General Discussions
Did the 'Companion' thing ever bug you in Firefly?
POSTED BY: chrisisall
UPDATED: Saturday, February 7, 2026 14:42
VIEWED: 45553
PAGE 13 of 21
Saturday, February 20, 2010 12:12 AM
Originally posted by pizmobeach:
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Saffron appeared to be an innocent castaway, nearly a slave that was left on the ship, whereas Nandi was an Ex-Companion, very different. There's respect and hospitality for the wayward stranger and then there's LUST for a Companion that has training.
LUST has no reason!!! It would NOT stand aside and say here's an innocent.... or is that just the fact that I find Saffron (Christina) to be a Nerve-Shattering-Redhead!!!! Must be me but I'd drink her bath water! Did I just type that aloud?!
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Saturday, February 20, 2010 12:12 AM
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Originally posted by Bytemite:Quote:
2. With the job title being "Companion" there is a lot more than just sex. A companion isn't trying to be "friends" with someone, that requires the client knowing and caring about the companion as a person. Rather, the companion is being a friend to the client...always on the giving side, never the receiving. They are listening, comforting, pleasing the client It's all about the client. That is no friendship. Can attachments/fondness form? Absolutely, but it is still very one-sided and therefore not friendship. IMO, it's the reason Inara is so offended by Atherton's offer of keeping her. He is not interested in her as a companion but simply as a whore. Inara kidded herself into believing that he cared for her as a person. When she tries to throw it back at Mal, it falls flat because he knows they don't care for her on that level.
Now this I agree with. The sad thing is, I think Inara does think people are her friends, because this IS a way in which she is naive.
But that doesn't mean that's how it is with companions, or that companions are offering anything more than what's on the package. I think that's a personality issue with Inara more than it is her profession, because of the point about objectivity I brought up earlier, I doubt companions are encouraged to make friends with clients.
Dang...you quoted my sad misspelling (and some grammar, punctuation errors I don't care to fix). :)
Anyway, I never saw Inara viewing her clients as anything more than that...although I do think she takes some pride in their attachment to her. Afterall, attachment would be a sign of a job well done and who doesn't want to take pride in their work. :D
I think Inara's weakness is that she craves for more, she wants a companion of her own, but she can never allow that to happen.
(Please note: my perspectives are all based upon not knowing Inara's secret. I haven't pursued that answer, I don't read fan-fic, etc. I'm mostly okay with the 'verse as it is. Some pondering is fun, getting actual answers, though can be unsatisfying. I guess I now know the secret, but just from quick glances on this thread).
KPO: Nandi's power is more appealing to me than a companion's. But, while Nandi stepped out of the role of companion/whore, she is still using sex to gain whatever measure of power she can. I can take a step back from that and see her as a businesswoman, using the markets available to her, which is the appealing aspect.
(And oddly, while I affirm Zoe's power, she was the character I liked the least, possibly because I identify with her the most...or maybe I'm not a huge fan of Gina's. (don't hate me). :D )
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"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw
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Saturday, February 20, 2010 12:21 AM
I dunno, I can still see and respect Inara as a business women. I think she drove a hard bargain in Out of Gas.
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Anyway, I never saw Inara viewing her clients as anything more than that...although I do think she takes some pride in their attachment to her. Afterall, attachment would be a sign of a job well done and who doesn't want to take pride in their work. :D
That seems pretty unethical to me. Pride in manipulating people?
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Saturday, February 20, 2010 12:21 AM
Originally posted by Bytemite:
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Som: I have to say, if your interpretation of Mal and Inara's characters are correct, and they really are that petty, shallow, and spiteful, I can't say I really like them much or have much sympathy for them.
I should rewatch the series and try to see it from your perspective. I might be surprised to find myself agreeing, and start to hate the two of them.
Oh dear really?! I hate to think I've caused you to think that. :(
Deep down I like to think Joss and his writers draw from reality (not immitate but draw from) and embue his characters with traits witnessed/experinced in real life.
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Saturday, February 20, 2010 12:21 AM
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Originally posted by TheSomnambulist:
Originally posted by Bytemite:Quote:
So you think hurting each other is intentional on both their parts?
Yes - This is a Joss show after all, and he frequently shows the ugly side of people falling in love.
I can agree that at times, both Mal and Inara intentionally hurt each other. Mal calling her whore, Inara calling him petty thief, etc. But I cannot believe that Mal slept with Nandi to hurt Inara. If he wanted to hurt her, he would've slept with Saffron.
Mal slept with Nandi because there was romantic lighting, imminent danger, fine rice wine, good company and a willing partner. How many untethered (and sadly, tethered) adults wouldn't get busy in that scenario?
One thing I might agree with you on, however: Inara finally realizes what it's like for Mal when she sleeps with clients. But that only holds true if she believes that Mal has real feelings for her, rather than just attraction/curiosity. I think it's more likely, though, that she just realizes the depth of her feelings for Mal and has to run away from them, knowing that they can never really be together.
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"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw
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Saturday, February 20, 2010 12:27 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Bytemite:
I dunno, I can still see and respect Inara as a business women. I think she drove a hard bargain in Out of Gas.Quote:
Anyway, I never saw Inara viewing her clients as anything more than that...although I do think she takes some pride in their attachment to her. Afterall, attachment would be a sign of a job well done and who doesn't want to take pride in their work. :D
That seems pretty unethical to me. Pride in manipulating people?
Oops...no. Not what I meant. Not pride in manipulation, but pride in meeting the need.
(And yes, I respect Inara as a business woman...and as a person. Her care of Fess Higgins, how she stood up to his father, etc was commendable.)
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"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw
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Saturday, February 20, 2010 12:28 AM
Som: Don't worry about it. This is good. I joined in this fray to try to understand other people's perspectives and see if I find something new to explore. This definitely qualifies.
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Saturday, February 20, 2010 12:35 AM
Originally posted by RugBug:
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I can agree that at times, both Mal and Inara intentionally hurt each other. Mal calling her whore, Inara calling him petty thief, etc. But I cannot believe that Mal slept with Nandi to hurt Inara. If he wanted to hurt her, he would've slept with Saffron.
Fair point. I think hurt was a by product of his action, rather than the intent. The intent was maybe to inform Inara of how her actions as a companion hurts him [Mal].
Quote:Yeah, OK maybe. I'll just about conceed with this one although I think it's significant that it's Nandi (Inara's friend, and not just any 'whore'). I mean Inara is inviting Mal to a whore house, obviously he would be tempted, and Inara would be aware of that, but did Inara really think he'd go through with it? And with Nandi... To me everything that Mal has done in the past contradict his actions with Nandi - But you make a very good point. It's enough I must admit.
Mal slept with Nandi because there was romantic lighting, imminent danger, fine rice wine, good company and a willing partner. How many untethered (and sadly, tethered) adults wouldn't get busy in that scenario?
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One thing I might agree with you on, however: Inara finally realizes what it's like for Mal when she sleeps with clients. But that only holds true if she believes that Mal has real feelings for her, rather than just attraction/curiosity. I think it's more likely, though, that she just realizes the depth of her feelings for Mal and has to run away from them, knowing that they can never really be together.
I think when you are in love with someone you also want to believe that that someone loves you back... So I think it's fair to assume that Inara believes/knows that Mal has feeling for her....
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Saturday, February 20, 2010 12:40 AM
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Originally posted by Bytemite:
Som: Don't worry about it. This is good. I joined in this fray to try to understand other people's perspectives and see if I find something new to explore. This definitely qualifies.
Thank you Bytemite. Likewise. And honestly I'm now going to go to bed and watch Hearts Of Gold from what you were saying earlier - so thanks.
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Saturday, February 20, 2010 12:50 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by TheSomnambulist:
Originally posted by RugBug:Quote:
I can agree that at times, both Mal and Inara intentionally hurt each other. Mal calling her whore, Inara calling him petty thief, etc. But I cannot believe that Mal slept with Nandi to hurt Inara. If he wanted to hurt her, he would've slept with Saffron.
Fair point. I think hurt was a by product of his action, rather than the intent. The intent was maybe to inform Inara of how her actions as a companion hurts him [Mal].
Again, Saffron would've worked if the intent was to show Inara what it felt like to be on the other side. Now, I wouldn't put it past Mal to come up with this as an after thought 'she does the same thing to me all the time' justification for hurting her. But proceeding with the action on that intent...I just can't believe it. I would have to loathe Mal...and I can't do that.
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Originally posted by TheSomnambulist:Quote:Yeah, OK maybe. I'll just about conceed with this one although I think it's significant that it's Nandi (Inara's friend, and not just any 'whore'). I mean Inara is inviting Mal to a whore house, obviously he would be tempted, and Inara would be aware of that, but did Inara really think he'd go through with it? And with Nandi... To me everything that Mal has done in the past contradict his actions with Nandi - But you make a very good point. It's enough I must admit.
Mal slept with Nandi because there was romantic lighting, imminent danger, fine rice wine, good company and a willing partner. How many untethered (and sadly, tethered) adults wouldn't get busy in that scenario?
Mal is not tempted by just anyone. That's Jayne and his 'willin' women'. Mal needs more than willing, he needs a connection. He found that with Nandi. Saffron was willing, but there was no connection, although she did an excellent job of getting him to the point that connection or not, he would've had a hard time saying no.
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Originally posted by TheSomnambulist:Quote:
One thing I might agree with you on, however: Inara finally realizes what it's like for Mal when she sleeps with clients. But that only holds true if she believes that Mal has real feelings for her, rather than just attraction/curiosity. I think it's more likely, though, that she just realizes the depth of her feelings for Mal and has to run away from them, knowing that they can never really be together.
I think when you are in love with someone you also want to believe that that someone loves you back... So I think it's fair to assume that Inara believes/knows that Mal has feeling for her....
I think we WANT to believe that someone loves us back...but that most of the time, we play the "does he/doesn't he" dance, and which side we end up on depends on the day..and his recent actions. Inara has enough confidence and experience to know that Mal is attracted to her has some feelings but the depth of them is unknown. And in a way, feelings are trivial to the situation, because Inara is the one with the power. Mal cannot be with her if she's a companion but he won't ask her to give up her career. Inara won't give up her career for him. They are at an impasse. She can't fool herself any longer so she needs to remove herself.
Been there, done that. Have the T-shirt. (which could cloud my opinions. :D)
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"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw
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