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Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 2x05 - "Saints of Imperfection"

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Then you don't. But the filmakers unquestionably intended him to come across as heroic.


Well, it was your example...
The point is we can challenge the film maker's presuppositions. In addition, good does not equal heroic. And finally, Georgiou is not presented as good or heroic. I cited Bond because he is a stereotypical "badass" but that doesn't make him good.

ETA: I'll even add that Vader is considered a "badass" but he's hardly a good guy. Yet, he is considered redeemable by the author.

There is so much at work here that categorically dismissing Georgiou as a character because she doesn't fit in to the mold of "good" or "heroic" and the like is frankly, very strange to me, in this day and age.
 
There is so much at work here that categorically dismissing Georgiou as a character because she doesn't fit in to the mold of "good" or "heroic" and the like is frankly, very strange to me, in this day and age.

We're just swinging around to the uncomfortable "the ends justify the means". Georgiou should never be presented as good or heroic. Her being there should be a pretty obvious symbol of moral rot within the Federation.

There could be a story to be told, much like with Wernher Von Braun and other Nazis, about making deals with the devil.
 
We're just swinging around to the uncomfortable "the ends justify the means". Georgiou should never be presented as good or heroic. Her being there should be a pretty obvious symbol of moral rot within the Federation.

There could be a story to be told, much like with Wernher Von Braun and other Nazis, about making deals with the devil.

The Federation allies itself with their enemies whenever the council or Starfleet feels its necessary. Nothing new there and without serious consequences more often than not.
 
So you have problems with a cannibal space nazi being presented as a protagonist today. Did you have problems with an amoral cannibal space communist twenty years ago being made a lead on Voyager?
Huh? Who? What are you talking about? FWIW, I consider VOY to be hands-down the worst series in the Trek franchise, and I gave up on it at a fairly early stage, for a whole host of reasons.

(ETA: from later posts I gather that you're referring to 7 of 9 here. For the record, I stopped watching VOY before she came aboard, so I really don't know enough about the character to comment.)

As for the ep not explaining everything to you, again, Discovery's seasons are single stories, not a series of distinct episodes and by now everybody knows this by now, like chapters in a book. Did you used to get upset when everything wasn't revealed after the first 15 minutes of one of the serial eps in the old days? When you read a novel do you expect to be given all the answers a quarter of the way through? Yeah, i understand that there's a whole generation of viewers who were spoon fed everything they needed to know, but I do wonder how many seasons of a Star Trek show not doing this its going to take before people actually accept that they are going to have to figure some things out for themselves.
Do you always ask condescending rhetorical questions full of implied insults, rather than simply offering your own views on the substance of what others have said? I'm not even sure what part of my post you're responding to here.

And you annoyed about Star Fleet officers involved in deniable missions? You mean like what happened in The Enterprise Incident and Chain of Command?
You're doing it again... and positing a flawed straw-man analogy in the process. At no point in my criticism of DSC's handling of S31 did I suggest that covert activity can never be necessary, or that it should be categorically prohibited in Starfleet.

Worked as a decent sum up for me. Of course I was able to follow what was going on in the episode from beginning to end, so perhaps having that as a benefit helped I suppose.
And you're doing it again, to other posters besides me. You really seem to be going out of your way to be personally antagonistic and escalate conflict. Surely you can disagree with others while still being respectful?

It kind of interesting that Star Trek's Utopia appears to be viewed by some as a world of where there are no second chances and no actual possibility of real redemption allowable not to mention any possibility of forgiveness for past deeds that contradict this Utopias ideals. Where exactly is the Goodness in that?
When anyone actually posts something to that effect, we can talk about it. Until then, you're just straw-manning again. Why not try arguing against the best versions of others' positions, rather than the most extreme and caricatured versions?

I've asked this question elsewhere but I am genuinely curious to your reaction-is Vader redeemable?
No, I don't think he was... and despite lots of money, energy, and screen time dedicated to the effort, I don't think Lucas succeeded in the attempt. (It's a quixotic thing, to create one of the great black-hat villains of popular fiction, then turn around and decide that your larger goal is to make him sympathetic to the audience!...)

Given the humanistic framework I find it very difficult to accept this categorical rejection of any redemption arc for Georgiou. The point of narrative is to demonstrate that change is possible, and Star Trek is about humanity improving beyond the base nature. So, here we have a perfect opportunity for the "nature vs. nurture" debate within Star Trek and it is rejected out of hand because this character is "too evil." ... I am genuinely curious as to where the line is for redemption in terms of fictional narrative.
It could make for an interesting story arc in that sense. I'm not saying it's impossible.

For instance, the show Man in the High Castle managed to do a story that basically made you want to stand up and cheer for Hitler at one point... although it benefited from the fact that Hitler wasn't actually a central character. (The American Nazi character John Smith is, but he's been presented from the start as more morally conflicted, not utterly black-hearted. The contrast in S3 with the utterly despicable Lincoln Rockwell (derived from a real-world American Nazi) underscores that distinction.)

Similarly, and even more effectively, I think the redemption arc of Jaime Lanister in Game of Thrones is brilliant and fascinating. It's certainly not something one would have expected from his depiction in the first season... and he is a central character throughout.

However, I honestly don't think the level of writing talent on DSC, nor for that matter the structural constraints of the Trek franchise, not to mention the character's origins as already discussed, leave the show able to (re)develop Georgiou as effectively as either of those examples. So I remain skeptical.
 
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We're just swinging around to the uncomfortable "the ends justify the means". Georgiou should never be presented as good or heroic. Her being there should be a pretty obvious symbol of moral rot within the Federation.

There could be a story to be told, much like with Wernher Von Braun and other Nazis, about making deals with the devil.
And I welcome such a story. There is room in Star Trek for this character and such a journey.
No, I don't think he was... and despite lots of money, effort, and screen time dedicated to the effort, I don't think Lucas succeeded in the effort. (It's a quixotic thing, to create one of the great black-hat villains of popular fiction, then turn around and decide that your larger goal is to make him sympathetic to the audience!...)
On this point, I agree.
However, I honestly don't think the level of writing talent on DSC, nor for that matter the structural constraints of the Trek franchise, not to mention the character's origins as already discussed, leave the show able to (re)develop Georgiou as effectively as either of those examples. So I remain skeptical.
I respect your skepticism and appreciate your point of view. I am simply curious where the line is as to redemption. I am more curious as to why Star Trek's constraints some how prohibit such a character arc though.

Personally, I do not want a Jamie Lannister or other of your examples type story arc. I am interested in this character and what can come of this story opportunity. And it may turn out to be for naught. But, I believe their is room for redemption for all, especially in a narrative world such as Star Trek. Otherwise, the concept of utopia is much like the Alliance in Firefly-it is accessible only to those who deserve it. The rest, like the Operative, have no place there.
 
Personally, I do not want a Jamie Lannister or other of your examples type story arc. I am interested in this character and what can come of this story opportunity. And it may turn out to be for naught. But, I believe their is room for redemption for all, especially in a narrative world such as Star Trek. Otherwise, the concept of utopia is much like the Alliance in Firefly-it is accessible only to those who deserve it. The rest, like the Operative, have no place there.
If there would be as serious attempt for redemption for this character, it would have to start with real confrontation with her past and genuine remorse. I really don't see them going there, she will be a cool super agent with some nice acts towards the select few she likes.
 
Huh? Who? What are you talking about? FWIW, I consider VOY to be hands-down the worst series in the Trek franchise, and I gave up on it at a fairly early stage, for a whole host of reasons.

(ETA: from later posts I gather that you're referring to 7 of 9 here. For the record, I stopped watching VOY before she came aboard, so I really don't know enough about the character to comment.)


Do you always ask condescending rhetorical questions full of implied insults, rather than simply offering your own views on the substance of what others have said? I'm not even sure what part of my post you're responding to here.


You're doing it again... and positing a flawed straw-man analogy in the process. At no point in my criticism of DSC's handling of S31 did I suggest that covert activity can never be necessary, or that it should be categorically prohibited in Starfleet.


And you're doing it again, to other posters besides me. You really seem to be going out of your way to be personally antagonistic and escalate conflict. Surely you can disagree with others while still being respectful?


When anyone actually posts something to that effect, we can talk about it. Until then, you're just straw-manning again. Why not try arguing against the best versions of others' positions, rather than the most extreme and caricatured versions?


No, I don't think he was... and despite lots of money, effort, and screen time dedicated to the effort, I don't think Lucas succeeded in the effort. (It's a quixotic thing, to create one of the great black-hat villains of popular fiction, then turn around and decide that your larger goal is to make him sympathetic to the audience!...)


It could make for an interesting story arc in that sense. I'm not saying it's impossible.

For instance, the show Man in the High Castle managed to do a story that basically made you want to stand up and cheer for Hitler at one point... although it benefited from the fact that Hitler wasn't actually a central character. (The American Nazi character John Smith is, but he's been presented from the start as more morally conflicted, not utterly black-hearted. The contrast in S3 with the utterly despicable Lincoln Rockwell (derived from a real-world American Nazi) underscores that distinction.)

Similarly, and even more effectively, I think the redemption arc of Jaime Lanister in Game of Thrones is brilliant and fascinating. It's certainly not something one would have expected from his depiction in the first season... and he is a central character throughout.

However, I honestly don't think the level of writing talent on DSC, nor for that matter the structural constraints of the Trek franchise, not to mention the character's origins as already discussed, leave the show able to (re)develop Georgiou as effectively as either of those examples. So I remain skeptical.

I watched Man in the High Castle, and there isn't any point where the show made me want to cheer for Hitler. I really do not show you were watching, or think you were watching if you found that to be the case. The ending of season two, did bring tears to my eyes, because it offered Juliana, after all she'd been through, hope, and the fact that she somehow plays the most irreplaceable part in how that hope might be realized..

Hey, you called the ep NONSENSE. That was your assessment. NONSENSE. How is that even an argument? As far as I can tell by my viewing of the show, the only way that level of dismissal can be arrived at is if someone just wasn't paying attention or couldn't have been bothered to. That is my assessment of someone who watched this ep and made the assessment you did. What exactly was the best part of your argument there?
 
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Sure, but what I was pointing out was that the Emperor was every bit a product of her society as Seven of Nine was of her borg integration. Both were taught the insignificance of morality in what they went about all their lives before being ripped from said lives. Both committed "cannibalism" without concern whether directed to or not. Yet one is considered reprogrammable and there for capable of being redeemed, and the other has a scarlet letter pinned to her chest for eternity, dubbed automatically and irrevocably irredeemable. Odd morality being presented here, is just what I am pointing out.

The snag is, Georgiou clearly does not WANT to be redeemed. She actively enjoys what she does. Seven was never like that.
 
Hey, you called the ep NONSENSE. That was your assessment. NONSENSE. How is that even an argument? As far as I can tell by my viewing of the show, the only way that level of dismissal can be arrived at is if someone just wasn't paying attention or couldn't have been bothered to. That is my assessment of someone who watched this ep and made the assessment you did. What exactly was the best part of your argument there?
No, it was me who called it nonsense. Because it was, not because I wasn't paying attention.
 
I watched Man in the High Castle, and there isn't any point where the show made me want to cheer for Hitler. I really do not show you were watching, or think you were watching if you found that to be the case.
The final episode of season 1, where Smith is stuck in a cabin with Heydrich, who's plotting a coup against Hitler that could start World War III... and then the phone rings and it turns out Hitler has won the day. It's basically a "some Nazis are worse than other Nazis" moment.
 
No, it was me who called it nonsense. Because it was, not because I wasn't paying attention.

I guess you consider a vast amount of Star Trek to be nonsense, and even the good stuff, if you consider that ep to be nonsense, paying attention or not. I generally see people using that term when they can't follow or won't bother to follow a narrative for whatever reason so they hide behind a condescending adjective. I do not think that ep was nonsense. It didn't even try to be especially absurd in any way, IMHO, at least relative to all the Star Trek I have watched or read. And calling that episode nonsense was also rather lazy, don't you think?
 
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The final episode of season 1, where Smith is stuck in a cabin with Heydrich, who's plotting a coup against Hitler that could start World War III... and then the phone rings and it turns out Hitler has won the day. It's basically a "some Nazis are worse than other Nazis" moment.

That was a stand up and cheer moment for you? Was the scene in The Last Crusade where Hitler shows up on for you as well? They were about the same to me, evoking a sigh of relief that everyone I did like in the show wasn't going to die in a firey hell because the Nazi's were going to nuke them to oblivion and there was still hope. It didn't make me think that any Nazi's, or Hitler were suddenly good guys. But I do understand that there are bad guys and there are worse guys, especially where it comes to a show like that. And Star Trek also has bad guys and worse guys. We are expected to cheer for Klingons, even though they may be war criminals and cannibals, because they too have showed up and save the day. Its okay to nod and pat a genocidal astrophysicist on the back in sympathy, because, hey, he'd been waiting for his moment a long time and really wanted to complete his paper. And that's when the show is treating its subject matter seriously.

I apologize for mis-responding to the other guys nonsense statement, and that I expect that many people here have actually watched or know of most of the shows when I make arguments and ask questions. I find a lot of silly hyperbole being used regarding DSC and the characters that isn't really deserving of entirely respectful replies. And i see the term Cannibal Hitler or its variants as one of those utterly ridiculous hyperbolic memes that some people appear to want to push around these parts that honestly isn't deserving of respectful deference and kind of ruins their whole arguments when they stoop to using it as part of their point. Why? Mostly because it is incredibly lazy.

And why do I focus on the worst of peoples arguments? Because that's the part of the argument that's the problem.
 
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Similarly, and even more effectively, I think the redemption arc of Jaime Lanister in Game of Thrones is brilliant and fascinating. It's certainly not something one would have expected from his depiction in the first season...

Not just the first season. He didn’t seem redeemable based on what happened in the very first episode. It was brilliant, but then the whole show is brilliant.
 
Only if he could use Lucille to detonate the bomb.

Yeah, I stopped watching that show when it became clear there were no good guys, only bad guys, worse guys and amazingly worse guys. I was able to get back to watching Fear with the 4th season, though as it's has an existential absurdity about a zombie apocalypse I could appreciate.
 
No, it was me who called it nonsense. Because it was, not because I wasn't paying attention.
To be fair, this episode's treatment of the mycelial plane and Culber's survival there was nonsense, in terms of scientific plausibility. Sheer codswallop. Pure malarkey.

I mean, we're talking about fucking spores, people. Spores do not have minds and intentions of their own. They're not even full-fledged beings as such; they're the fungal equivalent of seeds, except much smaller.

Heck, even last season on this same show, the whole concept was simply that the spores were a real-universe thing, except that their natural growth network extended into some special plane of subspace that could be used for transit. That was weird enough on its own... but the concept was definitely not that spores were an intelligent species unto themselves that treated that plane as their home dimension, much less that they possessed powers of telepathy and matter transmutation. It's frankly ludicrous.

But you know what? I honestly don't mind. Star Trek has always been on the "applied phlebotinum" tier of SF, and this isn't even in the ballpark with some of its more extreme scientific whoppers. So long as it's reasonably consistent with itself, and it adheres to valid (in-universe) principles of metaphysical naturalism and doesn't start attributing anything to actual supernatural causes, I'm perfectly fine with it. So if the (re)definition of the mycelial plane presented here provides the setting for a well-told story, and in the process brings back a worthwhile character and (perhaps) helps explain why the mycelial network is Not A Thing in later Trek, it's all to the good.
 
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