General Discussions

Did the 'Companion' thing ever bug you in Firefly?

POSTED BY: chrisisall
UPDATED: Saturday, February 7, 2026 14:42
VIEWED: 45553
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KPO

Tuesday, February 23, 2010 5:50 PM

Oops, double

Heads should roll

KPO

Tuesday, February 23, 2010 5:51 PM

Treble...

Heads should roll

KPO

Tuesday, February 23, 2010 5:52 PM

Quadruple... sorry guys!

Heads should roll

BYTEMITE

Tuesday, February 23, 2010 6:12 PM

The reason I call it companioning is because I don't quite see it as mutual.

Inara, the next day, ASSUMES that Nandi for some reason needed comfort. But is that how Nandi strikes you, really? That she's very worried about Rance Burgess' threats? She strikes me more as just plain annoyed by it all, like Rance Burgess is an insignificant bug with delusions of grandeur, and the only reason she's taking it seriously at all is the threat to her girls (and boys).

It seems pretty obvious that Nandi seduced Mal. It even seems like from a few things she says that she was PLANNING on seducing him. So, why? If it's not that she needed anything, and Nandi strikes me as fairly independent spirited, why would she do that? Just took a fancy to him because of their similarities? Does she seem like the kind of person who can afford just taking a fancy to someone? Would that be something someone with her training would blindly jump into, seeing that she's AWARE that Inara is the other woman in the room?

Nah, I don't see it. So that leaves two other options. It could have been charity, her feeling sorry for Mal after seeing Inara reject him a couple times in front of her. But ultimately, what I see is Nandi not liking having any debts to anyone. Mal's being paid, but she can see his heart's not in the money, and he's not really getting anything out of helping. So she feels like she personally owes him something. So she uses her companioning abilities as payment. It's an exchange, just like what Inara does. Mal doesn't seem to realize it though.

So if one's okay, why isn't the other? Why's it okay for a guy to take a girl to a dinner and a movie (or give her a ruby necklace), and expect something in return? Isn't it the same thing? Mal decides to take that job because he's trying to help Inara and impress her and maybe THEN she'll want to be involved with him. He doesn't even think he has a snowball's chance in hell of succeeding, but for the questing knight trying to win favour, that doesn't really matter to him (much). He'll do it anyway. Keep on fighting those dragons and slaying those windmills. The pursuit of love is far nobler, in his mind, and far more entertaining for us, than is the obtaining.

Unless you think there's another reason Mal was motivated to help?

In any case, what's the difference between sex obligated by money and sex by social obligation?

KPO

Tuesday, February 23, 2010 8:10 PM

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So she uses her companioning abilities as payment. It's an exchange, just like what Inara does. Mal doesn't seem to realize it though.

You don't see any kind of connection there, between the two characters? - "Lady, you are my kind of stupid.", "Malcolm Reynolds I've been waiting for you to kiss me since I showed you my guns...", etc.? What about the vulnerable: "I aint her."? Why would Nandi bring Inara up if she's just charitably trying to seduce Mal to help him *get over* Inara...??

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Does she seem like the kind of person who can afford just taking a fancy to someone?

That's the least romantic thing I've ever heard!

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Unless you think there's another reason Mal was motivated to help?

The whole connection thing, referred to above.

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In any case, what's the difference between sex obligated by money and sex by social obligation?

We can agree, neither one is romantic. But I don't think that's what we're dealing with here.

Heads should roll

BYTEMITE

Tuesday, February 23, 2010 8:46 PM

Does NANDI seem like a romantic? I'll grant you Mal is. Maybe. He felt a connection to Nandi.

I'm saying Nandi likely felt no more connection to Mal than she did one of her clients when she was a companion.

And yeah, the line about "since I showed you my guns" is what makes me think she'd planned the whole thing. It wasn't anticipation or Nandi looking forward to it (you'll notice she said nothing about HOPING he'd kiss her), it's that Mal's kinda stupid when it comes to taking a hint.

She brought up Inara to make sure he was okay with what they were doing. She knows he cares about Inara. She didn't want him fantasizing he was with Inara when she's trying to help him get over Inara. It's counter productive.

Who here expected Joss to show Mal imagining he's with Inara? I did. But he didn't. Aside from Nandi asking him, it seems like Mal successfully put Inara out of mind for a while. So my interpretation of that scene and the nuances is that was Nandi's intention all along.

MINCINGBEAST

Tuesday, February 23, 2010 8:54 PM

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Originally posted by kpo:
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You don't see any kind of connection there, between the two characters? - "Lady, you are my kind of stupid.", "Malcolm Reynolds I've been waiting for you to kiss me since I showed you my guns...", etc.? What about the vulnerable: "I aint her."? Why would Nandi bring Inara up if she's just charitably trying to seduce Mal to help him *get over* Inara...??

Heads should roll

This. Don't forget that Inara, when she announces her intention to leave, conflates Mal and Nandi--or at least their leadership qualities. She clearly sees the connection, too.

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BYTEMITE

Tuesday, February 23, 2010 10:05 PM

Nandi's a rough talking Madam on a Rim world... She also was once apparently a soft talking companion from the Core. The most rebellious thing she ever did was break a dulcimer.

She trucked out to the Rim and started playing a role that was expected of her, took on traits that she needed to survive. This, and Saffron, reflects what masterful actors and actresses companions can be. Who's the real Nandi? Who's the real Inara?

Like I said, Mal felt like he had a connection with Nandi. Clearly Mal and Inara have a connection. But did Nandi have a connection with Mal? Very hard to tell. My inclination is no. Up until the seduction scene, Nandi gives no real indication of being interested in Mal, even if Mal is somewhat interested in her.

ANOTHERSKY

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 5:18 AM

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Originally posted by fearthebunnyman:
See, my whole thing with Inara was, when does the Companion end, and Inara begin, and vice versa? At that moment, Book recognized Inara as a person of status, respect, wisdom, etc, and he came to her for that. And I never found book all that preachy, and when he was, it was certainly never to Inara...he treated her with deference, and it always stuck me (and this is just my own reading) that that was due to her station, as a Companion...which is simultaneously also who she is (in addition to what). It's never explicitly spelled out WHY Companions are as highly regarded as they are, rather it's shown to us in a myriad different ways.

Quick add - In the commentary for the pilot, Joss mentions that when Simon goes up to Inara's shuttle, ostentatiosly for medical supplies, he is actually going up there to confess, about Kaylle and the trouble he felt he caused. And we see him do that repeatedly throughout the series, going to Inara to confess, or seek counsel or comfort. He doesn't open up like that to anyone else, not even Book to whom he's somewhat closed off, which wouldn't seem to make sense as he obviously has respect for Book's religion, and Book IS the preacher. But Simon grew up with Companions, and naturally gravitates to Inara to fulfill that role instead. So there's another example of her status as a Companion and what that might signify to people in the Core. It's obviously more than sex.

I said after that one scene Book was peachy, not preachy, fearthebunnyman. Meaning, it seemed like a weird blip in his arc.

And Simon, underneath all that shuai, appears to have a very practical Core-culture mind. At that point, with the big Kaylee mess, having "the Ambassador" in your corner might prevent you and yours getting thrown out the airlock...

__

Going for a ride.

FEARTHEBUNNYMAN

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 5:47 AM

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I said after that one scene Book was peachy, not preachy, fearthebunnyman. Meaning, it seemed like a weird blip in his arc.

And Simon, underneath all that shuai, appears to have a very practical Core-culture mind. At that point, with the big Kaylee mess, having "the Ambassador" in your corner might prevent you and yours getting thrown out the airlock...

whoah, settle down there, it was an honest mistake. But I would hardly describe Book as "peachy" throughout the rest of the series. He was clearly dealing with some of his own struggles.

also, I think Simon knew just fine that Inara's liking him or not would have shiat-all to do with the Captain's ultimate decisions. And Simon's approach seemed out of genuine remorse rather than an underhanded attempt to weasel his way into another *passenger's* good graces. Again, Joss implied as much in the commentary. And also again, it's an ongoing habit of Simon's to go to Inara - even when that habit created outright tension between him and Mal, as we see alluded to in Better Days.

Simon also doesn't care so much about *himself* getting thrown out of the airlock, so much as River. Which again, is probably why he wasn;t shy to forge a friendship with Inara, even knowing Mal might not like that.