Spoilers Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 1x06 - "Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach"

[Oddish]

Strangely ironic... all the people we saw as bad guys (the attacking ship, the guard, the father) in this episode were actually just the opposite: good people who decided that enough was enough, and this horror needed to end. Enterprise had, however unknowingly, chosen the wrong side.

A part of me wishes this one had ended with Pike and La'an and a few security blasting their way into the complex and lighting up that electronic abomination with their phasers. Yes, the consequences still happen: they pull the boy from the smoking remains of the machine and return him to his father. He dies moments later, but peacefully, and in the arms of someone who loves him. He deserved that much, at least.

 

[TRON JA307020]

Who the hell was he to make that decision for them? He had a right to defend himself and his crew. But once he and his crew were capable of extracting themselves from the situation, he should have left the planet and left the Vaalians to their own devices.

Kirk gave that population sexual desire and most likely a thriving adult film industry later on. I mean give Kirk a break.

 

[Sci]

Kirk gave that population sexual desire and most likely a thriving adult film industry later on.

That's another way of saying he imposed his values upon another culture by force instead of respecting their sovereignty.

 

[TRON JA307020]

That's another way of saying he imposed his values upon another culture by force instead of respecting their sovereignty.

I'm OK with it. Also Vall did try to destroy the enterprise. Vall got what was coming to him.

 

[Sci]

I'm OK with it.

Good to know you're okay with imperialism.

Also Vall did try to destroy the enterprise.

And if destroying Val was the only way to save the Enterprise, then Kirk can make a legitimate self-defense argument. But the instant it was possible extract his crew and ship from danger without overthrowing the aliens' entire culture and way of life, Kirk should have taken it.

 

[Photoman15]

Good to know you're okay with imperialism.

And if destroying Val was the only way to save the Enterprise, then Kirk can make a legitimate self-defense argument. But the instant it was possible extract his crew and ship from danger without overthrowing the aliens' entire culture and way of life, Kirk should have taken it.

....

And left these people to indefinite slavery to a machine.

 

[Oddish]

And if destroying Val was the only way to save the Enterprise, then Kirk can make a legitimate self-defense argument. But the instant it was possible extract his crew and ship from danger without overthrowing the aliens' entire culture and way of life, Kirk should have taken it.

According to the Prime Directive, yes. However, it was pretty clear that Kirk intended to put a stop to Vaal even if the danger to Enterprise was resolved.

 

[TRON JA307020]

Good to know you're okay with imperialism.



And if destroying Val was the only way to save the Enterprise, then Kirk can make a legitimate self-defense argument. But the instant it was possible extract his crew and ship from danger without overthrowing the aliens' entire culture and way of life, Kirk should have taken it.

Kirk made a field decision. He reasoned that the civilization was dead and not thriving at all. Which basically it was because the population were at the mercy and slaves to a machine .

 

[Oddish]

The people were also healthy, cared-for, and not aging at all. Even assuming that the Federation sent assistance to stop them from going extinct, their freedom came at a very high price. Like it always does.

Clearly, this was not a simple "black and white" issue.

 

[Mudd]

"The Apple" is one of those episodes that falls apart logically as soon as you think about it.

You've got a machine that's been running a planet for millennia - controlling the fucking climate down to a such a microlevel that it can aim a lightning bolt - and has the power to pull an interstellar ship out of orbit...but is capable of being critically starved of energy if its subjects miss a couple of feedings of fresh fruit?

 

[jackoverfull]

There was that little detail of being fired upon with phasers…

 

[Noname Given]

"The Apple" is one of those episodes that falls apart logically as soon as you think about it.

You've got a machine that's been running a planet for millennia - controlling the fucking climate down to a such a microlevel that it can aim a lightning bolt - and has the power to pull an interstellar ship out of orbit...but is capable of being critically starved of energy if its subjects miss a couple of feedings of fresh fruit?

Well, to be fair, the 1701 fired full phasers at it to drain its remaining power; but yeah at the end, you'd think if all its power were drained the shield it had maintained should have fallen during said phaser fire at it should have been either disintegrated/a smoking ruin afterwards.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

"The Apple" is one of those episodes that falls apart logically as soon as you think about it.

You've got a machine that's been running a planet for millennia - controlling the fucking climate down to a such a microlevel that it can aim a lightning bolt - and has the power to pull an interstellar ship out of orbit...but is capable of being critically starved of energy if its subjects miss a couple of feedings of fresh fruit?

"The Apple" always cracks me us because Kirk basically destroys Vaal cause nobody fucking on the planet. Oh, and the ship is danger.... but really cause they ain't fucking and making "little ones such as yourself."

But I thought for years they were feeding Vaal fruit too. Then on a rewatch several years ago, I noticed that they were feeding Vaal the explosive rocks Spock discovered.

At least that makes better sense as an energy source than fruit!

 

[shapeshifter]

Perhaps Vaal uses Mr. Fusion tech.

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[TRON JA307020]

The people were also healthy, cared-for, and not aging at all. Even assuming that the Federation sent assistance to stop them from going extinct, their freedom came at a very high price. Like it always does.

Clearly, this was not a simple "black and white" issue.

Living forever, no sex and no kids. Just the same people forever and ever feeding Vaal rocks to keep him going. Basically slaves for eternity. Kirk was an idiot. He should have left well enough alone.

 

[Mudd]

But I thought for years they were feeding Vaal fruit too. Then on a rewatch several years ago, I noticed that they were feeding Vaal the explosive rocks Spock discovered.



At least that makes better sense as an energy source than fruit!

Yeah, it's nice to discover that they made a little effort - but come on, those rocks are lying around all over the place, and the designers thought it was a good idea to make their Krell Device dependent on their simple descendants collecting and shoveling the rocks every couple of days, forever?

Elon Musk was involved here, somehow.

 

[cooleddie74]

It was the explosive rocks all along? So...Vaal runs off of Pop Rocks is what we've been seeing for 55 years?

Man. Trek really WAS ahead of it's time.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

It was the explosive rocks all along? So...Vaal runs off of Pop Rocks is what we've been seeing for 55 years?

Man. Trek really WAS ahead of it's time.

All Kirk had to do was combine the rocks with a Pepsi to destroy Vaal.

 

[cooleddie74]

"Simple carbonation, Captain?"

"Simple carbonation, Spock."

"What Jim means, Spock, is that the worthless junk food you spend so much time deriding saved all our lives."

 

[Nerys Myk]

"Simple carbonation, Captain?"

"Simple carbonation, Spock."

"What Jim means, Spock, is that the worthless junk food you spend so much time deriding saved all our lives."

Raises eyebrow.