why not Mal? by SouthernSlayer

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

why not Mal?

POSTED BY: SOUTHERNSLAYER
UPDATED: Saturday, February 26, 2005 04:58
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Monday, February 14, 2005 12:04 PM

Hey. I was just wondering what everyones opinion was on why Mal never told Inara how he truely felt about her. He's a confident guy so it surprises me that he hadnt expressed his feelings during Inara's time on Serenity.

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

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Monday, February 14, 2005 1:00 PM

THATWEIRDGIRL

I don't think it's an issue of confidence.

It's hard to tell someone you care for deeply that you do care for them when either you and/or that person can not openly admit such feelings. In Mal's eyes Inara is not available. And as captain, he is not available to her. So he sits on his feelings.

Been there. You express your wants and desires in mostly acceptable ways and hope that you do not offend your love. You hope that they reciprocate your advances without causing more damage than you have by admitting your desire. You're unavailable, he’s unavailable and yet you hope against hope knowing it never can be.

But the longing glances across the ship don't fade overnight.

www.thatweirdgirl.com

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Monday, February 14, 2005 1:18 PM

SOUTHERNSLAYER

Why do you suppose we have difficulty telling those we care for deeply that we do?

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

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Monday, February 14, 2005 1:21 PM

ODDNESS2HER

Admitting it would leave him vulnerable, and that is not a feeling Mal is comfortable with.

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Monday, February 14, 2005 1:31 PM

EMBERS

Mal had lost his faith in love...
like he'd lost his faith in faith,

so he didn't want to admit it to himself,
much less to her...

he had decided to never 'feel again',
and he couldn't admit that he wasn't the hardened
bad-ass he believed himself to be....

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Friday, February 18, 2005 7:33 AM

SIMONWHO

I agree with the above but I also think there's another dimension to it relating to her profession. Mal doesn't share the apparently universal high regard shown to companions. He calls Inara a whore frequently and has been generally disparaging about her line of work.

However, he doesn't seem quite so bothered about the other genuine whores in Heart of Gold. Maybe this is part of the idealisation that often occurs with unrequited crushes - in his eyes, Inara is too good to sleep with other men.

Perhaps he's attracted to her because of her (in his eyes) lowly status. His self-esteem isn't exactly through the roof so maybe he feels he deserves to be with someone who sells their body. Of course, he may still be worried that she would have said no and what would that do to his self-worth, turned down by a prostitute?

I know where he's coming from; when you're in love with someone with whom it's never going to work, it's better to just live with the fantasy than actually do anything about it.

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Friday, February 18, 2005 9:48 AM

AMDOBELL

I don't think Mal has a problem with Inara being a whore, it's the whole pretending that being a Companion is different. At least a whore is just telling it like it is, being honest if you like. He seems to feel the need to remind her that she is doing her own pretending and its' the pretence he doesn't like. As if she is better or any different from the girls at the Heart of Gold. As for the feelings between them, Inara made it pretty clear right from the outset that she doesn't service crew but as time goes on it gets harder and harder for them to not blur the lines between friendship and love. That leaves them with the wanting. Also, I don't think Inara would ever give up her lifestyle for Mal any more than he would be able to change what he is for her. I also think if they did hook up he would be far too jealous to share her with anyone who had the coin to pay for it. Whatever the slant she might put on her profession it would still feel like betrayal to him.

Ali D :~)
You can't take the sky from me...

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Friday, February 18, 2005 11:15 AM

BATMARLOWE

Don't you think it's kind of odd that no one other than Mal seems to think a companion is a whore? And not just the rest of the crew of Serenity but no other character? But in answer to the question, I think Mal doesn't tell her out of simple fear of rejection.

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Friday, February 18, 2005 11:29 AM

ZEEK

Quote:
Originally posted by batmarlowe:
Don't you think it's kind of odd that no one other than Mal seems to think a companion is a whore? And not just the rest of the crew of Serenity but no other character? But in answer to the question, I think Mal doesn't tell her out of simple fear of rejection.

I seem to recall Atherton calling her a whore.

Could be that Mal has some bad experience with prostitution. Perhaps his Mom had to take to the trade at some point to make ends meet or some such.

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Friday, February 18, 2005 1:37 PM

MALADJUSTED

Mal's up there on his moral high horse. He is surprisingly prudish. He was horrified when he walked in on Kaylee and Bester. Saffron handed herself to him on a plate and he couldn't even look at her. "Whoa, hey! Flesh....." And how about "...Its more a question of what's, um, of what's morally right."

He can't get past Inara's occupation. He'd probably cope better if she was a straightforward prostitute. He had a sort of respect for Nandi. Even then, I don't think he would have "accomplished anything sinful" without the help of a good deal of her fine rice wine!

I think it's the pretence of respectability that Inara sheilds herself behind and that fact that she's seen as so far above him in society that he can't stomach.

He's angry with himself that he has feelings for her.

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Saturday, February 19, 2005 10:55 AM

GWENHARKER

Don't forget, Mal grew up with his momma who from the way I see it, taught him how to treat ladies right and how instead of sleeping around and leaving women behind him (like Jayne), He respects them and treats them proper.

Due to the lack of a father, it was either a widow situation or the guy up and left her with Mal. It makes sense to me.

Mal sees Inara for what she really is and he doesn't like it. I don't think he likes to see women so low on their luck that they resort to such a profession be it "common whoring" or companionship.

Admitting his feelings would do just what he doesn't want: Admit that he cares for someone who sells themselves and with those feelings out in the open, they will become true and how will he feel? He like a woman of such a lowly profession and what does that make him?

Complicates things.

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Sunday, February 20, 2005 5:17 PM

KAYSKY

Love is complicated. It's not easy to say the things we want to say to the person we are in love with.

Mal and Inara are both stubborn and set in their ways which only makes it harder for them to confront their true feelings with each other.

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Sunday, February 20, 2005 5:41 PM

EBONEZER

Quote:
Originally posted by SouthernSlayer:
Why do you suppose we have difficulty telling those we care for deeply that we do?

You know, I did that once. It worked out surprisingly well. The relationship began with the lines of communication wide open, so we can talk about anything.

This is totaly unrelated to the thread, sorry. But I felt compelled to share.

-----------------------------------

Four out of five gynecologists recommend calling Ebo a girl.

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Sunday, February 20, 2005 5:50 PM

CALHOUN

Quote:
thatweirdgirl wrote:
Monday, February 14, 2005 13:00

Been there. You express your wants and desires in mostly acceptable ways and hope that you do not offend your love. You hope that they reciprocate your advances without causing more damage than you have by admitting your desire. You're unavailable, he’s unavailable and yet you hope against hope knowing it never can be.

Been there? Elaborate for us please.

Fancied the boy next door when you were too young for real love to be acceptable?

Have a crush on your husbands brother or some such?

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Sunday, February 20, 2005 6:01 PM

THEGREYJEDI

*nods*

Wow. That sounds familiar.

But as for Mal, he, much against his will, fell in love with the graceful and beautiful Inara. But her profession is an immorality he just can't reconcile with.

It's similar to situations I've run across, most recently this past fall. But thanks to being able to talk about the feelings, and also finding Holly, there's no where near the tension that there exists between Mal and Inara.

------------------------------------------------------------
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http://tomeofgrey.blogspot.com
Real Fans Wait - 09/30/05

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Sunday, February 20, 2005 6:21 PM

FINN MAC CUMHAL

An opinion on Mal’s depiction of Inara’s profession:

Is Inara’s profession any different then a prostitute? Certainly sex is one of her services as it were, but my impression is that Companions are considered by the established political culture as distinctly different from prostitutes, specifically trained to offer more then just sex. Although this may make her just a high-end model; sex is afterall being sold, the difference is really who it is being sold to. Companions move in circles of the very elite; they have credentials and an established administrative base. They offer sex, among other things perhaps, to the gentry of an aristocratic culture, and most surprisingly of all, they seem to wield considerable aristocratic power themselves, based purely on their profession. Indeed they are part of a caste system not unlike, it seems to me, the sociopolitical hierarchy of the former soviet union. The most powerful members of the society are those associated with the government, while the vast majority is composed of slaves and a working class, and there is considerable disparity between the upper aristocratic castes and the working class. Inara falls into the sociopolitical structure somewhere near the top.

Is Inara’s profession necessarily accepted? Certainly in political terms, since the Alliance appears to rule somewhat heavy-handedly, we can say that her profession is accepted, because the Alliance accepts it. But does that necessarily make her accepted by the people? Given my description of the sociopolitical structure of the Alliance, I think it is fair to assume that most people live in a fair degree of ignorance about their government. So would the average person, that is the oppressed, uneducated and poverty-stricken masses, really be in a position to understand or know what Inara did for a living? Or instead would they view her as a powerful aristocrat of an oppressive government? Someone who, perhaps carries no legal authority, but still, due to the nature of the culture, wields considerable influence, and if that influence she commands can bring down the aristocratic arm of a totalitarian regime, would anyone who wasn’t an aristocrat, and by definition a part of that culture, question her?

So my last question is why does Mal view Inara’s profession so disapprovingly? Is it really because he is necessarily prudish, though he may be? Does he really have that much of a problem with prostitutes? Or rather is Mal’s discontent more political in nature. Perhaps it is not so much what Inara does for a living that bothers him, although that might be a part of it, but rather it is the culture that she is a part of. Perhaps, Mal sees Inara, by way of her profession, as someone who is complacent with a totalitarian regime and profiting from a aristocratic culture, while the vast majority of people struggle just to survive under the weight of this despotism.

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Tuesday, February 22, 2005 6:08 AM

ASTRIANA

Quote:
Originally posted by Finn mac Cumhal:
So my last question is why does Mal view Inara’s profession so disapprovingly? Is it really because he is necessarily prudish, though he may be? Does he really have that much of a problem with prostitutes? Or rather is Mal’s discontent more political in nature. Perhaps it is not so much what Inara does for a living that bothers him, although that might be a part of it, but rather it is the culture that she is a part of. Perhaps, Mal sees Inara, by way of her profession, as someone who is complacent with a totalitarian regime and profiting from a aristocratic culture, while the vast majority of people struggle just to survive under the weight of this despotism.

And from this, let us not forget that not only is Inara part of the "aristocratic culture," but that she openly admitted (in OOG) that she supported unification during the war... the unification that Mal fought so hard against and lost his faith to... I imagine it'd be difficult to reconcile loving someone who supported something you felt so strongly against that you killed and saw others killed to keep it from happening.

~Astriana~

...I'm still free,
You can't take the sky from me.

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Tuesday, February 22, 2005 10:09 AM

MALICIOUS

Quote:
Originally posted by SimonWho:
...when you're in love with someone with whom it's never going to work, it's better to just live with the fantasy than actually do anything about it.

SimonWho, I know, I'm sorry. It can never be between us.

Mal is married to his ship. He is connected to the rest of the people on it only because they are on his ship. He would only be connected to Zoe if there were no Serenity. He was attracted to Inara at their first meeting and, after all the time on the ship together, he perhaps fell in love with her. But he wants a woman who is all his, like the ship is. And Inara is her own woman who, say hey and by the by, has sex with other people for a living. As much as her independence attracts him, it is also a part of what repels him.

Mal-licious

Co-Holder of the Red Bell from Hell

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Tuesday, February 22, 2005 5:51 PM

SHINYSEVEN

There's a lot going on here (apart from the well-known tendency of TV shows to fall apart once Unresolved Sexual Tension gets resolved).
1. Mal and Inara have *nothing* in common, and they inevitably bring out the worst in each other.
2. Which is OK with me, because Mal/Kaylee is my favorite Firefly het ship.
4. OK, in *our* world being a call girl or even a geisha is not accepted; in their world, being a Companion is not only tolerated but respected.
5. I think a lot of Mal's attitude is that he's just mad at anybody who has $500 or whatever it costs to engage a Companion.

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Tuesday, February 22, 2005 6:16 PM

SIMONWHO

For the one above, I can only say "Three sir."

Quote:
Originally posted by Malicious:

SimonWho, I know, I'm sorry. It can never be between us.

What is the problem? The drinking? The late nights? The womanising? The bizarre sexual practices? The random acts of violence? Honey, those are the things I love about you, I don't want you to change.

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Tuesday, February 22, 2005 6:16 PM

ROCKETJOCK

Quote:
Originally posted by AMDOBELL:
I don't think Mal has a problem with Inara being a whore, it's the whole pretending that being a Companion is different.

I agree, in a way. But part of the problem is that Mal does think there's something wrong with high-class prostitution. He think's it's pretentious, partially because of the lower social class most independents were perceived to occupy. He doesn't like the idea of a whore occupying a higher social level than "honest" workers -- he treated the girls of the Heart of Gold in a gentlemanly manner because he thought of them as being more honest about themselves than Inara is about herself.

Mal's problem, IMHO, is that he doesn't want to admit that there's a difference between a fry cook and a gourmet chef; Inara's possibly is not understanding that being trained at the Cordon Rouge doesn't make you morally superior to the person flipping McBurgers; it just makes you better educated.

Or -- just maybe -- Inara's real problem is that she did realize just that, and was, perhaps a bit too vocal about it to the wrong people...

"Hermanos! The Devil has built a robot! Andale!" -- Numero Cinco

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Tuesday, February 22, 2005 6:35 PM

SMITH

I have to agree with AMDOBELL that 'if they did hook up he would be far too jealous to share her with anyone who had the coin to pay for it.' I mean, Mal can't be simply too scared of rejection to let her know his feelings. I think it has more to do with what would happen after they hooked up. Would she quit her profession for him, or would he learn to live with the fact that she has lovers on the side? Neither seems likely.

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Tuesday, February 22, 2005 8:40 PM

GOOSH

I think Inara and Mal can work fine, yes there will have to be some HUGE concessions, Mal's firm belief that Inara is a "whore" for one. I do think that they can "make" it work, perhaps even with Inara keeping her profession. That's the whole basis of loving someone else, you should share some views, but when they don't correspond, you cede your beliefs because they're worth it. I don't claim to understand love in it's entirity but i do think it's a matter of people, they obviously are physically attracted to each other, and it will be a very funny relationship, with them both being very headstrong and argumentative. I like a little confrontation, ask my significant other if you must. Heck, i'll give you her email if you so desire...(you shouldn't because it's kinda creepy) But, i'm hoping it works, how it works is my overall goal, and if it can, i think it will.

I only worry because I burn.

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Wednesday, February 23, 2005 5:54 AM

BROWNCOAT1

May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.

Let's look at Mal & Inara for a moment. It seems that no two people could more different. Mal is an Independent and fought against the Alliance during the War. Inara supported unification. Mal is from a rim planet, and Inara is from a Core world. Mal is a soldier and captain of a ship that takes any job, legal or not so legal, to earn a living. Inara is a companion, a highly respected profession, and is well paid. Mal is considered to lack sophistication and manners, while Inara personifies sophistication.

Looking at these observations, I can easily see why Mal would be very hesitant to confess his feelings to Inara. He loves her, that much is obvious, but Mal is an honorable man. He most likely believes that he can not provide for Inara or move in the social circles that she does. They are from two different worlds and it may be difficult or even impossible for them to live in the others world. Of course in my opinion they should make one together.

I also believe that Mal has a blind spot the size of an Alliance cruiser when it comes to Inara. I honestly think he doesn't have a clue how she feels about him. He may think that her barbs and insults are sincere and that she thinks of him only in the way she does the rest of the crew. So rather than be rejected, Mal remains quiet, keeping his feelings to himself.

__________________________________________

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

Richmond, VA & surrounding area Firefly Meet Up:
http://firefly.meetup.com/9/boards/

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Wednesday, February 23, 2005 8:11 AM

ZEEK

Is anybody else worried that the show will lose something if the relationship does get resolved? Could you really see Mal and Inara as a couple? What if they decided it wouldn't work? Would the tension still exist?

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Wednesday, February 23, 2005 10:09 AM

MALICIOUS

Quote:
Originally posted by SimonWho:
What is the problem? The drinking? The late nights? The womanising? The bizarre sexual practices? The random acts of violence? Honey, those are the things I love about you, I don't want you to change.

Well, I WAS thinking more along the lines of "THE ATLANTIC OCEAN" but those are good reasons too.

Count three. No more, no less. Three is the number you shall count to. Not two, nor four, but three....

Priceless!

Mal-licious

Co-Holder of the Red Bell from Hell

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Wednesday, February 23, 2005 5:22 PM

SIMONWHO

Well, that's always the dilemma with Unresolved Sexual Tension, the moment you resolve it, the relationship goes flacid. Thankfully Joss has the answer - kill one of the characters. *warning, spoilers for Buffy/Angel follow*

Buffy resolves the tension with Angel, poof - he is replaced by Angelus. Angel finally makes a move on Cordelia, kapow - she ascends and returns wrong. Fred and Wes, finally get it together - she smurfs it up. Buffy tells Spike she loves him - he denies it (wise man) but incinerates anyway.

The relationships that lasted on those shows never had the plot resting on them - Xander and Anya; Willow and Oz; Wes and that girl he rescued. The Fred/Gunn relationship lasted because the tension was from the love triangle, not the chemistry between the two.

So my guess is when it was resolved, something dramatic would happen that would immediately rip them apart. Which is as it should be.

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Wednesday, February 23, 2005 7:18 PM

PHAEDRA

I think there are several problems with the relationship both identified thus far and some unexplored. My overiding theory, Inara represents a force of feminity, which Mal cannot control and is thus naturally intemidated by and fears (while simultaneously desiring).

First the quick recap:

1. Mal can't share. For all his discourse relating to freedom and being a solid anti-establishment, Mal is a traditionalist: 1 man, 1 woman ergo his comments in HoG re: tending towards woman folk. Also Mal is a bit of a prude, as pointed out by another contributer in reference to him catching Kaylee and Bester together and his hesitance to get together with Nandie who obviously wants him.

2. Inara represents the establishment. There is a deep strain of class consciousness that informs most of Firefly, ergo the tensions between Mal/Inara and Kaylee/Simon.

3. Mal is damaged. The war left Mal extremely suspect both of both faith, and I would argue love. Love means giving part of yourself to another, which is a level of freedom I question whether Mal or Inara would be willing to give up.

4. He's afraid that he's not good enough for her. He lacks formal education. He can't afford to keep her in her lifestyle. His life is rough (with all the people shooting at him and such), he may fail her just as he failed Nandie.

Now undiscussed issues:

1. Lets look at the rest of the women on Serenity.

Kaylee: Kaylee is completely loyal to both Serenity and Mal. Serenity is her chief love and she's also beholden to Mal for letting her on the ship in the first place. Also Kaylee is vulnerable in that she's one of the few crew members without a tendency or a talent for violence.

River: Though River is a super genius and (arguably) the best shot on the ship, she is also beholden to male forces: i.e. her brother who keeps her sane and Mal who keeps her on the ship. River is a wild card which Mal and the rest of the crew are naturally suspect of, but her connections keep her under control.

Zoe: Zoe is the hardest case in my argument. Zoe is as strong and smart as Mal (perhaps arguably even more so). But Zoe also respects rank. By hook or by crook Zoe will follow Mal's lead. Note, that even though Zoe sometimes disagrees with Mal, she'll never openly oppose him. And they have a history which roots them to eachother, i,e, the war. She also has the additional restraint of Wash (not that Wash rules Zoe, its quite clear who wears the "pants" in that relationship), but she's anchored to a male force. But Mal also resents this influence, thus the exchanges in War Stories.

Inara is different from all these women. Pushing her profession aside (we'll come back to that in a minute). She's the only woman on the boat who openly contradicts Mal. Infront of the rest of the crew or in private she calls him out when she thinks he's wrong and also calls him petty. She uses her capital (her sexuality and desire for him/his desire for her) to control him. Ergo her threats to leave in the first episode. Mal chaifs(sp?) at the thought of being controlled. Thus he consistenly reminds her (although unsucessfully) that it is HIS SHIP. Note, that he has no desire to be beholden to her, hence his refusal to help her sell the Lassitar.

Additionally, its her position as a companion. Being a companion places her at an additional advantage that Mal can't deal with. Mal seems to resent, simultaneously admire higher education. Remember his comments about rich kids in the first episode and his issues with Simon. Inara seems to take a perverse pleasure in lording her education over him.

It also means that she's a free agent, someone whose beyond his will. Desire/Love/Passion are the tools of Inara's trade, her capital. Mal could never control these as opposed to his ability to market Jayne's violence. Her profession also directs the course of the ship (yet another unacceptable area of power), hence they have a lot of fights over the choice of planets, even though he relys on her capital to gain entry to planet he would otherwise be barred from (there are explict references to this in the first episode). Any form of relationship, coupled with his inabiltiy to share (a cheapening of their love) would deny him access to planets and thus hurt his buisness and ability to fufill his duties to the rest of the crew.

Additionally, Companions enjoy a unique type of freedom that Mal has no access to. They can go anywhere in the verse. Enjoy Alliance sanction, without relying on them for protection. And they take care of there own. Mal needs to be needed, thus his good treatment of the occupants of the Heart of Gold. Inara can always look to the Guild to get her back. Also she enjoys a freedom of contract that he doesn't. Mal must go scraping to the scum of the verse (Niska, Badger, etc.) for jobs and take what he gets. Inara has her pick (note her clients i.e. Atherton, only turn ugly in the face of competition).

Before my final note in defense of Mal, lets take a quick look at the other women in the Whedon universe and on Firefly specifically. Buffy is a force unto herself, who cannot be controlled by other male power figures (Giles who has to reason with her to get a simbalance of his way; the Council which she works for and then openly opposes; Angel/Angelous/Riely/Spike all of whom she controls with a combo of sexuality and physical force [Spike is man enough to take and revel in it]). Buffy is the exception that proves the rule (although there is a deep ambivalance in the show and Buffy herself to her level of power). Otherwise the Whedon universe (don't get me wrong Joss is one of my favorite feminist) somewhat teaches us to be warey of all sources of power, especially feminin ones. Willow goes nuts and is afraid of her own power. Glory is evil and insane. Drusilla/Fatih/Darla all evil/insane. Jasmine is a canibal. Fred smart but physically weak. Aralia super powerful but suspect at her best momement. Cordy (good Angle version) a conduit to the powers that be, and then evil (conduit to apocolapse). In the Firely verse we have Saffron evil/untrust worthy (feminity in its worse form it pretends to be subservient and then trys to take over) and Patients, who's prone to shooting people even if the deal is good.

Again, this is not unique to Joss, but reflexive of how our society treats powerful women unbound by patriarchal forces (family, government, etc.). Inara is part of this tradition. Had the show contiued, I'm pretty sure this conflict would have come to a head with Inara having to chose between the Guild and the crew.

Lastly, in defense of the tight panted one, he's tried, at the end of HoG Mal attempts to declare his feelings (granted its a bad time considering that Inara's best friend has just died), and she shuts him down. As much as Mal fear Inara's strenght, Inara fears Mal's control. Thus Nandie tells us that they both hate complications which their relationship would be filled with.

Anyway, for better or worse that's the way I see it.

Phaedra (a bad luck name)

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Wednesday, February 23, 2005 8:01 PM

GOOSH

I think, all the posts in this thread, which is one of few i've read, have been very valid points. We can obviously debate this until Sept. 30th, perhaps further if we so choose. I honestly know very little of Joss's other endeavors, i've probably seen some, just not known that he was behind any of them. I think that when all else fails we can always fall back on science. It's magnetism, in this case social magnetism, and as with all magnets....opposites attract.

Which, I suppose is the nature of the beast. It's about the complications, for those of you who have read any of Terry Goodkind's works, i'm trying to think of the solution not the problem. I can hardly see a conclusion to this dilemna coming in a way we all find acceptable, much less can agree on before we've seen the upcoming film. If my dreams (some of the wildest) come true, and Firefly does get picked up by some other station after the movie, which really isn't "that" far-fetched, i guess. I think we'll see a continuation of the tension, or perhaps a new third party, one more willing, and less decietful than saffron, to be with Mal, giving him a new avenue. Putting the pressure on Inara would be a good way to add a twist but keep the suspense, and keep us interested. I just hope it's ends happy, i can't stand sad drear endings to pretty romance.

I swear on my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you!

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Wednesday, February 23, 2005 9:39 PM

ELWOODMOM

Quote:
Originally posted by SouthernSlayer:
Hey. I was just wondering what everyones opinion was on why Mal never told Inara how he truely felt about her. He's a confident guy so it surprises me that he hadnt expressed his feelings during Inara's time on Serenity.

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

I think it's because if they DID confess their love for each other, ratings would drop. It's called the Moonlighting syndrome. Then again, Fox dropped the show anyway, so what do I know?

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Wednesday, February 23, 2005 11:10 PM

COSMO

The question should actually be 'why didn't Inara do something about it ?' a woman with her profession and her training should have been able to get to the core of the issue much faster than shown in the series.

I would have expected more of an Anya approach, I like you you like me why dont you come over for tea and we'll see what happens.
Instead we get a high school romance with lingering looks and little forward movement completely inappropriate for the strong willed woman she is supposed to be. In addition we have the fact that they spend long stretches of time coped up in a small starship with no one else to talk to, it makes little sense that they would not hook up.

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Thursday, February 24, 2005 5:43 AM

BROWNCOAT1

May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.

Elwoodmom wrote:

Quote:
I think it's because if they DID confess their love for each other, ratings would drop. It's called the Moonlighting syndrome.

I remember Moonlighting, and you are right. The second Mattie & David got together ratings dropped and the plots hit rock bottom.

Cosmo wrote:

Quote:
The question should actually be 'why didn't Inara do something about it ?' a woman with her profession and her training should have been able to get to the core of the issue much faster than shown in the series.

I think that Inara did do something. At the end of Heart of Gold when Mal was about to confront her w/ his feelings, she told him she was leaving the ship. I think she did this partly because of his being on the brink of admitting his feelings and partly due to her reaction to seeing him coming out of Nandi's room.

I think that Inara has known for almost since the beginning that Mal was attracted to her and that he was starting to fall for her. She tried to deny it and her own feelings for him and stayed longer than she should have, partly out of a desire to be near him, and partly to stay on the move for whatever she is running from.

Quote:
In addition we have the fact that they spend long stretches of time coped up in a small starship with no one else to talk to, it makes little sense that they would not hook up.

Actually it makes perfect sense if you recall what Inara told him in the flashback sequence from War Stories. She told him she would not under any circumstances service him or any of the crew. Of course that was when she looked upon Serenity and Mal as a mere business arrangement. Their travels and tribulations have changed the relationship dynamic a good bit, but I think Inara believes for her sake and Mal's she must not cross that line.

__________________________________________

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

Richmond, VA & surrounding area Firefly Meet Up:
http://firefly.meetup.com/9/boards/

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Friday, February 25, 2005 12:05 AM

COSMO

Some good points there, I still think that Inara was inconsistently written given her supposed profession. She is supposed to be a person who have survived on her own for quite some time, part of her training would have had to be to make a difference between 'sex' and 'love' still in regards to Mal she is acting like a teenager.

Her reaction in 'heart of gold' makes little sense to me, why is she crying ? If she wanted him she could have done something about it long before that.

The flashback in warstories also makes little sense, she could have said 'I will not service you or the crew because you cannot afford my price' and/or 'you are not my kind of clientele' since she didn't give a reason she left the door open for speculation.

In conclusion the whole role of a companion in the firefly universe is not easily understood, maybe it would have been developed further in a longer series.

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Friday, February 25, 2005 3:52 AM

EMBERS

I do think that Joss' point was that things happen to people,
that you cannot control your own emotional response.
Mal assumed he couldn't fall in love because he was isolated and bitter,
and Inara assumed she couldn't fall in love because she was a professional,
and in control always of her situation....
they were both wrong.

Living and working side by side and created a bond which turned into love in spite of themselves.
Against their volition.

Of course her response turns out to be, to run away....
showing she is definitely NOT like Anya.

At any rate Cosmo, I think you are thinking of Inara as a whore (someone who would go with anyone who has the price),
while I think she was supposed to be more of a Geisha (a highly trained entertainer and courtesan who has to maintain her place in society...and can't be caught 'slumming').

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Friday, February 25, 2005 8:55 AM

SIXGUN

Nandy observed in "Heart of Gold" that neither of them liked complications. In "War Stories" we find out Mal didn't want Zoe to marry Wash because he felt ship board romances were a bad idea.

Mal has to consider other things too. If they profess their love for each other what if Inara decides to remain a companion? How would he deal with that? If she gives it up she gives up her status in society and leads a life of crime and running from the Alliance with him. Maybe he doesn't want that for her. As for Inara, we've been given hints that she has her own agenda, leaving Senon (or however you spell it) when she could have been house mistress or whatever. And that syringe we saw in the pilot that we all assumed was a suicide kit, Joss hinted in the audio commentary was for something else entirely. Getting involved with Mal might interfere with that agenda.

Well, as a rule I say girl folk ain't to be trusted.

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Friday, February 25, 2005 9:12 AM

FIREFLYGAL

I think it's because Mal loves Serenity more. He's never looked at Inara the way he looked at Serenity for the first time in Out of Gas. I don't deny he loves Inara but Serenity's his number 1 gal.

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Friday, February 25, 2005 9:12 AM

SIXGUN

I'm going to throw out a wild theory about Inara here. Inara has been shown to be a very nurturing person and has taken to looking after Kaylee and even River almost like a mother.

If you watch closely, many times when there is imminent danger or a very emotional scene, she places her hands or a pillow in her lap or cradles her belly. She's either very protective or very aware of her child bearing regions, if you will.

Companions are apparently governed by a set of regulations. I strongly suspect one of the regulations is that they're forbidden from bearing children and are probably medically altered to ensure it. The mysterious syringe from the pilot might be what could reverse that. I believe Inara yearns to have a child and I believe her travels on Serenity meeting clients from all over is a quest to find the perfect father and when she does she'll resign from the guild. She would naturally look for someone in her own class of people which Mal certainly doesn't fit in and I think that's why she balks at the idea of it being him whatever her feelings toward him might be.

Like I said. Just a theory.

Well, as a rule I say girl folk ain't to be trusted.

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Friday, February 25, 2005 4:51 PM

HORSEPLAYER

The major difference between a whore and a companion seems to be the official sanction.

In HOG Inara says something like "They are whores, they're not registered with the guild"

Knowing how Mal feels about offical sanctions and permits, is it any wonder he not only refuses to recognize the differnce, but actively fights it.

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Friday, February 25, 2005 10:03 PM

ELWOODMOM

Quote:
Originally posted by Cosmo:
The question should actually be 'why didn't Inara do something about it ?' a woman with her profession and her training should have been able to get to the core of the issue much faster than shown in the series.

I would have expected more of an Anya approach, I like you you like me why dont you come over for tea and we'll see what happens.
Instead we get a high school romance with lingering looks and little forward movement completely inappropriate for the strong willed woman she is supposed to be. In addition we have the fact that they spend long stretches of time coped up in a small starship with no one else to talk to, it makes little sense that they would not hook up.

Maybe because Inara is in love, and that makes her communicating abilities all befuddled...

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Saturday, February 26, 2005 4:58 AM

BROWNCOATFAN1

maybe he did not say anything because he doesnt want to complicate things. maybe if things went bad in the relationshiip (which i dout they wouldnt) he wants to know that they are still frends.

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