# Firefly fans: Zoe, Inara or Kaylee? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 27, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-fans-zoe-inara-or-kaylee/296480 "2005-03-27T19:35:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-fans-zoe-inara-or-kaylee/296480/1 "2005-03-27T19:35:26Z")
Along the lines of the immortal “Ginger vs. Mary Ann” and “Jennifer vs Bailey Quarters” debates, I ask: Which of the women of the good ship Serenity do you prefer? I’m assuming River’s off the list because she’s either a child or way too high maintenance, but that’s just me. I prefer Zoe myself. ---
**Author:** ![bclouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@bclouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bclouse)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-fans-zoe-inara-or-kaylee/296480/2 "2005-03-27T19:48:10Z")
I’d go with Inara. I think she’s the most beautiful and I like her personality the best. She’s very elegant. Now I’d just have to work out my issues about her being a prostitute. Zoe’s a hottie but a little too military for my tastes but she is into geeky white guys so, my chances with her might be better. Kaylee’s cute but she started to rub me the wrong way in how she always overreacted to whenever Simon said something stupid. She would always turn it around and make it a personal insult to herself. I think she’s too high maintenance, maybe not as much as River but too much to my liking. _But_ she could save me a fortune in auto maintenance… no, no, I’ll stick with Inara. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-fans-zoe-inara-or-kaylee/296480/3 "2005-03-27T19:57:15Z")
In order Kaylee Inara Zoe I would actually rank them according to looks: Inara, Zoe, Kaylee But for me cute wins out here. And Zoe’s pretty intimidating personality-wise, and she’d kick my ass in a heartbeat. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-fans-zoe-inara-or-kaylee/296480/4 "2005-03-27T20:06:58Z")
How about Jane? I always liked Lady Jane from G.I. Joe, so… :smack: _actually watched the show, just playing around._ ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-fans-zoe-inara-or-kaylee/296480/5 "2005-03-27T20:14:06Z")
> [@bclouse](#): > > Zoe’s a hottie but a little too military for my tastes but she is into geeky white guys so, my chances with her might be better. That’s my thinking exactly! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-fans-zoe-inara-or-kaylee/296480/6 "2005-03-27T20:14:20Z")
Yes, please. “I’ll be in mah bunk.” ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-fans-zoe-inara-or-kaylee/296480/7 "2005-03-27T20:17:27Z")
Kaylee. Smart, cute, sweet and spunky. What more can a guy ask for? (Okay, so given a choice, I’d still choose Bailey. Nevertheless…) ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-fans-zoe-inara-or-kaylee/296480/8 "2005-03-27T20:26:14Z")
I never saw River Tam as a 'child." She’s a waifish, petite young woman, sure, but not a child. (Summer was 20/21 when she played her.) As for being at The Academy, who knows just how long she was there? So, she goes on the list, were I the OP. Plus, she’s the hottest of all of them. Not just in looks, but in total package. She’s weird, psychic, telepathic, has precognition and an accelerated intelligence. Did I mention that she’s weird? That’s a very big hot factor to me. Next would be a toss up. Zoe or Inara. Both are gorgeous and strong, in more than merely physical ways. Kaylee irritates me, in addition to actually looking more like a child to me. (Jewell is a year younger than Summer, btw.) ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-fans-zoe-inara-or-kaylee/296480/9 "2005-03-27T22:55:31Z")
Kaylee, definitely. Remember the strawberry scene? I have to run to my bunk every time I think about it! Back in ten! ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-fans-zoe-inara-or-kaylee/296480/10 "2005-03-27T23:04:28Z")
Tough choice between Kaylee and Zoe. Inara’s beautiful, no doubt, but not in any way that appeals to me as more than just something to look at. I don’t find her terribly attractive, nor do I think I’d want to hang out with her, even. Kaylee’s cute, and although I’m not a gearhead myself, I could listen to her babble about engines all day. Zoe’s hot, and could break me in half…which is something I find strangely attractive. \>\_\> All in all, I think I’d go for Kaylee, since I think I could hold her attention longer. ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-fans-zoe-inara-or-kaylee/296480/11 "2005-03-27T23:27:14Z")
One night with Inara would cure (or at least ameliorate) all my self-esteem and sexuality issues. Which would make me a more perfect mate for Kaylee. ---
**Author:** ![tripthicket](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripthicket/32/297_2.png) [@tripthicket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tripthicket)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-fans-zoe-inara-or-kaylee/296480/12 "2005-03-28T00:04:42Z")
As a hormone-filled teenager, I was attracted to any female figure that displayed touches of otherworldliness (Dracula’s brides, alien babes, etc.). Obviously, I found such almost exclusively in fiction, but I’ve been fortunate to encounter a trace of it here and there in my real life, even though the attraction of such has faded quite a bit over the years. That said, I too have to include River among the choices and place her at the top of my list. River Kaylee (who seems most ‘real’ to me) Inara (a beautiful package; I’d like to subscribe to her newsletter to find out more) Zoe (I think her military air would make her the most difficult to win over; on the other hand, I consider myself most like her husband in personality) ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-fans-zoe-inara-or-kaylee/296480/13 "2005-03-28T00:39:49Z")
Kaylee is an easy first in principle, but I think her cuteness would really wear on me, so I think I’m going to have to downgrade her. Inara, Kaylee, Zoe. I like the self-assured nature of the other two quite a bit, but I think I’d get into way, way too many fights with Zoe. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-fans-zoe-inara-or-kaylee/296480/14 "2005-03-28T01:10:31Z")
Oh, Kaylee. She’s only high-maintenance because Simon is such a goob; if he’d let her off the pedestal, she’d be fine with him. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-fans-zoe-inara-or-kaylee/296480/15 "2005-03-28T02:20:35Z")
River, assuming Simon fixes her. Who wouldn’t want a genius girlfriend who could kill our enemies with her brain? ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-fans-zoe-inara-or-kaylee/296480/16 "2005-03-28T02:29:03Z")
Bailey, Emma Peel, Kaylee, Mary Ann, River, Inara, then Zoe. ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-fans-zoe-inara-or-kaylee/296480/17 "2005-03-28T03:32:58Z")
I’m a relatively heterosexual woman, and I’d have to say I’d want Inara as a lover, Kaylee as a friend, but I want to BE Zoe. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-fans-zoe-inara-or-kaylee/296480/18 "2005-03-28T03:43:45Z")
Jayne. I’m a sucker for a big, dumb, muscular woman with a hairy chest. And a big gun named Vera. ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-fans-zoe-inara-or-kaylee/296480/19 "2005-03-28T03:57:05Z")
To answer the actual question: Zoe Zoe Zoe Inara Kaylee ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-fans-zoe-inara-or-kaylee/296480/20 "2005-03-28T04:13:39Z")
Kaylee - first, last and always! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-fans-zoe-inara-or-kaylee/296480.md?page=2)