Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 1x04 - "The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry"

[Mr. Laser Beam]

This may be obvious, but if the empire at large were aware of the L'rell and co on the sarcophogus ship and were in contact with them, why didn't they just supply a dilithium processor? Even if it meant taking one of their own ships out of action surely the payoff would have been worthwhile to have a cloaked behemoth at their disposal, with or without its leader?

I assumed that Voq and his followers couldn't call for help (i.e. more food, engineers to fix their ship, etc.) because of 1) pride, or 2) the rest of the Empire refused to assist them. It's probably the latter.

As for the Shenzhou: I'm wondering why Starfleet didn't scuttle it. If they had time to get away in escape pods, couldn't they set the self-destruct, like the Admiral did on the Europa?

Oh, and is the "Landry is a fucking idiot" club accepting any more new members? I'd like to join.

 

[BillJ]

On the other hand abandoning the only known working cloaking device for six months is completely absurd; certainly obtaining it, or failing that, destroying it, should have been a top priority to both sides.

Same hole as allowing Nero to be imprisoned on Rura Penthe for umpteen years and the Klingons never figured out how his ship worked.

It just has to hang out until the story needs it.

 

[Worf2DS9]

I thought it was a bit strange for Discovery to pop in, destroy the attacking Klingons and then pop out without offering any medical assistance to the survivors. We even got a "Who was that masked man?" vibe from one of the surviving children.

Yeah, I thought that was a little odd too. But I guess Lorca was aware that there were other Starfleet ships on the way to render assistance; Discovery was simply closer and was able to get rid of the Klingons before the other ships arrived to clean up the mess. Lorca had to get back to his war, after all!

 

[cultcross]

I imagine it was a matter of hiding the new drive and avoiding questions. Plausible deniability.

 

[BillJ]

Seems Starfleet should have had some kind of presence at its largest dilithium supplier. That would seem to be Combat 101.

 

[eschaton]

Enterprise was a decent show (not great, not terrible, had some memorable moments), at the absolute wrong time in the franchises lifespan.

Enterprise was IMHO a better show than Voyager, but that wasn't saying much. Still, if their positions were reversed, I have no doubt that Enterprise would have gotten seven seasons, and Voyager would have been canceled.

 

[BillJ]

Enterprise was IMHO a better show than Voyager...

For me, they both had their ups and downs. The ups were great, but too far in-between and the downs just sucked the life out of the shows.

 

[Kemaiku]

Seems Starfleet should have had some kind of presence at its largest dilithium supplier. That would seem to be Combat 101.

40% of all of the Federations Dilithium, no less.

That's the planet that needs a refinery, weapons grid, starbase on and off the surface and a small task force present at all times.

Not "oh no, it's rainy and there's smog, can't invade that totally undefended planet, might get the sniffles!"

 

[KirkusOveractus]

As for the Shenzhou: I'm wondering why Starfleet didn't scuttle it. If they had time to get away in escape pods, couldn't they set the self-destruct, like the Admiral did on the Europa?

I was thinking the same, something akin to if a fighter pilot is able land behind enemy lines and not eject, he/she will try to do something to scuttle the plane before they completely leave it behind.

 

[Prax]

Enterprise was IMHO a better show than Voyager, but that wasn't saying much. Still, if their positions were reversed, I have no doubt that Enterprise would have gotten seven seasons, and Voyager would have been canceled.

Or Ds9, for that matter.

 

[Gonzo]

I imagine it was a matter of hiding the new drive and avoiding questions. Plausible deniability.

Yeah definitely, that ship is the experiment so it must not be seen if at all possible.

Seems Starfleet should have had some kind of presence at its largest dilithium supplier. That would seem to be Combat 101.

If it was one of my main sources of dilithium I would have an armada defending it as its an obvious target for the Klingons.

For me, they both had their ups and downs. The ups were great, but too far in-between and the downs just sucked the life out of the shows.

Enterprise was boring for big stretches with the occasional high point, same goes for Voyager really, the addition of Seven was a boost and Species 8472 was great but underused if you ask me.

Enterprise just bored me to tears much of the time, I did enjoy the Vulcan Civil War arc but the Xindi arc was utter meh from start to finish, the Romulan arc wasn't bad either.

That's the problem with having over 20 episodes a season, the scripts and story arcs are not going to be as tight as they could be.

 

[BillJ]

That's the problem with having over 20 episodes a season, the scripts and story arcs are not going to be as tight as they could be.

I don't know? 15 episodes and Discovery feels like it is all over the place, like it was written by a bunch of first time writers.

 

[CorporalClegg]

I don't know? 4 episodes of Discovery feels like it is all over the place, like it was written by a bunch of first time writers.

FTFY

 

[BillJ]

FTFY

Thanks. I had 15 stuck in my head.

 

[eschaton]

For me, they both had their ups and downs. The ups were great, but too far in-between and the downs just sucked the life out of the shows.

I give ENT credit because after Season 2, they really tried to be something aside from another TNG rehash. After fucking up its original intent, Voyager just fumbled along for seven years, with a slight retooling when Seven of Nine came on the show and when The Doctor blew up as a character.

 

[Noname Given]

I'd be disappointed if Klingons didn't eat the body of a vanquished enemy if they were starving. Klingons will eat the heart of a fallen adversary if their stomachs are already full so why wouldn't the surviving Klingons on T'Kuvma's ship eat her? They'd be stupid not to.

To Klingons their own dead bodies are merely shells to be disposed of or laid to rest in a ceremony. They probably think even less of the dead bodies of other species.

^^^
T'Kuvma's House and followers probably see that differently as the ship has caskets holding the remains of fallen Klingon Warriors incorporated onto the hull (The "Black Fleet") - or it's possible all Klingons of this era don't have the "bodies are merely shells" view yet.

 

[eschaton]

^^^
T'Kuvma's House and followers probably see that differently as the ship has caskets holding the remains of fallen Klingon Warriors incorporated onto the hull (The "Black Fleet") - or it's possible all Klingons of this era don't have the "bodies are merely shells" view yet.

I didn't see the caskets when we saw his ship in the last episode. Maybe he decided to take them in and eat the bodies?

 

[Agony_Boothb]

Seems Starfleet should have had some kind of presence at its largest dilithium supplier. That would seem to be Combat 101.

When the Admiral contacts Lorca, she mentions that the refinery had a defense fleet that was defeated by Klingons. One of the miners mentions the fleet as well in the distress call.

I think the Federation has been at peace so long that Starfleet is totally unprepared for war with Klingons it's implied that the Federation is losing. It's not like we've never seen the federation be unprepared before. In best of both worlds the Sol system was defended by the mars defense perimeter.

 

[137th Gebirg]

Seems Starfleet should have had some kind of presence at its largest dilithium supplier. That would seem to be Combat 101.

Yep, quite right. Lorca should have said something about that, being a student of warfare.

"Amateurs talk about tactics, but professionals study logistics."
- Gen. Robert H. Barrow, USMC (Commandant of the Marine Corps) noted in 1980

When the Admiral contacts Lorca, she mentions that the refinery had a defense fleet that was defeated by Klingons. One of the miners mentions the fleet as well in the distress call.

I think the Federation has been at peace so long that Starfleet is totally unprepared for war with Klingons it's implied that the Federation is losing. It's not like we've never seen the federation be unprepared before. In best of both worlds the Sol system was defended by the mars defense perimeter.

Good point, but once again we get the "you're the only ship in the quadrant (or wherever)" contrivance. If the mining planet was that critical to the war effort, there should have been a lot more defensive capability nearby. It only looked like a small handful of BOP's attacking the facility. A reasonably strong planetary defense grid should have made short work of them.

 

[Longinus]

When the Admiral contacts Lorca, she mentions that the refinery had a defense fleet that was defeated by Klingons. One of the miners mentions the fleet as well in the distress call.

So the Klingons manage to destroy the entire Fed fleet defending the planet, yet are easily defeated by Discovery...