Who was Shepard Book?
POSTED BY: 6ixStringJack
UPDATED: Friday, November 23, 2007 11:21
VIEWED: 14404
PAGE 5 of 6
Didn't read the responses but here is my theory:
Book is the Operative. He found a way to travel time to atone for his sins. Though not directly responsible, he still felt a deep responsability to indirectly effect and influence Malcolm. I mean really, who is gonna believe some quack pot shepheard telling them he's from the future trying to save folks from a terrible fate?
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Thanks O2tB....
I'm really enjoying reading the posts here. It's sure a lot nicer out here than in the RW, ain't it? 
I think other than my assault on happy pills a year ago, this post by far has the most responses.
"A government is a body of people, usually notably ungoverned." http://www.myspace.com/6ixstringjack
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Quote:
Originally posted by rallem:
I don't like the way in Safe a crooked cop's ident chip would have gotten him superior service, and while he might have been born into a rich family I don't think the Alliance would work like that.
You don't think the Alliance would give preferential treatment to someone from a rich and powerful family? Funny, I think that's exactly the kind of thing they'd do. Repressive regimes are usually riddled with corruption, harbouring individuals who use their positions of authoritarian power to garner bribes and deal out favours for political and personal gain. (Witness Agent McGinnis in Ariel, planning to hand over River and Simon to the Blue Gloves in return for cash.)
I suppose if Book had been some kind of bent cop or maverick operative, he would probably have the skills (or be able to access someone who had the skills) necessary to produce a forged ID card that would open Alliance doors and get him superior service. My take on him is different, though: at first I wondered if he was perhaps some kind of undercover Alliance war hero. His weapons and combat skills certainly indicate active military service of some kind in his past, whether mainstream or special ops. Spaceanjl's theory that Book might be behind something like the destruction of Shadow is an interesting one, but it's difficult to speculate without knowing exactly what his timeline is: did he really spend 20+ years in the abbey before coming out to travel the universe, or is that just a cover story? And of course he's also familiar with Firefly class ships, saying he travelled in them long before Kaylee was crawling.
Maybe as well as wondering what Book's past was and what brought him to become a man of faith, there's another interesting question to be asked: what made him choose to leave the Southdown Abbey, to "bring the Word to them as need it told"? He seems an inwardly-troubled character, despite his often calm exterior: did he feel he had a duty to make amends through evangelism for some great wrong he did in his past?
In the time he is on Serenity his character seems to change, moving from a man who strives to prevent violence and grieves over failing to prevent the death of Dobson, to someone who is fairly comfortable with shooting out the kneecaps of Niska's employees. Is the difference made by the fact that he starts to bond with the crew and feel some sense of responsibility towards their welfare? Are lofty priniciples just harder to maintain out there in the real 'Verse, than in the peaceful grounds of Southdown Abbey?
All in all, Derrial Book is definitely one of the more intriguing characters in Joss's universe. I look forward to seeing what people write about him in the future!
At last. We can retire and give up this life of crime.
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In episodes like Safe” and “Bushwhacked” we get a glimpse of some rather professional military crews which I do not see as indicative to a corrupt form of government. Sure Mal at the end of “Bushwhacked” Mal says that the Commander had to keep the supplies from the derelict because it would cut on their profits, but I think that is an offhand statement from someone who used to be a sworn enemy of the Alliance and now has ambiguous emotions towards them. At no time did we see an officer or crew member looking for bribes.
I believe in a fictional world like Firefly/Serenity statements like Book claiming to have been in the Southdown Abbey for twenty years should be taken as a fact unless they are refuted fairly quickly, but Joss actually reinforced Book’s claim by having Book recite some humorous anecdotes from the Abbey.
I believe that Book’s difficulty in witnessing the execution of Dobson to the ability of kneecapping Niska’s men is less of a personal journey for Book or any other character then you might think. I believe in Book’s mind, Dobson was acting on the side of good or the side of law, but with Niska’s men they were a sign of evil and corruption that needed some kneecapping. I found it funny that when asked if the bible had said something against killing, Book replied that the bible was very specific about killing and a little fuzzy on the subject of kneecapping, but not for the obvious reasons. Unless they are using a different bible than I have read, the good book is not specific on the act of killing and is only specific on the act of murder. 
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Quote:
Originally posted by rallem:
In episodes like Safe” and “Bushwhacked” we get a glimpse of some rather professional military crews which I do not see as indicative to a corrupt form of government. At no time did we see an officer or crew member looking for bribes.
It's possible for a professional military organisation to exist which still has corrupt individuals operating within it (witness any national police force and several armies operating in the real world today). Especially if that organisation is as large as the Alliance is implied to be in the Firefly 'Verse. In Bushwhacked it's indicated that Commander Harken is on his first tour of duty out on the Rim, so it's not surprising he'd be running a very tight ship and doing things by the book. But the prevalence of principled professionals like Harken doesn't exclude the possibility that there are some rotten apples scattered through the Alliance barrel, especially in outposts where tours of duty might be more hazardous and rewards few and far between.
History shows us that all nations and governments have corruption functioning somewhere within their administrations. If you're lucky, it only involves gerrymandering and influence peddling: if you're unlucky, it's rife in all levels of government, including the police, judiciary and the army. Mid-20th century Germany is a case in point: there was a state with an extremely professional army and police force, yet corruption was widespread amongst many senior officials. Essentially, if people are part of an effectively unopposed quasi-military government (which is what the Alliance resembles), the pursuit of and holding on to power within that organisation becomes very important. If there is no longer any real opposition to Alliance policies and laws, those who are enacting those laws are in a very omnipotent position... And although it's a cliche, it's also a truism: "absolute power corrupts absolutely".
When Simon's father springs him from police custody, he has to cough up 2000 credits and is worried about the fact that his having to show up at a police station will go on his permanent record. This doesn't sound like the concerns of someone living under a particularly benign and equitable administration. One wonders what would have happened to Simon then, if he hadn't been the son of a rich influential man.
Quote:
Originally posted by rallem
I found it funny that when asked if the bible had said something against killing, Book replied that the bible was very specific about killing and a little fuzzy on the subject of kneecapping, but not for the obvious reasons. Unless they are using a different bible than I have read, the good book is not specific on the act of killing and is only specific on the act of murder.
So the kneecapping falls into the category of a little bit of righteous smiting? Yeah, you could have a point there. Makes Shepherd Book a more scary character. He's got all those military skills and the capacity to inflict violence, but is controlling this with his faith and religious principles. Makes him closer to The Operative in some ways. Just as well he appears to be one of the Good Guys...
At last. We can retire and give up this life of crime.
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Snufkin wrote:
When Simon's father springs him from police custody, he has to cough up 2000 credits and is worried about the fact that his having to show up at a police station will go on his permanent record. This doesn't sound like the concerns of someone living under a particularly benign and equitable administration. One wonders what would have happened to Simon then, if he hadn't been the son of a rich influential man.
Simon's father was rich and influential and in my opinion that scene showed how corrupt Simon’s father was because he was not willing to stick his neck out to save his own children.
Before I can comment on any other of Snufkin’s comments, I will have to ask if the Blue Sun is the Alliance or if it is just a conglomerate with so much influence over the Alliance that it can do what ever it wants, sort of like Cyber Punk 2020?
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Blue Sun is it's own entity. It's a corporation that just happens to be so big it controls most everything that it wants to.
"We may experience some slight turbulence, and then... explode."
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Would you say the operatives from blue hand would be in league with the operative from serenity? Do you think Joss simply dropped the Blue Hand Gimmick to prevent having to tell that story too, or do you think they both have operatives working for or against the same goals? This is important because it could mean a new subplot forming.
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It has always been my opinion that Shepherd Book was very high up in government.
We never had a chance to find out what kind of government was on the major planets, other than "the Alliance". We don't know if it was presidential or prime ministerial. It's even an assumption that there were elections, or it could have been more Roman Senatorial type.
Until the movie, I even kinda assumed that maybe Shepherd was absent without leave from whatever position he held.
"I've been out of the world for a while..."
Then the movie came, and there is Shepherd at Haven, which disabuses one of that assumption.
Also, Shephard being killed was the one death that made sense (If ever murder makes sense). After all, there is a tradition of Martyrdom in his belief system.
Kacek
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I just had a wacked out image of Shepherd Book actually being the linch pin to the entire River Tam operation by being on Serenity and making sure the twins and crew are not caught, and the entire Blue Hands/Operatives/Alliance Cruisers are meant to steer the crew in the right direction and to create a sense of urgency or stress to keep River's powers at a proper level until they are needed.
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