Shepherd Book - Former Operative? by Wayfinder

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Shepherd Book - Former Operative?

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POSTED BY: WAYFINDER
UPDATED: Thursday, February 23, 2006 10:22
SHORT URL: http://goo.gl/VLZBW
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Tuesday, February 21, 2006 7:03 AM

I don't know if this has been addressed or not on this board, but I thought I'd throw this out there.

I rewatched the entire series of Firefly and the film Serenity, and it occured to me that our good Shepherd Book might be a former Operative of the Parliament. There are subtle clues that allude to this such as:

- Book's Alliance ID card he used to get medical treatment at the Alliance cruiser.

- Book's acute knowledge of police and military matters, including tactics and weapons, and a knowledge of martial arts.

- The fact that Book will not divulge the nature of all this.

He said he wasn't born a Shepherd, and there must be an explanation to the things he knows and the treatment he got from the Alliance when he was shot.

But one clue I noticed watching Serenity was the Operative's behavior. The Operative behaves and talks much like our good Shepherd. For both men, what they do is based on belief, and they derive power from that belief, whether it's ideological or spiritual in nature. When Mal says to Book that he has to tell him how he knows so much about the Alliance sometime, Book replies, "No, I won't." In the very same manner, after Mal says to the Operative at the end of the film that if he ever sees him again he'll kill him, the Operative replies that he won't, in a very flat, matter-of-fact tone.

Granted, this is a pretty specious analysis, and probably wouldn't hold up in court. It's just a few things I noticed, and wondered if others noticed it too.

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Tuesday, February 21, 2006 7:21 AM

CHEWIE

You know I have always thought the same thing! I've always thought that like the 'Operative' in the end Book lost his faith with the alliance, or rather the ideas of the alliance and turned to God...

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Tuesday, February 21, 2006 7:24 AM

DAVESHAYNE

Quote:
Originally posted by Wayfinder:
I don't know if this has been addressed or not on this board, but I thought I'd throw this out there.

You certainly aren't alone in seeing Book/Operative parallels there has been a bit of discusion on this topic recently. This is one thread I have found for it http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=18023 I think it's clear that Book either was an operative or in an equally shadowy corner of the Alliance government or in a position to have knowledge of said shadow organizations. He certainly is more than just a preacher.

David

"A lot of people are asking me, you know, what exactly is Firefly? It's a tv show you morons!" - Joss Whedon

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Tuesday, February 21, 2006 7:24 AM

DERAGUN

I wholeheartedly agree. More ammo and points of interest for this theory:

In Serenity, in Book's talk about how they will come, no warrants, no trial, etc...he specifically says "this means an Operative, and that's trouble you've not known". At the begining of the movie it is shown that Operatives don't exist. So how else would he know about them?

In the series when River is walking around the ship and you get flashes of what she sees in each person, Book's flash is him saying "I don't care if you are guilty, now where does that leave you" (or something very similar to that). This VERY MUCH seems to be a flashback to a moment in his Operative days. One that left enough of an impression for River to pick up years later. Plus this would be a perfect explaination about why he became a Shepard...atonement for being that way earlier in life.

Anway, these are my thoughts on the matter.

And hello everyone, I've been surfing around on the site for a few days, and this is officially my first post.

For anyone who is curious, I'm not a typical three-dayer...I started the first episode with a friend at 11 AM, and watched the while series that day until 2 AM even though I had work at 9. BEST TV SHOW EVER!

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Tuesday, February 21, 2006 7:30 AM

DAVESHAYNE

Quote:
Originally posted by deragun:
BEST TV SHOW EVER!

You've got that right. Also welcome fellow browncoat.

David

"A lot of people are asking me, you know, what exactly is Firefly? It's a tv show you morons!" - Joss Whedon

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Tuesday, February 21, 2006 7:55 AM

ARCLIGHT

If Book were a former Operative he must not have been a very good one. Bad guys always getting the jump on him.
I'm working on Book having been high ranking Independence military who turned traitor and sold out a bunch of guys in Serenity Valley.
That could explain a lot of things. Including his search for redemption aboard a ship named "Serenity".

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Tuesday, February 21, 2006 8:56 AM

DAVESHAYNE

Quote:
Originally posted by arclight:
I'm working on Book having been high ranking Independence military who turned traitor and sold out a bunch of guys in Serenity Valley.

You don't think Mal wouldn't have known him then? Even if he didn't know what Book had done you think he would have some knowledge of the command structure and the names and faces of the people who filled it's upper ranks.

David

"A lot of people are asking me, you know, what exactly is Firefly? It's a tv show you morons!" - Joss Whedon

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Tuesday, February 21, 2006 7:20 PM

ASARIAN

Quote:
Originally posted by deragun:

In the series when River is walking around the ship and you get flashes of what she sees in each person, Book's flash is him saying "I don't care if you are guilty, now where does that leave you" (or something very similar to that). This VERY MUCH seems to be a flashback to a moment in his Operative days. One that left enough of an impression for River to pick up years later. Plus this would be a perfect explaination about why he became a Shepard...atonement for being that way earlier in life.

Hi there!

Good observations for a first post. :) What River picks up from Book is the following:

"I don't give half a hump if you're innocent or not. So where does that put you?"

Also, you may have noticed, Book is not looking at River at all while he says it, but instead seems to be looking down. He may, indeed, not be talking about River at all. She may well have picked up on something of his murky past (like an interrogation he did; or someone, in a similar position as River, he once turned in). Former Operative or no, it definitely points to something Alliance.

--
"Mei-mei, everything I have is right here." -- Simon Tam

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Wednesday, February 22, 2006 4:41 PM

MILFORD

I thought that Book's quote there might be talking about himself. He seems given to self-depreciation. THere's definitely a lot of guilt there, so a lot of the things you're talking about could be true. However, if Book was that involved in River's life beforehand, or Mal's, or anyone else's, why didn't River pick up on it? Do you think she had some sort of block when it came to him?

Remember, that but for one trifling exception, the entire universe is made up of others.- Oliver Wendall Holmes

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Wednesday, February 22, 2006 5:19 PM

PDCHARLES

What happened? He see your face?

BOOK
I've been out of the abbey two days,
I've beaten a Lawman senseless, I've
fallen in with criminals... I watched
the captain shoot a man I swore to protect.

And I'm not even sure if I think he was wrong.

I just can't see an operative saying this... Unless he is selling himself much like Saffron.
…or his newfound conviction…

But he definitely knows a lot about ships, tactics, weapons, etc. (as said in original post) As I just posted in another thread, I think he was part of a "good" faction of the Alliance and felt it was too corrupt and had to go. Along the way he reflected and decided he had pay for some evil deeds.

But I feel he was “sneak attacked” by Early on purpose to avoid him. Early seemed not to mind confronting the others.

As far as the quote from OIS… Some have said he may even have been a NISKA.
I would just say high-ranking-mid-level-alliance-officer with possibly some interrogating.

From ID badge in “Safe” to the detailed description of the “cops” in The Message.
JAYNE
Either you spent a lotta time
fightin' bad cops... or bein' one.
BOOK
Maybe both.

This means… This Means… Uhhhhh

Damn Joss is good!

________________________________________________
U gonna be smart here Riva?!?

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Thursday, February 23, 2006 8:26 AM

ARCLIGHT

Quote:
Originally posted by daveshayne:
Quote:
Originally posted by arclight:
I'm working on Book having been high ranking Independence military who turned traitor and sold out a bunch of guys in Serenity Valley.

You don't think Mal wouldn't have known him then? Even if he didn't know what Book had done you think he would have some knowledge of the command structure and the names and faces of the people who filled it's upper ranks.

David

Not at all. I'm sure the military has people in it that not even the toppiest top brass know about. Plausible deniablity.

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Thursday, February 23, 2006 8:55 AM

DAVESHAYNE

Quote:
Originally posted by arclight:
Not at all. I'm sure the military has people in it that not even the toppiest top brass know about. Plausible deniablity.

Well most of those people wouldn't be of high rank. With rank comes visibility. Maybe I'm reading too much into what you wrote though.

David

"A lot of people are asking me, you know, what exactly is Firefly? It's a tv show you morons!" - Joss Whedon

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Thursday, February 23, 2006 9:26 AM

MILFORD

With enough rank, though, comes invivisility.

Remember, that but for one trifling exception, the entire universe is made up of others.- Oliver Wendall Holmes

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Thursday, February 23, 2006 10:17 AM

MIKECHANCE

you know... it's obvious that the Alliance is able to do things to the brain which is basically impossible right now.

operative doesn't exist means no family, means dispendable, means maybe each operative is not a unique individual.

the alliance has done worse.

who says sheperd ever stopped being an operative.

river escapes and all a sudden book decides to leave the abbey and walk the world for a spell?

That ain't no shepard...

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Thursday, February 23, 2006 10:22 AM

MILFORD

Verrry interesting, with three "r"'s. It could be that Book and the Operative were simply sides of the same coin.

Remember, that but for one trifling exception, the entire universe is made up of others.- Oliver Wendall Holmes

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