Comment Stream

Re: LD S4: Old Friends, New Planets

I like the idea that Tom Paris and Lorcano are identical thematically versus just the same actor. It's just that Tom Paris got mentored by Janeway and the Voyager crew as well as accepted the chance at redemption. Lorcano, instead, stewed for a decade or more in his own bitterness and when offered a chance of redemption by Mariner, refused it.

That's not bad writing.

Re: LD S4: Old Friends, New Planets

The biggest plothole of the story is where the hell that Lorcano got a Saberrunner-class Starfleet vessel. Also, where it's crew went. Given that Lorcano claims that he is a murderer, I'm wondering if that he first tried to recruit his Lower Deckers from a Starfleet vessel and had to kill them all.

We could argue that Starfleet keeps better handles on their ship but TOS is full of missing crews.

Re: LD S4: The Inner Fight

One interesting thing this episode does is recontetualize "Much Ado About Boimler" and Mariner's relationship with Amina Ramsey. There was a lot of speculation that Amina was a kind of wunderkind and excessively young as a Captain. In fact, if Amina is the same age at 32-35 then she's a perfectly appropriate age for being a captain and her concern about Mariner still being an ensign becomes a lot more justifiable. It also affects Mariner's relationship/sexual tension with Ransom as they're probably the same age but just very different ranks.

Re: LD S4: The Inner Fight

I originally thought Mariner would have been one of the Enterprise children but it seems her connection is actually with being in the same general class as Wesley Crusher's group in "First Duty."

The REAL question for me is whether Lorcano will be ringing the bell from that episode that the DS9 writers considered doing and showing that Sito has been in a Cardassian Prison camp for the past fourteen years.

Re: LD S4: Caves

Yes, I have to say that conspiracy theories aren’t fun in RL and thus aren’t very funny in Lower Decks. Part of the reason I feel this way is because I used to be a huge X-Files fan and am an anarchist in RL. There’s numerous RL conspiracies of shady inside things like the fact that the NRA was funded by Russia to subvert democracy and a certain electorate vote scheme on January 6th. Things that certainly are straight out of Tom Clancy or John Le Carre. However, these aren’t the conspiracies that people focus on. Instead, the conspiracy theories of the internet are usually Far Right barely disguised anti-Semitic blood libel and often used as propaganda for the Far Right.

*sigh*

Which is to say it just didn’t work for me at this day and this time.

I wasn’t even fond of Rutherford giving birth to a baby plot because not only does that remind me of one of the worst episodes of ENT with Trip’s pregnancy but it also reminds me of “the Child” where I maintained that it really is a form of sexual assault that is just sort of glossed over. It happened to Carol Danvers in the Avengers and it wasn’t funny there either, lack of sexual contact or not.

Best story was Tendi’s by far.

Re: LD S4: A Few Badgeys More

[[It may be just me, but there’s a certain atmosphere of Lower Decks having to be judged at lesser standards than other Trek because of its comedic intent.

That seems weird to me. A show is either satisfying or it’s not, isn’t it? If Lower Decks has to keep being reviewed with this back line of “It’s pretty good for what it is,” then doesn’t that just mean it’s not that good? ]]

I feel like it's significantly worse to judge a cartoon for teenagers by the standards of high drama and vice versa. It shows an unwillingness to engage with media on its own terms and reeks of snobbery. I grew to hate and loathe my literature professors who called Tolkien childish.

Re: LD S4: A Few Badgeys More

Oddly, the most interesting element of this episode is the fact that it reverses a lot of longstanding Star Trek prejudices and treatment of AI in the setting dating back to "Measure of a Man." Basically, the Federation does not have a great history with the treatment of artificial beings as people and I'm not sure this episode really gels with the Federation that refuses to recognize the Doctor's humanity (save as an artist), the future Picard banning of all synths, and the attempted kindapping of Lal.

However, that's probably a good thing.

In this version of the Federation, all of the various "evil AI" of which Peanut Hamper is certainly an example are not put away in storage forever but apparently actually have parole hearings as well as reformative therapy sessions. Which also is very different as a take on "prisons in the 24th century" as while TOS had the idea the Federation had largely moved beyond prisons as punishment, other shows had Tom Paris breaking rocks during the VOY pilot and Burnham serving a lifetime punishment for mutiny (which i pointless for a rehabilitation-based restorative justice model).

It doesn't fit with continuity that AI will be not treated as people after the Mars attack and banned but works VERY well with Star Trek's ideals as they should be practiced.

Re: LD S4: Empathological Fallacies

Caitans eating Betazoids is good worldbuilding.

Finally some more interspecies relationships that don't involve humans.

Re: LD S4: Something Borrowed, Something Green

I imagine the Orion are just deeply invested in their pirating subculture, which is something I understand having once lived in Florida. So, they’re not all pirates but pirate families are revered and romanticized in a way that makes other species uncomfortable. Amusingly, I thought this might have been how you could reconcile the Ferengi fo DS9 and the Ferengi of TNG. The Damons are basically where the non-conformist, warrior Ferengi go sort of like how atavisms on Earth seek out Starfleet.

Re: LD S4: In the Cradle of Vexilon

Okay, it can't just be me.

T'Lyn is AGGRESSIVELY flirting with Boimler in her very Vulcan way.

Right?

While I wouldn't want it to be Endgame, I think Boimler is due for his own Jennifer romance.

Take note the only other time we've seen a Vulcan be as aggressively mean before suddenly switching to being weirdly complimentary in the same scene was T'Pol and Trip Tucker.

It's also very common in anime.

Re: LD S4: Twovix

[And in case you're wondering, my personal opinion is the first perspective I listed: Tuvok and Neelix are dead while Tuvix exists, and thus Tuvix's right to existence trumps theirs as he is the one who currently exists. It is unfortunate, but people die, and it does not give you the right to kill other people to bring them back. Janeway made the ethically wrong decision, imo. ]

If you CAN bring people back then I think they don't fit any definition of dead that isn't covered by a resuscitation order. Killing Tuvix so they can live is no different from rerouting oxygen from one room to another to save more lives.

Re: LD S4: Twovix

[That's why Tuvix is still talked about. Janeways actions are blatantly against Starfleet ethics. Tuvix was more than capable of being their security chief. Voyager doesn't NEED Tuvok back. She killed a friend to save two friends. When Sisko committed an unethical act, it resulted in the death of a Romulan asshole to save the Alpha Quadrant. When Janeway did it....]

Janeway has an obligation to save her crew members and as long as she can, she should. Tuvix is not a Starfleet officer but if he is, which he was acting like, then sometimes they can be ordered to be sent to their deaths. If he's not, she has an obligation to save her crew members from a bad situation.

That's just my take at least.

Re: LD S4: Twovix

Thinking about the original "Tuvix" moral dilemma.

I dunno, if we get the technology to eventually resurrect someone and it required someone else to die, then it gets thornier with the idea Neelix and Tuvok aren't there anymore. The ethical dilemma is not that they're not there anymore but they CAN be saved in the same way someone trapped in a pattern buffer or something would be.

I'm inclined to view this episode very differently from other show watchers, though, as I think the ethical dilemma here isn't nearly as unprecedented or weird as people make it out to be. I think that TOS and DS9 (more than TNG) made it clear that it is BASIC expectation of a Starfleet officer that you have to make questionably ethical life and death choices all the time.

Kobatashi Maru, anyone?

One of the earliest tests to see if Wesley Crusher had the stones (or whatever the nongendered version of it is in the 24th century) was whether or not he could leave a man to die to save someone else. VOY and ENT tried to softpedal this sort of thing (at least until ENT Season 3) but part of the reason Redshirts exist is because sometimes you have to send someone to die. Deana Troi did it to get her promotion.

To save two of her crew, Janeway had to let a random alien die. It's terrible but it's something I expect every Starfleet officer to do in this situation unless there's a greater good involved like the Prime Directive.

So I'm of the mind Captain Freeman would have straight up murdered him if she had to but sought a better option. I doubt she'd have found one, though.

Re: LD S4: I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee

Moopsy!

The Romulans were a bit too stereotypical. But it gives me hope they'll address the supernova in Lower Decks.

Re: LD S4: Twovix

T'Lynn said Boimler smelled.

Oh yeah, that's Vulcan for, "we're going to bang, Hooman."

Look at T'Pol and Trip.

Re: SNW S2: Subspace Rhapsody

This episode had an incredibly stupid premise even in-universe (they needed a Trelane-esque being to justify it) but it was something I forgive a lot of flaws due to the emotional development.

Some random thoughts:

* Jess Bush is fantastically sexy in her number. It needs to be said. However, the big thing is it is a woman choosing her career over a man. You still don’t see that very often in media.

* In the words of Friends with Kirk and La’an, “It could have been worse. He could have shot her.”

* Speaking of which, actually addressing Carol Marcus is something I’m glad they did.

* Spock’s breakup depression song is a math so chef’s kiss.

* Uhura is lonely despite being the center of everyone else’s drama. It makes me wonder if they’re going to do her and Spock.

* Captain Batel couldn’t be throwing up more death flags than if she was two weeks from retirement on her ship the USS Immortal.

* The Klingon Boy Band thing was hilarious but I now have to wonder if Klingons have boy bands or if the Federation DID infect them (in which case destroying the Federation was justified)

* I really expected Pelia to have more comments on this. “Oh, yeah, I wrote that song.”

Re: SNW S2: Under the Cloak of War

[[You are excusing a doctor taking the life of another intentionally. As a doctor myself that is anathema to absolutely everything we stand for. He must be removed immediately. ]]

Yep, and M'Benga would agree it is anathema to who he is.

However, the person he killed was the Klingon Eichmann.

So, he has to deal with the fact that the other option was to let a monster go unpunished and live a life of luxury, claiming to be a man of peace.

Re: SNW S2: Under the Cloak of War

@Bok Kor

I dunno if it's actually a hole that needs to be squared, though. History is full of men who did utterly dishonorable things that were held up as great war heroes even though it directly contradicts their religion or stated ethos. Indeed, one thing that is brought up repeatedly by Klingon stories (Ezri Dax and the laweyr from Judgement) is that Klingons routinely violate their own professed codes.

But you could well be right. Christopher Bennett ("Watching the Clock") is a continuity master and seems to think that Klingon honor doesn't really recognize noncombatants or massacres.

Re: SNW S2: Under the Cloak of War

@Bok R'Mor

To be fair, that actually makes it realistic. If we go by a lot of real world honor cultures, the Klingons fit right in where the rules against these kind of massacres exist but they still happen all the time. As with the Duras example, Klingons often lie about their glories.

Worf is basically the Paladin version of a Klingon as he follows the code as written versus as Klingons often use it.

Re: SNW S2: Under the Cloak of War

Weirdly, a thing that occurred to me in this episode is this is possibly the ONE time I would ever think using Section 31 would be justified since DS9. I would have loved to have it reveal that Dak'Rah was manufactured by a Operation: Paperclip, except the idea wasn't science but DIPLOMACY.

"Starfleet Intelligence grabbed me, lied about my involvement in the massacre, gave me a fake honor and had me going around various planets where I told about how corrupt as well as awful the Klingon Empire was. It's been incredibly effective and we've caused many races to join the Federation or settle the feuds the Klingons have been promoting for their own interests."

I would 1000% prefer THAT Section 31 to the one that does horrific war crimes like experimenting on Changelings.

Re: SNW S2: Under the Cloak of War

A lot of people think Klingon honor actually permits the massacre of noncombatants due to the actions of people like Duras in ENT and the behavior of Kor. However, I should note this is not actually true. "House of Quark" makes it clear that cutting down a Ferengi helpless before you was dishonorable and worthy of dis-commendation. The lawyer, Kolas, makes it clear that he's utterly disgusted by the massacre of refugees and believes Duras will LIE (and did in fact) about them being terrorists to gain unearned glory. Klingon honor says anything to achieve victory is justifiable but pointless massacres are still high on the monster scale.

Re: SNW S2: Under the Cloak of War

My take on Dak'Rah as a Klingon is that he was probably born to a Great House (almost certainly has to as this is before the Great Council), got his Generalship through nepotism, and proceeded to utterly fail (from his perspective) in this battle.

Losing all of his officers and running from a battle, he realized he'd only get a dishonorable death so he concocted his BS story about killing his men for being dishonorable. He thus adopts a "defector of conscience" story and adopts as much in the way of human mannerisms as possible and that he left the Klingon Empire because of their nasty warmongering.

The Federation buy it and ignore the Klingons calling him the "Butcher of J'Gal" as typical Klingon espionage and lies when they're actually telling the truth. They want to buy that he's a Klingon who saw the light and the guy is very good at social manipulation. Basically, they think he's Worf. However, he's not even Gowron (who was many things but not a coward). He's Duras.

The real question, though is what M'Benga said about wearing a mask so long that it becomes the real you. Dak'Rah committed countless war crimes but came to the Federation and acclimated to life there. He's not willing to own to his crimes (and justifies them through various ways) but may have simply adopted the culture of the Federation and come to believe his own lies. As a man who was never a true believer in the Klingon way, maybe he's now a "weekened warrior" of the Federation and a harmless peacenik.

But does that mean he is reformed? Does that mean that punishment for his crimes should not happen? Is all retribution revenge?

Re: SNW S2: Under the Cloak of War

My take on the subject is that Pike’s own argument defeated itself. M’Benga, to me, was flat out confessing to Pike without precisely saying the words and Pike knew it. However, Pike’s argument is that a murderer going free if he does good things is superior to a murderer being punished.

So, what the hell is his argument for arresting M’Benga then? M’Benga as a doctor who has saved countless lives and will save countless more. Arresting him would only stop him from doing so. So Pike had no choice but to leave in order not to be a monstrous hypocrite.

(People are also complicated and Pike has his own feelings about “murderers who go free who do great good” with the “Ones who Walk away from Omelas” episode that I’m blanking on the name right now. The “what if I told you he murdered children” was where Pike decided to let it go even if he didn’t want to investigate anyway)

Re: SNW S2: Under the Cloak of War

[[Dak'Rah is not considered dishonorable by the Klingons. That word is never used. They hate what he did, but they thought he was doing it for his own convictions. His own honor. They hate him because he went against the Empire, but they respect him. Therefore he's the right person to send.]]

I mean, the Klingons are explicitly said to call him The Butcher not the Federation.

Re: SNW S2: Under the Cloak of War

@Slackerinc

To be fair, I don't think his ambassadorial duties were to the Klingons. Still, it shows the Federation really does struggle with trying to deal with cultures that have views of retribution and lack of forgiveness. You'd think the Andorians would understand.