Book was an operative!

POSTED BY: GrayFury
UPDATED: Wednesday, December 28, 2005 18:01
VIEWED: 14087
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XEROGRAVITY

Tuesday, December 20, 2005 1:45 PM

Let me reiterate. I'm not being a mocking or facetious asshole. Your post is the 1st original insight in the "Wash" mystery in way too long. I'm feeling your vibe. Been trying to figure out what Wash was all about and your post is making me think.

I still am all "?" but now I have to add a "???" to that "?"

ZIGGY

Tuesday, December 20, 2005 8:08 PM

I agree that at the moment all the evidence seems to point to Book being an operative, or something very similar, and some event in his past that has inspired him to turn to religion. I don't believe that he was still an operative when he joins Serenity, for the reasons already mentioned. However I do believe he had some purpose in joining Serenity.
Kaylee points out in the pilot that "you're not looking at the destinations, you're looking at the ships"
I also think the line "I think I'm on the wrong ship" is very significant. He seems to be seeking something in particular.
It crossed my mind that there could be some sort of prophecy involved concerning Mal or some other member of the crew, or even the ship in general. It could be about something apocolyptic which many prophecies are but I don't think this is Joss' style. It could concern the overthrow of the alliance. I really have'nt thought it all out.
One of things that really puzzled me is if Book had a purpose in joining Serenity in particular why did he leave? Could anyone who's read the comics shed any light on this?
I also think that when Mal ask if he shouldn't be out converting fuzzy-wuzzies Book replies "I've heathens applenty right here" could be significant. A that point he certainly doesn't want to leave, and equally doesn't want to say why.
Could his purpose merely be to save Mal's soul? Mal was a god-fearing man before he lost his faith after the battle of Serenity. I think there's a bible story about the good shepherd who left his flock to search for one lost sheep. Mal could be that lost sheep and the story could tie in with the use of the term Shepherd. I don't recall Book denying it when Mal aks him.

ETHAN

Tuesday, December 20, 2005 8:38 PM

What is a 'believer?'

Whether Book is an operative of the alliance or not, I think the key to discovering who he truly is will have to do with the definition of the term 'believer,' which was introduced and frequently used in Serenity the BDM.

An idea which has more resonance (for me at least) is that Book and the Operative are dichotomous representations of the same cult. They both believe hard in their own way, but their divergence in action is more realized by the facts of their personal circumstances. I think this type of character study is more amendable to 'Joss Whedon' type story arcs. Who knows, maybe Book and the Operative had the same teacher in this cult. Maybe Book came aboard Serenity as some part of a self-imposed exile a la 'Obiwan' because he failed as the Operative's mentor. Hey Joss said himself, "steal from everyone!" As long as he can improve upon the original.

DANIELFYRE

Tuesday, December 20, 2005 8:51 PM

I don't know about the whole Book still being active on Serenity. I think its safe to say that he wasn't or else as someone else had said he wouldn't have left...Also the whole book being an OPERATIVE...I donno about that because if he was why would he just be able to leave for religion like he did yet later when he needed medical attention be given it so readily. One would think being an operative in the allice would be a position one would not be able to leave readily due to the sensitive nature of the job. Whatever Book was he was praised for it he had a reputation it seemed everyone in the alliance knew about as opposed to a secret opperative as implied. Book was perhaps some type of uppercrust leader not an opperative, but perhaps the one that directed opperatives. The man behind the brute and being so powerful that when he finally began to feel guilt for whatever he did he would be able to step down without being questioned and leave his work to another and go into seclusion, change his name, attone and the like. Just wanted to add my two cents. Thanks.

-Dan

Ain't that just shiny?

SENORBURRITO

Tuesday, December 20, 2005 9:04 PM

They all sound like good theories, hopefully Joss will provide us with an answer in a future installment in the series or something like that. Maybe a book, that would be cool too, but a movie or a tv show would be even better. I don't know though if he was an operative...he might have done field work by the way he moves, but he I think he was one of the Alliance's first wave. I think he was one of the people who fought against the browncoats and it is possible that he boarded Serenity because he won Serenity valley with the alliance and after seeing the error of his ways with the alliance and becoming a sheperd and all that stuff he found Serenity again...so now it was his chance in fate to see how the other side worked and he took it which is why in the pilot episode he questions whether or not he's on the right ship. He left one because he believed it was wrong and now he's on the other side and doesn't know if they're right...

Mal: We've done the impossible and that makes us mighty.

THEREALME

Wednesday, December 21, 2005 4:20 AM

I once believed that Book was the winning general at Serenity Valley. That would make a nice mirror image. Book won at Serenity, but due to his experiences there, he turned to religion.

Mal lost the Battle of Serenity, and he lost religion because of that.

TheRealMe, First Officer of the Sereni-Tree

XEROGRAVITY

Friday, December 23, 2005 4:02 AM

I swore off posting in these forums but I just bought the freakin CD, watched the movie 2X and now I have to post on this thread. Frankly, the "Book" thing is the only real mystery to me.

My conclusion:

He was an alliance assassin like sword dude from the movie. He learned about Miranda and stopped being their boy (much the same as "sword boy" did in the BDM when Mal whipped his ass and made him watch the "Reaverized-Mirandans Gone Wild" video).

I have no doubt about it. Listen closely to his dying words (unfinshed though they may be). And the the whole direction of his final few words.

It's a "protect River" kinda thing.

XG

No such thing as gravity. The "Earth-that-was" just sucks.

STDOUBT

Friday, December 23, 2005 6:40 AM

===!!===SPOILER WARNING===!!=======

Not sure this is worth its own thread,
(so I'm posting here since it's Book-related).

===!!===SPOILER WARNING===!!=======

Did anyone notice how Book said River's
name as he lay dying?

===!!===SPOILER WARNING===!!=======

It's a detail I picked up without really realizing.
I think it's a very interesting piece of triviana.

edit: doh! would help if I read up the thread eh?

ETHAN

Friday, December 23, 2005 6:44 AM

^
Interesting. I wrote a fan fic about how Book was a member of a secret society of "Believers" and his assignment was to insinuate himself into River's life to protect her.

FLIPDOG

Friday, December 23, 2005 6:55 AM

I said those same things the night I saw the movie. Except for Book finding Miranda...that seems a little much. I think he just simply got fed up with the Alliance and left. Becoming a Preist to "atone" for his sins is a logical answer. Maybe he just felt the call to leave. Maybe he only knew about River and what they planned to do with her. Then when he found himself aboard Serenity with her, he stuck around to protect her. But then when he found that his presence was now known by the Alliance, he made the decision to leave. Because having her in the same vicinity of an ex-Alliance operative would put her in danger. And by then he knew he could trust Mal to take care of her.
Then, the movie rolls around and Mal is trying to make her a more useful member of the crew, but he comes off in that smart-ass way. But I really do think he cares about her. And then Book dies, his last few words including, "believe in her."

And to those saying that it's too simple. Remember that the simlplest, logical explanation is usually the correct one, not everything has to be complicated.

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