Or at least someone else's contraband organ.

Or at least someone else's contraband organ.

Firefly aired in the fall of 2002, coinciding with Buffy S7 and Angel S4.  Which is why Fillion and Torres appear in the back half of those seasons, after Firefly was cancelled.  It seems entirely possible Woodward shot the Buffy/Firefly episodes back to back.

Firefly aired in the fall of 2002, coinciding with Buffy S7 and Angel S4.  Which is why Fillion and Torres appear in the back half of those seasons, after Firefly was cancelled.  It seems entirely possible Woodward shot the Buffy/Firefly episodes back to back.

Oh, yeah, I was just speculating.  But I think it would be a reasonable assumption to make, that it's his decision to bail on his original bosses and sell the organs to a higher bidder that first jeopardizes his life.  Also, I have no idea how he was going to get his original organs back under his arrangement with…

Oh, yeah, I was just speculating.  But I think it would be a reasonable assumption to make, that it's his decision to bail on his original bosses and sell the organs to a higher bidder that first jeopardizes his life.  Also, I have no idea how he was going to get his original organs back under his arrangement with…

Yeah, Mal failing to just tell him the play doesn't make a whole lot of sense.  Unless Mal was looking for an excuse to put him out of his misery, which would seem way out of character and unsupported by the rest of the episode.

Yeah, Mal failing to just tell him the play doesn't make a whole lot of sense.  Unless Mal was looking for an excuse to put him out of his misery, which would seem way out of character and unsupported by the rest of the episode.

See my more detailed reply to @olivececile:disqus  below.  IIRC, the organs he's smuggling are not normal, and it's this difference that makes them not able to be transported outside of a human body.

See my more detailed reply to @olivececile:disqus  below.  IIRC, the organs he's smuggling are not normal, and it's this difference that makes them not able to be transported outside of a human body.

Ok, here's what I remember (and someone who has seen the ep more recently, please correct me if I am off base here.)  I think the missing aspect is that the organs he's smuggling are genetically modified, and it's these modifications that make them need a living person to transport them, as opposed to his own organs…

Ok, here's what I remember (and someone who has seen the ep more recently, please correct me if I am off base here.)  I think the missing aspect is that the organs he's smuggling are genetically modified, and it's these modifications that make them need a living person to transport them, as opposed to his own organs…

Oh, definitely.  And he was squarely in the wrong anyway, because he was skipping out on his agreed-upon delivery to sell the organs to someone else for more money.

Oh, definitely.  And he was squarely in the wrong anyway, because he was skipping out on his agreed-upon delivery to sell the organs to someone else for more money.

I thought the organs were lab-grown and genetically enhanced, but I could be remembering that incorrectly, having not watched the ep in a while.

I thought the organs were lab-grown and genetically enhanced, but I could be remembering that incorrectly, having not watched the ep in a while.

Technically, this didn't "happen" for most viewers until the DVD release, but I believe that was still before the Angel episodes in question.

Technically, this didn't "happen" for most viewers until the DVD release, but I believe that was still before the Angel episodes in question.

Well, his death can also be sad for the effect it has on Mal and Zoe, rather than just being sad in and of itself.

Well, his death can also be sad for the effect it has on Mal and Zoe, rather than just being sad in and of itself.