River went away to school at 14 (whether that's typical of her culture or a commentary on the Tam family dynamics is not explicated) and is not rescued for three or four years, making her a late-end teenager during canon's run. In the episode "Ariel," Simon takes pictures of River's brain and discovers that the she's received a form of lobotomy. As for the specifics of how the Alliance was turning River into an assassin, brain-washing is alluded to in the movie, as well as radical brain surgery. Certainly, she is incapable of articulating what happened. During the one session we witness (in the movie) In addition to being an efficient killer, by series end River has also gained the ability to read minds.ĭiscovering exactly what happened to River and why is complicated by the fact We know that the experimentation done to River involved both brain-washing and brain surgery. It may be that River and those like her were intended as a more loyal, uber-class of operatives. The movie also reveals that the Alliance employs a shadowy class of nameless operatives who seemingly have unlimited authority and discretion to accomplish their objectives. The River Tam Sessions, a video viral marketing campaign for the movie, show River's first task is an assasination. The end goal is unclear, but some guesses can be made. In reality, the school is a cover for the Alliance to recruit bright youth for torturous experimentation. In any case, it is clear that Simon was always given preferential treatment and that River received little, if any, signs of overt love from her parents.Ī prodigy both in terms of mental acuity and athletic grace, River chooses to go to a government-sponsored academy that offers a more challenging, exciting program. There is no textual evidence that the Tam parents are complicit with what's happening to River, but it is one possible interpretation. Later scenes, which take place after River has left home for boarding school, show the Tam parents ignoring, dismissing and being downright hostile toward Simon's legitimate concerns about what is happening to River at her new school. Much of what we know about River's early years comes from the flashback episode, "Safe." One scene shows River's father ignoring her and cutting her off when she tries to speak, in favor of encouraging Simon and agreeing to buy him a presumably expensive gadget. A study in contradictions, she is presented variously (sometimes simultaneously) on the show as both waifish damsel in need of protection and deadly killing machine. very little at all has been revealed about River's thoughts, feelings and hopes for the future. More is probably known about her background than anyone else on the show, and yet. River Tam is the most complex character of Firefly's main nine, to my mind. Spoilers: Everything including "Serenity," "Bushwhacked," "Safe," "Ariel," "War Stories," "Objects in Space" and Serenity.
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