Tash: New theory about Book by Succatash

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Tash: New theory about Book

POSTED BY: SUCCATASH
UPDATED: Sunday, October 17, 2004 09:02
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Friday, October 15, 2004 5:08 PM

There's lots of talk about Shepherd Book being former Alliance, General, Assasin, Judge, etc....

Why else would the Alliance give a crap about Book's ID card?

What if Book is the equivalent of the modern day Pope? A religious leader who holds powerful sway in the Alliance? It's possible that the future pope wears a giant mask during public appearances.

What if only a few loyal servants even know that their battle-trained religous leader has snuck out the back door of the temple and disappeared into the Black?

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Friday, October 15, 2004 5:19 PM

BILLYUNO

Funny you should mention that, I was thinking the same thing watching Safe the other night. My other theory had to do with Book being royalty of some kind. Similar thing, no one knows what he looks like because he's never seen by the public. Or he's been in the abbey so long that he doesn't look the same anymore. Oh and royalty might have more combat training, and more info about military workings. And rich people like Niska....

Either way, it makes you wonder.

You talent for alienating people is near miraculous!

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Friday, October 15, 2004 5:29 PM

SUCCATASH

Of course, River's vision in OIS must be explained.

It could be a vision of Book's past, his future, or a current struggle within himself. Book could be condemning himself for doing things he didn't want to do. He could be talking to himself in that scene.

???

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Friday, October 15, 2004 5:44 PM

GOJIRO

Plus Jubal's comment, "That ain't no shepherd."

Personally, I lean toward the Alliance general theory. Or maybe the spy, trying to track down members of the underground (the ones what smuggled River out of the institute).

gojiro

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Friday, October 15, 2004 7:10 PM

SGTGUMP

Quote:
Originally posted by billyuno:
Funny you should mention that, I was thinking the same thing watching Safe the other night. My other theory had to do with Book being royalty of some kind. Similar thing, no one knows what he looks like because he's never seen by the public. Or he's been in the abbey so long that he doesn't look the same anymore. Oh and royalty might have more combat training, and more info about military workings. And rich people like Niska....

Either way, it makes you wonder.

You talent for alienating people is near miraculous!

You know, someone brought up the opening credits on this message board. They said that the credits were divided into three sections. The first was Mal, Zoe and Wash with the screen colored brown. Brown coats right? The next part is with Jayne, Inara and Kayle and it is green. Money, all three of those guys joined the crew for money. The third part is Simon, River and Book. That color is Purple, the color of royalty(my dad pointed out).

I don't know what that means, maybe some of you guys who haven't noticed that yet can come up with some really cool theories. I know you can because you are all awesome.

"Sir. Does this mean that Ann Margaret is not coming?" - PVT Joker

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Friday, October 15, 2004 10:01 PM

PURPLEBELLY

Wouldn't he have a cute little cart to run around in? Maybe that's the hovercraft we're promised for the movie

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Saturday, October 16, 2004 6:37 AM

LEAFY

I still think he's an Indiana Jones-type scientist, maybe with a military background, who knows more about the fate of Earth that Was than he should, but has arranged for the information to get out if something happens to him. A religious life is a good safe place for him.

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Saturday, October 16, 2004 7:36 AM

EBONEZER

Dude, that Book-Indy comparison just made Book SO MUCH COOLER!

(I LOVE Indy, I'm such a geeky little fan girl for him)

This doesn't really have anything to do with anything, but I don't care. Indiana Jones kicks ass.

-----------------------------------

Four out of five dentists reccomend calling Ebo a girl.

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Saturday, October 16, 2004 10:08 AM

CHANNAIN

i DO aim to misbehave

I like this - My spin on it was that he was an Independant at one time, high up in the administration, then traded information for his freedom.

BUT! The theory that he's high up in the Religious organization of the time is even better. Wasn't it Richard III who dressed as a soldier and walked among his men? Why wouldn't a religious leader try that?

As to Jubal's comment "that ain't no shepherd," there could be further connotations to that. Could be that shepherds are usually missionaries, and they're bound to have a different bearing than someone would be who's sitting behind a desk for who knows how long. Kaylee asked him if he was a missionary, so it's been known to happen.

Fans come and fans go...but zealots are with you until the bitter black end.
I draw...therefore I am.
http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=7922

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Saturday, October 16, 2004 3:02 PM

DELIA

Quote:
Originally posted by Channain:

BUT! The theory that he's high up in the Religious organization of the time is even better. Wasn't it Richard III who dressed as a soldier and walked among his men? Why wouldn't a religious leader try that?

Henry V, actually, but right idea.

I like it. As theory. It's new, which makes it fun and exciting. Book is either a pope, or royalty. Or ex-alliance. Or current alliance. Or something else. I'm not feeling decisive tonight.

I did notice this, this morning, on the topic of religion in Firefly. The hospital in Ariel is named after a Catholic saint, Lucy, a martyred young girl. River analogy? Any ideas?

Keep speculating, it's fun.

___________________________________________
Angel: People who don't care about anything will never understand the people who do.
Hamilton: Yeah, but we won't care.

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Saturday, October 16, 2004 8:02 PM

BILLYUNO

One more thing...

Notice that Book didn't go to Ariel. He got off at Bathgate abbey. Now, it might have been that Ron simply needed the time off, but what if (as it further turns out) Book couldn't go there for fear of being recognized, as either a religous leader, or part of Ariel's upper class nobility?

As for the thoughts in OIS:I don't give half a hump if you're innocent or not! So where does that put you?

Maybe a religous crisis of faith brought to the surface by his conversation with Jayne? On the other hand... Maybe he suspected what Jayne had done, or that he was planning to do something, and Book was planning to stop him. The context was so skewed it could have been him talking to his food for all we know.

Anyway we know religion is a big thing in Firefly overall. The captain was religous until the Battle of Serenity Valley.

Your talent for alienating people is near miraculous.

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Sunday, October 17, 2004 9:02 AM

SOUPCATCHER

That's a fascinating observation, sgtgump, about the colors during the opening credits. The brown seems pretty self-evident (although I don't think we ever explicity learn Wash was a Browncoat). But brown could also be solid and dependable. Green could be nature or fertility. Purple could be wealth or luxury in addition to royalty. I'm wondering if one of the things on Book's ident card is the size of his bank balance and maybe that's why he gets such good service

. (I gleaned the above from a quick search on color psychology that resulted in this hit: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/colors1.html )

I like the initial idea, Tash, that Book's status doesn't come from before his time in the abbey, but rather because of his time in the abbey. But then the question of where he learned all those facts about crime gets raised. Could he be from some warrior monk type order? His earlier life was out in the field where he picked up useful skills and knowledge and then, as he rose in the ranks, he became more of an abbey-bound desk jockey. That's possible. Or maybe the order he is from is like some of the orders who ran missions in Mexico who were actually engaging in all sort of illegal exploitation.

It's fun to speculate.

I shaved my beard for you, devil woman!

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