Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 1x02 - "Battle at the Binary Stars"

Discussion in 'Star Trek: Discovery' started by Commander Richard, Sep 24, 2017.

?

Rate the episode...

  1. 10 - Awesome!

    16.7%
  2. 9

    15.4%
  3. 8

    27.9%
  4. 7

    14.7%
  5. 6

    9.3%
  6. 5

    5.1%
  7. 4

    2.6%
  8. 3

    3.8%
  9. 2

    1.9%
  10. 1 - Terrible!

    2.6%
  1. Yminale

    Yminale Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 30, 2002
    Location:
    Democratically Liberated America
    Not necessarily. Maybe that's the point. She is suppose to be unlikable.
     
  2. Michael

    Michael Good Bad Influence Moderator

    Joined:
    Jul 10, 2007
    Location:
    Aloha Quadrant
    The After Trek show did somewhat go into how the writers are approaching Burnham's character. Her actions are certainly meant to be viewed as wrong by the audience. Her arc is about someone who has worked towards captaining her own ship all her life, only to destroy that dream just before it's about to become reality. Trying it with logic has failed for her. Trying it with emotion has failed for her. And now she questions everything she knows.

    I don't think you are supposed to dislike her. But in the prologue at the very least her character can be seen as ambivalent by the viewer.
     
    Gonzo, cultcross and Borgminister like this.
  3. BillJ

    BillJ The King of Kings Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jan 30, 2001
    Location:
    America, Fuck Yeah!!!
    This is the problem with these kinds of characters. She was right (about the Klingons) and Georgiou had to be the idiot (Yeoh deserved better), in order for Burnham to mutiny.
     
    Gonzo and Mad Jack Wolfe like this.
  4. Vger23

    Vger23 Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2014
    Location:
    Enterprise bowling alley
    I'm actually not sure she was right. The outright attack would have given the Klingon leader exactly what he wanted...a reason to go to war with the Federation. It wouldn't have made the Klingons just turn around and go away with respect.

    Honestly, I think neither Georgiou nor Burnham were right...Saru (spelling?) was the correct one. Retreat would have left the Klingons with nothing at that point.
     
  5. Noname Given

    Noname Given Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    May 22, 2001
    Location:
    Noname Given
    No Georgiou wasn't portrayed as an idiot here in any way. She had her view of the situation and the ONLY reason we the audience know what the Klingons are up is because we're seeing them act (something none of the Starfleet characters know.)

    Let me put it this way: I don't think IF Burnham had succeed in giving the Klingons a "Vulcan Hello" it would have changed anything - T'Kuvma still would have attacked (probably claiming "Well, see the Federation WANTS a glorious fight - we must give them one then AS KLINGONS!"

    The plot point was Burnham truly believed:
    1) It would work.
    2) In her mind it was the ONLY WAY to save the ship and everyone on it she loved.

    Georgiou believed what the Admiral believed - that this situation could be defused diplomatically; and ONLY if the Klingons decided to become the aggressors by their actions, then Starfleet would have to respond in kind to protect themselves.

    Georgiou was never portrayed as an idiot. (IMO)
     
    Last edited: Sep 28, 2017
  6. BillJ

    BillJ The King of Kings Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jan 30, 2001
    Location:
    America, Fuck Yeah!!!
    I disagree. Because she is openly ignoring the evidence of prior contacts with the Klingons.
     
  7. Mad Jack Wolfe

    Mad Jack Wolfe Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Nov 13, 2008
    I don't think there is a winning move in this case. Hit the Klingons first, and you've proved them right. The Federation is aggressive and war is necessary. Retreat, and the Federation is weak, ripe for conquest. When someone wants war, they can find whatever justification they need.
     
    Sci, Longinus and Vger23 like this.
  8. Vger23

    Vger23 Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2014
    Location:
    Enterprise bowling alley
    You know, I gave that some thought and I think there are two points there in Georgiou's favor:

    1. I don't believe Burnham adequately explains her source
    2. Georgiou seems to believe that Burnham's prejudices (and even previous injuries) are interfering with her judgement.

    So...I wasn't as harsh on her for that.
     
  9. Ovation

    Ovation Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2003
    Location:
    La Belle Province
    However, she's sticking to the primary training and institutional philosophy we're supposed to accept as foundational to Starfleet. That's not something easily discarded, especially on a hunch. It may reveal a lack of "outside the box" thinking but it doesn't equate with idiocy. Galileo was correct in his struggle with church doctrine regarding the heliocentric model but largely argued from faith rather than evidence. Burnham is doing the same thing (without ultimately being right--Saru was correct, in the end).
     
    gblews and Sci like this.
  10. BillJ

    BillJ The King of Kings Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jan 30, 2001
    Location:
    America, Fuck Yeah!!!
    Yet had no issue dropping that training and philosophy when she used a corpse to bomb T'Whothehellcares ship.
     
    Gonzo and Mad Jack Wolfe like this.
  11. Mad Jack Wolfe

    Mad Jack Wolfe Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Nov 13, 2008
    I may have to watch episode 2 after all... :vulcan:
     
  12. BillJ

    BillJ The King of Kings Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jan 30, 2001
    Location:
    America, Fuck Yeah!!!
    It didn't really do much for me. But you may like it, or may not.
     
    Gonzo and Mad Jack Wolfe like this.
  13. Guy Gardener

    Guy Gardener Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2000
    Location:
    In the lap of squalor I assure you.
    Has anyone considered that Michael is imagining Sarek?

    Real time communication from the Federation rim, that needs a relay station, in front of the rubble of a relay station that was just destroyed.

    Impossible telepathy, millions of times more powerful than should be possible.

    I mean, maybe she was cray from having her dna mostly unspooled, or maybe Sarek left a clone of himself inside her, to make sure she didn't get up to no bad.

    She could just be talking to herself.
     
  14. Mad Jack Wolfe

    Mad Jack Wolfe Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Nov 13, 2008
    I saw a clip of T'Kfuivygtckvhdgjjfygdh exhorting the high council, and it sounded more like mewling than forceful oratory. Maybe if I skip his bits, I can get through the rest. Then I can say I at least gave DSC a fair shake.
     
  15. BillJ

    BillJ The King of Kings Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jan 30, 2001
    Location:
    America, Fuck Yeah!!!
    I'm hoping episode three kicks things in a more interesting direction.
     
    Gonzo and Mad Jack Wolfe like this.
  16. Samuel

    Samuel Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2017
    I think for the Federation to somehow earn the Klingons respect as a fellow warrior race so they fold their tents and go home then the Federation would have to hit them a lot harder than just the Shenzhou and her compliment of weapons.

    I think the more likely results of Burnhams actions would've been the Klingons saying "Hey they have some fight in them after all! Game on!". So to speak.
     
    Grendelsbayne likes this.
  17. BillJ

    BillJ The King of Kings Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jan 30, 2001
    Location:
    America, Fuck Yeah!!!
    The Klingon ship didn't seem all that sound. One torpedo split it in two with the shields down.
     
    Gonzo and cooleddie74 like this.
  18. cooleddie74

    cooleddie74 Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2001
    Location:
    The Warped Sector of the Demented Quadrant
    It was a ceremonial vessel based on what appears to be an ancient design, retrofitted with an early cloaking device and armed with old weapons. Without the Klingon fleet to support it in combat it probably wouldn't have lasted very long unless it cloaked and hid somewhere.
     
    BillJ likes this.
  19. Guy Gardener

    Guy Gardener Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2000
    Location:
    In the lap of squalor I assure you.
    It as a salvage job.

    Imagine restoring a 57 Chevy with your kid.

    The Federation crew had to figure out what a cloak was on the fly,

    They were completely ignorant.

    However T'Kuvma was a bit of a shit "Do they (the fFderation) think that I am so pathetic that i can't make my ships invisible (Even though these humans had never seen a ship turn invisible before)!!!???"

    Weird.

    The writers were almost acing like the audience had never seen an invisible ship either.
     
  20. cooleddie74

    cooleddie74 Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2001
    Location:
    The Warped Sector of the Demented Quadrant
    From Starfleet's perspective most officers probably had no clue what cloaking devices were or how they worked. Any Romulan cloaking technology encountered by the United Earth Starfleet and ships like Enterprise NX-01 would likely have been classified or downplayed as rumor, and in either case Federation officers living 100 years later wouldn't have a history of encountering cloaking technology except as old, unproven stories or theory.