SIMON: [pleading with the townsfolk about to burn River at the stake] She has done nothing to you! If she dies tonight, it won’t be God’s will that killed her! It’ll be you! Your lunacy, your ignorance! [finding himself unable to change their minds or free her, he joins her] Light it.
RIVER: Time to go. [Serenity suddenly appears, bright lights shine from above as Jayne sits in the open cargo hold, cocking a shotgun threateningly]
MAL: [approaching on foot with Zoë] Well, look at this! Appears we got here just in the nick of time. What does that make us?
ZOË: Big damn heroes, sir.
MAL: Ain’t we just? [Moves to front of crowd, holding them at gunpoint] Sorry to interrupt, folks, but y’all got something that belongs to us, and we’d like it back.
PATRON: This is a holy cleansing. You cannot think to thwart God’s will.
MAL: Y’all see the man hanging out of the spaceship with the really big gun? I’m not saying you weren’t easy to find. It was kinda out of our way and he didn’t want to come in the first place. Man’s lookin’ to kill some folk. So really, it’s his will y’all should worry about thwarting. [turning to Simon] Gotta say, Doctor — your talent for alienatin’ folks is near miraculous.
SIMON: Yes, I’m very proud.
MAL: [to the gathered crowd] Cut her down!
PATRON: The girl is a witch!
MAL: Yeah, but she’s our witch. [cocks gun] So cut her the hell down.
~
SIMON: Captain, why did you come back for us?
MAL: You’re on my crew.
SIMON: Yeah, but you don’t even like me. Why’d you come back?
MAL: You’re on my crew. Why’re we still talking about this?
Firefly, 1x07 Safe