Firefly question

[DeeBye]

There are probably going to be spoilers in this thread of you haven't watched the Firefly TV series or the Serenity movie.


I've been watching the entire Firefly series lately, and I can't figure out Shepherd Book's story. In epidisode 5 "Safe", Book is shot and later gets prompt Alliance treatment after showing them his ID card. Obviously Book has special Alliance priviledges, but none of this is ever explained in either the series or the movie.

Is there any explanation for Book's Alliance status, or is this one of those things that would have eventually been fleshed out if the series was allowed to continue?

[swirly]

Is there any explanation for Book's Alliance status, or is this one of those things that would have eventually been fleshed out if the series was allowed to continue?

There is no explanation. There are hints dropped in various places in both the series and the movie, but nothing to really say what he is/was.

My personal opinion and one I have heard from others as well is that he used to be an operative. The operative in the movie is often refered to as a man of faith. Book says that the operative is somebody that believes hard. I picture book being like this in his younger days. Then something happens and he looses that belief...he loses his faith. So he retires to the abbey to find himself again. Many years later, he has a different outlook on things. There is still part of the operative in him (as seen in the series in one of the eps where river is seeing flashes into people's minds), but it is fought against by his newer understanding of things and whatever belief he gained at the abbey. Eventually he decided that he had been in the abbey long enough; learned all he could there. So he decided to walk about the world for a bit. This is where he meets the crew of firefly.

When viewed like this an interesting circle appears from the series and movie. The series starts with Book on his walk about. He finds the crew and discovers another side of things. Then he moves onto Haven in the movie. Then you have the operative in the movie who at the end loses his faith. You can kind of see him retiring to an abbey after that. Then, many years later, maybe he too will go for a walk about. Thus bringing us back where the series began with Book on his.

None of this has ever really been said officially though. Its all just what some people have come up with for his backstory. It works for me, but it doesn't for everyone. You have to decide for yourself what story fits.

edit: fixed a word

[Rhydderch Hael]

The ID card in "Safe" implied two possibilities to me: he was either a former officer in the Alliance military or law enforcement services; or he was a ruling official who took a "sabbatical" from any official capacities and wanted the see the 'verse without all the gilding and rose-tinted glasses. Sort of like a king dressing up as a pauper to see how his subjects really lived and thought of him. The latter was my favorite theory— the movie pretty much sunk it and favored the former.

[Jester]

The hints indicate that he was both dangerous and high-status. Presumably, that means military or intelligence, and of course the Operative in Serenity offers one possible model for Book's past. There is nothing to strictly say what he was, or even rule something out entirely. Just bits and pieces.

Joss does mention in the commentary to "Objects in Space" that Jubal Early deals with each character in a way appropriate to them, and he takes Book out quickly, and with a fair amount of force. Joss seems to hint that Book is not to be trifled with in combat.

However, there are also so many sensitive moments with Book that I would personally stay away from a too-badass interpretation of the good Shepherd.

But we'll never know, because apparently the world doesn't have the patience for really good television shows. Even after a moderately successful movie.

-Jester

[Klaus]

There are probably going to be spoilers in this thread of you haven't watched the Firefly TV series or the Serenity movie.
I've been watching the entire Firefly series lately, and I can't figure out Shepherd Book's story. In epidisode 5 "Safe", Book is shot and later gets prompt Alliance treatment after showing them his ID card. Obviously Book has special Alliance priviledges, but none of this is ever explained in either the series or the movie.

Is there any explanation for Book's Alliance status, or is this one of those things that would have eventually been fleshed out if the series was allowed to continue?

There's a scene in the movie where (to paraphrase), Book makes some reference to his past, and Mal says "You're going to have to tell me about that sometime". Book says "No, I won't". I took this as Joss' way of telling all the fans that he's not planning to explain anything more about Book. I thought it was cute. :)

[Occhidiangela]

There's a scene in the movie where (to paraphrase), Book makes some reference to his past, and Mal says "You're going to have to tell me about that sometime". Book says "No, I won't". I took this as Joss' way of telling all the fans that he's not planning to explain anything more about Book. I thought it was cute. :)

1. Book's easy familiarity with fighting and weapons during "War Stories" was a bit of a giveaway to his past as either a cop, Operative, or similar agent.

2. His being outfoxed by agent Dobson in Episode 1 shows that perhaps a former operative spent too much time at the abbey, and lost his keen edge.

My assessment: Book was an Operative, lost his Faith in the Alliance System, and then found a new system of Faith. He prefers (generally) to have shut the door to his past since he is "born again" as a Shepard. His forming the colony at Haven makes perfect sense. A chance to rebuild a community in a better image. Echoes of Thoreau.

I never got the "three episodes in comic books" that link the last Firefly Episode with the Serenity film, but I understand his departure for Haven and Inara's are better fleshed out.

Occhi

[[wcip]Angel]

I haven't read the comics either but I've heard that the revelation of Book is given most prominence in this of the three media. For more answers, you could also try the novelisation of Serenity. I haven't read that either (don't really know why), but it's out there: http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/730626/...ty/Product.html and it's supposed to explore the Inara/Mal- and Book/Serenity-plotlines in better detail than the movie had the chance to do.

For the reasons stated by our fellow loungers, I too believe Shepherd Book to be a former operative. It seems to be the most popular and plausible theory.

I love Joss' justification (or rather lack thereof) of not revealing Book's past in the Serenity audio commentary.:)

I could listen to that man talk all day long.

Edit: Example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYaczoJMRhs

[pakman]

I believe Book used to be some kind of Alliance agent in the intelligence service. He has a familiarity with weapons as seen in the episode where Mal and Wash are captured. And he's shady enough..a preacher knowingly going with criminals from a port populated by criminals. Maybe he's running from something?

[Jester]

And he's shady enough..a preacher knowingly going with criminals from a port populated by criminals.

I don't think that's fair. Even if Book was 100% straight-laced, he is still compelled by his religion to go out to the sinners of the 'verse and preach. A port populated by criminals is an opportunity to help people. He sees this as his mission, regardless of his past.

-Jester

[swirly]

I don't think that's fair. Even if Book was 100% straight-laced, he is still compelled by his religion to go out to the sinners of the 'verse and preach. A port populated by criminals is an opportunity to help people. He sees this as his mission, regardless of his past.

-Jester

In the first episode he also questions if he is on the wrong ship. So it would seem that he wasn't really looking for a ship full of criminals. Its more just what he found and decided to stick with.

[[wcip]Angel]

*bump*

Just thought I'd inform those who might be interested that the "Done the Impossible"-DVD (fan-made documentary) is now available for purchase at http://www.donetheimpossible.com

I've ordered mine.

Today they also put the documentary itself (80 minute long) out on the Internet. It can be downloaded with a BitTorrent client. Here's the torrent:
http://www.legaltorrents.com/bit/done-th...le.torrent

This is just the documentary. To see the bonus features on the DVD (reported to be more than the Serenity and Firefly-DVDs combiend), you'll need to pony up for the actual DVD..

So why release it free online? Basically, a pirated copy was inevitable, so they decided to release their own version.

Also:

By releasing it ourselves, we at least have control over the quality and exact content. Basically the documentary becomes a marketing tool for the full DVD with all of it's extensive special feature described above.

Oh, and I liked the cover:



:)

[Falomin]

Thank you for posting about this! I had become lax with my Firefly Google searches and actually didn't know that this was in production. I will have to pick this up for sure.

[DeeBye]

Angel' date='Jul 22 2006, 05:12 PM' post='114315']
Also:
Oh, and I liked the cover:



:)

With a toque like that, it's clear that Jayne is descended from good Canadian stock. I'd like one of those toques.

Thanks for the link. I'll have to check this out.