Inara's syringe: What's the big mystery?

POSTED BY: DigificWriter
UPDATED: Tuesday, July 6, 2004 19:13
VIEWED: 14739
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ANOTHERFIREFLYFAN

Friday, July 2, 2004 11:27 AM

While the terminal illness theory is intriguing, I'd have to disagree with it. I think that if that was the case, we would have gotten some kind of mysterious hint in Objects in Space when River read her mind - kinda like with Book. If you had a terminal illness, and that's the reason you're leaving the ship, and you are TALKING about leaving the ship, wouldn't it be on your mind? River didn't pick up anything that unusual.

Of course, it could still be the case, but I believe we would have had another clue in OiS.

Hmm.. and the youth thing. Nandi did say "you look exactly the same, how do you do that?" Still, she took the syringe out too deliberately, not just a 'all that for nothing?' or 'well, I don't gotta take this anymore'.

The drug theory is interesting too. Maybe she would be running from the guild because she is afraid of being caught, and then expelled.

Once more, let's examine the clues we have : The syringe in Serenity she takes out when in danger of Reavers. Inara ships out with Serenity, a ship that looks 'disreputable' to the upper class, rather than a fancy ship that companions normally ship out on (Out of Gas). Nandi says that Inara was working up to house priestess, and has no clue why she would pack up and leave (Heart of Gold). Inara is obviously running from something, or for some reason. Then she mentions "I don't want to die at all" in Out of Gas. I wonder if River's mind read in Objects was a clue, or just to be taken literally.

I'm not sure what to believe. We really didn't get much to work with here. Hopefully, we'll find out more (or all) in the BDM.

As for my theory on why she is leaving, she has fallen in love with Mal and Serenity. The longer she stays, the harder it gets for her to leave. She feels that she must force herself away, because that kind of an attachment is dangerous to her career as a Companion.

Anyway, those are my thoughts.

~AFf

Keep flying

EVILTOBZ

Friday, July 2, 2004 11:40 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by AnotherFireflyfan:
While the terminal illness theory is intriguing, I'd have to disagree with it. I think that if that was the case, we would have gotten some kind of mysterious hint in Objects in Space when River read her mind - kinda like with Book. If you had a terminal illness, and that's the reason you're leaving the ship, and you are TALKING about leaving the ship, wouldn't it be on your mind? River didn't pick up anything that unusual.

inara's comment to river was "I'm a big girl. Just tell me." considering the way things finished off after heart of gold i'd assume that its not directed at mal cos she know that he cares for her, so i'd read that as some kind of mysterious hint about something from her past, adding weight to the illness theory. i don't like it, but it seems plausible to me.

---------------------------------------------
eviltobz - that's lowercase gorram it!

THEREALME

Friday, July 2, 2004 1:06 PM

Inara's "River thought" in Objects in Space was not directed at Mal, I think. At the end of Heart of Gold, Mal is about to confess his love, and she shuts him up before he can get it out. If I could tell that was what Mal was about to do, then companion-trained Inara could, certainly. No, Inara DOESN'T want to hear it.

Unless, you want to consider the "River thought" to be her unconcious desire, which is possible, I suppose.

As far as the "River thought" not being a clue to her illness, how about this exchange happening sometime in the past:

Doctor: "We've completed the tests, and..."

Inara: "What do they show?"

Doctor: "Well, it's hard to... ummm..."

Inara: "I'm a big girl, just tell me!"

Doctor: "You're dying, Inara."

Or, if we go with the "Youth Drug" idea, then perhaps the Reavers were about to attack during the carefully timed moment when Inara needed to take that shot. Once per day at 6:00 pm, on the dot, or something. Anyway, shot time could roll around, Inara could deliberately take out the box, and look at the needle wondering if she should bother, or look at the irony of how things didn't work out.

The Real Me

Do you want to meet the Real Me, now? See the Ohio Fans!! thread.

ANOTHERFIREFLYFAN

Friday, July 2, 2004 1:37 PM

hmm... very interesting. I really want to know what the true answer is. I'm thinkin' we'll be surprised. Just like we'll be surprised about Book's past.

But theorizing is fun! Doesn't it say something that we're still discussing and figuring out the show so long after cancellation?

~AFf

Keep flying

JK

Friday, July 2, 2004 2:15 PM

I very much don't believe that Inara went to her annual check-up. She's just too evasive; if it had been a matter of privacy, I'm sure there'd have been a trademark snidey comment to Mal about the very same. No, I'm almost certain there IS an annual check-up, but that she didn't go. She's got someone to forge her results or hack the system so that no alerts come up to say that she needs one.

So, our eternal youth drug isn't picked up on by the Guild.

As for why she's leaving, I very much believe that it's because of Mal. Perhaps fear linked to the drug? Because if they became lovers, how long could she keep up the facade? How long before she slipped up? And then she'd have this: "How old are you, Inara?" "Seventy-four." "[Insert Chinese expletive here]". And I doubt she'd be looking forward to such an exchange.

Oh, and she DOES want Mal to tell her. She really, really does. She wants him to love her and she wants to love him. But she can't let that happen, for the above reasons. It's very much Angel and Buffy, in that sense. Angel wants to love Buffy, but knows that the consequences of that mean he can't. Inara and Mal are just living in a slightly less fantastical world.

JK

ANOTHERFIREFLYFAN

Friday, July 2, 2004 2:39 PM

As interesting as that theory is, remember, the Firefly verse is about REALISM. Already River's powers push the boundaries. Adding an eternal youth drug? And if there is one, why don't we hear about the wealthy people in the verse using it? Even if it was illegal, I'm sure we'd have heard SOME mention of it.

I agree Inara wants to love Mal etc. But it conflicts with her career, as I stated above. Give a good listen to the "I'm leaving" speech in Heart of Gold.

Keep flying

RHUTTNER

Friday, July 2, 2004 2:54 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by everyworldspinnin:
She definitely is hiding something. In OiS she said that she was going to New Melbourne and that she didn't want to "draw this out", and she appreciated Mal not "telling the others". I think this lends to a potential infraction of Guild Law.
I liked the idea of it possibly being something to OD on in the syringe. If it turned her into some super over adrenalined thing to fight the Reavers, I would be pretty disappointed. It's too hokey, and I think the strong point of the show is it's roots in reality (i.e. no aliens). But that's just me.

She was referring to leaving Serenity. That has nothing to do with the syringe.

Are you an official Browncoat? If not, go sign up gorram it! http://browncoats.serenitymovie.com/serenity/?u=rhuttner

RABIT

Friday, July 2, 2004 3:04 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by AnotherFireflyfan:
As interesting as that theory is, remember, the Firefly verse is about REALISM. Already River's powers push the boundaries. Adding an eternal youth drug? And if there is one, why don't we hear about the wealthy people in the verse using it? Even if it was illegal, I'm sure we'd have heard SOME mention of it.

Yes, I have to agree. Joss always gives hints to thinks like this, in some fashion. The man has foreshadowing down to an art.

I'm more inclined to believe one of two things:
1) She's dying, as has been discussed.
2) The syringe and her leaving the core worlds were independent; she left because of "complications" (a man, loss of a child, whatever), but the syringe is something completely different.

Just my thoughts.

Rabit

SHINY4004

Monday, July 5, 2004 12:47 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by newscaper:

Therefore my bets are on 1) a shot to unlock her fertility someday, 2) semen from a dead former lover, or 3) an embryo that she had extracted and put in stasis for implantation someday instead of following House rules and aborting it.

With the suicide shot out of the picture, I can't think of anything else that would seem to have an emotional value like the scene suggested.

I am definitely leaning towards your first theory, I think it fits. Inara, although a companion and professional, still maintains a lot of relationships with the crew on the ship, and is very loving (eg. Kaylee etc) I think it makes sense that she'd want a kid one day. It would also help to make her have more depth, since everyone on the ship seems to have some sort of secret, why couldn't hers be that she wants a child one day (which people wouldn't expect a companion to want) and was thinking that now she'd never have one?? It's also less fantastical than the other theories (although they are all great ones

I just think the whole realism thing is a big issue to be dealt with here)

I do want to add that I don't think that this theory is the whole thing however, there has to be MORE to it. (It's a Whedon show

after all)

"Oh I'm going to the special hell."-Mal

WAVE

Monday, July 5, 2004 3:04 AM

Given the immediate threat of the Reavers, it seems most likely it's either a suicide kit or a weapon. Since Joss said it isn't a suicide kit, surely it's a weapon? Assuming it is actually a syringe (are we sure?) and that the contents must be injected in order to do anything, it's probably Inara herself who would be using it. Which I think supports the killing-machine theory.

I don't agree that this is a hokey idea, as there's no reason the transformation need be bizarre or grotesque. It's likely she would look exactly the same, even though her abilities would be enhanced. Of course, such a metabolic speed-up could mean death for her, as well as the Reavers.

We are not in the 8th dimension! We're over New Jersey!

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