Impressions after 15 episodes in a weekend

[Noname Given]

I know it was a crucial part of the story planned from the start and that’s what’s confusing. The MU is a deliberately campy plot widget to give the writers a chance to write intentionally cheesy and over the top comedy episodes.

Um, have you watched TOS - "Mirror, Mirror" as I wouldn't call that episode either "comedy" or "campy".

In fact I wouldn't call hat was done in the MU episodes for DS9 and/or ENT 'comedy' either. yes, they had their humorous moments, but they weren't outright comedy episodes.

 

[USS Triumphant]

Michael was the one who talked about how bad things would happen if T'Kuvma was martyred, so they needed to be super-extra-careful - and then when it came down to it, she *chose* to kill him. She deserved the court-martial, IMO. The redemption arc after was fine, but her preachy high-handed monologue in the last episode of the season was unwarranted - should have been more humble, I think.

 

[Tuskin38]

and then when it came down to it, she *chose* to kill him.

It was an emotional response.

 

[USS Triumphant]

It was an emotional response.

It was. One that someone trained by Vulcans who had already been through the thought process of why it would be a BAD idea should not have allowed herself to indulge in.

We still prosecute crimes of passion. The person may get a lesser sentence than someone who premeditated the act, but even so, her actions - which, don't forget, also included a premeditated assault on a superior officer, an (justified, IMO, but still probably against the rules) escape from confinement for that assault, and then arguably, mutiny - fully warranted court-martial to remove her from service, and counselling and/or incarceration for a period of time.

(As a side-note, it just occurred to me to wonder where the heck they were taking her at the beginning of the third episode. I mean, some manner of detention facility, yes. But she was tried at Starfleet Command, so wouldn't she just be sent to New Zealand like Tom Paris, later? Why was she being sent that far out in space?)

 

[Tuvix5675]

Very hard to summarize an entire season of Discovery in a single post, I feel like you only touched on a few things that made the strongest impression. Totally agree with you on Tilly, why is a Cadet allowed near the Spore drive? The mycelium network idea violates Roddenberry's view that science fiction shouldn't contradict established science. There are so many things wrong with Discovery, from the characters to the in-universe technology, the contradictions with what came later, etc.

It's mind-blowing that Star Trek 25 years ago was putting out better content, story-wise. I just re-watched "Unification" from TNG's Season 5 this weekend. Amazing episode! The scene between Stewart and Mark Leonard brought me to tears! Why can't we get Star Trek like this anymore! I know what people will say, DSC needs time to find itself, even S1 of TNG wasn't that good. I disagree. Even Tasha Yar's death in S1 made me sad. Even though I liked Lorca, by the time he was killed off, I was cheering for his demise!

One of the big problems I see with DSC is that it is a plot driven, not character driven show, the characters are just plot drivers, which is why the come off as inauthentic.

 

[fireproof78]

(As a side-note, it just occurred to me to wonder where the heck they were taking her at the beginning of the third episode. I mean, some manner of detention facility, yes. But she was tried at Starfleet Command, so wouldn't she just be sent to New Zealand like Tom Paris, later? Why was she being sent that far out in space?)

Perhaps the same penal colony as Garth or the Tantalus Penal Colony.

 

[USS Triumphant]

Perhaps the same penal colony as Garth

Where they ran him through strange scenarios as part of his "treatments"...

 

[Tuskin38]

The mycelium network idea violates Roddenberry's view that science fiction shouldn't contradict established science

The network was inspired by an actual scientific theory.

Tilly is onboard because she’s really smart.

The previous 5 Star Trek series also violated Gene’s view, not just DSC.

 

[Uhura's Song]

Good write up. Two quickies.

On Burnham and the war. I do not think it is supposed to logically hold water about her starting the war. She is just the scapegoat. She assaulted and disabled her captain. Mutinied, took control if the ship, tried to attack another ship, and a war started. And a lot of people died. And she was the one who woke the Klingon ship. Hardly anyone besides Burnham & Georgiou know the full story, & the captain is dead.

A military org is going to view that in an extremely negative way. This should not be surprising.

Nor should it be surprising that there are no females named Michael. Or Steve. Or William. Or Roger. Or males named Betty.
If you think the reason is some gender rut us backwards 21st century folk are stuck in (doubtful), surely there are some woke folk. And yet no female Michaels.

 

[CorporalClegg]

But Michael is a name given to girls. While it's certainly not common, it's not nearly as uncommon as some seem to think it is. I know two women personally named Micheal.

And Stevie is a very common name for girls.

 

[TrickyDickie]

I bet there will be more girls named Michael in the near future.

My wife and I know a woman whose first name is Brian. And it is NOT pronounced Bree-Ann. Her mother preferred boys' names.

 

[Tuvix5675]

The network was inspired by an actual scientific theory.

Tilly is onboard because she’s really smart.

The previous 5 Star Trek series also violated Gene’s view, not just DSC.

Which theory? I know Tardigrades can survive in space, but fungi cannot.
Tilly's intelligence isn't a good enough reason, the spore drive is a top secret, experimental project.

 

[Tuskin38]

Tilly's intelligence isn't a good enough reason, the spore drive is a top secret, experimental project.

Good enough for Star Trek. She was the best theoretical engineer in the academy and was fast tracked out to serve on the Discovery.

Which theory? I know Tardigrades can survive in space, but fungi cannot.

It's inspired by the work of Paul Stamets, whom the character of the same name is named after.

 

[Tuvix5675]

Good enough for Star Trek. She was the best theoretical engineer in the academy and was fast tracked out to serve on the Discovery.


It's inspired by the work of Paul Stamets, whom the character of the same name is named after.

Did the real Paul Stamets theorize the mycelium network survives in space?

 

[Tuskin38]

Did the real Paul Stamets theorize the mycelium network survives in space?

The network isn't in space it's in subspace.

They took his theories and Sci-Fi'd them.

https://www.ted.com/talks/paul_stamets_on_6_ways_mushrooms_can_save_the_world

Instead the network being confined to a single planet, this species of space mushroom spreads its roots through subspace.

 

[Tuvix5675]

The network isn't in space it's in subspace.

They took his theories and Sci-Fi'd them. Instead the network being confined to a single planet, this was is in subspace.

https://www.ted.com/talks/paul_stamets_on_6_ways_mushrooms_can_save_the_world

I just downloaded his book, Mycelium Running, in it he talks about how galaxies are organized following the same archetypal pattern as mycelium. I guess the writers for DSC just took one big leap and just said that's because the galaxy is connected by mycelium.

 

[Tuskin38]

I guess the writers for DSC just took one big leap and just said that's because the galaxy is connected by mycelium.

They did talk about him about this, and he was even a guest (via Skype) on 'After Trek'.
I wouldn't call it a giant leap, they just extrapolated. Star Trek is still sci-fi, they're allowed to make things up. Not everything needs to be based on real science.

 

[Tuvix5675]

They did talk about him about this, and he was even a guest (via Skype) on 'After Trek'.
I wouldn't call it a giant leap, they just extrapolated.

So I guess the spore drive dematerializes or reduces Discovery small enough in size that it can travel this network to some other location then, Discovery rematerializes or reenlarges as it exits the network. I never really understood how it worked until now.

 

[Tuskin38]

From the outside it looks like it just turns to energy, but from the inside it doesn't seem to look like anything, except during that final jump out of the Mirror Universe.

 

[Tuvix5675]

From the outside it looks like it just turns to energy, but from the inside it doesn't seem to look like anything, except during that final jump out of the Mirror Universe.

If it's happening so instantly I'm not sure the crew would experience or observe anything.