My theory on the 'Good Shepherd' *spoilers* by GrimJack21502

FIREFLY EPISODE DISCUSSIONS

My theory on the 'Good Shepherd' *spoilers*

POSTED BY: GRIMJACK21502
UPDATED: Friday, February 3, 2006 21:16
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Monday, January 23, 2006 5:32 PM

I have noticed quite a few Book questions on various threads today.

Here's my take...hear me out:

I am not convinced that Book is dead.

Yeah I said it.

"But we saw him die. MAL was with him when he died! Simon, a goram DOCTOR, examined him when he died! GrimJack you are an idiot!"

Excellent points...now allow me to retort.

Strange things are afoot:

Point #1 - Conveniently Book is the only one still alive at Haven.

Point #2 - After the "death" of Book, Mal is properly motivated to confront the Alliance...would he have had the desire/drive to do it without that incentive?

Point #3 - Who benefits from Mal's decision to go to Miranda (other than poor River of course)?

Point #4 - The rest of the known associates of Serenity were located in "metro" areas and were known "business associates." What would have led the Alliance to Haven...or who?

Summation: For this theory to work, Book would have to have notified the Alliance, allowed his "flock" to be killed, and faked his own death to a degree capable of fooling a physician of Simon's skill.

In theory Book could be an agent for a shadow organization (probably remenants of the Independents) who has been monitoring/manipulating Mal (and in turn River) to their ends.

We saw hints of this in Objects in Space, when River "read" Book..."I don't give a good hump if you are innocent or not!"

Just a theory...and because I like Book so much I hope it isn't true :)

"And once you're gone, you can never come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black"
-Neil Young

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Monday, January 23, 2006 6:12 PM

GRIMJACK21502

I guess I thought it was more interesting than it really is

"And once you're gone, you can never come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black"
-Neil Young

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Tuesday, January 24, 2006 7:45 AM

TAKENBAXTER

I don't think that Book is dead either, that seems a bit too much.

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Saturday, January 28, 2006 1:40 PM

DRAGONFEAR987

***spoiler****

i wish both book and was wernt dead. obviously wash isnt comin back. but if theres a chance book will....thatd b awesome. still so much left to find out bout his past. so if theres a chance hes not dead, that be awesome, tho i think itd b a stretch explaining how hes still alive.

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Saturday, January 28, 2006 2:40 PM

VETERAN

Don't squat with your spurs on.

Umm, if Book ain't dead, what did they bury then?

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Saturday, January 28, 2006 2:53 PM

Regarding Point 4 above...I think the novelization of the movie showed Fanty & Mingo captured by the Operative and they gave him all the info on Mal's "business associates".

Also - the Operative looked into everyone who had ever been on Serenity under Mal - I'm sure Book's name would have come up on the roster and he traced him to Haven as he was still going by that name.

That said - Joss always has ways of surprising us! Who knows what he could conjure up - Lord knows he's brought other characters back from the dead fairly convincingly!

I don't want Book to be evil! Past evil, but repentent is OK, but love him too much to want him to have had any part in killing what was his flock. Also, as noted above - if he's not dead...who did they bury? Or alternatively, based on the blooper reel, who did they strap on the nose of the ship to honor? LOL!!!

---------
"See, this is another sign of your tragic space dementia, all paranoid and crotchety. Breaks the heart."

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Saturday, January 28, 2006 7:17 PM

NANDIFAN

Playing devil's advocate...did they actually show Book being buried? No, it just showed Zoe and Simon covering up bodies. I didn't honestly think they funeral scene at the end was meant to show where their bodies lay, but more of a memorial. Of course, I am normally wrong about most things!

"If they've got guns or brains at all."
"They've got guns."

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Monday, January 30, 2006 5:56 AM

VERSELIFE

I think book is dead. Plain and simple. I'd love to see book come back, but it ain't going to happen. I think that he should stay dead, and make it for a firefly season 2 episode (one day it will live again), where a new shepered comes a board the ship, though river has a bad feeling about him as the new sheperd turns out to be a new mole from the alliance.

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Monday, January 30, 2006 11:56 AM

KIZYR

Two things...

One: I'd rather Book be dead than evil. He was great, and at this point (his atonement period), he's practically incapable of continuing to do anything evil. He choked up in the Serenity pilot episode, when he's afraid he's fallen in with the wrong crowd (again, perhaps?). When he went to save Mal, he made a point not to lethally wound anyone. He's even remorseful (albeit only a tad) about "shooting the man down who shot us" at Haven.

Two: The graves at the end of the movie were real close to one another, more than you'd expect if there were bodies buried underneath. It's quite likely that they're memorial markers, rather than burial markers. There're a few other possibilities; the existence of a body is less important than the memory of it. KF

~KF

Lord, I'm walking your way. Let me in, for my feet are sore, my clothes are ragged.
Look in my eyes, Lord, and my sins will play out on them as on a screen. Read them all.
Forgive what you can and send me on my path. I will walk on until you bid me rest.
~Haven Prayer

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Friday, February 3, 2006 9:16 PM

STILLFREE

Book has to be dead, they chained his body in an honorary spot on the ship. Oh wait, that was a blooper.

In light of the "Book is an operative atoning for his sins," the theory has some (not much) merit. Perhaps he left the Alliance after finding out about/taking part in(?) the Miranda incident, just like the Operative. Then it would make sense for him to fake his death to push Mal towards correcting Book's sin. I think the Operative at the end of Serenity was obviously supposed to evoke Book. It would be interesting if the Operative returned later more Bookish somehow, but I think it would difficult to get Chiwor Erijitemoinialal back.

But Book is almost certainly dead. If he was somehow connected to Miranda, his death was a perfect ending: he died to both atone and fix the horror of his past.

The Operative: You know, in certain older civilized cultures, when men failed as entirely as you have, they would throw themselves on their swords.
Dr. Mathias: Well, unfortunately, I forgot to bring a sword.
*shinnnng*

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