There was no mussing around for Morena Baccarin at the FanExpo Vancouver. She walking out, picked a seat and said, “I have nothing to say so let’s just go straight to questions.” And the delightful star of Firefly, Homeland, and V answered every question thrown at her regardless of whether she had answered them multiple times before, in multiple publications- she was cheery, fun, self deprecating and no eye dared stray from looking at her else they give up one iota of a chance to be in her presence.

Morena was the last Q&A of the evening in the “A” ballroom at the Vancouver Convention centre and yet only the first to have a microphone set up for the audience to ask their questions from. The nervous crowd was what appeared to be mostly supporters of the Firefly piece of her oeuvre, judging by the amounts of questions asked of Morena regarding the sadly short lived show.

Morena Baccarin

Morena Baccarin

The biggest of which was about the history of her character Inara had been answered somewhere before and is out there on the internet if you look but she graciously went over the details again.

She said, Inara was indeed dying and took up residence on the Serenity, not because she wanted to find a family (which she clearly did), but the exact opposite, to live out the last of her life alone and in such a way as to not have any one get close to her thusly not be affected by her untimely passing, whenever that may be. Which of course was hinted to in the episode, “Out of Gas” when Inara replies to Simon’s “I don’t want to die on this ship.” with “I don’t want to die at all.” A subplot never realized, but perhaps we will hear more of it in the latest comic series, “Leaves on the Wind.”

On the subject of the mysterious syringe Inara had at the ready in the Pilot episode, “Serenity” when the crew of the Firefly class ship were nearly docked by Reavers, she tells that the concoction would have been capable of killing anyone who ever tried to rape her. Meaning: She would inject the contents of the needle and it would infect any of the Reavers that may, “… rape us to death, eat our flesh, and sew our skins into their clothing. And, if we’re very, very lucky, they’ll do it in that order.”  as Zoe informs us.

And sadly for all you romantics out there, when Morena was asked as to the possible future of Mal and Inara, and whether they would have gone on to be a happy couple, Morena, plainly and emphatically- yet with a touch of remorse- said, “No.” They would not have lasted.

And lastly, poor poor Morena was asked by a heartless fan where and how was she informed of the cancellation of Firefly. She said that Joss had called her at home and let her in on the damnable news and before she even had time to process Nathan Fillion called to invite her over to his place where the majority of the cast were to drink to excess and cry. She quickly added that they did little crying, and like most good funerals they laughed and lamented the time they had together. She went on to say that the last episode they shot, she believed was “Message in a Bottle” had the most bloopers in it as the saying of the day was, “What are they going to do? Fire Us.”

Morena will be at the Vancouver FanExpo for the remainder of this weekend, April 19 & 20, at the Vancouver Convention Centre, in Vancouver. Just head down Granville towards the mountains and take a left. When you see white sails you’re there.

James C.