Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 1x03 - "Context is for Kings"

[Mirror_Barclay]

I've been thinking... I didn't buy the motivation for Burnham's mutiny in the first ep.

This episode really didn't justify the decision to go that route. Some of the early scenes (mess hall fight) and dialogue were really clunky, and the idea that she started the war still really bugs me.

They could have had Burnham injured in the battle and just now fit for duty, to make her a newcomer to Discovery. If they want her low-ranking they could have just given her a lower rank (she seems young for someone ready to be a captain, and with her science skills they could easily write in a longer period of education).

Perhaps the redemption arc will pick up as we go along?

 

[Gonzo]

I've been thinking... I didn't buy the motivation for Burnham's mutiny in the first ep.

This episode really didn't justify the decision to go that route. Some of the early scenes (mess hall fight) and dialogue were really clunky, and the idea that she started the war still really bugs me.

They could have had Burnham injured in the battle and just now fit for duty, to make her a newcomer to Discovery. If they want her low-ranking they could have just given her a lower rank (she seems young for someone ready to be a captain, and with her science skills they could easily write in a longer period of education).

Perhaps the redemption arc will pick up as we go along?

They could have had the 3rd episode as the pilot and then slowly revealed what happened over the season using flashbacks.

With Burnham slowly recovering as more of the events of that battle are shown to us.

The first two episodes were not really necessary at all.

 

[BillJ]

They could have had the 3rd episode as the pilot and then slowly revealed what happened over the season using flashbacks.

It would've been less painful that way. The first two episodes really turned me off.

 

[Gonzo]

It would've been less painful that way. The first two episodes really turned me off.

They were hard work to watch at times which is a shame.

I still haven't bothered to sit and watch them a second time, I doubt I ever will, plus I used the fast forward button a lot, especially on the Klingon parts, it was pretty obvious it was all a Klingon setup and there was no need to add so much monologue.

Actually the only ones who were oblivious to it was the Starfleet Admiral and Captain Georgiou, somehow I doubt Captain Lorca would be suckered so easily.

I will just forget about them and move forward now that they are done and over with.

 

[Ometiklan]

Voq, the torchbearer did not leave T'Kuvma's ship to light the beacon.

Unless any ship could have an "on" button installed, then T'Kuvma's ship was part of the beacon, even if it wasn't physically connected.

I agree with the other poster who said the Torchbearer left T'Kuvma's ship to light the torch and then returned.

I absolutely agree, so it kinda annoys me that the first thing they do with this 23rd century setting is to introduce all sorts of advanced tech that shouldn't yet exist.

+

Site to site transport is the only honest-to-God 'too advanced tech' violation I've seen so far (introduced to save the Captain a short walk, love it ). Holograms must realistically have been available in TOS given our current level of tech, so we can safely retcon that without too much trouble. Shroom drive is going to have a Fatal Flaw (tm) we probably got hints of on the Glenn.

Yeah, other than the display technology/asthetics, there haven't been any direct violations. StoS transport and holograms are not out of scope for TOS, just rarely seen.

...Why did Tilly have two beds?

A normal person would have pushed the beds together, or put the spare bed in the hall for collection.

Why did only one of the two beds they gave her have the good sheets she needs, when really if she had two beds, why leave one of them as poison, that she can't even change the sheets herself without being poisoned?

Is Tilly supposed to keep her room clean, and wash her own sheets herself?

Is there a maid/s or super science?

I'm thinking that there is a camera or medical scanner in/near Michael's bed, which is why Tilly told her to move-over.

Cadets/lower ranks have two crew per room, so two beds. Beds are likely fixed in place. The sheets aren't poison, she just has allergies. And she doesn't need to change the allergenic sheets anyway. The sheets either have a super clean coating, or there is an automatic system, or there are crew members who do the cleaning -- we don't really know, nor does it matter.

...I suspect the binary stars are the point of light, which the Iron Age Klingons noted and logged for centuries until they were spacefaring, and one of their first missions was to go there and build the beacon. Waiting until the return of Kahless to activate it...

I like this explanation a lot.

I think the beacon is mobile. How else can it be explained that after centuries of being in that spot, no asteroid damage? At least, there didn't appear to be any...

Simple, along with the "scattering field", the beacon has repulsor beams to prevent asteroid collisions.

...3. The giant tardigrade is awesome. We see so many two-armed, two-legged aliens on Star Trek, it’s about time they show us there’s more to this universe than the usual humanoid aliens that tend to bleed together. There really should be all sort of life forms running around out there, and we should be seeing more of them...

I think this is one of the more awesome things about Discovery. With modern computer processing and the big budget, Discovery can have all kinds of aliens that look alien and look good. Unlike the attempts previous Trek has made (e.g. Voyager's Species 8472, and Enterprise's Gorn). I hope we see lots more.

It would've been less painful that way. The first two episodes really turned me off.

I feel the opposite. I liked seeing the "backstory" live instead of through incomplete, fragmented flashbacks. I liked seeing the crew and Captain as they were before to contrast with the now. But I liked the first two episodes on their own anyway.

 

[eschaton]

I still maintain that while the third episode was significantly better as an episode of a TV series than the first two (which had such a plodding, poor structure I wonder if it was at minimum padded out with scenes added later in production), it feels far less like Star Trek as well.

 

[Guy Gardener]

I found the big bad.

The time traveling villains, are the bugs they dug a well for in the pilot, who would never have traveled through time to screw with "present day" unless Michael and Georgou had saved they from extinction in the opening act.

 

[DigificWriter]

The Vulcan Hello and Battle at the Binary Stars were the first two episodes written and filmed; this is indisputable fact.

Whether or not they "work" as an introduction to the series is a matter of opinion, but they weren't "tacked on".

 

[Guy Gardener]

I agree with the other poster who said the Torchbearer left T'Kuvma's ship to light the torch and then returned.

The shields were raised.

Except for all the times they beamed through shields, you can't beam through shields.

Maybe he space walked?

Not enough damn time.

Cadets/lower ranks have two crew per room, so two beds. Beds are likely fixed in place. The sheets aren't poison, she just has allergies. And she doesn't need to change the allergenic sheets anyway. The sheets either have a super clean coating, or there is an automatic system, or there are crew members who do the cleaning -- we don't really know, nor does it matter.

You're perhaps not allergic to anything. Lucky.

"Figuratively" poison.

Yeah.

Imagine a second bed in your one room studio, taking up an 1/8th of the floorspace, that you can never touch or sit on because it's both POISONOUS to you, and you'll have to ring out to house keeping to get the linen stripped and replaced (again) because of bottom sized dents.

16 rump cheek indentation on hospital corners, means Tilly has sat on that bed 8 times in 6 months and no one has cleaned it, even though she's constantly shedding hair like a dog in summer.

(Don't get me wrong, big hair is hawt, but there is a down side, although what's a few trichobezoars between friends?.)

Either the bed had just been put there in Tilly's room because Michael was coming, or the bed had been there for a while because Lorca was still trying to figure out how to acquire Michael. Michael already figured out the whole thing is a set up, I'm just wondering if Tilly is more complex than she seems, and was in on the caper.

 

[Farscape One]

That beacon having a scattering field and repulsor beam constantly working for centuries without running out of power? I doubt that. Klingon technology doesn't seem THAT advanced.

Now, I do wonder if the Klingons took Hur'q technology when they were fighting them. It would be ironic that they would be pretty much like the Kazon at first, since the Kazon were, on the surface, an attempt to be Delta Quadrant versions of the Klingons.

 

[Guy Gardener]

We only mostly see only their warrior caste.

There are Klingon nerds, we saw one on TNG once.

Klingon tech is so good, that they built ships for the Romulans.

So, stop being racist.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Imagine a second bed in your one room studio, taking up an 1/8th of the floorspace, that you can never touch or sit on because it's both POISONOUS to you, and you'll have to ring out to house keeping to get the linen stripped and replaced (again) because of bottom sized dents.

I can't remember, was it actually shown that the linens were different? Cuz Tilly has proven to be a little unreliable in the facts when she wants her way.

 

[Tesophius]

I voted 2. My main disappointment is how unlikeable Lorca is. He's not someone to look up to, not even a person I would want to be around, has that asshole vibe to him, possibly a sociopath. Even his lexicon and the tone of his voice is irritating. Considering that we experience the exploration that's to come through the characters, I'm having trouble identifying with him and imagining how watching him explore strange new worlds is going to be entertaining.

The overall ambience was that of a B-quality horror flick. Really disappointing. The introduction of a tech that we already know won't become ubiquitous wasn't exactly thrilling either, I'm referring to the spore drive.

Couldn't really identify with any of the characters. Saru is okay so far, but the premise of his species is questionable at best. The dialogue between various characters was boring, as if I was watching some cheap cop show and not a group of extremely well trained scientists and engineers aboard a space ship in the 23rd century. A huge step back from every other Trek before.

I might rewatch it though and will still give the next episode a try. The next episode better be at least 4/10

 

[BillJ]

My main disappointment is how unlikeable Lorca is.

He's the only thing saving the show for me right now. His endgame is the only interesting question they've posited so far.

 

[ozzfloyd]

DSC has me more interested and hooked through 3 episodes than any previous television Trek...to date.

 

[BillJ]

I wouldn't be surprised if Lorca had a hand in the destruction of the USS Glenn. As a way to keep Stamets research under his control.

 

[Kemaiku]

A Trek horror series would be awesome, if they built it from the ground up as one. This is treading their sister product Event Horizons territory a little too closely as a temporary setup, not as cool.

Well, I mean depending how this all turns out with Kitty.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I wouldn't be surprised if Lorca had a hand in the destruction of the USS Glenn.

Since we saw the Glenn destroyed by a volley of photon torpedoes from Discovery, I think that's a safe bet.

 

[BillJ]

Since we saw the Glenn destroyed by a volley of photon torpedoes from Discovery, I think that's a safe bet.

I meant the original accident.

 

[Kemaiku]

Does 2 torpedoes constitute a volley?

I know "FULL SPREAD" either means 1 or 3...