Heart of Gold Question *SPOILERS*
POSTED BY: Shadesiren
UPDATED: Tuesday, December 30, 2003 15:05
VIEWED: 5642
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Quote:
Originally posted by Shadesiren:
You've all pretty much summed up how I felt about it - Basically, Inara put hereslf in the situation of crying over him FINALLY giving in, and I agree that if he was going to do, it was a good time. of course, afterwards, she says "I'm leaving" and I KNOW that this is the main reason.
I think it's a bit more subtle than just the standard 'he slept with my friend, so I'm leaving (him)'...everyone is talking about how little Mal understood Inara's feelings for him, but I think we may be underestimating Inara's ability to deceive herself about the depth of her own feelings for him. Not until the incident with Nandi was she forced to face those feelings directly (hence the crying scene) and once she admitted to herself how strongly she felt, she became afraid...but not in the simplistic 'I'm afraid of committment/getting close because I might get hurt/etc' standard TV romance crap but because a relationship will distract her from her central purpose/goal/mission, which has not been revealed but has been hinted at many times in both the shows and the commentaries, for example:
* Nandi talks about how Inara doesn't like complications
* The mystery of why Inara left when she could have become house priestess in a few years' time
* Why she really loves serenity (not IMHO mainly because of Mal, but mainly because of what serenity represents -- freedom/independence, possibly from the constricting rules of her world, but more likely the freedom to pursue her mysterious mission/goal
* in the commentaries (Shindig?), someone mentions how she does not fit in 'her world' any more than Mal fits in 'his' (theiving)
* In another commentary (Out of Gas?), someone (Tim Minear?) talks about the mystery of what Inara is 'running from' or 'running to' and mentions there's a hint in one of the scenes of that episode.
I'm probably missing some other clues, but I really think the evidence points to something more complex than most people are suggesting. In particular, the last scene when she talks about getting tied to Mal and the crew and the feeling of family and love that has developed between all of them, you can tell that she is torn -- and I don't believe a woman like Inara would run away from that simply because she is afraid of getting hurt, but that she really cannot afford it because there is something more important that she must do...I just wish we had a better idea what that something was (maybe that mystery syringe in Serenity has something to do with it...)
RIVER
Purple elephants are flying.
MAL
Good. Thanks for the update.
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I Love Inara and Mal together (only because I've asked the Magic 8 ball and no, even if the show or movie continue, Joss won't be introducing a new character named JoJo), but I'm sorry, Mal deserved this. He is continually offering Inara the olive branch and she keeps shutting him down. Especially in this episode. I was sitting there hoping Mal wouldn't pull away from Nandi simply because of his feelings for Inara. On a basic physical level, hello...Inara is sleeping with someone all the time (it is her job), poor Mal is supposed to remain celibate for the chance that a woman who wants a "business" relationship to maybe, just maybe some day change her mind?? As a woman, I'm appalled at what that is asking. And frankly, I wouldn't want a guy who was willing to waste his life away waiting for me. THAT isn't romantic...it's wimpy. I love the girl, and my heart broke for her when she was crying, but she can't blame Mal for going on with his life. She's a companion, she's supposed to be good at reading people...she should have been able to see that Mal has been let down too many times in his life. That, mixed with the fact that he is a basic man (who ALL need stuff spelled out for them), should have tipped her off...subtle doesn't work, honey. You want him, go and get him. And if she TRULY loved him, shouldn't she be willing to take that risk?
JoJO
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JoJo.. "Whoa! Good post"
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Wow.. I SO agree with you guys.. I'm not so good at explaining myself, most of the time.. I was kinda just curious if more people were thinking like my hubby was, or more like I was. I agree that Inara puts herself in this position, and that she is running from Serenity for many hidden reasons we haven't gotten to find out. I also think Mal, in a way put himself and Inara in this situation. I can think of at least two moments when I thought it was "all going to come out" when nope, it didn't happen. I think if it HAD, for example, when he asked how Inara ended up "falling down" and he guessed that she kissed Saffron, I think that things would have been WAY different - it's almost like, if they admit it, it's real, if they don't, they can both keep pretending that it isn't.
It's cool that so many people are thinking more like I did about it. I haven't gotten through ALL the commentaries yet, but it's obvious from what I've heard that there is simply too much we don't know about everything.. and it's driving me nuts :P
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A couple years ago I would have agreed with your husband, but I've come to realize that people just aren't wired to mate for life. I'll hold myself to that, but I've finally accepted that expecting that of others is foolish. In Mal's case, I think it's just a matter of him being practical. He may love Inara, but she's made it clear she's not for him to love. That may or may not be true, but it's truth isn't really relevant. Mal and Nandi shared something shiny and desperate. It wasn't what either of them really wanted, but it got the job done.
Romanticism is all well and good, but the body is made to have an orgasm on occasion. With no romantic ties of any substance, why not take a bit of fun and comfort in what may be your last night living and breathing?
I like Inara, but I can't feel sorry for someone who keeps pushing something away then cries when someone else picks it up.
t
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Wellll, about Saffron.
For the record, I'm male, but imma say this anyway, even if it does feel like a bit of disloyalty to mine own.
A - The chick is hot, no doubt about it.
B - Men are stupid, ESPECIALLY around hot, naked chicks.
C - She seemed to know all of his buttons and was pushin em rapid-fire
D - It had apparently been a looong time, and that makes men even stupider.
E - Men are men.
"But she was all naked, and articulate.."
-frem
diefuxdie
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Thanks, Calhoun! I LOVED this episode...well, I love EVERY episode so I guess that isn't saying much. In fact, it contributed one of my top five fave lines...
Mal: They're whores
Jayne: I'm in
And come on ladies, who wouldn't spend a few minutes with Jayne in his bunk??? Help him rethink that whole "no kissin' on the mouth" thing :)
JoJo
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