop now....

bobster | December 03, 10:19 CET