I am particularly taken with their last exchange, Zoe saying that Serenity is home, and John, John not having the courage to say 'it doesn't matter'. It's such a poignant moment, for the two of them and it moves them from 'I fancy you, wanna make out' to some other very interesting place.

I think that they'd made that change implicitly -- or rather, I think that the fact that John and his sons are working with the crew of Serenity suggests that everyone else thinks that they have -- but I'm not sure either of them had gone so far as to admit it to themselves, which is what they're doing here. Or at least, they're trying to talk about it in their entirely-too-laconic fashion. Zoe is doing a better job than John, but I think she's less emotionally stunted than he is.

Writing this piece has given me an extraordinary sympathy for Wash and Mary.