Lorca is a coward and murderer, how come he's a Starfleet Captain still??

Discussion in 'Star Trek: Discovery' started by Refuge, Oct 17, 2017.

  1. cultcross

    cultcross Postponed for the snooker Moderator

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    Yes, so far, zero.
     
  2. GeekUSACarl

    GeekUSACarl The Last Starfighter Fleet Captain

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    Nono, they have important rules that they never break ever.
     
  3. BillJ

    BillJ The King of Kings Premium Member

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    Just in Trek in general, I've always had the feeling that Starfleet is the ones actually running the Federation.
     
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  4. cultcross

    cultcross Postponed for the snooker Moderator

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    That may be a bit of POV bias. We've always seen the universe through Starfleet's eyes and therefore we see their sphere of influence. For all we know someone just living out their lives on a Federation world would not encounter Starfleet all that often or be that influenced by them directly. What little we've seen of Federation worlds outside of Starfleet's influence seems to support this feeling; Risa, or Ezri's family mining company, or scenes in Betazed or Vulcan.
     
  5. David cgc

    David cgc Admiral Premium Member

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    By my reckoning, there should be nearly forty ships by this point in the timeline with "31" in the hull number. More if you include ships with the letters "IE" in the name ("31" upside-down). Don't know why they're bothering recruiting people like Bashir and Reed as agents with over three-dozen starships at their beck and call.
     
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  6. Noname Given

    Noname Given Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    That's still an inquiry (just not a very good one). In the end, one or more Admirals said, "Hey, he's okay to Command a ship again."
     
  7. XCV330

    XCV330 Premium Member

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    Black Badge officers are a special unit asssigned with making sure the lights are turned off when no one is using them. God, these kids. Turn off the damn lights. Your captain can't see so good, you know?
     
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  8. Snarfies

    Snarfies Lieutenant Red Shirt

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    The Star Trek economy is based on free energy so there is no need to gather wealth you replicate visit your own hollodeck or travel in second to your holliday destination if you not create it on your own hollodeck. It looks like the Federation is defending this life style without poverty. Star Fleet (from which S31 is a part of) behaves like a sort of Deep State acting rhutless if nececary.
     
  9. Burning Hearts of Qo'nOs

    Burning Hearts of Qo'nOs Commodore Commodore

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    I know if I were a sinister, top-secret and extralegal organization who operates in the shadows of the free world, I would definitely give my operatives identifiable badges and brand my ships with the name of said organization. Hiding in plain sight? How about hiding right in front of your face while holding signs and waving! That's the key.
     
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  10. USS Triumphant

    USS Triumphant Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Go ahead, caller. I'm listening...
    "This droid has boundary issues" - Harry Mudd, right after Stuart brings him the cracker.

    I'm rewatching now. :)
     
  11. Refuge

    Refuge Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I should rewatch because I want to get the play of events in order. The revelation about Lorca was it known to Mudd first, that is was it Lorca's reputation preceding him or did he make up the story about killing his crew - on the spot and Mudd just followed along.
     
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  12. Agony_Boothb

    Agony_Boothb Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I was watching the episode again and Mudd initially hints at it when he says 'I'm a survivor, Captain. Just like you.' Lorca seems confused as to the meaning, because he's never met mudd before. Later, after Lorca returns from the interrogation he confronts Mudd about using Stuart to feed information to the Klingons, Tyler attacks Mudd, who then goes on to tell Tyler about the Buran. Lorca then says he blew the ship so the crew could avoid capture etc.. Mudd does seem taken aback to hear this. Mudd then says 'well, they say confession is good for the soul, too bad none of us have one anymore'

    It got me thinking, it's odd that Mudd would know this information about a random starfleet captain. The incident on the Buran also hasn't been mentioned by any of Discovery's crew. We know that his eyes were injured in battle, but surely if Lorca had a reputation for blowing up his crew all of starfleet would know about it. So I'm wondering if Mudd mentioning the supposed events of the Buran is for one of the following reasons:

    1) Mindgames on Mudd's part to sow discord between Tyler and Lorca. However Lorca suspects Tyler to be a klingon spy and goes along with Mudd's lie as a test for tyler or to build a rapport with Tyler in order for him to let his guard down around Lorca.

    2) Both Mudd and Lorca suspect that Tyler is a Klingon spy. Again, Mudd's story is a way to test Tyler. Perhaps the comment about no one having souls is a hint that now that Voq is Tyler, he no longer has a soul as far as other Klingons are concerned. It was stated by L'Rell that Vow would have to give up 'everything'

    I think we're being led to have doubts about Lorca on purpose. The seeds of which are sown at the start of the episode when the Admiral says to Lorca 'Why give everyone another reason to judge you' when discussing Lorca's decision to recruit Burnham. I dunno, but i'm interested to see how this plays out.
     
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  13. Refuge

    Refuge Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Lorca has obviously some reputation. His previous ship being destroyed, his crew lost might be as far as that reputation travelled - hence him being a survivor. The blowing up part might be where the devil is.

    If Lorca is smart enough to suspect Ash is a spy why take a spy back with you?

    Edit - mickmike, thanks for the re-watch report :)
     
  14. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

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    To keep an eye on him and feed him false information?
     
  15. yenny

    yenny Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    What I think what happen on the Buran. That he wasn't on the bridge, he most likely was in his qaurters at the time of the Kilingon attack.
    When the Klingons luanch their attack, Lorca get up, leave is qaurters and head up to the bridge. At the same time, he is talking to them on the bridge. Suddenly communication lost, he ask the computer what happen; And it tell him that the bridge have been destroyed, warp and impose engines has been disable, phaser are off line, and torpedo luanchers had been also disable.
    He then heads either to the backup bridge or engineer.

    While he heading there, he runs into his crew, who at that time is fighting a Klingon boarding party. They make their way to the backup bridge, fighting all the way. When they get there. Lorca ask for progress reports, which isn't good. He then tells his crew that he has no choice, but to destroy the ship. He and 2 senior officers enter the self distruct activation codes. He then order abandon ship. Then order the thrusters to be fire and aim his ship toward the Klingons ships and order everyone to the lifepods. While they where heading to the lifepods, they runs into some Klingons. Behind those Klingons, there are more Klingons herding a large group of his crew. He and the crew that is with him, launch assult on the Klingons in trying to free his crew, but fail in the progress and loses most of the crew that is with him. They fight their way to the lifepod. When they get there, he turned and realize, that there only him and one crew member left. He then order that one crewman in the lifepod. That crewman refuse and pushes Lorca into the lifepod, knocking Lorca out, closed the doors and pushes the reject button. Lorca comes to. He see no other lifepods, but is own. All he see is nothing but debrid as far as he can see.
     
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  16. ralfy

    ralfy Captain Captain

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    If it's a revelation that needs to be developed across several episodes, then a slow burn issue is involved.
     
  17. ralfy

    ralfy Captain Captain

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    The problem is that they are giving too much content in only a few episodes. Why not deal with them one at the time? Start with the war.
     
  18. ralfy

    ralfy Captain Captain

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    Yes, but how many stories are we looking at now? The telescope, Burnham's past, Lorca's past, the war, the background of the Klingon houses, the background of the main Klingon protagonist, spore technology, Mudd, probably a new supporting character, etc.

    They're cramming too much content in only a few episodes, and the result is a mess.
     
  19. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

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    Because modern TV doesn't do that.
     
  20. ralfy

    ralfy Captain Captain

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    Of course it does.