Why did the creature known as Arumus kill Tasha?

[Timewalker]

The randomness of the killing was pretty much the whole point. They were acknowledging that sometimes death is arbitrary and doesn't have some melodramatically noble purpose to it. It was basically a redshirt death, but made the focus of the entire story because it happened to someone we knew well and cared about. Which was an inspired idea, but it was totally screwed over by "Yesterday's Enterprise" and its romanticized, wish-fulfillment fantasy of a "noble death." Which was then subverted anyway when it was established that alt-Tasha had lived, been enslaved and raped by her captors, and then been murdered failing to rescue her baby, which is a far more ignominious death than the original received.

Killed while trying to escape her enemies? How is that more ignominious than just being zapped and killed for being in the wrong place at the wrong time?

FWIW, back when I used to host local Star Trek club meetings, we'd usually watch an episode or two (I made my own VHS recordings), and "Skin of Evil" was the one most often requested. I have no idea if the others thought Armus was cool, or they didn't like Tasha, or whatever. I remember crying during Tasha's "goodbye" to everyone, and I do think they should have had her tell Data, "It did happen." Data might have come to some better understanding of the idea of comfort and honesty between friends, and not had to learn it from that shallow sister of hers that was played by such an awful actress.

 

[Samuel]

Given that the Enterprise subsequently used a photon torpedo to destroy the shuttle to "keep Armus from leaving the planet" its not unreasonable to believe that Armus was in fact killed in the explosion.

 

[Christopher]

Given that the Enterprise subsequently used a photon torpedo to destroy the shuttle to "keep Armus from leaving the planet" its not unreasonable to believe that Armus was in fact killed in the explosion.

I don't think an entity like Armus would be that easy to kill. Picard even called it immortal.

 

[Samuel]

I don't think an entity like Armus would be that easy to kill. Picard even called it immortal.

If Gary Mitchell could be offed by some boulders I figure Armus could die from a multi megaton explosion

 

[Christopher]

If Gary Mitchell could be offed by some boulders I figure Armus could die from a multi megaton explosion

Mitchell was still in a human body, not an immortal puddle of shapeshifting goo. Plus, do we really know he was dead? There have been a couple of tie-in stories building on the obvious possibility that he survived after all. It wouldn't have been that hard to bring him back for a sequel if the producers had wanted and Lockwood had been available.

Also, it wouldn't take a "multi megaton explosion" to destroy a shuttlecraft. Presumably they fired a torpedo of much lower yield -- why waste the energy? Granted, the episode shows an explosion visible from orbit, but that was probably just for effect. I mean, it makes no sense to assume Picard intended to kill the creature but pretended for some reason that he just wanted to strand it. If killing it had been his intention, he would've said so. Heck, Picard overtly said at the end that Armus's worst fear was not to die, to be stranded alone forever. Picard's revenge was to condemn Armus to eternal life.

 

[Armus]

I read that Gene Rodenberry insisted that Picard couldn't play God and destroy Armus.

 

[Triskelion]

^ It'd make sense, as we saw the same character traits in Galaxy's Child, Silicon Avatar, and The Quality of Life (the Exocomp one, not Half a Life with Charles Oberon Winchester III - where we learn the loss of humanoid life isn't worth questioning as much as an animal's).

 

[Twilight Phoenix]

Which was then subverted anyway when it was established that alt-Tasha had lived, been enslaved and raped by her captors, and then been murdered failing to rescue her baby, which is a far more ignominious death than the original received.

Wow. Ok. Is it part of an actual episode ? Because if there is an episode showing (or hinting) Tasha being sexually molested, I'd want to know which one so I can avoid it...Thank you.

 

[Christopher]

Wow. Ok. Is it part of an actual episode ? Because if there is an episode showing (or hinting) Tasha being sexually molested, I'd want to know which one so I can avoid it...Thank you.

"Redemption, Part II" had Sela explain that the Tasha Yar of "Yesterday's Enterprise" was spared from execution because she agreed to become the "consort" of a Romulan general who was "enamored" with her, and that union produced Sela. The language made it sound romantic, but if she married her captor under threat of execution, then she had no power to consent and the only honest word for it is rape.

 

[Twilight Phoenix]

@Christopher : thanks for the information. If it's just explained and not shown, that could be okay.

 

[Timo]

It could be expected that Armus would attempt to die in the blast. Perhaps it would be within its powers to amplify the explosion, in this (vain?) attempt?

To assume that Picard would "condemn Armus to live" is to assume Picard is cruel and vengeful. The obvious alternative would be to assume Picard is merely distracting Armus with his threats, while the rescue attempt proceeds behind the oil slick's back. After this, Picard could drop the pretense and kill the poor thing.

It would be odd for Picard to subsequently refer to destroying the shuttlecraft to prevent Armus from escaping, though. If Picard was thinking the attempt to euthanize Armus had a chance of failing, we might expect to hear this mentioned.

For all we know, though, Picard had already fired full phasers at Armus for twenty minutes to see if this would put the thing out of its misery, and only then decided it would not...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Christopher]

@Christopher : thanks for the information. If it's just explained and not shown, that could be okay.

The point is, I don't think it is okay. I think that in their attempt to "fix" Tasha's death, they ended up replacing it with something far, far worse and more degrading. How is living for a year as a sex slave on pain of execution, then finally being shot dead while failing to rescue her infant daughter, a better fate than being killed on the job while trying to rescue a crewmate?

 

[Twilight Phoenix]

Wait...I never said the idea of Tasha being raped was okay !!! I just said that, as someone with severe virginitiphobia, maybe I could handle a dialogue better than an actual visual scene.

 

[Christopher]

^I understand, but I'm saying that it would be better if the writers had never created that problem in the first place.

 

[Twilight Phoenix]

I agree with that. Rape shouldn't be used as a scenario element, except if the film's purpose is to raise awareness about it. But that is another debate.

 

[Timo]

...But using a fistfight as a scenario element is fine, even though it's a much more widespread problem that causes permanent injuries to millions every year?

Equating "being forced to marry" with "rape" is iffy in its own right, too, and severely weakens arguments made wrt either of the phenomena.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Twilight Phoenix]

I am not interested in discussing that anymore, thanks. I am here to talk about Star Trek, not feminism or sexual violences.

 

[Mutai Sho-Rin]

I am not interested in discussing that anymore, thanks. I am here to talk about Star Trek, not feminism or sexual violences.

This is a public forum. Once you create a thread, you’re no longer in control. Your complaint is out of line.

 

[Christopher]

This is a public forum. Once you create a thread, you’re no longer in control. Your complaint is out of line.

Uhh, TauCygna didn't create the thread. And they did say earlier that they have a severe phobia about the subject, so I think the complaint was warranted.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

"Redemption, Part II" had Sela explain that the Tasha Yar of "Yesterday's Enterprise" was spared from execution because she agreed to become the "consort" of a Romulan general who was "enamored" with her, and that union produced Sela. The language made it sound romantic, but if she married her captor under threat of execution, then she had no power to consent and the only honest word for it is rape.

At first, I was inclined to write off everything Sela says as a lie (she IS Romulan, after all). Then I remembered that the Enterprise crew did do a DNA scan on her and confirmed that she is in fact Tasha's daughter.

Still, though, given her attitude, Sela is pre-disposed to give the best possible spin on her Romulan parent. So it makes sense, story-wise, for Sela to say that her father was 'enamored' with Tasha. Whereas in reality, it seems obvious that this could never have actually been true.

Tasha was a prisoner, nothing more. It's irrelevant how Sela's father may have actually felt; the difference in power dynamics proves that it must have been exploitative.

As for Armus, this whole thing begs the question: Exactly what was the "race of titans" that created him? The Q?