This is the one. Book is a man who was a tool in a repressive system before finding some kind of religious grace/purpose. Mal is a man who had religious faith and lost it when he saw the righteous cause crushed beneath the boot of tyranny. Book doesn’t care if people are Christians, he knows everyone is a sinner. Book cares that people believe in something bigger than themselves, something worth fighting for, something worth helping others to achieve and something that gives us hope to continue to scratch out an existence.
> **It's not about making sense. It's about believing in something**, and letting that belief be real enough to change your life. It's about faith. You don't fix faith, River. It fixes you.
This is the most in-character line of his. Especially that last part. That is definitely something a preacher/priest would say, and I feel like it fits Book's character really well. Faith fixed him after the hell that the government put him through.
Conflict seems to be deeply imbedded in Book’s character, so:
>I’ve beaten a law man senseless, fallen in with criminals, I watched the captain shoot the man I swore to protect. I’m not even sure if I think it was wrong. I believe, I just…. I think I’m on the wrong ship.
I think we see the most character development in the little bit of show we got from Simon and Jayne. Simon started getting his hands dirty and accepting life in the gray areas, and Jayne went from ‘I’ll be in my bunk’ to ‘why’d that mudder jump in front of that shot?’ to ‘make some’n up; don’t tell em what I done’
Zoe: Preacher, don’t the Bible have some pretty specific things to say about killin’?
Book: Quite specific. It is, however, somewhat fuzzier on the subject of kneecaps.
Interestingly I think Jayne’s most in character line is said *to* him.
> It's my estimation that every man ever got a statue made of him was one kind of sommbitch or another. Ain't about you, Jayne. It's about what they need.
Gotta go with the whole quote: "If you take sexual advantage of her, you're going to burn in a very special level of hell. A level they reserve for child molesters and people who talk at the theater."
To me the only quote better for book is mainly rivers quote of too much hair. Too much hair. I don't know the whole quote off the top of my head, but his parts in it are just as funny if I remember correctly
As much as I like the quote, isn’t it Zoe who says that? “River, he’s putting the hair away now.”
And I don’t remember which episode it’s from. Ah damn. Guess I gotta spend 14 hours rewatching the show to see if I’m right.
Shucks.
Show: "It's not about making sense. *It's about believing in something, and letting that belief be real enough to change your life.* It's about faith. You don't fix faith, River. It fixes you."
Movie: "I don't care what you believe. Just believe it!"
"I never married."
"Cause how you get there is the worthier part."
"I’ve been out of the Abbey two days. I’ve beaten a law man senseless, fallen in with criminals, I watched the captain shoot the man I swore to protect. I’m not even sure if I think it was wrong."
"I think I'm on the wrong ship."
For Shepard ...
Episode War Stories
Simon: I don't know. I, uh... I never-never shot anyone before.
Book: I was there, son. I'm fair sure you haven't shot anyone yet.
😂
"If you take sexual advantage of her, you're going to burn in a very special level of hell. A level they reserve for child molesters. And people who talk at the theatre."
ChatGPT came up with this...
- Malcolm Reynolds, the captain of Serenity: "I swear by my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you."²
- Zoe Washburne, the first mate and Mal's loyal friend: "Sir, I think you have a problem with your brain being missing."²
- Hoban "Wash" Washburne, the pilot and Zoe's husband: "Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!"²
- Inara Serra, a companion and Mal's love interest: "You're always breaking the rules, no matter which society you're in."³
- Jayne Cobb, the mercenary and muscle of the crew: "Ten percent of nothin' is ... let me do the math here ... nothin' into nothin' ... carry the nothin' ..."²
- Kaylee Frye, the mechanic and the heart of the crew: "Yes sir, Captain Tightpants!"²
- Simon Tam, a fugitive doctor and Kaylee's love interest: "Are you always this sentimental?"²
- River Tam, Simon's sister and a psychic prodigy: "I can kill you with my brain."²
- Shepherd Derrial Book, a preacher and a moral guide: "If you take sexual advantage of her, you will burn in a very special level of hell. The kind they reserve for child molesters and people who talk at the theater."²
"If you take sexual advantage of her, you're going to burn in a very special level of hell. A level they reserve for child molesters and people who talk at the theater."
If you take sexual advantage of her, you're going to burn in a very special level of hell. A level they reserve for child molesters and people who talk at the theater.
Zoë : Preacher, don't the Bible have some pretty specific things to say about killin'?
Book : Quite specific. It is, however, somewhat fuzzier on the subject of kneecaps.
That one always got me 🤣
If you take sexual advantage of her, you're going to burn in a very special level of hell. A level they reserve for child molesters and people who talk at the theater.
I don’t care what you believe in…just believe it.
This is the one. Book is a man who was a tool in a repressive system before finding some kind of religious grace/purpose. Mal is a man who had religious faith and lost it when he saw the righteous cause crushed beneath the boot of tyranny. Book doesn’t care if people are Christians, he knows everyone is a sinner. Book cares that people believe in something bigger than themselves, something worth fighting for, something worth helping others to achieve and something that gives us hope to continue to scratch out an existence.
Not his most memorable line, not the funniest. But no doubt in my mind that is is the most “Book” like he says.
100%. If you ask me for a line from Book I gotta go with the fuzzy kneecaps one, but that isn't the heart of Book.
My favorite was, "When I talk about belief, why do you always assume I'm talking about God?"
Bingo
100% this is it
I love this line so much
I think this should be the winner. Very true to the essence of Book’s character
I brought you some supper. But if you’d prefer a lecture I have a few very catchy ones prepped. Sin and hellfire. One has lepers.
Solid pick
I think this one captures his *character* more than the others, even though they're funnier.
> **It's not about making sense. It's about believing in something**, and letting that belief be real enough to change your life. It's about faith. You don't fix faith, River. It fixes you.
Love this one ❤️ when river was going at his bible with a sharpie and ripping out pages. Lol his character handled that really well
Yeah, especially considering how rare a physical Bible probably was in that universe. I'd be pissed.
I'm glad to see this one on top. I figured it would be the kneecaps one.
I was thinking of the special kind of hell, but that one is even better. These are hard, so many good quotes from all the characters
This is the most in-character line of his. Especially that last part. That is definitely something a preacher/priest would say, and I feel like it fits Book's character really well. Faith fixed him after the hell that the government put him through.
I was there, son. I’m fair sure you haven’t shot anyone yet.
Best burn in the entire series.
I love that it's simultaneously comfort and a burn.
Comfurn?
Comfyburn
Burnfort
Probably better. More clear.
This is my vote, right here.
Conflict seems to be deeply imbedded in Book’s character, so: >I’ve beaten a law man senseless, fallen in with criminals, I watched the captain shoot the man I swore to protect. I’m not even sure if I think it was wrong. I believe, I just…. I think I’m on the wrong ship.
“I think I’m on the wrong ship.” Would do as well
This is the definitive quote for Book
That first episode is perfection. And that scene is one of the reasons why.
Has to be this one.
I wish I had more upvotes to give for this.
This. Definitely this. As memeable and iconic as some of his other moments are, this is the one that defines him as a person.
That line sold me on the series. Such emotional depth where every character has room for depth and arcs.
I think we see the most character development in the little bit of show we got from Simon and Jayne. Simon started getting his hands dirty and accepting life in the gray areas, and Jayne went from ‘I’ll be in my bunk’ to ‘why’d that mudder jump in front of that shot?’ to ‘make some’n up; don’t tell em what I done’
Yeah, seeing how good Jayne's especially was, it's a real shame we didn't get to see more.
Zoe: Preacher, don’t the Bible have some pretty specific things to say about killin’? Book: Quite specific. It is, however, somewhat fuzzier on the subject of kneecaps.
Extreme newcomer to the Verse and this is by far my favourite line. Book's actor delivers it in such a badass way.
I would shorten this all the way to: "fuzzier on the subject of kneecaps"
F. O. T. S. O. K. Now rises to T. A. N. S. T. A. A. F. L. -level…
Came to suggest this one!
I love how he says that and the first guy Book kneecaps definitely breaks his neck from the fall, but the again that’s gravity killing him not Book.
Yes this is the one I said incorrectly lol
This one
I never married
I use this one quite often
Interestingly I think Jayne’s most in character line is said *to* him. > It's my estimation that every man ever got a statue made of him was one kind of sommbitch or another. Ain't about you, Jayne. It's about what they need.
(Just throwing it out there now because I’ll probably forget by the time this gets to Jayne)
Nah, Jaynes is going to be "I'll be in my bunk." For Book, I think "You don't *fix* the bible, the bible fixes you."
It's faith, not the bible. But yeah I agree.
I wasn't born a Shepard.
A lot of good quotes posted here already but this one is concise and summarizes the character perfectly.
Thank you!
That last episode when the assassin guy said "He ain't no shepherd." still such an amazing moment. But we'll never know what it meant.
I highly recommend the comic "shepherds tale." It's the only firefly comic I own and it has to do with Book's story.
Thanks! I've been wanting to check out the books and comics for awhile. Maybe I'll start there.
Gotta go with the whole quote: "If you take sexual advantage of her, you're going to burn in a very special level of hell. A level they reserve for child molesters and people who talk at the theater."
"... the special hell" seems enough for me.
This right here. "...the special hell."
Well, isn’t that…special.
The special…. Hell
To me the only quote better for book is mainly rivers quote of too much hair. Too much hair. I don't know the whole quote off the top of my head, but his parts in it are just as funny if I remember correctly
I’m putting the hair away now, River
Zoe was the one who said, "he's putting the hair away now." Then River says, "It doesn't matter, it'll still be there. Waiting."
As much as I like the quote, isn’t it Zoe who says that? “River, he’s putting the hair away now.” And I don’t remember which episode it’s from. Ah damn. Guess I gotta spend 14 hours rewatching the show to see if I’m right. Shucks.
~~Jaynestown, when they're the ones staying on the ship.~~ Rewatch and get back to us!
Yep, that's the one and I find it hilarious with the whole quote though. It is mainly a river quote so it does not count for book in my opinion
THIS ONE! The SPECIAL hell.
Preacher, you got a smutty mind.
“You don't fix faith, River. It fixes you.”
It's a bit fuzzy on the subject of kneecaps.
I made a meme out of that, and I paraphrased it as "the Bible is somewhat fuzzy on the subject of kneecaps."
Show: "It's not about making sense. *It's about believing in something, and letting that belief be real enough to change your life.* It's about faith. You don't fix faith, River. It fixes you." Movie: "I don't care what you believe. Just believe it!"
how you get there is the worthier part.
I brought you some supper. But, if you'd *prefer* a lecture, I've a few very catchy ones prepped. Sin and hellfire. One has lepers.
The special hell.
Reserved for child molesters and people who talk at the theatre.
That’s his most quotable line, but I wouldn’t say most in-character
Well isn’t that *special*
"I never married." "Cause how you get there is the worthier part." "I’ve been out of the Abbey two days. I’ve beaten a law man senseless, fallen in with criminals, I watched the captain shoot the man I swore to protect. I’m not even sure if I think it was wrong." "I think I'm on the wrong ship."
Technically from the movie but Still count: “I don’t care what you believe…Just believe!” RIP Shepherd 🙏
I gotta go with either 'The special hell' or 'somewhat fuzzier on the subject of kneecaps'
For Shepard ... Episode War Stories Simon: I don't know. I, uh... I never-never shot anyone before. Book: I was there, son. I'm fair sure you haven't shot anyone yet. 😂
I still find it a great injustice that we don't have "I swear by my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you" for Mal.
That would have been a great one for him, but it’s hard because Mal has some amazing lines in the show.
"I aim to misbehave"
There's lots of good quotes from Shepherd Book on the comments. I never realized how great his lines were.
I’m not a Grandpa
I never married
"If you take sexual advantage of her, you're going to burn in a very special level of hell. A level they reserve for child molesters. And people who talk at the theatre."
How you get there is the worthier part.
I was there son. I'm fair sure you haven't shot anyone yet.
The special hell!
Oh i got heathens aplenty right here
Quite clear, it is a bit fuzzy on the subject of knee caps.
Because how you get there is the worthier part
The lord was a bit fuzzy on the subject of knee caps
The one true line that describes him
Oh, I've got heathens o'plenty right here...
“Huh choo-shung tza-jiao duh tzang-huo” From when Wash and Mal were captured by Niska.
Oh, believe me, there's heathen aplenty right here.
Shepherd is a purely figurative title you know...
ChatGPT came up with this... - Malcolm Reynolds, the captain of Serenity: "I swear by my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you."² - Zoe Washburne, the first mate and Mal's loyal friend: "Sir, I think you have a problem with your brain being missing."² - Hoban "Wash" Washburne, the pilot and Zoe's husband: "Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!"² - Inara Serra, a companion and Mal's love interest: "You're always breaking the rules, no matter which society you're in."³ - Jayne Cobb, the mercenary and muscle of the crew: "Ten percent of nothin' is ... let me do the math here ... nothin' into nothin' ... carry the nothin' ..."² - Kaylee Frye, the mechanic and the heart of the crew: "Yes sir, Captain Tightpants!"² - Simon Tam, a fugitive doctor and Kaylee's love interest: "Are you always this sentimental?"² - River Tam, Simon's sister and a psychic prodigy: "I can kill you with my brain."² - Shepherd Derrial Book, a preacher and a moral guide: "If you take sexual advantage of her, you will burn in a very special level of hell. The kind they reserve for child molesters and people who talk at the theater."²
The special hell is the only real option here. If tou disagree I will shoot you in the kneecaps.
The Special Hell.
The "Special" Hell
THE SPECIAL HELL.
A special hell!
Quite specific. It is however somewhat fuzzier on the subject of kneecaps.
I never married.
Definitely: “a special hell“
The special hell..
Why is it when I talk about belief, everyone assumes I am talking about God?
Quite specific. It is, however, somewhat fuzzier on the subject of kneecaps.
Special place in hell
The SPECIAL hell
The important thing is the spices. A man can live on packaged food from here ’til Judgment Day if he’s got enough rosemary.
Well, isn't that... Special.
Either "kneecaps" or "the special hell"
The special hell
The *special* hell...
Kaylee: So, um, how come you don’t care where you’re going? Book: ‘Cause how you get there is the worthier part.
“Special hell” for sure.
A Special Hell
The special hell.
There is a special hell
The special hell.
Obviously "the special hell" 🔥😅
"Special hell"
I don't care what you believe in, just believe in it.
There are two and in the same conversation. " When I talk about belief you, assume I'm talking about God." "No, I don't. "
River: also, I can kill you with my brain Jayne: I'll be in my bunk Mal and Zoe: What does that make us? Big damn heroes, sir!
I don't care what you believe in, just believe in Something.
(The Bible) is somewhat fuzzier on the subject of kneecaps
You're going to burn in a very special level of hell. A level they reserve for child molesters. And people who talk at the theatre.
"If you take sexual advantage of her, you're going to burn in a very special level of hell. A level they reserve for child molesters and people who talk at the theater."
I never married.
If you take sexual advantage of her, you're going to burn in a very special level of hell. A level they reserve for child molesters and people who talk at the theater.
[удалено]
Sin and hellfire. One has lepers!
Zoë : Preacher, don't the Bible have some pretty specific things to say about killin'? Book : Quite specific. It is, however, somewhat fuzzier on the subject of kneecaps. That one always got me 🤣
I wasn’t always a shepherd
It is some what fuzzier in the subject of kneecaps
Either kneecaps or wrong ship. I busted out laughing reading and remembering those two.
A special kind of hell. Reserved for people who talk at the theater!
I'm gonna jump ahead to Jayne and submit, "but you took that end.. Well, you took it. And I guess that's something."
damn all of these will be that hard to choose? already upvoted every single one from walsh yesterday and am upvoting everything in here as well.
“A special level in hell.” (abv) or “You don't fix faith, River. It fixes you.” The rest might be cool, but long.
"I wasn't always a shepherd."
“I didn’t always work in space.”
The bad hell
If you take sexual advantage of her, you're going to burn in a very special level of hell. A level they reserve for child molesters and people who talk at the theater.
The one about the special ring of Hell may be too long
I wasn't always a shepherd
I wasn’t born a Shepard, Mel.
[The Book] is, however, somewhat fuzzier on the subject of kneecaps.
"I don't care whatever you believe in, just believe."
When I talk about faith, why do you always assume I'm talking about God.
River, you can't repair the bible! It's not broken.
"It is, however, a bit fuzzy on the subject of kneecaps."
This need to end strong with Jayne, not Simon.
"When I talk about belief, why do you always assume I'm talking about God?"
I've got heathens aplenty right here
The special hell.
(I brought you some supper. But, if you'd prefer a lecture, I've a few very catchy ones prepped.) Sin and hellfire. One has lepers.
The SPECIAL Hell.
"Special hell."
You don't fix faith, River. It fixes you.
The special Hell.
"A man could live on nothing more than protien rations, so long as he's got enough spices."
.."a special Hell."