Looking Back at S1

[evilchumlee]

I'm amazed at how many people just sort of gloss over how completely unethical putting bombs in dead bodies is. I mean, it's an active war crime under the Geneva Convention, and has been since 1949. I highly doubt this would change in the intervening period.

Of course, the real reason is just whoever worked on the script didn't actually do their research, but now nitpickers have to come up with excuses to explain it within universe.

I feel like war crimes aren't really a "nitpick" situation...

Although the Geneva Convention as it stands would no longer be applicable, surely to have been replaced with Federation-level legislation. There's way too much to slam Discovery on already that i'm comfortable just writing it off to "they have different laws", and focus on the other terrible things from DSC.

 

[fireproof78]

Several starfleet characters since TOS have committed what would be considered war crimes.

Indeed, yes. It's poor logic to assume conventions and laws are the same.

 

[eschaton]

Indeed, yes. It's poor logic to assume conventions and laws are the same.

I dunno. I think this is one of those situations like the "no female captains" thing from Turnabout Intruder that it's best to just recognize as a retrospective fuck up and move on.

 

[fireproof78]

I dunno. I think this is one of those situations like the "no female captains" thing from Turnabout Intruder that it's best to just recognize as a retrospective fuck up and move on.

No, thanks.

I think it's a fuck up but one to show thr fucked up situation they're in.

 

[evilchumlee]

I dunno. I think this is one of those situations like the "no female captains" thing from Turnabout Intruder that it's best to just recognize as a retrospective fuck up and move on.

I always understood that differently, maybe just from the perspective of when I saw it (late 90's).

She doesn't say "there are no female captains", it's more like "the world of captains doesn't include women". I took that line much less literally, not "There are zero women captains and they are not allowed to be captains.", rather as "the role of starship captain is still a largely male dominated occupation and despite all the progress that has been made, it is still difficult for a woman to gain enough respect to become a captain."

 

[fireproof78]

Lester was also mentally unstable.

 

[evilchumlee]

I did always want to see a more diverse set of views from Federation members. Like introduce the Andorians as a staunchly male-dominated society. The Federation isn't an entirely human organization and wouldn't have entirely human ideals at its core.

 

[Quantum21]

I love how Starfleet comes in peace and has all these rules about how to conduct conflict, then Georgiou commits a war crime in "Battle at the Binary Stars".

The whole season is predicated on an ever-increasing likelihood of Federation collapse. The pilot started off with a microcosm of that collapse: a whole task force decimated. The flagship, destroyed.

The context here is disaster, and seen in that light against an enemy that gives no quarter, I think we can forgive a relatively minor possible breach of wartime protocol.

Like DS9 suggests, inter arma enim silent leges. It happens.

The key here is not going too far, and a major theme of season one is after seeing extreme behavior by Lorca, some members of Starfleet, and the final Klingon solution of Starfleet, the Discovery crew balks against mass destruction.

There are things Starfleet must do to remain Starfleet even in desperation. This theme which is prevalent throughout is often ignored by the detractors.

 

[BillJ]

The whole season is predicated on an ever-increasing likelihood of Federation collapse. The pilot started off with a microcosm of that collapse: a whole task force decimated. The flagship, destroyed.

The context here is disaster, and seen in that light against an enemy that gives no quarter, I think we can forgive a relatively minor possible breach of wartime protocol.

Like DS9 suggests, inter alma silent leges. It happens.

The key here is not going too far, and a major theme of season one is after seeing Lorca, some members of Starfleet, and the final Klingon solution of Starfleet, the Discovery crew balks against mass destruction.

There are things Starfleet must do to remain Starfleet even in desperation. This theme which is prevalent throughout is often ignored by the detractors.

Georgiou committed a major war crime by booby trapping the Klingon dead.

 

[Quantum21]

Georgiou committed a major war crime by booby trapping the Klingon dead.

As I already said, context.

 

[fireproof78]

As I already said, context.

And it's for kings.

 

[BillJ]

As I already said, context.

Context? She was earlier spewing the righteousness of Starfleet dogma.

It is poor writing when a character completely flip-flops in less than five minutes.

 

[Quantum21]

And it's for kings.

Indeed.

 

[Quantum21]

Context? She was earlier spewing the righteousness of Starfleet dogma.

It is poor writing when a character completely flip-flops in less than five minutes.

Honestly, ignoring the obvious isn't going to make anyone think this was poor writing. You can't tell the difference between negotiating in good faith and desperation in a losing battle?

Georgiou/Burnham pulled a Kirk. Is this making you angry?

 

[BillJ]

Georgiou/Burnham pulled a Kirk. Is this making you angry?

Do we have any indications that Kirk ever committed a war crime? He didn’t care for the Prime Directive.

 

[Tuskin38]

Do we have any indications that Kirk ever committed a war crime?

He faked a surrender.

 

[BillJ]

He faked a surrender.

Thank you. I knew there was one out there that I was missing. I wonder how that works since he wasn't technically representing the UFP? How do war crimes apply to pirates and other lawless or "nationless" individuals?

 

[fireproof78]

Thank you. I knew there was one out there that I was missing. I wonder how that works since he wasn't technically representing the UFP? How do war crimes apply to pirates and other lawless or "nationless" individuals?

Since he was still a sworn officer of Starfleet he could still held to account under those terms, even if acting rogue. Just like Maxwell would be with his attacks on civilian targets with Cardassians.

 

[KlingonCereal]

I’m finishing up my rewatch now, but some things that stood out to me:

• The way Burnham convinces the AI to let her out of the cell has aged like wine. When the episode aired I thought it was ridiculously dumb, but it mimics perfectly modern LLM tricks.
• The show has upper management meddling all over it, and it shows. The creative vision was overruled in favor being the new Game of Thrones.
• Season 02 is basically a glorified transition season. Its purpose was to set up SNW, and to get Discovery as far away from pre-TOS era as possible.
• I love the LGBTQ+ representation in this show, and its central themes of found family. This is one of the most unique aspects of DIS, and I hope other Trek shows continue to have diverse representation.
• Book was a fantastic addition, and Burnham feels alive when they’re engaging each other.

I could go on, but i’ll just say it’s wild to ponder how much my life has changed since I first heard rumors of Discovery. I remember watching the pilot on CBS, and immediately jumping onto CBS All Access to watch the second episode.

I hope we get a decently worthwhile box set to commemorate the end of the series, unlike that lazily thrown together “Picard Legacy Collection”

 

[F. King Daniel]

I hope we get a decently worthwhile box sex to commemorate the end of the series,

I know it's a typo, but Disco gave us our first ever Trek sex scenes, albeit with muddled memories implying non-con.