Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 5x01 - "Red Directive"

[evilchumlee]

These two episodes were definitely the best things to come out of Discovery thus far.

Alot of good, some bad. The bad was mostly an issue with Discovery since day one... the writing and acting is somehow overly melodramatic, while also stiff and awkward. It's not as bad in Ep 2, but the first one was almost painful at times.

 

[Cr0sis21]

The phaser rifle was always stupid. It does nothing a phaser doesn't.

Honestly, it's never been hard for me to imagine that phaser rifles have things like:
1) Wider variance on settings
2) Greater range
3) More powerful concussive force
4) Larger power cell capacity
5) And of course, they just look cooler too.

 

[fireproof78]

Honestly, it's never been hard for me to imagine that phaser rifles have things like:
1) Wider variance on settings
2) Greater range
3) More powerful concussive force
4) Larger power cell capacity
5) And of course, they just look cooler too.

Indeed, yes. Regardless of the setting, they are still working with a 21st century audience and the rifles are a good visual representation, plus the other factors. Star Trek has always demonstrated that bigger=better, including more power, more flexibility. It's not necessary for all situations, but a useful option.

 

[Cr0sis21]

Indeed, yes. Regardless of the setting, they are still working with a 21st century audience and the rifles are a good visual representation, plus the other factors. Star Trek has always demonstrated that bigger=better, including more power, more flexibility. It's not necessary for all situations, but a useful option.

Plus it helps to remember when Kira was describing the phaser rifle to Ziyal as a very complicated, very technologically precise instrument compared to Klingon or Cardassian phaser rifles.
Hell, Klingon rifles are just stocks plugged into the disruptors, which indicates to me that for them it's all about increasing power.

 

[TimeIsAPredator]

Would you say that when comparing a regular hand gun to a rifle? Probably not! I'd guess the same sort of advantages, improved power, accuracy, and range.

Honestly, it's never been hard for me to imagine that phaser rifles have things like:
1) Wider variance on settings
2) Greater range
3) More powerful concussive force
4) Larger power cell capacity
5) And of course, they just look cooler too.

Range maybe but we have never seen a phaser having any sort of battery life issue and as for power how much more powerful than disintegration do you need.

Let's be honest it 5 it's all down to point 5.

 

[Fantasy Lover]

Finally got around to watch it, some thoughts:

- for a 26th android Fred was pretty dumb
- I hated Tilly's hair this episode, she looked like a poodle
- the sandstorms chase scene was soooo obviously a green screen
- the season final is going to include Saru and T'Rina's wedding and we'll be finally getting a Vulcan wedding since Star Trek didn't give any Vulcan weddings save that brief scene with T'Pol, I'm calling it
- I wonder what race Reynar is

Also, the new season doesn't seem to be on Amazon anymore

 

[Agony_Boothb]

- I wonder what race Reynar is

He's Kellerun

 

[Fantasy Lover]

I see, thank you

 

[Quantum21]

Query:

"Saxophone lesson"?

Also, Fred: "Spicy"

 

[Captrek]

The main thing the lower episode count gets you are better SFx. They can spend more dollars per episode. I don't tend to watch for the SFx and prefer the stories, so that's not such a plus for me.

The other thing it gets you is five series running concurrently.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

Book got sent off by the Fed at the end of last season, so I found his and Michael's awkwardness with each other realistic. They did a breakup without actually saying it and now have to deal with it.

I'd say they were "On a break".
They never really broke up, they still love each other.
They just were on two sides of a argument/problem last season with good intentions.
He had to pay his pennance to the Federation and was sent off to do humanitarian work as his pennance.

Given the two are very busy people, not having spoken for months makes things naturally awkward.

The phaser rifle was always stupid. It does nothing a phaser doesn't.

Actually it does for a person's ergonomics and making their aim more stable.

Phasers don't have recoil. So a rifle version really wouldn't change much accuracy wise.

The stock and fore-grip help with the user making a more stable platform.
You have 3x Points of contact (Shoulder + 2x Hands). vs only (1x / 2x Hands) in Pistol mode.

You also can have a longer pre-fire chamber, so you can store more particle energy in the chamber for each bolt so they can hit harder.

In Direct Beam/Stream mode, it doesn't make much of a difference; but in Bolt mode, a larger prefire chamber can let you make a more energy dense and larger volume energy bolt to fire off.

Or let you accumulate alot more energy to be ready to rapid fire in smaller bolts like we see with what Michael does.

 

[evilchumlee]

Now we hear that they actually had tech which could be a superweapon all along? Any conclusion to this may be troubling. If it's a red herring, they just retell The Chase a second time in longer form. If there really is some sort of superweapon, it completely undercuts the message of that episode.

I was just going through the thread and noticed this. I was thinking the very same thing.

The entire point of "The Chase" was it's not a weapon.

Now 800 years later, "it's a weapon!"

I hope DSC doesn't just run with that, and I *THINK* it's alittle too obvious for them to just "it's a weapon" and then in the end, it's a weapon. There has to be more than that. DSC has done an abysmall job on the payoff for their mystery boxes so far so I don't know how much faith I have, although they did do better last season.

I have to hope they have something better up their sleeves.

Heh, I just had a funny thought. We know the Progenitors seeded the galaxy with their DNA and that's how humanoids formed. What if the "technology" that allowed them to do this was... spore drive. They would pop in, drop off their seed, and pop in somewhere else riding that sweet mushroom-space wave.

 

[Captrek]

I was just going through the thread and noticed this. I was thinking the very same thing.

The entire point of "The Chase" was it's not a weapon.

Now 800 years later, "it's a weapon!"

FWIW, it seems to be something like Genesis tech: not designed primarily as a weapon, but something that can be used as a weapon in the wrong hands. Of course, it presents the old question: “Would you mind telling me whose are the right hands, my logical friend?”

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

- for a 26th android Fred was pretty dumb

I love the way he talked. Fred was hilarious!

Also I think Rayner is the coolest Starfleet captain we've seen in a long time. What a guy.

 

[evilchumlee]

FWIW, it seems to be something like Genesis tech: not designed primarily as a weapon, but something that can be used as a weapon in the wrong hands. Of course, it presents the old question: “Would you mind telling me whose are the right hands, my logical friend?”

Yeah but even still, even if it's a "weapon but totally not a weapon", that still flies directly against the point of "The Chase".

I really think it will be something closer to the revelation of "The Chase", and that this "weapon" will be more of an ideological thing. It's "dangerous" to know, but in a "pen is mightier" kind of way. My prediction.

EDIT

Oh I forgot to mention Fred. I enjoyed Fred. I'd like to know about what he was. His model number seemed to imply post-Mars, so it seems like they got pretty damn close to creating another Data.

An odd point related to that was Stamets adoration of Alton Soong. Like, sure they would have had a crash course in the history of the past 800 years but the way Stamets talks is like Alton Soong was someone he idolized his whole life. If anything I would expect Stamets to be more familiar with Arik, and he's more up his academic alley.

Adam doesn't seem to get any recognition, although he's probably involved in the nuEugenics Wars so... we probably don't talk about him much.

 

[Captrek]

Yeah but even still, even if it's a "weapon but totally not a weapon", that still flies directly against the point of "The Chase".

I really think it will be something closer to the revelation of "The Chase", and that this "weapon" will be more of an ideological thing. It's "dangerous" to know, but in a "pen is mightier" kind of way. My prediction.

Dunno. “The MacGuffin we’ve been chasing all season doesn’t exist” doesn’t strike me as a satisfying conclusion. Maybe it could be made to work, but not if it’s just a repeat of “The Chase.”

 

[Lakenheath 72]

This is from The Chase:

PICARD: We're all missing some of the fragments, not necessarily the same ones. Unless we combine the ones we have, we will never learn the secret of the programme.
NU'DAQ: There is no secret. It is an ancient weapon design of incredible power. And the Klingon Empire will not allow it to fall into an enemy's hands. Or even a friend's.
OCETT: A weapon? The Yridian who sold us the information claimed that the programme would yield the key to an unlimited power source.
PICARD: But until we assemble it, we will never know its purpose.
OCETT: He's right. As far as we know, it might just be a recipe for biscuits.
NU'DAQ: Biscuits? If that is what you believe, then go back to Cardassia. I will send you my mother's recipe.

I do share the concern expressed here that this will be a 1-hour episode stretched into 10-episodes. Hopefully, there is more here, something which justifies those 10 hours.

 

[evilchumlee]

Dunno. “The MacGuffin we’ve been chasing all season doesn’t exist” doesn’t strike me as a satisfying conclusion. Maybe it could be made to work, but not if it’s just a repeat of “The Chase.”

I don't think that scenario is quite "doesn't exist", it's more of a "a weapon can take many forms."

They may be looking for a technological, point and shoot, explode your enemies weapon.

The "weapon" may simply be a truth about the universe and existence so dangerous, it had to be hidden.

I don't know why, but my current money is on time travel. Something related to time travel.

 

[Tuskin38]

- for a 26th android Fred was pretty dumb

All he said was the last time he saw a puzzle box was in the 26th century, that doesn't mean he's from the 26th century.


also i'm about 75% sure the pistol Fred pulled out was from Picard Season 2, the same one Seven used.

Edit: yeah, it's just missing the finger grips

 

[Turtletrekker]

This is from The Chase:

PICARD: We're all missing some of the fragments, not necessarily the same ones. Unless we combine the ones we have, we will never learn the secret of the programme.
NU'DAQ: There is no secret. It is an ancient weapon design of incredible power. And the Klingon Empire will not allow it to fall into an enemy's hands. Or even a friend's.
OCETT: A weapon? The Yridian who sold us the information claimed that the programme would yield the key to an unlimited power source.
PICARD: But until we assemble it, we will never know its purpose.
OCETT: He's right. As far as we know, it might just be a recipe for biscuits.
NU'DAQ: Biscuits? If that is what you believe, then go back to Cardassia. I will send you my mother's recipe.

I do share the concern expressed here that this will be a 1-hour episode stretched into 10-episodes. Hopefully, there is more here, something which justifies those 10 hours.

Regarding the "biscuits" line-- it seems to me that they really on a search for the Progenitor's recipe for biscuits. The "biscuits" in question being humanity, Klingons Romulans Cardassians and the rest. All "recipes" cooked up in the Progenitor's kitchen.