Inara's secret.
POSTED BY: peacekeeper
UPDATED: Saturday, June 6, 2009 20:50
VIEWED: 50550
PAGE 10 of 16
Quote:NC, Im not suggesting otherwise.Glad to class myself as one of them. Its just that one of my threads has never attracted so much attention.Glad to have contributed something worthy of discussion is all.
Originally posted by peacekeeper:Quote:
Originally posted by ncbrowncoat:
Peacekeeper,
Browncoats are a deep and insightful bunch with many points of view despite what other fandoms think of us.
BEB, many good points there (and great to see you around). and Mal and Inara both have to change a bit in order to have a successful relationship.
Unfortunately I have to go to work, but I know you'll talk amongst yourselves and I'll have lots to ponder this evening.
http://fireflyfaninnc.livejournal.com/
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Platonist: I don't think Mal necessarily judges people based on how useful they are. Objects in Space and the Lilac Run aside, River tends to be far more trouble and in need of protection than the amount she gives back. Yet he lets her stay.
Or Shepherd Book. Initially his perspective is why the hell would I want a shepherd around? Shepherd Book is a pretty good cook from what I can tell, and seems to know an awful lot about clandestine operations, but none of that is why he stays either.
If all Mal really valued about people is how they are useful (to him), his initial impression of Inara would have been "rich, pampered, spoiled, useless." Which I don't think is the impression he got at all. And I really don't think he enjoys it when she uses her companion status to save his neck, even though it's quite useful for him!
Nah, a person who only values others for their uses isn't just Mal-practical, they're narcissistic sociopaths. Mal appreciates plenty of other things about his crew than just what uses they have. What would Mal be without Kaylee's cheerfulness, Book's wise common sense, Wash's sense of humour and sometimes friendship, or Zoe's loyalty? River's important to him, not just cause she's a reader and a pilot, though what about her it is... Maybe her combination intellectual and childlike wonder or playfulness? Jayne is important because he represents straight-up self-interest, which Mal uses to protect the crew. Mal does respect Simon's unexpected bravery (quiet guy like that, who'd have thought?), that is, when Simon isn't punching him for taking River on a job, or annoying him, or being too sarcastic... And Inara. I'm not sure there's anything about her he doesn't appreciate.
Nope, I think our Captain has a secret sentimental side. :)
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In his mind if has to be secret. I think that he sees some weakness in Simon because of his absolute dedication to his sister. Even when River does something that really gets them into a lot of trouble, Simon is there trying to defend her, and I think Mal sees that as a bad thing. Perhaps he doesn't want to be in a position where he's expected to do the same for Inara. And when he is talking with Wash in War Stories about how it splits alliances having inter-crew relationships, it kinda of hints that he knows the same would happen with him and Inara, that he would have to show her more dedication than the rest of the crew and his ship, which makes him uneasy.
In the pilot Serenity, when the soldier at the beginning is dying Mal totally ignores everything else and tries to talk to the guy to keep him alive. I think if he knew that Inara was dying that he would feel the need to do the same basic thing with her, and he is afraid to.
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Hmm. Not so much a weakness... Mal is able to see and understand the heroic nature of Simon's struggles, and it's the kind of heroism Mal wishes he still had but thinks he's too jaded for.
But Simon doesn't realize none of the crew can get anywhere without each other and that his best bet to save his sister is to be loyal to the crew, instead Simon chooses to be loyal to his sister above all else.
And that's something Mal would see as an inconvenient complication. :)
However... As captain, he would see a conflict of interest in getting involved with anyone on his ship. Much like as a sergeant in the war. He thinks he owes it to the people under his command to keep a clear head, and to keep the situation on the home front stable. He would like the other crew members to take their obligations in this regard as seriously, but being as this actually isn't war time, he doesn't have much chance of it.
He also really, REALLY doesn't want to lose any more people he cares about. He's haunted enough as it is, and he blames himself a lot. So he's developed a sort of distancing mechanism to keep anyone from really knowing him or getting close.
And judging by all his pony-tail pulling, Mal hasn't had too many mature reciprocated relationships with women. He kind of doesn't know HOW to act. And his upbringing seems to have left him kind of repressed, both religious and in the values of masculine strength he appears to have been taught, so he doesn't have any way that he knows how to express his desires, and seems inclined to try to ignore them out of his own embarrassment.
But yes, the prospect of Inara dying, and how to be there for her/comfort her when he has no idea how, that would be very scary for him.
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How did I miss this entire discussion? Sigh.
Love all of these thoughts, though. I will continue to mull over it all to my heart's content.
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Quote:
Originally posted by bluesuncompanyman:Quote:Bingo. Found it.
Originally posted by Platonist:
I've gone back and read older threads, and I am amazed that a few fans fiqured this out, so kudos to you, bscm.
I had posted my opinions in 2004 to be rebuked by some folks. Then on Feb 4 2005, under my previous alias thiefjehat, I started this thread that got 8 replies:
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.asp?b=4&t=8747
Yup. Threw a bullseye I did.
There was a discussion about this theory at least as early as January, 2004:
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.asp?b=2&t=3415#36893 (if you look in the middle of that thread somewhere, I'm the first to suggest that the "I'm a big girl, just tell me" line was actually someone Inara once told a doctor...)
---
I don't need a gorram back-spaceship driver!!!
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I spent all that time arguing with BSCM that part of Inara's secret may have to do with anti-aging... But as I think about it, even though something about the theory doesn't quite sit right with me, and even though I think Nandi was more admiring than outright shocked, so Inara isn't outside normal expectations...
There really isn't any reason for Joss to have drawn attention to her appearance and age unless something was significant about it.
I kind of like the idea of something degenerative, like relapsing multiple sclerosis, or maybe something progressively degenerative in the cerebellum and brain stem. Something that she could hide the signs of, or wouldn't show signs of for a long time, that would keep her higher functions intact as she just slowly shut down. Maybe she might take medication to slow the degeneration, and some small amount of anti-aging is the side effect?
Anyway. I still haven't rewatched the making of documentary, but I think another possibility for the Simon and Inara meeting before reference could be in the pilot episode, during the commentary when Mal finds the two of them having a conversation in the shuttle.
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Of course, this is the exact take I'm taking on the anti-aging in the fic I'm writing. I do think it's there, in the series – but the part of people's theories that don't sit right with me is that she'd be taking something in ORDER to stay young. I don't think Inara's vain. She's beautiful, but she's not vain about it in the least. If she is taking something to prevent aging, I think it has to be something also meant to slow the progression of a disease. Which I buy as possible, though that doesn't mean that I think in any way that she's dramatically older than she looks. I certainly don't buy that she's actually fifty or something. Morena's about my age, so she would have been 23 or so when the show was shot. We're probably meant to assume Inara's in her late twenties. I don't buy that this would make her more than 31 or 32 though. Just looked it up, and Melinda Clarke was about 34 when she played Nandi. I'd bet Inara would be a few years younger than that.
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PS. Definitely going to look at those DVD commentaries today re: Simon and Inara. The conversation at the beginning of Bushwhacked does feel rather... familiar.
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Really? Maybe I'm not so angry with your version of Inara's mother then... Although I still get the feeling there may have been negligence and poisonous mothering involved.
But yes, I'd think that would be what makes sense, given the information we have. The idea of Inara flattering her vanity at any cost is a major unspoken part of the reason I've been uneasy with that theory as well.
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