Book: "The Man I Was Sworn to protect..." ???

POSTED BY: Sardonica
UPDATED: Tuesday, July 27, 2004 22:06
VIEWED: 7170
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HATEHATEHATEFOX

Tuesday, July 27, 2004 1:15 PM

Quote:
Dobson is unaware that Book is under cover.

I think I'm going to have to object to the notion of Book being under cover for anyone. He's just too forthright with his criminal-like info and military training. To wit: the Ident card when he was injured (Safe) - knowing what kind of gun made the holes in the middlemen's heads and then what kind of ship left the burned trail in the sand (War Stories). There are all kinds of examples of Book knowing a lot about a lot.

So, if he were an under cover fed/military guy/whatever I would think that he'd do what he could to NOT draw attention to himself in that way. He seems to be playing a deeper game - or is he? Perhaps he is what he says he is -- a man who left the world to become a shepherd and then decided to re-enter it. I don't know -- only Joss will tell.

Hopefully!

~~~~~~~~
Nothing is ever so profoundly regretted as a kind act.
Robertson Davies

EVILMASTERMIND

Tuesday, July 27, 2004 2:01 PM

My "2 Credits Worth":

I think in "Objects In Space" we see each character's darkest moment. For Book it was;

"I don't give have a hump if you are innocent or not! So where does that leave you?" -- These are the words of a cop gone bad IMHO. (My sister is a Police Detective FWIW.)

It is my belief that he had become a BAD COP (like Dobson) and it was his own realization of that which drove "Chief Inspector Book" into the monastery. This probably happened during the Interstellar Civil War.

For those of you who are English mystery fans I commend you to the "Brother Cadfael" series (also a BBC Series). Like Shepherd Book Brother Cadfael "lived in the world" for 35+ years before seeking the monastery to atone for all the blood he had shed.

"Okay, I'm lost, I'm angey and I'm armed!"

PURPLEBELLY

Tuesday, July 27, 2004 2:49 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by HATEHATEHATEFOX:
He's just too forthright with his criminal-like info and military training.

Book is under cover from the agents of Blue Sun, who are adversaries of his mission to get River to a witness protection programme on Shinon to testify against Blue Sun. He reveals to the crew of Serenity as much as is necessary towards the completion of his mission. Book is good, real good, and his only concern with petty criminals is to use them for the greater good.

Only Purplebelly believes this

CAPTAINHARBATKIN

Tuesday, July 27, 2004 6:55 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by EvilMastermind:
My "2 Credits Worth":

I think in "Objects In Space" we see each character's darkest moment. For Book it was;

"I don't give have a hump if you are innocent or not! So where does that leave you?" -- These are the words of a cop gone bad IMHO. (My sister is a Police Detective FWIW.)

Why can't these be the words of a minister "gone bad"? Surely guilt or innocence is a primary issue for a Shepherd?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...they'll rape us to death, eat our flesh, and sew our skins into their
clothing - and if we're very, very lucky, they'll do it in that order.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PURPLEBELLY

Tuesday, July 27, 2004 7:13 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by CaptainHarbatkin:
These are the words of a cop gone bad IMHO. (My sister is a Police Detective FWIW.)

Why can't these be the words of a minister "gone bad"?

Or, as in my view, the words of an operative with his eye on the greater good, the prosecution of Blue Sun?

All three valid. Aren't we lucky Whedon isn't going to address any Blue Sun questions in the movie?

KELLAINA

Tuesday, July 27, 2004 8:21 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Sardonica:
having leaned today--that he was only signed for 10 episodes makes me think that there was definitely something "up" with his character...)

Huh?

Am I the only one who didn't know that?

MISGUIDED BY VOICES

Tuesday, July 27, 2004 9:09 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by EvilMastermind:
For those of you who are English mystery fans I commend you to the "Brother Cadfael" series (also a BBC Series). Like Shepherd Book Brother Cadfael "lived in the world" for 35+ years before seeking the monastery to atone for all the blood he had shed.

Okay, time to yank a few chains. What if Book isn't a "bad guy" trying to atone, but a "good guy" trying to atone.

The Alliance was fighting the Browncoats for reasons we still don't entirely understand - there is obviously a civil war analogy but have they actually pinpointed the cause?

You can bet that there were some Browncoats who crossed the line, who burnt the land that they found, who took it out on the innocent, because they didn't give a hump. What if Book was one of those guys - a fugutive from the law like them maybe, who went to the monastery to atone, and the first time he leaves he ends up with a Browncoat crew reminding him of his past.

Alternatively, what if Book was a Valjean type character, who had been undercover for one or other side and turned? A double agent perhaps.

"I threw up on your bed"

PURPLEBELLY

Tuesday, July 27, 2004 9:35 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Misguided By Voices:
Okay, time to yank a few chains.

A very worthwhile activity, but how does this advance the narrative?

MISGUIDED BY VOICES

Tuesday, July 27, 2004 9:39 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by PurpleBelly:
A very worthwhile activity, but how does this advance the narrative?

Woosh - JMS ASM reference flies over everyone's heads....

"I threw up on your bed"

ZEEK

Tuesday, July 27, 2004 10:00 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Kellaina:
Quote:
Originally posted by Sardonica:
having leaned today--that he was only signed for 10 episodes makes me think that there was definitely something "up" with his character...)

Huh?

Am I the only one who didn't know that?

I don't understand how it could be anyway. He was on the show longer than that even before it got cancelled. Whedon would have had to move a lot quicker with Book's story if he was going to be gone in 10 episodes. Maybe Fox only gave everyone 10 episode contracts to begin with or something, but I doubt it was a Whedon, story driven thing.

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