Joss' remarks on Inara in Serenity commentary (spoiler for commentary)
POSTED BY: GunslinginBrowncoat
UPDATED: Sunday, February 8, 2004 11:42
VIEWED: 13827
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In "Serenity", remember the comment Inara's client made about her "Clock being sped up"? It is possible that it may have been a drug to do just that, if suicide was not an option for whatever the reason. Then again it may have been a way to commit suicide. We never did get much of an explanation of Companion "training".
That's an interesting angle. Along with the 'clock sped up' comment there was also the disjointed filming of that sequence as well as the sponge bath scene - shots of her staring off,seeming distracted,the freeze frame cuts and shots of her looking away while conversing with the client.
The other hints that Inara may have abilities beyond popular knowledge include a couple of times(more maybe) where she has worked with others dealing with pain, Kaylee after being shot in Serenity and the girl in labor in HOG. This might have just been psychological training, but based on River's reaction in HOG, I think it could be more. For one of the least developed characters early on, Inara seems to have quite a bit more depth than we've seen so far.
SergeantX
"..and here's to all the dreamers, may our open hearts find rest." -- Nanci Griffith
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Originally posted by Channain:
On the needle business, I think they're just trying to rile folks about something that isn't even there. That whole thing was probably just a poorly executed attempt at humor. And Nathan's "She's a druggie" comment was total and complete sarcasm.
Agree on Nathan's comment being a joke, but it certainly seems there's something up with Inara. Tim Minear also mentions mysterious goings-on with regards to Inara in the Out of Gas commentary. Remember also that in OOG Mal questions why Inara wants to fly with Serenity, which Inara never really answers.
Pure speculation: What if the needle was actually a weapon of some kind? Maybe something developed by the Companion Guild? Probably reaching a bit here... though the recent thread where Dune was mentioned does have Bene Gesserit on my mind. :-P
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Originally posted by KernelM:
Pure speculation: What if the needle was actually a weapon of some kind? Maybe something developed by the Companion Guild? Probably reaching a bit here... though the recent thread where Dune was mentioned does have Bene Gesserit on my mind. :-P
I do like the way you think, KernelM - I remember thinking it looked like the probe/assassination device from Dune. Inara does have certain Bene Gesserit aspects, doesn't she?
Firefly Artwork Series
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It's possible that the needle box is for medication, but can be used for suicide if you OD. We know that Inara left Xenon unexpectedly, when she was in line to run her Companion House. We know she's on a rundown vessel and that's highly unusual. We know she went for a medical checkup, which she said was routine. We know in OOG that, when Simon said he didn't want to die on Serenity, she said she didn't want to die at all, while looking away from Simon. Tim Minear said there was a clue to Inara's secret in that scene and I'm betting it was in that glance away. She's medicating herself for something fatal. It's why she won't let anyone close.
shambleau
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Whew! Glad I saw this thread (at last.) I was prolly ruining the taglog for everybody with needle talk.
I am thinking the needle contained drugs... I don't think they were drugs that Inara wanted to take though, and I don't think they were suicide drugs either. I would place my bets on it being some form of control drug being used by the companion guild over the companions.
It may give the user some form of heightened abilities, i.e. quicker reactions, sturdier health, or it may be a tracking drug used to keep tabs on her... which is possibly why she was considering taking it if she was going to be killed... so that her body could be found perhaps.
Regardless, I don't think she wanted to use it, because this drug could very likely have bad side effects as well as (possible) good ones. Knowing what we do about how this future society likes to experiment with people, isn't this a consideration?
I can see how this required dependence on an unpleasant drug by the companion guild might have forced certain compaions to flee, i.e. the HOG whorehouse ladies. Might they not have fled there to escape the control of the drug?
Might not Inara be trying to flee the trap of the drug?
Isn't that a great excuse by the companion guild to find out if their companions are still addicted... to require a yearly checkup for the presence of the drug, masked as a pretense to ascertain their health to continue "companioning?"
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Inara: Who's winning?
Simon: I can't really tell, they don't seem to be playing by any civilized rules that I know.
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Quote:
Originally posted by shambleau:
It's possible that the needle box is for medication, but can be used for suicide if you OD. We know that Inara left Sihnon unexpectedly, when she was in line to run her Companion House. We know she's on a rundown vessel and that's highly unusual. We know she went for a medical checkup, which she said was routine. We know in OOG that, when Simon said he didn't want to die on Serenity, she said she didn't want to die at all, while looking away from Simon. Tim Minear said there was a clue to Inara's secret in that scene and I'm betting it was in that glance away. She's medicating herself for something fatal. It's why she won't let anyone close.
Wow. Okay, I'm with you now. Whedon put in a lot of little glance away moments with Inara. Now that you mention it, why would a companion have a suicide kit anyway? Granted, traveling out on the rim, there's risks, but she seems to be the only one willing to take an overdose rather than be taken by Reavers.
Whoa...good theory.
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Quote:
Originally posted by shambleau:
We know in OOG that, when Simon said he didn't want to die on Serenity, she said she didn't want to die at all, while looking away from Simon. Tim Minear said there was a clue to Inara's secret in that scene and I'm betting it was in that glance away. She's medicating herself for something fatal. It's why she won't let anyone close.
That actually makes quite a bit of sense, and it explains Inara's last words in HOG ~ which fair near ripped my hear right outta my chest.
~A~
...I'm still free,
You can't take the sky from me.
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I like this idea but... if Inara has a fatal illness what's the use of showing her with her medicine when the Revers were nearby?
My original theory had always been that the needle and it's contents were protection for companions. Something they kept close during their time with a client. If the client started to get rowdy or violent he or she'd get a quick stab and take a nap for a few hours. That's why I had thought Inara had taken the needle out. If the Revers were coming in, and she knew she was gonna die, make it painless. But I haven’t seen the DVD commentary or deleted scenes or whatnot, so I don’t know how that stands.
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It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
Aristotle
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Needle could be used for:
Drugs for pleasure
Drugs for sedation of enemy
Drugs for suicide
Drugs for enhanced abilities
Drugs for suppression of something (illness, some companion programming, ability,...)
Drugs for medication
Weapon (mixing higly reactive compounds to make a sleep agent, neurotoxin)
I am sure there are more combinations. And there is always Jayne's comment on Inara doing something funny to the shuttle because it smelled funny, and Inara saying that is was incense (OoG).
Interesting thread.
Just as the War Against Drugs would make some kind of sense if they honestly called it a War Against Some Drugs, I regard Dubya's current Kampf as a War Against Some Terrorists. I may remain wed to that horrid heresy until he bombs CIA headquarters in Langtry. - RAW
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Wow - what a thread.
When I watched the scene my only thought was the needle was for suicide.
BUT....
I've just today gotten my DVD set and haven't yet (!) rewatched all of the episodes.
If memory serves correctly, there's one scene with Inara in her shuttle with what is obviously a hookah sitting on the table.
yet more fuel for the drug addict theory.
Richard Echeandia
Mal: "Everybody dies alone."
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