What next for Inara?

POSTED BY: DesktopHippie
UPDATED: Saturday, April 1, 2006 16:36
VIEWED: 4020
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PETERWAITZMAN

Tuesday, March 28, 2006 11:45 PM

Simply put, she would give up her life as companion, begin living on a very modest budget, and take the life of a pioneer. One might pressume that Inara is rich based on some of her intimations, so that might not end up being a big deal. But it's probably a lot like any of the pioneers that left big city life for adventure and fortune, they ended up living kind of like nomads and cowboys. I suspect Joss had the inclination to have Inara make this major decision pretty easily demonstrating her overriding love for Mal regardless of his socio-economic background. Classic "love conquers all." I think Mal's appeal has been his old fashion values. I think it's a kind of commentary that regardless of times and cultures, some absolutes stay the same, and sometimes the simplest of philosophies and people end up being the most formidible and enduring.

ZOID

Wednesday, March 29, 2006 3:35 AM

peterwaitzman:

Precisely. There are a few choice lines of dialogue from Inara, that I don't believe are 'throwaways': "...So few men are"; "Please! Spend thirty minutes with him"; "Don't tell him... I never do." Mal is mysterious to her. No man should be, to a Companion. She as much as says outright that she left Serenity because she didn't know how to act around Mal, how to read him.

If you can mystify a woman... Especially one like Inara, who totally expects to be pulling all the strings...

But if she ever does get him figured out...

Arcadia:

Very interesting take, but it doesn't wash. There is only one piece of evidence required to debunk your theory: Mal asks if she's ready to go back to her life as a Companion, and she says "I'm not sure." Ask a priest if he believes in God. If he says, "I'm not sure", he is no longer a priest.

And Inara is no longer a Companion...

Respectfully,

zoid
_________________________________________________

"I aim to misbehave." -Capt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity, a.k.a. 'the BDBOF'

DANIELFYRE

Wednesday, March 29, 2006 3:52 AM

Mal asks if she's ready to go back to her life as a Companion, and she says "I'm not sure." Ask a priest if he believes in God. If he says, "I'm not sure", he is no longer a priest.

And Inara is no longer a Companion...

Respectfully,

zoid
_________________________________________________

"I aim to misbehave." -Capt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity, a.k.a. 'the BDBOF'

VERY WELL SAID. I just wanted to say that.

-Dan

Ain't that just shiny?

ZOID

Wednesday, March 29, 2006 3:58 AM

DanielFyre:

And even more telling, she says it with a little quirk of a smile that tells me she knows it too.

...And then Mal says, "Good answer."

v/r,
-zed

NOSADSEVEN

Wednesday, March 29, 2006 6:02 AM

Boy, I miss threads like this...

Anyway, one thing I think people aren't putting enough weight on is the effects that the events in the BDM have had on Mal and Inara. Mal has regained something through that experience, and is arguably a different man than the one she left. Inara, too, has been changed. That's what the whole, "I don't know," line was about. That whole ordeal has reshaped their priorities, and I like to think they are both willing to make more concessions than they would have before - and not resentfully, but because it is now truly more important to them to be together than that other thing.

Of course, I am under no illusion that if they should find happiness together Joss will let them keep it. That just wouldn't be right.

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

ARCADIA

Wednesday, March 29, 2006 6:26 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by zoid:
Mal asks if she's ready to go back to her life as a Companion, and she says "I'm not sure." Ask a priest if he believes in God. If he says, "I'm not sure", he is no longer a priest.

And Inara is no longer a Companion...

I'm going to have to disagree. That's completely different. Being a companion doesn't make you a religious figure. It's a job. You can have a job and question whether or not you want to keep it, but you're still working.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Objects in Space"
River: It's just an object. It doesn't mean what you think...

ZOID

Wednesday, March 29, 2006 8:31 AM

Arcadia:

...And I will disagree in turn: Being a prostitute is a job; being a Companion is much more.

v/r,
-zed

"As I said, this room is a consecrated Place Of Union. Only your son belongs here." -Inara Serra, Firefly, "Jaynestown" (emphasis mine)

AGENTROUKA

Saturday, April 1, 2006 2:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by zoid:
Arcadia:

...And I will disagree in turn: Being a prostitute is a job; being a Companion is much more.

I'm going to have to side with Arcadia here.

Mal is not even directly asking her if she wants to quit being a Companion. He's asking if she wants to go back to the training house where it's safe.

To that, she says "I don't know."

They could just as easily start up their rental agreement again. Nowhere is it spelled out that Inara questions her profession in and of itself, and even if she did, it really is not the same.

You're asking the priest if he believes in God, which is the basis of the religion that makes him a priest. There the "I don't know" does sort work to make him a priest no longer.

If you ask a priest whether he wants to go back to the church he worked at before going off to uncover some huge government conspiracy and he says "I don't know"?
Still a priest. Just a homeless one.

Also: Arcadia, that was one of the best takes on Inara's profession I have ever read. Just wow! You really got it!

ZZETTA13

Saturday, April 1, 2006 4:36 PM

Well I sprinted strait to the bottom with this so if I bring up a point that has already been covered please forgive me. I promise to go back and read all the pre-posts sometime later.

First of all after watching Serenity first, then the series after, I was a little struck as to how the "oldest profession" in the world had become one of the most "respected professions" in the universe?

Mal& Inara in love? Sure they are. But come on folk. Joss knows just like everyone here, its a love that can never be. Why because its a change that would kill the show ( not like Mal changing the part in his hair).

This relationship is "Even less simple" than that. Unlike Simon & Kaylee, which we do see get together at the end of Serenity I really think that " See you later honey...I'm off to bed a few clients. I'll be back in a couple weeks."

Well, I don't think the right response to that is "SHINY"

Nope,the BIG brother,Big Sister relationship of Mal and Inara to the rest of the crew is great. But a tease is a tease and Mal&Inara is Joss's trump card and should only be played as the light of the Firefly burns out( same thing thats been done on other shows) I'm hoping that that won't be for some time.After the resurrection of course. There are so many gorram loose ends to tie up.

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