the real shepard book

POSTED BY: tudyksgagreel
UPDATED: Wednesday, October 27, 2004 16:11
VIEWED: 24687
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SOUNDHACK

Friday, April 9, 2004 8:16 AM

One thing that occured to me, and I am most likely just reading too much, but I think a cool possible double entendre would be in Serenity,
when Mal confronts Simon in the cargo bay and accuses him of being Alliance (or a Fed?). Book off screen says something like "I'm afraid you have the wrong man"

Now obviously the main way to interpret it is at face value- that actual Fed guy pointing the gun is who Book is referring to. But what if it is a sly in-joke/twist that Book is referring to himself?

I'm not saying that Book at that moment was a Fed/Alliance/cop but that that was a hint of what he was before.

That would explain why Book was in the cargo (as was raised in another thread) he had to be the one to say it for the hint/joke to work!

In anycase like others I think Book is the most fascinating character on Firefly.

SKYDANCE

Tuesday, April 13, 2004 7:36 PM

Couple things I haven't seen pointed out yet:

1. Book isn't just proficient in combat. He's an expert marksman and at least competent in martial arts. Ground forces learn weapons, but don't need unarmed combat skills. It smells like some sort of Secret Agent training (or something like what Zoe learned in the military).

2. Book does get dropped off at "Bathgate Abbey" in Ariel.

CRAZYIVAN

Tuesday, April 13, 2004 8:25 PM

As a clergy person myself, I have always felt in my gut that Book was no Shepard. I just bought the DVDs, never caught the show on TV, and haven't listened to any of the commentaries, or watched any of the final DVD in the set. I've only watched the other shows once, and lost a lot of sleep to get them all in in one night-- but in my heart, Book is not a man of the cloth. Inara is the pastor on the ship, Book is the (pardon Stark Trek Deep Space Nine reference) "Garak"-- the "tailor" who has secrets from his service in the Obsidian Order. My only beef with what Joss has done with Book is that too much was revealed too soon. Of course he was under pressure from Fox execs to make things more interesting and he had to rush things along; I would have prefered to have these interesting tidbits about Book revealed over a much longer span of time. I certainly hope Joss doesn't give it away in the first movie.

KARENKAY99

Tuesday, April 13, 2004 9:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Malicious:

1st: Simon "I would be there right now..."

2nd: Jayne: "I got stupid. The money was too good." (Does this sound familiar? Did Jayne say this to Mal when Mal put him in the airlock? Or maybe when Simon finally realizes it was Jayne who turned them in and threatens him?)

Yep, exact quote from jayne in ariel said in the past. Simon's exact quote was said in future.
The others quotes were not seen so we don't know if they were said in past or future.

"They say the snow on the roof is too heavy. They say the ceiling will cave in. His brains are in terrible danger."

HPJC

Tuesday, April 20, 2004 6:46 AM

Just wanted to add my thoughts to the mix here. I re-watched the pilot, "Serenity" and noticed a few things about Book. Near the end, when he's talking with Inara about being on the wrong ship, he asks "Is this what life is... out here?" which leads me to believe that while Book may be trained in combat and have a lot of knowledge, I don't think he's actually ever seen combat or really been out in the world.

Possibly, he comes from a very rich, very powerful family that has ties to the Alliance. Perhaps his father was part of the military, possibly a high ranking official, and Book had a 'military' upbringing without much actual field experience.

It could be that he believed that the Alliance was 'good' and his father and the military were helping the people and was an active supporter of the alliance, believing that he was actually helping people, though in reality was hurting more of those who were less fortunate part of society. I believe that he may have ended up getting a bunch of people killed, without realizing what was going to happen. Realizing that his good deeds have been harming people, he heads off on his own to try and find redemption and meaning, turning to God and the abbey.

Hence, when River sees him say "I don't give half-a-hump whether you're innocent or not. So where does that put you?", it is something that he is worrying about, but has 'pushed' out of his mind. He was doing wrong, but under the belief that it was good, so he could be considered innocent, yet, that really doesn't matter as he still committed evil and he doesn't really know where he stands with his redemption.

Not sure if that all makes sense in my post, but I can assure you that it makes sense in my head!

HOWDYROCKERBABY1

Friday, April 23, 2004 12:26 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Channain:
Safe to say he wasn't always a shephard. Looked to me like he boarded before Simon though, so I don't think he's after the Tam's in particular. I'm not even sure he's working for the Alliance either, although his name is known to them - whatever his name is on his ident card. Just because he's "called Book" doesn't mean that's his real name, now does it?

I would say there is probably a 75% chance that Book is not the Shepherd's real name. If Book's religion is some distant form of catholicism which i believe it is then it would make sense that Book was not the name he was given at birth. It is very very common for those who become priests, monks, or nuns to change their names or at least add on to them. This signifies their new life in their faith with a new name and everything.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Here's to Jayne, the man-ape-gone-wrong-thing"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

HOWDYROCKERBABY1

Friday, April 23, 2004 12:39 AM

What if Shepherd's comment that River reads is something that somebody said to HIM in the past? Maybe he was framed for something and that was something the acting officer said to him because he was up against the wall and needed to have somebody to point a finger at for the crime.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Here's to Jayne, the man-ape-gone-wrong-thing"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

MORDRAIG

Friday, April 23, 2004 1:50 AM

I distinctly get the impression that the quote is Book's. I think River was getting the most prevading thoughts on the minds of each person. What it is they think about all the time in mental down cycles.

As to Book's ID. I have to go with Military Intelligence. I think Blue Sun has overstepped their bounds with the experimentation but the government is in the dark or feels unable to respond to them for whatever reason.

I think Book was key in arranging Rivers break out, and is following her to observe and retriever her for the military. I don't think she gets alot of reads off of him because of his MI training, being soo in character that you think along the lines of the part to be able to resist even drugged interrorgation.

Where he stands now in relation to his job now is a bit more fuzzy. After receiving med help and waking back up on Serinity he says "Good to be home" I think he is struggling with the act (preacher), what he observes about the crew and River, and his real objectives.

This being the case, the "Half a Hump" comment could be what he is thinking about telling Jayne when he confronts him. Having learned about Jayne's sellout of Simon and River on Ariel from channels while aboard the Alliance cruiser he is angry that Jayne almost screwed up the Military plan to get River away from Blue Sun.

BRITCHICK

Saturday, April 24, 2004 9:58 AM

Going through some of these posts about River's reading people made me re-think what might have happened here.

I wonder if River was suffering from a bit of paranoia (if you can suffer "a bit" of it!).

She was very upset in that episode, and she seemed to end up believing that no one wanted her. So it seemed to me that the thoughts she picked up were interpreted (by her) to be thoughts against her (when they may have beenjust out-of-context thoughts, as mentioned earlier in this thread).

For example: Simon's apparent regret which looked like he was blaming River. Simon does not really regret what he did to save her, but it may be River feels very guilty about it and therefore inteprets some of his comments to be reinforcing her guilt.

ANd similarly with Book. He may have been talking about himself, about Jayne, or someone from his past... but River interprets it in such a way as to reiinforce her feeling that they don't want her.

ANyway, just a thought :))

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JALEN

Saturday, June 26, 2004 6:28 AM

Book is old intel... Run the list....
early recognizes him....he isn't a shepherd.
he is good with martial arts.
he has a vast knowledge of ships (knows about the extenders on the aught three firefly)
He knows about various crime lords and crime operations.
He has alliance ties that grant special privileges.

He's either Intelligence Alliance, or a war hero who in the eyes of an independent would be a mass killer.

River only read the minds of things that were spoken by that particular individual.
Jayne, I was stupid, the money was too good (said that to mal in Ariel)
Simon, I could be there right now (told that to Kaylee in the episode with Early.
inara and malcolm, it's possible taht those quotes of their's were from future episodes that never saw the ilght of day.

Shepherd has ties with a lot of people, and if early knows him (obviously alliance special forces training).. he is an alliance covert operation specialist... either a deep sleeper or got fed up.

Alfonso

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