So is Capt Shaw the new, reigning biggest a##hole in Trek?
- Thread starter Photon
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Haven't seen the episode, but, I think everyone forgets Picard was a pretty big asshole in "Encounter at Farpoint".
Or a "hands off" type of leader.
Or a "hands off" type of leader.
Just wait another few hours and you'll see great examples of that.
Dinner is often at the end of the day. People sometimes go to bed afterwards. I assume all leaders are eating and sleeping when off duty.
And no lower decker would be able to sleep
There's probably a rule against sharing quarters when ranks are too different
Unless it's a misdirect.
Shaw wants a quiet life, mapping stars, meeting friendly new species, and opening trade.
#lifegoals
Count me in on Team Shaw, on the balance of things. Surprise inspection from two retired-ish Starfleet celebrities who are known BFFs, one of whom has a personal connection to his ship, with no word of it coming in through proper channels? Yeah, he smelled a rat, and the second they tried to butter him up and get him to change course, he shot them down because, hey, it's not like "I was just following orders" is going to fly when a couple of guys sweet-talk you into going AWOL on their own private errand. I wouldn't be surprised if he actually had the real guest quarters set up, too, just in case Picard and Riker were on the up-and-up, but sent them to the bunks as a message; "I should put you in the brig or at least confine you to quarters for what you just tried to pull, but let's not go through all that unpleasantness. Nice try, but stop trying to screw me on my own ship, and we'll all go home with our reputations intact." Toying with Picard and Riker wasn't the most noble course of action he could take when confronted with an obvious Badmiral attempting to hijack his ship, but he was returning the same degree of respect Picard and Riker showed him by attempting such a transparent ruse.
The Seven thing is less defensible, but there could be context we don't know about. We know she does, albeit rarely, still go by her birth name under certain circumstances. Shaw might've had a bias about the Borg, he might be wary about training up a green XO who has a lot of technical experience but hardly any leadership experience, and wanted to crack the whip a little, similar to Riker being a stickler for uniform code with Ro (though, come to think of it, Worf got reprimand after reprimand but never lost his dispensation to wear his baldric, even temporarily. The benefits of having a trademark look, I guess). She was obviously uncomfortable when she told Picard about it, but it's hard to guess if that was because she dislikes using the name, or if it was just the embarrassment of the situation, having to correct an Admiral, and her friend, who just blundered into a touchy subject with the Captain, in front of a bunch of the crew, whose respect she needs to maintain. It might not have gone that differently if Jurati had been there and tried to introduce her as "Seven-Shots" in a professional setting (where Seven actually knows what the dynamic is with the people around her and isn't just riffing off of whatever Rando-Husband is doing).
The Seven thing is less defensible, but there could be context we don't know about. We know she does, albeit rarely, still go by her birth name under certain circumstances. Shaw might've had a bias about the Borg, he might be wary about training up a green XO who has a lot of technical experience but hardly any leadership experience, and wanted to crack the whip a little, similar to Riker being a stickler for uniform code with Ro (though, come to think of it, Worf got reprimand after reprimand but never lost his dispensation to wear his baldric, even temporarily. The benefits of having a trademark look, I guess). She was obviously uncomfortable when she told Picard about it, but it's hard to guess if that was because she dislikes using the name, or if it was just the embarrassment of the situation, having to correct an Admiral, and her friend, who just blundered into a touchy subject with the Captain, in front of a bunch of the crew, whose respect she needs to maintain. It might not have gone that differently if Jurati had been there and tried to introduce her as "Seven-Shots" in a professional setting (where Seven actually knows what the dynamic is with the people around her and isn't just riffing off of whatever Rando-Husband is doing).
I also attempted to rank it but he broke so many social etiquette rules at that table... Well played to the actor.
I particularly enjoyed his parting shots - tugging his shirt in the Picard manner as an affront before the man himself, then proceeding to walk behind Riker and double patting him on the shoulder on the way out - all whilst remarking about the room accommodation arrangements he obviously had his final say in manipulating. Not to mention giving Seven the conn (assuming she couldn't eat), and finally raising without looking, back turned as a salute, his wine glass on the way out. Touché.
Even if true, it changes nothing about what I wrote. For the purposes of the episode, he needed to come off as an asshole.
You saw him over 1 single night.
I hate that they want to manipulate me into hating Shaw with the way he was an asshole in episode 1, and episode 2 cemented that feeling and turned me into someone who thinks he's a great captain. lol
They're not wrong though - if you want your audience to believe something else, don't introduce him that way. Otherwise, how can you blame people from getting that impression? The two verbs he does in the episode is eat and nap.
That might be too good for him, he would be stuck on a aging Oberth class.
Another bad leadership trait displayed in episode 2.
Seven persuades him to rescue Picard and Riker, then he blames Seven for the situation they're in instead of taking responsibility for his own command decision. He also only then relieves her for insubordination, which doesn't make any sense. There was a time to do that, but "you talked me into this" =/= insubordination.
I was less impressed with the reasoning that actually got Shaw to intervene.
I get the sense that we're supposed to understand that Shaw isn't the most secure leader and he likes his rulebook, but he will go the heroic route when in a crunch, even if it's a choice that might cost him and his crew. But Seven having to bait him with with glory to get him to go after Picard and Riker makes him look less like a guy who's not interested in risking his crew and ship for two duplicitous old space cowboys, and more like someone who's simply jealous of the reputations earned by those who weren't quite so risk averse back in their day.
Those reputations were well earned.
JLP has managed to save Earth & the UFP on several occaisions.
Riker himself managed to save Earth in the Best of Both Worlds, that alone on top of his amazing service record speaks volumes.
It wasn't without lots of risk and potential loss, but the end result was pretty amazing all things considered.
That's pretty much what undermines Shaw here - he wants to be the man who saved the man who saved the Federation, but he's implied to be too rigid or cautious to match up to Picard and Riker's actual deeds and can't even shoulder the results of his own actions.
I think Shaw hasn't had many "Real Battles" since he's been a by the book type of StarFleet Captain.
He doesn't have a combat record like Picard or Riker who are famous for winning battles, especially when the odds are stacked against him.
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