GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Unpopular Opinions

POSTED BY: LEXAN
UPDATED: Tuesday, July 8, 2008 06:53
SHORT URL:
VIEWED: 47744
PAGE 4 of 5

Sunday, October 28, 2007 7:27 AM

IMNOTHERE


Quote:


That is what I object to, the constant glorification of war and combat. When will we get our non-combatant hero?



I think his name was Jean-Luc Picard... you know, he was on that tedious show where the ship's counsellor seemed to be the second ranking officer and where they couldn't keep a good evil adversary going for more than a couple of stories without kissing and making up. (There was a different character of the same name in some of the movies who was more of a kick-ass kinda guy).

(p.s. remember the thread title!)

The other candidate is The Doctor (from Doctor Who? but he's not actually called Doctor Who blah de blah...) who travels the universe armed with a screwdriver (a "sonic" one, too, not even a real one that you could hurt someone with). He does have his little lapses, though and is often the cause of violence in other people...

But mostly, war and combat - especially when they happen in a galaxy far, far away - make for more exciting shows. Just as long we're all sophisticated enough to understand that what makes good fantasy doesn't always make good real life.

However, I do think someone should write the imaginary novel The Dead Starship Teachers' Society - set in Heinlein's Starship Troopers universe this tells the story of a man who decides to earn the right to vote by serving as a schoolteacher (one of the options that somehow got missed out of the parody version in the film) and tries to help a class of meathead cadets bound for the mobile infantry get in touch with their sensitive side by introducing them to 20th century feminist Science Fiction.







NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, October 28, 2007 7:48 AM

IMNOTHERE


Quote:

Originally posted by asarian:
Too action figure like. Out of character, really; and done for marketing reasons, no doubt, so they could stick her on that Serenity poster as the bad-ass killer girl.



Worse - it made the movie poster scream BUFFY IN SPACE!!! thus potentially alienating a potential chunk of the audience who (gasp!) didn't actually like Buffy...

The poster even makes her face look more like Buffy (or perhaps Faith) than River...

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, October 28, 2007 8:57 AM

CAUSAL


Quote:

Originally posted by MerryK:
And Mal is macho.



You say that as if there's something wrong with that. You would perhaps prefer if Mal were more feminine?

Quote:

The non macho men are poked fun at quite regularly for their peacefulness, through Joss in self-deprecating humor or by the other characters.



To the contrary, Wash is held up as a vitally important member of the crew because of his flying ability, which gets them out of more than one scrape (beginning of Train Job, for instance). And in the pilot, both Wash, Kaylee, and Book are made the heroes for their piloting and mechanical skills, respectively--while Jayne is made to look the fool precisely because he has no non-combat skills. Inara is often looked to for her "diplomatic" ability and we admire Book precisely because of his non-violence, rather than because of it.

Quote:

Jayne is occasionally made fun of because he jumps at any opportunity to fight, and sometimes Inara or Zoe pokes fun at Mal's impulsiveness/recklessness, but the tone is always more in favor of a little recklessness rather than avoiding conflict. All the characters are portrayed in a more admirable light when they pick up arms, whether in lighting, framing, or music. And your point about Zoe? Just adds to my point...why do we look up to her more than Kaylee, who has equal if not more talents, but in a peaceful area? Because Zoe is a soldier, and that is who the show portrays as admirable. That is what I object to, the constant glorification of war and combat. When will we get our non-combatant hero?



Wash, saving the day by outflying the Reavers, and Kaylee by rigging up the engines for a Crazy Ivan.

Simon for his constant, no-matter-what care of River.

Inara for more-than-once smoothing things over or getting the crew out of a jam (e.g. rescuing Mal and Zoe--your tough warrior types--when they get pinched by the sheriff in Train Job).

Book, a hero (in my mind) for his refusal to allow Jayne to summarily execute Dobson.

Let's not forget that River tricked Early, instead of whomping his ass in OiS.

Is that enough non-violent heroics? If not, I guess I could mention Simon's willingness to burn at the stake with his sister.

And as far as the only moments of heroic cinematography, let's not forget Kaylee's grand entrance to the ball on Persephone in Shindig. She's even a step above Mal in the frame, attention clearly on her in all her feminine glory, and she gets an absolutely gorgeous musical cue. And then it's Mal that goes and ruins everything by being violent (and Kaylee says as much).

And does not the show portray Inara as admirable? That scene in the pilot (the infamous sponge-bathing scene) portrays her not as weak and ineffectual but as sensuous and beautiful (and, I suppose, powerful in her own way).

Quote:

Oh, and I never said that the women were shrinking violets...when I said macho men, I was comparing Mal to Wash and Simon, not the women at all. "Macho people as heroes" would have been a more accurate representation of my opinion.



And yet the non-"macho" people get to plenty of great, heroic stuff (as enumerated above). Is there gun-play and fisticuffs aplenty in Firefly? You bet! It is, after all, Mal's show, and that's more or less the world he inhabits. But there's also lots of tender moments, too, times when people are held up for admiration for other-than-violent acts. To my mind, Out of Gas is the best example of this. Only really one violent scene (if I recall correctly) and Mal's on the receiving end. And what's held up as admirable consistently throughout the episode is the familial bond between the crew. We admire Mal not for his proficiency in battle, but for his care for the crew and his determination to fix his boat. We admire Wash for rigging up the emergency button and for his boosting the distress call through the nav signal. We sympathize we Kaylee in her inability to fix her girl.

Forgive me if I'm too bold, but the mere fact that you disdain "macho" doesn't mean that the show is nothing but and that there's no room in Firefly for the non-"macho" characters to shine. In fact, there's plenty, and that's what makes Firefly so special.

________________________________________________________________________

- Grand High Poobah of the Mythical Land of Iowa, and Keeper of State Secrets
- Captain, FFF.net Grammar Police
- Vote JonnyQuest/Causal, for Benevolent Co-Dictator of Earth; together, toward a brighter tomorrow!

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, October 28, 2007 9:08 AM

CAUSAL


Quote:

Originally posted by ImNotHere:
However, I do think someone should write the imaginary novel The Dead Starship Teachers' Society - set in Heinlein's Starship Troopers universe this tells the story of a man who decides to earn the right to vote by serving as a schoolteacher...and tries to help a class of meathead cadets bound for the mobile infantry get in touch with their sensitive side by introducing them to 20th century feminist Science Fiction.



Heh.

________________________________________________________________________

- Grand High Poobah of the Mythical Land of Iowa, and Keeper of State Secrets
- Captain, FFF.net Grammar Police
- Vote JonnyQuest/Causal, for Benevolent Co-Dictator of Earth; together, toward a brighter tomorrow!

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, October 28, 2007 10:03 AM

NBZ


+1 Totally agree with Causal.

We have had plenty of lobotomised scifi in the past.

All the BDH play important roles. And it is forgotten where Mal has been the butt of a few jokes too for his macho-ness. (HoG - immediately thinking it is him people want to get help from. Jaynestown - Mal is not the Hero. See the Inara and Fezz scene.)

On the other hand if he was one of those who took his time to consider all angles, he would probably not got to the series.

I can understand the dislike of both OMR and OoG if Mal is not to the liking of the viewer - both episodes are about him. I absolutely loved OoG, and to a lesser extent OMR.

One thing that does surprise me though is that "Bushwacked" is statistically the least favourite episode among people. I personally rank it very highly.

(For bottom rung I would have a fight out between The Train Job and Heart of Gold. I think Hog would go on the bottom rung.)

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, October 28, 2007 10:05 AM

MERRYK


It does come down to interpretation, and what you want to see, probably. I'm always looking for noncombatants as the main character, or most admirable, and didn't find that in Firefly. Yes, others are held as admirable, though I disagree that we like Book because he is peaceful...his "best" parts, or so I can tell from most of the fans I hear from, are the "fuzzy on kneecaps" type ones. Yes, we respect the others for their noncombatant skills...but not as much as we are supposed to respect Mal. Perhaps you can explain why, if noncombatants are held as just as honorable as combatants, we root for Mal and not Simon? Look at how small, comparatively, the Simon fangroup is compared to Mal's, or Wash's compared to Jayne's. Though there is a little balance, it's still the "manly" men who are painted as the most heroic. Mal is the typical macho hero: handsome, strong, stubborn, and a good shot. He gets to punch people and shoot without question and kick enemies into engines...and we're supposed to think that's ok. You bringing up Picard proves that most people think peaceful people can't be interesting or effective. I think that's a fault with television and writers, not the genre or real life.

But hey, this is the unpopular opinions thread, and I guess that thinking that Firefly glorifies the macho is unpopular.

--
"My way of being polite, or however...well, it's the only way I have of showing you that I like you. Of showing respect." Simon Tam, Jaynestown

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, October 28, 2007 10:12 AM

NBZ


I don't think we are supposed to "respect" Mal. It is not that type of show to me.

The thing that can be respected about Mal is that he is a jack in a box - no matter how hard you knock him down, he will always bounce back. hence the torture he always has to go through just to get a glass of milk.

(I think Joss has gathered a lot of sadist fans and thrown them all on this one character.)

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, October 28, 2007 10:39 AM

WYTCHCROFT


Quote:

Originally posted by nbz:
Mal is a jack in a box - no matter how hard you knock him down, he will always bounce back. hence the torture he always has to go through just to get a glass of milk.



LOL!:)

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, October 28, 2007 11:10 AM

CHRISISALL


My unpopular opinion: I like the BDM as much as I like Objects In Space.
There, I said it.


*shields up* Chrisisall

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Monday, October 29, 2007 9:19 AM

OUT2THEBLACK


Quote:

Originally posted by psychotic:
Is Heart of Gold really that unpopular? Mal/Inara is my favorite ship in the series and seeing the tension between them is awesome. There's so much that they say to each other without saying words.

And you gotta love the baby dummy that Rance carried. Priceless!



...And finding out "who the baby-dummy daddy is"

was important ! HoG and War Stories both have

some flaws , but they were still Firefly , and

they're still better than 99.95% of everything

else in series television...


I love the BDM...if you understand how

difficult Joss' job was , he delivered as great

a film as could have been made ; from script to

screen , it's a very distilled and nuanced

reflection of the Firefly series...We're

privileged and fortunate to have it...

YMMV , of

course...

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Monday, October 29, 2007 9:39 AM

OUT2THEBLACK


Quote:

Originally posted by nbz:


All the BDH play important roles. And it is forgotten where Mal has been the butt of a few jokes too for his macho-ness. (HoG - immediately thinking it is him people want to get help from.

One thing that does surprise me though is that "Bushwacked" is statistically the least favourite episode among people. I personally rank it very highly.

(For bottom rung I would have a fight out between The Train Job and Heart of Gold. I think Hog would go on the bottom rung.)



...We agree on most everything , except I like

The Train Job...Not as much as I like

Bushwhacked , because if forced to choose , I

might select it as favorite single-episode...

Favorite 'double-episode' is the original

pilot 'Serenity'...Always freezes grins to my

face...I like Bushwhacked because it's

atmospheric and spooky , and delivers a classic

scene that shows River's not as 'wack' as most

folk believe..."It's a ghost."

Subtle , understated , and perfectly rendered

by Miss Glau..

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Monday, October 29, 2007 10:06 AM

JLIN


Here's my unpopular opinion (although not entirely Firefly related)

I don't like Chuck.

I've tried, I've watched every episode. It's failed to make me care about any of the stories.

My idea for improvent is to center completely around Adam Baldwin's character. Or if they fastforward 500 years into the future and it takes place on a spaceship.

Now as for Firefly: I like the show and movie seperately but together they make very little sense to me--Especially Mal. In the begining of the BDM when he pretty much told Simon that he was not part of the crew, it seemed out of character.



Thank Universal for airing Firefly in HD at
http://universalhd.com/Firefly/

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Monday, October 29, 2007 10:26 AM

ASARIAN


Quote:

Originally posted by out2theblack:

... and delivers a classic scene that shows River's not as 'wack' as most folk believe..."It's a ghost."

Subtle , understated , and perfectly rendered

by Miss Glau..



'Cept that she says: "It's ghosts."


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

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Monday, October 29, 2007 11:48 AM

OUT2THEBLACK


Quote:

Originally posted by asarian:
Quote:

Originally posted by out2theblack:

... and delivers a classic scene that shows River's not as 'wack' as most folk believe..."It's a ghost."

Subtle , understated , and perfectly rendered

by Miss Glau..



'Cept that she says: "It's ghosts."


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



Never could be exactly sure on that point myself-

If you're talking about how it looks on the

captions , I've found that they're filled with

errors , so I don't accept them as final

authority...And then , I defer to context for a

best guesstimate...To me , it makes more sense

for the River character to be referring to the

derelict *ship* , you know , the classic 'ghost

ship'-type that's been found adrift for

almost as long as there've been mariners , or

science-fiction...That's a classic riff that's

been done in Star Trek , the Aliens franchise ,

Lost In Space ; pretty much the entire gamut .

All the other folk aboard Serenity had rendered

their individual opinions , and were continuing

to speculate about the nature of the other ship

and what led to her demise...Right ? Their

basic question was 'What IS It ?'... And as

always , River is a step ahead with an

answer...What seems to the viewer a minor

answer to their question ; but then ,

later , River also becomes the device for the

further revelation...About the time Mal is

drawing a mental conclusion , and speaks of

it , "I know what did this" , River is already

staring at the ceiling...And the tension

becomes amped-up yet more when Mal apparently

fears River could go monkey-sh!+ on account of

just being there and seeing that...A fact which

Joss eventually uses in the BDM...I find the

'River/Ghost' scene to be so ambiguous as to

make me wonder if there was some purposeful

mis-direction employed to make the spoken-word

indecisive...Which would serve to further

heighten the mystery...

Does anyone have a shooting script ?...I'd like

to see Summer's copy , and Joss's , too , for

the notations...Might be a good Con-panel

question , if anyone wants to carry it to a

Trekkie-anal decision...

Ever notice when Jayne contacts the Alliance-Fed

in 'Ariel' , and the dude's face comes up on the

viewscreen , the audio says , "Ni Hao" , but the

officer clearly mouths the more lengthy , "Ni

Hao Ma" , although the 'Ma' isn't heard on the

soundtrack ?

I wondered how that happened , too...


NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Monday, October 29, 2007 5:07 PM

CAUSAL


Of course, the final authority on what it was meant to be ("It's a ghost" vs. "It's ghosts") would be the script... AFK ...which just says "Ghosts." But of course, only Summer knows what she actually said in filming which is the final final authority (yes, there are two finals).

________________________________________________________________________

- Grand High Poobah of the Mythical Land of Iowa, and Keeper of State Secrets
- Captain, FFF.net Grammar Police
- Vote JonnyQuest/Causal, for Benevolent Co-Dictator of Earth; together, toward a brighter tomorrow!

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Monday, October 29, 2007 8:10 PM

BLACKBEANIE


I'm not sure if this is considered unpopular, but...

I hate The Message.

Cannot stand it. I never watch it out of my own free will, only when I have no choice.
I have no idea why I hate it, I just do.

Only one good thing about it, "The Funeral". A masterful piece of compostion.


NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Tuesday, October 30, 2007 3:56 AM

OUT2THEBLACK


Quote:

Originally posted by Causal:
Of course, the final authority on what it was meant to be ("It's a ghost" vs. "It's ghosts") would be the script... AFK ...which just says "Ghosts." But of course, only Summer knows what she actually said in filming which is the final final authority (yes, there are two finals).



I don't disagree...But I wonder if Summer

remembers after all this time...It's a great

question , and I'll probably ask her someday ,

if I don't have a brain-freeze...

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Wednesday, October 31, 2007 5:45 AM

JAYNEZTOWN


Firefly jump the shark when Serenity killed Shepherd and Wash

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Wednesday, October 31, 2007 9:46 AM

RALLEM


I am posting this here because I imagine it will be an unpopular opinion, but I would like to join a community of fans to support this verse, but I don't want to be a "Browncoat" Does anybody else want to form an organization of Republic Troops?


NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Wednesday, October 31, 2007 9:23 PM

JEWELSTAITEFAN


Quote:

Originally posted by blackbeanie:
I'm not sure if this is considered unpopular, but...

I hate The Message.

Cannot stand it. I never watch it out of my own free will, only when I have no choice.
I have no idea why I hate it, I just do.

Only one good thing about it, "The Funeral". A masterful piece of compostion.






Maybe you only hate the episode because it's the only one which Joss acts in. I like it, though.


NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, November 2, 2007 12:07 AM

AGENTROUKA


Quote:

Originally posted by Arcadia:
One more unpopular opinion.

I think it was an utterly stupid move to have Inara flee from Serenity to... a training house? It just doesn't make sense to me when I really think about it. She's leaving Serenity because her feeling of attachment toward the crew, and Mal in particular, are interferring with her work, so she runs to a place where... she doesn't work at all? Really? I really hope that was just a convenience for the movie (both story-wise - it was easier to get things moving this way, and because having a practicing whore might have messed with the rating), and not something that would have been in the show, had it continued.

Arcadia (aka Greyfable and/or Katie)
www.stillflying.net -- picking up Firefly were Joss left off. We will hold 'til he gets back.



Excellent point, Arcadia!!

That always bugged me. It seems entirely counter-intuitive and sevres no purpose other than to show Inara to be pining for Mal - "saving herself for him" or some such thing, which is neither in character for her nor does it fit the situation


Commence my unpopular opinion:

1) Deciding to leave the ship was the healthiest, smartest thing Inara did in a long time. Mal said he respected her, but he didn't and staying would have been nothing but self-torture, no matter how much leaving breaks Mal's heart. He just wasn't ready to let her be herself, and she knew it.

2) She and Mal will never get to gether until he accepts her job. And by accept I don't mean "You WERE a whore, but I love you anyway." but "I love you even though you are a practicing Companion."

And I think he would have done it, during the series. That would have been the entire point of their relationship: teaching Mal what unconditional love really means.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, November 2, 2007 12:23 AM

WYTCHCROFT


i'm not knocking your opinions - this aint the thread - but i'm not sure i folllow...

if Inara left Serenity where would she go - in the short term? Sihnon is her home.

What's wrong with teaching what she practices??? - check the cut scene on the dvd...

and teaching allows you to step back and refresh your own skills - Inara hasn't 'worked' in a while.

The calming atmosphere of Sihnon is not a place to pine but to catch her bearings - and have the Companion side of herself recognised for a change - she has authority there.

I could go on - i can see quite a massive list of reasons why Sihnon would do.. And there's nothing much to say she isn't working from there out into verse gaining clients etc...

keep flyin:)

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, November 2, 2007 12:32 AM

AGENTROUKA


Quote:

Originally posted by wytchcroft:
i'm not knocking your opinions - this aint the thread - but i'm not sure i folllow...

if Inara left Serenity where would she go - in the short term? Sihnon is her home.

What's wrong with teaching what she practices - check the cut scene on the dvd??? teaching allows you to step and refresh your own skills - Inara hasn't 'worked' in a while.

The calming atmosphere of Sihnon is not a place to pine but to catch her bearings - and have the Companion side of herself recognised for a change - she has authority there.

I could go on - i can see quite a massive list of reasons why Sihnon would do.. And there's nothing much to say she isn't working from there out into verse gaining clients etc...

keep flyin:)



She wasn't on Sihnon, though!! It was a little backwater Training House. If you watch the deleted scenes, it comes through in how she talks about the girls. That's not Sihnon standard, certainly.

And the problem with teaching what she practices is that she is not practicing. Her job that means so much to her, the main point of contention between her and Mal... suddenly set aside for teaching? After she left because Serenity holds her in ties?

That smacks of pining. There is very little that gets me up in arms like people interpreting this move as "She couldn't sleep with other men anymore, not after she realized what Mal meant to her!" because it's... wrong. Bad. Not Inara and kind of women-oppressing, really, considering Mal had no problem sleeping with someone else knowing he loves her, so.. what's the point of suddenly putting Inara in a chaste teaching position, really?

If she is leaving to protect her independence, why return to an entirely different kind of committment? Why change everything, after all? She didn't need a refresher course, since she worked all the time on Serenity.

She could have gone anywhere, really. And worked there. The movie put her in a Training House for the sake of convenience. It neglected a lot of things about her character for the sake of convenience, but this one bugs me the most because it takes away the greatest point of conflict between Mal and Inara and replaces it with "Mal has trouble admitting his feelings" which is just wrong, as he was about to tell her right there in "Heart of Gold".

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, November 2, 2007 5:32 AM

REGINAROADIE


Yeah, that sounds about right. When you're at a sci-fi convention or the forums, it would be OK to say you're a Browncoat because these people would know about Firefly. But I imagine if you were to tell a WW2 vet or a Holocaust survivor that you're a Browncoat, you might get some dissaproving looks and maybe even get spat at in the face and "Hitler Youth"'s thrown at you.

It's interesting how in the show Joss uses some political terms and subverts them. Thus "Browncoats" means the good guys and "Alliance" is EVIL, even though the Alliance in WW2 were the good guys.

**************************************************
"And it starts with a sentence that might last a lifetime, or it all might just go down in flames. If I let you know me, then why would you want me? Each day I don't is a shame. Each day I don't is a great shame."

Loudon Wainwright III - "Strange Weirdos" off the "Knocked Up" soundtrack

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, November 2, 2007 8:01 AM

COZEN


Add me to the list of those who feel that The Messenger's plotline falls apart at the point where where no one on Serenity's crew takes the time to explain their plan to Tracy.

Lovely ending sequence, though.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, November 2, 2007 1:12 PM

SHINYGIRL79


Shindig is one of my least favorite episodes. It seems that a lot of people really like that episode, but I could never get into it that much.

----------------
"Do not fear me. Ours is a peaceful race, and we must live in harmony."

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, November 2, 2007 1:18 PM

WYTCHCROFT


Quote:

Originally posted by AgentRouka:
Quote:

Originally posted by wytchcroft:
i'm not knocking your opinions - this aint the thread - but i'm not sure i folllow...

if Inara left Serenity where would she go - in the short term? Sihnon is her home.

What's wrong with teaching what she practices - check the cut scene on the dvd??? teaching allows you to step and refresh your own skills - Inara hasn't 'worked' in a while.

The calming atmosphere of Sihnon is not a place to pine but to catch her bearings - and have the Companion side of herself recognised for a change - she has authority there.

I could go on - i can see quite a massive list of reasons why Sihnon would do.. And there's nothing much to say she isn't working from there out into verse gaining clients etc...

keep flyin:)



She wasn't on Sihnon, though!! It was a little backwater Training House. If you watch the deleted scenes, it comes through in how she talks about the girls. That's not Sihnon standard, certainly.

And the problem with teaching what she practices is that she is not practicing. Her job that means so much to her, the main point of contention between her and Mal... suddenly set aside for teaching? After she left because Serenity holds her in ties?

That smacks of pining. There is very little that gets me up in arms like people interpreting this move as "She couldn't sleep with other men anymore, not after she realized what Mal meant to her!" because it's... wrong. Bad. Not Inara and kind of women-oppressing, really, considering Mal had no problem sleeping with someone else knowing he loves her, so.. what's the point of suddenly putting Inara in a chaste teaching position, really?

If she is leaving to protect her independence, why return to an entirely different kind of committment? Why change everything, after all? She didn't need a refresher course, since she worked all the time on Serenity.

She could have gone anywhere, really. And worked there. The movie put her in a Training House for the sake of convenience. It neglected a lot of things about her character for the sake of convenience, but this one bugs me the most because it takes away the greatest point of conflict between Mal and Inara and replaces it with "Mal has trouble admitting his feelings" which is just wrong, as he was about to tell her right there in "Heart of Gold".



y'know this is a great reply!!
partly becoz although i don't necessarily agree - you make well argued and valid points , i'm forced to think again here - and you could well be RIGHT!:)

my head can accomodate both sets of possibilities...
since there aint much in there already - ha ha!

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Friday, November 2, 2007 3:07 PM

PLATONIST


There's no doubt an obvious change in Inara's portrayal from the series to the BDM. She starts bawling midway through HOG and continues to be misty eyed until the wave she sends to Serenity in the movie. It's always bugged me to no end.

I think Joss's attempt at showing her to have inner conflict about her love of family (and Mal) and her chosen lifestyle falls flat and she does come off as nothing more than a teacher, in love, pining away for Mal.

I've come to understand it as Joss running out of time.
He created all these interesting complications, which were suppose to take the run of the series to deconstruct and explore, and wrote them away when he reduced their dialog to a few chosen lines and looks that the viewers are left concluding, "Oh! I get it! They're, in love, but they aren't good at talking about their feelings."

It is clearly a simplification of their issues and since Joss has artistic license he can change and manipulate the characters as he sees fit to meet his writing objectives, which became: Inara being a Companion (she was a whore, what is there to get?) is just not as important as Mal's arc and River's secret to be devulged.

And if there is a sequel (fingers cross), I doubt very much we will see any Companioning taking place, except Inara following Mal around like a lost kitty and Mal hopelessly trying to show her how much he cares, because we all know, he still won't be able to talk about his feeling for her until at least the third act.

OK, rant over...but more... and why do I care? The Inara in the series was one of my favorite characters and
I hated her being reduced to nothing more than Mal's left behind lost love. But, I understand and deal with it just like Wash's unneccesary death.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Saturday, November 3, 2007 7:12 PM

ASARIAN


Quote:

Originally posted by AgentRouka:

Commence my unpopular opinion:

1) Deciding to leave the ship was the healthiest, smartest thing Inara did in a long time. Mal said he respected her, but he didn't and staying would have been nothing but self-torture, no matter how much leaving breaks Mal's heart. He just wasn't ready to let her be herself, and she knew it.

2) She and Mal will never get to gether until he accepts her job. And by accept I don't mean "You WERE a whore, but I love you anyway." but "I love you even though you are a practicing Companion."

And I think he would have done it, during the series. That would have been the entire point of their relationship: teaching Mal what unconditional love really means.



Commence my unpopular rebuttle:

Mal respects Inara; honestly, he does. :) I was gonna say: "He respects Inara, but not her profession." Glad I didn't, though, because Mal actually has no problem with whores at all. See Heart of Gold. I specifically said "whores", because I think Mal has issues with Companions, rather. And not even for their profession, but for the hypocracy; for "The lie of it," as Mal put it. Mal puts down Inara's profession, not because he has moral gripes with whores, but because Inara basically denies being one! She is hurt when Mals calls her one, because she's largely in denial about what she does for a living. Oh sure, she got her fancy training down to an art: tea ceremonies, a civilized tongue in her mouth, silky dresses, sponge baths, the works. But all that training accomplishes precisely that: it causes Inara to see herself as anything but a whore. "Better than," so to speak. It is that self-delusion that irritates Mal. Which is why he keeps calling her one to her face.

It's, in the end, not Mal who needs to accept she's a whore, but Inara herself. :) If she did away with the facade, Mal would accept her profession, no problem; like he accepts and respects Nandi, no problem. Except, of course, that once Inara accepts she's whore, she can no longer be one! The denial is the only thing that makes it work; society's denial, really; no need to put it all on dear Inara; 'respectable' folks, like on Persephone, who needed a way to make whoring socially acceptable. So they called it something else; made em courtisan-like, and endowed them with some social status and wealth. But, in the end, a whore, by any other name, is still a whore. And, deep down, Inara knows it, too. As does Mal. And, again, being a whore is fine in Mal's book, just so long as there's no lie about it. So, in short, Mal does, indeed, not fully accept Inara as a Companion; but I'm fair certain he would accept her as a whore -- as I'm equally certain Inara herself wouldn't.

Had the series continued, I think, at some point, Inara would have given up being a Companion. Not because Mal would have insisted, but simply because Inara would eventually have come to see the lie of it, too. Half of history is hiding the truth; and you simply can't be together with someone who constantly keeps 'unhiding' it to your face. At which point you either face matters, or you leave -- the latter is what she did, naturally. Also because Mal slept with Nandi, of course, and Inara realized she was in a situation which was only hurting her. Unrequited/impossible love and some such. But even if HoG had never happened, things having stayed equal, Inara, at one time or another, inevitably would have had to make a similar choice.


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

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 4, 2007 3:09 AM

AGENTROUKA


Quote:

Originally posted by asarian:

Commence my unpopular rebuttle:

Mal respects Inara; honestly, he does. :)





I'll agree with you there. And rephrase my earlier opinion to say, "He respects her but he doesn't treat her that way." Which essentially renders his respect meaningless.

Quote:


I was gonna say: "He respects Inara, but not her profession." Glad I didn't, though, because Mal actually has no problem with whores at all. See Heart of Gold.



I also agree with that.



However...

Quote:



I specifically said "whores", because I think Mal has issues with Companions, rather. And not even for their profession, but for the hypocracy; for "The lie of it," as Mal put it. Mal puts down Inara's profession, not because he has moral gripes with whores, but because Inara basically denies being one!



That's where I profoundly disagree.

I think there is a difference between whoring and companioning. Both are types of prostitution, but with very different objectives.

Also, the word "whore" has in and of itself negative connotations. I don't blame Inara for rejecting a word that has over millenia been used to denigrate women's sexuality.

The demand to equate whoring and Companioning is a demand to denigrate the Companion profession. It denies the value of the Companion profession, something Inara believes in very strongly.


Quote:


She is hurt when Mals calls her one, because she's largely in denial about what she does for a living.



Profoundly disagree again.

Inara is not a stupid woman, nor one in the habit of promoting hypocrisy. The only thing we see her lying about in the series is the depth of her feelings for Mal, nothing else. If she felt that Companioning was whoring, she'd own it, because she doesn't do things she doesn't believe in.

It would certainly make her relationship with Mal easier. But she doesn't. She fights against the denigrating word because she believes that its wrong.

She's proud of her job, which is essentially a type of sexual therapy, even though she occasionally indulges in more shallow clients like Atherton. Her judgment is not 100%, as we see, but that doesn't mean every client is that way. The female Senator wasn't, Higgins' son wasn't. We haven't seen any Core clients, so we don't know what a not-Border world client would even be like, and judging by Mal's attitude, the Border worlds are not as in favor of Companions as the Core worlds.

Quote:


Oh sure, she got her fancy training down to an art: tea ceremonies, a civilized tongue in her mouth, silky dresses, sponge baths, the works. But all that training accomplishes precisely that: it causes Inara to see herself as anything but a whore. "Better than," so to speak. It is that self-delusion that irritates Mal. Which is why he keeps calling her one to her face.



But who says it's a self-delusion? Mal doesn't have to be right about this. I don't believe it is.

More importantly, I also don't think that Mal believes this.

It's a front. An easily believable sham he puts up to keep Inara at a distance. Actually, I think Mal has zero trouble admitting a difference between a "whore"-type prostitute and a Companion-type, just like he wouldn't have trouble admitting a difference between the skill level of a highly trained singer and a merely talented one.

Mal's just as freaked out about being in love with Inara as she is about being in love with him. Inara's weapon is professional distance, Mal's is to create an air of disrespect. Easypeasy and effectively hurtful.

Quote:


It's, in the end, not Mal who needs to accept she's a whore, but Inara herself. :) If she did away with the facade, Mal would accept her profession, no problem; like he accepts and respects Nandi, no problem.



Hardly. He wasn't in love with Nandi and her job wouldn't bother him one bit because there is no desire for exclusivity there. He does desire exclusivity with Inara, which is the rub with her job.

Quote:


Except, of course, that once Inara accepts she's whore, she can no longer be one! The denial is the only thing that makes it work; society's denial, really; no need to put it all on dear Inara;



I disagree, see above my words about Inara's character as one of honesty and conviction.

Also: This, would be a storyline that would make Inara's character a pointlessly weak and idiotic women too stupid to realize what she's doing, needing a man to point out the truth to her, save her, and let her give up everything she ever worked for in order to meet his standards of right and wrong.

Even if I remotely agreed with your ideas about Companions, I would sincerely doubt that Joss would have written something so trite, boring and anti-feminist.

People keep supposing that her job must be her problem. How about going wild and allowing the controverse profession to be a real, conscious choice? Inara's problem are her commitment issues, not any denial about her job.

Quote:


'respectable' folks, like on Persephone, who needed a way to make whoring socially acceptable. So they called it something else; made em courtisan-like, and endowed them with some social status and wealth. But, in the end, a whore, by any other name, is still a whore.



First of all, the folk on Persephone are hardly respectable. It's not even close to a Core world, and even its nobility is nowhere near the standard of Simon, who's rich but not nobility on a Core World .

You presuppose an origin to the Guild there that has no proof.

It's just as likely that the Guild was created by prostitutes, or therapists or a mix of both, to promote exactly those ideals.
The Guild is not run by the Alliance nor by clients. It protects its members against people who don't treat them with respect. That doesn't sound like something created for the sake of putting a nice face on mere sexual service.

You seem to start from the position that prostitution is in itself unrespectable, saying that social acceptance and wealth must be tied to a facade. Is that just my impression? Could you allow for the possibility that on Core worlds prostitution is a truly accepted and respected profession, without hypocrisy or hidden disdain involved or do you consider that impossible?


NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 4, 2007 3:37 AM

PACHELBEL


Quote:

Originally posted by chrisisall:
Quote:

Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:
as it were the characters were changed

As a Vulcan of my aquaintance is fond of saying, change is the essential nature of all existence.
Please elevate yourself to a higher point, and travel on.*

*get over it Chrisisall



I believe he said "change is the essential process of all existence."

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 4, 2007 5:21 AM

CHRISISALL


Quote:

Originally posted by pachelbel:


I believe he said "change is the essential process of all existence."

I stand corrected; thanks Pach!

Memory didn't serve Chrisisall

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 4, 2007 7:05 AM

DANNIISUPERNOVA


In response to Agent Rouka, I don't really think you could have made your point better and I have to say that you also make a very good point.

_____

"You know that's gonna fall off."
-----Nathan Fillion (to me while drunk)

How are ships unlike food?
1. If you try it and don't like it, you don't have to do it again.
2. You can have as much as you want, when you want.
3. Cravings can be very specific.
I mean, hello it's not as if there's 'ship police?

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 4, 2007 7:34 AM

NBZ


Another opinion:

Mal and Inara would never have got together. (not sure if this is unpopular though, as I don't think they were designed to end up together romantically.)

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 4, 2007 8:12 AM

ASARIAN


Quote:

Originally posted by AgentRouka:

Inara is not a stupid woman, nor one in the habit of promoting hypocrisy. The only thing we see her lying about in the series is the depth of her feelings for Mal, nothing else. If she felt that Companioning was whoring, she'd own it, because she doesn't do things she doesn't believe in.



There's a difference between knowing what you're doing, and realizing what you're doing. And denial is hardly ever about cold-hearted lying, even. Like battered women are generally neither stupid, nor flat-out lying about their situation. It's far more subtle. Denial is about what one chooses to see when, erm, there's something to deny. :) Likewise with Inara: she's knows she's sleeping with men for money, but chooses to call what she's doing something else; like 'therapy,' for instance. As a therapist would say: Can't imagine how many times men in my position hear that excuse. :) I agree that Inara is not lying. But she's nonetheless living a lie. That's what denial is.

Quote:


She fights against the denigrating word because she believes that its wrong.



Actually, that's not true. In Heart of Gold Inara uses the word "whore" on women, too. Mal is even shocked that she does it:

INARA
They're whores, Mal.

MAL
Thought you didn't much care for that
word?

INARA
It applies. None who work for Nandi
are registered with the Guild.

Quote:


It's a front. An easily believable sham he puts up to keep Inara at a distance. Actually, I think Mal has zero trouble admitting a difference between a "whore"-type prostitute and a Companion-type, just like he wouldn't have trouble admitting a difference between the skill level of a highly trained singer and a merely talented one.



There this joke ascribed to Churchill, where he asks a lady whether she would sleep with men for, say, $100. She's highly offended. Then he asks her whether she'd do it for a million, and she goes: "Hmmm.." She then asks him whether he thinks she's a prostitute. To which he answers: "Madam, we've already established what you are; we're just determining your price." Point being exactly the one you made: highly skilled or merely talented, they're both singers. :)

Quote:


You presuppose an origin to the Guild there that has no proof. (...) It's just as likely that the Guild was created by prostitutes, or therapists or a mix of both, to promote exactly those ideals.



And you presuppose a presupposition where none exists. :) A Companion is a kind of mix between a geisha and a courtisan: all the refinement and education of a geisha, but sleeping with the clients (courtisans). But the origins of the Guild are somewhat unclear. I reckon the notion of Companions was imported from Asian culture when the American and Chinese cultures first began to fuse.

Quote:


You seem to start from the position that prostitution is in itself unrespectable, saying that social acceptance and wealth must be tied to a facade. Is that just my impression?



It is my belief that prostitution is a form of exploitation of women, no matter how nicely it's dressed up, yes. And that everyone involved in the trade, by consequence, is, one way or the other, in denial about that.

I wouldn't call prostitution 'unrespectable', though, as that entails a judgement towards the women-one I do not share.

Quote:


Could you allow for the possibility that on Core worlds prostitution is a truly accepted and respected profession, without hypocrisy or hidden disdain involved or do you consider that impossible?



That's like asking whether the medieval courtisans were a truly accepted and respected profession. Yes, there were. And yes, I'm sure that on Core worlds prostitution has become an acceptable way of making a living. Without hidden disdain, though? That's harder, and ties in with the hypocrisy. "Hypokrisis." play-acting. In the Greek. So, do I think they're all overtly play-acting that prostitution is okay? No. I think they've rationalized it well and long enough to believe it's okay, themselves. That's where their denial comes in.

Ultimately, I'm of the firm belief that women selling their bodies for money is inherently degrading to women. And I certainly wouldn't call that stance "anti-feminist," as if 'the right to be a prostitute' is some sort of feminist achievement to be proud of. In fact, I nourish the hope that feminism will one day bring women to a place of true respect and acceptance, where sexploitation of the women -- however cleverly hidden -- is for ever a thing of the past. What can I say? I'm a traditionalist.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 4, 2007 8:47 AM

MERRYK


I agree totally, NBZ. I simply cannot think of any scenario where it would have worked. I can see Mal with someone else, and maybe even Inara with someone else, but not both of them together.

--
"My way of being polite, or however...well, it's the only way I have of showing you that I like you. Of showing respect." Simon Tam, Jaynestown

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 4, 2007 10:04 AM

PLATONIST







NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 4, 2007 10:05 AM

PLATONIST


I can't see either Mal or Inara in a loveless relationship. It would be going through the motions and that is neither one of these characters, living in this verse. I can't see either one of them falling in love again. Inara is a prostitute and Mal shoots people, What Love?




NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 4, 2007 10:08 AM

MERRYK


I don't think that Mal and Inara are soulmates...I think they are people who could find love outside of with each other.

--
"My way of being polite, or however...well, it's the only way I have of showing you that I like you. Of showing respect." Simon Tam, Jaynestown

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 4, 2007 1:17 PM

PLATONIST


Soul mates don’t always equal a "relationship".

By relationship are we talking Soccer Mom and Suburban Dad?

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 4, 2007 1:30 PM

MERRYK


I don't know...I understood from your other post that you were saying that you could not see Mal and Inara loving anyone but each other. I see that as saying that they are "soulmates", even if you don't use that word. I disagree with that, and furthermore think that Mal and Inara are capable of having relationships (Inara would find it hard, but not Mal) just not with each other. Perhaps I missed your point though.

--
"My way of being polite, or however...well, it's the only way I have of showing you that I like you. Of showing respect." Simon Tam, Jaynestown

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 4, 2007 2:10 PM

WYTCHCROFT


Quote:

Originally posted by Platonist:
Soul mates don’t always equal a "relationship".




ah, how many many tmes have i had to point that out to poor youths convinced of the opposite - hey ho.

I don't think Mal and Inara would work long term... Mal is about being 'free' - but it seems to be on his terms - Inara gets little freedom - just a deal of privacy and the odd client.

i think she is also beginning an arc of discovery/change - it is after all clear that mal affected her... but people are messy when it comes to self dicovery - arcs are generally more noodley - up down forward back and several strands at once - so if she missteps... ant no biggy is just temporary.

serenity gives her family - but to Inara that may not be enough... or it may have made her realise she has famly already - girls in training, fellow techers etc

a good writer for series 2 could have had her like marion in the church - in an audry hepburn style - her dialogue with Robin (sean connery) is of the mal/innara sort.

i think mal is destinded for the will they won't they friction with Saffron...

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 4, 2007 2:24 PM

PLATONIST


I should clarify, I think Mal and Inara have quite a bit going for them as far as a relationship, which I personally think they already have. On a score of 1 to 10, it may be a 1, but it does exist. LOL

They both share a love of home (Serenity), family (she was in agony leaving both), a sexual attraction, a free spirit (their independence), trust, ("she wouldn't set us up willingly") and on one level respect (she's a real cherry blossom, no denying it"). They laugh together; even their arguments are funny.

And, strangely, there is a lot of honesty in the words "whore" and "petty thief". Honesty is a big component in my experience for a successful relationship.

And I think, most importantly, they have ironically, a mutual willingness to sacrifice that which they deem most important to themselves.
Inara was willing to sacrifice her "freedom" to spare Mal in Shindig and Mal was willing to use "Serenity" as bait from the Reavers, in the pilot, so she could fly to safety. The whole scenario was played out again in the BDM with her rescue/escape, in case you are looking for another example.

Will it be a "fairytale" relationship, where we are to expect them to live happily ever after? No...But what real relationship is? And in Mal's line of work it doesn't look like he is going to live that long anyway.

So, I guess my unpopular opinion (since that is the thread), is that Mal and Inara actually have a strong foundation for a good relationship, never a perfect ten, but maybe a seven...OK a 6 tops!




NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 4, 2007 2:40 PM

PLATONIST


Mal/Saffron...wytchcroft, I told you before, enough with that gose... that is about the most unromantic pairing...and stop cracking me up...keep busy, go find your lost stuff in the BSR!

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 4, 2007 2:41 PM

WYTCHCROFT


Quote:

Originally posted by Platonist:
So, I guess my unpopular opinion (since that is the thread), is that Mal and Inara actually have a strong foundation for a good relationship, never a perfect ten, but maybe a seven...OK a 6 tops!



in a shindig style!

you could be right but - i just don't feel it - yet -

i agree that they know each instinctively - but hookin up - for real??? i dunno... would take a long time - the BDM shows mal acknowledging love for the first time - but the love is the love of his ship and the love for River (non sexual).

my unpopular opinion is that Mal kinda has a thing for Saff..

but 'nuff - we're nearly talking 'ship ehre! sweet lords of kobol!:(

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 4, 2007 4:07 PM

CHARLIEBZ


Ok, here's my unpopular opinion. I think Mal & Inara have a better chance than Simon & Kaylee. Quite frankly, I can't see Simon being happy staying on Serenity. The man is a gifted surgeon whose job is pretty much waiting for someone to get shot. That's gotta get boring after awhile. I don't see S/K lasting beyond a year or two at the most.

Now, M/I (and I am an ARDENT M/I shipper) I can see that if they work through their issues, which could take several years, they could make it long term.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 4, 2007 4:42 PM

LEADB


Quote:


my unpopular opinion is that Mal kinda has a thing for Saff..

Really? Its unpopular? I thought that all along. The only reason nothing happens 'with that' is that Saff isn't 'on board with that.' ;-)

====
Please vote for Firefly hourly: http://richlabonte.net/tvvote/index.html

Consider $5/year to support FFF: http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/pay/T39WWCGS4JYCV4


NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 4, 2007 5:29 PM

PLATONIST


Oh, I'm glad someone else also holds that opinion. If Simon and Kaylee continue to live, I don't see that relationship lasting.

Simon's talents and profession (his original first love) are wasted on Serenity. Once River is well enough to stay on as crew and the warrants are lifted, I see him making a move to re establish his career, probably out on the rim. River is his first love and his profession is his second, with Kaylee trailing a distant third. Doesn't River read his true thoughts in OIS to this effect, when he is with Kaylee on the couch.
Poor Kaylee, I wish SHE was the mind reader.



Sorry for the running analogy, my daughter is a long distance runner and was just offered a scholarship this weekend.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 4, 2007 5:44 PM

ASARIAN


Quote:

Originally posted by Platonist:

I should clarify, I think Mal and Inara have quite a bit going for them as far as a relationship, which I personally think they already have. On a score of 1 to 10, it may be a 1, but it does exist. LOL

They both share a love of home (Serenity), family (she was in agony leaving both), a sexual attraction, a free spirit (their independence), trust, ("she wouldn't set us up willingly") and on one level respect (she's a real cherry blossom, no denying it"). They laugh together; even their arguments are funny.

And, strangely, there is a lot of honesty in the words "whore" and "petty thief". Honesty is a big component in my experience for a successful relationship.


Exactly.

I think the relationship between Mal and Inara would have worked out; for one, they're both too invested in their antagonism about it for it not to. :) I think Inara, though she knows she loves Mal, is nonetheless self-prohibited from declairing said love; primarily because her higher social status keeps bringing her back to thinking there can never be anything between them (an idea, indeed, shared by some folks here). And Mal? He's not ready to admit his love for Inara, pretty much for the same reasons. :) By the end of Shindig, when they're sitting on that grid together ("I got stabbed, right here!"), it's clear to me that they're meant for each other, though. On a scale of 1 to 10, I give it a solid 7. Provided Joss don't kill her first, of course. :)


--
"It's the unpopular theory." -- Yours Truly

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Sunday, November 4, 2007 6:09 PM

CHARLIEBZ


Quote:

Originally posted by asarian:
Provided Joss don't kill her first, of course. :)




Which he would. Just to torment poor Mal even further.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

YOUR OPTIONS

NEW POSTS TODAY

USERPOST DATE

FFF.NET SOCIAL