General Discussions

Inara and the Operative (Spoilers)

POSTED BY: Smaug
UPDATED: Wednesday, October 12, 2005 03:50
VIEWED: 6559
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Tuesday, October 11, 2005 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Smaug:

Quote:

how does she know him?


Good question!!! Do you think she knew him personally? Or just that he was a dangerous operative?




i got a sense that it was specific recognition and not just that he was some operative. maybe i'll have more to say on this topic tonight after i watch the movie again.

Mal: We've done the impossible and that makes us mighty.

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Tuesday, October 11, 2005 10:32 PM

I don't think Inara knew the Operative before he showed up. She was all smiles at first and it only slowly faded away. She's trained in reading people remember. It only took her a few seconds of looking at the Operative to read that this guy was trouble. As she said he's a believer. The movie was all about belief. Misguided belief is big time trouble.

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Tuesday, October 11, 2005 10:59 PM

Which is why I don't get Book's advice to Mal "I don't care what you believe, just believe."

That makes no sense to me. Not all beliefs are good, the Operative believed too, and his belief led him to acting as a "monster" in his own words.

To me, what you believe in is at least as important as whether you believe.

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Wednesday, October 12, 2005 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ananti:
Which is why I don't get Book's advice to Mal "I don't care what you believe, just believe."

That makes no sense to me. Not all beliefs are good, the Operative believed too, and his belief led him to acting as a "monster" in his own words.

To me, what you believe in is at least as important as whether you believe.



i think that Book is telling Mal that it's important to believe in something. yes, the Operative's beliefs made him act as a "monster" but by believing in something he had purpose. what happens to Book in the movie makes Mal believe that what he is doing needs to be done. Book's words convinces Mal that he is doing what is right.

Mal: "We've done the impossible and that makes us mighty."

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Wednesday, October 12, 2005 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ananti:
Which is why I don't get Book's advice to Mal "I don't care what you believe, just believe."

That makes no sense to me. Not all beliefs are good, the Operative believed too, and his belief led him to acting as a "monster" in his own words.

To me, what you believe in is at least as important as whether you believe.



Book knew that if Mal made a choice it would be towards something positive.

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Wednesday, October 12, 2005 12:47 AM

Okay that makes more sense.

So in essence, what Book is saying is "I don't care what you call that center you are clinging to, whether you call it God, or morality, or duty, or what ever, what you call it is not important, but you better cling to it as hard as you can."

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Wednesday, October 12, 2005 2:05 AM

yea - i think that's the idea. in the movie u see Mal struggling with his ethics (ie: when he pushes the guy off his vehicle cuz there were too many people. Zoe called him on it and his morals are brought into question.) i don't think it's until Book says this to Mal that he decides he IS doing the right thing - or at least he's accepted that it's, at the very least, right for him.

Mal: We've done the impossible and that makes us mighty.

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Wednesday, October 12, 2005 2:10 AM

Interestingly, the Operative spent a good deal less than an hour with Mal (even including the wave conversation) before Mal made him angry. So Inara was being generous to Mal.

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Wednesday, October 12, 2005 3:50 AM

Yeah, Mal's pretty good at that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ain't. We. Just.

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