Book - he used to be an operative similar to the one that was hunting River in the movie.

Yep - but I want to _see_ them find that out.

This is, mind you, pretty much what I was thinking.

Wash: I know. I know! But... there was no in-movie handling of it! There was barely a funeral (at least when compared with the funeral of the dead/not-dead guy in one of the episodes).

Indeed, I did wonder if anyone was going to live, after Simon got shot.