AIR DATE
December 20, 2002
WRITER
Joss Whedon
DIRECTOR
Joss Whedon

GUEST STARS
Eddie Adams (Bendis), Philip Sternberg (Inara's Client), Bonnie Bartlett (Patience), Carlos Jacott (Lawrence Dobson), Mark A. Sheppard (Badger), Andy Umberger (Dortmunder Captain), Colin Patrick Lynch (Radio Operator), Domingo Vara (Ensign), Stephen O'Mahoney (Man (Dortmunder)), Jamie McShane (Man), John F. Kearney (Old Man), Gabrielle Wagner (Slave #1)

SYNOPSIS
The crew of Serenity is eager to rid themselves of an easily traceable cargo they salvaged from a vessel adrift in space, totally unaware that a passenger has brought an even more dangerous cargo aboard.

AIR DATE
September 20, 2002
WRITER
Tim Minear and Joss Whedon
DIRECTOR
Joss Whedon

GUEST STARS
Gregg Henry (Bourne), Tom Towles (Lund), Andrew Bryniarski (Crow), Michael Fairman (Niska), Jeff Ricketts (Blue-Hand Man #1), Valerie Red-Horse (Deputy), Kevin Will (Officer), Lina Patel (Ensign), David Reynolds (Henchman), Dennis Cockrum (Blue-Hand Man #2), Eric Lange (Fed), Tawny Rene Hamilton (Immigrant Woman #1), Michelle Ferrara (Immigrant Woman #2), Drew Goddard (Guy on planet)

SYNOPSIS
Mal has second thoughts after discovering that two boxes of Alliance goods his crew has been hired to steal are full of badly needed medical supplies heading for the mining town of Paradiso.

AIR DATE
September 27, 2002
WRITER
Tim Minear
DIRECTOR
Tim Minear

GUEST STARS
Branden Morgan (The Survivor), Doug Savant (Alliance Captain Harken), Lancer Dean Shull (DUPLICATE GUIDE) (Radio Operator), Doug Wax (Escobar), Jared Poe (Ensign)

SYNOPSIS
After encountering a booby-trapped spacecraft carrying the lone crew member of a horrific Reaver attack, Serenity is boarded by an Alliance Commander looking for Simon and River.

AIR DATE
November 1, 2002
WRITER
Jane Espenson
DIRECTOR
Vern Gillum

GUEST STARS
Mark A. Sheppard (Badger), Edward Atterton (Atherton Wing), Larry Drake (Sir Warrick Harrow), Carl Bresk (Wright), Larry Pennell (Murphy), Michael McMillian (Younger Hopeful), Joshua Grenrock (Porter), Kim Onasch (Banning), Janora McDuffie (Cabott), Casey Piotrowski (Older Farmer), Hunter Cochran (Younger Farmer), Roy Werner (Gentleman)

SYNOPSIS
In order to secure a job transporting cargo off-planet for a client, Mal attends a social event where a dance with Inara leads to him being challenged to a swordfight in defence of her honour.

AIR DATE
November 8, 2002
WRITER
Drew Z. Greenberg
DIRECTOR
Michael Grossman

GUEST STARS
Scott Terra (Young Scott Tam), Andrew A. Rolfes (Older Grange), Matthew C. Ferreira (Younger Grange), Joel Steingold (Head Cop), Erica Tazel (Doralee), Ron Ostrow (Commander), Morina Pierce (Ruby), Skylar Roberge (Young River), Zac Efron (Young Simon), Isabella Hofmann (Megan Tam), William Converse-Roberts (Gabriel Tam), Scott Terra, John Thaddeus (Stark), Gary Werntz (Patron), Bryan Friday (Shabby Man #2), Andrew A. Rolfes (Marcus Grange)

SYNOPSIS
When Simon is kidnapped by a group of villagers in need of a doctor Serenity is forced into contact with an Alliance ship in order to seek medical help for the critically wounded Book.

AIR DATE
October 4, 2002
WRITER
Joss Whedon
DIRECTOR
Vondie Curtis-Hall

GUEST STARS
Jason Gray (Holder), Christina Hendricks (Saffron), Benito Martinez (Boss), Erik Passoja (Bree), Bob Fimiani (Elder Gommen), Alex Stemkovsky (Bandit #1), Zachary Woodlee

SYNOPSIS
After a celebration in which the crew is honoured for ridding a planet of a group of bandits, they return to Serenity to find a woman named Saffron who claims that Mal married her during festivities.

AIR DATE
October 18, 2002
WRITER
Ben Edlund
DIRECTOR
Marita Grabiak

GUEST STARS
Josef Cannon (Prod #2), Gregory Itzin (Magistrate Higgins), Daniel Bess (Mudder), Kevin Gage (Stitch Hessian), Zachary Kranzler (Fess Higgins), Jordan Lund (Foreman), Bob McCracken (Well-Dressed Man), Ronald Craig Williams (Busker), John Jabaley (Bartender), Laura Niemi (Woman), Simon Brooke (Prod), Clement E. Blake (Mudder Elder)

SYNOPSIS
When the crew returns to a planet where Jayne participated in a heist gone bad, they're shocked to discover that Jayne's past actions have turned him into a local hero of Robin Hood-like mythic proportions.

AIR DATE
October 25, 2002
WRITER
Tim Minear
DIRECTOR
David Solomon

GUEST STARS
Lyle Kanouse (Salesman), Dax Griffin (Bester), Roderick McCarthy (Lacey #1), Steven Flynn (Captain), Ilia Volok (Marco)

SYNOPSIS
After an explosion leaves Serenity crippled, Mal orders everyone to abandon ship while he stays hebind in an attempt to make repairs - and reminisces how he found the ship and picked its crew.

AIR DATE
November 15, 2002
WRITER
Jose Molina
DIRECTOR
Allan Kroeker

GUEST STARS
Blake Robbins (Agent McGinnis), Jeff Ricketts (Blue-Hand Man #1), Dennis Cockrum (Blue-Hand Man #2), Tom Virtue (Doctor), Roma Chugani (Receiving Doctor), Ira Steck (Young Intern), Michael Nagy (Particularly Dressed Man), Alex Connie (Patient), Cate Cohen (Cash Team Nurse)

SYNOPSIS
Simon offers the crew a proposition: if they help him sneak River into a hospital so he can run tests on her, he'll tell them where to find medical supplies that will fetch an enormous price on the black market.

AIR DATE
December 6, 2002
WRITER
Cheryl Cain
DIRECTOR
James A. Contner

GUEST STARS
Katherine Kendall (Councilor), Rolando Molina (Black Market Buyer), John Dunn (Torturer), Michael Bentt (Viktor), Adam Pilver (Vanilla Husband), Jason Van (Man), Johnny Shakespeare (Torture Victim), Michael Fairman (Niska)

SYNOPSIS
Wash regrets insisting he be allowed to accompany Mal on a mission after the two men are captured by Adelai Niska - the client who previously hired Mal to steal the medicine bound for Paradiso.

AIR DATE
October 7, 2005
WRITER
Jose Molina and Ben Edlund
DIRECTOR
Vern Gillum

GUEST STARS
Franc Ross (Monty), Christina Hendricks (Saffron), John Bentley (Police Sergeant), Dwier Brown (Durran Haymer), Blake Robbins (Agent McGinnis)

SYNOPSIS
Mal is shocked to discover his friend's new bride is Saffron who, although furious after Mal blows her cover, offers to cut Mal in on what she calls the perfect, big-time scam.

AIR DATE
October 14, 2005
WRITER
Tim Minear and Joss Whedon
DIRECTOR
Tim Minear

GUEST STARS
Craig Vincent (Skunk), Tod Nakamura (Fendris), Jonathan M. Woodward (Tracey), Richard Burgi (Lt. Womack), Al Pugliese (Amnon), Morgan Rusler (Barker), Joss Whedon (Man at Funeral)

SYNOPSIS
While Jayne opens a mail package from his mother that contains a wool cap with ear flaps and pom-pom, Mal and Zoe open their package to discover the body of their old war buffy, Tracey.

AIR DATE
October 21, 2005
WRITER
Brett Matthews
DIRECTOR
Thomas J. Wright

GUEST STARS
Melinda Clarke (Nandi), Fredric Lehne (Ranse Burgess), Kimberly McCullough (Chari), Sandy Mulvihill (Belinda), Tracy Leah Ryan (Petaline), Jim Lau (Puppet Theater Narrator), Heather Black (Helen), Angie Hart (Lucy), Doan Ly (Emma)

SYNOPSIS
The crew comes to the aid of a bordello when its madam, an old acquaintance of Inara's, asks for help after a gunslinger claims a prostitute's baby is his and he's taking it because his wife is barren.

AIR DATE
December 13, 2002
WRITER
Joss Whedon
DIRECTOR
Joss Whedon

GUEST STARS
Richard Brooks (Jubal Early)

SYNOPSIS
The crew is caught off-guard when a bounty hunter, eager to claim the enormous reward on River's head, sneaks aboard Serenity and methodically begins taking the crew prisoner one by one.