More evidence Inara is dying... by Shiny

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

More evidence Inara is dying...

POSTED BY: SHINY
UPDATED: Thursday, September 16, 2004 08:18
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Monday, September 13, 2004 5:25 PM

I just stumbled across one more thing in the original shooting script for "Objects in Space" that I think fits with the theory Inara is dying:

INARA
This isn't a joking matter. This is about your -- about our lives. And River's.

This would seem to suggest Inara isn't worried about her own life.

Add this to the other clues previously discussed:

- "I guess we're all running from something" (Bushwhacked)
- "I don't want to die at all" (Out of Gas -- this scene was the one Tim mentioned held a clue to Inara's secret in his audio commentary)
- The syringe could be medicine that slows the progress of her disease/condition...in the original shooting script to the Message, she receives a small package and hides it before anyone else sees it -- possibly another dose of her medication
- Annual companion exam might also have included a visit to her doctor regarding her condition
- When River reads Inara's mind (Objects in Space), Inara says "I'm a big girl, just tell me." I believe this is something she said in the past...to her doctor who was hesitating about telling her how bad her condition is.
- Would be a big reason she's afraid to get too close to Mal; to spare him from the pain of seeing die or from vanity -- wanting Mal to remember her in her 'prime' instead of as she slowly wasted away from an incurable disease...

Jayne, your mouth is talkin. Might want to look into that.

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Monday, September 13, 2004 6:17 PM

THEREALME

In Ariel when asked how her exam went, she says, "Same as last year."

In Our Mrs Reynolds, she tells Simon, "No examination! I just fell is all." Now, she might just be embarrased that Simon will find the drug in her system from kissing Mal, but maybe he would find... something else.

The Real Me

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Monday, September 13, 2004 7:26 PM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

By jove, I think you've got it!

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Monday, September 13, 2004 8:10 PM

PURPLEBELLY

But, how does it drive the narrative? Does it cause Inara to take political action that she would not in better health? Otherwise it's as interesting as waiting for Simon to kiss Kaylee. If we are to regard Firefly as soap opera, I have been mistaken and am sad.

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Monday, September 13, 2004 8:54 PM

ZOID

She's a man, baby! (heh, heh...)

In which case, I'm dressing up like Dorothy and marching in a parade in a suitable Southern town. The tar and feathers look is so 'in', it's practically 'out'!

Confused and curious,

zoid
_________________________________________________

"Boin da laaand... Burl da seeee... Yuh cain't tayke duh skaah fum may!" The Ballad of Serenity, as performed by Bob Dylan

Only 219 days, 22 hours, 15 minutes, and 1 seconds left until The BDM!

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Tuesday, September 14, 2004 2:39 AM

HATEHATEHATEFOX

I watched OoG last night and recalled Tim (?) saying there was a clue to Inara in her scene with Simon.

Suddenly it flashed on me, she says: I love this ship. I have from the first minute I saw it.

Well, what if her hiring the shuttle from Mal wasn't the first time she'd seen the ship? Hmmmmmm

Not really sure what that could mean. Maybe she hired the shuttle to search it for the syringe that we see in the pilot? And then fell madly in love with Mal and decided to stay.

~~~~~~~~
Nothing is ever so profoundly regretted as a kind act.
Robertson Davies

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Tuesday, September 14, 2004 2:53 AM

NEWMELBOURNEFAN

If I remember she hasn't been on the ship for that long correct, perhaps after she had been diagnosed, and thats why she joined them. It is the perfect way she can discreetly travel the galaxy looking for some sort of cure, using her high-end clients to pull some strings perhaps. Maybe that is why she is so insistent to Mal that they go to more populated and civilised planets, so she can investigate her options. Food for thought.

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Tuesday, September 14, 2004 4:00 AM

STARPILOTGRAINGER

Nice catch there with the Objects in Space quote.
I'm pretty set on this theory myself... makes a lot of sense, and it just works well storywise.

Star Pilot Grainger
"Remember, the enemy's gate is down."
LJ: http://www.livejournal.com/users/newnumber6
http://www.unreachablestar.net - Comics & SF News/Reviews/Opinions

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Tuesday, September 14, 2004 5:50 AM

DEANNAMAY

I think Inara is traveling the galaxy not to find a cure, because that she could find on the core planets, if at all. She is traveling to feel more alive, and to get as much adventure in her life in the time remaining to her. Of course, right now she is on board with two genius', and one of them a Doctor. Who knows what could happen. Perhaps she is where she needed to be all along, and her love for Mal is her motivation to hang on. Very poetical.

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Tuesday, September 14, 2004 6:19 AM

DAIKATH

And I was thinking someone was trying to ruin my teaser celebacy by putting a spoiler for the movie in a thread title lol.

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Tuesday, September 14, 2004 6:39 AM

FREAKYSINS

I've never been a proponent of the "Inara is dying" theory, as to me the evidence is mostly circumstantial and definitely open to interpretation. Please don't take that as insult to anyone who does subscribe to the idea, however. She has access to, no doubt, the best medical facilities money can buy, why would she take in with crooks and thieves (by Alliance standards) if she's trying to find a cure? If she's dying, why leave her homeworld? I'm sure she has friends/family there. Plus, I mean hell, the "one of them is dying and trying to hide it" thing has been done over and over and over and... well, you get the idea. It seems overtly melodramatic and predictable, at least to me.

My own theories follow a few different lines, based on the idea that she seems to be running from something:
1. She's got some sort of addiction, hence the syringe scene in "Serenity". She's dealing with the Reavers the best way she knows how... shooting up. Obviously it would have to be illeagal, so she can't hang around the core too much or risk getting discovered.
2. She's using some sort of drug to extend her life, or make her effectively immortal, and it's illeagal or socially unacceptable, so she's crewed up with the Serenity gang in order to stay on the move and avoid entaglements which might lead to her discovery. This, to me, is the most intriguing idea, and a good deal of (also circumstantial) evidence seems to lean in that direction. The syringe scene takes on a new facet... "All that I've given up for this, and now I'm going to be raped to death by reavers. Does that seem right to you?"

Of course, I've been known to be wrong...

Peace

FS

"There has never been a just one, never an honorable one--on the part of the instigator of the war."

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Tuesday, September 14, 2004 7:23 AM

JAHZARA

In the commentary from OoG,they said Inara was running from something. Then one of them adds "Or to something." The way that was added just gives me the feeling that that's the most direct clue we're gonna get.

I love all the speculation, though. Please continue!

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Tuesday, September 14, 2004 7:36 AM

HJERMSTED

Quote:
Originally posted by Freakysins:
My own theories follow a few different lines, based on the idea that she seems to be running from something:
2. She's using some sort of drug to extend her life, or make her effectively immortal, and it's illeagal or socially unacceptable

I LIKE this theory!

But let's take it a step further... perhaps Inara is a couple of hundred years old ALREADY and trying to hide the fact from everyone. To take the fantasy a bit further: Someone in the Academy found her out (or was getting close to her secret) thus her decision to be a freelance Companion.

This fits with the "secret medication" theory for she could be hooked on some kind of secret/experimental/illegal youth restoring substance.

Can't wait to find out what the truth is!

mattro

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Tuesday, September 14, 2004 10:47 AM

ZEEK

My problem with the immortal or anti-aging Inara is that in OIS commentary Joss says that he was only willing to go scifi to the extent of psychics. Not as far as something like River being able to become the ship.

Now it can be argued that some immortality drug isn't as far into the scifi realm as being psychic is, but I just think Joss wants to keep the show on a more realistic level when at all possible.

I see the Inara is a junky and Inara is dying theories as far more plausible.

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Tuesday, September 14, 2004 7:23 PM

THEREALME

Any of it is possible, FreakySins. In previous threads we have talked about an anti-aging drug. I thought that Nandi seemed significantly older than Inara, though they talked like they were contemporaries, and Nandi expressed surprise at how young Inara still looked.

But I still kind of lean to the "Inara is dying theory".

But I do disagree with you in one way.

I don't think Inara has any friends "Back Home". I think that she is weary of the plastic, fake relationships that she is used to. Whether she is dying or not, I think that she is voyaging in order to LIVE, not exist.

The Real Me

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Tuesday, September 14, 2004 11:59 PM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

All valid points, but the skeptic in me still says there's room for doubt. Very plausible reasons other than she's dying for each of those examples. It just seems to me that Inara would want to do something ELSE with her life besides Companioning.

Instead of dying, I think Inara IS tryin to live forever. Why'd she leave the 'Whore Academy' anyway? Could be that she's afraid of being found out. In HoG, Nandi said Inara was a sure bet to run that place, and was surprised she left at all. When they meet, Nandi comments that Inara hadn't changed at all. ( Reminds me of Gandalf and his comment to Bilbo in FOTR.. ." you haven't aged a day" ) Perhaps Inara's syringe is full of some sort of elixor that , if taken all at once, turns her into some sort of immortal warrior goddess.
" They don't like it when you shoot at 'em. I worked that out myself. "

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Wednesday, September 15, 2004 6:32 AM

ARNIEVG

While I do see some of your points as valid assumptions, I can't accept the syringe as medicine for a condition. It looks like she has it in case the ship gets boarded by the Reavers so that she isn't alive when start rapeing and killing people.

AMENDMENT: Ok, so I can see that if I had listened to the commentart I would have realized that this assumption was wrong. Probably why I don't always listen to the commentaries because then I can't make up my own mind. It's nice to be a little shocked from time to time when you don't really know the whole truth about something and it finally gets revealed. Oh well, next time i'll pay more attention I guess. (It's the blonde coming out I'm sure.)

Annie

"You wanna go little man?" - Jayne
"Only if there's candlelight." - Wash

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Wednesday, September 15, 2004 8:23 AM

ZEEK

Quote:
Originally posted by arnievg:
While I do see some of your points as valid assumptions, I can't accept the syringe as medicine for a condition. It looks like she has it in case the ship gets boarded by the Reavers so that she isn't alive when start rapeing and killing people.

Annie

"You wanna go little man?" - Jayne
"Only if there's candlelight." - Wash

Well that's what the commentary says they assumed people would think. But really the syringe had some other purpose and we would have found out more had the show gone on. So we know the syringe is some sort of part of Inara's mystery.

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Wednesday, September 15, 2004 8:47 AM

SHINY

Quote:
Originally posted by arnievg:
While I do see some of your points as valid assumptions, I can't accept the syringe as medicine for a condition. It looks like she has it in case the ship gets boarded by the Reavers so that she isn't alive when start rapeing and killing people.

Except that Joss explicitly said that it wasn't a suicide kit in the commentary...

Jayne, your mouth is talkin. Might want to look into that.

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Wednesday, September 15, 2004 9:01 AM

THUNDAR

In my opinion, Inara using a life extending drug is as much Sci-Fi as replacing all of Tracey's Innards with Lab grown, enhanced replacements.

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Wednesday, September 15, 2004 9:13 AM

GHOULMAN

... maybe Inara has Pan'ar syndrome?

lol!

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Wednesday, September 15, 2004 2:21 PM

METROPOLIS

Hahahaha, Ghoulman! Love it!!!

I'm an English major at Berkeley (which by no means makes me an expert or anything), but we are taught to "close read" what we are being currently analyzing. I've learned that not everything is truely symbolism or foreshadowing, so while there is vague evidence of certain mysterious things going on in regards to Inara, I think it's just that: vague -- too vague to come to any hard speculative conclusions.

Anyway, I'vce always thought Jayne had the most potential for mysterious doings in the past. He'll fight for whichever man can pay him the most, so who has he fought for/with in the past?? Kinda makes you think... Plus, his uncanny friendship with Book (who has obvious Alliance ties) and River's constant antagonizing behavior towars Jayne (even pre Ariel) make me wonder if Jayne may have had something to do with the Academy...

"Once in flight school, I was laconic..." -Wash

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Wednesday, September 15, 2004 4:39 PM

ARNIEVG

Whoops, thanks for setting me straight. I haven't really had time to watch all of the commentary on all of the episodes yet. Thanks.

Annie

"You wanna go little man?" - Jayne
"Only if there's candlelight." - Wash

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Wednesday, September 15, 2004 11:38 PM

PURPLEBELLY

Quote:
Originally posted by metropolis:
make me wonder if Jayne may have had something to do with the Academy...

Maybe with its latrines?

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Thursday, September 16, 2004 12:30 AM

JENDANDY

Hmmm...
I can't picture Inara as a 'druggie'. I'd like to think she's just as classy (In a companion-type way, I guess. Only Joss could convince me a whore has class!

) as she seems.
That she's dying is an interesting theory though, I hope we get some light shed on all this in the movie!

-Sig Rebel-

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Thursday, September 16, 2004 7:41 AM

METROPOLIS

I'm not saying Jayne's intelligent enough to have been high up in the organization, just that muscle for hire willing to do anything for enough money can be very dangerous, and veryuseful to the Academy. In my opinion, the Academy would have to hire individuals without many scruples to to perfom some of the torturous activities which must have gone on at the Academy. Jayne may have the qualitites to have been one of them. We don't know how long he's been with Serenity. All I'm saying is that Jayne could have a very interesting past, Academy or otherwise.

"Once in flight school, I was laconic..." -Wash

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Thursday, September 16, 2004 8:18 AM

the movie is not the Series. Only the facts have been changed, to irritate the innocent; the names of the actors and characters remain the same

Quote:
Originally posted by AURaptor:
Instead of dying, I think Inara IS tryin to live forever. Why'd she leave the 'Whore Academy' anyway? Could be that she's afraid of being found out. In HoG, Nandi said Inara was a sure bet to run that place, and was surprised she left at all. When they meet, Nandi comments that Inara hadn't changed at all. ( Reminds me of Gandalf and his comment to Bilbo in FOTR.. ." you haven't aged a day" ) Perhaps Inara's syringe is full of some sort of elixor that , if taken all at once, turns her into some sort of immortal warrior goddess.

I find this idea appealing, and it leads me to some cool places:

Inara says a registered Companion must return for regular medical checkups, to retain her status. If this were false, it seems too easily uncovered (for example, the truth might have come out-popped up-I can't seem to find my way out of these images-when Mal was with Nandi). So Inara wouldn't say it unless it were true.

And if she isn't aging, that would seem even more easily discovered in a medical exam. So, I don't think Inara left the Academy to avoid detection; the Guild knows she isn't aging, and has its own reasons for sending her out into the 'verse.

Or maybe they didn't exactly send her, but both she & Guild leadership were afraid that, if she stayed, her condition was sure to be discovered by BlueSun, whereupon Inara would become another experimental subject.

Or maybe there is a birthright lottery for Academy members, and Inara is @the end of a seven generation line of daughters of Academy members. Perhaps temporary birth control methods are still less than foolproof, and Inara evolved with ova of low sensitivity to sperm. Now suppose this evolution doesn't result in her body simply rejecting the sperm, but absorbing the DNA on a molecular-genetic level. Inara could be nigh on immortal, so long as she has customers. 'Course she'd want to be careful to include female clients, lest her voice deepen & her beard grow. And all I gotta say is, if Mal ever finds a few sharp, bristly hairs on her back, he should be afraid -- be very afraid.

World is spinning fast now; hope I can hang on.

Keep the Shiny Side Up

Wutzon: the Big Wu, "Middle", "Tools For Evening"

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