Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 3x06 - "Scavengers"

[Amasov]

I've found this to be an extremely uneven season thus far that had led to some confusion on my end. The show is doing a lot of this tell, but, don't show by glossing over important plot points left over from last season.

They traveled into the future and planned to meet up with Gabriel Burnham on Terralysium, but, it gets no mention other than just some dialogue by Michael saying she contacted them and they never heard of her mother. First off, that seems to be a rather important point that shouldn't just be swept under the rug like that. Why not take Discovery to the planet to investigate this? That's where they planned on going as soon as they arrived. Plus, what affect did Discovery's visit on that planet 930 years ago impact them? Did Jacob reveal the truth? Did it impact the course of that planet's evolution?

I also didn't like how this episode decided to bring two things to the forefront that were barely set up prior; the Emerald Chain and the black boxes.

The black boxes are suddenly unbelievably important and Michael tells Saru that she already has two of them. Well, we saw Michael handed one of them during a montage of what she had done over the course of her first year there, but, it's not treated with any importance and we don't even think about if after we see it. And what about the second? No time was spent prior to this to establish how important they were that we're just supposed to accept this.

The Emerald Chain is mentioned in dialogue several times and seen in two episodes, but, nothing is firmly set up prior to give the audience a sense of just how powerful of an adversary they truly are. Why not, instead of Discovery crashing on the planet, if the ship had been attacked and raided by a group of their ships. This not only would blindside the crew, but, also give an immediate sense of how different this time is.

A frustrating episode that, to me, is causing cracks in the season's story to form.

 

[MisterD]

Yeah Star Trek's never done anything like that with a character.. oh wait, there was this character named Jean-Luc Picard who was always right and always ready to deliver a preachy sermon on how he was always right...
^^^
Yeah I hear TNG fans really hated that character...oh, wait...

My point? Like it or not that type of action is a character trait of Michael Burnham that's been a part of the character since the pilot. Are you really complaining that the writers are sticking to a character flaw that the character has demonstrated again and again? Yep terrible writing... Oh, wait...

Well I read such justifications all the time. But: Picard was the CAPTAIN of the FLAGSHIP. That kind of presupposes that he has exceptional skills...and despite, or maybe because he commandet more then one ship at the start of the series he would seek advice from his officers, guinan or available experts before decision making. Also Picard is a quiet and reserved who would think and use his intellect.

In disco its like this:

Burnham: I want to do that thing! I feel its right.
Who ever has command: No thats a bad idea.
Burnham: (makes dramatic face. Then does it anyway, wreaking carnage and havoc over the half sektor, risking everybodys lives and jobs in the process.)

Also its totally ok to have different standarts on a show from 2020 and a show from 1987.

 

[fireproof78]

That kind of presupposes that he has exceptional skills.

Funny, because I am attempting to get through TNG and Picard has failed to impress me with much more skill that the average officer.

Burnham is just different. Not good, not bad, just different.

 

[MisterD]

Funny, because I am attempting to get through TNG and Picard has failed to impress me with much more skill that the average officer.

Burnham is just different. Not good, not bad, just different.

Maybe its personal preference. And I like (TNG)Picard. I like his dignity, patience, calmness, his skills as a leader his passion and the line "what you do is wrong. Its immoral. I´ll fight it!'' , I find him impressive. I would even concider him a rolemodel.

If you liked Burnham more then Picard that would be totally fine. Its good when people like the show and the franchise lives on. And I really dont want to convince someone to not watch or enjoy it anymore.

Spoiler: frustration fueled little Burnham rant..

But still the comparison Burnham/Picard does not quite fit. In TNG or DS9 everybody got his half episode every now and then, while the rest of the characters had benchtime. In disco Burnham saves the ship from the ice, she makes saru the captain, then commands the mission, save the Trill ceremony, she is the most important person in everybodys life. She even must be the reason why space Hitler is on the discovery and not in prison where she belongs....its just too much for my taste.

 

[NCC-73515]

I'd like to give a half like (top part), but that's not possible XD

 

[fireproof78]

Maybe its personal preference. And I like (TNG)Picard. I like his dignity, patience, calmness, his skills as a leader his passion and the line "what you do is wrong. Its immoral. I´ll fight it!'' , I find him impressive. I would even concider him a rolemodel.

He could be those things, and as thick as a Klingon skull in other ways. it all depends on the needs of the story.

Which, brings me back to Burnham. I get that people don't like she is the main focus but ultimately she is the main character. Other Trek may have tried for more of an ensemble, but it ultimately fell back to two. In TOS it was Spock and Kirk, and TNG was Data and Picard. In Discovery it is Saru and Burnham.

 

[MisterD]

In TOS it was Spock and Kirk, and TNG was Data and Picard. In Discovery it is Saru and Burnham.

And thats the point where I have to ask when you watched TNG the last time. Actually Datas best friend was Geordy. And the person closest to Picard was Crusher. The impression that the show was mainly about Data and Picard, might come from the movies or the Picard show. But in TNG Data was just another officer to Picard.

But I'll give Disco that: Today I saw the last episode and finally its mentioned that she is quite unreliable and always does her own thing. This helps a lot......as long as the show stays fair to the other characters.

 

[fireproof78]

And thats the point where I have to ask when you watched TNG the last time. Actually Datas best friend was Geordy. And the person closest to Picard was Crusher. The impression that the show was mainly about Data and Picard, might come from the movies or the Picard show. But in TNG Data was just another officer to Picard.

I was more referring to what the BTS staff were thinking.

And, I watched TNG Season 3 about two weeks ago. Data was the focus of the episode, and Picard demonstrated limited capability and needed Troi's help to figure out a diplomatic problem. It was quite strange.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I have Encounter At Farpoint on right now. The characters seem a bit off. Data is way too robotic.

 

[MisterD]

and Picard demonstrated limited capability and needed Troi's help to figure out a diplomatic problem. It was quite strange.

I dont know wich episode exactly this is. But getting some advice from an empath might not be the worst move in complicated negotiations.

At least Ryker and Wesley didn't walk into a westernbar where they wait for emperor Ming to kickpunch the bad guys. Then walked back to the ship where it turns out all their effort was not enaugh to save them from parasitic ice, and they had to be last minute saved by Picard who descends from the heavens like jesus....just better.

What is BTS?

 

[cooleddie74]

^
Probably "The Neutral Zone" where he seeks her advice on the Romulans and their culture. She doesn't tell him much but he thanks her for it.

 

[fireproof78]

I dont know wich episode exactly this is. But getting some advice from an empath might not be the worst move in complicated negotiations.

At least Ryker and Wesley didn't walk into a westernbar where they wait for emperor Ming to kickpunch the bad guys. Then walked back to the ship where it turns out all their effort was not enaugh to save them from parasitic ice, and they had to be last minute saved by Picard who descends from the heavens like jesus....just better.

"Ensigns of Command."

And no, both Picard and Riker walk down in to the transporter room, say a line, and walk out. It was very strange. And, no, Picard should have figured out what Troi told him which was that figuring out language with an alien species can be difficult. Also, Picard takes most of the episode to be like "Oh, we should read this treaty that this highly litigious species keeps referencing."

 

[Nerys Myk]

I dont know wich episode exactly this is. But getting some advice from an empath might not be the worst move in complicated negotiations.

At least Ryker and Wesley didn't walk into a westernbar where they wait for emperor Ming to kickpunch the bad guys. Then walked back to the ship where it turns out all their effort was not enaugh to save them from parasitic ice, and they had to be last minute saved by Picard who descends from the heavens like jesus....just better.

What is BTS?

Yeah, Jesus never had a cool starship and a guy with a cat.

 

[MisterD]

"Ensigns of Command."

Thats a fun episode. If I remember right Data tries to convince the colonists to leave the planet. Picard tries to convince the aliens to not massmurder the colonists. Both try it with with common sense first, but fail. Then Data "convinces" the colonists by demonstrating a phaser or something like that. And Picard buys time with the power of bureaucracy. Its brilliant. And they did all that without decapitating someone.

Of course its not perfect and appears quite strange. But television has come a long way. If you compare older movies to todays disney productions they feel quite different too. For its time it was a good show...most of it.

 

[Noname Given]

Maybe its personal preference. And I like (TNG)Picard. I like his dignity, patience, calmness, his skills as a leader his passion and the line "what you do is wrong. Its immoral. I´ll fight it!'' , I find him impressive. I would even concider him a rolemodel.

If you liked Burnham more then Picard that would be totally fine. Its good when people like the show and the franchise lives on. And I really dont want to convince someone to not watch or enjoy it anymore.

Spoiler: frustration fueled little Burnham rant..

But still the comparison Burnham/Picard does not quite fit. In TNG or DS9 everybody got his half episode every now and then, while the rest of the characters had benchtime. In disco Burnham saves the ship from the ice, she makes saru the captain, then commands the mission, save the Trill ceremony, she is the most important person in everybodys life. She even must be the reason why space Hitler is on the discovery and not in prison where she belongs....its just too much for my taste.

I love how the writers claim he's a Frenchman but write him as if he's an Englishman. Yep consistency from day one.

 

[MisterD]

I love how the writers claim he's a Frenchman but write him as if he's an Englishman. Yep consistency from day one.

Where is the problem? Why can't a Frenchman have British manners? Concidering that Europe is a really diverse place and has open borders within the EU its not even by todays standarts a stretch.

 

[fireproof78]

Thats a fun episode. If I remember right Data tries to convince the colonists to leave the planet. Picard tries to convince the aliens to not massmurder the colonists. Both try it with with common sense first, but fail. Then Data "convinces" the colonists by demonstrating a phaser or something like that. And Picard buys time with the power of bureaucracy. Its brilliant. And they did all that without decapitating someone.

Of course its not perfect and appears quite strange. But television has come a long way. If you compare older movies to todays disney productions they feel quite different too. For its time it was a good show...most of it.

It's not meant as a comparison. It was my honest effort to see what makes TNG so appealing. And, well, it was an odd episode. Data's plot was decent enough, aside from the open. Picard not thinking to use the treaty from the word go was strange. Also, the captain and the executive officer walk down to the transporter room, ask a question, and leave. It just...well, it stood out and not in a good way.

 

[Noname Given]

Where is the problem? Why can't a Frenchman have British manners? Concidering that Europe is a really diverse place and has open borders within the EU its not even by todays standarts a stretch.

Yeah the EU was a thing in 1987: oh wait it wasn't. It wasn't founded until 1993. Please stop trying to make excuses for bad writing. The fact is they hired an English actor to play a French character and the English actor gravitated towards playing an English character... Big surprise.

Oh and there's this thing going on called Brexit; so you have a English really seem to want to remain a part of the EU. (Sorry but I'm not the one who mentioned the EU first here.)

 

[MisterD]

(Sorry but I'm not the one who mentioned the EU first here.)

LOL. Well beside the fact that dating the foundation of the EU to 1993 is an oversimplification that not nearly mirrors what actually happened. Are you going to tell me that it is unlikely for someone to be born in one country, then move to another, get used to its manners and adapt, but still identify with the country you are born in? This happenes all the time. We call this migration....or at least its one form of it. I bet in London live ten thousands of immigrants who behave more like Brits then whatever country they came from. (And btw. even with the Brexit its still possible for forerigners to live and work in Britain.) The same goes for basically every bigger city in europe.

 

[jackoverfull]

Commander.

Although she is probably even less likely to take command than Stamets would be.

Reno outranks stamets?! I thought she was a noncom!