Firefly's Sheperd Book

Othello · November 9 2009, 08:22 PM

Did they ever explain why the Alliance was so quick to help him when he was shot and they took a look at his credentials? Also, some of the knowledge that he had that was unusual for a shepherd to have? I've seen all the episodes and the movie and don't remember them doing so.

tharpdevenport · November 9 2009, 08:25 PM

SPOILER

One of the comic trilogies seems to imply he was under their employ and that the employ had been terminated (during that comic).

There a graphic comic novel coming about his past.

ITL · November 9 2009, 08:31 PM

A friend of mine has a theory that he was an Alliance operative (Well, duh! you all say...) who was responsible for what happened at Serenity Valley, and that's why he quit and became a Shepherd.

Awesome Possum · November 9 2009, 09:03 PM

Given his discussion with Mal in the movie, I assumed he used to be an Operative.

Othello · November 9 2009, 11:25 PM

Yeah.. that's what i assumed too but I wasn't sure if they ever actually addressed it and I just missed it...

IcecreamLtDan · November 11 2009, 06:09 PM

No, it's never been actually addressed. However, as Tharpdevenport stated, there is supposed to be a comic coming out that tells some of his backstory, although it should have already been released by this point. Also, apparently there was a browncoat cruise in 2007 where Ron Glass states Derrial was not the shepherd's real name, but the name of a man he had killed. As far as I know that's all the backstory there is so far.

Caligula · November 11 2009, 06:30 PM

Awesome Possum wrote:

Given his discussion with Mal in the movie, I assumed he used to be an Operative.

Agreed....

Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: It's of interest to me how much you seem to know about that world.
Shepherd Book: I wasn't born a shepherd, Mal.
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: You have to tell me about that sometime.
Shepherd Book: [pause] No, I don't.

BenRoethig · November 11 2009, 07:54 PM

If we wasn't an operative he was definitely something else in the inner circle.

The Wormhole · November 11 2009, 10:09 PM

My theory, he wasn't an Operative, but he did work in Alliance Intelligence. Then he wanted out, so he created the persona of a priest and lived that life, eventually making his way to Serenity. He kept enough credentials of his actual identity should the need ever arise to reveal who he was, like it did that time he was shot.

Hey, that's my take on things anyway.

Trekker4747 · November 11 2009, 10:20 PM

It was my take, as well, that he was an Operative for the Alliance who still had "some pull" with some of his contacts.

The Evil Dead · November 11 2009, 10:31 PM

Siiiiiiiiiigh. I hate that this is all conjecture. We should just be able to point to, like, season 3, episode 17 of Firefly which would've delved heavily into Shepherd Book's past.

Sorry, I watched Serenity in BluRay last week and am just bitter about Firefly having had it's life cut short.

cardinal biggles · November 12 2009, 12:19 AM

Count me in as another who thinks Book was an Operative in his previous life.

DigificWriter · November 12 2009, 12:23 AM

For anyone who's interested in one group of Firefly fans' interpretation of Book's past, check this out.

darthraidr · November 12 2009, 12:31 AM

i'm another who thinks Book was an Operative. i think the story of the Operative in Serenity is a re-telling of Book's story. By the end of Serenity, it's not a leap to see the Operative going off to some secluded place, finding religion and at some point, years later, trying to reconnect with the world again.

iguana_tonante · November 12 2009, 12:37 AM

darthraidr wrote:

i'm another who thinks Book was an Operative. i think the story of the Operative in Serenity is a re-telling of Book's story. By the end of Serenity, it's not a leap to see the Operative going off to some secluded place, finding religion and at some point, years later, trying to reconnect with the world again.

That's the same thing I thought.

Then he find a time machine and he's sent back in time just in time to get on board of Serenity at the same time of Simon and his mysterious suitcase...

November 9 2009, 08:22 PM	#1
Othello Commodore	Firefly's Sheperd Book Did they ever explain why the Alliance was so quick to help him when he was shot and they took a look at his credentials? Also, some of the knowledge that he had that was unusual for a shepherd to have? I've seen all the episodes and the movie and don't remember them doing so.

November 9 2009, 08:25 PM	#2
tharpdevenport Admiral Location: Click here for super karate monkey death MOD porn!	Re: Firefly's Sheperd Book SPOILER One of the comic trilogies seems to imply he was under their employ and that the employ had been terminated (during that comic). There a graphic comic novel coming about his past. __________________ Mr. Signature Number 2 "Are you going to run?" Number 6 "Like blazes! The first chance I get." -Smile! God Loves You! Too bad he doesn't exist, oh and everyone else thinks you're an asshole.

November 9 2009, 08:31 PM	#3
ITL Vice Admiral Location: Palace Of The Brine	Re: Firefly's Sheperd Book A friend of mine has a theory that he was an Alliance operative (Well, duh! you all say...) who was responsible for what happened at Serenity Valley, and that's why he quit and became a Shepherd. __________________ oɹ soɯǝʇɥıuƃ.

November 9 2009, 09:03 PM	#4
Awesome Possum Herald of the Ponies Location: Jewel HQ	Re: Firefly's Sheperd Book Given his discussion with Mal in the movie, I assumed he used to be an Operative. __________________ I am at heart a propagandist, a tremendous hater, a tiresome nag, complacently positive that there is no human problem which could not be solved if people would simply do as I advise. -Gore Vidal

November 9 2009, 11:25 PM	#5
Othello Commodore	Re: Firefly's Sheperd Book Yeah.. that's what i assumed too but I wasn't sure if they ever actually addressed it and I just missed it...

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November 11 2009, 06:09 PM	#6
IcecreamLtDan Commander Location: North Carolina, USA	Re: Firefly's Sheperd Book No, it's never been actually addressed. However, as Tharpdevenport stated, there is supposed to be a comic coming out that tells some of his backstory, although it should have already been released by this point. Also, apparently there was a browncoat cruise in 2007 where Ron Glass states Derrial was not the shepherd's real name, but the name of a man he had killed. As far as I know that's all the backstory there is so far.

November 11 2009, 07:54 PM	#8
BenRoethig Fleet Captain Location: Dubuque, IA	Re: Firefly's Sheperd Book If we wasn't an operative he was definitely something else in the inner circle.

November 11 2009, 10:09 PM	#9
The Wormhole Admiral	Re: Firefly's Sheperd Book My theory, he wasn't an Operative, but he did work in Alliance Intelligence. Then he wanted out, so he created the persona of a priest and lived that life, eventually making his way to Serenity. He kept enough credentials of his actual identity should the need ever arise to reveal who he was, like it did that time he was shot. Hey, that's my take on things anyway. __________________ "Internet message boards aren't as funny today as they were ten years ago. I've stopped reading new posts." -The Simpsons 20th anniversary special.

November 11 2009, 10:20 PM	#10
Trekker4747 To boldly go... Location: Kansas City	Re: Firefly's Sheperd Book It was my take, as well, that he was an Operative for the Alliance who still had "some pull" with some of his contacts. __________________ Just because it's futuristic doesn't mean it's practical.

November 11 2009, 10:31 PM	#11
The Evil Dead Vice Admiral Location: 1123, 6536, 5321	Re: Firefly's Sheperd Book Siiiiiiiiiigh. I hate that this is all conjecture. We should just be able to point to, like, season 3, episode 17 of Firefly which would've delved heavily into Shepherd Book's past. Sorry, I watched Serenity in BluRay last week and am just bitter about Firefly having had it's life cut short. __________________ "I want to see gamma rays, I want to hear X-rays, and I want to smell dark matter. I’m a machine and I could know much more." - Cavil, Battlestar Galactica

November 12 2009, 12:19 AM	#12
cardinal biggles Danny Donkey Hates You Location: potrzebie	Re: Firefly's Sheperd Book Count me in as another who thinks Book was an Operative in his previous life.

November 12 2009, 12:23 AM	#13
DigificWriter Rear Admiral Location: West Haven, UT, USA	Re: Firefly's Sheperd Book For anyone who's interested in one group of Firefly fans' interpretation of Book's past, check this out. __________________ Starbuck: We're all friendlies. So, let's just... be friendly. "Ze director's cut is ze film you saw in ze theater."

November 12 2009, 12:31 AM	#14
darthraidr Commodore Location: irvine, ca, usa	Re: Firefly's Sheperd Book i'm another who thinks Book was an Operative. i think the story of the Operative in Serenity is a re-telling of Book's story. By the end of Serenity, it's not a leap to see the Operative going off to some secluded place, finding religion and at some point, years later, trying to reconnect with the world again.