The Book Theory... Bum BUm BUMMMMM!! by TakenBaxter

FIREFLY EPISODE DISCUSSIONS

The Book Theory... Bum BUm BUMMMMM!!

POSTED BY: TAKENBAXTER
UPDATED: Saturday, January 28, 2006 14:44
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Wednesday, January 11, 2006 9:56 AM

Ok guys and gals the whole thing about Book's secret past has been getting to me. So i was thinking the other night, and i think i might have a good idea on why he's so reluctant to shed some light on his past.

Ok here it goes if you don't like it or find flaws just let me know.

In short hand: i was think that maybe he was a General or something for the alliance. And then i started thinking, maybe (to make the soup even thicker) he was the one that bombarded Serenity Valley and took it from Mal's platoon.
Maybe he repented and went into a monistary as like a catharsis.
And maybe he doesn't want to reveil it cause he really loves the crew and would hate to hurt their relationship or possibly get on VERY BAD terms with Mal.

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Wednesday, January 11, 2006 10:09 AM

AMITON

There's a thread somewhere that discusses specifically the possibility of Book being a General or high-ranking officer for the Alliance military, but it's a little old, and I don't remember everything. One of the major points to refute the point was that Book was very hand's on and functionally knowledgable about things. The common concensus (and a line from "The Message" delivered by Book homself actaully, if I remember correctly?) is that important people don't do field work. Something to that effect, anyway.

I also don't think Book would be in the situation he is if he had known who the crew were. He was pretty unhappy with his choice to be on the Serenity for a while, and he had more than ample time to deboard after he figured out who they were, yet before he got really cozy with the crew...

Just my thought, though!

Amiton.

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Friday, January 13, 2006 8:54 PM

FREDIKAYLLOW

well, i definitely think he was an Alliance Officer, probably pretty high up in the ranks. i dunno about him being in Seremity Valley, though that would account for why he didn't leave the ship. he might be wanting to like, repent of his sins by helping out Mal when he can. doesn't really explain why he got off on Haven though....

No Power In The 'Verse Can Stop Me

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Friday, January 13, 2006 9:03 PM

NEWGARDE

My minds to it that he was a man who believed hard, a fella could kill without having a second thought.

Someone who was very dangerous once, and had to find something when everything he had faith in shook him...

So he became a shepherd and thats where we come into him...

Badger

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Friday, January 13, 2006 9:43 PM

GIANTEVILHEAD

A lot of people seem to assume that Book did something terribly wrong and that he is trying to repent or atone for sins of the past but many times the right thing isn't pleasant. There are plenty of stories in the Bible where God tell people to commit horrible atrocities, there are plenty of stories in the Bible where God himself commits horrible atrocities. It entirely possible that Book didn't become a Shepherd to atone but he did it to find respite, to make peace with his past.

"I swallowed a bug." -River Tam

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Monday, January 16, 2006 7:18 AM

JOLYNEHEATHER

To reiterate what I said in another thread:
After watching all of the episodes and the movie, I am almost entirely convinced that there is some sort of Operative core out there in the Firefly-verse and Early and Book are former members. There are similarities between Book, Early, and the Operative in dialog and such that seem to link them together. I would bet the awareness that the Operative had that he was "a monster" is something similar to what drove Book to the monastary. Nevermind that Book was the first to point out that an Operative would be coming for them. Maybe Early was a failed (read: CRAZY) Operative. Perhaps what River often picked up on was the Operative in Book.

Also, I can kill you with my brain...

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Monday, January 16, 2006 8:21 AM

MEENOL

I would put him with something similar to Blue Sun, although with a more military application (even if River does turn out to be an escapee from a project to create the perfect warrior), I would guess something to do with torture. The respect he got when they scanned his Ident Card, and the thoughts that we got given in Objects In Space ("I don't care whether you're innocent or not. Now where does that put you?") are my evidence, bearing in mind I haven't seen Serenity yet as I missed the cinema run and it's not out on DVD in the UK yet...

*grumbles in his corner*

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

No, THIS is what going mad feels like.

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Monday, January 16, 2006 9:54 AM

JOLYNEHEATHER

If you haven't seen Serenity, you don't have half the story!

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Monday, January 16, 2006 8:44 PM

ALASKAMIKE

Quote:
Originally posted by jolyneheather:
If you haven't seen Serenity, you don't have half the story!

I'd say that if you've seen Serenity then you've only seen half the story. The whole Blue Sun/Hands of Blue theme was left out.

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Tuesday, January 17, 2006 1:50 AM

JOLYNEHEATHER

Very true. I think Joss was forced to leave some things to mystery. Though you do, very briefly albeit, see the blue handed men when Simon is breaking River out. When the alarms go off, they are shown in a control room of sorts, and that's the last of them. We also never learn why it was that Mal was injecting himself with something every few episodes and many other little tidbits here and there. I think you have to see both the show and the movie to get as clear a picture as Joss is ever willing to give.

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Wednesday, January 18, 2006 8:39 AM

JAYNECOBBTHEHEROOFCANTON

And that picture isn't all that clear.

"So you're the browncoats, eh."

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Wednesday, January 18, 2006 9:39 AM

AMITON

I wouldn't say the Blue Hands theme was left out so much as it was put away, at least for the time being. That specific point is addressed (strangely, rather explicitly) in the comics. There are a few other Blue Hands treats in the comics as well!

Amiton.

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Wednesday, January 18, 2006 5:25 PM

ALASKAMIKE

Guess I need to get the comics then!

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Friday, January 20, 2006 3:50 AM

NUCLEARDAY

Quote:
Originally posted by jolyneheather:
To reiterate what I said in another thread:
After watching all of the episodes and the movie, I am almost entirely convinced that there is some sort of Operative core out there in the Firefly-verse and Early and Book are former members.

Actually, I'd been leaning towards that theory myself, somewhat. From what few clues he revealed in the series, I just had an image of him as being black ops of some sort. It just seemed to... fit.

Another theory I have is that possibly he wasn't in the war or affiliated with the alliance at all. This is a little out of left field, and I sorta doubt it's the real story, but maybe it's kinda interesting, at least:

What if in the past, he led a life similiar to that of Mal? Captain of a ship, smuggling pirating, crime, etc. Mal throughout the show is posed with all sorts of moral dilemmas, and often Book is of course rather vehement in acting as his conscience. Perhaps for every time Mal faces a moral quandary and makes the "right" choice, Book in his past had made the "wrong" one? Sort of an anti-Mal, if you will. Like I said, that one may be a little out there, but just a thought anyway.

Browncoats don't die, they just get cancelled.

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Saturday, January 21, 2006 10:03 PM

25MYTURN25

Sounds like a good theory to me, I think we can safely say he has military expeience, maybe he was an operative, or a general like you said, Either way I ain't going with anything, until I know the truth, Tricky little Joss. How is it he can give us enough hints to know he has a secret but just to few to give us a true indication of what the secret is? The same goes for Inara, Tricky

River - You belived her, made a face.

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Saturday, January 21, 2006 10:23 PM

THEPISTONENGINE

Ok, few things to point out.

1. He was definately alliance affliated, directly or indirectly. Remember when the alliance let him on the cruiser and patched him up.

2. Whatever he was, it was a long, long time ago. Remember his conversation with Inara, and he says he got on the wrong ship. He couldn't believe the rough and crude life the crew lived by, he couldn't believe the killing, and he couldn't believe he half-agreed with it.

3. As another person mentioned, he knows too many details to be too high up. He knows small, grunt-work details.

What's this all lead me to concluded?

A1) He's done something very bad, became a shepherd, and repressed his memories of how bad life out side is

OR

A2) He was an Alliance guru, but never did anything down and dirty. For some reason, he found God.

B1) He was generally low level. I wouldn't put him as an officer, because they are more administrative and decision making in nature, at least in the US military, at least outside of the Army and Marine Corp infantry. (See what happens when I make an overly general statement, must qualify it more and more)

OR

B2) He was an Operative or something like it. Someone with considerable power yet the understanding of the down and dirty work.

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Friday, January 27, 2006 8:49 AM

HUMCHUCKNINNY

At first I thought that Book was for sure an operative, but the more I thought about it the less sense it made. I'll post more on here later, but remember the beginning of the movie, the operative says "just like this facility, I don't exist." Ergo, if Book was an operative, the Alliance would not have even known and therefore wouldn't have taken him in to treat him.

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Saturday, January 28, 2006 1:16 PM

DRAGONFEAR987

just because the operative said "like you i dont exist" doesnt mean the alliance doesnt know of him. if he was an operative, then it was probably top secret/classified info, but w/e division of the alliance that worked/controlled the operatives would know of him. personally, i think he was an operative. obviously hes sumone high up as we find out from the ident card scan. and obviously he knows quite a bit about down and dirty stuff, note how he knows about fireflys and helps kaylee work the ship when she was injured. he also knows a bit bout operatives, as he gives mal some advice about them during hte movie. he was definitly connected to the alliance in some way, n i think he was an operative, or something along those lines.

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Saturday, January 28, 2006 2:44 PM

VETERAN

Don't squat with your spurs on.

Quote:
Originally posted by Newgarde:
My minds to it that he was a man who believed hard, a fella could kill without having a second thought.

Someone who was very dangerous once, and had to find something when everything he had faith in shook him...

So he became a shepherd and thats where we come into him...

Sounds about right to me. He's kind of the antithesis of Mal. Mal lost his faith in much the same way Book found his (or at least searches for his salvation).

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