FIREFLY Episode 13 "Heart of Gold" First Time Watching Reaction/Review

[@Kavala76]

I seem to recall that in Ep.9 "Ariel", when Inara returns from her annual check-up and asked how it went, she says "Same as last year". She does not say "I'm fine" or "All clear".

[@sirmoonslosthismind]

i agree that "who do you think is in there?" is a wonderful line. there's so much that might be going thru river's mind and not a single solitary hint as to what is.

[@Skye_Writer]

So, throughout the season we have had little hints that Shepherd Book has a secret past he isn't talking about, and this episode is the one that really lays down the fact that there is something unknown about Inara's past. There have been a few fan theories for years, but nothing definitive was ever said. Joss wanted there to be more to her than there appears to be, and if you go back through the season, there are some little hints here and there, and some questions about whether or not she has been totally up front with Mal and the crew, but Nandi says it flat out that no one knows why Inara abandoned her training house. (Companions tend to work out of their own training houses, where they live and teach in a communal setting.) Mal asked her in Out of Gas why she intended to be on the move instead of staying put but she didn't answer. And she had her eye on being the house priestess, the top dog, the lady in charge, but she up and left without a reason why. So the fact that she is holding back from actually having a relationship with Mal isn't about her wanting to work at her trade; with the kind of schooling she has had, she can become a counselor, an entertainer, a teacher...she can basically choose to do something else. There is some deep dark secret about either her past or her future that keeps her from involving him and getting him tangled up in her troubles since she can see he has plenty of his own.

[@sherrysink3177]

I liked what the two of you said about the show being this special thing: "the brevity is part of the beauty of it..." Nathan Fillion (Captain Reynolds) said something similar in an article once. I remember he equated the show to having a "first love." How your first love is always going to be very special in your heart, and you remember it fondly and with great meaning, and that Firefly is a "first love" show for him. It will always remain unsullied in his mind, perhaps because it only lasted that short while and never got stale or boring or overdone (or "went bad"). I love that sentiment.

[@ddfelix4829]

Regarding Inara’s illness, the first hint we get of this is when we see that she has a syringe. She has a means of killing herself before the Reavers could take her. The second is when the ship breaks down on Simon‘s birthday, and Simon says “I don’t want to die on my birthday“ to which Inara responds “I don’t wanna die at all.” The fact that this highly cultured, well educated, extremely gracious, and graceful woman, is living in a shuttle on the edges of human space is a mystery. Nandi said that Inara could have been a priestess. I feel that a woman like Inara would be on the fast track to becoming the high priestess of their religion. So why is she out here? The show’s enigmas are River, Inara, and Book.

[@sirmoonslosthismind]

nitpick: inara was on track to be "house priestess", which is just the leader of one particular temple/house, not the whole religion.

[@ddfelix4829]

You're correct. But at her age, that would put her on everyone's radar as a future high priestess/pope.@@sirmoonslosthismind

[@KevDaly]

"Who do you think is in there?" is such a profound line 😃

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

SPOILER: It was Jonah.

[@sherrysink3177]

Fantastic reaction to Inara's decision to leave! "WHAT?!" That was marvelous. 😄

[@Wulfdon]

As Vision said in Age of Ultron "But a thing isn't beautiful because it lasts". Heart of Gold is my favorite episode of the series. I think the whole cast really shows who they are in this episode. And River is hilarious.

[@MWSin1]

Realistically, a high energy laser isn't going to leave a clean cauterized hole. It's going to flash boil your fluids at the point of impact, creating a small steam explosion and a messy crater.

[@paintedjaguar]

When "Firefly" was made, a full TV season was usually 22 to 24 episodes, so really we only ever got a half season of the show. Unfortunately for those hoping for some kind of reboot, it wasn't the concept that was magic or the plots. It was partly the clever dialogue, but even more so the cast chemistry which was lightning in a bottle.

[@ThePharaz]

The 3 "unaired" episodes were not the last 3. They were, "Heart of Gold", "Trash", and "The Message." They actually were aired in the summer in the listed order on June 23, 2003, July 21, 2003, and July 2003.

[@maddwitch]

Nandi said that Inara doesn't like complications and I think that's why she was on Serenity in the first place. She was dedicated and ambitious, moving her way up the house ranks according to Nandi, when she suddenly left. She wanted to rent a shuttle, so that she could travel around, instead of staying with her house, and I figure that was her cutting off the attachments to the women in her house and thinking that staying on the move would keep her from getting attached to anyone. I think that she cared about the crew, but she only let them in so far and I think that, while she knew that she had feelings for Mal, she didn't know how deep they went until he hooked up with Nandi and it hurt her as much as it did. Once she realized it, she couldn't pretend anymore.

[@dalesharp9953]

Inara's illness was also hinted at in Out of Gas. Her conversation with Simon.

[@johncampbell756]

I still don't see that as a hint. Most people don't want to die at all at that point in their life.

[@happyslapsgiving5421]

In episode 1, we see she has a lethal injection kit with her in the shuttle.

[@nmcnea771]

That's not what the kit is, but I don't think there was any clarification besides the 20th anniversary panel

[@Aeroldoth3]

@@nmcnea771Seemed obvious that the kit was for suicide, given the context was them being boarded by reavers and eaten. I saw it as an elegant way to avoid that, something I'd fully expect a companion to have.

[@johncampbell756]

@@happyslapsgiving5421 That doesn't mean anything other than she's prepared to save herself from reavers.

[@annapurna4054]

Great reaction, guys. I'm so sad it's coming to an end. Someone else has probably mentioned this already, but the next episode ("Objects in Space") did air during the original run. The episodes that didn't air were "Trash," "The Message" and "Heart of Gold." And I'm pretty sure you know the last episode aired was actually the original pilot episode. I remember watching it at the time (after I found out the show had been cancelled) and thinking how completely bonkers the Fox execs were for not airing that one first. (And also for cancelling the show.)

[@nmcnea771]

I remember them talking about unfinished plans in the 20th anniversary panel. I only specifically remember Inara's condition and the syringe from episode 1 being discussed though

[@christopherdeguilio6375]

... Your intro gets to the heart of the matter...Firefly is only as perfect as we hold it because it was so limited...

[@natalielang6209]

As well as having the mystery illness, Inara realises that her work is hurting Mal the same way she was hurt by him bedding Nandy. That's what she meant by sorry for them both that it took her this long.

[@brucecsnell]

True. I have often complained that female reactors always figure out that Inara is in love and hurt badly by Mal and Nandy. But they never figure out that Mal has dealt with this whole situation from the beginning. That is why he is so harsh about her profession -- he's a man in love, dealing with the pain the best he knows how. You're not a reactor but it's nice to see a woman get it from the man's side for a change-- well done.

[@Audra1964]

@@brucecsnellYes. After this episode I came to think that Mal using the whore word was essentially the masculine version of crying on the floor. Hopefully she was leaving because she now understood what it was like for him to know every time she was intimate with other men.

[@rukbat3]

I think it's also a response to what Mal said about Nandi, that he wished he hadn't met her because then he wouldn't have failed her. If that is how Mal would feel about Inara after her death, then she didn't want that to happen.

[@kevinjohnson613]

It's even probable that Inara's health issue is why she left the companion house in the first place.

[@wendyheatherwood]

Travelling the verse and seeing as many planets as possible could have been her retirement plan, until she found out that she would likely never get to retire, so instead she's doing it while she can.

[@ernesthakey3396]

I think it is very complicated. Being a Companion is more than just sex work, it is a calling, in some ways similar to a calling to the priesthood, including counseling clients. Meanwhile, Mal obviously had a conservative, religious upbringing - he may have lost his faith when he and his people were abandoned at the Battle for Serenity Valley, but he clearly hasn't lost the attitude towards sex work. Then there are a lot of other factors that others have mentioned...

[@GoodOldGamer]

You have to watch the bloopers to this show. They're the best.

[@brianphillips7696]

There is an official Whedon approved novel about the Inara terminal illness plot line. The title is “Life Signs “.

[@LeeCarlson]

The laser wound would self-cauterize, however, the thermal shock would be the same kind of trauma that you get from a hollow-point round.

[@Garryck-1]

There is also the tissue and organ damage to consider... not to mention that, given the location of the wound and the direction of the laser beam, her spine may well have been severed.

[@lazykbys]

Also, the rapid vaporization of water in the wound would send shockwaves through the body, least of which would feel like a punch to the gut.

[@jamestate5059]

I feel like such a minority but I love the character of Jayne Cobb

[@Beuwen_The_Dragon]

Everyone needs a Jayne in their lives... Hopefully on their side...

[@user-kg7co9vi5r]

Inara's illness is revealed in one of the follow-up novels.

[@becca1189]

It makes sense that Companions would have regular check-ups, I wouldn't be at all surprised if it is Guild Law (prostitutes in Las Vegas are required to do so). However, when Kaylee asked Inara how it went Inara replied, "Same as last year." & Inara at that time had been with Serenity for almost a year. If you haven't seen the film "Biloxi Blues" I strongly recommend it. ❤🧡💛💚💙💜

[@ALeafOnTheWind42]

Point of order, Objects in Space (the next episode) did air in the original run. It was Trash, The Message, and Heart of Gold that didn't air.

[@HalkerVeil]

There are the comics too.

[@disseria]

One of the Firefly novels is about Inara's health issues.

[@spikedwk]

Inara never really gave or had an obvious reason for joining the crew other than wanting to see the universe and adventure. Sounds like the plan of someone who knew they were dying.

[@MrBigPicture835]

the "official" word from Disney is they want to bring it back with a new cast, and an "updated" ship. BOO Hiss

[@Beuwen_The_Dragon]

Dear god, Disney, don't you dare touch it!

[@tomnorton8499]

There were hints to Anara's condition even during this season. In Out of Gas Simon says I don't want to die gasping for breath and Anara subtly says I don't want to die at all.

[@happyslapsgiving5421]

Who the Hell is Anara? How can two different people in the same comment section make the same mistake? 😂 It's not Anara. It's not Anala either, just in case... 😅

[@johncampbell756]

Nandi says Inara doesn't like complications and falling for someone with her job Simon and River coukd probably work together to find a cure. River should know about her illness already.

[@Educated2Extinction]

I suspect Companions have access to the best medical care available.

[@johncampbell756]

@Educated2Extinction Possibly, but Simon is a very good doctor and River might be able to use her skills to figure out a solution. If they aren't fugitives, they can go to a hospital that deals with issues like hers. River may be able to figure out if one of the doctors has an idea of a cure that would actually work.

[@Otokichi786]

"Heart of Gold": Another episode that I discovered on the DVD set. Inara gets a distress call, Jayne perks up when "hoes" come up, Mal and the crew get shore leave while Simon is the primary. Jayne is in Heaven, Book is asked to lead a service, Kaylee notices the "boy whores." Mal goes to town and decides that everyone has to run, Nandi isn't going to run, council of war. Mal "gets his tires rotated." Rance discovers that battery-powered super guns aren't as good as powder guns. Jonah meets Rance...for a second. Inara's secret ends her travels on "Serenity." Nutflecks, you could have had this and (maybe) done something epic...bur you didn't, as usual.

[@jollyrayda]

youtube.com/@Otokichi786 You expect Netflix to have picked this show up FOUR YEARS before they existed? Rein in your privilege, buddy...

[@jameshawkins6201]

I you are planning to read the books, skip this comment. The health of Inara is the subject of the book "Life Signs". There are several indications of this. First time is the time Reavers and Inara is looking at a syringe. Some people say she would need something more convenient if she had to have something to kill herself. So why did she have a syringe? Her "annual" examination could at least in part to see if her condition had worsened or if a new treatment had been found. But us who believe, still want to look for things in the main series that point to that. This comment is only a spoiler if you plan to read the books,

[@terpcj]

Something that a lot of people miss is from the first episode: when the reavers first show up, Inara is in her shuttle and she has a hypodermic in a case. At the time, it's easy to think that it's some drug that can kill her instantly (why? who knows), but the illness suggests that it's a drug she has to take to treat her condition and by not taking it (or ODing), she gets to avoid the reavers. So yeah, the intrigue was there from the start.

[@ALeafOnTheWind42]

Actually, the syringe is something else entirely. Tim Minear explained years ago. Here's the quote: "She had this magic syringe. She would take this drug. And if she were, for instance, raped, the rapist would die a horrible death. The story was that she gets kidnapped by Reavers and when Mal finally got to the ship to save her from the Reavers, he gets on the Reaver ship and all the Reavers are dead. Which would suggest a kind of really bad assault. At the end of the episode, he comes in after she's been horribly brutalized, and he comes in and he gets down on his knee, and he takes her hand. And he treats her like a lady. And that's the kind of stuff that we wanted to do. It was very dark. And this was actually the first story that Joss pitched to me when he asked me to come work on the show. He said, 'These are the kind of stories we're going to do.'"

[@terpcj]

@@ALeafOnTheWind42 Huh. I thought I'd heard all the stories by now. Hadn't heard that one. Thanks.

[@rukbat3]

@@ALeafOnTheWind42 When I first heard this story, I was suddenly glad that the show had been cancelled, since if they had actually done it, I would not only have rage quit, but it would have ruined everything that came before. Now I just have to hope that Joss would have changed his mind and the story would have naturally taken a different direction.

[@ALeafOnTheWind42]

@@rukbat3 I... Can't really say I agree. Like I'm not going to explicitly say I wanted Inara to have suffered such an incredibly traumatic experience. But incredibly traumatic things do happen to people, and all media is ultimately about in some way portraying parts of the human experience. The not traumatic and sometimes, yes, the traumatic. It's how it was handled both in that episode and in Inara's stories that follow that would have been important. But certainly not something to rage quit the show over

[@rukbat3]

@@ALeafOnTheWind42 Well, people have different reactions to different stories. All I can say is that for me, an episode where Inara gets gang-raped and then dies as a result of the trauma, even if we knew by that point that she was dying anyway, would have been the worst possible fate I could have imagined for that character. And then on top of that, to have THAT be the reason why Mal finally shows her "respect" would have felt like a slap in the face and would have been the last straw. Again, for me.

[@christopherdeguilio6375]

"Hooker with a heart of gold" is a trope that has lost some recognition, apparently....

[@eXpriest]

Video game shotguns aside, it's the future, could have something whacky in them like flechettes or explosive slugs.

[@eXpriest]

Also,the biggest problem with lasers isn't radiation it's steam explosions, any time water expands faster than it can escape the results can be catastrophic, in reality laser weapon wounds would likely be a lot less clean than classically depicted.

[@randyparker2134]

They didn't get time to develop this on the show, but supposedly Anara was dying from a terminal disease and didn't want to hurt Mal with her death.

[@happyslapsgiving5421]

"Anara" is painful to read.

[@ernesthakey3396]

Inara...

[@garretthenderson5738]

You are the first reactors I've seen that have the same take as I do on Inara's breakdown - that it wasn't just about her feelings for Mal, but the fact that those feelings make it impsossible to stay on Serenity and follow her "calling" as a companion.

[@typhoid_holliw4315]

I actually really like this episode just because there's a lot of character development. I'm a little frustrated that you guys were talking during 1 of my favorite scenes. Right after tandy Gets shot and dies and Mal runs into the hallway and finds her and Anarah. ... Josh writes this so well there's not even any dialog and then it's acted perfectly They just exchanged communication with looks. But I'm so glad that you've gotten into the show it is still 1 of the best shows on television even just 1 season.

[@typhoid_holliw4315]

Joss! Not Josh! 😂 stupid spell check

[@Garryck-1]

@@typhoid_holliw4315 - Nandi.. not 'Tandy'...

[@tiffanyr2214]

Have you guys seen Fargo season 5? It’s soooooooo goooddddd.

[@catch-uppackets2664]

I (Sean) have not seen it yet, and Nate has not seen any Fargo except for the movie

[@kevinjohnson613]

Please, after you watch the movie, watch the blooper and gag reels. They are worth a reaction of their own.

[@brucecsnell]

When considering what the possible disease might mean for the future of Inara, you must consider that Josh Whedon killed Buffy's mother in Season 5 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And, in season 6 (as I recall) Tara (Willow's girlfriend) was murdered. Nobody is safe in the long term.

[@Aeroldoth3]

As it should be in good story telling!! Plot armor is... poor writing IMHO.

[@kevinjohnson613]

The only part I don't get about this episode is, they could have just taken the one girl. Once they were off world, they could have called Raunch from space so he would know. He really wouldn't have a reason to go after the rest of the house.

[@MrGBH]

People like that don't stop once what they wanted is out of reach. He would have still attacked the house

[@happyslapsgiving5421]

They would have hurt and killed everyone else in response.

[@wendyheatherwood]

What's to stop him taking the others hostage and demanding she bring him the baby?

[@Educated2Extinction]

No, it wasn't 2003, it was 2157. Incidentally, English speakin' folk didn't commonly curse in Chinese back in 2003, either. Mal's problem with Inara is more about her place in the Alliance than the sex work. Recall that he first called her a whore when she said she supported the alliance in the war. Also note that he immediately got on board with helping Nandi when he found out she was independent of the Companions' Guild. On the battery running out, I wonder if that was showing that Rance didn't know how to use his fancy toy. I'm thinking about when he killed that section of wall with it, firing a continuous beam for an extended period of time. Maybe like the need to fire a machine gun in short bursts to keep the barrel from overheating.

[@sharkdentures3247]

This is a great episode (in a show full of good or better episodes) I really like Melinda Clarke. (Even though I have only really seen her here & in the O.C..) They made Rance a terrifically hate able, bad guy. Basically, he is a virtue signaler. He publicly espouses very old-fashioned morals. (If you sleep with a virginal woman, you damn well better not just be USING her and better marry her.) But he is also a married man who frequently sleeps with whores. Great action. Also, so many great character moments! The Walsh/Kaylee moment was so adorable. And River's "Who do you think is in there?" is amusing, yet surprisingly DEEP. (if you think about it) I DO find it a bit weird that you guys kept remarking about how "He doesn't CARE about the baby" during his attack, but THEN you criticized Inara when she DIDN'T just slit his throat! (Even though that WOULD have caused him to DROP the baby! And possibly; hurting, crippling or even killing it!) It showed that Inara DOES CARE about the baby's wellbeing! (more than Rance does)