Theories about Control from Discovery season 2

[Gingerbread Demon]

I can't find the exact post to quote it but someone here came up with a theory that all the events of season 2 were planned and that Control was actually under someone, or something's control doing the things it did. I hope that person reads this and can talk about it here, maybe expand on it. Could it be those cybernetic beings we saw at the end of Picard Season 1?

 

[Quantum21]

I can't find the exact post to quote it but someone here came up with a theory that all the events of season 2 were planned and that Control was actually under someone, or something's control doing the things it did. I hope that person reads this and can talk about it here, maybe expand on it. Could it be those cybernetic beings we saw at the end of Picard Season 1?

Control was inspired by the Novel series, you can probably fill in some of your own blanks there.

The advanced AI in Picard were not "called" I suppose. We could also infer they're not omniscient.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Control was inspired by the Novel series, you can probably fill in some of your own blanks there.

The advanced AI in Picard were not "called" I suppose. We could also infer they're not omniscient.

But novels are not canon as per the quote by Trek purists so I'll go with that unless proven otherwise

 

[Turtletrekker]

I actually believe that those cybernetic beings from Picard season 1 are the same beings that Voyager 6 and countered that turned it into V'Ger.

 

[Quantum21]

But novels are not canon as per the quote by Trek purists so I'll go with that unless proven otherwise

True, they're not but Discovery used several novels as inspiration on various things. If you want some insight into what possibilities might be it would be an interesting read.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

True, they're not but Discovery used several novels as inspiration on various things. If you want some insight into what possibilities might be it would be an interesting read.

Ah ok that might be interesting.

Do you have any suggestions for what novels they used?

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

I think it spoils it a little if Control was being controlled, because that justifies Section 31's paranoia.

What we're shown in the series is an AI that's been indoctrinated by Section 31's philosophy and trained by interacting with its operatives, and it turned out as bad an LLM AI that's been exposed to the worst people on the internet. I think that's a lot more interesting than 'Who was the real threat that hacked our PC?'

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

I think it spoils it a little if Control was being controlled, because that justifies Section 31's paranoia.

What we're shown in the series is an AI that's been indoctrinated by Section 31's philosophy and trained by interacting with its operatives, and it turned out as bad an LLM AI that's been exposed to the worst people on the internet. I think that's a lot more interesting than 'Who was the real threat that hacked our PC?'

Oh no that's fine I like the story as it is but I also like to think more on what could have made it more interesting. The real big complaint was all those shuttles pouring out of the Enterprise that was shitty

 

[F. King Daniel]

Honestly, the Control from the novels would have wiped the floor with the version in Discovery. It basically manipulated the Federation into being, and the novel is the most subversive Trek book I've ever read.

The Discovery version was just, "hey, has anyone seen that movie Terminator?" in the same way the Strange New worlds Gorn are, "Hey, has anyone seen that movie Alien?"

It got greedy and became sentient. If the Next gen Enterprise can do it with Moriarty and that weird holodeck train episode, I guess Section 31 can too.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Honestly, the Control from the novels would have wiped the floor with the version in Discovery. It basically manipulated the Federation into being, and the novel is the most subversive Trek book I've ever read.

The Discovery version was just, "hey, has anyone seen that movie Terminator?" in the same way the Strange New worlds Gorn are, "Hey, has anyone seen that movie Alien?"

It got greedy and became sentient. If the Next gen Enterprise can do it with Moriarty and that weird holodeck train episode, I guess Section 31 can too.

I've never read the novels so how did that version of Control differ from the version we got on the show? How did it form the Federation? I do not mind spoilers but use tags if you have to

 

[F. King Daniel]

I've never read the novels so how did that version of Control differ from the version we got on the show? How did it form the Federation? I do not mind spoilers but use tags if you have to

This gives the list of it. Also, instead of being confined to one system or person as in Discovery, Control is in the cloud and spread across every single LCARS terminal in the Federation.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

Oh damn, that's so much worse.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

This gives the list of it. Also, instead of being confined to one system or person as in Discovery, Control is in the cloud and spread across every single LCARS terminal in the Federation.

What year was this novel written?

Sounds a lot like today with media and information, AI tools to do news, propaganda, and misinformation doesn't it?

What's the name of the novel and did they defeat Control?

 

[F. King Daniel]

What year was this novel written?

Sounds a lot like today with media and information, AI tools to do news, propaganda, and misinformation doesn't it?

What's the name of the novel and did they defeat Control?

It's Section 31: Control from 2016, and I think you have to read Section 31: Disavowed (2014) before to understand what's going on. Both by David Mack and are highly recommended. The concept of Control was taken from the novels but they did their very different Skynet version of it.

And yes, its very much like what's going on with the media today. I'm sure if Elon Musk could do the things Control does in the novels to that extent, he would.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

It's Section 31: Control from 2016, and I think you have to read Section 31: Disavowed (2014) before to understand what's going on. Both by David Mack and are highly recommended. The concept of Control was taken from the novels but they did their very different Skynet version of it.

And yes, its very much like what's going on with the media today. I'm sure if Elon Musk could do the things Control does in the novels to that extent, he would.

Which is a very scary thought indeed.

Rupert Murdoch came close to those ambitions, and frankly exceeded them.

 

[The Wormhole]

did they defeat Control?

Defeating Control in the novels is not a practical option as it's so embedded within the very fabric of the Federation that without it the Federation would collapse, and that's not hyperbole or exaggeration. Even things like emergency response or maintaining life support on starships, space stations or habitats in environments where life can't exist depend on Control in order to maintain operations.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

I feel like going back and re-rating the Section 31 movie 9/10 for not doing that. I had no idea how good we had it.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Icky Starfleet in the novels Embedding a malicious AI into everything

 

[F. King Daniel]

Icky Starfleet in the novels Embedding a malicious AI into everything

*AI assistant icon throbs ominously on the toolbar*

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

*AI assistant icon throbs ominously on the toolbar*

TNG would have been Sooooooooooooooo different had they adopted what the novels did with LCARS