Theory that Book worked for Blue Sun and is Following River

POSTED BY: MsBigPileofDust
UPDATED: Thursday, February 12, 2004 22:54
VIEWED: 16644
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WINTERFELL

Wednesday, January 14, 2004 7:27 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Shiny:
IIRC, he says, "I don't give half a hump if you're innocent or not...now where does that leave you?" Which suggests either Book is, or at least once was, a bad, mean ol' man.

wow, shiney, thanx!!!!

SEGURANT

Wednesday, January 14, 2004 7:45 PM

If Book did work at Blue Sun, then that could also explain the Officer's change of heart in "Safe".

I would love to know more about Blue Sun. I doubt Book worked there because there are other holes in Book.

Obviously he is a good shot since he aims so well at people's knees.

He knows about fast burning ships and other Crime procedures.

Those are the only two I can think of at the moment. Now I'll have to watch the whole series again and study Book more.

BROWNCOAT1

Wednesday, January 14, 2004 7:56 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Channain:
Nothing I like better than batting around Book theories.

Quote:
Paraphrased from original post by BrownCoat1:
If Book is one of the men that helped Simon, why did Simon not recognize him?

If he had helped to rescue River, wouldn't it make more sense just to accompany her & Simon if he was looking after her?

I think the logic is also offset by Book's obvious tie to the Alliance.

It does not appear that Book is any more protective of Simon or River than he is anyone else.

Simon said he was "contacted." He didn't say he "met with" the party that secured River's release. Even if he did, he could have met with anyone, so Book could have been part of it and Simon would never know.

Yes, if Book was part of it, then it might make more sense for Book to accompany them, provided he wanted to make it blatantly clear that he did indeed assist in getting River released - if he did, which I do find fairly unlikely. Plus, chronologically, in Serenity Book was introduced long before we saw Simon. This indicates he was the first passenger, and how would he know Simon and River would show up too? I mean how many ships were in port that day?

Obvious tie to the Alliance? I'd say obvious he's someone more important than we realize. Nobody has ever said anything about him being somehow directly tied to the Alliance besides us. I'm still sticking to the idea that Book is a high muckity-muck in the Shephard echelon, but that's just my theory.

Ultimately, Book is protective of his flock, whether the individual members of the flock (e.g. Mal) care for it or not. Simon and River just happen to be part of it. That I agree with completely.

You are right in your observation of Simon being "contacted". He didn't specify that it was a face to face meet, so he may never have seen his sister's benefactors. It is also true Book could have been involved, though I find it unlikely. That would mean Book is somehow tied in w/ the Alliance, the Blue Hands, & River. Too many storylines for one character, especially one who is kind of background for the major players.

Not sure about him being a high muckety muck w/ the Shephards. What are the relations like between the Alliance & the Shephards? The Alliance doesn't really strike me as the religious types, and the Alliance officer was willing to let Book bleed to death, regardless of his being a Shephard, until he saw his ident card.

Zeke023 wrote:

Quote:
I agree with this.
Also - Book is obvioulsy reformed. He wouldn't be sitting in his room reading the bible where no one can see him (in Out of Gas) if he weren't a believer. He has in all ways acted as someone with a shady history who has become a minister of Christ.
Hell, they even dropped him off at an abbey to do prayer and meditation for an episode.
Unless the whole Christian Church is in on it - I think Book is clean. He may have a shady past, but that's about it.

Makes sense to me Zeke. The way Book is portrayed to me presents him more as a Shephard trying to make up for some sort of past, a past tied to the Alliance somehow.

MsBigPileofDust wrote:

Quote:
We never see Simon make the arrangement with Kaylee, we just see him boarding. He could have chosen Serenity before Book. One of the other 'men' could have seen him do so and described the ship to Book. Hence the ship ogling!

You are right, we never really do see the arrangements made between Kaylee & Simon, but it still seems chronologically that Book took passage first.

CaptainCDC wrote:

Quote:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Early in OIS says that Book is no Shepherd.

Absolutely correct. Early told Simon that Book was no Shephard.

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

SOUPCATCHER

Wednesday, January 14, 2004 8:02 PM

I was just re-watching Our Mrs. Reynolds and I noticed something about Book. When Mal first notices the "net" he explains to the crew that they will get fried by the device. But Book corrects him and says that the newer models can just hold you in place. So Book has a more up to date knowledge than the Captain?!? (This is where I start making assumptions) It seemed to me that Mal's first spaceship was Serenity so he's only been at this game for six years. So I would think that most of his knowledge about crime in space came from this period. But Book is supposed to have been in a monastary for quite a few years. And he's more up to date?

Of course, that scene also has an interestng moment when Mal first realizes what they are flying towards. His first look is to Book who nods his head to confirm that it is indeed a "net". So at some point Mal has come to rely on Book's knowledge enough to use him for verification. I found that intriguing. I don't think Mal knows any more about Book's past than we do but he's smart enough to make use of any resource available.

I shaved off my beard for you, devil woman!

SEGURANT

Wednesday, January 14, 2004 8:10 PM

Well in Serenity, Kaylee asked Book if he ever been on a Firefly. Book responded way before she was born. Book has knowledge of things outside of being a Shepard.

My wife thinks that Blue Sun is indeed the Government. Some governments serve the interest of corporations.

Segurant

"You know what the chain of command is? It's the chain I go get and beat you with until you understand who's in ruttin' command here. "

CHANNAIN

Wednesday, January 14, 2004 8:19 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BrownCoat1:
You are right in your observation of Simon being "contacted". He didn't specify that it was a face to face meet, so he may never have seen his sister's benefactors. It is also true Book could have been involved, though I find it unlikely. That would mean Book is somehow tied in w/ the Alliance, the Blue Hands, & River. Too many storylines for one character, especially one who is kind of background for the major players.

Actually, I'm also finding it unlikely that he was involved with River's escape. But on the same hand, it also seems a bit too obvious to me that Book is somehow *tied in* with the Alliance. I'm thinking he was at one time and is now reformed, finding his way in the world looking through new eyes.

Book also sits and reads from the Bible in plain sight - Train Job for instance. He was right there in the kitchen when Inara came in.

Quote:
Originally posted by BrownCoat1:
Not sure about him being a high muckety muck w/ the Shephards. What are the relations like between the Alliance & the Shephards? The Alliance doesn't really strike me as the religious types, and the Alliance officer was willing to let Book bleed to death, regardless of his being a Shephard, until he saw his ident card.

True, but that doesn't automatically prove he's Alliance, currently or formerly. Just means he's someone with some serious kind of clout, or maybe just the right kind of security clearance.

Quote:
Originally posted by Zeke023
Hell, they even dropped him off at an abbey to do prayer and meditation for an episode.
Unless the whole Christian Church is in on it - I think Book is clean. He may have a shady past, but that's about it.

Dropped him off at an abbey - never said what he was doing there. Abbies have records; birth, death, marriage and the like. Some could have orphanages or halfway houses or shelters of some kind. I don't doubt that some meditation was done, but if we're going with his unknown background, he could have been going through some old records, looking for something. Something he wanted to keep so quiet, he didn't want to risk having it "waved" to him. And whatcould that be? That would be why we always end up speculating about this man. That and this:

Quote:
Posted by Zeke023
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Early in OIS says that Book is no Shepherd.

And that is why the fun continues.

Firefly Artwork Series
http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=7922

ALFERDPACKER

Wednesday, January 14, 2004 8:44 PM

Book seems fairly familiar with both sides of the crime business. In "The Message" he seemed fairly knowledgable about where the had been commissioned and where his jurisdiction ended.

Maybe I was the only one who got that impression.

But Book being a fairly high muckity muck in the Alliance doesn't have to mean he's party to whatever was done to River. And the higher placed he was, the more autonomy he would have to act as he saw fit.

RPM76

Thursday, January 15, 2004 8:32 PM

ok lets try to throw this one into the mix! in the pilot twice he was referred to as grandpa and he just replied i never married now could it be instead of him being a big cheese could it be that he may have a child that is a big cheese, i personally cant see this but it would be interesting to see you guys shoot it down

i'll be in my bunk

ROBERTRENCE

Friday, January 16, 2004 5:49 AM

Just out of curiosity, what are the various Book theories?

My own personal theory is that he was an Alliance man on the opposite side of the battle of Serenity (Just because it would spice it up a little bit) and that after the war, he joined a abbey to try to atone for what he'd done in his life.

It'd be nice to see the collected theories though.

RANGRBOB

Monday, January 19, 2004 6:28 AM

This is a thought I had the other day. Let me know if its been done though.

What if Book is an ex-bounty hunter. This may be why Early recognizes him as being not a shepard

Perhaps at one point he was a bounty hunter for the Aliance who refomed and joined a monistary for some sort of redemption. And for some reason or another through maipulation or a great need for money for some noble cause decided to take on one last bounty. For all he knew they were wanted evil fellons. Perhaps after he heard Simons story he decided that he had made the wrong choice and now is either still deciding or actively helping them. His quote in "Objects" when River is doing her mind reading thing may be evidence of his indecisiveness in the matter.

Just a thought.

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