Synopsis:
Four bandits approach an Amish-looking farmer and his bonneted wife as they sit aboard their flat- boat. The robbers make their demands…only to realize that the seemingly harmless farmer is really Jayne…and his wife is none other than Mal, decked out in a dress. A gunfight ensues, and the bandits are killed. Later, Mal and his crew participate in a celebration with a group of townspeople. Everyone gets very drunk, and an Elder Gommen tells the group that they are forever indebted to them. Zoe relays word that an Alliance cruiser is approaching the area. The crew heads back to the ship, where a horrified Mal discovers a woman named Saffron... who claims to be his wife. As the rest of the crew listens with great interest, Mal insists he isn't married to anyone. But it soon becomes clear that he may have accidentally participated in a marriage ceremony while celebrating with the townspeople.Later, Mal tells Saffron that he has no intention of staying married to her and will drop her off on the next planet the ship lands on. When Mal mentions the kitchen, Saffron insists upon cooking him a meal. Mal grows uncomfortable with the attention Saffron affords him, especially when she offers to wash his feet after he finishes eating. In the cargo bay, Jayne confronts Mal, shotgun in hand. He offers to exchange the powerful gun for Saffron. Mal is horrified by the thought, insisting Saffron is a person and not something to be traded. Meanwhile, the Serenity passes by a small moon, which is equipped with dozens of tiny cameras. An image of the ship is relayed to a chop shop office manned by two crooks, Corbin and Breed. Corbin tells Breed the ship is a “good catch,” and instructs him to kill the crew if it comes their way.That night, Mal enters his room to retire for the night. He's surprised to find Saffron waiting for him. Though Mal goes to great lengths to dissuade Saffron, she slowly seduces him and plants a kiss on his lips. Suddenly, Mal falls to the ground, unconscious. Saffron enters the bridge and attempts to seduce Wash. But the married Wash, though tempted, manages to gather the fortitude to turn her away. Realizing she's getting nowhere, Saffron slam kicks him in the back of the head. She then moves to the console and tampers with it. And when she's finished, Saffron exits and seals the door shut. A short time later, Saffron encounters Inara in the cargo bay. Saffron attempts to use her powers of seduction on Inara, but the old pro quickly senses another pro at work. When Inara asks Saffron who she really is, Saffron tells her she's "Malcolm Reynold's widow." A fight between the two women ensues. Saffron runs to the shuttle, slams the door shut and engages the engines, flying off into space.Inara finds Mal's unconscious body on the floor of his room. She makes the mistake of kissing him. Within a short time, she falls over, unconscious. Later, Inara and Mal regain consciousness. Simon explains that Mal was exposed to a narcotic compound spread via Saffron's lips. Inara, in turn, was exposed by kissing Mal's lips. The crew informs Mal that that ship is headed for parts unknown. With the aid of a blowtorch, Jayne gains access to the bridge. After examining Saffron's handiwork, Wash realizes it will be a while before he can regain control of the ship's navigation system.Meanwhile, back at the chop shop, Corbin and Breed note the approaching Serenity... crediting Saffron for a job well done. As the ship nears the chop shop, an electric ring of energy activiates. Mal tells the crew that the electric ring will deactivate the ship and kill everyone on board. Mal and Jayne quickly jerry-rig Jayne's shotgun, using a spacesuit to give the shotgun the oxygen it needs to fire. As the ship nears the ring, Jayne fires the gun, which blows a hole through the spacesuit helmet. The bullets fly through space, blowing out the windows of the chop shop, eliminating the ring and killing Corbin and Breed in the process. Mal makes his way to a hotel, where he slams the butt of his gun into Saffron's chin, knocking her out. Later, Mal concludes that Saffron knocked Inara unconscious when Inara allowed the girl to kiss her. Inara can only look at him, stupefied.