So is Capt Shaw the new, reigning biggest a##hole in Trek?

[Anduinel]

It's one thing to be concerned about the crew. It's quite another to wrap them in bubble wrap.

He likes the perks and prestige of being Captain. He likes being able to eat steak every night of the week if he wants. He likes the status of being Captain.

They've got replicators; anyone can have green steak and roughage

Putting his life on the line? Doing the actual WORK of being Captain? Not so much. (His own crew doesn't respect him. He masks his cowardice with "But what about the crew?")

IMHC, he's gunning for a promotion to Enterprise (and he's not going to let anything --or anyone -- stand in his way.)

The Delta Quadrant would eat him for breakfast.

Ah, I think that's a bit harsh. We don't have proof that Shaw's crew doesn't respect him, just that some of them like Seven. And he seems very proud of the ship he has. Though being shaken by "weird shit" isn't exactly a great look for the captain of an exploratory vessel. Come on, dude - weird shit is your mandate and this wouldn't even make it onto Kirk's top ten.

(Don't get me wrong, I still want him to bite it. I just prefer to dislike him for his actual faults. )

 

[Danja]

These are killing me! Keep 'em coming!!!

Now that Jellico is preoccupied ...

 

[Mudd]

Shaw was the only memorable and entertaining thing in the first episode.

 

[mattman8907]

I would love for Shaw to make it through the season and for him to lighten up a little bit. It’s like Kirk told Harriman in generations “risk is part of the business if you wanna sit in that chair [Captain’s chair]”

 

[The Wormhole]

He likes the perks and prestige of being Captain. He likes being able to eat steak every night of the week if he wants. He likes the status of being Captain.

Putting his life on the line? Doing the actual WORK of being Captain? Not so much. (His own crew doesn't respect him. He masks his cowardice with "But what about the crew?")

When you put it that way, he does sound like some managers I've worked for in the past.

 

[Danja]

When you put it that way, he does sound like some managers I've worked for in the past.

He's a lot more petty bureaucrat than actual evil.

 

[The Wormhole]

I view Shaw as an idiot and an Ass, but no, not at all evil.

 

[Paul755]

I don’t think he’s an idiot or evil. But an ass…yup.

 

[Cr0sis21]

Todd Stashwick put it best on the cruise:

In a TNG ep, if some old admiral came on the Enterprise and told Picard he wanted to pull the ship off course for clearly ulterior motives, and then Riker went behind Picard's back and did what the Admiral had asked anyway, we'd all be super pissed at nameless Admiral and also at Riker. But because it's Picard vs. New Guy Shaw, the fans think Shaw is an asshole for seeing through Picard's lame lies. But honestly, he's quickly become one of my fave captains ever.

 

[Skipper]

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I'd love it if a DSC episode had a ship in the background named...USS Liam Shaw.

 

[Yistaan]

We're a few episodes in and is there going to be a payoff for Shaw's anti-Borg prejudice? I don't think any Borg are showing up in the remaining episodes, and all those lines did was make Shaw look evil. If they had been removed, I think most if not everyone would be on Shaw's side especially after the horror inflicted on the Titan crew and Shaw himself in this week's episode.

 

[Cr0sis21]

We're a few episodes in and is there going to be a payoff for Shaw's anti-Borg prejudice? I don't think any Borg are showing up in the remaining episodes, and all those lines did was make Shaw look evil. If they had been removed, I think most if not everyone would be on Shaw's side especially after the horror inflicted on the Titan crew and Shaw himself in this week's episode.

I'm not sure it needs a payoff. Why is it bad to be prejudiced against a race that has come within a hair's breadth of wiping out humanity multiple times? Yes, i know these are ex-Borg, but thunk of it from Shaw's perspective. His relatively new XO refuses to use her human name, which is kind of like taking on your rapist's name. The most famous XB of all comes around unexpectedly, wants to alter your course,is clearly lying about why, and that same XO is trying to cover for him.

You wouldn't think there's something a little suspicious about two XBs clearly working together to undermine you? Including one who has to be ordered to stop using her Borg designation?

 

[Yistaan]

I'm not sure it needs a payoff. Why is it bad to be prejudiced against a race that has come within a hair's breadth of wiping out humanity multiple times? Yes, i know these are ex-Borg, but thunk of it from Shaw's perspective. His relatively new XO refuses to use her human name, which is kind of like taking on your rapist's name. The most famous XB of all comes around unexpectedly, wants to alter your course,is clearly lying about why, and that same XO is trying to cover for him.

You wouldn't think there's something a little suspicious about two XBs clearly working together to undermine you? Including one who has to be ordered to stop using her Borg designation?

I wouldn't think it's Borg related at all considering that Riker, the man who saved the Federation from the Borg, was obviously a ringleader in the setup from the getgo. And it's not Borg related. Shaw was on the right track when going on about Picard and Riker's "wildly exciting but equally irresponsible adventures" which is exactly what this was. The Borg thing is totally unnecessary so far.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

We're a few episodes in and is there going to be a payoff for Shaw's anti-Borg prejudice?

Like I said, it seems obvious that Shaw has personally suffered trauma due to the Borg. Most likely it has something to do with the Constance (end credits). So the most logical alternative is that Shaw served on the Constance at Wolf 359, was probably one of the only survivors, and THAT's the reason he doesn't like the Borg and insists that Seven use her real name.

The only thing we don't know is why Shaw personally requested Seven as his XO. I do NOT think he's deliberately trying to make her fail (as some have suggested)...

 

[Yistaan]

The only thing we don't know is why Shaw personally requested Seven as his XO. I do NOT think he's deliberately trying to make her fail (as some have suggested)...

It's even more bizarre that Shaw clearly holds the Fenris Rangers in contempt, which Seven was recently a member of. Between his like for doing things by the rules and dislike for Seven's Fenris ranger past and Picard's apparently increasingly violent Starfleet career (going by Beverly's rant about his post Nemesis life) and it feels like that's already enough angst in Shaw for the few remaining episodes without throwing the Borg into it as well. And keep in mind we haven't even gotten into Geordi, Troi, Lore, and Moriarty yet.

As for why Shaw likes law and order instead of chaos, we don't need a Wolf 359 backstory for that. The events of this week's episode alone speaks for itself.

 

[Cr0sis21]

I wouldn't think it's Borg related at all considering that Riker, the man who saved the Federation from the Borg, was obviously a ringleader in the setup from the getgo. And it's not Borg related. Shaw was on the right track when going on about Picard and Riker's "wildly exciting but equally irresponsible adventures" which is exactly what this was. The Borg thing is totally unnecessary so far.

Not that it's borg related, but that two ex-Borg are clearly trying to pull the wool over his eyes and he already dislikes the Borg.

 

[Tuskin38]

So the most logical alternative is that Shaw served on the Constance at Wolf 359

I think it's more likely he was a kid or lost family or both.

 

[Yistaan]

I think it's more likely he was a kid or lost family or both.

At this point, and my reasoning for saying the Borg thing is a distraction to begin with, is that to reveal this in episode 5 or whatever would only distract from the already serious grievances Shaw has in regards to Picard's responsibility for the deaths and injuries to the Titan's crew. It would be on par with Emperor Palpatine mentioning that Luke shot down his royal womprats as a teenager at Beggar's Canyon in Return of the Jedi.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I think it's more likely he was a kid or lost family or both.

Yeah, that's probably more likely. Shaw does look a bit young to have served at Wolf 359. That was, what, 40 years ago, Trek time?