Theory about Inara by MsBigPileofDust

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Theory about Inara

POSTED BY: MSBIGPILEOFDUST
UPDATED: Thursday, May 14, 2009 09:56
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Thursday, March 4, 2004 10:15 AM

Quote:
It just occurred to me after my umpteenth time watching Objects in Space that when River reads Inara's mind and hears "I'm a big girl; just tell me." that it could in fact have been directed not at Mal but something she said to a doctor once...a doctor who was hesitating about telling Inara the seriousness of her condition...

Quote:
Perhaps Inara had to leave Sinhon because she wouldn't have been able to keep her illness a secret there, and she rented Mal's shuttle so she could continue to work under less scrutiny and afford to pay for her treatments...of course, this doesn't fully explain the reaver scene unless we accept the 'futility' argument.

We know that:
The injection kit wasn't a suicide kit.
Inara wasn't willing to share whatever it was with Simon when he was seeking medical supplies.
She didn't offer it when either Kaylee or Book lay dying.
She seemed to consider using it when a Reaver attack seemed imminent, a moment we might have expected her to pull her gun instead.
Inara was immediately aware of what happened to Mal when he was drugged in Our Mrs Reynolds.

I propose the syringe was filled with a poison propagated through sexual contact. Inara's mail would be her anti-venom/vaccine treatment keeping her invulnerable to it's effect. Her intent was to take as many Reavers with her as possible.

This rather changes what we were led to perceive Companions to be. We were repeatedly given to believe Companions were part fancy whore, part entertainer, part social activist, part travelling psychologist, and entirely legitimate. Her knowledge of drugs (the 'goodnight kiss') throws a shadow on this entirely happy image; carrying an assassin's weapon would reveal a very dark side to the Companion's Guild.

Drugs. Martial Arts. Skills and reputation designed to penetrate the highest levels of society. Is Inara the equivalent of Japan's Ninjas?

Would Joss do this to us?
The real question is, how long would he have kept the secret? 8)

Take my love
Take my land

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Thursday, March 4, 2004 12:38 PM

HORRID

one thing that hasn't been mentioned yet which might back up the illness theory was in the conversation with simon he starts off by going into details about dying and inara says "I don't wanna here it" or words to that effect, it seemed to me like she was more pushing the thought of dying to the back of her head more so than worrying about this specific life threatening situation

also shortly after coming back from her exam she's a little cagy and quick to change the subject about them, and shortly after that comes her decision to leave the ship

could be stretching a bit here though

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Thursday, March 4, 2004 12:45 PM

SHINY

Quote:
Originally posted by Wulfhawk:
Drugs. Martial Arts. Skills and reputation designed to penetrate the highest levels of society. Is Inara the equivalent of Japan's Ninjas?

A spy or assasin-geisha that uses drugs/poison maybe, but not so much with the fighting and martial arts/ninja stuff, as witnessed in OMR and HOG.

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

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Thursday, March 4, 2004 6:34 PM

WULFHAWK

Saffron, trained at the Academy, felled Wash with a single kick, and held her own hand to hand with Mal. Inara and Saffron had a quick pass in which Inara managed to avoid being smacked. In Heart of Gold, Inara smoothly and ruthlessly takes a knife to the throat of the bad guy.

Japan's legend of ninja's don't really include black clad super-karate guys... at least, not so much. They were professional spies and assassins, feared because they could be anyone, anytime, anywhere.

Most Companions might not even know of the Guild's darker duties. Is this why Inara left her rising career? The time came for a rising star of the Companion's Guild to learn of her new place and duties, and she refused to accept? Or perhaps became disillusioned with the whole 'court 'em, rut 'em, kill 'em' aspect after a time? Or perhaps even rebelled and is now running for her life?

The books by Steve Perry, 'The Man Who Never Missed' and 'Matadora' illustrate kinda what I'm saying.

Take my love
Take my land

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Friday, March 5, 2004 4:19 AM

INITIO101

Quote:
Originally posted by SoupCatcher:
Quote:
If that's the case, then the mysterious package she receives and quickly hides in 'The Message' should not be another one of these, meaning there would be an additional mystery to solve...

Ok. I went back and watched The Message episode twice and still can't find where Inara received a package. I thought I missed it the first time and after reading this thread, was curious to see to back up the Inara addiction theory. Does anyone know where in the episode it's supposed to be? The only thing Inara does in the beginning to talk to Mal about selling the Lassiter. Then Mal and Jayne received the big crate and Jayne's hat. Help anyone? Thanks!

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Friday, March 5, 2004 9:13 AM

REYVNDARKNIGHT

Interesting. I was of the notion that Inara had left the Guild because she had a politically powerful enemy. An enemy who had dispatched Book to locate her.

And that the syringe was a suicide kit.

However, after people mentioned how she had surrupticiously hid that piece of mail she received in "The Message", I have to reconsider. I don't think she is a drug addict, but I am of the mind that she is terminally ill and receives that drug to ease her pain. And the fact that she continually distances herself from Mal kinda seals it. She seems to be protecting Mal because she knows that if they do become lovers, he will soon be left alone when she dies from the illness.

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Friday, March 5, 2004 9:40 AM

SHINY

Quote:
Originally posted by Wulfhawk:
Saffron, trained at the Academy, felled Wash with a single kick, and held her own hand to hand with Mal. Inara and Saffron had a quick pass in which Inara managed to avoid being smacked. In Heart of Gold, Inara smoothly and ruthlessly takes a knife to the throat of the bad guy.

If you review those two scenes, I think you'll see that she is portrayed as not quite the fighter, as she falls to the ground when Saffron tries a round-house kick and would presumably be completely outmatched had Saffron not been too rushed to finish her off. She also was easily distracted while holding a knife to Rance Burgess' throat, so he was able to elbow her in the stomach and shoot Nandi, again indicating Inara's lack of ability, experience, skill (or unwillingness) in fighting and killing (at least by hand). In the teaser to Shindig, she seems frightened by the fisticuffs at the bar (in the commentary Morena notes that she's not only supposed to act frightened, but was actually scared as people flew through the air). Although I'll grant that Inara certainly knows how to handle a blade, and may have some assassination training, she definitely isn't prepared to handle hand-to-hand combat and I wouldn't say she's skilled in 'martial arts'

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

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Friday, March 5, 2004 11:38 AM

DUKE

Quote:
Originally posted by SoupCatcher:

why does she take it out when threatened with the danger of Reavers?

I see the needle as a last resort. Something that she would only use in a scenario involving death at the hands of Reavers. Why specifically Reavers? Because they would eat her flesh and that's something that Inara, in her present state, cannot allow to happen.

My theory is that she has some sort of sexually communicable disease... some osrt of super space-aids. This might account for her leaving her previous position before she could become house-mother. Oh, the shame. Companions ae supposed to be guarentted clean.

Perhaps the drug keeps her symptoms in check and prevents her spreading the desease. But it's kind of an underground things, not entirely legal. Again her reason for leaving her house, and signing on with an outfit like Mal's.

She might take the drug before the revers come to make sure that she does not spead the disease into their population and then on to all of their future victims.

Oh, and although she has a drug to keep her from spreading the disease, there is probably still no real cure. So therefore, a known future of a horrible wasting away aids like death is probably what prevents her from letting herself fall in love with Mal.

"I'll be in my bunk..."

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Friday, March 5, 2004 11:46 AM

DUKE

Quote:
Originally posted by mrpresident:
uh, annual medical exams???? Doesn't anyone think that that would be enough to blow any of these theories? Wouldn't a medical exam by someone authorized by the Companion's Guild(? or whatever they have) identify that a) she was terminally ill, b) she was a drug addict, or c) she was taking drugs to slow her aging? Yes, yes, any of these could be acceptable to Companion rules, but I doubt it, since they are supposed to be so respectable at this point in time. First post, just a thought...

The Guild approved Dr. who is doing her annual examinations probably some Allaince government universal health care hack.

Liekly, he does not know about the drugs she is secretly taking to surpress her space-aids. and prevent her from spreading them. She is probably getting those drugs from a rich former client, or some other contact.

The govt. dock would not know she had space aids unless he did the right test, like someone who is HIV positive might appear normal during a routine examination, and thus far has had no reason too.

"I'll be in my bunk..."

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Friday, March 5, 2004 11:48 AM

DUKE

Quote:
Originally posted by Saint Jayne:
Quote:
Originally posted by Shiny:
That's assuming Inara wasn't lying about the exam

I think the exams are real and I think everyone knows that being a registered Companion means they receive the health minister's seal of approval. Well, maybe "seal" isn't the right word here.

So if she lied, then she's either not registered any longer, or Companions standards aren't as high as I think they are.

Or she is taking drugs that mask the symtoms of her super space-aids, and she left her house to reduce the possibilty that her secret might be uncovered.

"I'll be in my bunk..."

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Friday, March 5, 2004 12:02 PM

DUKE

Quote:
Originally posted by Shiny:
It just occurred to me after my umpteenth time watching Objects in Space that when River reads Inara's mind and hears "I'm a big girl; just tell me." that it could in fact have been directed not at Mal but something she said to a doctor once...a doctor who was hesitating about telling Inara the seriousness of her condition...

BRAVO!! Perfect explanation!

"I'll be in my bunk..."

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Friday, March 5, 2004 2:19 PM

DARKJESTER

Quote:
Originally posted by Shiny:
It just occurred to me after my umpteenth time watching Objects in Space that when River reads Inara's mind and hears "I'm a big girl; just tell me." that it could in fact have been directed not at Mal but something she said to a doctor once...a doctor who was hesitating about telling Inara the seriousness of her condition...

Yes, exactly! Later in the episode, after River "sees" Simon say "I would still be there..." he actually does say it. And then she "sees" Jayne say "The money was too good", the exact line he said to Mal from the airlock in Ariel, some days earlier. Conclusion - what she "saw" was what people either had said in the past or would say in the future.
I guess that puts me rather firmly in the "Inara is ill" camp. And just think - Joss may wait until the series returns to let us know............

MAL "You only gotta scare him."
JAYNE "Pain is scary..."

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Friday, March 5, 2004 7:27 PM

ANKHAGOGO

Hi all!
I just love speculation, so of course I had to read all the posts. I kinda like the idea that it's rejuvenation drugs -- don't know why, the idea that Inara's 80 or 100 or 150 years old kinda tickles me.
And ever since "Objects in Space" first aired, that "I'm a big girl.." line has driven me nuts. So has Book's, actually....

I'm not fond of the "terminal disease" guess, mainly because it's too obvious, and Lord knows Whedon doesn't like to go for the obvious plot twist. Although that's the first place my mind went.
There's two ways I see that scene:
A-Inara is terminally ill (with whatever disease) and she was just looking at the kit in a "well, if we get boarded by Reavers, at least I won't have to do this any more," which could also work for drug addiction.
B- Her looking at the kit has nothing to do with the fact that the Reavers were near. Whedon said it was the beginning of a thread, and he sometimes does throw in a bit somewhere you think it fits, but really has nothing to do with that actual situation. It could have just been total misdirection, so we'd think the presence of Reavers was relevant when in fact it wasn't.

My completely bizarre, highly unlikely idea is fertility drugs,but I can't think up one good reason to back that up.

Quote:
I think you'll see that she is portrayed as not quite the fighter, as she falls to the ground when Saffron tries a round-house kick ...

This is not an idea so much as it is a note/question -- the last time I watched "Our Mrs Reynolds", it looked to me like Inara ducked, rather than falling, as I'd thought before. Am I insane? If so, it doesn't make her any more of a fighter, but it does make it look like she's at least able to move defensively.

"You are such a boob."

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Friday, March 5, 2004 8:26 PM

PEACE

Gotta weigh in on this one....

I lean toward the idea that Inara is ill, but not terminally and not so as to disqualify her as a Companion...her remark about the exam is a give-away, I think. The Reaver/syringe moment is a red-herring. Inara receives her perfectly legal medicine via mail. She doesn't reveal this affliction to the crew and Mal because she doesn't want sympathy (she is proud), but she had to go to the border worlds because the affliction, although not incapacitating, ruined her career within the structured world of the temples (am I right that that's what the Companion houses are called?).

Additional thought-- in OMR, which I just watched all the way thru for the first time (and was helpless with laughter thru most of it), after Saffron has whammied Mal, Wash and, second-hand, Inara, Simon examines Mal and then moves to check out Inara, and she says she's ok-- she's obviously not eager to have Simon examine her. Of course, in the context you think its because she got hit with Saffron's whammie too, and she's embarrassed-- but is it possible she just doesn't want a doctor examining her outside of the annual check-up?

Just a thought....

Oh, bugger! Now I have to wait for someone to wake up!

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Friday, March 5, 2004 8:39 PM

PEACE

Alternate theory-- KAYLEE is the Alliance agent/spy/ninja with space-aids who has been tracking Simon and River while keeping an eye on Mal because of his Browncoat connections....

Hmmmm...naaah....

On the other hand, you never know...Mr. Twisty (aka Joss Whedon) has suprised the holy crap out of me any number of times...I've never been the same since the ep in "Buffy" where Buf runs Angel thru, then shoves him into Hell...just didn't see it coming....

Oh, bugger! Now I have to wait for someone to wake up!

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Wednesday, May 13, 2009 3:12 PM

ASARIAN

Quote:
Originally posted by Shiny:
Inara glances back into the infirmary, where the man is writhing in his delirium. She knows what this means.

Now. that *IS* a very subtle a good observation! :)

So, what are we saying here? That Inara had prior personal innvolvement with the Reavers? That perhaps she was raped even by one before? (unsettling, for sure); or saw someone close to her get raped? In that light, a sucide syringe would make sense, 'cept that Joss dispelled the option. Or maybe she was just holding it, in remembrance of how she got her illness?

--
"Mei-mei, everything I have is right here." -- Simon Tam

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Wednesday, May 13, 2009 3:16 PM

ASARIAN

Quote:
Originally posted by bluesuncompanyman:
Quote:
Originally posted by Bytemite:
I spent all that time arguing with BSCM that part of Inara's secret may have to do with anti-aging... But there really isn't any reason for Joss to have drawn attention to her appearance and age unless something was significant about it.
Yes. Exactly. I am a person that believes Joss does not waste dialogue. When Nandi marvels "You haven't aged" there was a key clue buried there. The clue was just as important as the buried dialogue "I don't want to die at all" to Simon in OOG.

I'm with you there on both counts.

Quote:

... hears "I'm a big girl; just tell me." that it could in fact have been directed not at Mal but something she said to a doctor once... a doctor who was hesitating about telling Inara the seriousness of her condition...

I always thought that was pretty obvious, to be honest. Definitely +1.

Inara having a medical thing going on was pretty clear, IMHO. I was just never sure *what* it was. Based the three quotes you mention, I've always gone for the 'not wanting to age' theory.

Knowing what we know now, I still can't fully place Nandi's "You haven't aged" marvel yet. So, whatever 'package' Inara received (on a regular basis?), maybe it was just artificially keeping her health up, and Nandi just meant she hadn't aged as much as she expected, given her illness? Still, that doesn't entirely fit yet.

In a way I'm 'glad', though, that Inara was dying, as opposed to her having found the Fountain of Youth (a rather cheesy theme, really, which has the potential to go bad real fast). So, dying it is then.

--
"Mei-mei, everything I have is right here." -- Simon Tam

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Wednesday, May 13, 2009 7:25 PM

BYTEMITE

Whoa! Dudes! We're not hinting around anymore, are we?

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Wednesday, May 13, 2009 7:35 PM

RIVERDANCER

Whoa! Dudes! This thread was started five years ago?

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Wednesday, May 13, 2009 8:23 PM

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Holy Mother of spoilerish titles!!

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Wednesday, May 13, 2009 9:34 PM

RIVERDANCER

Holy mother of postulated five years ago!

Truly, kudos to msbigpileofdust for coming up with the idea YEARS before rumors of its truth. Now stop freaking out just because she was smart enough to be inside the Whedon mind

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Thursday, May 14, 2009 4:15 AM

BYTEMITE

I like a neurological approach, but that painkiller thing is brilliant. When the Reavers show up, either she just uses the painkillers, or she decides to OD. Nice. And if it's neurological, maybe the syringe might do double duty: stop degeneration AND act as a painkiller.

EDIT: I think the original poster pretty much nailed it, gotta give credit where it's due. But I felt it necessity to edit the thread title. May have been wrong for that, and I apologize.

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Thursday, May 14, 2009 9:01 AM

RIVERDANCER

Even if someone had posted a

Select to view spoiler:

"I think Wash and Book might die at some point!"

thread when the series first ended and the movie was years away? I'm just sayin.
And nothing in canon has confirmed what the big secret really is. Yeah, there's a case for it, but no details and no Joss putting ink to paper and saying "Here's how it is." Again, just sayin. It's hard for me to draw a parallel between the two, and hard for me to blame the original poster or original thread title. We're the ones claiming it is true, and if it's true, that would make it spoilers. She just had a theory five years ago and posted it as such.

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Thursday, May 14, 2009 9:55 AM

BYTEMITE

Hmm. It is possible my reaction may have been an overreaction...

The title's been edited to something better representative than what I came up with, and I'd actually like to discuss the original topic of the thread...

I will fix the potential issue by editing my previous posts, and this thread can continue to present itself as a theory.

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Thursday, May 14, 2009 9:56 AM

BLUESUNCOMPANYMAN

Talk about digging up old threads. Down deep in the archive are threads old enough where peeps are actively discussing episodes as they air. It makes for fun reading sometimes.

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