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Spoilers Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 2x01 - "The Broken Circle"

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"Superior ability breeds superior ambition."

From a world-building perspective, you don't think it's a bit inconsistent that you've introduced a drug that Starfleet personnel take to have artificial superior abilities, and in the very next episode you have one of the main characters on trial by the same organization for having artificially induced superior abilities?

Beyond being a bit silly, my main objection is that this doesn't fit well with everything else. Yes, you can point to other silly things, other fictional drugs, other magic tech. But that doesn't make this good writing because other stupid shit has made it to screen, especially since it's not consistent with the Federation we've seen over the course of a half-century of episodes where it's about the ability of humanity and idealistic human values to overcome.


Starfleet has always been a giant bag of mixed hypocrisy. Starfleet Admirals as well as Federation Ambassadors were willing to explode a bomb at the center of Qo'noS and commit planetary genocide to end the Federation-Klingon War. To them chemical stimulants and serums to endow a user with amazing physical prowess in personal combat as well as bans on genetic engineering and resequencing ARE compatible. Because they're hypocrites. Smug, self-satisfied hypocrites who think that this vast and powerful alliance is the peak of galactic security and that conflicting concepts of behavior are perfectly acceptable to defend said alliance and the system it's created.

Bureaucracies and governments by definition ARE self-contradictory and put their collective foot in their mouths. Trek pretends it's a morally-consistent utopia but it never has been.
 
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Some Trekkies out there will give it a pass, I won't.
That doesn't answer my question at all. There is no specific person "giving it a pass" here in this conversation. There is the acknowledgement that Starfleet and the Federation can be hypocritical and have been in the past.

I don't see it as giving it a pass at all. If Star Trek is to reflect aspects of our humanity in the future, then hypocrisy and contradictory goals are still going to occur. It may be well intentioned, or fear based, but we will still see it. We already saw it. Starfleet has the ban on genetic augmentation but was experimenting with it at Darwin Station (TNG). Far from being poor world building, I think it shows that even in future societies there will be struggles.
 
don't see it as giving it a pass at all. If Star Trek is to reflect aspects of our humanity in the future, then hypocrisy and contradictory goals are still going to occur. It may be well intentioned, or fear based, but we will still see it. We already saw it. Starfleet has the ban on genetic augmentation but was experimenting with it at Darwin Station (TNG). Far from being poor world building, I think it shows that even in future societies there will be struggles.
True, you're correct.

Hopefully they will lift the ban on genetic engineering moving forward or have Genetic Engineering Regulations as to what can be modified.

DON'T Increase Natural Aggression or genetically engineer a aggressive immune system that leaves the body of the original hosts body to hunt down and attack disease organisms outside of the body that can afflict other people.

We have more than enough Natural Aggression as is.

Same with our default stock immune systems that evolved over countless milennia.

Add in Advanced UFP Nanites, it's more than enough to keep our bodies healthy.

Geez, it's like these Genetic Researchers just don't use common sense and think about how some of their changes can afflict society or other people.

You look at Julian Bashir, his Genetic Enhancements were limited and in the end, his environment turned him into a stellar person.

Same with Una-Chin Riley. Her enhancements were limited as well.

You would think the fact that the kids had Telepathy & Telekinesis was "Enough" of an enhancement.

They didn't need the aggressive immune system.
 
Geez, it's like these Genetic Researchers just don't use common sense and think about how some of their changes can afflict society or other people.
Why would they? They are looking "Can I do it?" not "What does this mean?"

You would think the fact that the kids had Telepathy & Telekinesis was "Enough" of an enhancement.
Tell me, how many ambitious people have you know where there was an "enough" plateau?
 
Depends, What are the backgrounds of my local Doctor and nurse. Are they combat veterans with a martial art background? Did they finance their educations by participating in fight clubs? Being medical professions isn’t the disqualifier you seem to think it is.

I think you judge on the person... and in this case I don't felt it realistic to have both healers in fisty cuffs. I would have had the same complaint if Deanna Troi got in a fight with the Duras sisters.
 
Except they are stated to be "combat veterans." So they actually justify their abilities, plus all the other stuff people said, i.e. personal interests or hobbies, officer training, other examples in Star Trek females taking out more trained warriors.

Ultimately, yeah, it's an odd place to find someone's suspension of disbelief breaking but that's what variety is all about.
 
Why would they? They are looking "Can I do it?" not "What does this mean?"
Maybe that needs to be taught and put into regulation.
Medical Ethics and the need to limit certain types of enhancements and what type of enhancements one may have.

Tell me, how many ambitious people have you know where there was an "enough" plateau?
That's why we need regulation to cap/control the eternal problem of unregulated desires/greed for more.
 
Chapel and M'Benga saw action back in the Klingon War. While we don't have any backstory yet its not hard to imagine Starfleet developed this drug to help fight back.
Certainly its reasonable that Starfleet - which is portrayed in SNW as a military, regardless of what they actually call themselves - would require basic unarmed combat training even for medical personnel.
 
Chapel and M'Benga saw action back in the Klingon War. While we don't have any backstory yet its not hard to imagine Starfleet developed this drug to help fight back.
Certainly its reasonable that Starfleet - which is portrayed in SNW as a military, regardless of what they actually call themselves - would require basic unarmed combat training even for medical personnel.
The drug seemed to act like a momentary very short term boost in adrenaline throughout the system.

Adrenaline has been known to make people ridiculously strong for a short period of time.

Well, until they come up with that directive I will simply have to remind myself that we didn't come out here to play god.
Then what did we come out here for?

Need, eh? Curious.
I believe that regulations & a severe need for medical ethics when it comes to Genetic Engineering.

A blanket ban is stupid, but regulations as to what can be tampered with, what should be enhanced or brought down would be nice.

Especially compared to a baseline human.
 
Ok everyone: https://screenrant.com/strange-new-worlds-star-trek-super-serum-explanation/

Nurse Chapel and Dr. M'Benga used an unknown serum in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2's premiere, and answers about it are coming.

Director Chris Fisher: I really want the fighting to be on a whole new level. Not least of which because we sort of tease this backstory between M'Benga and Chapel that they've used this hypospray before. They've used this substance before, which is really great backstory to tease, and which will be explained a little bit more in the season...
 
Ok everyone: https://screenrant.com/strange-new-worlds-star-trek-super-serum-explanation/

Nurse Chapel and Dr. M'Benga used an unknown serum in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2's premiere, and answers about it are coming.

Director Chris Fisher: I really want the fighting to be on a whole new level. Not least of which because we sort of tease this backstory between M'Benga and Chapel that they've used this hypospray before. They've used this substance before, which is really great backstory to tease, and which will be explained a little bit more in the season...
Damn.

That's disappointing. Not very TOS at all...



;)
 
"Superior ability breeds superior ambition."

From a world-building perspective, you don't think it's a bit inconsistent that you've introduced a drug that Starfleet personnel take to have artificial superior abilities, and in the very next episode you have one of the main characters on trial by the same organization for having artificially induced superior abilities?

Makes it a lot more believable as a "world."

Star Trek is not an exercise in "world-building," anyway. It's an exercise in making a snowman out of a snowball.
 
Deanna has a different background. She’s not the veteran of brutal war when we meet her in TNG.

You're being too literal. I don't buy Deanna as a warrior. I don't buy Chapel as a warrior. I find her story unbelievable. She serves many functions from unprofessional to warrior to tech expert to love interest... it doesn't gel for me.

You may buy it. But I cannot. And I'm not after people to persuade me, just we have different views on this.
 
I thought the visuals were impressive. The story was less interesting.

For those arguing about the Klingon fight. They have been watered down since DS9.

As for the serum, Starfleet has become: how can you cheat to get in and stay in? And what can you get away with once you get in?
 
As for the serum, Starfleet has become: how can you cheat to get in and stay in? And what can you get away with once you get in?
The Serum was temporary, and I don't see what it has to do with cheating?

You're being too literal. I don't buy Deanna as a warrior. I don't buy Chapel as a warrior. I find her story unbelievable. She serves many functions from unprofessional to warrior to tech expert to love interest... it doesn't gel for me..
She wasn't a warrior in this episode either, she just had temporary above normal strength.

I imagine every Starfleet officer goes through basic self-defence.
 
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