Who are you, Shepard Book?

POSTED BY: PaganPaul
UPDATED: Saturday, July 1, 2006 01:43
VIEWED: 4239
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PAGANPAUL

Friday, June 30, 2006 3:42 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Muddersmilk in the "What would the Season 1 finale of Firefly have been like?" thread:
4) Book is revealed to be a former Alliance Operative. We all know he was...

I beg to disagree! I don't think Book was an Alliance Operative at all. If he had been, then he would have had no previous name and rank, just like the Operative in Serenity, and the Alliance officers who checked his ID would not have know he was important enough to help out.

I think it goes higher than that. Much, much higher.

I was thinking about this extensively the other day after I posted to the "Most Terrifying Villain" thread. Who are the biggest of the Big Bad in the verse?

The reavers? Nope.
Niska? Not even close.
Blue hands? No again.
Jubal Early? Oh please!

The biggest of the Big Bad in the verse are the minds responsible for the Reavers, Blue hands, Bounty hunters, Unification War, etc. In other words: THE PARLIAMENT! And the worst part is that WE DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE. We've never seen them, we wouldn’t recognize them, but they are the ones pulling all the strings.

In fact, if one of them was walking around on board ship, we would never even know it! Hmmmm...

I think Book was a former member of Parliament who decided to leave his post when he found God, or when he realized how much misery he was helping to create and became a Shepard to try to atone. Hey, for all we know, the Pax might have been his idea, and that's why he left his post to join the Shepards!

That would be the only way to explain why the Alliance officers who checked his Ident card would act so quickly to get him into the infirmary. It also explains his knowledge of Alliance procedures, weapons, etc. that no simple Shepard would have know.

Any other thoughts on the subject?

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流口水的婊子和猴子的笨儿子。
Liou coe shway duh biao-tze huh hoe-tze duh bun ur-tze.
"Stupid son of a drooling whore and a monkey."

FUTUREMRSFILLION

Friday, June 30, 2006 3:49 PM

At no point did they refer to Book's rank.

They would have simply seen that he was an operative, just like in the movie.

CAPTKAR

Friday, June 30, 2006 3:52 PM

Hmm.... havent thought about that before I read this. I figured him to be a high ranking officer or somethin like that. But the idea of him bieng an ex-member of parliament tickels my fancy much more. Way to get a new insight on this much debated topic.

It would explain alot about how he knew about precedures of the military, as well as how the operative would work... But I do have one question as to your idea.

If he knew how they all operated, the way a member of parliament would have to know, how come he didnt forsee the operative beginning to systematically execute all of those responsible for sheltering Serenity?

That has been a big question in my mind for quite a while.

-Siklis Pakem Parabellum, "If You Want Peace Prepare For War!"-

-Bravery is not the absence of fear, this is a foolish notion. Bravery is the mental capacity to work through fear toward a higher purpose.-

-"Everybody dies alone." Malcolm Reynolds Our Captain!-

MSG

Friday, June 30, 2006 3:57 PM

well it's heavily implied by a variety of things that he is well versed in the inner working of Alliance and familiar with their policies and procedures. It's demonstrated that whatever he was, it was important enough to produce a swift response from Alliance personnel. It's unlikely that an operative would have that kind of pull, which means Book was either a political somebody ( which I am doubting because they didn't recognize him and the Operative was able to terminate him without difficulty) or a military somebody. I would bet on higher ranking millitary official also because Government officials tend to be insulated from the ugly outcome of their actions where as millitary commanders often have to see it first hand.

I choose to rise instead of fall- U2

GHOSTTOWN

Friday, June 30, 2006 4:11 PM

I don't know, but if there was just one, and only one, mystery out of all the loose ends I'd want to see resolved...it's that one. Everytime I watch it and he comes on screen, I just keep wondering. My only qualm, is that now even if the series was brought back, he will not be there for the discovery if it ever happens. ::sighs::

BLACKSHAMROCK5

Friday, June 30, 2006 4:19 PM

I agree, just to know that there is this huge mystery to ba solved and that we will never know the answer is very...well can't think of the word but not good. I just recently got my boyfriend into Firefly after much complaining from him, and he loved the show (naturaly who wouldn't?) after Jubal's comment about Book not being a sheppard my boyfriend got all bug eyed going "Well who is he?" and unfortunately all he got from me was a shoulder shrug.

Shamrock

REmember that a kick in the ass is a step forward.

MAJORCLOD

Friday, June 30, 2006 4:49 PM

I think everyone is forgetting that not only does Book know a LOT about the alliances inner workings, he also knew a lot about weapons and how to fight. Seriously, how many government bigwigs see combat and have knowledge of such things. Jubal took him out quickly because he believed him to be dangerous physically.

I think its much more probable that he was an operative of some description. Doesn't matter if they didn't refer to a rank or name when the Alliance gave him medical attention, all they needed to see was Operative. Obviously he couldn't have left on very bad terms, otherwise I'm sure they would have treated him quite differently i'd imagine.

PENGUIN

Friday, June 30, 2006 4:57 PM

I've always thought that maybe Book was in law enforcement. He knew about the fed station in "The Message", as well as where the cop got his stripes.

In "Bushwacked," he was he one that wanted the incident reported to the feds.

He probably high enough up in the ranks that he commanded the respect to get medical help.

MSG

Friday, June 30, 2006 5:03 PM

I would tend to agree...if they have the same type of structure as our military a simple operative would have very little juice with higher ups..he'd have to be pretty powerful to command that sort of instant response...remember the Operative fully expects to have the command center ignore his request for River to be left alone. that doesn't exactly scream power and influence. Book obviously has both so I'm guessing higher level military or law enforcement because he knows weapons and fighting as has obviously done something he regrets deeply...also I've seldom seen a politician genuinely regret their actions:)

I choose to rise instead of fall- U2

EVILDINOSAUR

Friday, June 30, 2006 5:04 PM

Yea I'm sticking with the operative theory, because it seems to me that's what Joss was trying to hint at in the movie. Both Book and the Operative were men of strong belief, Book's belief in god and the Operative's belief in the alliance.

I also think that what happened with the operative at the end of the movie was meant to show us what happened to book. He found out some horrible truth about the alliance that shattered his belief and left him a broken man, until he turned to god.

And yea as for the no name or rank thing, the Operative didn't need any name or rank to get Dr. Mathias to go from asking what the hell he was doing in the records room to giving him full access to anything he wanted.

"Haha, mine is an evil laugh."

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