Inara and the Operative (Spoilers) by Smaug

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Inara and the Operative (Spoilers)

POSTED BY: SMAUG
UPDATED: Tuesday, October 11, 2005 17:50
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Tuesday, October 11, 2005 11:24 AM

I have only seen the movie once.. but am dieing to see it again. But I have a question to through out about one of the comments Inara makes about the operative.

When the operative first comes to Inara, it seems apparent that she knows who/what he is.. at least to some degree. She then makes an obvious "bogus" call to Mal to try to get him to come see her. Mal and crew know something is up, but once she called I don't think Mal has a choice but to go see her for two reasons. One to make sure that she is truely ok and two.. even if he knows she is ok.. I don't think he has a choice to even consider passing up an oportunity to see her again.

I think he has been looking for an excuse to see her again.. and will even take the bait of a trap if only to see her.

So she is suprised when suddenly he shows up. Which is a little odd.. actually I can't wait to see that particular scene again... I may be missing a lot. But she tells him that the call was bogus and he should have known that and stayed away because it was a trap. But at the same time I would think that Inara would know that if she called out to Mal.. he will aways answer her. Maybe she was suprised and shocked more by to what extent... and to what danger Mal will put himself in to answer her call.. when she was obviously trying to save him by making it obvious that it's a trap?

Anwyay.. after their all to brief reunion the operative makes himself known. Of course they exchange some words and in what I thought was a brilliant moment.. Inara bends down to light some "incence"

and Mal asks her "what are you doing?" To which she replies "I am praying for you." Now think back.. Do you remember in "The Train Job" where Book tells Inara he feels helpless while the others are out "working" and Inara tells him to pray for them? And when Book says that Mal probably wouldn't like that. Inara says "Then don't tell him.. I never do". Well.. now she has!!!

I think that statement had MUCH more meaning and depth than what one might think at first glance. It makes me wonder if that is what Inara does in her spare time now? Since she left Serenity.. does she mostly spend her time praying for Mal knowing he is still off theiving and misbehaving??

I believe that is probably what she was doing when Mal showed up.

Ok.. I better get to my question..

lol. At one point the operative tells Mal "You can't make me angry". And Inara chimes in and says something to the effect of "That's true.. I spent an hour with him." My question is.. what do you think Inara meant by that?? Did she spend an hour with him as a "companion"???

Surely not!! Or at least I hope not!!! Or do you think she meant spent an hour with him being interregated? Or being forced to make that call to Mal? Or what??

Just wondering what other think..

Smaug..

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Tuesday, October 11, 2005 11:29 AM

PHOEBE

Quote:
Originally posted by Smaug:
Anwyay.. after their all to brief reunion the operative makes himself known. Of course they exchange some words and in what I thought was a brilliant moment.. Inara bends down to light some "incence" and Mal asks her "what are you doing?" To which she replies "I am praying for you." Now think back.. Do you remember in "The Train Job" where Book tells Inara he feels helpless while the others are out "working" and Inara tells him to pray for them? And when Book says that Mal probably wouldn't like that. Inara says "Then don't tell him.. I never do". Well.. now she has!!! I think that statement had MUCH more meaning and depth than what one might think at first glance. It makes me wonder if that is what Inara does in her spare time now? Since she left Serenity.. does she mostly spend her time praying for Mal knowing he is still off theiving and misbehaving?? I believe that is probably what she was doing when Mal showed up.

Ok.. I better get to my question.. lol. At one point the operative tells Mal "You can't make me angry". And Inara chimes in and says something to the effect of "That's true.. I spent an hour with him." My question is.. what do you think Inara meant by that?? Did she spend an hour with him as a "companion"??? Surely not!! Or at least I hope not!!! Or do you think she meant spent an hour with him being interregated? Or being forced to make that call to Mal? Or what??

Just wondering what other think..

Smaug..

Inara said that she was praying for him to cover up the fact that she was lighting something which actually turned out to be a flashbomb. I doubt she was actually praying, or not consciously, anyway.

And the actual quote is...

Operative: "You can't make me angry."
Inara: "Please, spend an hour with him."

By that she means that Mal can make anyone angry, all they have to do is spend time with him. And not much of it, at that. I don't get the impression that the Operative would be interested in, uhm, being a client.

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Tuesday, October 11, 2005 11:32 AM

JCLAST

I thought the line was "spend an hour with him," implying that Mal can make anybody angry given enough time.

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Tuesday, October 11, 2005 11:36 AM

STAKETHELURK

While the Operative's entrance into the scene did give it a vague "romantic triangle" vibe (at least, that's what I felt), that's just subtext. You're misrembering what Inara says. It actually goes something like this.

OPERATIVE (to Mal): "Believe me when I tell you, Captain, you can't make me angry."

INARA: (to Operative): "Please, spend an hour with him."

From what I remember, she was actually talking about Mal (i.e., they fought frequently) rather than the Operative. Interesting how the ear plays tricks on you, though.

And please do see the film again (and bring as many friends as you can), every little bit helps us keep flying. Plus, it's just a really good movie, as I'm sure you're aware.

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Tuesday, October 11, 2005 11:48 AM

ANANTI

It's interesting how different people interpret that line differently.

My impression of Inara's "spend an hour with him" with an exasperated tone is that she had herself spend an hour with the Operative trying to throw him off his game by getting him angry and failing.

I assumed the "spend an hour with him" as short for "I spent an hour with him trying to get him upset and failed.", and I assumed that this hour was part of the interaction between her and the Operative that got her to the point making the call to Mal.

I would assume she did not at first want to make the call, and probably tried different techniques to figure out the Operative's motivation, both through seduction and through upsetting him, and failing both. So when she says "you can't handle him", she was speaking from personal knowledge.

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Tuesday, October 11, 2005 11:53 AM

SMAUG

Quote:
Inara said that she was praying for him to cover up the fact that she was lighting something which actually turned out to be a flashbomb. I doubt she was actually praying, or not consciously, anyway.

I know she was lighting the flash bomb.. but I was drawing that back to "The Train Job" where she tells Book that she DOES pray for Mal but she just never tells him so. I just thought that was a brilliant wink back to that scene from the series..

OHHHHH Now I get it.. I was remembering Inara saying "I know.. I spent an hour with him" Meaning the operative. Not "Spend an hour with him", meaning for the operative to spend an hour with Mal becaues Mal can make anyone angry!!!

That makes much more sence.. thank you..

Smaug..

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Tuesday, October 11, 2005 11:56 AM

SMAUG

Ananti..

Yes.. see that's more or less along the lines of what I was thinking.. and I was just praying myself that that is what Inara meant.. and not that she spent an hour with him as a "companion"

Hmm... maybe that scene isn't so simply after all...

It never is..

Smaug..

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Tuesday, October 11, 2005 11:59 AM

TUNABELLY

Quote:
Originally posted by StakeTheLurk:
While the Operative's entrance into the scene did give it a vague "romantic triangle" vibe (at least, that's what I felt

i didn't get the romantic triangle thing - i thought that Inara was in on the whole conspiry. by the end of the film i'd nixed this theory but i'm bothered by the obvious recognition when Inara and the Operative first meet. how does she know him?

Mal: "We've done the impossible and that makes us mighty."

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Tuesday, October 11, 2005 12:03 PM

THANATUS

I got the feel that she recognized what he was as opposed to who he was...my 2 bits

cheers

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Tuesday, October 11, 2005 12:06 PM

SMAUG

Quote:
how does she know him?

Good question!!! Do you think she knew him personally? Or just that he was a dangerous operative?

My orginal reading was just that somehow she knew/senced that he was BIG time trouble.. but didn't specifically know HIM.

Hmmm.. could it be that Inara knew that she personally wasn't in danger.. that no one would be comeing after her.. except if they wanted to get to Mal and crew by using her? And thus the shock/worry that she showed was for the danger that Mal must be in?

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Tuesday, October 11, 2005 12:27 PM

TUNABELLY

Quote:
Originally posted by Smaug:

Quote:
how does she know him?

Good question!!! Do you think she knew him personally? Or just that he was a dangerous operative?

i got a sense that it was specific recognition and not just that he was some operative. maybe i'll have more to say on this topic tonight after i watch the movie again.

Mal: We've done the impossible and that makes us mighty.

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Tuesday, October 11, 2005 12:32 PM

ZEEK

I don't think Inara knew the Operative before he showed up. She was all smiles at first and it only slowly faded away. She's trained in reading people remember. It only took her a few seconds of looking at the Operative to read that this guy was trouble. As she said he's a believer. The movie was all about belief. Misguided belief is big time trouble.

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Tuesday, October 11, 2005 12:59 PM

ANANTI

Which is why I don't get Book's advice to Mal "I don't care what you believe, just believe."

That makes no sense to me. Not all beliefs are good, the Operative believed too, and his belief led him to acting as a "monster" in his own words.

To me, what you believe in is at least as important as whether you believe.

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Tuesday, October 11, 2005 2:35 PM

TUNABELLY

Quote:
Originally posted by Ananti:
Which is why I don't get Book's advice to Mal "I don't care what you believe, just believe."

That makes no sense to me. Not all beliefs are good, the Operative believed too, and his belief led him to acting as a "monster" in his own words.

To me, what you believe in is at least as important as whether you believe.

i think that Book is telling Mal that it's important to believe in something. yes, the Operative's beliefs made him act as a "monster" but by believing in something he had purpose. what happens to Book in the movie makes Mal believe that what he is doing needs to be done. Book's words convinces Mal that he is doing what is right.

Mal: "We've done the impossible and that makes us mighty."

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Tuesday, October 11, 2005 2:40 PM

EVILMIKE

Quote:
Originally posted by Ananti:
Which is why I don't get Book's advice to Mal "I don't care what you believe, just believe."

That makes no sense to me. Not all beliefs are good, the Operative believed too, and his belief led him to acting as a "monster" in his own words.

To me, what you believe in is at least as important as whether you believe.

Book knew that if Mal made a choice it would be towards something positive.

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Tuesday, October 11, 2005 2:47 PM

ANANTI

Okay that makes more sense.

So in essence, what Book is saying is "I don't care what you call that center you are clinging to, whether you call it God, or morality, or duty, or what ever, what you call it is not important, but you better cling to it as hard as you can."

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Tuesday, October 11, 2005 4:05 PM

TUNABELLY

yea - i think that's the idea. in the movie u see Mal struggling with his ethics (ie: when he pushes the guy off his vehicle cuz there were too many people. Zoe called him on it and his morals are brought into question.) i don't think it's until Book says this to Mal that he decides he IS doing the right thing - or at least he's accepted that it's, at the very least, right for him.

Mal: We've done the impossible and that makes us mighty.

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Tuesday, October 11, 2005 4:10 PM

DONCOAT

Interestingly, the Operative spent a good deal less than an hour with Mal (even including the wave conversation) before Mal made him angry. So Inara was being generous to Mal.

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Tuesday, October 11, 2005 5:50 PM

NOSADSEVEN

Yeah, Mal's pretty good at that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ain't. We. Just.

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