Inara's Needle?

POSTED BY: SouthernSlayer
UPDATED: Monday, January 10, 2005 09:20
VIEWED: 10807
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CAPTBAGGYTROUSERS

Sunday, December 28, 2003 9:12 PM

In the commentary for "Out of Gas," Tim Minear mentions that there's a clue about Inara during her scene talking to Simon. I'm going to paraphrase:

He says that asphyxiation isn't the most dignified way to die. She says she doesn't want to die at all.

In context it's easy to dismiss the line, but coupled with Joss' comments during "Serenity," I think Inara is out seeing the 'Verse before she dies of something terminal and incurable she's already got.

History repeats the old conceits

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CARDIE

Sunday, December 28, 2003 9:21 PM

After watching the DVD's with this possibility in mind, I think I agree with you.

Cardie

11THHOUR

Monday, December 29, 2003 1:02 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by CaptBaggytrousers:
In context it's easy to dismiss the line, but coupled with Joss' comments during "Serenity," I think Inara is out seeing the 'Verse before she dies of something terminal and incurable she's already got.

The same thought occurred to me.

Other clues to this could be behind why she did not sign aboard one of the luxury liners that Mal asked about in Out of Gas. It may be that a large corporate cruise line has its own medical examination for Companions, or asks for medical records, and then her condition would be known.

Also in the episode Ariel when Inara returns from her yearly exam, Kaylee asks her how it went. Inara just brushes past the question with a quick answer, "Same as last year". I wondered why she answered that way instead of a comment like, "I'm fine", or something to that effect. So, "Same as last year" could be another way of saying that her condition has not improved.

11thHour

BROWNCOAT1

Monday, December 29, 2003 2:15 PM

I wondered about this too after watching the commentary, and there are several possibilities, each of which it seems people touched on here.

I think it most likely that Inara is ill with some disease that may be incurable, thus her leaving the Core and heading out to the fringe w/ Mal on Serenity as he tends not to ask too many prying questions.

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

SAINTPROVERBIUS

Monday, December 29, 2003 2:49 PM

Well, I think the important question no one's asked about this theory is..

Why the hell would she be considering taking medicine for a terminal illness right as the possibility reavers might board the ship and rape, kill, and eat everyone on board occurs? To taste better to them?

I think the idea that she's a recovering drug addict makes more sense.

SAGRILARUS

Wednesday, January 5, 2005 8:36 PM

The box, the fancy needle, that's her works. Opium would make a lot of sense both for the situation and her place in life.

Sag

TENTHCREWMEMBER

Thursday, January 6, 2005 6:12 AM

Over on the Serenity Board I posted:

OKay, assuming Joss isn't yanking our chain *g* and the needle isn't a suicide kit, then you have to ask what prompted her to take it out at that moment. To me, she looks as though she is remembering something (perhaps someone?). If it is, like Joss says, much more gross than suicide, perhaps she is carrying an invitrofertilization kit with the...umm...DNA, yes DNA to keep this a family show *g*, the DNA of a lover...one she had to leave behind in order not to complicate her profession or even the person died and she stole his DNA (using feminine wiles of course), and that DNA is her future child.

It may be late, and I may be completely moonbrained, but it is possible.

Dang it...one of these days I'll just write a fan fic instead of posting all my good ideas.

Cilantro!
TCM

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PSYCHICRIVER

Thursday, January 6, 2005 11:14 AM

SERNITY SPOILERS!!!!!

Select to view spoiler:

ACK! Inara ill?! Well we do know that one of our BDH's dies in Serenity! Please don't let it be her!

PsychicRiver

"Two by two, hands of blue."

"We can take care of each other. I'll knit!"

KIRINA

Thursday, January 6, 2005 12:32 PM

TCM- that was the exact same idea that I had the first time I thought it through after listening to the commentary! That it was DNA of someone close to her, maybe a sibling or lost love, who she was planning to have cloned or something- but I dismissed it as being a bit too out-there. But then this is Joss, and it is sci-fi, so who knows?

The problem is the *way* she looks at the needle- on the imdb board someone made the very valid point that she's not looking at the needle like it will help her, but I don't think that rules out it being a booster of some kind that could help her fight the Reavers- because the damage such a drug would do to her body could be really, really severe. I also think the idea that she has a terminal disease fits well with the canon, but agree with the person (sorry for not remembering your name!) who said that she wouldn't be thinking of staving off the disease at a time like that. Maybe it's a combination of both? Some kind of stimulant that in very small doses works as a treatment for the disease but in a large dose would make her able to fight the Reavers at the cost of burning her out completely. Possible?

DIZ

Thursday, January 6, 2005 4:52 PM

I have seen some theories that Inara is not dying, that instead she is trying to be immortal. It fits with all of the context: mum about the doctor visit, "I don't want to die at all", the needle, and let's just add Nandi's comment in HoG "And you look exactly the same as the
day I left. How do you do that out
here?". Nandi looks older than Inara: not by much, but by a few years. Yet they speak about going though companion training together. So I think it can be assumed that they are the same age.

It's a good theory; wish I'd thought of it. Hope her secret is explained one way or another, it kills me not to know!

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