The true Book...
POSTED BY: Honorbound
UPDATED: Wednesday, April 30, 2003 00:10
VIEWED: 4777
PAGE 1 of 2
Ok, so of course there are many reasons why I would like to see Firefly back on the air, but one of them is to finally put to rest the many questions buzzing around in my head about Book.
What is his real background?
Why is he really away from the abby?
How does he know so much about guns, combat, the Alliance, the thug world, and other similar things?
What was up with his 'oh so special' credentials that made the Alliance drop everything to help him when he was shot?
And of course, why is he REALLY on Serenity? Was it just a fluke, or wasn't it?
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Some mysteries are better left as mysteries. Maybe one day Joss will let us know.
Quote:--Book
I don't give half a hump if your innocent or not, now where does that put us?
Quote:--Mal, could definetly see Book using that line.
Do you wanna see the real me?
I'd love to learn the answer but the imagination can be a powerful thing.
Quote:
"Are you saying I'm being deceived?"
"I'm not saying anything. I did not say anything then, and I'm not saying anything now."
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What does Shepherd Book tells us about himself?
He has come recently from Southdown abbey, possibly on Persephone. This is where Book served as a monk. He is also called a preacher, a missionary, and of course, a shepherd. He used to sail in a Firefly-type vessel a long time ago. At least 20 years. He learned many things at the abbey, among them are gardening and rabbit hunting.
Here is a quote from an interview with Ron Glass telling us about his character. Thanks Ron!
Quote:
"He's somebody who's looking after humanity, caring for people. But he also has another side -- he'll kick your a--, too."
With that, Glass lets out one of many hearty laughs.
Book is "clearly a man of letters, he's clearly a man of the (spoken) word. He has a big heart, and he's really interested in people's humanity, people's advancement and people's consciences.
"At the same time, I think he lived a lot of life before he became that person. I think it will be fun to watch it unfold."
Here is a little more of what we know about Shepherd Book:
Year: 2517
Location: Eavesdown Docks
Book avoids a ship docked at the Eavesdown Docks called the Brutus. The Captain of the Brutus tried to get Book to take a ride on his ship. Brutus, if you recall, is the name of Caesar's classic betrayer. By not accepting a ride with the betrayer ship, Book shows that he is loyal, and this one action (I feel) places his character almost beyond normal reproach.
Destiny: Serenity takes on Shepherd Book as a passenger to Boros.
During this voyage, Book proves himself to be the bad-ass which Ron Glass said his character would be. Book disarms and easily knocks out the lawman mole, in the cargo bay, during the scuffle right after Kaylee gets shot. He also stands up to an armed Jayne, by not allowing Jayne to kill the mole.
Item: 54-R Sniper Rifle
Shepherd Book describes this weapon from just the wounds of dead men. (War Stories.) He implies his knowledge is due to having used one on rabbits at the abbey, but that sort of knowledge does not come without comparison. He must know what other bullet holes look like as well.
Vehicle: Fast Burn Rocket Shuttle
Type of shuttle typically equipped on space stations. Book describes this shuttle from burn tracks on Ezra. This shows him to be a person with knowledge of tracking. Perhaps, a former bounty hunter? (War Stories.)
Location: Scrap house:
Book is the only one on Serenty who has previous knowledge about the electric-field nets which outlaws set up in space to capture space ships. Six breakers around the inside of the ring structure create the net when activated. It is used to strip parts off the captured space ships or just steal the whole ship. A failure in one of the six breakers shuts the whole net down, as we saw in Our Mrs. Reynolds.
Space Vessel: I.A.V. Magellan
The Alliance Cruiser where Book gets his wounds treated, positioned an hour from Jiangyin. (Safe.) Book was wounded and he show his ident card to the officials from the I.A.V. Magellan who wouldn't offer help to them. When the official ran the card and found out who Book was, Book was immediately treated. This is special treatment. This is a mystery.
Person: Jubal Early
Jubal Early, a bounty hunter, says about book, "That ain't a Shepherd." How does a bounty hunter know Book? Again, the question of Book's past.
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Who's winning?
I can't really tell, they don't seem to be playing by any civilized rules that I know.
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Book was a former high-ranking officer in the military or defense agencies of the government of the central planets (pre-Alliance) that would eventually become the Alliance. He once believed in the ideals of unification, which he felt would bring peace and justice to the galaxy. In that belief he justified actions taken by him or orders he gave that may have resulted in deaths, perhaps many. He may have some personal connection with some of the butchering that occurred during the Battle of Serenity. Like Mal, this might have been a turning point for him, in which he became disillusioned with the Alliance. Perhaps he discovered that the Alliance he had supported and thought would bring freedom and justice, actually became the oppressor, like so many governments before it. Betrayed by the ideals he had trusted and feeling his life's work a failure he resigned his position and sought penance as a Shepard, hoping to distance himself from the Alliance. He now takes refuge on Serenity, perhaps to seek out the freedom that he helped to destroy.
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In the Dark Ages, Romano-Celtic Britannia was over-run by Viking-like cultures collectively called the Anglo-Saxons. They were led by warlords called Drytinns, and the greatest warriors among them were the Thegns.
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MAybe the reason why Book became a Shepard was he done some very bad things in his past and wanted to make them right some how. Then again he might not have like the ways things were going under Alliance rule so he went to where he could change his way life around.
~ Don't get mad. get Firefly~
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Here's a theory. He's a lawman. Or a bounty hunter.
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DOBSON: I'm supposed to be meeting my wife's sister. I've only got a few days to see her...
ZOE: I wish there was another way...
DOBSON: Oh, no, no. That woman is like a dragon. I mean, I believe she has a tail. If there's any other moons we need to visit, or if we could just
fly very slowly...
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Interesting. Maybe he's from their version of Internal Affairs.
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Cap'n, can I have money for a slinky dress?
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Maybe.
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DOBSON: I'm supposed to be meeting my wife's sister. I've only got a few days to see her...
ZOE: I wish there was another way...
DOBSON: Oh, no, no. That woman is like a dragon. I mean, I believe she has a tail. If there's any other moons we need to visit, or if we could just
fly very slowly...
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I think Joss is just messing with our minds. He wants us to think that Book has this crazy past, that he can't be trusted, or he can, or *brain fries*.
But maybe Book is just a Shepard.
He could have an important name or some innocent connections with the Alliance and that's what got him into surgery when he was shot (Safe Episode). I've got some 'connections' with the President, but that doesn't mean I know government secrets, or that I’m a spy.
And about his shady knowledge? Well just because he knows that stuff doesn’t mean he’s ever really used it before. He might just have a love for that kind of stuff. (Guns, space ships, and he probably just reads the news papers-- and that‘s how he knew about Niska). I know people who enjoy studying the mechanics of guns and cars, read all of the Popular Mechanics, and love to shot targets, but don’t have any military training or shady backgrounds. They just love to learn about that kind of stuff. I bet Book is just a really smart, able kind of man.
Of course Joss won’t let us know this until each and every fan has pulled out their hair because of the drawn out suspense due to Books past.
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It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
Aristotle
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Quote:
Originally posted by Kaythryn:
Of course Joss won’t let us know this until each and every fan has pulled out their hair because of the drawn out suspense due to Books past.
You're probably right. He might have helped some official and now that offical likes him and would help him out.
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DOBSON: I'm supposed to be meeting my wife's sister. I've only got a few days to see her...
ZOE: I wish there was another way...
DOBSON: Oh, no, no. That woman is like a dragon. I mean, I believe she has a tail. If there's any other moons we need to visit, or if we could just
fly very slowly...
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME