Firefly: Shepherd Book’s Untold Story
Firefly, a show-that-was, told the story of Earth-that-was getting used up and sprouting a crop of rocket ships that flew every which way in a new galaxy in an attempt to colonize it. Eventually, these disparate people formed into an Alliance, and a movement of Independents who tried and failed to fight their tyranny. The series featured an eclectic crew of characters, from the Han Solo-esque captain, Malcom Reynolds, to the pilot Wash and his wife Zoe, to even Shepherd Book, the preacher who flew with the crew of smugglers.
Having been off of regular television since the 80s after his run on Barney Miller ended, Ron Glass was a welcome addition to the crew as the warm, friendly, sometimes frightening Shepherd Book, a preacher with a mysterious past. Shepherd Book brought wisdom and heart to Firefly, and the show wouldn’t have been the same without him. However, though the show hinted at a past that ran far deeper than his life at the abbey, audiences never got a chance to learn his story in the show's single season.
RELATED: Why Firefly’s Single Season Contributes To Its Legacy
During Firefly’s short, but well-loved run, Shepherd Book pulled off a twofer. He was somehow both integral to the crew’s dynamic, and remained one of its most secretive members all at the same time. Even from the show's pilot episode he’s an enigma, only one-upped by Simon Tam and his sister-in-a-fridge, River. He buys his way aboard Serenity, passing any annoyingly close looks at his identity, and buying good favor with the ship’s mechanic, Kaylee, with strawberries, fresh fruit being a delicacy in the outer regions. It helps him sell the crew, despite Mal’s reservations, on Book being exactly what he says he is: the space-faring version of the
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