In the episode Train Heist , of the TV series “Firefly,” there are many decisions and choices being made. The main characters Mal and Zoe have to make a decision between money and a clear conscience. The mayor of the town where the train heist was taking place had to choose between forgiveness and punishment. And Niska also had to choose between punishment and forgiveness. In the end, Mal and Zoe undoubtedly choose to return the goods and wipe their conscience, the mayor chooses to forgive their mistakes but Niska chooses not to forgive them and later in the series the crew sees these repercussions unfold when he takes Mal hostage and tortures him. Barry Schwartz talks about choices in his book The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less. He says, “Healthy people want and need to direct their own lives, (3). This is an important statement because without choice, we are not free to do as we please and we are essentially slaves. With choice, we have the freedom to choose the options that are true to ourselves. Through the choices we make, it shows people’s true intentions. In the episode, when Mal and Zoe decide to return the goods, it shows that they have a softer side (even if it doesn’t always show). When the mayor decided to forgive their mistakes, it showed that he was a fair and honest individual. However, Niska’s actions showed his awful, hateful side and that is the difference between good and bad.
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