Inara/Mal (Firefly)

[butterfly]

Title: Broken Angels (Hallelujah)
Author: butterfly
Spoilers: All television episodes of Firefly, aired and unaired. No movie spoilers.
Email: butterflydm@gmail.com
Personal Website: http://dianamichelle.5u.com

Firefly can be summed as a 'space western' and it means about as much as summing up The

Comments

[hawkmoth]

Wonderful, wonderful essay!

Mal and Inara is edgy and dangerous and something unwanted and yet desired. Something fascinating.

That just about sums up the theme of my M/I epic in progress. (The two large intro works are alas unattainable due to web site issues.)

I always think about the (approximately) eight months of Inara's tenure on the ship before the events of the Serenity pilot. There had to be a few defining moments where she and Mal had some understanding, some connection, on which to build a small, unsteady but definite foundation for the attraction and slightly skewed respect which develops later.

[butterfly]

Thank you!

I always think about the (approximately) eight months of Inara's tenure on the ship before the events of the Serenity pilot. There had to be a few defining moments where she and Mal had some understanding, some connection, on which to build a small, unsteady but definite foundation for the attraction and slightly skewed respect which develops later.

There's a lot to explore. It's a relationship that has a lot of depth to it.

[nova25]

Fantastic essay-- this pretty much sums up what I love and adore about the two of them. Love how you considered their respective professions-- it's very true that Mal can't stand the subterfuge about Inara.

Mal Reynolds has a very concrete sense of right and wrong, he's just a vastly disillusioned man, a cynical romantic.

And I have the sense that Inara is very much an embittered romantic as well-- the way she approaches being a Companion and the superstitious beliefs I think she has (the way she approaches a possible death by Reavers says a lot about Inara's viewpoint) is romantic, and I think Inara just enforces guards in her own mind to prevent it from hurting her.

The two of them are just so fascinating because the social/emotional/financial barriers between them, and this essay captured that wonderfully. xD

[butterfly]

Fantastic essay-- this pretty much sums up what I love and adore about the two of them. Love how you considered their respective professions-- it's very true that Mal can't stand the subterfuge about Inara.

Thank you. And yeah, I love Mal's "honor in a den of thieves" thing.

And I have the sense that Inara is very much an embittered romantic as well-- the way she approaches being a Companion and the superstitious beliefs I think she has (the way she approaches a possible death by Reavers says a lot about Inara's viewpoint) is romantic, and I think Inara just enforces guards in her own mind to prevent it from hurting her.

*nods*

In some ways, she reminds of Darla, Whedon's original ladywhore.

[anr]

Wonderful essay. You've summed up the relationship perfectly.

[butterfly]

Thank you!

[xanya]

This was beautifully written. I pretty much had the same reaction as you did when first watching 'Serenity', and the whole Mal/Inara relationship was a lovely revelation. It has since become quite an obsession... not that I mind, of course. Anyway, it was very refreshing to read something so clearly articulated that describes one of my favourite ever TV 'ships. Thank you for writing it!

[butterfly]

Thank you for enjoying the essay. I'm really glad that it worked for you and made sense for how you see them.

[brightcupenny]

*memories like whoa* This was very, very well done. I have a hard time expressing why I'm so fascinated with their relationship-- if ever I'm asked in the future, I'll point people here. :)

[butterfly]

Just wanted to thank you for enjoying the essay. Sorry that I didn't get back to you sooner. I'm really glad that you liked it.