Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 2x02 - "New Eden"

[BeatleJWOL]

Before Ep 2 they did a recap of Ep 1

In that there was Stamets talking with Culver. I don’t remember seeing that in Ep 1

Did anyone else notice that? Did I miss something?

That "last time" recap included scenes from season 1. I thought it was an odd choice.

 

[Tuskin38]

That "last time" recap included scenes from season 1. I thought it was an odd choice.

It’s not uncommon these days.

Last time scenes are not restricted to the previous episode, it shows events related to the new episode’s plot.

 

[fireproof78]

It was fairly simple slapstick 'pride comes before a fall' type humour where the asshole's ego ends up getting him his comeuppance in short order. There's nothing more sophisticated to it than that - a blowhard dying mid mansplain. If you find that sort of beat amusing, it's funny, if you don't, it isn't. It's difficult to pull off in a show that takes itself seriously and it's difficult to pull off with a 'good guy' instead of random enemy henchman. Personally, I think Discovery pulled it off, but clearly you and others would disagree.

I can see all of that. My point of disagreement is that it was put in there for a laugh deliberately, and even more so I disagree with the interpretation that the guy died for daring to argue with Burnham, or that he was an audience surrogate and the like.

I can appreciate people finding humor in it. I just don't think it was deliberately humorous.

Since this debate continues to linger, I thought I'd weigh in. I absolutely agree with those who believe it was quite intentional by the writers, as a funny scene, just as was the dinosaur/toilet scene that people have mentioned. This kind of joke is seen often in tv and movies. On the other hand, I agree with those who find it not funny at all, but horrifying, and it always takes me out of the story while I process that many, perhaps most, people watching with me are laughing, while I am appalled. This is such a straightforward difference I've noticed among people that it almost seems hard-wired, and along the lines of the blue/black or white/gold dress controversy: obviously it is funny vs. obviously it is not funny.

These are all completely fair observations, and I guess it is a matter of personal variation. I fail to see the humor in this, while people insist it was hilarious...

 

[cultcross]

My point of disagreement is that it was put in there for a laugh deliberately

Ah sorry, I misunderstood your point, I thought you were just saying it wasn't funny.
I disagree more then I 100% think it was deliberately meant to be funny. Or at the very least comically satisfying.

 

[fireproof78]

Ah sorry, I misunderstood your point, I thought you were just saying it wasn't funny.
I disagree more then I 100% think it was deliberately meant to be funny. Or at the very least comically satisfying.

Well, you, sir, are obviously wrong!!!!



Agree to disagree and all that

 

[Gonzo]

Ah sorry, I misunderstood your point, I thought you were just saying it wasn't funny.
I disagree more then I 100% think it was deliberately meant to be funny. Or at the very least comically satisfying.

Perhaps at a stretch it was just played for the surprise as everyone thought the red shirt was a goner.

 

[Michael]

Not to belabor the point, but I can't see how it wouldn't purposefully be written, shot and edited as a somewhat amusing moment. He dies in the middle of his sentence, right as he's arguing against everyone's advice that he knows what he's doing. As I said earlier, I don't think the producers wanted you to laugh out loud necessarily, but I can't see how this wasn't meant as a humorous instant karma moment. This is not a comedy, so they are playing it straight, but they very obviously wrote his character as a pompous nuisance the viewer wouldn't really miss.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Perhaps at a stretch it was just played for the surprise as everyone thought the red shirt was a goner.

I was the other way around. When Pike specifically called attention to her wearing red, I said out loud, "Oh, the blue guy is a dead man walking", because they were trying too hard to make us think "Red Shirt Death". And that was before Connolly started monologuing in an asteroid field.

 

[fireproof78]

Not to belabor the point, but I can't see how it wouldn't purposefully be written, shot and edited as a somewhat amusing moment. He dies in the middle of his sentence, right as he's arguing against everyone's advice that he knows what he's doing. As I said earlier, I don't think the producers wanted you to laugh out loud necessarily, but I can't see how this wasn't meant as a humorous instant karma moment. This is not a comedy, so they are playing it straight, but they very obviously wrote his character as a pompous nuisance the viewer wouldn't really miss.

That doesn't make it amusing. Unless Drama 101 is "the pompous guy dies and that's amusing." I must have missed that in my 4 years in drama class...

 

[oberth]

Ah sorry, I misunderstood your point, I thought you were just saying it wasn't funny.
I disagree more then I 100% think it was deliberately meant to be funny. Or at the very least comically satisfying.

nah - it was supossed to be slapstick (if mel brooks had done it nobody would dare to argue that fact)

 

[matthunter]

nah - it was supossed to be slapstick (if mel brooks had done it nobody would dare to argue that fact)

But what about Randolph Scott?

 

[Gonzo]

I was the other way around. When Pike specifically called attention to her wearing red, I said out loud, "Oh, the blue guy is a dead man walking", because they were trying too hard to make us think "Red Shirt Death". And that was before Connolly started monologuing in an asteroid field.

In my case I barely acknowledged his presence while watching the episode as he wasn't really important and as another science officer his role was redundant.

He was acting the twit before they even climbed into the pods so I just zoned him out, then he died and I didn't bat an eyelid.

I happened upon the debate rather late and was a bit surprised to even see his name mentioned again, it seems some latched onto it and turned a molehill into a mountain.

 

[dahj]

That doesn't make it amusing.

But...

 

[Gonzo]

Not to belabor the point, but I can't see how it wouldn't purposefully be written, shot and edited as a somewhat amusing moment. He dies in the middle of his sentence, right as he's arguing against everyone's advice that he knows what he's doing. As I said earlier, I don't think the producers wanted you to laugh out loud necessarily, but I can't see how this wasn't meant as a humorous instant karma moment. This is not a comedy, so they are playing it straight, but they very obviously wrote his character as a pompous nuisance the viewer wouldn't really miss.

At the time he just didn't register much to me so his fate didn't matter either, I didn't laugh when he died I just didn't really care at all.

His sole purpose for existing was to add a feeling of mortal danger to the sequence.

 

[Michael]

His sole purpose for existing was to add a feeling of danger and consequence to the sequence.

True. This is probably something for the other thread about Connolly, but I actually kind of wish they had kept him alive. He was a complete dick, but I enjoyed him as a humorous foil for Burnham. They could have done a lot of things with a character like this.

 

[Gonzo]

True. This is probably something for the other thread about Connolly, but I actually kind of wish they had kept him alive. He was a complete dick, but I enjoyed him as a humorous foil for Burnham. They could have done a lot of things with a character like this.

He felt too much like a 3rd wheel to me, if he had lived he would probably have got somebody killed so all's well that ends well.

 

[DaveyNY]

"He chose..., poorly"

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(another example of gallows humor, that got a laugh)

 

[Campe]

Let's also remember that the first redshirt ever, Crewman Darnell, in fact wore blue.

I thought it was a nice callback.

 

[dahj]

Let's also remember that the first redshirt ever, Crewman Darnell, in fact wore blue.

Another parallel... Connolly was salty about being questioned, and Darnell was, well, just salty...

 

[DaveyNY]

I think perhaps some folks may be missing the point that these type of situations are not really meant to be "Guffaw" funny.

They are just meant to be presentations of situations where a character get his/her comeuppance, usually in such a way that speaks to the viewer with volumes of Irony.

Which most often, engenders a chuckle out of many astute people.