Heart of Gold Question *SPOILERS* by Shadesiren

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Heart of Gold Question *SPOILERS*

POSTED BY: SHADESIREN
UPDATED: Tuesday, December 30, 2003 05:05
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Saturday, December 27, 2003 11:34 PM

I have a question... regarding what Mal did with.. Nandie? Mandie? Thandie? Whatever her name was - Inara's friend, in Heart of Gold..

My husband's opinion of our illustrious Cap'n has, sadly, took a major nosedive. He says if Mal truly loved Inara, he would never have.. well - you know. I am of two minds - I think he shouldn't have done that, if he wanted to maintain his 'higher moral ground' vs Inara's occupation, and if he really did hope to one day reconcile all the le se and end up with her, he shouldn't have done it. On the other hand, I can understand giving in to weakness with someone who is so like the woman he loves - and he KNOWS she is sleeping with other people, even if that's because it's her job...

So.. I don't know.. maybe I just like him too much to think too little of him, but my hubby says nope - Cap'n Mal is a very bad man for what he did. I sure agreed with him when I saw Inara crying - but after that, I still kinda understood it, I guess...

Just curious what other's thoughts on this are?

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Sunday, December 28, 2003 2:43 AM

11THHOUR

When Inara was discussing the Heart of Gold job with Mal, she made a point of telling Mal that she would pay, even after he told her she didn't have to. Inara made it very clear she wanted their relationship to stay strictly business. She was quite firm on that point. Mal tried to do the job as a friend, but was "put in his place" by Inara.

I'm thinking that the generous amounts of "fine rice wine" also had a lot to do with Mal letting his guard down enough to be with Nandi. Also, there's the "we might get shot in the morning" thing, so the "let's live for tonight" sounds like a good idea. Even though they only knew each other for a short time, Mal and Nandi made a connection with each other. It wasn't just about sex for Mal. Nandi was a woman he respected for her courage, and "his kind of stupid", and a damn fine lookin' woman.

Now if Mal had just bedded any of the various whores of that establishment for some sportin' sex (like a certain mercenary we all know), THEN I'd have to agree that Mal was kind of horndog. But that wasn't the case with Nandi, he cared about her and she was special. Plus, there was a connection to Inara through her, whether Mal wanted to admit it or not.

Inara keeps Mal at arm's length. There's probably a backstory involving Inara's past that Joss didn't get to that explains part of that. She also is a Companion and that would not be consistent with the kind of relationship Mal would want with her.

As to the "higher moral ground" of Inara's occupation. Mal's objections to Inara's profession center not so much on sex, than about being paid to play a role. His use of the word "whore" is anger about being paid to behave falsely by someone. Mal is fiercely independent and cannot abide being beholden to anyone.

Mal loves Inara, but is he supposed to be a monk? Inara loves Mal, but she has sex with others. It's her "job" sure, but she is intimate with people with whom she does not love or intend to be in a "couple" relationship. That's going to wear on him.

Besides, it had been a long damn time since anyone had taken ahold of Mal's plow. It was about time for him to blow the cobwebs off!

11thHour

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Sunday, December 28, 2003 2:56 AM

HKCAVALIER

I gotta disagree with your husband here, Shadesiren. I'm not seeing that Mal transgressed in any way/shape/form. Sure I feel bad for Inara, but she has done nothing but share meaningful glances and a lot of nasty repartee with our Captain since the pilot. Is Mal supposed to be a monk, until either Inara or he musters the guts to actually say something nice to the other? How can you remain faithful to someone you've never so much as kissed? Mal and Inara have a whole lot of feelings, that's for sure, but absolutely nothing (say it again!) to show for it. On the contrary, each of them has decided for very sensible and utterly unromantic reasons to leave well enough alone.

So here comes this sophisticated, gorgeous woman throwing herself at Mal and he's supposed to remain chaste for Inara with whom, as far as he knows, he has no future? To say nothing of the fact that he obviously hasn't gotten laid in over a year-- "Moment of weakness?" How 'bout acting like a gorram human being for once in his life?

Seriously, I was happy that Mal had at least a few hours of pleasure in his miserable 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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Sunday, December 28, 2003 12:34 PM

MELEE

Well, I don't really think any less of Mal for that... I mean, he's not taken by any means, and Inara HAS been giving him the "strictly buisness relationship" deal. Plus the wine, and the night-before-possible-death thing... It's not like he hasn't slept with anyone before in his life, and it's not like Inara ain't sleeping with other men (I know it's her job, but it still counts).

Though I did feel like crying myself when I saw her curled up weeping in the corner :(

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Sunday, December 28, 2003 1:06 PM

PARKWHELEN

I have to agree with HKCavalier. Mal can't be a monk because Inara hasn't given him any reason to. If he felt he and Inara had a chance, I'd be mad...but it's obvious at this point in time that there is no chance. I think that's one reason I'm so mad this show stopped with no answers. I believe the second season would have looked deeper into a possible relationship, though I still would think that not possible considering what her job is. I highly doubt that she would just "quit". Who knows though, maybe she would finally become one of the crew if that happened.

So, to sum it up...I don't think Mal did anything wrong with Nandi (sp?..name?)

Oh, I know this is off topic...but am I the only one who started to notice something between Wash and Kaylee? I notice 1 or 2 scenes where they were either a little too close and there were was some eye locks going on. Maybe it was just me. I know she's meant for Simon and he's married...but I thought I saw something.

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Sunday, December 28, 2003 1:08 PM

ZAMPANO

Quote:
Originally posted by Shadesiren:
I have a question... regarding what Mal did with.. Nandie? Mandie? Thandie? Whatever her name was - Inara's friend, in Heart of Gold..

My husband's opinion of our illustrious Cap'n has, sadly, took a major nosedive. He says if Mal truly loved Inara, he would never have.. well - you know.

I think he was just overrun by the urge to.. well - you know, and he couldn't help it.
And I think we can hardly blame him. As Inara put it: "She's well worth taking advantage of".

He is no preacher, after all. Plus he seems not to be very sensitive, and I believe really did not conceive the feelings Inara had towards him.

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Sunday, December 28, 2003 1:27 PM

SHADESIREN

You've all pretty much summed up how I felt about it - Basically, Inara put hereslf in the situation of crying over him FINALLY giving in, and I agree that if he was going to do, it was a good time. of course, afterwards, she says "I'm leaving" and I KNOW that this is the main reason.

I also agree that part of my frustration over the deal is the whole 'unanswered questions' bit - the show being cancelled before we learned more. That's the big gorram problem right there.

*sigh*

*waits for the movie... and prays for the next series....*

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Sunday, December 28, 2003 9:45 PM

CALHOUN

Women!..... Can't live with'em.. Can't kill'em.

Hehe kidding(sorta) I am married with kids.

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Monday, December 29, 2003 5:32 AM

ZIKZAK

Quote:
Originally posted by 11thHour:
Now if Mal had just bedded any of the various whores of that establishment for some sportin' sex (like a certain mercenary we all know), THEN I'd have to agree that Mal was kind of horndog. But that wasn't the case with Nandi, he cared about her and she was special. Plus, there was a connection to Inara through her, whether Mal wanted to admit it or not.

What about Saffron? In OMR, he knew he didn't really marry her, and she was CLEARLY not right for him. But he gave in and WAS going to "bed" her! Only her poison lipstick saved him!

I'm not in the "Mal should save himself for Inara" camp myself. He's a single man, obviously interested in women, and pretty separated from them most of the time. Inara has repeatedly and explicitly rebuffed him. Sure, he ought to know that there's something special building between them, but it always looks like it's going nowhere, at least to him.

Nandi I can deal with. It's Saffron I have trouble accepting...

Stephen

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Monday, December 29, 2003 6:59 AM

EARLY

Ease up on Mal. Its not like Inara's honest about her feelings. That episode made it obvious he had no idea she liked him until the end. Poor guy's sittin' on a ship with a bunch of hotties yet hadn't gotten any play. And like was said before he had the whole might die in the morning thing goin on.

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Monday, December 29, 2003 9:57 AM

SHINY

Quote:
Originally posted by Shadesiren:
You've all pretty much summed up how I felt about it - Basically, Inara put hereslf in the situation of crying over him FINALLY giving in, and I agree that if he was going to do, it was a good time. of course, afterwards, she says "I'm leaving" and I KNOW that this is the main reason.

I think it's a bit more subtle than just the standard 'he slept with my friend, so I'm leaving (him)'...everyone is talking about how little Mal understood Inara's feelings for him, but I think we may be underestimating Inara's ability to deceive herself about the depth of her own feelings for him. Not until the incident with Nandi was she forced to face those feelings directly (hence the crying scene) and once she admitted to herself how strongly she felt, she became afraid...but not in the simplistic 'I'm afraid of committment/getting close because I might get hurt/etc' standard TV romance crap but because a relationship will distract her from her central purpose/goal/mission, which has not been revealed but has been hinted at many times in both the shows and the commentaries, for example:

* Nandi talks about how Inara doesn't like complications
* The mystery of why Inara left when she could have become house priestess in a few years' time
* Why she really loves serenity (not IMHO mainly because of Mal, but mainly because of what serenity represents -- freedom/independence, possibly from the constricting rules of her world, but more likely the freedom to pursue her mysterious mission/goal
* in the commentaries (Shindig?), someone mentions how she does not fit in 'her world' any more than Mal fits in 'his' (theiving)
* In another commentary (Out of Gas?), someone (Tim Minear?) talks about the mystery of what Inara is 'running from' or 'running to' and mentions there's a hint in one of the scenes of that episode.

I'm probably missing some other clues, but I really think the evidence points to something more complex than most people are suggesting. In particular, the last scene when she talks about getting tied to Mal and the crew and the feeling of family and love that has developed between all of them, you can tell that she is torn -- and I don't believe a woman like Inara would run away from that simply because she is afraid of getting hurt, but that she really cannot afford it because there is something more important that she must do...I just wish we had a better idea what that something was (maybe that mystery syringe in Serenity has something to do with it...)

RIVER
Purple elephants are flying.
MAL
Good. Thanks for the update.

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Monday, December 29, 2003 11:50 AM

CALHOUN

JoJo.. "Whoa! Good post"

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Monday, December 29, 2003 3:53 PM

SHADESIREN

Wow.. I SO agree with you guys.. I'm not so good at explaining myself, most of the time.. I was kinda just curious if more people were thinking like my hubby was, or more like I was. I agree that Inara puts herself in this position, and that she is running from Serenity for many hidden reasons we haven't gotten to find out. I also think Mal, in a way put himself and Inara in this situation. I can think of at least two moments when I thought it was "all going to come out" when nope, it didn't happen. I think if it HAD, for example, when he asked how Inara ended up "falling down" and he guessed that she kissed Saffron, I think that things would have been WAY different - it's almost like, if they admit it, it's real, if they don't, they can both keep pretending that it isn't.

It's cool that so many people are thinking more like I did about it. I haven't gotten through ALL the commentaries yet, but it's obvious from what I've heard that there is simply too much we don't know about everything.. and it's driving me nuts :P

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Monday, December 29, 2003 4:11 PM

THOREAU

A couple years ago I would have agreed with your husband, but I've come to realize that people just aren't wired to mate for life. I'll hold myself to that, but I've finally accepted that expecting that of others is foolish. In Mal's case, I think it's just a matter of him being practical. He may love Inara, but she's made it clear she's not for him to love. That may or may not be true, but it's truth isn't really relevant. Mal and Nandi shared something shiny and desperate. It wasn't what either of them really wanted, but it got the job done.

Romanticism is all well and good, but the body is made to have an orgasm on occasion. With no romantic ties of any substance, why not take a bit of fun and comfort in what may be your last night living and breathing?

I like Inara, but I can't feel sorry for someone who keeps pushing something away then cries when someone else picks it up.

t

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Monday, December 29, 2003 5:00 PM

FREMDFIRMA

Wellll, about Saffron.

For the record, I'm male, but imma say this anyway, even if it does feel like a bit of disloyalty to mine own.

A - The chick is hot, no doubt about it.
B - Men are stupid, ESPECIALLY around hot, naked chicks.
C - She seemed to know all of his buttons and was pushin em rapid-fire
D - It had apparently been a looong time, and that makes men even stupider.
E - Men are men.

"But she was all naked, and articulate.."

-frem
diefuxdie

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