a leaf on the wind

***POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING***
I love Alan Tudyk. His portrayal of Wash in Firefly may have been one of the main reasons I kept coming back for more. His comedic timing, his expressions... BRILLIANT. To my utmost horror, they ended the winsome pilot's life after an incredible effort to land the failing Serenity while dodging debris and enemy ships. He kept repeating, "I am a leaf on the wind" as he wove his way through the mess, ultimately landing the ship. The crew had no sooner counted their limbs and kissed the floor because Wash had gotten them through the whole ordeal alive, when he repeated his song "I am a leaf on the wi--"

BAAAM! His last words were interrupted by a harpoon right through the chest. As if the wind had been knocked out of me, I stared at the screen in disbelief for many minutes. I figured this must be the very sad end of Firefly, because I wasn't sure how their world could exist without him.

Recently Tudyk appeared back on the radar as a character in another movie. This character reminded me of the light-hearted Wash. Same timing. Same expressions. Of course, I was hooked. Everything about how I was drawn in reminded me of Firefly. We, the audience, grew to love him, trust him and depend on him. And OUT OF FRIGGIN' NOWHERE... BAAAAM! They kill him off. I swear he muttered, "I am a leaf on the wind."

Apparently, any time I run into a loveable Tudyk character on the silver screen, I should just prepare myself for his imminent death. Lame.