Wrong ship?

POSTED BY: Solon
UPDATED: Sunday, June 20, 2004 14:46
VIEWED: 6920
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SOLON

Thursday, June 17, 2004 7:33 AM

This post is directly about a small line near the end of the two-hour premire, and indirectly about major plot and character points of the episode and really the entire series. If you haven't seen it all yet, steer clear or continue at your discretion

Select to view spoiler:

When Book is "confessing" to Inara, at the end of the piece, after he lists all that he's done in the short time since he left the abbey, which I'm not going to try to quote from memory now, he says mournfully and somewhat searchingly, "I think I might be on the wrong ship." There is a pained or fearful expression on his face that in hindsight I find especially moving.

When I first saw this, I took it entirely in the context of the episode. He feels guilty over what he's done in the immediate past; His complicity in the death of the lawman.

Working from what this episode reaveals about his special skills, and the rest of the series implies about Book's almost definately checkered past, and this brief exchange becomes much more charged and interesting.

Book almost certainly entered the priesthood, at least in some way, to leave behind a part of his past that he could no longer carry or to escape a part of himself that he no longer wanted to deal with. I believe that the look of pain on his face is connected to a conviction that continuing with these people, on this ship, may reawaken either or both. He fears becoming something, or rebecoming something, unpriestly that he thought he'd buried in his past. He worries that traveling with these people may cause his recidivism into whatever it is that defined him before he took on his current lifestyle. The reflexive way in which he took out the Federal agent, and the way he acted to safeguard him afterward certainly lend credence to this interpretation. Whether it's a valid one or just me overinterpreting a fairly stand-alone, self-contained scene, I still found it an oddly touching moment.

More than any other crewmember or passenger on the ship, I see Book as actively seeking personal redemption. The story for the rest may be one of, recovering what they've lost or what's been taken from them, scraping by, making ends meet, or searching for love, personal enrichment, or whatever it is that that particular character is searching for. Looking at Book through the lens of the entire series so far however, I see a journey of penance, a search for forgiveness.

Not knowing what, if anything, he's done only makes his quest more interesting and sympathetic.

"Perhaps you are exactly where you're supposed to be."

KOHAN

Thursday, June 17, 2004 8:15 AM

I agree with you, I think there's definitely something about that Serenity and it's crew that reminds Book of a dark past, and he fears that that part of him might be awaken if he stays on board for too long.

We know from SAFE that Book's past has some connections with the Alliance, and that his past identity still demands somewhat of a repect by the Alliance.

Also, in ARIEL it said that he went back to the monastery while Inara went to do her annual check-up. I wonder what that's all about? Simply just a time of repentance? a temporary get away? or...?

hmm... I wonder....

"You know, they say mercy is the mark of a great man.

Guess I'm just a good man.

Well, I'm all right. "

FIREFLEW

Thursday, June 17, 2004 11:16 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Kohan:

We know from SHINDIG that Book's past has some connections with the Alliance, and that his past identity still demands somewhat of a repect by the Alliance.

"Safe" it was from, not "Shindig".

But yes, I can definitely see this as being a plausible theory.

Jayne: "Know what the chain of command is? It's the chain I beat you with till you understand who's in command."

BADGERSHAT

Thursday, June 17, 2004 2:35 PM

... I've often wondered if wrong ship" meant exactly that--he had orders, and got on the wrong gorram ship... like, perhaps he was SUPPOSED to get on the other guy's ship, instead (they guy he first said "I never married" to).

Maybe, the fear is not so much an existential or spiritual one, but a "Oh crap, I screwed up my orders and now I'm gonna get my ass kicked by the folks in charge..."

--Jefé The Hat

***************************
"I like smackin 'em"--Jayne

SKYDANCE

Thursday, June 17, 2004 5:29 PM

Alternatively, his "orders" might have been to infiltrate a smuggling ring (any smuggler he could find) and map it out for an eventual bust. Some of our recent theories indicate the produce would appeal to a smuggler.

By the end of the pilot, however, he's realized that these are good, honorable people, and that he's been forced to "attack" his side of the law in the process of doing the right thing.

And, he likes this crew. He's family. How is he going to turn them in? I think maybe I got on the wrong ship ....

I don't believe it, but someone suggested the theory, and there's my perspective on how it would play out. I really think he's on a journey to test his faith, and do good in the world. Being a man of action, he couldn't just stay locked away in a monastery his whole life. He had to gain spirituality there, and then take it out into the world.

I absolutely love the theory that he's General Wilkins, in hiding.

CAPTAINCDC

Thursday, June 17, 2004 6:37 PM

A very plausible theory Solon, we'll see which way Joss decides to go in the BDM.

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

XARR

Thursday, June 17, 2004 7:11 PM

Since we're speaking of Book, I have a question. It may be nothing, but then... it may be something...

I was watching OiS the other night(or trying to anyway, my DVD player is on the fritz) and found myself wondering about something he "said".

When River is wandering through the ship, listening in on everyone's thoughts, what was it that Book was thinking? I can't remember his exact words but it didn't strike me as particularly priest-like. As I recall, it was quite hostile.

Perhaps this "narrower path" he's on is leading to some serious pent up hostility.

On a side note about OiS, River heard a thought from every crew member except one, as I recall. I may have missed it due to my flaky DVD player, but I don't remember hearing anything from Kaylee. Could that mean anything? I can't imagine what it could possibly mean, but I don't think Joss writes(or doesn't write) a single second of that show that doesn't have some deeper meaning.

KOHAN

Thursday, June 17, 2004 7:39 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Fireflew:

"Safe" it was from, not "Shindig".

dammit flew... you made me forget my line

yeah, thanks for the correction, something about late at night that makes me get my episodes all mixed up.

------------------------------------------------
"You know, they say mercy is the mark of a great man.

Guess I'm just a good man.

Well, I'm all right. "

STATIC

Thursday, June 17, 2004 7:40 PM

We've discussed the "Revelations" in OiS before. . .and I think we all agreed on why River didn't 'read' anything from Kaylee.

In "Ariel", Simon explains to Jayne that the part of her brain that allows her to suppress fear, anxiety or guilt has been removed. When she is reading from everyone in OiS, we see revelations that everyone would sort of 'push back' in order to avoid guilt. For Simon, he probably thinks once in awhile about the life he left behind, and then immediately supresses such thoughts because he feels so guilty for even THINKING those things. For Jayne, he feels intense guilt for betraying them on Ariel. For Book, the 'revelation' he offers is, we believe, a reference to a violent past that he is attempting to atone for by joining the priesthood, etc, etc.

Why does River not 'read' from Kaylee? Because Kaylee is the single most honest, genuine, up-front person on Serenity, and quite possibly, the whole 'Verse. With Kaylee, what you see is what you get. She doesn't supress anything, nor does she ever really tend to feel much guilt for anything. Ergo, River didn't have anything to 'read'.

==================================================
"Wash. . .we got some local color happening. A grand entrance would not go amiss."

RIVERGIRL

Thursday, June 17, 2004 8:00 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Static:
We've discussed the "Revelations" in OiS before. . .and I think we all agreed on why River didn't 'read' anything from Kaylee.
B]

when River FIRST met Mal--she said BAD

I tend to think she read him then as a independent

wonder what she would read now

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