My Weekend Crush

There’s so much to like about “Firefly,” and as a new (yet, shamefully, belated) convert I revel in them with each episode. The chemistry, the heroism, the Jossisms. Each character is his or her own, built on an archetype yet completely their own person. Among the most interesting is Inara, the companion. Leave it to Joss Whedon to make a member of the world’s oldest profession the most serene and regal of the lot. But serene and regal she is, thanks to the subtle work of Morena Baccarin. In Inara we see a glimpse of the genteel side of this wild new verse. With her flowing dresses and even more flowing locks, she represents the romance that is sometimes lost amid the dark, endless edges of space. It’s impressive how well Morena transformed herself from role to role. Her Inara is perhaps the polar opposite of Anna from “V.” One is warm and compassionate, the other cold and, well, an alien queen bent on destroying Earth. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Inara takes both male and female clients. And, as she tells one of her female clients, while she has mostly male clients, “if I choose a woman, she tends to be extraordinary in some way. And the fact is, I occasionally have the exact same need you do. One cannot always be oneself in the company of men.” Damn, this show is good. If you need me, I’ll be in my bunk. Happy weekend, all.