Shepard - Former Operative?
POSTED BY: mirak
UPDATED: Monday, February 20, 2006 20:35
VIEWED: 7078
PAGE 3 of 3
Quote:
Originally posted by mirak:
Also, I know this isn’t PC, but you can’t overlook the fact that Early, the Op, and Shepherd are all black. Why is it that the only three black characters of any significance seem to have so much in common? Perhaps they are even loosely related? I’m not talking about second cousins – maybe they all come from some secret and exclusive warrior society.
I was just thinking this same thing about half a week ago, cept it was more along the lines of "Why are all the black characters bad asses?"
Also, I don't think the fighting styles are anywhere near identical. Jubal uses a lot of spinning high kicks and sweeps, while the Op looks to be all about getting in close, wing chug arm folding, muay thai clenches and elbpws, and of course jiu-jitsu joint locks and pressure points, or san shou if you prefer.
Have you ever:
Used your teeth as wire strippers?
Given yourself stitches?
Made improvised munitions with no base supplies?
Pissed in a canteen?
Gone a month without bathing?
If so, you MIGHT just be a !HOOAH MOTHERF*CKER!
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Quote:
Originally posted by grizwald:
Gina Torres is Cuban American.
Yes. She's also black. What's your point?
David
"A lot of people are asking me, you know, what exactly is Firefly? It's a tv show you morons!" - Joss Whedon
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Having not seen the series yet (it's being delivered soon!), and being new to the ranks of the Browncoats, my insight on Shepherd Book will come solely from Serenity: the Movie, and my own inferences.
The first time I saw Shepherd Book in the film, I could tell he was a semi-important cast member that all the fans would immediately recognize, and that he fills the role in Serenity (and possibly Firefly) of the Sage, an archetype who constantly gives wisdom and has more knowledge than they should.
I wasn't sure about the Operative, but forum-talk about the flick told me he was a new character. That being said, it's extremely apparent that Shepherd Book knows the intricacies of the Alliance personally and first-hand from the conversations held about the Op.
For example, Operative seems to be a proper designation; a title, not a job description. The scientists in the intro were put off by his lack of name or rank (they weren't expecting it), indicating an ignorance of his position. This leads one (at least a new fan) to believe that the status of Operative is a more...clandestine position. The fact that Shepherd clearly knows quite a bit about this position is shown in his conversation with Mal.
Quote:
...an Operative, and that's trouble you've not known...
The way Shepherd talks about the Op, it seems as if he knows quite intimately about their operating procedures. IMO, he's either a former Op, or worked for those that sanction and train Ops.
Of course, this is all coming from a brand new fan, who's never seen the series, and overlooks one point: If Book was an Op, wouldn't he lack name/rank as well? And if so, Where did he acquire the name he goes by now? Did he choose it? if so, why?
My $0.02
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I beleive that in the two hour pilot episode, also entitled "Serenity", Shepherd spouts the phrase "They called me 'Book' at the abby". Who knows what that could mean.
As for "Shepherd", that's not actually his name, it's a title for priests/preachers of his denomination of Christianity. I remember after seeing the movie, I thought it was his name for a while, and was udner that impression up untill I finally saw the series on DVD about a week ago.
Have you ever:
Used your teeth as wire strippers?
Given yourself stitches?
Made improvised munitions with no base supplies?
Pissed in a canteen?
Gone a month without bathing?
If so, you MIGHT just be a !HOOAH MOTHERF*CKER!
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Quote:
As for "Shepherd", that's not actually his name, it's a title for priests/preachers of his denomination of Christianity. I remember after seeing the movie, I thought it was his name for a while, and was udner that impression up untill I finally saw the series on DVD about a week ago.
yeah, i thought that at first 'til i IMDB'd the movie and figured out that Shepherd was a title, and that his name was something like Derrial or somesuch.
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