Some thoughts on Inara by Noocyte

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Some thoughts on Inara

POSTED BY: NOOCYTE
UPDATED: Thursday, January 30, 2003 10:13
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Tuesday, January 28, 2003 7:45 PM

...No, not THOSE thoughts

This may be a bit Out There, but what if she has some kind of life-threatening --or outright terminal--disease (non-contagious, I trust!).

Item: No one REALLY knows why she would ship out with a blue (and sometimes black) collar outfit like Serenity. The notion that she has a thing for Mal always seemed a bit thin to me...and that wouldn't account for why she signed up in the FIRST place (however much it may be holding her there). Mayhap she wanted to see more of the 'verse before heading out to the Really Big Black.

Item: In "Objects in Space," her psychic soliloquy was "I'm a big girl; I can take it" (or somesuch). Doesn't make sense, really...unless...Diagnosis day flashback?

Item: Might that "Companion Physical" have been rather more than routine? Her response to Kaylee didn't seem especially evasive...till I started thinking along these lines...

Item: It might have just been her general aristocratic bearing and unflappable poise, but she DID seem preternaturally calm in "Out of Gas," when everyone else (except ole Mal, of course) was twitchin' before the Reaper (not to be confused with Reavers, who threatened a rather less serene exit for her).

I may be off base here. But it could make for an interesting story arc, quite a bit of deepening for Ms. Serra...and the opportunity for Mal's feelings to pop to the surface when he finds out...not to mention something for Simon to do as River swims closer to the surface of lucidity...

And, of course, the point may be all-too moot (gorram, mother-ruttin' sons of unregistered companions at Fox!!)

Speaking of which, has anyone else been sending near-daily emails to Fox on http://www.fox.com/community/askfox/ in the "feedback" section? In addition to postcards and calls to my local affiliate, I've been making rather a (perfectly polite!) pest of myself there. Couldn't hurt...

Sorry. Kinda strayed off-topic. Thoughts?

Cheers;

Noocyte.

Department of Redundancy Department

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Tuesday, January 28, 2003 8:20 PM

PHILOMEL

I think this is a very interesting take on the Inara situation, and could work really well. It's got fanfic possibilities all over it, but is also a really good theory of why she's there and the scene from Objects--Mal's comment I understood given the Battle background, but you're right, hers was a lot less easily explained. I'm not sure I buy that that's where the series would have gone with it, but it is definitely workable. She's definitely a cypher.

Phil.

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Tuesday, January 28, 2003 10:15 PM

HKCAVALIER

In "The Train Job" she says to Simon, "We're all running from something, aren't we?" (or something to that effect) and Simon gives her this big significant stare before we cut away. This seems to be about as blatant a statement about Inara's reasons for being on Serenity as Joss would give us. So, she's on the run. From what? That would be telling...

HKCavalier

Hey, hey, hey, don't be mean. We don't have to be mean, because, remember, no matter where you go, there you are.

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Wednesday, January 29, 2003 4:11 AM

LOSTANGEL

Could be an interesting theory. I took Inara's "thoughts" in OiS to be personally directed at Mal though. It seemed they were having a conversation under their conversation.

______________________
Lost Angel

WASH: Psychic, though? That sounds like something out of science fiction.
ZOE: We live in a space ship, dear.
WASH: So?

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Wednesday, January 29, 2003 7:13 AM

BROWNCOAT1

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

Very interesting hypothesis. It could well be possible.

Bears some more thought anyway.

I would like to pose this possibility as well; could it be that she is on the run from a former client, who may have wealth and/or influence who wished to possess her?

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

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Wednesday, January 29, 2003 11:43 AM

TALRIUS

Another point to your hypothesis,

In the Serenity episode when we first meet Inara (About 20 min. into the episode.) after the sex scene she's having a conversation with her young customer. The conversation is about Sihnon City. Inara speaks with such passion about the city. Any way her customer mentions that he can't imagine ever leaving, then we see a shot of her looking away with sadness in her eyes and then she covers it up with a lame story of wanting to see more of the galaxy, (Could be true and it couldn't).

But maybe it's as simple as she was disowned by her family for becoming a Companion and had to leave Sihnon. The problem with speculating about Firfly characters is that they're written by Joss and he loves to throw curve balls. I mean who would have ever guessed that River could kill people with mathematics and her eyes closed!

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Wednesday, January 29, 2003 4:18 PM

HKCAVALIER

Quote:
Originally posted by Talrius:
Another point to your hypothesis,

But maybe it's as simple as she was disowned by her family for becoming a Companion and had to leave Sihnon. The problem with speculating about Firfly characters is that they're written by Joss and he loves to throw curve balls. I mean who would have ever guessed that River could kill people with mathematics and her eyes closed!

A couple things. There sure is a funny doubleness to Inara's profession. On the one hand, she's obviously a 26th century geisha, respected, famous, skilled in diplomacy; and on the other hand, in keeping with the old west theme of the show, she's just a whore. These two ideas are not exactly compatible. While watching the first season I kept waiting for the geisha/gaiku thing to be made explicite but mostly what I got was Mal being a real

about it, and that major

, Adison[Adington, Arington?] treating her like goods. I think the bias of the home audience as well is toward her being a prostitute merely. People feel sorry for her. The fanfic is full of Inara having second thoughts about her life, etc. It's a lopsided picture. I'm hoping "Heart of Gold" or one of the other episodes will help balance things.

Secondly, I'm totally down with that line about Joss and curve balls. Its why I don't buy a lot of the speculation about Book, because it seems so pat, obvious, a+B=c kinda thing. I'm pretty sure none of us has guessed right about Book. We'll just have to wait and see how things develope over the next few seasons.

HKCavalier

Hey, hey, hey, don't be mean. We don't have to be mean, because, remember, no matter where you go, there you are.

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Wednesday, January 29, 2003 5:24 PM

SELNYC

Quote:
Originally posted by Talrius:

The problem with speculating about Firefly characters is that they're written by Joss and he loves to throw curve balls.

It's my understanding that Joss & Co. purposely leave their character's backgrounds a little vague; as a nascent writer myself, I've found this is a useful quality in a narrative. It gives you a lotta wiggle room for those times when you've painted your characters into a corner and cannot get 'em out without some stupid deus ex machina device (OK, redundant, I know). Remember, neither Buffy nor the audience even found out Angel was a vampire until the third or fourth episode...and we didn't really get any details about the terms of his gypsy curse until the second season.

Quote:
HKCavalier wrote:
I'm totally down with that line about Joss and curve balls. Its why I don't buy a lot of the speculation about Book, because it seems so pat, obvious, a+B=c kinda thing. I'm pretty sure none of us has guessed right about Book. We'll just have to wait and see how things develope over the next few seasons.

I totally agree, which is why we need to get this show back in production STAT. And this is from one who has speculated on these very boards about Book's history -- I would so much rather have ME tell me the story than guess, on account a they always seem to surprise me...

Joss -- Tim -- you out there???????

I'm a mean old man.

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Wednesday, January 29, 2003 7:36 PM

NOOCYTE

Philomel: Yah, the thought of fanfic had crossed my mind. Wish I had the time! Please feel free to use this idea in any fics it might inspire.

HKCavalier ("Buckaroo! Give *me* the formura!"): At the risk of post hoc justification (I'm the first to say it's only a theory/idle speculation), mayhap she's "on the run" from the unrushing reality of her own mortality...

Lostangel: I'd had the same thought, but it didn't quite track for me. What would it be that she can "take?" Mal's real feelings (or lack thereof) for her? Always seemed like a non-sequitir (like Jayne's guilt over "Ariel" had nothing to do with his conversation with Book...except as a counterpoint to the "St. Jayne" notion).

Browncoat1: Possible, and, to my knowledge not contradicted by anything (in fact, it would make more sense of how foregone a conclusion it was that she wouldn't stay with Atherton Wing [that and the fact that he was a total hump {no pun intended}]).

Talrius: Yah, she *was* mighty wistful about that planet. Trouble is, unless her family is of a religious bent (like Book...or Mal, before his loss of faith), the profession of Companion, like the courtesans of old, could actually have been a boon to them, rather than a cause for shame...then again, I'm making some assumptions about the culture which I don't have enough gorram data (YET!!!!) to support. As for Joss' tendency to throw curve-balls, I've gathered that...but I've not yet gotten into Buffy (DVD rentals--->purchases pending), so I have to take people's words on that (and nope: didn't see the River-as-killing-machine thing coming either).

HKCavalier: I think the duality of attitudes about Inara's profession may be related to the not-altogether-integrated aspects of the Sino-Anglo Alliance. One culture loaded up with Christian puritanical baggage, and the other, not so much. I too hope this is addressed in a more balanced way. As for Book...he's the cypher to end all cyphers at this point. his arc alone is reason enough to bring back "FF." As if one could really pick!

SELNYC: Totally agree; these characters have SO much room for multi-season growth and exposition and evolution, I can scarcely begin to imagine where they might go. The postcards and e-mails continue!

Well...

Department of Redundancy Department

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Wednesday, January 29, 2003 11:21 PM

HKCAVALIER

Quote:
Originally posted by Noocyte:

I think the duality of attitudes about Inara's profession may be related to the not-altogether-integrated aspects of the Sino-Anglo Alliance. One culture loaded up with Christian puritanical baggage, and the other, not so much.

Department of Redundancy Department

My feel is that the evangelical christian puratinism is a new thing, on the rise. Or a very retro thing that has been out of favor in the civilized 'verse for quite some time. After all, we have five hundred years of stuff happening. The Companion of 2517, if indeed related to the present day geisha, is culturally integrated. Look at Inara, on the surface there is nothing particularly japanese, or even asian about her. This in a show where everyone has a conversational familiarity with mandarin. One has to imagine that Companions used to be called something else and that Companions had to be, at some point in the English speeking 'verse, respected and revered and fawned over. And still are, in civilized parts. But Inara finds herself among these hayseeds out on the frontier and they got one word for her. So whatever she's running from, it would have to be pretty bad for her to seek refuge with people who are largely ignorant of, if not outright hostile to her way of life.

HKCavalier

Hey, hey, hey, don't be mean. We don't have to be mean, because, remember, no matter where you go, there you are.

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Thursday, January 30, 2003 8:51 AM

LADYSHILLELAGH

I don't see Inara as being as looked down upon, at least not by the majority of the places they go. Some of the far planets don't like her much, but all the Central Planets hold Companions in high favor.

Anyway, it doesn't seem to be a terminal illness she's running from, just doesn't seem to be in her nature. I'm thinking jilted lover is closer to the truth. Perhaps jilted lover that's high in the chain of Alliance command?

As for Book....Abbey? He's from an Abbey, but there are few abbeys around, so I wonder what he is, really. I also wonder why he's on a space ship going nowhere and knows how to shoot a gun and fight.

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Thursday, January 30, 2003 10:13 AM

ALLRONIX

As one of those "fanfic writers," the reason why I think she's having second thoughts is that the character seeems so sad. Even when she smiles, she seems sad and lonely...apart from everyone.

And it likely has much to do about the 21st century look on prostitutuion as a demeaning near-slavery, something that a woman is "forced into." A conversation with a former Nevada streetwalker played into "A Place in This Verse," as did a fantasy novel called "Kushiel's Dart" where the lead character is a courtesean, trained since she was barely out of infancy to be a playtoy for the nobility.

My sister speculates that she actually fell for a client...major no-no, and that the situation with Mal is an "oh, damn - not again."

My speculation is that, when she was younger, she liked the glamour and the allure of the high-class world. As she's getting older, she's seen what's behind the veneer and isn't impressed by it. If she were, then why wouldn't she be on something higher-end than a tramp ship full of smugglers?

Co-founder of the Evil Writing Crew - causing hell, one hero at a time!

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