Firefly Reflection: Episode Four

"You have a strange sense of nobility, Captain. You'll lay a man out for implying I'm a whore but you keep calling me one to my face."

The focus of this episode is on Mal and Inara's relationship and interactions. Mal has continuously implied that Inara is simply a whore, and yet he fights a duel in an attempt to defend her honor. He secures much more than this. Because of this sword fight, Mal has the opportunity to communicate to Inara his respect for her, and to obtain the property he has been hired to scavenge.

The sexual tension between Mal and Inara is painfully obvious, leaving no room for subtlety. Rather than peacefully doing his job at a party and winning the property he sought, Mal lands a punch squarely in the jaw of the rich man (Atherton) who wanted Inara as his personal companion. This foolhardy action lands Mal at the mercy of Atherton's blade.

Accidentally accepting the challenged sword fight means that Mal has little time to hone his narrow knowledge of dueling. Inara, deeply worried about the captain, visits him secretly in the night to help him prepare. In a rare vulnerable moment, Mal begs Inara not to leave Serenity for Atherton. This moment is my favorite of the episode, because the hard and cocky shell that Mal has constructed for years is finally worn away by his fear and desire. He is honest, telling Inara that although he may not respect her job like Atherton does, he respects and sees her as a person.

During the duel, things look bad for Mal. Furthering the character and relational development of the episode, Inara offers herself to Atherton, promising to stay as his companion if only he spares Mal's life. Mal bares his metaphorical fangs and downs Atherton, winning the duel but refusing to kill him.

As the episode draws to a close, another tender moment seals this episode as a winner in the realm of character development. Inara and Mal sit together for wine, looking over their cargo of scavenged cattle. (Only in a space western would cows seem altogether fitting on a space ship!) Inara opens up to Mal a bit further. "I wasn't gonna stay, you know...Why would I want to leave Serenity?" "Why indeed?" They smile, things feel mushy, and the episode draws to a close.