@The Ashrock - The cast of FF was magical - the crew "felt" right in a much more sincere way than other shows. I can't think of many TV series that is said about... BUT when you consider the very "best" character relationships, I'd have you just marvel at the pairings of; Ellie and Awesome, Casey and Morgan, and of course, Chuck and Sarah (hell, I'd throw in Jeff and Lester). IMHO, there can be only... best... and it's Chuck!
If you ever want to experience a TV show that is extremely well written, try Babylon 5. It was written as a 5-year-story-arc and that universe has extensive background stories for everything. Of those 110 episodes, 92 were written by the creator, J. Michael Straczynski, including all 44 episodes of the 3rd and 4th season. You won't find any giant plot holes in this show.
As a huge Babylon 5 fan, I will offer a disclaimer: the show suffered from quite a lot of filler episodes in the first couple of seasons, and because the show was cancelled halfway through the production of season 4 (and then un-cancelled right before it ended), the second half of season 4 was very rushed, and season 5 had very little meat to it and felt extraneous.
B5 has some the best character writing of any sci-fi ever. I disagree that the first season has a lot of filler, it is character groundwork and plot building that pays off later. The 5th season is weaker, as it is basically just a wrap up for orphaned plot lines from the rushed 4th seaside. Deep Space 9 is another good example in the same vein. By far my favorite Star Trek series.
It's routine now, but at the time B5 was really ground breaking for the way it had an over-arching story arc. The cgi is a rather dated (especially in the first season), but that too was ground breaking at the time. It's definitely worth watching.
Yes, on that ‘You’re fired!’ aspect of The Message, it brings Mal’s final look at the camera a whole new flavour of betrayal by Fox. He looked like they were gonna meet the real Nathan Fillion.
What drives Inara's decision to keep her relationship with Mal on a strictly business level leads into deeper analysis once we learn what motivates her behavior. From Inara's background: We learn from this episode that she had a very promising career with the guild and was in contention to become the next Head Priestess. Suddenly Inara decided give up that goal and travel the rim instead to "see the universe". *INARA SPOILERS BELOW* Inara is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Clues were already written in the show and easier to spot for fans who know this. Part of her decision to leave Serenity is because she knows a relationship with Mal will happen if she stays. It also means her & Mal will go through much emotional pain together when her symptoms begin to surface and she must tell him why.
Yup... Inara's little "kit" with the syringe shown in episode one is for the day when the disease catches up with her. She has plans to end it herself.
@@Mr.Ekshin actually no. That was also addressed in a after canceled interview. That was a poison that killed anyone who raped her. There was going to be a whole event based around that syringe.
To answer your question as to why Mal didn't kill Rance even though he completely deserved it, I think the answer is in a conversation Mal had with Simon at the end of the first episode (Serenity). Mal suggests that Simon and River might be safe on Serenity, to which Simon asks, "How do I know you won't kill us in our sleep?" Mal's response, "If I ever do kill you, you'll be awake, facing me and you'll be armed." That response tells you exactly who Mal is. Rance deserved to die, but at the point Mal hit him with the butt of his pistol, he wasn't an immediate threat, and Mal isn't a murderer. Just my two cent opinion.
When you asked where does the Heart of Gold draw their clients from, it reminded me of Weird History videos that described how brothels were often the foundation of towns and cities. Places with resources drew miners, who had basic needs. Food, shelter, water, drink, and women. General stores, bars, post office, livery stables. Once the camps had women available, the women improved the shantytown by starting shops, restaurants, hospitals, schools, orphanages, and more. As the ladies earned the disposable income, they became power brokers in local politics even as the town drew in the respectable families.
This episode broke my heart the first time I watched it. X centuries in the future, in another frigging solar system, and women are still fighting to be equal. It kilt me.
Actress Melinda Clarke went by the name Mindy Clarke when she played Faith Taylor on the soap Days of Our Lives back in the early 1990's. Her father was actor John Clarke, who played lawyer Mickey Horton for a very long time on the same show.
Couple of comments, first, this episode and how it was written 20ish years ago is an example of how it CAN stand the test of time. It was written to show how wrong Rance’s way of thinking was then as it is now, as to highlight that there are people with morales that don’t agree with it. Mal is a “bad” man with a good morale compass, which makes him a good man. Next, Inara set the ground rules, and even though Mal stuck to them, she stepped over the line. In Our Mrs Reynolds, when she thought he was dead but found him unconscious and alive, she kissed him. Love the reactions. One more episode then we are on to Serenity
There was another reason for Inara leaving. They apparently had a plot planned for her, but it never came to fruition because the show was cancelled. But this plot was picked up in a book many years later. Apparently her health check up on Ariel didn't go so well, and she was diagnosed with a terminal illness. She is a very private person (despite Mal's eavesdropping) and therefore hid her illness from the crew. However, I'm not sure how well I like this. I've rewatched the episodes trying to keep this in mind. Any clues to it are either very subtle and a bit of a stretch (which I can understand if they didn't want to give it away). I doubt Morena knew the plan when she was acting, so I think she just acted the scene as a "I need to break away before I get sucked in" type of situation and used the connection with Mal as Inara's motivation. They also don't address it, in the movie (could makes some arguments but won't say more so I don't spoil anything) I always chose to believe Inara broke away, because she wanted to run from the pain. I think despite her desire for Mal, she had no intention of breaking their strictly business arrangement even if she stayed on the ship. I think she realized being with Mal would change too many aspects of her life. She had said in a previous episode (Trash maybe?) when her schedule kept getting disrupted something to the effect of "I might as well become a criminal and join the gang because you won't let me do my work." I think she realized being with Mal meant giving up her work as well as the independence and benefits associated with being a companion, so therefor it was better to keep the status quo. I think Mal being with Nandi changed that, because seeing Mal with another woman quite obviously hurt her. Like deeply hurt her. I think she realized she would feel that again if she stayed in Mal's orbit, and possibly even some guilt making Mal feel that pain for her. I think that made the status quo unbearable to her. So, it wasn't a choice between be with Mal or run, but a choice of be in pain or run. At least that's how I chose to see it. As to why people followed Burgess, they said he had enough wealth to make the planet into an advanced world, but instead used it to keep everyone down and under his thumb. So the guys following him into battle were doing it because they either needed the money, or they bought into his fucked up patriarchy.
They may have changed it in the comics, but the original plan was actually that Inara's terminal illness was diagnosed before the series even began. That's the reason Inara left the House to join Serenity. It's what she was running from when Mal asks her in her flashback in Out of Gas. And Morena very much did know about it. Inara's illness was confirmed by Morena herself during a panel at DragonCon 2008: ua-cam.com/video/YTxGOi9coWQ/v-deo.html
The story that Inara was dying was long before the check up on Ariel. That was her whole secret reason for being on Serenity. The little hints about it were the flashback when she first came aboard and Mal said he'd heard of companions working on commericiall liners, but not a small ship like that. She wanted to see the galaxy before she died. She said that it was a routine check up on Ariel, which may have been a cover for checking up after the disease was discovered (the way she offered up the information without prompt seems more likely a cover) but she knew she was dying before she ever set foot on Serenity.
When Saffron used her wiles on Mal, she found out about his mother running a ranch on Shadow with 30 or so ranch hands rounding out his education before joining the Independents. Taking the job without pay for Inara's independent friend had as much to do with respect for his mother's strength as kindness for Inara's need. Inara saw the veneer going thin separating them by business instead of personal goals. Saffron could have her way, had even wed him. Nandi was not bound by contract, and could definitely be as personal as she liked. In the end, Mal could only mourn her. Inara had reasons to distance herself, partly explained at a Comicon panel 10 years after the network run. As long as she stayed aboard, the ties would strengthen and she did not want that level of grief. By leaving Serenity, it also would lift the contract restriction if she were to setup elsewhere. Mind you, Guild had complicated rules on dating and Mal couldn't possibly pay Guild rates with petty payouts.
Not sure if anyone has mentioned this but before you watch the film "Serenity" I think you would enjoy "The River Tam Sessions". It sheds more light on River's story and is fairly short. Recommended.
Wonderful reaction. I really appreciate your view on Mal and Inara's relationship. I often struggle to defend(?) Mal spending the night with Nandi, those I've discussed this episode with are always super invested in the Mal/Inara relationship and see it as a betrayal, so I'm really glad that you see what I did. A strictly business transaction between a companion and a client, on the eve of violence - that both entered into free of conflicting ties. That Inara did get her heart hurt, is what decided her to leave - she realized she can no longer keep her feelings under control, and they add a layer of complication she doesn't want to deal with. A moment that didn't make the edit, was the discussion between Zoe and Wash, apparently not for the first time, about whether or not to have a child. I loved this, not least because Zoe is showing us that femininity doesn't have to be given up to be a badass, she *wants* to be a momma. As for the anti-patriarchy vibes of the episode - I UNDERSTAND THAT FACE, THAT EXPRESSION, AND THOSE GESTURES completely. I fear for the immediate future of women in the US, and am relieved I don't live there. That the episode so clearly puts 'morality over legality' when the current situation in the States is so clearly the opposite, boggles my mind.
The other episode of "Firefly" that the Teenage Mutant Fox TV programmers didn't broadcast back then. A call for help to Inara leads to a showdown with the resident knuckle-dragger.
Yes, this episode along with Trash and The Message didn't air in the US until 2005 during the run up to the release of the feature film 'Serenity'. Everywhere else in the world saw every episode during the initial run of the show. A sad fact is that on Dec. 20, 2002, the day the series ended, the episode that fox aired was, of all things, the pilot episode Serenity?
Would love to see you do Orphan Black. A show very much about women's autonomy over themselves. Featuring one of TV greatest performances by Tatiana Maslany.
Wow, am a bit late (started binging your True Blood reactions yesterday). Btw, if you love the dynamic of a group with different specialties/skills, if you ever want to fill a void in your schedule (lol, maybe when something ends, looks like you are already doing a lot) I can highly recommend the show "Leverage", it is great but nearly no one has reacted to it so far. As for the one actress, I know she was in a lot but I mostly remembered her as Julie Cooper in "The O.C." for some unknown reason.
I think my favorite bit of this episode is the conversation without words between Mal and Inara after Nandi's death. Not a word said but you can see Inara asking Mal to avenge Nandi and Mal's wholehearted agreement.
I just discovered your channel this weekend, binged your Firefly videos. Love the show, the final episode is one of my favorites, and of course the movie is good too. I don't think Mal was expecting her to shoot/kill Burgess, but I'm sure he felt it was up to them to decide what to do with him. Nandi was on Xena, I believe she played an Amazon, Valaska? Who ended up becoming a goddess, and I know her from the movie Spawn How are you loving Jayne? Hahaha lov'em he's too funny, and Kaylee is awesome, love the whole cast really. I'm looking forward to more videos.
I was a teenager when I first watched Firefly, and I remember when I originally watched this episode and the episode "Safe" thinking that they were unbelievable and kinda badly written/heavy handed. I just couldn't believe that religious extremism and misogyny would still exist to that extent so far in the future. Like I figured, sure some prejudices would linger that's humanity for you, but considering how advanced technology had become society would have to advance with it. I have grown up a lot since then and am now depressingly unsurprised by these episodes.
There is a theory which I tend to agree with that Inara's leaving had a yet to be revealed cause which contributed to her leaving. There is a complete novel, which I have read and it would seem plausible. Can't say more because you haven't completed the series and the film. I will say there actually is a couple of hints dropped in a previous episodes that could have established this path. More to come. Always enjoy your reaction / review.
I had a sense this was going to be an episode meant for a reaction by Anna. And the reaction was everything I had hoped. Anna's emotions were 'real' and her analysis was spot-on. The only caveat is the Anna couldn't/shouldn't know the suspicions that have emerged in the intervening years since the show, regarding the deeper difficult realities faced by Inara at the time she is deciding to leave - (difficulties that were unknown to both the crew of Serenity and the FF audience). Ultimately, FF is all about characters and their relationships, and for that reason I believe 'Heart of Gold,' is one of the best FF episodes.
"Were I not married I'd take you in a manly fashion. " "Because I'm pretty?" "Because you're pretty." Is the best dialogs, and may be my favorite from the whole series. I can see how you didn't get the nuances of the combat, it is difficult for most people to if they haven't been through it. Personally I have used this episode to explain some of it to people before, especially the bit about horses.
The scene were Inara broke down crying( all her companion training on how to control her emotions crumbled) had me thinking that this was the first time a man had broke Inaras heart,,, cause if she held her feelings deep down inside for Mal she must really loved him a lot. If the show had continued on producer Tim Minear said they where going to have them both stop hiding their feelings for each other. But the way it was going to happened was super messed up.
Speculation is Anara may have some kind of medical condition she found about before first episode of this series. Explains some of her actions on show, not why she is on Serenity though.
You left out the first kiss between Nandi and Mal, when he was testing to see if he would pass out. Callback to Saffron's Good Night Kiss. That makes the third Companion Guild trained woman to lock lips with Mal in the series.
not quite my favorite episode. but what could have made it better was that when the guy says, "let me see my son." i wanted them to bring out a baby girl. the look on his face would have been priceless.
Just FYI, This episode never aired on fFox. It was shot before "The Message" which was the last episode the cast shot, As they were told that the show was canceled.
As far as the boundary between Mal and Inara goes, I am reminded of a proverb: "You said 'yes' then; do not say 'it hurts' now." You phrased it perfectly, mind - there was a line, and both sides respected it, but it didn't mean either side liked it.
not familiar with that "proverb", but it sounds pretty rape-y. people are allowed to change their minds. the problem is when you expect people to read your mind rather than taking you at your word.
From the begining there is a good reason why Inara left "The House" and dosent want any emotional intanglement with Mal she see's no future in it. Remember the sirynge she kept nearby in a ervious episode? In the books we discover she has a medical condition and that she's dying. This is also confirmed on the shows Wiki page.
I'm sure at this point you've already made a decision on your next series but here's a suggestion for the future, "The Expanse". A serious sci fi series based on a series of books and the 2 writers of the books are highly involved in the series. The first few episodes can be a little slow but at episode 4 it picks up quite a bit.
Highly recommend The Expanse. One of the very best dramas and tied with Babylon 5 as one of the best science fiction television series ever. And I've been watching television science fiction since Twilight Zone was originally airing.
I've always thought that the relationship between Mal and Inara had one main stumbling block. Deep down Mal can't accept what Inara does for a living. He can't be with her because of it, but he also knows how important it is to her. It's the elephant in the room.
What she does is also important to what he does. I think that is a big part of his issue. He needs her in the crew because of the various advantages it gives his operation. He does love her and wants to be with her, but cannot accept her profession, which profession helps his operation. For a lot of reasons he can't ask her to give up her profession (including his respect for her), and he finds himself stuck.
Mal did nothing wrong, but that doesn't stop it from hurting. Emotional feelings and rationality rarely line up. And that's part of it, that Inara didn't want complications, but realized there already are complications even without her and Mal acknowledging their feelings and giving in to it. And that's why she's leaving. No complications. No complications. They don't give in to the complications, and her reactions show that there are still complications even though they denied them.
One of the better episodes. Great lines, everyone gets a good moment, fun sci-fi action with hover cars and laser guns, and an excellent guest star (Melinda Clarke is so gorgeous, and is shot very tastefully in the same style we see Inara bathe in Serenity 1). The last episode is one of my favorites, with another great guest performance. Super interested to see your thoughts on Serenity.
I've always been of the opinion that Inarra is crying because she realized that she has been putting Mal through this type of pain on a regular basis. Mal on the other hand is too strong to show that pain. But has never made his feelings known because he doesn't concider himself good enough for Inarra.
I do believe that is a part of it, but there are also reasons on a deeper level. INARA SPOILERS BELOW Inara is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Clues were already written in the show and easier to spot for fans who know this. Part of her decision to leave Serenity is because she knows a relationship with Mal will happen if she stays. It also means her & Mal will go through much emotional pain together when her symptoms begin to surface and she must tell him why.
When you mentioned that this episode was hitting your "F* the patriarchy" buttons I thought "Oh, she's really not going to like that scene that's coming up". PS That scene with Inara crying gets me every time I see it.
There a lot of issues covered in this one. I think Inara just can't allow those complications in her life, with her job, with the Guild. People think she does her job for fun, she doesn't. Nandy is what she's become if she loses her place as a companion, at least one of the possibilities. There's some backstory I'm sure people will probably tell you, but even on a psychological level, this makes sense for her character.
Never hered that anyone has a problem with Mal sleeping with Nandi... Inara is the trained companion. She clearly knows how Mal feels about her. But Mal has no clue how she feels. And she made it clear there will never be more then a working relationship between them... So Mal did nothing wrong, specially caue Nandy hit on him, not the other way around.
I do love your analysis and thoughtfulness in your reactions, and your humor, thank you. I appreciate your appreciation of writing and storytelling. That's why I am going to continue to suggest you watch and react to The Expanse. I'd love to hear your thoughts on such a thought-provoking story. Firefly holds a special place in my heart, and always will, but you won't find those kind of plot holes, as you referred to, in The Expanse...just sayin. One other distinct difference, The Expanse fans succeeded in saving the show, whereas we,, unfortunately failed Firefly. On another note, they, and we all know who they are, can no longer deny their regressive natures after this past week. They're dragging us backward 50 years, by using a 500-year-old document from the 16th century, written by a man who not only believed in witches but aided the state in hunting down said witches and summarily execute them by burning them at the stake. The words evil and obscene are too kind for using to describe their nature. I'm done. Sorry. ✌️
I've watched a number of reactions to Firefly on UA-cam, and most tend to come down on one side or the other. Mal should have realized Anara's feeling toward him, or Mal knew that Anara had specifically set their relationship off limits. You seem to realize that both are right and wrong at the same time.
Because of the circumstances, during filming of the funeral Nathan was screwing around even more than usual. There's an outtake where the camera is doing a slow pan around the mourners, and every third mourner is Mal. --- I support the nomination of Babylon 5 for your next series reaction. Second best sci-fi show ever to make it to TV (third is Farscape). Be aware that it will be a career because there are five full seasons. You'll love it because the network didn't screw with Joe until the end of season 3 so he has able to develop his characters and the story without dumping the whole thing straight in your lap a la 'The Train Job'.
This was my favorite episode, I just love the feel of it, it really shows the difference between what a companion is and an " independent." As seen several times in the series, a companion is just that, a high priced call girl that's socially acceptable to be seen with and it can come to you to events. Not to mention that it's own guild which means that there's professional instruction, you're given skills and rules you have to follow, while those without their protection can fall victim to the same situation that nandy described before she took over. Of course that's not the only reason I like this episode, the emotions here are some of the best from the cast, especially Inara and Mal. It seemed to me that after all the wait, it had more meaning, I think back to how the air things out of order and wonder, what would this episode been like if we were missing all that context? I'm not sure what order they were aired in but that kind of points out. How bad that kind of snafu could be for a show like this.
Some gold in Jaynes moments, from the horrifically awful: "Can I start getting sexed already?" to the downright sweet: arranging his partner's hair etc. There is some unconfirmed speculation that Inara has had a terminal illness for as long as she has been aboard Serenity. Whatever the truth of that she has clearly been lying to herself about the nature of the bond between her and Mal.Her despairing tears when Mal slept with her old friend made that obvious. Her response to being smacked in the face with reality is to run.
Inara's core identity is membership. Being a registered companion and a member of the guild is who she is. Malcolm's core identity is his independence. He offers no allegience to any authority and toes no line for anyone. They love each other, but one or both would have to have to compromise their identity to build a relationship together. Malcolm and Inara Dr. Horrible and Penny Buffy and Spike Buffy and Angel. Seems like maybe Joss is trying to say something about romance and conflicting identities...
Inara lied, of course, about her true feelings- her profession, and her unspoken illness, do not let her speak the truth about their relationship. And Mal has to deny the truth of his feelings for her, that's how their relationship has been. Nandi sees it.
I could see from the beginning this episode was starting to push your hot buttons. For someone like me you have a face and eyes that is very easy to read.
I have all sorts of issues with the concept of companions. Rich men paying elegant, educated women to sexually service them while granting them high social status to legitimize that objectifying practice makes me feel as if Inara's standing & power originates not from a place of empowerment, but is a largesse granted to her by men who wanted to make paying for sex a point of pride and not as pathetic as it really is. And Mal may have a big heart, but he is not the kind of man who would be willing to share her with any man wealthy enough to purchase her favors. So sad, for them to be together, she has to give up the career that allows her wealth, freedom & status in this world.
@@itzel1735 so a woman decides to sell her body to a man. Not patriarchy. She gets pregnant and decides to keep the baby. Not patriarchy. The man disagrees and wants to keep the baby himself. Patriarchy. The women hire armed men to save them from the other men. Not patriarchy. Ummmm.
I think Mal thought she deserved better, better than he could give her. I don't think he liked the idea that he would have to share her and I don't think she liked the idea that she would have to share him with the crew. Mal has serious issues with any closeness beyond that of his crew. I think it's because of all the men and women that he lost during the war. If you don't let them into your heart they can't hurt you when they go.
When you ask why Mal would take on this job without expecting to be paid, you have to consider his history. He fought a long and brutal war for independence from the Alliance. When Inara told him that the girls were "whores" she defined the difference as companions being part of the Guild (thus Alliance approved) and these girls were "independents." He is still fighting his own personal war. And, why is it that every "Reactor" I follow (primarily female) is able to see at a glance that Anara will be devastated by seeing Mal with this girl but none of them can figure out that Mal goes through that exact same emotional state every time Inara goes to work? Does everyone really believe that Mal is unaffected by knowing that she is going out to have sex with some stranger? It has been clear since episode 3 that they love each other - even if they are not allowed to say it.
There’s definitely episodes of shows or scenes of movies that will push certain buttons. Rance was written to push buttons. Most definitely he would push a woman’s buttons (especially as you say, because of the bs that’s been going on in recent times in your country), but most men would see him as despicable too. He pushes my buttons through not only his attitude, but his proud boastfulness of it and the way he preaches it to other men. I find this episode less enjoyable because that character exists in it. There’s been so many great episodes in the midst of this series, and even the antagonists for a lot of it were varying degrees of benign (Badger) to ruthless (Patience) to caricatured psychotic (Nisska). But Tracey was a user who undermined Mal and Zoe’s trust in others and sense of morality, Rance was an out & out piece of slime unworthy of being called a man, and there’s still an episode left, so who knows what they’ll deal with there. However, Rance aside, there were three great scenes in this where Morena Baccarin got to show off her fantastic acting skills. Firstly the crying scene. Hard stuff for many actors, it was edited so well, with a little breathing space between her confrontation with Mal in the corridor as he was leaving Nandi’s room, so we forget about what happened, and then bam!, we’re in Inara’s room and she’s on the floor with her carefully shielded heart just ripped out. The second scene was exactly what you picked up on, the unspoken exchange between Mal and Inara over Nandi’s body. It went from grief to anger to ‘you go get that son of a b*tch’ perfectly. No words needed, both completely synced for what needed to be done to avenge Nandi. The last is Inara’s farewell speech. So much emotion, drawing on unspoken issues. There are theories about why Inara is out in space instead of in the guild house, and I believe they make sense, that we would have found more about her life if we had more seasons, but whatever the truth, she conveyed that there was a greater depth to her words.
This is one of my favorite Sci Fi shows that I am actually glad they ended before it continued on the path that Whedon wanted to do. I hate looking back on them because I feel the Whedon creepy in some of these shows. While the story is good and there are good sub plots it is unfortunate we did not get a good completion or character development that could have been done in other season. See you at the movie.
I guess I've never really liked Mal and Inara's "relationship." It's as if it wants to be Romeo and Juliet only Mal and Inara are not teenagers. And they are not being kept apart by circumstances beyond their control. Rather their relationship is more like a trope. It's less Romeo and Juliet and more Sam and Diane from _Cheers._ And I always believed that if Mal and Inara would ever consummate their relationship that the loss of tension would ruin the show. I understand that Whedon had a "tragic" arc planned for Inara which is actually alluded to by Nandi in this episode. But even if those rumors are true then it just makes Inara's decision to keep screwing around (metaphorically with Mal and literally with strangers) even more exasperating. So, I was actually kind of pleased to see Inara make the rational decision to leave. Too often Hollywood tries to sell the fantasy that "love conquered all." But despite Hollywood's best efforts in movies like _Pretty Woman_ I just don't think there is a "happy ever after" for Mal and Inara.
They are more Pride & Prejudice than Romeo & Juliet to me, except Mal is way too prejudice (hypocrically so) to reconcile. He's 'too good for a whore' (but is fine sleeping with one, because he doesn't pay 🙃) and Inara won't quit her job to appease his narrow-mindedness so he can white knight her.
@@LordVolkov P&P might be a better analogy or basis for Mal and Inara. Both characters are hypocrites to be sure. Inara is devastated that Mal slept with Nandi yet she's been sleeping with strange men and women in exchange for money throughout the series. So what exactly is Inara's problem? Does Inara view her own clients as immoral or otherwise tarnished for having anonymous sex with her? It is why I don't like Mal and Inara's relationship. She's always going to be a prostitute and that is always going to be a problem for MOST men.
Anna, there's nothing unique about this time in regard to the story. The reaction to misogyny was just as strong when the show aired. I do like how you show your buttons being pushed. --- I don't believe the choice you describe is Inara's. Yes, she's leery of how Mal will react to her profession (not like he hasn't dropped hints). She is more concerned that committing to *any* relationship would disrupt the emotional detachment required by her profession. Simply, she *can't* be with Mal and remain a Companion. So the choice is to retain her high status profession and honor her training, or throw it all away to play pirate princess with a brown-coated rogue.
Joss has got in trouble for advocating women's rights, while alledgedly abusing them in his private life and workplace. Which is the real man? Which is more important, what he has done, or what he has inspired in others? I don't know. I come down in the middle: he has inspired women, here, and in Buffy and in Angel. But I would NEVER do the things he is alledged to have done.
Having done a recent watch of Angel, his misogyny really creeps into the later seasons. You can see how Cordelia's character degrades around the time he was being terrible to Charisma, before she's written off completely.
She had an issue that everything would have been less complicated by taking time to tell Tracey the plan before he was shot. The plan : Tracey was to be shot.
@@eXpriest No, the plan was to offer the Feds damaged goods. The difference would have been Tracey being shot politely. He was still going to be shot. In the absence of prompt medical care, the goods were unrecoverable. Book kept them from discovering the Tams, and the crew with guns had the high ground and knew the ship. Odds stacking in favor of Browncoats.
Anna, I love you girl but, you opened a door, and I'm sorry, but I can't, in all conscience, let that sentence you said go. If you don't want to hear this, skip on to the next post, but I would like to give you my thoughts ... I WILL agree, that women should be 100% in charge of their body BUT, when you get pregnant, and the fetus has a heartbeat, that little inconvenience becomes a living being, and you are no longer talking about just YOUR body. At that point, you are talking about 2 bodies, and you can't just chop it up into little pieces and throw it out with the bathwater. I wish there was a way to transfer babies to another woman or some new form of incubator so the woman could be relieved of that inconvenience and responsibility, and I hope you won't hate me for saying this but, an abortion after there's a heartbeat is murder. I understand and would agree that there are special situations and/or conditions that may exist, such as rape, incest, and a few other health related considerations that must be accounted for, but for pretty much any other reason, if a baby is unacceptable to you, then the proper thing to have done would have been to do 1 of the following ... not have sex (always works), girls - have your tubes tied or take the pill, guys - have a vasectomy or wear a condom, etc. If you failing to do that and you get pregnant, the decisions you make and the actions you take don't just affect your freedom ... they affect another person's life.
He's supposed to press all your buttons - This is the worst - as in most poorly written - villain in the series. He's a cartoon villain. If this episode had aired on FOX I presume he would tamed down for network tv. Also considering the things that have since come out about so many in Hollywood, including Josh Whedon and Nathan Fillion, that kinda changes how this episode looks as well. I guess the Guild is a proper Union, those members who don't uphold the standards of the union are expelled. Dont be overly dramatic about the politics - in the past 2 years we've all lost autonomy over our bodies. We've all lost our rights to medical privacy. If you want to take a political message away from this episode, I would say it has far more to say about "Me Too", than about the other things.
as a Satanist, a persons body is their own and no one else should be making the medical choices for them but them. its funny how, growing up Christian, and seeing the values of Christ violated over and over, i had to turn to Satanism to find true compassion from people. just like the women and men in this "house" showed more than the men who attacked simply to insure their entitlement to abuse women.
Politics fills our lives, and this show is especially filled with it. If you're watching TV/reactions to get away from that, you're not paying attention.
Honestly though, what kind of a professional woman gets pregnant on the job and then decides to keep the baby? And furthermore, why is everyone under the agreement that the woman keeping the baby in a brothel is better than giving it to an actual married couple? Cuz he's mean? She was sure happy enough to take his money when he wanted to trade.
Anna is just as sexist as Rance. The decision to kill the baby, keep the baby, or give the baby away is one hundred percent the woman's choice, cause.. my body.
I know you are a fan of Captain Marvel - and don't you dare say I hate because she is female when Ripley in Alien and Sarah Connor existed. (I hate because stealing a motorcycle and breaking a guys hand is not justified by him being a j e r k.)(Sorry for the spacing, but YOUR team wants to censor that.) Be that as it may, I know you want to "abort" all babies, I mean fetuses, but C'mon. Zoey is adamant.
'I hate her cause she stole property from a man and hurt him' And? Do you hate Bucky? He wrecks a civilian in Civil War and stole his motorcycle too, unprovoked. (btw CM was still working for evil space fascists while being a big meanie at that point in the movie, in case you missed the plot while sulking) Just admit she made you feel threatened bro. It's ok.
@Bret Benton - @Bret Benton? @Bret Benton?! @Bret Benton??? - the only "eminent violence" for the unborn baby made here was Rance's DNA probe being forced into Petaline's womb... by the same 'azzhat' who forced his c_ck to the hooker... @Bret Benton??????!!!!! - perhaps you might re-watch the episode... and check yourself... maybe let your "last post" be... as no clarification is necessary.
Funny. The Catholic Church won't baptise a stillborn baby, for the reason that it never drew breath. Dogma holds that the drawing of breath is the beginning of life, that the soul is installed with the "breath of life."
Inara’s reaction to Mal’s night with her friend is the saddest part of the series. I always cry as badly as she does. Great reaction BTW.
This is THE BEST cast with THE BEST chemistry. No one can change my mind.
@The Ashrock - The cast of FF was magical - the crew "felt" right in a much more sincere way than other shows. I can't think of many TV series that is said about... BUT when you consider the very "best" character relationships, I'd have you just marvel at the pairings of; Ellie and Awesome, Casey and Morgan, and of course, Chuck and Sarah (hell, I'd throw in Jeff and Lester). IMHO, there can be only... best... and it's Chuck!
Have you seen the Hannibal show though? That chemistry is 🔥
If you ever want to experience a TV show that is extremely well written, try Babylon 5. It was written as a 5-year-story-arc and that universe has extensive background stories for everything. Of those 110 episodes, 92 were written by the creator, J. Michael Straczynski, including all 44 episodes of the 3rd and 4th season. You won't find any giant plot holes in this show.
As a huge Babylon 5 fan, I will offer a disclaimer: the show suffered from quite a lot of filler episodes in the first couple of seasons, and because the show was cancelled halfway through the production of season 4 (and then un-cancelled right before it ended), the second half of season 4 was very rushed, and season 5 had very little meat to it and felt extraneous.
B5 has some the best character writing of any sci-fi ever. I disagree that the first season has a lot of filler, it is character groundwork and plot building that pays off later.
The 5th season is weaker, as it is basically just a wrap up for orphaned plot lines from the rushed 4th seaside.
Deep Space 9 is another good example in the same vein. By far my favorite Star Trek series.
It's routine now, but at the time B5 was really ground breaking for the way it had an over-arching story arc. The cgi is a rather dated (especially in the first season), but that too was ground breaking at the time. It's definitely worth watching.
"But that's what you wanted! That's what you wanted!"
That's what she _said_ which means very little.
Shit, are we up to Heart of Gold already? Damn. I don't want it to be over yet.
Also, great choice of coffee, Anna.
Yes, on that ‘You’re fired!’ aspect of The Message, it brings Mal’s final look at the camera a whole new flavour of betrayal by Fox. He looked like they were gonna meet the real Nathan Fillion.
What drives Inara's decision to keep her relationship with Mal on a strictly business level leads into deeper analysis once we learn what motivates her behavior.
From Inara's background: We learn from this episode that she had a very promising career with the guild and was in contention to become the next Head Priestess. Suddenly Inara decided give up that goal and travel the rim instead to "see the universe".
*INARA SPOILERS BELOW*
Inara is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Clues were already written in the show and easier to spot for fans who know this. Part of her decision to leave Serenity is because she knows a relationship with Mal will happen if she stays. It also means her & Mal will go through much emotional pain together when her symptoms begin to surface and she must tell him why.
Yup... Inara's little "kit" with the syringe shown in episode one is for the day when the disease catches up with her. She has plans to end it herself.
@@Mr.Ekshin actually no. That was also addressed in a after canceled interview. That was a poison that killed anyone who raped her. There was going to be a whole event based around that syringe.
To answer your question as to why Mal didn't kill Rance even though he completely deserved it, I think the answer is in a conversation Mal had with Simon at the end of the first episode (Serenity).
Mal suggests that Simon and River might be safe on Serenity, to which Simon asks, "How do I know you won't kill us in our sleep?"
Mal's response, "If I ever do kill you, you'll be awake, facing me and you'll be armed." That response tells you exactly who Mal is.
Rance deserved to die, but at the point Mal hit him with the butt of his pistol, he wasn't an immediate threat, and Mal isn't a murderer.
Just my two cent opinion.
When you asked where does the Heart of Gold draw their clients from, it reminded me of Weird History videos that described how brothels were often the foundation of towns and cities. Places with resources drew miners, who had basic needs. Food, shelter, water, drink, and women. General stores, bars, post office, livery stables.
Once the camps had women available, the women improved the shantytown by starting shops, restaurants, hospitals, schools, orphanages, and more.
As the ladies earned the disposable income, they became power brokers in local politics even as the town drew in the respectable families.
Along with a railway station and town, as seen in "Once Upon A Time In The West" (1968).
This episode broke my heart the first time I watched it. X centuries in the future, in another frigging solar system, and women are still fighting to be equal. It kilt me.
It still blows my mind that Morena (Inara) was only 23 when the series was made. What a fantastic actress!
Actress Melinda Clarke went by the name Mindy Clarke when she played Faith Taylor on the soap Days of Our Lives back in the early 1990's. Her father was actor John Clarke, who played lawyer Mickey Horton for a very long time on the same show.
Couple of comments, first, this episode and how it was written 20ish years ago is an example of how it CAN stand the test of time. It was written to show how wrong Rance’s way of thinking was then as it is now, as to highlight that there are people with morales that don’t agree with it. Mal is a “bad” man with a good morale compass, which makes him a good man. Next, Inara set the ground rules, and even though Mal stuck to them, she stepped over the line. In Our Mrs Reynolds, when she thought he was dead but found him unconscious and alive, she kissed him. Love the reactions. One more episode then we are on to Serenity
This guy makes Jane look cultured.
gotta love River...... "who do you think is in there?"
There was another reason for Inara leaving. They apparently had a plot planned for her, but it never came to fruition because the show was cancelled. But this plot was picked up in a book many years later. Apparently her health check up on Ariel didn't go so well, and she was diagnosed with a terminal illness. She is a very private person (despite Mal's eavesdropping) and therefore hid her illness from the crew.
However, I'm not sure how well I like this. I've rewatched the episodes trying to keep this in mind. Any clues to it are either very subtle and a bit of a stretch (which I can understand if they didn't want to give it away). I doubt Morena knew the plan when she was acting, so I think she just acted the scene as a "I need to break away before I get sucked in" type of situation and used the connection with Mal as Inara's motivation. They also don't address it, in the movie (could makes some arguments but won't say more so I don't spoil anything)
I always chose to believe Inara broke away, because she wanted to run from the pain. I think despite her desire for Mal, she had no intention of breaking their strictly business arrangement even if she stayed on the ship. I think she realized being with Mal would change too many aspects of her life. She had said in a previous episode (Trash maybe?) when her schedule kept getting disrupted something to the effect of "I might as well become a criminal and join the gang because you won't let me do my work." I think she realized being with Mal meant giving up her work as well as the independence and benefits associated with being a companion, so therefor it was better to keep the status quo. I think Mal being with Nandi changed that, because seeing Mal with another woman quite obviously hurt her. Like deeply hurt her. I think she realized she would feel that again if she stayed in Mal's orbit, and possibly even some guilt making Mal feel that pain for her. I think that made the status quo unbearable to her. So, it wasn't a choice between be with Mal or run, but a choice of be in pain or run. At least that's how I chose to see it.
As to why people followed Burgess, they said he had enough wealth to make the planet into an advanced world, but instead used it to keep everyone down and under his thumb. So the guys following him into battle were doing it because they either needed the money, or they bought into his fucked up patriarchy.
They may have changed it in the comics, but the original plan was actually that Inara's terminal illness was diagnosed before the series even began. That's the reason Inara left the House to join Serenity. It's what she was running from when Mal asks her in her flashback in Out of Gas.
And Morena very much did know about it. Inara's illness was confirmed by Morena herself during a panel at DragonCon 2008: ua-cam.com/video/YTxGOi9coWQ/v-deo.html
The story that Inara was dying was long before the check up on Ariel. That was her whole secret reason for being on Serenity. The little hints about it were the flashback when she first came aboard and Mal said he'd heard of companions working on commericiall liners, but not a small ship like that. She wanted to see the galaxy before she died. She said that it was a routine check up on Ariel, which may have been a cover for checking up after the disease was discovered (the way she offered up the information without prompt seems more likely a cover) but she knew she was dying before she ever set foot on Serenity.
When Saffron used her wiles on Mal, she found out about his mother running a ranch on Shadow with 30 or so ranch hands rounding out his education before joining the Independents.
Taking the job without pay for Inara's independent friend had as much to do with respect for his mother's strength as kindness for Inara's need.
Inara saw the veneer going thin separating them by business instead of personal goals.
Saffron could have her way, had even wed him.
Nandi was not bound by contract, and could definitely be as personal as she liked. In the end, Mal could only mourn her.
Inara had reasons to distance herself, partly explained at a Comicon panel 10 years after the network run. As long as she stayed aboard, the ties would strengthen and she did not want that level of grief.
By leaving Serenity, it also would lift the contract restriction if she were to setup elsewhere. Mind you, Guild had complicated rules on dating and Mal couldn't possibly pay Guild rates with petty payouts.
Not sure if anyone has mentioned this but before you watch the film "Serenity" I think you would enjoy "The River Tam Sessions".
It sheds more light on River's story and is fairly short. Recommended.
Second that. All in favor, say Aye.
@@stratocruising Aye
@@stratocruising aye
@@stratocruising Aye. And note to Anna: it's only 8 minutes long. Recommend watching just before the movie.
Wonderful reaction. I really appreciate your view on Mal and Inara's relationship. I often struggle to defend(?) Mal spending the night with Nandi, those I've discussed this episode with are always super invested in the Mal/Inara relationship and see it as a betrayal, so I'm really glad that you see what I did. A strictly business transaction between a companion and a client, on the eve of violence - that both entered into free of conflicting ties. That Inara did get her heart hurt, is what decided her to leave - she realized she can no longer keep her feelings under control, and they add a layer of complication she doesn't want to deal with.
A moment that didn't make the edit, was the discussion between Zoe and Wash, apparently not for the first time, about whether or not to have a child. I loved this, not least because Zoe is showing us that femininity doesn't have to be given up to be a badass, she *wants* to be a momma.
As for the anti-patriarchy vibes of the episode - I UNDERSTAND THAT FACE, THAT EXPRESSION, AND THOSE GESTURES completely. I fear for the immediate future of women in the US, and am relieved I don't live there. That the episode so clearly puts 'morality over legality' when the current situation in the States is so clearly the opposite, boggles my mind.
There are A LOT of layers to their relationship.
Zoe's wish to have a baby surprised me. I have thoughts, but didn't have time to share them. 😕 😁
Quick question: Which of your literary works would you recommend most to Firefly fans? Curious bookworms would like to know. :D
I second this question!
You cut the best line.
"You're my kind of stupid."
The other episode of "Firefly" that the Teenage Mutant Fox TV programmers didn't broadcast back then. A call for help to Inara leads to a showdown with the resident knuckle-dragger.
Your last machine-gun sound sounded remarkably like the GAU-8 Gatling gun that's used on the A-10 Warthog attack aircraft. 😃
Thanks??? 🤣
this is your father. BOOM! the shortest family reunion in history.
Yes, this episode along with Trash and The Message didn't air in the US until 2005 during the run up to the release of the feature film 'Serenity'.
Everywhere else in the world saw every episode during the initial run of the show.
A sad fact is that on Dec. 20, 2002, the day the series ended, the episode that fox aired was, of all things, the pilot episode Serenity?
The moment when Shepherd says "No, thank you." always cracks me up.
Would love to see you do Orphan Black. A show very much about women's autonomy over themselves. Featuring one of TV greatest performances by Tatiana Maslany.
Wow, am a bit late (started binging your True Blood reactions yesterday). Btw, if you love the dynamic of a group with different specialties/skills, if you ever want to fill a void in your schedule (lol, maybe when something ends, looks like you are already doing a lot) I can highly recommend the show "Leverage", it is great but nearly no one has reacted to it so far. As for the one actress, I know she was in a lot but I mostly remembered her as Julie Cooper in "The O.C." for some unknown reason.
The original Leverage show run is AMAZING . And hilariously another show where for some reason they screwed up the air order of the first season
@@Marzipanilla And a Whedon intersect, as Christian Kane was in Angel.
@@LordVolkov true.
Also years later sexual misconduct scandal.
I would love to see Leverage reacted to.
I think my favorite bit of this episode is the conversation without words between Mal and Inara after Nandi's death. Not a word said but you can see Inara asking Mal to avenge Nandi and Mal's wholehearted agreement.
I just discovered your channel this weekend, binged your Firefly videos.
Love the show, the final episode is one of my favorites, and of course the movie is good too.
I don't think Mal was expecting her to shoot/kill Burgess, but I'm sure he felt it was up to them to decide what to do with him.
Nandi was on Xena, I believe she played an Amazon, Valaska? Who ended up becoming a goddess, and I know her from the movie Spawn
How are you loving Jayne? Hahaha lov'em he's too funny, and Kaylee is awesome, love the whole cast really.
I'm looking forward to more videos.
I was a teenager when I first watched Firefly, and I remember when I originally watched this episode and the episode "Safe" thinking that they were unbelievable and kinda badly written/heavy handed. I just couldn't believe that religious extremism and misogyny would still exist to that extent so far in the future. Like I figured, sure some prejudices would linger that's humanity for you, but considering how advanced technology had become society would have to advance with it. I have grown up a lot since then and am now depressingly unsurprised by these episodes.
reality is stranger than fiction.
Especially given the last 6 years or so...
There is a theory which I tend to agree with that Inara's leaving had a yet to be revealed cause which contributed to her leaving. There is a complete novel, which I have read and it would seem plausible. Can't say more because you haven't completed the series and the film. I will say there actually is a couple of hints dropped in a previous episodes that could have established this path. More to come.
Always enjoy your reaction / review.
I had a sense this was going to be an episode meant for a reaction by Anna. And the reaction was everything I had hoped. Anna's emotions were 'real' and her analysis was spot-on. The only caveat is the Anna couldn't/shouldn't know the suspicions that have emerged in the intervening years since the show, regarding the deeper difficult realities faced by Inara at the time she is deciding to leave - (difficulties that were unknown to both the crew of Serenity and the FF audience). Ultimately, FF is all about characters and their relationships, and for that reason I believe 'Heart of Gold,' is one of the best FF episodes.
As another reviewer I think puit it, when one of Nandi's guys got shot: "No, not the prostidudes !"
"Were I not married I'd take you in a manly fashion. " "Because I'm pretty?" "Because you're pretty." Is the best dialogs, and may be my favorite from the whole series.
I can see how you didn't get the nuances of the combat, it is difficult for most people to if they haven't been through it. Personally I have used this episode to explain some of it to people before, especially the bit about horses.
Wash is such a romantic!
The scene were Inara broke down crying( all her companion training on how to control her emotions crumbled) had me thinking that this was the first time a man had broke Inaras heart,,, cause if she held her feelings deep down inside for Mal she must really loved him a lot. If the show had continued on producer Tim Minear said they where going to have them both stop hiding their feelings for each other. But the way it was going to happened was super messed up.
Speculation is Anara may have some kind of medical condition she found about before first episode of this series. Explains some of her actions on show, not why she is on Serenity though.
It sort of does tho, she wants to see the galaxy or whareva before dying
Morena Baccarin actually confirmed it in 2008 at DragonCon.
There is a novel that covers it.
You left out the first kiss between Nandi and Mal, when he was testing to see if he would pass out. Callback to Saffron's Good Night Kiss.
That makes the third Companion Guild trained woman to lock lips with Mal in the series.
not quite my favorite episode. but what could have made it better was that when the guy says, "let me see my son." i wanted them to bring out a baby girl. the look on his face would have been priceless.
Just FYI, This episode never aired on fFox. It was shot before "The Message" which was the last episode the cast shot, As they were told that the show was canceled.
Thanks for yet another enjoyable, intelligent and well-spoken reaction, pretty lady. ;)
As far as the boundary between Mal and Inara goes, I am reminded of a proverb:
"You said 'yes' then; do not say 'it hurts' now."
You phrased it perfectly, mind - there was a line, and both sides respected it, but it didn't mean either side liked it.
not familiar with that "proverb", but it sounds pretty rape-y. people are allowed to change their minds. the problem is when you expect people to read your mind rather than taking you at your word.
From the begining there is a good reason why Inara left "The House" and dosent want any emotional intanglement with Mal she see's no future in it. Remember the sirynge she kept nearby in a ervious episode? In the books we discover she has a medical condition and that she's dying. This is also confirmed on the shows Wiki page.
I'm sure at this point you've already made a decision on your next series but here's a suggestion for the future, "The Expanse". A serious sci fi series based on a series of books and the 2 writers of the books are highly involved in the series. The first few episodes can be a little slow but at episode 4 it picks up quite a bit.
Highly recommend The Expanse. One of the very best dramas and tied with Babylon 5 as one of the best science fiction television series ever. And I've been watching television science fiction since Twilight Zone was originally airing.
I've always thought that the relationship between Mal and Inara had one main stumbling block. Deep down Mal can't accept what Inara does for a living. He can't be with her because of it, but he also knows how important it is to her. It's the elephant in the room.
What she does is also important to what he does. I think that is a big part of his issue. He needs her in the crew because of the various advantages it gives his operation. He does love her and wants to be with her, but cannot accept her profession, which profession helps his operation. For a lot of reasons he can't ask her to give up her profession (including his respect for her), and he finds himself stuck.
She looks so good in that sweater. I like the gloves too.
Melinda Clark was also in an episode of the old Charmed 🙂
Mal did nothing wrong, but that doesn't stop it from hurting. Emotional feelings and rationality rarely line up. And that's part of it, that Inara didn't want complications, but realized there already are complications even without her and Mal acknowledging their feelings and giving in to it. And that's why she's leaving. No complications. No complications. They don't give in to the complications, and her reactions show that there are still complications even though they denied them.
I don't even try to watch movies or shows without having the IMDB page for it open.
5:35, that look says, "I'm not surprised, just disappointed."
One of the better episodes. Great lines, everyone gets a good moment, fun sci-fi action with hover cars and laser guns, and an excellent guest star (Melinda Clarke is so gorgeous, and is shot very tastefully in the same style we see Inara bathe in Serenity 1).
The last episode is one of my favorites, with another great guest performance.
Super interested to see your thoughts on Serenity.
YOU just gloss by Zoey and Wash wanting a baby? I though you were a writer.:) That changes EVERYTHING. Man, do I want to go into spoilers.
I've always been of the opinion that Inarra is crying because she realized that she has been putting Mal through this type of pain on a regular basis. Mal on the other hand is too strong to show that pain. But has never made his feelings known because he doesn't concider himself good enough for Inarra.
I do believe that is a part of it, but there are also reasons on a deeper level.
INARA SPOILERS BELOW
Inara is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Clues were already written in the show and easier to spot for fans who know this. Part of her decision to leave Serenity is because she knows a relationship with Mal will happen if she stays. It also means her & Mal will go through much emotional pain together when her symptoms begin to surface and she must tell him why.
When you mentioned that this episode was hitting your "F* the patriarchy" buttons I thought "Oh, she's really not going to like that scene that's coming up". PS That scene with Inara crying gets me every time I see it.
Best reaction yet Anna and your right!
Don't forget the episode "Objects in space" and then enjoy "Serenity".
Inara and Mal have no formal ties to one another. But the heart wants what it wants.
There a lot of issues covered in this one. I think Inara just can't allow those complications in her life, with her job, with the Guild. People think she does her job for fun, she doesn't. Nandy is what she's become if she loses her place as a companion, at least one of the possibilities. There's some backstory I'm sure people will probably tell you, but even on a psychological level, this makes sense for her character.
Never hered that anyone has a problem with Mal sleeping with Nandi...
Inara is the trained companion. She clearly knows how Mal feels about her. But Mal has no clue how she feels. And she made it clear there will never be more then a working relationship between them... So Mal did nothing wrong, specially caue Nandy hit on him, not the other way around.
I do love your analysis and thoughtfulness in your reactions, and your humor, thank you. I appreciate your appreciation of writing and storytelling. That's why I am going to continue to suggest you watch and react to The Expanse. I'd love to hear your thoughts on such a thought-provoking story.
Firefly holds a special place in my heart, and always will, but you won't find those kind of plot holes, as you referred to, in The Expanse...just sayin.
One other distinct difference, The Expanse fans succeeded in saving the show, whereas we,, unfortunately failed Firefly.
On another note, they, and we all know who they are, can no longer deny their regressive natures after this past week. They're dragging us backward 50 years, by using a 500-year-old document from the 16th century, written by a man who not only believed in witches but aided the state in hunting down said witches and summarily execute them by burning them at the stake.
The words evil and obscene are too kind for using to describe their nature.
I'm done. Sorry.
✌️
I've watched a number of reactions to Firefly on UA-cam, and most tend to come down on one side or the other.
Mal should have realized Anara's feeling toward him, or Mal knew that Anara had specifically set their relationship off limits.
You seem to realize that both are right and wrong at the same time.
Because of the circumstances, during filming of the funeral Nathan was screwing around even more than usual. There's an outtake where the camera is doing a slow pan around the mourners, and every third mourner is Mal.
---
I support the nomination of Babylon 5 for your next series reaction. Second best sci-fi show ever to make it to TV (third is Farscape). Be aware that it will be a career because there are five full seasons. You'll love it because the network didn't screw with Joe until the end of season 3 so he has able to develop his characters and the story without dumping the whole thing straight in your lap a la 'The Train Job'.
This was my favorite episode, I just love the feel of it, it really shows the difference between what a companion is and an " independent." As seen several times in the series, a companion is just that, a high priced call girl that's socially acceptable to be seen with and it can come to you to events. Not to mention that it's own guild which means that there's professional instruction, you're given skills and rules you have to follow, while those without their protection can fall victim to the same situation that nandy described before she took over. Of course that's not the only reason I like this episode, the emotions here are some of the best from the cast, especially Inara and Mal. It seemed to me that after all the wait, it had more meaning, I think back to how the air things out of order and wonder, what would this episode been like if we were missing all that context? I'm not sure what order they were aired in but that kind of points out. How bad that kind of snafu could be for a show like this.
If you haven't already give Farscape a look. 4 seasons and a TV movie
Some gold in Jaynes moments, from the horrifically awful: "Can I start getting sexed already?" to the downright sweet: arranging his partner's hair etc.
There is some unconfirmed speculation that Inara has had a terminal illness for as long as she has been aboard Serenity. Whatever the truth of that she has clearly been lying to herself about the nature of the bond between her and Mal.Her despairing tears when Mal slept with her old friend made that obvious. Her response to being smacked in the face with reality is to run.
Morena Baccarin is the most beautiful human who has ever lived. She is the peak of evolution.
Inara's core identity is membership. Being a registered companion and a member of the guild is who she is.
Malcolm's core identity is his independence. He offers no allegience to any authority and toes no line for anyone.
They love each other, but one or both would have to have to compromise their identity to build a relationship together.
Malcolm and Inara
Dr. Horrible and Penny
Buffy and Spike
Buffy and Angel.
Seems like maybe Joss is trying to say something about romance and conflicting identities...
Inara lied, of course, about her true feelings- her profession, and her unspoken illness, do not let her speak the truth about their relationship. And Mal has to deny the truth of his feelings for her, that's how their relationship has been. Nandi sees it.
I could see from the beginning this episode was starting to push your hot buttons. For someone like me you have a face and eyes that is very easy to read.
I am 100% with you on women's rights.
I have all sorts of issues with the concept of companions. Rich men paying elegant, educated women to sexually service them while granting them high social status to legitimize that objectifying practice makes me feel as if Inara's standing & power originates not from a place of empowerment, but is a largesse granted to her by men who wanted to make paying for sex a point of pride and not as pathetic as it really is. And Mal may have a big heart, but he is not the kind of man who would be willing to share her with any man wealthy enough to purchase her favors. So sad, for them to be together, she has to give up the career that allows her wealth, freedom & status in this world.
What is it about the word "patriarchy" that seems to remove 40 IQ points from the speaker?
Maybe you just don’t like hearing it because you are part of it?
@@itzel1735 so a woman decides to sell her body to a man. Not patriarchy. She gets pregnant and decides to keep the baby. Not patriarchy. The man disagrees and wants to keep the baby himself. Patriarchy. The women hire armed men to save them from the other men. Not patriarchy. Ummmm.
@@itzel1735 You be the judge. I don't care anymore.
I would recommend the reboot of Battlestar Galactica. Excellent cast and story.
I think Mal thought she deserved better, better than he could give her. I don't think he liked the idea that he would have to share her and I don't think she liked the idea that she would have to share him with the crew. Mal has serious issues with any closeness beyond that of his crew. I think it's because of all the men and women that he lost during the war. If you don't let them into your heart they can't hurt you when they go.
When you ask why Mal would take on this job without expecting to be paid, you have to consider his history. He fought a long and brutal war for independence from the Alliance. When Inara told him that the girls were "whores" she defined the difference as companions being part of the Guild (thus Alliance approved) and these girls were "independents." He is still fighting his own personal war.
And, why is it that every "Reactor" I follow (primarily female) is able to see at a glance that Anara will be devastated by seeing Mal with this girl but none of them can figure out that Mal goes through that exact same emotional state every time Inara goes to work? Does everyone really believe that Mal is unaffected by knowing that she is going out to have sex with some stranger? It has been clear since episode 3 that they love each other - even if they are not allowed to say it.
There’s definitely episodes of shows or scenes of movies that will push certain buttons. Rance was written to push buttons. Most definitely he would push a woman’s buttons (especially as you say, because of the bs that’s been going on in recent times in your country), but most men would see him as despicable too. He pushes my buttons through not only his attitude, but his proud boastfulness of it and the way he preaches it to other men.
I find this episode less enjoyable because that character exists in it. There’s been so many great episodes in the midst of this series, and even the antagonists for a lot of it were varying degrees of benign (Badger) to ruthless (Patience) to caricatured psychotic (Nisska). But Tracey was a user who undermined Mal and Zoe’s trust in others and sense of morality, Rance was an out & out piece of slime unworthy of being called a man, and there’s still an episode left, so who knows what they’ll deal with there.
However, Rance aside, there were three great scenes in this where Morena Baccarin got to show off her fantastic acting skills. Firstly the crying scene. Hard stuff for many actors, it was edited so well, with a little breathing space between her confrontation with Mal in the corridor as he was leaving Nandi’s room, so we forget about what happened, and then bam!, we’re in Inara’s room and she’s on the floor with her carefully shielded heart just ripped out. The second scene was exactly what you picked up on, the unspoken exchange between Mal and Inara over Nandi’s body. It went from grief to anger to ‘you go get that son of a b*tch’ perfectly. No words needed, both completely synced for what needed to be done to avenge Nandi. The last is Inara’s farewell speech. So much emotion, drawing on unspoken issues. There are theories about why Inara is out in space instead of in the guild house, and I believe they make sense, that we would have found more about her life if we had more seasons, but whatever the truth, she conveyed that there was a greater depth to her words.
First awesome reaction video
You're in Seattle? Of course it's raining.
This is one of my favorite Sci Fi shows that I am actually glad they ended before it continued on the path that Whedon wanted to do. I hate looking back on them because I feel the Whedon creepy in some of these shows. While the story is good and there are good sub plots it is unfortunate we did not get a good completion or character development that could have been done in other season. See you at the movie.
Ridiculous
I guess I've never really liked Mal and Inara's "relationship." It's as if it wants to be Romeo and Juliet only Mal and Inara are not teenagers. And they are not being kept apart by circumstances beyond their control. Rather their relationship is more like a trope. It's less Romeo and Juliet and more Sam and Diane from _Cheers._ And I always believed that if Mal and Inara would ever consummate their relationship that the loss of tension would ruin the show.
I understand that Whedon had a "tragic" arc planned for Inara which is actually alluded to by Nandi in this episode. But even if those rumors are true then it just makes Inara's decision to keep screwing around (metaphorically with Mal and literally with strangers) even more exasperating. So, I was actually kind of pleased to see Inara make the rational decision to leave.
Too often Hollywood tries to sell the fantasy that "love conquered all." But despite Hollywood's best efforts in movies like _Pretty Woman_ I just don't think there is a "happy ever after" for Mal and Inara.
They are more Pride & Prejudice than Romeo & Juliet to me, except Mal is way too prejudice (hypocrically so) to reconcile. He's 'too good for a whore' (but is fine sleeping with one, because he doesn't pay 🙃) and Inara won't quit her job to appease his narrow-mindedness so he can white knight her.
@@LordVolkov P&P might be a better analogy or basis for Mal and Inara. Both characters are hypocrites to be sure. Inara is devastated that Mal slept with Nandi yet she's been sleeping with strange men and women in exchange for money throughout the series. So what exactly is Inara's problem? Does Inara view her own clients as immoral or otherwise tarnished for having anonymous sex with her? It is why I don't like Mal and Inara's relationship. She's always going to be a prostitute and that is always going to be a problem for MOST men.
Anna, there's nothing unique about this time in regard to the story. The reaction to misogyny was just as strong when the show aired. I do like how you show your buttons being pushed.
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I don't believe the choice you describe is Inara's. Yes, she's leery of how Mal will react to her profession (not like he hasn't dropped hints). She is more concerned that committing to *any* relationship would disrupt the emotional detachment required by her profession. Simply, she *can't* be with Mal and remain a Companion. So the choice is to retain her high status profession and honor her training, or throw it all away to play pirate princess with a brown-coated rogue.
Joss has got in trouble for advocating women's rights, while alledgedly abusing them in his private life and workplace. Which is the real man? Which is more important, what he has done, or what he has inspired in others? I don't know. I come down in the middle: he has inspired women, here, and in Buffy and in Angel. But I would NEVER do the things he is alledged to have done.
Having done a recent watch of Angel, his misogyny really creeps into the later seasons. You can see how Cordelia's character degrades around the time he was being terrible to Charisma, before she's written off completely.
2:03 I kinda hate you now for making light of the situation. but it was really funny.
❤🧡💛💚💙💜
08:46 just wait.....
What plot holes in message?
She had an issue that everything would have been less complicated by taking time to tell Tracey the plan before he was shot.
The plan : Tracey was to be shot.
@@CaptainFrost32 The plan was to intimidate the federals, him being shot wasn't part of the plan.
@@eXpriest No, the plan was to offer the Feds damaged goods. The difference would have been Tracey being shot politely. He was still going to be shot. In the absence of prompt medical care, the goods were unrecoverable. Book kept them from discovering the Tams, and the crew with guns had the high ground and knew the ship. Odds stacking in favor of Browncoats.
@@CaptainFrost32 Nowhere do they articulate that, so where'd you get it?
@@eXpriest Tracey : "That's the plan, Mal? It was a good one...'
As if you going to play that card cup cake.
Good reaction.
Anna, I love you girl but, you opened a door, and I'm sorry, but I can't, in all conscience, let that sentence you said go. If you don't want to hear this, skip on to the next post, but I would like to give you my thoughts ...
I WILL agree, that women should be 100% in charge of their body BUT, when you get pregnant, and the fetus has a heartbeat, that little inconvenience becomes a living being, and you are no longer talking about just YOUR body. At that point, you are talking about 2 bodies, and you can't just chop it up into little pieces and throw it out with the bathwater.
I wish there was a way to transfer babies to another woman or some new form of incubator so the woman could be relieved of that inconvenience and responsibility, and I hope you won't hate me for saying this but, an abortion after there's a heartbeat is murder.
I understand and would agree that there are special situations and/or conditions that may exist, such as rape, incest, and a few other health related considerations that must be accounted for, but for pretty much any other reason, if a baby is unacceptable to you, then the proper thing to have done would have been to do 1 of the following ... not have sex (always works), girls - have your tubes tied or take the pill, guys - have a vasectomy or wear a condom, etc. If you failing to do that and you get pregnant, the decisions you make and the actions you take don't just affect your freedom ... they affect another person's life.
Damn, your shoulders and neck need a medal for carrying the weight of those massive marvels of genetic engineering.
..something about Tits? ..sry' i'm a Dane 😛
He's supposed to press all your buttons - This is the worst - as in most poorly written - villain in the series. He's a cartoon villain. If this episode had aired on FOX I presume he would tamed down for network tv. Also considering the things that have since come out about so many in Hollywood, including Josh Whedon and Nathan Fillion, that kinda changes how this episode looks as well.
I guess the Guild is a proper Union, those members who don't uphold the standards of the union are expelled.
Dont be overly dramatic about the politics - in the past 2 years we've all lost autonomy over our bodies. We've all lost our rights to medical privacy. If you want to take a political message away from this episode, I would say it has far more to say about "Me Too", than about the other things.
Me too has nothing to do with parental rights between a prostitute and her client. Wtf?
as a Satanist, a persons body is their own and no one else should be making the medical choices for them but them. its funny how, growing up Christian, and seeing the values of Christ violated over and over, i had to turn to Satanism to find true compassion from people. just like the women and men in this "house" showed more than the men who attacked simply to insure their entitlement to abuse women.
I watch these reactions to get away from things like politics. Sorry, but I'm unsubscribed.
@Tampahop - given the substance of the commentary... 'door,' 'azz,' 'community's immediate "hitting" response' to you Tamp-ah?!?
Politics fills our lives, and this show is especially filled with it. If you're watching TV/reactions to get away from that, you're not paying attention.
This is the most political episode of the series. I think it’s appropriate to consider other opinions.
@@TerryYelmene The hell are you even trying to say grandpa
@@cirrustate8674 No.
Honestly though, what kind of a professional woman gets pregnant on the job and then decides to keep the baby? And furthermore, why is everyone under the agreement that the woman keeping the baby in a brothel is better than giving it to an actual married couple? Cuz he's mean? She was sure happy enough to take his money when he wanted to trade.
Anna is just as sexist as Rance. The decision to kill the baby, keep the baby, or give the baby away is one hundred percent the woman's choice, cause.. my body.
I know you are a fan of Captain Marvel - and don't you dare say I hate because she is female when Ripley in Alien and Sarah Connor existed. (I hate because stealing a motorcycle and breaking a guys hand is not justified by him being a j e r k.)(Sorry for the spacing, but YOUR team wants to censor that.)
Be that as it may, I know you want to "abort" all babies, I mean fetuses, but C'mon. Zoey is adamant.
'I hate her cause she stole property from a man and hurt him'
And? Do you hate Bucky? He wrecks a civilian in Civil War and stole his motorcycle too, unprovoked. (btw CM was still working for evil space fascists while being a big meanie at that point in the movie, in case you missed the plot while sulking)
Just admit she made you feel threatened bro. It's ok.
You don't have the right over the babies body. Murder.
@Bret Benton - @Bret Benton? @Bret Benton?! @Bret Benton??? - the only "eminent violence" for the unborn baby made here was Rance's DNA probe being forced into Petaline's womb... by the same 'azzhat' who forced his c_ck to the hooker... @Bret Benton??????!!!!! - perhaps you might re-watch the episode... and check yourself... maybe let your "last post" be... as no clarification is necessary.
Funny. The Catholic Church won't baptise a stillborn baby, for the reason that it never drew breath. Dogma holds that the drawing of breath is the beginning of life, that the soul is installed with the "breath of life."
This is my least favorite episode, nough said.