Shepherd is a closed Book by annik

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Shepherd is a closed Book

POSTED BY: ANNIK
UPDATED: Monday, June 14, 2004 07:59
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Monday, June 14, 2004 6:58 AM

Well, the family and I were watching "Safe" on the weekend and I noticed something interesting about River (and Shepherd). We know River can sense/understand all sorts of things: the way her brain lights up in "Ariel" during the scanning, the way she knows what Jayne did to them, the way she knows the baby is starting to come in "Heart of Gold", the way she knows there's a fire in "Out of Gas", and the way she knows ... well, lots of things.

But in "Safe", while she's busy "Riverdancing" (sorry, couldn't resist, LOL!), she's having a great time and really enjoying herself. During the dance, the firefight with Mal and the others is happening over by the cows, far away where she can't see.

Here's the interesting bit: early in the firefight, Shepherd is hit. But River doesn't notice/sense anything until Mal comes up to Shepherd ... once Mal sees what's happened, that's when River "sees" it, too.

So ... another mystery about Book ... River can't read him ... he's a closed book.

Cheers,
Annik
... my sister's a ship. We had a complicated childhood.

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Monday, June 14, 2004 7:08 AM

HOAGIE

she also can't seem to figure out his explanation of the bible and why people shouldn't try to "fix" it, wheras she is pretty cogniscent of when and why people are upset otherwise (ie, when she slices up Jayne, when she finds the gun on the floor in OiS, when she wastes the three guys in Safe).

that's an interesting observation Annik.

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Monday, June 14, 2004 7:24 AM

BROWNCOAT1

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

Hate to poke holes in your theory, but she can read Book. In Objects in Space she read his "half a hump" comment in the galley when she passes through. Obviously she can read him.

I think her not showing a reaction to Book being hit in the firefight had more to do w/ her picking up on Mal's strong reaction to the sight of Book being down than her inability to read him.

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

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Monday, June 14, 2004 7:27 AM

EVILTOBZ

thats what i was going to say :(

cept i'd add that maybe with book having been shot and all, he might be extra hard to read cos he'd be pretty weak from it.

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Monday, June 14, 2004 7:29 AM

DARKSKY

But in OiS she seems to read his thoughts in the beginning, something like 'I don't give half a hump if you're innocent or not. So where does that put you?' Or maybe that was just what she imagined he thought.

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Monday, June 14, 2004 7:48 AM

ANNIK

Good points on OiS, I had forgotten about that bit from Book. OK ... here's the revised theory (

) ...

She can only read Book when she can look him in the eye. Didn't she have eye contact with everyone in OiS when she 'heard' their thoughts? That's what I recall. I don't get to see this ep very often because the kids are *very* afraid of Jubal and don't like seeing him ... so I may well be mis-remembering details of OiS.

Cheers,
Annik
... my sister's a ship. We had a complicated childhood.

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Monday, June 14, 2004 7:59 AM

SOJOURNER

I seriously love the theory that River can't read Book, but sadly, I have another example of her reading him.

In Out Of Gas when he's nervously reading the Bible, she comes in with the whole conversation about how the book says not to be afraid, but he is. I guess that could be seen as her sympathizing with an understandable reaction to the situation, but it seemed a bit more than that to me.

(side note: I don't think he's associated with those that did what they did to her. I can't see her taking to him like that if she got even the slightest notion that that was what he was hiding. time will tell...)
Sorry

--Bryan

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