GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Shepherd Book

POSTED BY: TREKKERJ
UPDATED: Friday, December 12, 2003 17:12
SHORT URL:
VIEWED: 11049
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Thursday, July 3, 2003 4:42 PM

TREKKERJ


I just saw the 3 unaired episodes. I was hoping they'd really start to explain the mystery behind who the Shepherd really is or who he is working for. Too bad the series ended before this happened. Anyone ever read anything from Joss or anyone else as to where they might have been taking this?

I am hoping once the first season comes out on DVD it will be so popular and gain more new fans that the demand for new shows will get it back on tv. What a great show. I can't believe Sci-Fi didn't pick it up. I guess they couldn't afford it. Could have been their #1 hit show.

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Thursday, July 3, 2003 4:57 PM

XION47


In one of the last features on the official FOX site, Minear said he was working on a story about Book's past and when asked if he had connections to the Alliance, he responded (paraphrased): "It won't be what you think."

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Thursday, July 3, 2003 4:59 PM

TREKKERJ


Yeah, I just watched that actually. Just makes me wonder even more what they were planning. Doh.

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Sunday, July 6, 2003 5:23 PM

SHEPHERDOFHERMAS


There is that very interesting scene where Inara tends Book's injury ... that scene ends with what looks like Inara giving Book a benediction. Very interesting and a lot of potential for character development.

I also like the way Book handles a gun.

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Sunday, July 6, 2003 6:47 PM

SERGEANTX


Yes, I really loved the religious icon bending in that scene. So much potential in Books story.
GORRAM FOX!


SergeantX

"..and here's to all the dreamers, may our open hearts find rest." -- Nanci Griffith

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Tuesday, July 8, 2003 3:46 AM

CALHOUN



I like the relationship between Book and Jayne, they seem to have a lot in common.

They both Work out together and can handle themselves in a fight(I like how Book disarmed Dobson in the pilot episode).

They both know a lot about crime.(Jayne observed Book knew much about crime in "Our Mrs Reynolds")

I think this was a type of warrior to warrior respect type of friendship developing and I was looking forward to seeing it unfold.

Anyone else thinking along these lines?



Jayne - Ya'll might want to reconsider that last part, see I married me a powerful ugly creature.

Mal - How can you say that! How can you shame me in front of new people!

Jayne - If I could make you prettier I would!

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Tuesday, July 8, 2003 8:43 AM

SHEPHERDOFHERMAS


GORRAM FOX INDEED! Some consolation knowing that them what cancelled Firefly are going to THAT SPECIAL HELL...

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Wednesday, July 9, 2003 12:30 AM

CALHOUN


Guys! cant I even have 1 response about my posting just above (Book and Jayne pals). Does anyone agree with what I am saying or do you all think i'm full of gossur?

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Wednesday, July 9, 2003 1:46 AM

JAVIDRHO


Quote:

Originally posted by Calhoun:
Guys! cant I even have 1 response about my posting just above (Book and Jayne pals). Does anyone agree with what I am saying or do you all think i'm full of gossur?



Calhoun,
Sometimes people don't respond because they agree with you. It's the one who have a strongly different opinion who always jump in with a quick response.

I know that I noticed the building relationship between Book and Jayne early on too. It was a subtle thing, but surfaced more obviously in The Message.

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Wednesday, July 9, 2003 2:19 AM

HATEHATEHATEFOX


Quote:

Originally posted by Calhoun:
Guys! cant I even have 1 response about my posting just above (Book and Jayne pals). Does anyone agree with what I am saying or do you all think i'm full of gossur?



I liked where I saw it heading. In some of the eps you could see respect from Jayne growing as Book demonstrated the kind of skills that Jayne admires - kneecapping, disarming people etc. I seem to remember suggestions that Jayne might be a tad religious too although I can't recall if he ever bows his head for grace at table.


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Wednesday, July 9, 2003 3:09 AM

JAVIDRHO


Quote:

Originally posted by Calhoun:

I like the relationship between Book and Jayne, they seem to have a lot in common.
...
I think this was a type of warrior to warrior respect type of friendship developing and I was looking forward to seeing it unfold.

Anyone else thinking along these lines?



The reasons for their growing "bond" might be even more simple. They are both "men without women" and very little to do when Serenity is space bound.

Wash has his wife, Mal has his ship (and Inara), Simon has both his sister to care for and Kaylee to chat with. Book is a man of the cloth, so women are off limits for him, and Jayne is just too crude for any woman to want him.

Also, having spent months at sea myself, I know that unlikely friendships often develop between those trapped inside. People, who in the outside world, might never find a reason to bond, become friends when stuck together. I see this between Book and Jayne, like in OiS, when they were talking about sex in the galley, or in Message, when they were in the weight room talking about death. It all seemed very "real" to me...

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Wednesday, July 9, 2003 4:03 AM

CALHOUN


Im glad to have some like minded souls in the verse.

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Thursday, July 10, 2003 3:19 PM

SHEPHERDOFHERMAS


I thought you were spot on!

Jayne and Book's relationship has the potential for some shiny, brilliant, awesome plot development.

It makes me think a bit of Joss Whedon's "Hush" for BtVS. It would be really powerful for the relationship to develop without too many words being spoken between them, but rather there would be actions and shared experiences that sealed their friendship.

Tell us more about how you see their relationship developing .... please.

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Friday, July 11, 2003 12:56 AM

CALHOUN


I think it likely that if the show had continued we would have discovered that Book was indeed not really a shepherd(as Jubal Early said).

Book has some kind of connection to the Alliance as was evidenced in "Safe" when he was rushed on board the Alliance cruiser for treatment. My guess is that Book was or is affiliated with a government "Black Op" agency, something akin to CIA. This would explain his broad knowledge of weaponry, combat and crime, possibly even why he is now behaving as a shepherd(perhaps he saw to much death in his previous line of work).

This is my humble opinion.. If Joss ever reads this post please let me know if i'm on the right track. :)

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Friday, July 11, 2003 1:21 AM

JAVIDRHO


Quote:

Originally posted by Calhoun:
I think it likely that if the show had continued we would have discovered that Book was indeed not really a shepherd(as Jubal Early said).

Book has some kind of connection to the Alliance as was evidenced in "Safe" when he was rushed on board the Alliance cruiser for treatment. My guess is that Book was or is affiliated with a government "Black Op" agency, something akin to CIA. This would explain his broad knowledge of weaponry, combat and crime, possibly even why he is now behaving as a shepherd(perhaps he saw to much death in his previous line of work).



I think that you're right, Book was some sort of high ranking lawman (or Black Ops guy, or maybe even a hitman) but I also think he really is a shepherd now, not just playing one. He is old enough to have given up a career in the law and then joined the ministry for the past few years.

Maybe because he did so much wrong for the Alliance, he finally "found his soul" and couldn't do it any longer. So he quit and joined the ministry to look for salvation, of one kind or another. But he couldn't find it in the abbey, so he decided to go back into the world, to try and find it there.

How does that sound?



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Friday, July 11, 2003 1:31 AM

CALHOUN


Sounds about right pal. I wish there was some way we could know for sure what was planned..

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Friday, July 11, 2003 1:43 AM

JAVIDRHO


Quote:

Originally posted by Calhoun:
Sounds about right pal. I wish there was some way we could know for sure what was planned..



Actually, I don't mind not knowing. Being a writer, I like trying to figure out things myself. Sometimes, when you learn the "truth" you find that your ideas were better then the creator's. I appreciate the fact that the Matrix creator's (Wachowski brothers) refuse to talk about their work. They want to leave it up to the audience to figure things out for themselves.

It can be frustrating, but think about it - movies and TV shows seldom give you anything to think about after the show has aired. I think it is a good writer who will leave some things up to the viewer's imagination. Also, if we had all the answers, we would not be talking about it right now, would we?

Imagination and curiosity are terrible things to waste. I, for one, would like to thank Joss and Company for boosting ours.

p.s. We will learn the truth about Book (and River, too) some day. One way or another, the truth will get out. Joss wants to continue this story, so if its possible, then he will do it. If not, and if FF finally is put to rest, then I'm sure Joss will be more than happy to answer our questions (let's hope that day never comes)...

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Friday, July 11, 2003 3:55 AM

CALHOUN


I agree with what you are saying, to a certain extent. Most TV shows give you little to think about afterwards but Firefly is different. Every episode was superb and i'd like to believe that whatever Joss had planned would be better than any mere mortal mind could concieve.

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Friday, July 11, 2003 4:01 AM

JAVIDRHO


Quote:

Originally posted by Calhoun:
I agree with what you are saying, to a certain extent. Most TV shows give you little to think about afterwards but Firefly is different. Every episode was superb and i'd like to believe that whatever Joss had planned would be better than any mere mortal mind could concieve.




Let's hope so

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Friday, July 11, 2003 4:01 AM

JAVIDRHO


oops - double post - sorry (dang mouse)

But, while I'm here, I saw in the thread "Utah House of Links" ( http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=2265) that Maniacnumerone has a site with lots of good observations about Book. Here it is: http://www.magicbishop.com
Why isn't he in this discussion?

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Friday, July 11, 2003 4:12 AM

DRAKON


"My guess is that Book was or is affiliated with a government "Black Op" agency, "

That was my first guess too. The reason I discounted it was that Joss Whedon has a way of surpising folks, of misdirection. So if that is what I thought Shepard was, that was probably the last thing he was.

"My kind of stupid"

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Friday, July 11, 2003 5:36 AM

SHEPHERDOFHERMAS


I think what sent Book to the Abbey is what sent Inara to the outer worlds. They are connected somehow, and I have a feeling that while Book may have his ident-card and Inara has her status as a Companion, they were involved with something that just got too hot.

I like to think they were part of the underground movement that helped Simon free River from the blue-gloves.

After the Firefly movie is a huge success and series starts again, then we'll know more - but in the Jossverse I doubt we'll ever know all, and what we do know will turn out to signify something entirely different in the long run.

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Friday, July 11, 2003 8:29 AM

METAK


Quote:

Originally posted by Drakon:
"My guess is that Book was or is affiliated with a government "Black Op" agency, "

That was my first guess too. The reason I discounted it was that Joss Whedon has a way of surpising folks, of misdirection. So if that is what I thought Shepard was, that was probably the last thing he was.

"My kind of stupid"



Okay, here's a wild idea about Book. I think I read somewhere that the two main worlds are Singon (where Inara was born) and Londinium. In the pilot Mal mentions "the King of all Londinium" Perhaps there's a royal family/nobility and perhaps Book is a scion of that. It would account for the freedom to go off and do what he wants and the magic ID that gets him treatment. Is that too crazy?

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Friday, July 11, 2003 9:04 AM

KAYTHRYN


Quote:

Posted by Metak:
Okay, here's a wild idea about Book. I think I read somewhere that the two main worlds are Singon (where Inara was born) and Londinium. In the pilot Mal mentions "the King of all Londinium" Perhaps there's a royal family/nobility and perhaps Book is a scion of that. It would account for the freedom to go off and do what he wants and the magic ID that gets him treatment. Is that too crazy?



I love it! I think it’s Sihnon by the way, but I love your idea. That would be so great! I know everything points towards Books being some ex cop or some such but I don’t see FF going the way we would all expect. Your idea makes me think of that movie "Coming to America" I think, with Eddie Murphy. He was royalty but he could still kick butt like Book

-------------------------------------
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
Aristotle

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Friday, July 11, 2003 11:23 AM

SAPIENT


I will have to check on this but I think Book had been at the abbey about as long as the war had been over.

Here is my thought on Book: What if he was a high ranking official (general or such) in the Alliance Army. Maybe he was even at the Battle of Serenity (this would add to why he was attracted to the ship).

Once the war was done, since he was older, he retires honorably. Since the independence war was a civil war, brother against brother so to speak, the destruction, loss of life, especially at the Battle of Serenity Valley, got him wondering about the meaning of life. Where the war drove Mal away from God, it drove Book closer. Seeking answers book joins the Abbey.

If book was a highly decorated retired commander of the Alliance Army would answer a lot of questions about Book. This would explain his knowledge of weapons, hand to hand combat, (spoiler warning)

Select to view spoiler:


and alliance police movements

. This would explain his quick admittance to the alliance ship for medical assistance when he was shot. A retired commander would probably have a high security clearance or at least his credentials would be highly respected. This would also explain his secrecy of his past an his knowledge of things that Sheppard would not necessarily know.

Maybe someone can help me. I cannot remember if Book spoke of his stance on the war.

OR

Maybe he was a very good thief/counterfeiter/mafia type that had a sudden conscience attack and joined the Abbey to try and for get his past. The id card he had could have been a forgery that he used in a pinch because of the seriousness of his injuries. This also would explain his knowledge of weapons, hand to hand combat, (same spoiler warning)

Select to view spoiler:


and alliance police movements

. And if he wanted to forget his past is reason enough to keep it secret as to not have to answer too many questions. Also this would explain how Early knows book.

Just my thoughts.

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Friday, July 11, 2003 12:50 PM

CALHOUN


I think Metak has a sound train of thought going, I also had thought along these lines but i'm just not totally convinced that book is connected to royalty.. its not an observation i'm able to quantify, just a gut feeling. BRING ON THE MOVIE!!


P.S. Sapient, whats with the spoilers?

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Friday, July 11, 2003 1:22 PM

ARCHER


"I don't give a hump if you're innocent or not. What do you think of that?"

Roughly quoting from OiS, might not be entirely the proper quote.

Very interesting statement from a man who later has his breakdown in Serenity, at the end of the ep. Was it a general attitude and way of life for him, or a moment of extreme heat?

After watching The Message, I was sure that the line they were taking us down involved him being an ex-secret-police type or somesuch, but then as usual this show takes us down twists and turns.

Interesting, very interesting.

Also, ditto on the Book/Jayne relationship being one of the more intriguing elements of the show. Jayne now has two close associates (in Book and Kaylee) who actually like him. Probably the first time in his life outside of his family. Very rich possibilities from this, indeed. The conversation they had in The Message was probably my favorite part of what I felt was a rather flawed episode.



There ain't nothin' I can't overcome or come to know. So lay your heavy load down on me, strip everything I have away. I am not your prisoner, I am not afraid.

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Friday, July 11, 2003 1:24 PM

SHEPHERDOFHERMAS


Quote:

Originally posted by Sapient:
I will have to check on this but I think Book had been at the abbey about as long as the war had been over.




As I recall the war ended 6 years before, and Book had been in the Abbey for three years. But I needs must force myself to watch every episode of Firefly again to be sure. Oh how I suffer.

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Friday, July 11, 2003 2:12 PM

CALHOUN


Books breakdown in Serenity was in the pilot episode long before he made that intriging(spelling..) statement.

I thought "The Message" was a good episode, I enjoyed it anyhows. The worst was "Heart of Gold" 2 scenes just didnt work for me : 1= Book hosing the armed to the teeth badguys with a garden hose(that was pathetic).

2= Mal chasing the hovercraft on a horse just looked really lame to me.

Other than that I liked the episode.

The worst episode of Firefly is still way better than the best episode of anything else..

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Friday, July 11, 2003 2:41 PM

ARCHER


Quote:

Originally posted by Calhoun:
Books breakdown in Serenity was in the pilot episode long before he made that intriging(spelling..) statement.

I thought "The Message" was a good episode, I enjoyed it anyhows. The worst was "Heart of Gold" 2 scenes just didnt work for me : 1= Book hosing the armed to the teeth badguys with a garden hose(that was pathetic).

2= Mal chasing the hovercraft on a horse just looked really lame to me.

Other than that I liked the episode.

The worst episode of Firefly is still way better than the best episode of anything else..



First off, on the sequence of events. I was referring to the fact that the scene River saw in OiS most likely occurred well before the start of the series in Serenity. Apologies for my lack of clarity.

Haven't seen HoG yet, actually, so I can't speak to that episode's particulars. But what disappointed me about The Message was that it had a hell of a lot of potential and flat dropped the ball as far as I'm concerned. Frankly, I think it could have been one HELL of a two-parter, one that goes into Tracy's background and personality in more depth. As it was, I felt fairly unsatisfied when I was done. Yeah, it was Firefly, yeah, FF is king of science fiction now, but I felt it ended up being one of the weaker episodes. I liked Trash a lot better and felt that it showed more of the characteristics we all came to love in FF, the humor and drama intermixed with sharp plot twists.

Furthermore

Select to view spoiler:



Why HELL didn't somebody just tell Tracy "Look dumbass, we're not selling you out." during the confrontation on the bridge? I mean, sitting back and watching it, we all knew that Book was not proposing to Mal that he just give Tracy up to the cop, and the whole sequence just rang damn false to me. There could have been any number of ways to manufacture a standoff and hostage situation with Tracy, given his displayed ruthlessness and self-centered nature, and I think they chose the poorest one.



Sorry, it just didn't work for me as well as my other faves, Ariel and OoG.

There ain't nothin' I can't overcome or come to know. So lay your heavy load down on me, strip everything I have away. I am not your prisoner, I am not afraid.

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Friday, July 11, 2003 2:54 PM

CALHOUN


No need to appologise pal, everyone is entitled to an opinion regardless of the fact mine is the only opinion to count :) joking.

My favourites are Serenity, Ariel, Our Mrs Reynolds, Out of Gas and Objects in Space.

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Friday, July 11, 2003 6:48 PM

SHEPHERDOFHERMAS


We all have our faves, so no worries.

I am one who thinks "The Message" is brill and shiny and awesome. For me it doesn't miss a beat, and its conclusion on St Alban's was devastating and powerful.

I suppose I'm all for episodes that show stupid mistakes happening, showing how a life could be so messed up by the war that the poor soul didn't know what on Earth-that-was to do.

I suppose it is my own life's experience that makes me want to show folks that casualties from war keep happening long after the war's declared dead.

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Friday, July 11, 2003 8:58 PM

ARCHER


I wasn't apologizing for my opinion, but I try to keep two things in mind. Excessive criticism can annoy the hell out of people and ruin their enjoyment of things, and I hate those discussions that get personal just because one person likes something and another doesn't.

But we're all obviously adults here, so no worries on that score.

Shepherd- Yeah, I go into that theme of postwar casualties in my Ghosts of Serenity fanfic. It's pretty compelling for me as well. That's why the episode irked me, because I feel that it didn't develop it enough. There was so much there that could have been worked with. Stretch it to a two-parter, and I probably would have been in ecstatics.

Anyway, back to that whacky Shepherd Book, I think he really was a high-dollar male Companion, and the flashback was from when he was doing bondage work.

Yeah, that'll be totally unexpected. Except I ruined the surprise.

There ain't nothin' I can't overcome or come to know. So lay your heavy load down on me, strip everything I have away. I am not your prisoner, I am not afraid.

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Friday, July 11, 2003 10:28 PM

DRAKON


There is no indication that Early knew Book. All Early said was that Book was no shepard. This could have been because he knew who Book was, but also because Book did not look nor act like your standard Shepard. There is insufficient data to determine which of these alternatives are correct.

As for him being an Alliance officer, general, etc. again, I gotta say that this is Joss we are talking about. The obvious answer is hardly ever right.

Of course, that may be just what he wants me to think, so I would overlook that answer.

"my kind of stupid"

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Friday, July 11, 2003 11:58 PM

CALHOUN


Archer! Book a male companion LOL.. never even considered that one.. could be, could be.

I am glad I found this web site cause being an Aussie and Firefly never having been shown here its hard to find folk to talk to about it.

I tell ya one thing I have done is to create a vcd which is an edited collage of all of my favourite scenes in Firefly. I only managed to fit 4 episodes on 1x80 min vcd and it was sooo hard to chop bits out cause its all good, the end result is cool though, I pop it into my DVD player and VOILA! 80 mins of the best bits Wahhooo!

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Saturday, July 12, 2003 5:44 AM

SHEPHERDOFHERMAS


Quote:

Originally posted by Archer:
... Stretch it to a two-parter, and I probably would have been in ecstatics.

Anyway, back to that whacky Shepherd Book, I think he really was a high-dollar male Companion, and the flashback was from when he was doing bondage work.



I would have loved it as a two parter. I have wondered if the DVD will include deleted scenes, bits and pieces. I certainly hope so.

BOOK AS A FORMER COMPANION!?!?! === actually I think that's brilliant. The mind boggles

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Saturday, July 12, 2003 9:12 AM

ARCHER


Quote:

Originally posted by Drakon:
There is no indication that Early knew Book. All Early said was that Book was no shepard. This could have been because he knew who Book was, but also because Book did not look nor act like your standard Shepard. There is insufficient data to determine which of these alternatives are correct.



Yeah, given how unsettled the various theories of Jubal are as well. The common sentiment seems to be that he's a River-type modified human, but who knows? He knew everyone's names, so if nothing else, perhaps he had access to information from various channels and knew more about Book from that.

Calhoun- Hey, where at in Australia? I have a buddy who lives in Sidney. We've got a couple of Aussie fans who show up in the IRC occasionally. You guys have corrupted my language, dammit. Got me wandering around saying "Too right" and "Spot on" and so on.

Oh yeah, and what sorta scenes did you dump in your favorites compilation?

Shepherd- Yeah, cut-scenes and all might make it work for me better as well.

As for the Companion thing... I was typing that up and sitting there thinking... what has nobody else suggested that I know of?

A thunderbolt struck from the heavens, yea, the very heavens and this voice spaketh thusly "Have you ever considered Man-Whore?"

So I says "Well geez, yeah, I'm a bit short on cash right now, but still there are better ways to make money..."

And it says "No, BOOK you dolt!"

So I says "Well, I'm sure he's sexy and all, but he's really not my type..."

And it says "I give up. I just fricking give up."





There ain't nothin' I can't overcome or come to know. So lay your heavy load down on me, strip everything I have away. I am not your prisoner, I am not afraid.

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Saturday, July 12, 2003 1:01 PM

WULFHAWK


Book and Jayne are sides of a coin.

The thought that our telepathic River caught from Book was the same kind of thought she caught from Jayne: something troubling to him, that would come to mind often, something that made him feel guilty. Just as Jayne's guilty thought was triggered by River's presence, Book's guilty thought might have been triggered somehow by circumstance. Was it because he was laughing and hanging out with a fellow thug? Is his guilt from being a mobster, a hit-man with organized crime connections?

firearms expert
intimate knowledge of criminal activities
influence in high places
desire to keep a low profile

So, let's fill in the fictional blanks.
After the war, the Alliance was able to look closer to enforcing the law, and organized crime had to curtail operations in the interest of survival. It didn't go away, however; too many Alliance officers and officials were involved already. Some crimebosses went 'independent', heading to the frontier where their old-fashioned methods were still effective.

With the TITANing up of organized crime in the core worlds, many of the old guard were forced into retirement. Those who didn't want to retire, or knew too much about their bosses to be allowed to retire anywhere but the grave, filtered out to the frontier. Here they were employed by the brutal independent crime bosses.

Some, however, came to the frontier to hide. Henry Booker was one of those. Called 'the Book' by organized crime, his career of assassination-for-hire came to an end one sunny afternoon when a hit team tried to remove him from 'play'. His survival was more luck than skill, forcing him into a realization: he had to disappear or die.

Entering the Brotherhood was, at first, simply a step to that end. By the end of his first year in the Abbey, Book was a changed man. Like most killers, he had justified his murders by telling himself that all men were guilty of something;

"I don't give a hump if you're innocent or not. What do you think of that?"

in the Abbey he'd come to realize that what he had ended was each man's potential for innocence. Book threw himself into his newfound calling, spending years reinventing himself and forgetting what he had left behind. . . but he was not forgotten.

One day, an enterprising young bountyhunter had come to the Abbey, planning to bag 'the Book' and move himself up in his syndicate. After the encounter ended badly, Book and his Abbot agreed that some time in the world, travelling and spreading the word, might be the best possible course. Shepard Book soon found himself dragging his worldly possessions through a dusty frontier spaceport, looking for a smuggler's ship to be his haven, and his opportunity for redemption. . .

Take my love
Take my land

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Saturday, July 12, 2003 1:07 PM

ARCHER


Quote:

Originally posted by Wulfhawk:
With the TITANing up of organized crime in the core worlds,



Some day, my friend, some day...

Where'd I put thet there durn axe handle?

(For the rest... Wulf just slapped me with an inside joke. Feel free to disregard.)

There ain't nothin' I can't overcome or come to know. So lay your heavy load down on me, strip everything I have away. I am not your prisoner, I am not afraid.

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Saturday, July 12, 2003 1:10 PM

ARCHER


Other than that, good storyline Wulf.

There ain't nothin' I can't overcome or come to know. So lay your heavy load down on me, strip everything I have away. I am not your prisoner, I am not afraid.

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Saturday, July 12, 2003 2:42 PM

TALONPEST


I've come to the conclusion that Book was something along the lines of a special police opperative for the Alliance. He served as judge, jurry and executioner.

I've decided on this theory because while he knows an awful lot about crime, weapons, and military-esque vehicals, Book has been established to be connected to the Alliance and highly respected by them (in Safe). He couldn't have been a criminal himself. The quote "I don't give half a hump if you're innocent or not. Now where does that put you?" reinforces this theory because it puts him in a position where he's dealing with people who are professing their innocence. The only reason they'd do that is if they're being accused of breaking a law, which means Book was enforcing the law, however unjustly and brutally.

This also explains how Jubal Early knew who he was (he HAD to have known who Book was- there was no time for him to judge that Book wasn't a shepard by his behavior before Early knocked him out,) because they were in similar lines of work.

This is the only line of work I can think of that accomodates everything we know about Book.

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Saturday, July 12, 2003 4:02 PM

SHEPHERDOFHERMAS


Quote:

Originally posted by Archer:
A thunderbolt struck from the heavens, yea, the very heavens and this voice spaketh thusly "Have you ever considered Man-Whore?"

So I says "Well geez, yeah, I'm a bit short on cash right now, but still there are better ways to make money..."

And it says "No, BOOK you dolt!"

So I says "Well, I'm sure he's sexy and all, but he's really not my type..."

And it says "I give up. I just fricking give up."



Although your post caused me to spew my lager across the room, should we ever meet I'll buy you a pint or three for making me laugh so hard.

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Saturday, July 12, 2003 7:49 PM

ARCHER


Quote:

Although your post caused me to spew my lager across the room, should we ever meet I'll buy you a pint or three for making me laugh so hard.


You're on, pal. I'll bring a bottle of Cuervo to cover my end of the deal.

There ain't nothin' I can't overcome or come to know. So lay your heavy load down on me, strip everything I have away. I am not your prisoner, I am not afraid.

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Sunday, July 13, 2003 6:48 AM

WULFHAWK


Jubal Early knew Book because there was a bounty on Book, not because Jubal knows every piddly retired cop in the verse.

Retired cops don't get VIP treatment, and in fact, retired cops running with smugglers can end up getting even worse treatment than usual. Book got VIP treatment without fanfare because of someone else's influence, someone who didn't want that influence advertised, someone who didn't want ties with Book well known, someone who owed Book something that could be paid with illicit influence. Doesn't sound like a retired cop to me. Sounds more like a retired mobster.

Take my love
Take my land

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Saturday, October 18, 2003 6:24 AM

MANIACNUMBERONE


I had never considered that there might be a bounty on Book. But your logic makes sense Wulf.

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Sunday, October 19, 2003 3:05 AM

JK


If there were a bounty on Book, wouldn't Jubal have dragged him along with him to claim his bounty too?

I still like my general idea (since he could be pinning a huge mistake he made on an underling with his "half a hump"), but I know for a fact that I'm wrong. Come on, it's Joss!

JK

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Sunday, October 19, 2003 6:11 AM

MANIACNUMBERONE


Perhaps that's why Jubal knocked him out - he might have been planning to come back and get him too, once he found River and Simon.

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Sunday, October 19, 2003 7:54 AM

JK


Perhaps. But he might just have knocked him out to finish a noisy fight before it had begun. I'm not an expert but, if I were Jubal, I'd have trussed Book up and had him by the hatch so I could grab him on the way out with a minimum of hassle. Picking him up after I'd got Simon and River would have been unnecessarily complicated.

JK

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Sunday, October 19, 2003 9:36 AM

VETERAN

Don't squat with your spurs on.


The retired mobster idea for Book might fit. But, it doesn't make sense that Book has a bounty on him. Unless you mean an illicit one. Otherwise the Alliance would have just arrested him or let him die.

Maybe Book is related to someone high up in the Alliance. Any ideas on what the Chief Executive of the Alliance is called?


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Sunday, October 19, 2003 1:36 PM

SOUTHERNMERC


Could Book have been a retired military officer? One who set policy for the Alliance, and therefore feels guilt about the terrible things done based upon said policy (even if not directly involved)? Perhaps a hardliner who realized the effect of his attitude and so wished to correct it, even if in a small fashion. It would account for the treatment given to him by the Alliance when he was injured, and Jubal may have recognized him because he himself was in the Alliance military and recognized him from somewhere (photo or CO or some such). Anyone got anything to help me out here or am I just blowin' smoke?

Jayne: "How big a room?"

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