Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 1x14 - "The War Without, The War Within"

[137th Gebirg]

I agree. S31 is a shadow organization. They would not advertise their existence with badges. This was clearly shown to be the case in DS9. Maybe the original idea of the black badges was that the Discovery was part of some top secret department in Starfleet that tests new technologies like the Spore Drive? But clearly, the idea got dropped.

Indeed...the only thing that remains is the "black alert". Remember when Tilly seemed horrified, reacting almost like Pavlov's dog, every time hearing the black alert and freaking out? Now she's all up in the spore tech - basically running the whole show during Stamets' absence - and doesn't even break a sweat. That's more than just character growth, that's an internal reboot from the original core plotline.

 

[XCV330]

I agree. S31 is a shadow organization. They would not advertise their existence with badges. This was clearly shown to be the case in DS9. Maybe the original idea of the black badges was that the Discovery was part of some top secret department in Starfleet that tests new technologies like the Spore Drive? But clearly, the idea got dropped.

There is at least one Starfleet Intel agency that is not affiliated with Sec31. I just figured it was something like that and a sign there was important stuff going on the ship. 300 different science experiments I think they said? Spore drive probably wasn't the only thing.

 

[XCV330]

Indeed...the only thing that remains is the "black alert". Remember when Tilly seemed horrified, reacting almost like Pavlov's dog, every time hearing the black alert and freaking out? Now she's all up in the spore tech - basically running the whole show during Stamets' absence - and doesn't even break a sweat. That's more than just character growth, that's an internal reboot from the original core plotline.

in fairness Discovery doesn't twist it's crew inside out a-la Glenn now that they've figured out how to use it. Who knows how many prior Disco crew were Sonak'd leading up to that.

 

[Mr Awe]

Next season will not be about war, and will have more familiar trek stuff like actually visiting planets. this has been confirmed.

I had heard that too and hopefully it's true. I've been loving the series. But, the new Klingons are a swing and a miss for me.

 

[SJGardner]

Indeed...the only thing that remains is the "black alert". Remember when Tilly seemed horrified, reacting almost like Pavlov's dog, every time hearing the black alert and freaking out? Now she's all up in the spore tech - basically running the whole show during Stamets' absence - and doesn't even break a sweat. That's more than just character growth, that's an internal reboot from the original core plotline.

To be fair, they were jumping without a navigator then and knew far less about the mechanics than at the end of the season... every single jumping test could've been ended with them materializing inside a planet or in the gravity well of a black hole if they miscalculated. I would've been terrified as well.

 

[cooleddie74]

I had heard that too and hopefully it's true. I've been loving the series. But, the new Klingons are a swing and a miss for me.

More like two outs with a heavy smoker on first base.

 

[CorporalClegg]

More like two outs with a heavy smoker on first base.

Who's the heavy smoker?

 

[cooleddie74]

L'Phlegm. Son of Ac'hk.

 

[shapeshifter]

Sexion thirdy-won is teh sux!

The pendulum swings both ways, eh?

If the black badge we saw means nothing, is leftover from a scrapped early draft then they could have very easily cut that 10 second scene without compromising anything but they didn't. It's there on display for all to see so it does mean something. It probably indicates the sensitive nature of the spore drive mission but S31 cannot be 100% ruled out.

This episode has me more worried about a reset button being pushed. THAT would be the sux for me.

Also, the pacing hit a wall here. I've been spoiled by their warp speed story telling so it became difficult to stay focused on this story. But the Georgiou reveal was brilliant!

 

[137th Gebirg]

Funny thing about that scene, when the one prisoner comments about never seeing a black badge before, when in fact he did. Michael's tan jumpsuit had an all-black badge on it. Always found that line of dialogue kind of odd.

 

[Campe]

I stopped watching AfterTrek pretty early on. Have they ever referenced the black badges there?

 

[137th Gebirg]

I think they may have mused over them briefly for the Episode 3 AfterTrek, the only time they were ever seen, but I don't recall ever hearing them seen or mentioned since then.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Funny thing about that scene, when the one prisoner comments about never seeing a black badge before, when in fact he did. Michael's tan jumpsuit had an all-black badge on it. Always found that line of dialogue kind of odd.

The one on her prisoner garb? It was dark gray. The "black" badges were much darker and had a very distinct obsidianish luster to them.

 

[XCV330]

The one on her prisoner garb? It was dark gray. The "black" badges were much darker and had a very distinct obsidianish luster to them.

I found it odd that she HAD a badge as a prisoner but didn't have it as a specialist. I get that TyVoq just has blue pajamas now, but they've always showed even enlisted as having badges, i think (maybe I'm wrong), and "Specialist" I am assuming is used in Starfleet quasi-equivalent to a USCG Petty Officer 3rd class.

 

[CorporalClegg]

I agree that was a bit odd. I think the better choice would have been some kind of Delta patch on the shoulder (both on the prisoner and "specialist" uniforms) similar to the ENT patches - or even just sewn-in like the classic TOS shirts.

The other thing that's odd about not having one on her uniform is it's clearly shown that they also function as dog tags.

*I've always wondered if the 24C combadges worked the same way with some kind of retrievable techie-tech inside the communications bits.

 

[matthunter]

Indeed...the only thing that remains is the "black alert". Remember when Tilly seemed horrified, reacting almost like Pavlov's dog, every time hearing the black alert and freaking out? Now she's all up in the spore tech - basically running the whole show during Stamets' absence - and doesn't even break a sweat. That's more than just character growth, that's an internal reboot from the original core plotline.

True, but without a navigator the jumps - even if only a few thousand klicks - were intrinsically dangerous and Tilly might have been reacting subconsciously to that - the same way humans might react to a self-driving car. Once they discovered the tardigrade's abilities and later Stamets', she was able to relax because she understood the principles more and knew there was someone beyond blind chance at the wheel.

 

[Captain Killy]

Things like this give fuel to S31 theories. The writers brought this on themselves.

A clandestine organization that no one in the Federation even knows exists does not advertise itself by super cool badges and painting its name on its ship.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Perhaps the black badges are simply for noncoms? IIRC, we haven't seen anyone with those ranks yet on the show.

Burnham doesn't count, since as a convicted mutineer she doesn't wear any badge.

 

[Noname Given]

*sigh*

Ok. Picard is gone, totally gone after being turned into Locutus.
There is no Captain.

Riker is Commander until Hanson promotes him.

No - Riker is the Captain of the 1701-D. That he got a field commission and a field promotion was a formality.

Had they not been able to contact Starfleet, he would still have been the Captain, until Picard returned to assume command. Riker's ACTUAL rank doesn't enter into whether or not he is the Captain when Picard is missing in action. Riker was second in the chain of command aboard ship, so when Picard is gone; Riker is Captain until Starfleet Command can be contacted and an Admiral with authority to do so makes a change.

 

[Search4]

It's just that from a storytelling standpoint, you don't want to play every card in your deck, especially in the first season. Section 31 should be used pretty sparingly as a plot line (some would say never). I do agree with you, if they are accepted to be out there, then they are working on their usually devious solutions. Maybe that tribble wasn't aboard Disco by accident?

Mirror Lorca may not have known about Section 31 since there wouldn't be a Federation Charter (section 31) to form it. Hence its absence.