Sworn To Protect Dobson?

POSTED BY: Jongsstraw
UPDATED: Wednesday, October 10, 2007 02:12
VIEWED: 4079
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JONGSSTRAW

Monday, October 8, 2007 11:42 AM

In the pilot Serenity, Book tells Inara that he watched Mal kill " a man he was sworn to protect." Isn't THAT the biggest of all the little Book "clues" about his past? Surely, only someone employed or once-employed by the Alliance would be "sworn" to protect a Fed agent.

PENGUIN

Monday, October 8, 2007 12:41 PM

Sounds more like a cop to me...

King of the Mythical Land that is Iowa

SHUKES

Monday, October 8, 2007 1:33 PM

The line is "i watched the Captain shoot the man i swore to protect" i think it was more from his identity of a shepard rather than his past identity.

Shukes

JONGSSTRAW

Monday, October 8, 2007 1:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Shukes:
The line is "i watched the Captain shoot the man i swore to protect" i think it was more from his identity of a shepard rather than his past identity.

Really....you think so?
A shepherd would "swear to protect" all human beings?...Could be...in the context of "saving" his flock. But I don't think it applies here. I think Shepherd gave us all our first, and biggest clue as to his "recent" past...somehow involved with Alliance law enforcement.

MRBEN

Monday, October 8, 2007 1:49 PM

I had always attributed that line to a follow up from the earlier exchange where Book prevents Jayne from killing him, and later on is also said to be with Dobson as he doesn't think he's safe.

mrben

"Carpe Aptenodytes"
http://www.jedimoose.org

SHINYSEVEN2

Monday, October 8, 2007 2:02 PM

It could be that chasing the Tams was one of those infamous "just one more assignment before retiring" things, and Book was planning to *enter* the monastery afterwards instead of having just left it and things...just didn't turn out that way.

MUGGI

Monday, October 8, 2007 5:03 PM

IMO Book was referring to his earlier confrontation with Jayne.."sworn" was just a poor choice of words by Joss.

NEWBROWNCOAT

Monday, October 8, 2007 6:11 PM

Book also made the same moral statement later on when discussing what to do with Dobson and also with Simon and River.

"I'll not sit by while there's killing here."

Really seems like it is a code that he has taken on, at this since becoming a Shepard.

LWAVES

Monday, October 8, 2007 6:28 PM

I agree that Book tries to live by a certain code (at least he is by the time we see him).
It may even be a strict code but finds that life on Serenity doesn't really allow him to be that strict.
He wouldn't stand by a let a murder be committed, he punched Dobson to stop him killing, and then stopped Jayne from killing Dobson.

I think the line where he says that he swore to protect Dobson would apply to anyone, and he wouldn't want to let anyone die whilst he was around.

All linked to his past but I don't think it was ever an actual binding oath like for a job, I think it was more of a personal oath.

"I don't believe in suicide, but if you'd like to try it it might cheer me up to watch."

JONGSSTRAW

Monday, October 8, 2007 6:52 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by lwaves:
I think the line where he says that he swore to protect Dobson would apply to anyone, and he wouldn't want to let anyone die whilst he was around.

Many here agree with you on this....but what about in War Stories or Heart of Gold?.....Book was right there witnessing the BDH's killing people. Even though Book didn't kill anyone, there were people getting killed around him.
I still gotta go with the fact that Dobson was Alliance, and Book was "sworn" to protect him...meaning Book "once" was Alliance.

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