Every Captain's No-Win Scenario...

[Farscape One]

Someone in another thread (I think it was Akiraprise) mentioned "TUVIX" was Janeway's Kobayashi Maru. I completely agree... both choices were some form of bad.

How about all the others?

Kirk - "A PRIVATE LITTLE WAR". This is definitely not a happy ending episode. Either Kirk does nothing, and the Hill People would likely be hunted to extinction, or do what he did and keep a balance of power.


Picard - "Homeward". While this episode does paint him a murderer, I am not sure that's fair. Let's say he does evacuate the village on his own, or even two. That's maybe a couple hundred Boraalans out of their entire species. Never mind the cultural contamination that could very well lead to suicides, murders, or worse, but with such a small group of them alive, is it really a big enough group for their race to actually survive before it collapses? Like what Pulaski said in "Up The Long Ladder", they would only survive with a broad base of genetics. And Picard was right in the beginning... the natural course of events does lead to extinction many times. Otherwise, the T'Kon, Iconians, Preservers, the Progenitors from "The Chase", and more, would still be around in the 24th century.


Sisko - "FOR THE UNIFORM". While he did win by nabbing Eddington, he did it by doing a technically illegal thing... poison the Maquis planet. I agree with his decision, but many, including my wife, thinks he should have had his commission taken. What was the alternative? Stay legal and wait, and the Maquis poison every Cardassian planet in the DMZ, killing hundreds of thousands, possibly millions. Or do what he did, and just look really bad.

Another scenario is "IN THE PALE MOONLIGHT". I agree with his actions, but he did underhanded stuff to get the Romulans into the war, and he certainly looks bad. But his alternative? Do nothing, and quite likely the Dominion would have won and billions more would die.


Archer - "DAMAGE". This truly was a no-win for him. Either steal the warp coil so he can get to the meeting in time so he can stop Earth's destruction, or not, and almost certainly doom his race to extinction.


Thoughts, opinions, and other examples are welcome.

Temba, his arms open.

 

[Oddish]

"Caretaker" or "Scorpion" could also be a Kobiashi Maru for Janeway. She had a lot of tough decisions.

 

[Farscape One]

"SCORPION"... good pick. The last time Chakotay really was an XO.

 

[Oddish]

Thanks. Pale Moonlight and Damage were my picks as well, for those captains.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Wouldn't Emissary be Sisko's Kobyashi Maru? Kirk tells Saavik, "How we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life." In Emissary, Sisko is shown not only dealing poorly with the death of his wife, but is exposed for being mentally unable to leave the moment of her death, something he cannot change.

 

[Farscape One]

An interesting take on that, though I think the line was, "How we face death is at least as important as how we face life." I feel facing and dealing with death are different things. Dealing with death means very much what you stated, while facing death is dealing with your own imminent or upcoming death. I think they are two different things... many of us might be much more accepting of our own death than watching someone we love die.

I like your idea, and it has merit... particularly since she was on a ship where he was XO. And Wolf 359 was probably the most actual no-win scenario in the 24th century.

At the very least, "EMISSARY" already gave character growth for the show's lead, something actually unique in the franchise. No other pilot started off with a broken person, who faces personal pain, deals with it, and becomes stronger.

 

[at Quark's]

Kirk- City on the Edge of Forever.

Even though in that episode, there is an obvious 'right' choice, it comes at the cost of high personal loss.

 

[Oddish]

Even though in that episode, there is an obvious 'right' choice, it comes at the cost of high personal loss.

There's an obvious "right" choice in "Pale Moonlight" as well: a handful of lives versus millions. But it comes at great cost to Sisko: his integrity and self respect.

 

[Takeru]

Picard - "Homeward". While this episode does paint him a murderer, I am not sure that's fair. Let's say he does evacuate the village on his own, or even two. That's maybe a couple hundred Boraalans out of their entire species. Never mind the cultural contamination that could very well lead to suicides, murders, or worse, but with such a small group of them alive, is it really a big enough group for their race to actually survive before it collapses? Like what Pulaski said in "Up The Long Ladder", they would only survive with a broad base of genetics. And Picard was right in the beginning... the natural course of events does lead to extinction many times. Otherwise, the T'Kon, Iconians, Preservers, the Progenitors from "The Chase", and more, would still be around in the 24th century.

Nah, that was an easy one. Nikolai was right, everyone else was wrong. Potential cultural contamination is a non issue when the alternative is the end of their culture entirely and if it leads to a few suicides that's sad but still the lesser of two evils. Picard making a big stink about Vorin killing himself and acting like it was Nikolai's fault was insane and Picard deserved to be slapped silly. If Nikolai hadn't tried to save him he would have been dead anyway along with anyone else on the holodeck and Picard was perfectly fine with it so he can shove it.

 

[Oddish]

The funny thing about Picard is that when he's not driven by the script to be a Prime Directive Hardcase, his attitude is much more Picard-like in that episode.

CRUSHER: "Are you saying you're sorry we saved the Boraalans?"
PICARD: "No, of course not. Our plan for them worked out well. But I wish that Vorin could have bridged the gap between our two cultures. I would have liked the chance to have known him better."

 

[dupersuper]

Picard - "Homeward". While this episode does paint him a murderer, I am not sure that's fair.

You're right: that's far too small a word.

 

[Oddish]

Allowing people to die from inaction might be morally appalling, but it's technically not murder.

 

[FormerLurker]

In a lot of ways, Homeward is the flip-side of Pen Pals. for instance, in the latter, Picard refuses to act until Sarjenka explicitly requests help, then wistfully accepts that helping was the right idea. In the former, Picard bristles at being put in a position where he isn't given a choice, but ultimately accepts that saving the Boraalans was the right idea.

 

[publiusr]

I am trying to see just what a ‘Maru type situation would be for each captain. Dislodge and Janeway faced that every week.

For Picard…a supernova about to burn a long dead planet whose civilization’s repository is under threat vs a rescue of a living Ferengi in a pod. What does he decide to save?

 

[Oddish]

How about the choice Picard had to face in "Man of the People"?

1. Save Troi. Alcar can't do his job. Thousands die when the war resumes.
2. Allow Troi to die a miserable death at the hands of Alcar's negative emotions.

 

[Empok Nor Station Manager]

Symbiosis - TNG
Pen Pals - TNG

The stakes are certainly not as high as with some of the others mentioned, but still deal with "choosing the lesser of two evils."

 

[Oddish]

Children of Time, DS9. Another big one. The fact that the choice was made for him in the end did not change the enormity of the decision Sisko faced.