New Short Trek: The Trouble With Edward

[Skipper]

I'm the outlier. Edward, due to his personality, should have *never* been on a Starship.

I'd have never been like him but I'd have never made it on a ship either, unless in some civilian capacity. Not smart enough, alas.

Well, even Lucero wondered what he was doing there.

 

[donners22]

Late to the party - just wanted to say that I loved this.

It made me laugh out loud several times, particularly the opening conference scene and the last line. It's up there with The Escape Artist and Calypso as my favourite Short Treks.

It's just a shame that they get such little attention; even if they do wind up on Netflix, they'll probably be buried in a submenu again.

 

[Jayson1]

I wouldn't mind if they did a prequel short trek showing Edward again. Team him up with a Pakled. Jason

 

[guyute03]

I'm 2 minutes into this and I already want Lynne Lucero as a huge part of any possible Pike spinoff show. Wow. She is awesome.

& 'Archer' is the worst Starfleet officer ever. Omg.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I wouldn't mind if they did a prequel short trek showing Edward again. Team him up with a Pakled. Jason

"We are smart"

 

[BillJ]

I'm 2 minutes into this and I already want Lynne Lucero as a huge part of any possible Pike spinoff show. Wow. She is awesome.

I’m the opposite, I think she was the weak link. Should’ve gotten Aisha Tyler to play against Benjamin.

 

[Cyrus]

I wonder if the widespread use of replicator technology by the 23rd century is already making some people in the Federation leery about eating real meat? The short seemed to suggest that. I'm a bit surprised that Star Trek never went there to be honest, because you'd expect the widespread availability of perfectly simulated meat would mean a lot more humans would be down with vegetarianism.

Makes sense. Even now impossible burgers and beyond burgers make it easier for people to convert to vegetarians.

 

[Skipper]

And unless Tribbles can convert oxygen in meat, I don't know how he can think livestock is more efficient than agriculture.

 

[DaveyNY]

Captain Lucero found herself up against Star Fleets other, not-so-well-known
"No Win Scenario" ...

A One Man Mutiny backed up by an Alien Invasion.

 

[Ronald Held]

A Science vessel captain is manager more than a researcher.

 

[BillJ]

A Science vessel captain is manager more than a researcher.

She definitely wasn’t a people person.

 

[Ronald Held]

She definitely wasn’t a people person.

Many scientists are not.

 

[DaveyNY]

She definitely wasn’t a people person.

That can't in anyway be true.
Otherwise Captain Pike would not have OK'd her assignment/transfer as Captain.
Their conversation before she left the Enterprise did not in anyway indicate that was the case.
(In fact, it seemed to very much indicate the exact opposite)

Edward on the other hand...

 

[Lord Garth]

At least she wasn't a Toxic Boss.

Cutting-and-pasting a classic of mine, I wrote in 2011. Based on just one particular boss who I had for four years and which played a large part in my decision to go rogue and become an independent contractor, not too long after that.

How to Become a Toxic Boss

It took an abundance of time and effort to proverbially fellate whoever promoted you into a managerial position. Sociologists may label this fine art as promoting one to their level of incompetence but what do they know? Why let someone beneath you think they can get ahead just by quickly learning skills, techniques, and methods that become outdated at an increasing rate while you took the time to find out who to know instead of what to know? Your approach is never outdated. You were the one who made it ahead so bask in your glory. Revel in it. Continue to impress your superiors and make sure to let your subordinates, your inferiors, know exactly where they stand which is, and always will be, underneath you.

Instructions

1. "It’s your fault!" needs to be your mantra as a Toxic Boss. Should a problem arise, and if knowledge spreads beyond your jurisdiction and/or authority, there must be someone to hold accountable while keeping your job, reputation, and standing secure. Whoever you assign accountability to must never be given a chance to defend themselves, beyond a token effort where you already determined who is at fault. Due process is your enemy.

2. Micromanagement is your friend. Since your subordinates are your inferiors they are by definition incapable of accomplishing a task as well as you. Any procedure that deviates from yours must be wrong. If a subordinate makes an attempt to explain then they are merely searching for excuses to explain or mitigate their inadequacy. To minimize inadequacies, question and inspect all the work of all your employees; they still have a lot to learn before they reach your level of skill so use the limited time you grace their presence with to its maximum effect.

3. Make sure you prioritize. Always micromanage when you are around because you cannot always be around. You cannot have time to perform your responsibilities if you are always performing your subordinates’. Explain you would love to be around more but you have too much to do. Sometimes the tasks of your position are overwhelming so delegate said tasks to supervisors who report directly to you and take all necessary time away from the task to relax your mind so you can handle your responsibilities again whenever or if ever you find an optimal time. Leisure activities include taking the day(s) off, an extended lunch break, or fraternizing with your friends and colleagues. Turning those above you into your friends is always your top priority.

4. Manage Expectations. Do not give your staff the impression they can grow beyond the parameters of whatever you offer them. If they advance too far, they will become a threat to your position; it is too much of a risk to not assume they desire it. Also make sure your clients do not expect more from you than you are willing to provide. Take corrective action against your staff if they attempt to change what the cliental will expect.

5. Selectively respond to questions and feedback. You need not explain yourself or your rationale to those who work under you. Do not respond if you decide they do not need to have an answer. Should you decide they need an answer that you cannot provide, be cryptic. Otherwise feel free to respond however you wish and say their comments are appreciated. Always have an answer prepared for a superior.

6. Always spin to your advantage. Never say anything that makes you or what you represent look unfavorable. When dealing with an unfavorable situation that cannot be blamed on someone else: make it sound less objectionable or deflect the topic altogether by changing the subject. When deflection or embellishments are not options, simply do not comment. If you must comment, cannot change the subject, and there is no positive way to spin the situation, please apologize. You do not need to be sincere.

That's how you become a Toxic Boss.

 

[Charles Phipps]

I’m the opposite, I think she was the weak link. Should’ve gotten Aisha Tyler to play against Benjamin.

I think they probably didn't want to go full Archer. Also, Aisha Tyler would have sent him out an airlock.

And unless Tribbles can convert oxygen in meat, I don't know how he can think livestock is more efficient than agriculture.

Depends if they graze on non-edible plant material.

 

[BillJ]

At least she wasn't a Toxic Boss.

Calling out Larkin in front of everyone makes me think she is. Her concerns were real, but the conversation ditching his project and reassigning him to a nothing position in front of everybody was pretty bad.

 

[Skipper]

H. Jon Benjamin Talks Being the Worst Starfleet Officer Ever in "The Trouble With Edward"
The relevant part

"I think he's perfectly competent as a scientist, just with no moral compass, no perspective, and no social skills. So I think that's where he separates himself from everybody else. That was the big, I assume, comedy conceit of the thing. I think he probably considers himself very good at what he does and that there are no consequences to his research. So he's sort of like a sociopath, I would imagine, but somewhat pathological about his work."

 

[The Mighty Monkey of Mim]

As the song goes, "a sheer delight..."

(Up until the commercial at the end, which was a sheer horror!)

-MMoM

 

[Charles Phipps]

Calling out Larkin in front of everyone makes me think she is. Her concerns were real, but the conversation ditching his project and reassigning him to a nothing position in front of everybody was pretty bad.

I think that she was actually far too polite and soft on him. She kept trying to be nice and he kept making it worse.

Mind you, the thing about Office Space is that the employees think their bosses are terrible but they're actually a bunch of thieves with no work ethic.

 

[Nerys Myk]

A Science vessel captain is manager more than a researcher.

Is that a quote from J T Esteban?